Page 7 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

“I have a few more questions and then we’ll be done.” Melinda ran through her checklist and Adam answered each question. She liked how he seemed to know exactly what he wasn’t looking for, but not sure of what he was looking for. She loved a challenge.

She tapped her pen on the edge of the pad. “The next step will be for me to take your information and a headshot, put the details into a program I’ve created, and check for matches. I need to caution you, it’s not a perfect science. As I send you matches, you can tell me if someone strikes your fancy or not before the woman is contacted.”

He frowned. “You don’t give my profile to any of your female clients?”

With a little laugh, she said, “Of course I do. But it is fairly anonymous. I don’t give out personal information. This way you can read a bio and make a decision.”

“That sounds pretty straightforward.”

“I’d like to give you a piece of advice.”

“Ma’am?”

His restrained grin was almost irresistible and Melinda was confident she’d find him the perfect partner. “Keep an open mind as you go on each coffee date.”

His brow wrinkled. “Meaning?”

Melinda leaned forward. In earnest, she said, “In my experience, some men look at a woman who isn’t a size two and dismiss her without giving her a chance.”

A momentary flash of anger showed in Adam’s eyes, but she wasn’t quite sure why, unless he was one of those kinds of men.

“I’m not shallow. We all have flaws, some are visible and some aren’t. I’ve never been the type of man to judge any book by its cover.”

She laid a hand on the arm of the sofa, very near his hand. She could have touched him, but that would be completely inappropriate. “Adam, I didn’t mean to offend you, but…”

He held up his hand. “No offense. I have been around enough men to know exactly what you’re talking about. Trust me, I’m not that kind of guy.”

Melinda got up and turned away from him. She was relieved. He did seem like a wonderful man.

Adam stood and crossed the small office space. “Is there something I need to do now?” he asked.

She scanned the form on her clipboard. “I just need your email address and payment to get things rolling.”

Adam pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed her a credit card.

Giving him a broad smile, she said, “You should receive an email from me in a day or two. But if you have any questions before, feel free to give me a call.” She handed him a card.

He slipped it into his wallet. “Thank you. This process was a lot less daunting than I anticipated. Will was right, you are easy to work with.”

Melinda extended her hand. “I’m glad you came to see me. And I promise, this will be fun.”

He shook her hand and glanced at her ring. “Maybe you’ve had so much success because you have a wonderful relationship with your husband.”

She felt the color drain from her face. She pulled her hand away and tucked it into her dress pocket. In a quiet voice, she said, “My husband died five years ago.”

“Melinda, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

She refused to meet his gaze. “Not to worry.” She walked him to the door, anxious to be alone. “I’ll be in touch very soon.”

Adam heard the door close firmly behind him. It was definitely to shut him out. He muttered to himself, “What kind of ass am I?”

He berated himself as he walked to his truck. “This is what I get for making a personal comment.” He paused at the end of the walkway and turned to look back to the tidy house with colorful flowers flanking the stone steps. At the wedding she said she was single. How was I to know she was a widow? She might have been wearing the ring to deter overly aggressive clients. He walked the last few steps to his truck. Chester is a good place to start over for all kinds of people. He had to wonder… Is Melinda running from her past, or has she made peace with it? He pulled open the driver’s door and got behind the wheel, rubbing his left knee. You can never really run from the past.

He put Melinda’s number into his cell, and then eased the truck away from the sidewalk and drove back to the apartment. He was lucky to have friends who gave him a comfortable place to land.

His cell phone rang. He glanced at caller ID, surprised to see Melinda Phillips’ name displayed. “Hello, Melinda. Did I forget something?”

“No, but I did.”

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