Page 8 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

“Oh?”

There was a pregnant pause. “I was wondering if you’d mind coming back to the office. I tried to fix the drawer, but to be honest, I’m attached to my thumbs. I don’t even own a hammer.”

Chuckling, he glanced at the dashboard clock. “I have to meet a client about a new job. Can I swing by after lunch?”

“That would be perfect. Around two?”

“I’ll see you then.” Adam smiled into the phone. “I guess it’s a good thing I dropped by this morning.”

“Timing is everything. See you later.”

Melinda disconnected the call and Adam thought, Timing is everything.

Chapter 4

Adam pulled into Melinda’s driveway at two o’clock on the dot. After he parked the truck he wandered over to where she was working in the flower bed. “Hey, Mel.”

She looked up and had to squint as the sun was directly behind Adam. “Hi. Sorry, I didn’t realize I was running late.”

He held out a cup. “Lemonade?”

Melinda scrambled to her feet and clapped her hands together. Even her nails had dirt under them, and she chuckled. “I just love digging in the dirt.” She accepted the cup and pulled the paper off the straw. “You didn’t need to bring me something to drink.”

“It’s a hot day and I stopped to get something for myself, so I thought I would get two.”

Taking a sip, her face screwed up and her eyes popped. “Oh, it’s got a bit of a pucker factor.” She laughed. “Just the way I like it.” She took another sip and noticed the logo. “Jules has the best lemonade in the county.” She stepped in front of him and said, “Come on into the office.”

Adam followed her up the walkway and opened the door ahead of her. Holding it, he said, “Ladies first.”

“Thank you.” She stepped into the room, which seemed dark compared to the bright sun. She set her cup on the desk and handed the bottom piece of the broken drawer to Adam. “There’s a groove on the sides. I think that’s where the bottom is supposed to slide in. When I tried to fix it, it just fell out again.”

Adam picked up the drawer sides and turned it over. “See here?” He pointed to the corners. “These are finger joints. I’d hazard a guess the glue is dried out and that’s why it fell apart.” He smiled. “It’s an easy fix, but I’ll need to take it to my shop.” He took the wood bottom from her. “I can have it back to you in a couple of days.”

“Will it be expensive to fix?” Melinda chewed the corner of her lip. Adam wondered if money was a concern.

“No,” he said, “the first job is on the house.” He laughed. “As long as the first job isn’t to build a house.”

She brightened. “That’s a bargain.” She sank on to the brown leather sofa across from her desk. “Have a seat. I don’t often have a handyman here, and I’d like to talk to you about another project if you have some time.”

Adam set the two pieces of the drawer near the door and took the chair opposite her. He was intrigued by what she might have to say to him. Looking around the office, everything seemed well put together and nothing in need of repair. But looks could be deceiving.

Teasing, he said, “So, tell me what do you have up your sleeve.”

A mischievous look twinkled in her eye. “Well, I’ve been thinking…” She laughed. “Once you get to know me better that usually means trouble.”

He rubbed his hands together and chuckled. “I’m all ears.”

Melinda’s gaze drifted to the window that overlooked the backyard. “I have this amazing space out there.” She rose from the sofa and went to stand by the window. “It screams for something, like a dramatic focal point.”

Adam eased out of the chair and went to stand beside her. “How about you show me what you have in mind?”

With a lopsided grin, she turned to look at him. “I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go through the house.” She opened a door for Adam to follow her through her home.

Stepping through the six-panel door, he could see the house was clean and comfortable, just like her office. The rooms were decorated in warm earth tones and there were colorful flowers everywhere he could see. He looked at the large commercial-grade stove and over-sized French door refrigerator. “You have a nice kitchen. Do you like to cook?”

Off-handed, she said, “I love to cook and do a lot of canning in the fall, so this setup works well for me.” She opened a sliding glass door and stepped to a slate stone patio where pots of herbs and flowers lined the edges. She had a small round table and umbrella set up to one side.

Adam noticed the entire backyard was devoid of trees, except on lush maple, but instead was dotted with raised beds of various plants and sunflowers reaching toward the sky. “You have about a half-acre of land?”

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