Buch lesen: «Mistletoe Matchmaker»

Chapter One

“Stop that dog!”

The words were barely out of Grant Roderick’s mouth before he realized they were futile. Nothing was going to stop the streak of white fluff running down the Christmas-bedecked boardwalk of Main Street in Moonlight Cove, Washington.

Crazy mutt. Fast, too. Fast, and sneaky enough to have bolted by him when he’d opened the front door of his aunt’s house to get the mail.

Grant followed Jade, his aunt’s white standard poodle—the one he was supposed to be taking care of—running like a madman trying to keep up with the runaway dog. Thankfully, the dog looked smart enough to keep out of the street and away from cars. If anything happened to Jade, he’d never forgive himself.

Grant dodged a holiday shopper coming out of one of the many quaint stores lining the street. “’Scuse me,” he said, straining his neck to keep an eye on Jade. If he lost sight of the dog, he’d never get a hold of her. How could he have let the crazy canine get the better of him one measly day into his house/dog-sitting duty?

All of a sudden, Jade stopped so fast she almost left paw skid marks. Yes! A block behind, Grant kept running, hoping she stayed put so he could grab her. He had work to do, work that didn’t involve chasing naughty dogs all over town.

He drew closer, and Jade put her large, furry paws onto the Christmas-light-festooned window of a store and let out a hearty woof. Then she dropped to all fours again. Grant kept moving, closing the distance between them, pretty much expecting her to take off when he got within grabbing distance. She was clever, he’d give her that. She’d outsmarted him. For a while.

But she stayed by the store, her white pom-pom tail wagging up a storm. Just as she reared up on her hind legs again and pawed the air with her front paws, he was in striking distance.

I’ve got you now!

He lunged for her collar…and saw the store door open to his left. As quick as a cat—for a large dog—Jade jumped forward and through the open door. She looked like she was smiling as she dodged past him.

He fell forward, unable to stop his momentum, and crashed to the thankfully dry boardwalk with a bone-jarring thud. The air whooshed out of him instantly, and he couldn’t draw a breath to save his life.

He rolled onto his back, cringing, wondering if anything was broken. He lay there for a moment, flopped out like a dead fish.

Just as he managed to choke some air in, a feminine voice exclaimed, “Oh, my goodness, are you all right?”

He looked up and saw a very pretty woman with a mass of long curly red hair and cute freckles staring down at him, her eyebrows drawn together over a set of gorgeous green eyes.

His cheeks burned. Great. He’d fallen down in front of the most attractive woman he’d seen in a long time. All he could do was groan, his pain mingling with complete embarrassment.

Not exactly a stellar way to start his time in Moonlight Cove, was it?

Molly Kent looked down at the blond man lying on the sidewalk in front of her store, Bow Wow Boutique, concern rippling through her. He’d hit the deck pretty hard.

Given that he was chasing Jade, Molly surmised this guy had to be her friend Rose Latham’s nephew, Grant Roderick, whom Rose had enlisted to pet-sit Jade while she went on a Hawaiian honeymoon with her new husband and former neighbor, Benny Fulton.

“I’m fine,” the man said from between clenched teeth. With a grimace that told Molly he wasn’t all that fine, he got his feet underneath him and stood.

Peter and Parker, her two schnauzers, barked from within the store, clearly excited by Jade’s arrival, as well as, Molly supposed, the commotion outside. Their bell-trimmed Christmas collars jingled with every yip.

“Are you sure?” She reached out a hand but stopped short of touching him when she got a look at him dead-on. Her breath snagged. Never in her wildest imaginings had she expected Rose’s nephew, whom the older woman had described as a socially backward computer jockey with a serious need to get out more, to be so attractive. He was tall, had nicely chiseled features and a strong, shadowed jaw. Cute. Very cute.

He nodded, his face slightly red, giving her a crooked smile, then spread his well-muscled arms wide. “Luckily, I’m pretty tough.” The short-sleeved navy blue polo shirt he wore emphasized that he was in serious shape—and that he hadn’t left the house prepared for the chilly December weather.

“You must be Grant,” she said, feeling her face heat a teensy bit. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he made his living in front of a camera rather than behind a computer.

“Right,” he said. “I suppose chasing Jade gave me away.”

“I saw you through the window.” She held out a hand. “I’m Molly Kent.”

He shook her hand, his grasp strong. And undeniably warm. “Nice to meet you, Molly Kent.”

He looked right at her, and she couldn’t help but notice his eyes were a really compelling blue. She tried not to stare.

Feeling a bit off-kilter from his killer good looks, she fell back on manners and familiar territory. “Now that Jade is contained, would you like something to drink? I have a fridge in the back.” Molly had promised Rose she would look after Grant and Jade while Rose was gone, and Molly never reneged on a promise. Besides, being needed felt good.

“Sorry,” he said. “I have work to do.”

Molly raised a brow and looked at Jade as she panted in between drinks from the water bowl Molly kept out for Peter and Parker, and any other dogs who visited. “Jade needs a rest,” she said pointedly. “And you look like maybe you do, too.”

“Yeah, I guess maybe I do,” he admitted. “Even though it’s cold out, I ran all the way here and really got my blood flowing.” He glanced at Jade, who, Molly noted, was now chasing Peter and Parker around one of the pet food displays, having turned their attention from Grant and Molly to each other. All three dogs barked in delight as they ran in a wide circle, around and around and around.

He shook his head. “She’s clever and fast. I’m a runner, and even I couldn’t keep up with her.”

She chuckled, then gestured him in, her eyes on the rambunctious canine trio. “Especially when she’s motivated to find her way here for lots of doggy fun. As you can see, they all love to play.”

“And pull off successful escapes.” Grant grimaced as he followed her in, closing the door behind him. “I’m pretty sure she was waiting for me to open the door so she could take off.”

Molly laughed as she navigated her way around the Christmas squeaky-toy display. “You’re probably right. Jade is a handful. Even Rose and Benny have a hard time curbing her wandering tendencies.”

Grant trailed behind her. “I guess I don’t feel so bad then, for letting my guard down long enough for her to escape.”

Molly reached the back room. “No, you shouldn’t. Jade is kind of high maintenance, especially if she misses playtime.” She opened the mini-refrigerator on the right, pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to him. She jumped a bit when their fingers touched. Whoa.

She cleared her throat. “Just a hint, but a played-out dog is a contented dog, and will want to be your constant companion.” She paused for effect. “Did you remember playtime?”

He furrowed his brow as he twisted open the water bottle’s top. “Oh, yeah…playtime.” He shook his head, then drank some water. “I forgot.”

She’d thought so. “Well, again, don’t worry. If she escapes again, Jade always comes to visit me and my two dogs, so I can just bring her back.”

“Okay,” he replied, rubbing his eyes. “I’ve never owned a dog. This is all new to me.” He turned and looked at the mangled bright yellow remnant of what had to be a tennis ball Jade dropped on the floor behind him. “Do they all have such…disgusting toys?”

Molly smiled. So, he was clueless about dogs, something she found surprisingly endearing. Good thing she was the resident dog expert around Moonlight Cove. She had a lot to teach him. “Pretty much. My two schnauzers each have four or five tennis balls rolling around, and they’re all pretty slobbery.”

“And smelly,” he replied, making a face. “Maybe I should buy her a new, clean one.”

Molly appreciated his suggestion. He caught on fast. “Well, you could, but it’ll be gross, too, pretty quickly, won’t it?”

He smiled. “I guess so. Maybe I need an endless supply.”

Molly’s heart rate kicked up a notch at his gorgeous smile—including dimples—and the way his eyes crinkled at the corners.

She forced her thoughts back to the conversation at hand, wishing her heart rate would slow down a teensy bit. “The Sports Shack sells them. I’d give you one, but Jade likes the ones fresh out of the can.” She remembered something. “Hey, I’m guessing you can get a family discount since Kim is married to the Sports Shack’s owner, Seth.”

Seth and Grant’s cousin, Kim, had met five months ago when she and her seven-year-old son had come to Moonlight Cove to live with her and Grant’s aunt Rose. Seth had saved Kim from drowning in a riptide off Moonlight Cove Beach, and Kim had ended up working in his store. Soon after, they fell in love, and the rest was history.

“Good point. I met Seth when he, Kim and Dylan came to visit me in August.”

A thought occurred to Molly. “You weren’t at their wedding, though, were you?” The happy bride and groom had been married this past September in a lovely ceremony at Moonlight Cove Community Church, followed by a reception on the beach where they’d met.

Grant shook his head. “No, I couldn’t make it.”

“For your cousin’s wedding?” Kind of an important event to miss.…

His jaw tightened, and he seemed to be squirming. “I was out of the country for work.”

Molly nodded. Seemed as if Grant was a workaholic. Remembered pain shot through Molly. Her father had missed her high school graduation because of work, too. Never again.

Shoving aside past hurts, she said, “Well, since you missed the nuptials, I’m happy to report that Seth and Kim are very happy, and completely devoted to each other and Dylan.” Truth be told, Molly kind of envied the love they shared and the family they’d built, though she knew that kind of love wasn’t in the cards for her. From now on, she would only let God into her heart—she could depend on Him to never let her down.

“Good to know,” Grant said evenly.

“My friend Phoebe told me they went to Seattle.”

“Yeah. Seth had some kind of Mariners function for former players.”

Seth had played for the Seattle Mariners for three years before coming back home to Moonlight Cove to take over running the Sports Shack from his father.

“Did they kennel Cleo?” Molly asked. “I hope not. I would have been glad to keep her.”

Jade had had a litter of pups in June, and Rose and Benny had given Cleo, one of Jade’s puppies, to Dylan soon after Kim and Seth got engaged.

Grant shook his head. “Nah, they took her with them. Rose told me Dylan just about had a hissy fit when they talked about leaving her here.”

“Not surprising. Dylan and Cleo come in here all the time to play with Peter and Parker and to pick out toys. He’s pretty attached to her.” She made a face. “But I’m not sure I’d want to take her on vacation.”

“Why not?”

“She’s even wilder than Jade,” Molly said, quirking a brow.

He looked horrified. “Is that possible?” he asked, glancing sideways at Jade. She was still madly chasing the jingling Peter and Parker in circles around the predominantly green and red displays, their toenails clickety-clacking on the dog-practical linoleum floor. “She seems pretty wild to me.”

“You think this is wild?” she asked, gesturing with her head toward Jade. “Wait till you meet Cleo.”

He took a swig of water, then returned her smile, his eyes sparkling. “I’m not sure I want to,” he said, clearly joking.

She stared at him for a moment, really liking his sense of humor. Then she caught herself and dragged her gaze away. “Listen,” she said, moving around him and out into the middle of the store, next to the leash display, where there was more space. “If you want me to pick up some tennis balls for Jade after work, I’d be happy to drop them off later.”

He raised his blond brows. “No, that’s fine. I don’t want to put you out.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t be putting me out. I need to pick up some fishing lures for my elderly neighbor from the Sports Shack, anyway. Floyd broke his leg and still wants to go on a fishing trip, wheelchair and all, with one of his buddies. I promised when I checked on him last night to deliver some lures later today.”

“Well…that’d be great.” Grant glanced quickly at his sporty-looking watch, then frowned slightly. “Oh, wow. Look at the time. Tick-tock. I really should get back to work.”

“Tight deadline?”

“Extremely tight,” he replied, rubbing his jaw. “I have to have this job done by January 1 for initial system testing, and then the rest completed by the middle of January, which is an insane deadline for this kind of a product. So that means I have days and days of nothing but work ahead of me.”

She had visions of him working day and night, alone and isolated, his job his only focus.

Sounded sadly familiar. Would Grant someday be like her dad, all alone, because he chose work over everything else? She hoped not. Her dad had ended up pretty unhappy, with no one. Molly couldn’t think of anything worse.

Thankfully, she had her large group of friends to keep her company. And God, of course.

Molly hadn’t grown up going to church, but ever since she’d come to Moonlight Cove, she’d found great comfort and sense of family at the Moonlight Cove Community Church.

“I’m happy to help out,” she told Grant. “Your aunt asked me to look in on you and Jade. She said you get all tied up in work and forget to take breaks to eat.” She smiled. Although, she had to admit, he didn’t look particularly underfed. A guy didn’t get enough muscles to stretch a T-shirt just right by not eating well.

Molly blushed at her train of thought.

He lifted his strong chin and peered at her from under incredibly long lashes. “My aunt asked you to check up on me?”

“Kind of, but not in a bad way. Rose just thought you might need some help.” She pointedly looked at Jade, who was now flopped on her back, her paws in the air, wrestling with Peter and Parker. “You said yourself you don’t have any experience with dogs.”

He chuckled, then held his hands up in the air like the dog, the light in his eyes dancing. My, he was handsome. “Touché. I’m clueless,” he reminded her.

“Not exactly clueless,” she replied, heading toward the front counter. “Just inexperienced.”

She leaned over the counter and picked up a gift-wrapped sample package of the chicken liver dog treats she had on display next to the register. “Here’s my tip. Keep some of these with you at all times. Jade will never leave your side.” She handed the treats to him. “I know for a fact she loves them.”

He took the package, looking dubious. “You sure?”

The sound of twelve paws skittering on the floor echoed through the store.

“I’m sure,” she replied with a wry twist of her lips as she nodded to the three dogs who now sat obediently at his heels. “They’re giving you their best ‘we’re starving to death’ looks right now.”

He glanced down at the supposedly starving dogs.

“Now you know my big secret,” she said with mock-seriousness. “With those treats, you’ll be the Dog Whisperer in no time. Take those, on the house.”

“Thanks,” Grant said, tucking the small pouch of treats in his back pants pocket. “I’ll be sure and keep these handy.”

“Glad to help,” Molly replied truthfully.

Grant cast his gaze around. “Um…do you by chance have a leash I could borrow? Now that I’ve got Jade under control, I don’t think I want to let her loose again.”

“Sure thing.” Molly headed to the front of the store and grabbed one of her own leashes from a hook by the door. She held it out for Grant. “Here you go. I’ll just get it back when I deliver the tennis balls.”

Grant walked over and took the leash, his blunt fingers brushing Molly’s again. “Thanks.”

Her breathing hiccupped.

“I really appreciate your help. Obviously, I need it,” he said, his gaze as warm as a sun-splashed Caribbean ocean.

She stared at him for a moment, then pried her gaze away, trying not to lose herself in his stunning eyes. “It’s the least I can do for Rose and Benny.” Never mind a nice guy who was handsome and charming to boot.

All three dogs came belatedly running when they caught sight of the leash, clearly making the connection between it and the possibility of a walk.

“Sure you don’t want to take all three?” Molly asked brightly, her tone teasing. “You’ve got treats and a leash. Doesn’t get any better when you’re a dog.”

Grant considered Peter, Parker and Jade, who were now excitedly dancing the cha-cha around his feet. “No sirree,” he replied, wagging his head. “I can barely handle one. Three…? No way am I ready for that.”

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of a few mutts,” she said mischievously, enjoying her and Grant’s flirting…um, banter.

He gave her a serious look. “Hey, I almost lost my aunt’s beloved pet, and the crazy dog managed to make me fall on my face in front of a pretty lady. You bet I’m scared.”

She felt a flush of pleasure. He thought she was pretty? “Don’t be,” she managed. “As long as you establish yourself as the pack leader, you’ll be good.”

“Pack. Leader.” He flexed like a he-man body builder. “Got it.”

Molly giggled unabashedly at his antics. Add sense of humor to the list of his attractive traits. Not that she was paying attention. At least not for herself. But as the town’s matchmaker, she was always keeping an eye out for eligible singles.

“I’ve got to head home,” Grant said, holding up the leash. “Any tips for getting this thing on?”

She nodded toward the chicken liver treats in his back pocket. “Hold up one of those, ask her to sit and hook ’er up. Should be easy.”

“Whatever you say.” Grant took the treats out of his pocket, ripped the Christmas wrap off and fished a few from the bag. He faced the dancing bevy of dogs and asked Jade to sit in a firm, deep voice that resonated in Molly.

All three dogs sat.

“What do you know?” Grant said, giving each one of them a treat.

Molly squatted and held on to Jade just as Grant leaned down to hook the leash to Jade’s collar. His face came close, and she got a whiff of his aftershave, all spicy and clean, and another look, up close and personal, at his impossibly long eyelashes framing his eyes.

She fought the crazy urge to run her fingers over those lashes. Instead, she concentrated on the inane detail of the curly texture of Jade’s nose fur.

Grant hesitated, just a few inches away, seemingly concentrating on hooking the leash onto the ring on Jade’s bright pink collar.

Molly chastised herself for being so drawn to him, so caught up in the details of everything about him. What was wrong with her, anyway?

He got the leash attached, and he straightened.

Molly let herself draw a breath, realizing she’d been holding it.

“That was easy,” he said. “Thanks again for your help. I think I’ve got the hang of this dog stuff now.”

“Great. You’re a fast learner.” Good. No, bad…he wouldn’t need her around now.

Thrown off balance by her weird thoughts, Molly focused on instructing him how to give the standard poodle another treat, complete with “Good dog, Jade.” She fell back on the familiar to keep herself on an even keel and to counteract her attraction to him. She had to get herself together.

He was Rose’s nephew. Not some guy she wanted to date. Well…she’d kind of like to date him, but wouldn’t. Too much danger down that trail.

The buzzer on the front door sounded, heralding the arrival of a customer. Molly looked over and saw her friend Phoebe Sellers walk in, right on schedule for their lunch date.

Her single friend.…

Instantly, Molly’s trusty matchmaker hat figuratively popped onto her head. She quirked a brow as she realized that Phoebe might be Grant’s perfect match.

Making a mental note to strategize about setting them up, she headed toward Phoebe. “Come on over and meet Phoebe,” she said to Grant. Might as well see if sparks flew.

Even little sparkles would help tell the story. Fortunately, it didn’t take much for Molly to sense who belonged with whom. Some said she had a gift for recognizing perfect matches, and with eight successful ones in the last two years, she’d have to agree.

“Phoebe, this is Grant Roderick, Rose’s nephew.” Molly turned to Grant. “Grant, this is Phoebe Sellers. She owns the ice cream store up the street.”

Grant extended his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

“It’s mutual,” Phoebe said as she shook his hand, a decidedly speculative gleam in her blue eyes.

Oooh. Gleamy eyes. Always a good sign.

“How long have you owned the ice cream place?” Grant asked.

His interest in Phoebe had Molly’s rapt attention.

“About a year and a half,” Phoebe said, unwinding her fluffy black scarf from around her neck. “But I was born and raised in Moonlight Cove.”

“Ah, a local girl,” Grant said. “Looks like you’ve put down roots. You must like it here.”

Aha. Mention of roots. Wonderful.

“I love it,” Phoebe replied. “How long will you be staying?”

Interest, or just politeness? Phoebe had sworn off romance, too, but minds could be changed if need be. Maybe.

“Aunt Rose and Benny will be back just before New Year’s Eve,” Grant said. “So I’ll be around for a while.”

“Well, it’s good to have a new face around here.” Phoebe smiled. “Small towns tend to get a bit boring.”

Molly watched the whole exchange with interest, taking mental notes. No giant sparks yet, but it was early. And the gleam in Phoebe’s eyes and Grant’s questions…well, it could bode fairly well for a tidy setup.

Anticipation sparked; Molly couldn’t wait to sink her chops into a good matchmaking prospect. She delighted in helping others find the true love she would never have; if she couldn’t have a soul mate, well, then at least she could be a part of helping others find that special someone. It would be the closest she’d ever get to a happily ever after.

She pushed away the sadness that thought caused and tuned back to the matchmaking opportunity at hand. True love was elusive, and it took skill to make good matches that lasted; she’d have to pay attention.

“You two want to hang around awhile and just…talk?” Molly asked.

Grant held up Jade’s leash. “Sorry, I can’t. I need to get going.” He gave a mock-salute. “Ladies, it’s been a pleasure.”

Phoebe murmured her goodbye in unison with Molly, and Grant left, Jade trotting obediently at his side, her tail held high.

Molly watched him go. Nice guy. Very appealing.

If she were looking for a friendly, charming, all-work-and-no-play kind of guy. Which she definitely wasn’t. At least not for herself. But Phoebe? Now, that was a different story.

Molly turned around to find her blonde friend standing right behind her, her arms crossed over her chest.

“He’s very cute,” Phoebe said, one brow arched.

Good sign. Physical attraction definitely played a part in who was meant to be together. Not the whole part, of course, but an important piece for sure.

“You think so?” Molly asked, careful to hide her matchmaker’s eagerness by looking at a tiny green-and-red cable-knit dog sweater.

“Definitely attractive,” she said, sounding amused.

Molly looked up at Phoebe. Her friend had her lips curved into a smile that definitely held a sly edge. “Maybe he’s available,” Phoebe said.

Molly peered at her friend more closely, her stomach flipping in a half circle. What was with Phoebe’s wily grin? “For who?” she asked, hoping her suspicions weren’t true.

“For you, of course,” Phoebe said, shrugging.

Molly’s tummy flipped all the way around. “For me?” She waved a finger in the air. “I’m not interested in him.” Which was true. Except as a match for Phoebe. Or anyone who wasn’t Molly. Rule number one of matchmaking: don’t let yourself get caught up in your prospects. Even if they were drop-dead gorgeous and charming to boot.

Phoebe snorted. “Oh, right. I saw you getting all flustered when he bent down to hook the leash. I watched you stare at him when he walked away.” Phoebe drilled Molly with her all-seeing, sky blue gaze. “You were interested, all right.”

Trust Phoebe to catch the details. She was one of the most observant people Molly knew.

Molly put the sweater in its place and headed to the register, telling herself she shouldn’t be surprised by Phoebe’s statement. It was no secret she thought Molly should be dating, even though Phoebe wasn’t dating, either. She’d lost her fiancé, Justin, God bless his soul, in a firefighting accident one and a half years ago, and hadn’t dated since.

Time to set the record straight. “I was interested in him because my matchmaker radar went off when I met him.”

Phoebe frowned, pausing, then moved closer. “Because…you wanted to fix him up with me?”

“Yup.” No use hiding the truth. “That’s what I do, Phoebs.”