Page 74 of Hoax and Kisses
He arches a brow. “Gotta save some for that date.”
Swallowing, I nod. “Right.”
I’m not fooling him, let alone myself. Truth is, I’d give anything to kiss Matt Becker again.
“I don’t think I made a friend in Patty tonight,” I say, sinking lower in the car seat.
Matt offered to drive me home, and at this point, my willpower is hanging by a thread.
“It’s okay. You can’t win them all. Your donation alone will help sway the community. It showed that you care.”
“I think… I do.”
I’ve always cared, but not in the way I do now. It’s always mattered to me that the project fit into the community and respect the town. That it gets accepted and off the ground.
But now?
I care about the people. I want Carl to take the kids into the forest. I want Mia to survive through this tougher year. I want Cooper to boost his sales and make a name for himself. I want Matt to expand his business.
Speaking of.
“Are you free next weekend?” I ask. “My company is holding its annual shareholders’ gala. That’d be a great time for me to introduce you to the team behind my start-up program.”
He glances at me. “In Vancouver?”
“Yes. Is that an issue?”
“It’s tricky for me to get away now that my sister is staying with me.” He sighs. “I don’t think I can ask Lola or James to look after her again. Daphne would hate me if I did anyway.”
I shrug. “Would she like to come with you?”
Matt gives me a thoughtful frown. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all. We’ll book a room for the two of you at the hotel where we’re holding the cocktail party. Then Daphne can enjoy all the room service she wants while you’re networking.”
Lips pressed together, he keeps his focus on the dirt road ahead. Finally, he says, “I’ll have to ask her. See if she’s comfortable with it.”
“She can put a movie on and do nothing all day,” I continue. “That’s the perfect weekend. I can even book an appointment at the spa if she likes massages.”
Matt parks the car in front of my place and kills the engine. His hands fall to the bottom of the wheel and his head follows the same pattern, drooping forward between his shoulders.
My stomach sinks. Did I say something wrong?
“If that’s not her thing, she can absolutely do something else,” I rush to add. “We can coordinate with the hotel to make sure she’s comfortable and has everything she needs.”
“No, no, it’s not that.” He releases a shaky sigh. “I’m just… protective of her and mindful of the people in her life. MaybeI go overboard a little, but I’ve learned the hard way that not everyone is open to understanding others’ differences.”
He smooths his beard, peering over at me.
“All that makes it hard to trust people with the person I love most, you know? Autistic people are often all or nothing, and that applies to who they let in too. Once Daph likes you, she’ll like you forever. She’ll constantly ask how you are and when you’re coming by.” He worries his lip, once again staring out the windshield. “I don’t want her to end up hurt when you’re done with the project and leave. Even if my gut tells me you’d be great with her. So yeah… I’m a bit mind-fucked.”
“I understand,” I murmur, angling my body toward him.
He lets out a soft chuckle. “I’ve been taking care of my sister while our parents are away, but really, I’ve been doing it my whole life. It’s been me and her since the day she came into this world. I’d love to bring her to Vancouver with us, but I need to think it through. Make sure I’m okay with the two of you spending time together. And I want to talk to her first. She isn’t always great with unfamiliar places, but raising the possibility first might help.”
“Of course.”
He’s right—I’m not here to stay. So why does my chest tighten like I’m being pushed away from something I was never meant to be part of?
