An Unexpected Match. Dana Corbit

cleared his throat and turned back to her. “Wow, look at this place. You’ve been busy.”

      “Probably too busy. Maybe Mom was right. I am tired. Maybe I should just—”

      “Not so fast, Haley Scott.”

      Haley had been staring at the gifts again, feeling the weight of the work ahead, but she turned to look at him. “Excuse me?”

      “You don’t know how hard it is to get volunteers for youth group events. Now that you’re on the hook, there’s no way I’m letting you off.”

      She snapped her fingers, grimacing. “I knew it. I knew you were only asking me because I was vulnerable and you were short of volunteers.”

      “Smart gal. Now get your coat. A rowdy bunch of teens are waiting for us.”

      Forgetting her flimsy argument, Haley did as she was told. Matthew seemed too determined to treat her as his charity case for her to change his mind anyway. For a few seconds last night, she’d wondered if her mother had discouraged her from accepting Matthew’s invitation just to trick her into going, but one look at that disapproving frown had ruled out any suspicion of matchmaking motives.

      Even the two matchmakers probably recognized the unfortunate timing, and besides, they’d always intended Caroline for Matthew in their silly plan. Not her.

      After she retrieved her purse from the bedroom, Haley found Matthew bent in front of the pile of small appliances and stoneware place settings stacked along the wall.

      “You’ve got quite a stash here,” he said.

      “Two toasters, three waffle irons, a blender and a smoothie maker, and that’s without unwrapping any of the ones I hadn’t already opened.”

      “Caroline was right. You should get to keep the loot.”

      “I don’t think so.” She shook her head to reinforce her words. “I do wish I could use a form letter for my thank-you notes though. My hand is killing me.”

      As she flexed and unflexed her left hand, her gaze stopped on her third finger. Her hand looked so bare now without her engagement ring. That piece of jewelry was safe in a drawer upstairs for when she would return it to Tom. The sound of Matthew clearing his throat brought her attention up from her hand.

      “Then you need a break…for the sake of those sore fingers. So shall we?” With a tilt of his head, he indicated the front door.

      Haley couldn’t help smiling as they went outside and descended the steps toward Matthew’s hybrid SUV parked at the curb. He was so kind to distract her from her problems. He opened her door before jogging around to the driver’s side.

      Once inside, he gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Each day will get a little easier, you know.”

      “How do you—” Haley began, and then she remembered that he did know from experience what it was like to be the one left behind. Though she’d worried briefly about her mother’s motives, she found relief in knowing she didn’t have to worry about Matthew’s. He was reaching out to her in friendship, just as he’d done all those years ago.

      Back then his offer had felt like a nightmare, a pat on the head when she’d hoped to be held in his arms. The same offer now seemed perfect. She didn’t want or need anything else from a man right now, but she could really use a friend.

      The glare from the fluorescent lights caught Haley’s attention, and a newborn’s distinctive cry filtered down the aisle, as Haley raced through a discount department store, searching for the backdrop for their final photo. Matthew jogged after her, the two girls and two boys they’d shared a ride with in Matthew’s SUV earlier taking up the rear.

      “Slow down, will you?” the boy named Preston called after her as he stopped and tried to catch his breath.

      “You don’t want ours to be the last team to get back to the church, do you?” Haley slowed long enough to ask over her shoulder.

      “No, but he doesn’t want to collapse and croak next to the health and beauty department, either,” an athletic girl named Katie answered for him.

      “Good thing for him Haley’s headed for the toy department,” Matthew said.

      Haley grinned as she hurried to the rear of the store. How Matthew knew where she was going, she wasn’t sure, but they must have been thinking on the same frequency because they both stopped right in front of a cage-like container of large plastic balls. Great minds did think alike.

      “Here. This is perfect.” She indicated the cage with an expansive wave.

      “You want us to get in there? It’s almost smaller than Matt’s car.” That came from Jimmy, the group’s resident comedian.

      Haley shook her head. “I just thought we could balance some balls while we build the pyramid.”

      “Are we going to balance on the balls?” Jimmy tried again.

      “I don’t think so,” Matthew said. “We’ll really come in last if we have to make a side trip to the E.R. at Markston General.”

      His deadpan had Haley chuckling. He’d been serious most of the night, through their assignment of squeezing themselves on the store’s minicarousel and her mid-pushup collapse as they did calisthenics on the courthouse steps.

      He’d been as serious tonight as he’d been when Haley had seen him with Elizabeth. For someone so blessed with a great career in law and with the opportunity to parent a sweet little girl, Matthew didn’t seem to have much fun in his life.

      “I wish we could have brought Elizabeth tonight,” Haley told him as they waited for Preston to catch up with the group. “She would have loved this.”

      “It was just for the older kids. Besides, I wouldn’t want her to stay up past her bedtime.”

      Haley nodded, wondering about the strict schedule Matthew and his daughter must keep. Did the house collapse around them if the child went to bed at 8:05 p.m. instead of the top of the hour?

      “What are we doing?” Preston asked when he reached them.

      “We’re deciding how we’re going to build the pyramid,” Jimmy told him. “We’re making you the flier.”

      Preston shook his head. “Not going to happen.”

      Matthew raised both hands to garner their attention. “Are we going to build this thing or just talk about it?” When no one answered, he started barking orders. “Three across the bottom. The guys and me. Haley goes with Katie next. Then one on top. Chelsea, that’s you.”

      Each of them grabbed a ball from the bin and settled it between his hands, a chore that became more difficult at each level. After the pyramid was complete, and a little shaky, they looked up to pose for the camera, finding the Polaroid resting forgotten on the floor.

      “Wait. Who’s going to take the picture?” Jimmy asked.

      “Yes. Who’s going to take it?”

      Haley swallowed as she turned her head in the direction of that unfamiliar voice. A middle-aged woman with a badge that read “Toy Department Manager” stood before them, and she looked anything but pleased.

      It took some fast-talking and a promise to leave the store immediately, but they had the picture in their collection when they returned to the vehicle.

      As Matthew drove them back to the church, Haley listened to the teens’ happy chatter from the second and third rows of seats in the SUV. She might not have been able to agree with their opinions that their photos competed with the work of Ansel Adams, but she had to admit that the outing had been fun.

      Maybe Matthew was right. Maybe each day would get a little easier. She just needed to take control of her life and figure out what she would do next. Tonight had only been a night of distraction, but it was a beginning. She would find a way to get