The Perfect Match. Kristan Higgins

and she met my stepfather, and he adopted Peter and me.”

      “I never knew that,” Tom said.

      “He was a lovely man. A farmer. Sometimes I’d go with him to deliver milk.” Candace smiled. “Anyway, we moved after my brother died in the war. I was fifteen then. But I still have a friend there. More of a pen pal, do you know what that is?”

      Tom smiled. “I do.”

      “A pity you have to leave. It’s beautiful there.” Candy’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “Tom, dear...if you really want to stay in the States, you can always marry an American.”

      “That’s illegal, Auntie.”

      “Oh, pooh.”

      He laughed. “I can’t see myself going that far,” he said. “It might be different if—well. It’s not an option.”

      It might be if Charlie actually wanted him to stay. Needed him. If Tom were anything but a thorn in Charlie’s side, he might give it a whirl.

      He had two thin job prospects with manufacturing firms, both requiring experience he didn’t have. If those didn’t work out (and he was almost positive they wouldn’t), he’d be heading back to jolly old England, which wouldn’t be awful. He’d be near his dad. Probably meet some nice girl someday. Charlie would barely remember him.

      The pie suddenly tasted like ash. He pushed back his plate. “I’d better be off,” he said. “Thanks for the visit.”

      She stood up and hugged him, her cheek soft against his. “Thank you for coming to see an old lady,” she said. “I’m going to brag about this for days. My grandnephew adores me.”

      “You’re right. Ta, Auntie. I’ll call you and let you know what’s happening.”

      “If I happen to know someone who might be interested, can I give her your number, dear?”

      “Interested in what, Auntie?”

      “In marrying you.”

      Tom laughed. The old lady’s face was so hopeful, though. “Sure,” he said, giving her another kiss on the cheek. Let the old bird feel useful, and that way, maybe she wouldn’t feel so bad when he went back to England.

      There was that pain in his chest again.

      It took four hours to drive back to Manningsport. Four hours of wretched, icy rain and windshield wipers that smeared, rather than cleared. The weather thickened as he approached the Finger Lakes. Perhaps he wouldn’t get in too late to grab a bite (and a whiskey) at the pub he was becoming too fond of. Chat up the pretty bartender and try not to think about the future.

       CHAPTER TWO

      SIX WEEKS AFTER her failed marriage proposal, Honor was starting to panic.

      Online dating sites had offered her all of four matches: her brother Jack (pass); Carl, her brother-in-law (he and Pru had registered to see if eCommitment would say that they were compatible, then planned to meet and pretend to be strangers as part of their ongoing quest to keep things fresh; he was also a pass, obviously); Bobby McIntosh, who lived in his grandmother’s basement and had strange, reptilian eyes; and a guy she didn’t know who listed “reincarnation” under his hobbies.

      So. Here she was again, staring down the weekend with only Spike, her recently acquired little mutt, for company, and while Spike was indeed excellent company, Honor had sort of hoped for the human variety. Ryan Gosling would’ve been preferred, but he had plans, apparently. Dana was busy, and had been busy a lot lately, which was getting a little frustrating, as winter in the Finger Lakes meant there already wasn’t much to do. Take the best girlfriend out of the equation, and there was even less.

      Faith was busy being a newlywed. Pru was busy pretending to be a newlywed. Jack had come over to watch the gruesome medical documentaries they both loved on Honor’s fabulous new TV, and she had the feeling she’d tapped him out on the social front. Abby was a popular kid, and Honor couldn’t bring herself to beg the teenager to hang out and watch movies. Ditto Ned, who already spent enough time with Honor at work.

      This left Goggy and Pops, who were always happy to see her but fought constantly, and Dad, who was acting a little weird lately. Jumpy. Secretive.

      Would Mrs. Johnson be up for something? Sometimes she’d go to a movie with Honor, though she clucked about the unsanitary nature of theaters, theater staff and humans in general. Hmm. Mrs. Johnson was probably her best bet. They could bring Spike, who loved movies as well as popcorn.

      At that moment, her phone rang, startling her so much that she sloshed her coffee. Spike barked from her little doggy bed and began leaping up against Honor’s leg, tearing her panty hose. Though she’d only had Spike for a month, the dog was very protective.

      “I’ll get it!” Honor yelled to Ned, the only other employee here at this hour.

      “Of course you will,” he yelled back from his office, where the sounds of Angry Birds could be heard.

      “Blue Heron Vineyard, Honor Holland speaking,” she said smoothly into the phone, scooping up her doggy.

      “Hey, On, it’s Brogan.”

      A burst of heat raced up her legs. “Hey! Hi! How are you? How’s it going?” Down, girl, said the eggs. He rejected us, remember?

      True. But they’d only emailed a few times since then, and damn if she didn’t miss him.

      “I’m really good,” he said. “How are you?”

      “I’m good! I’m great! I’m great, too, I mean.” The eggs sighed.

      “So listen,” he continued, “I’m in town, and I was hoping you could find some time to see me.”

      Honor paused. The words old baseball glove leaped to mind. Then again, they’d always been friends. Still were. “What did you have in mind?”

      I’m really sorry about saying no, Honor. These past few weeks have given me time to think and I love you and I want to marry you. Now.

      “Drinks at O’Rourke’s?” he asked.

      “Sure! You bet.”

      “Fantastic,” he said, and his voice was warm. There was a pause. “I have something important to tell you, and I want to do it in person. I think—I hope—it’ll make you really happy.”

      The eggs sat up straighter. So did Honor.

      “Okay,” she said, pressing her fingers against her hot cheeks. “That sounds great.”

      “Seven o’clock?”

      Seven! That was in ninety-two minutes. “That works. I’ll see you then.”

      She sat there another minute, then sucked in an enormous breath, having forgotten how to breathe normally. Spike licked her chin in concern, and Honor patted her out of reflex. Turned to her computer and typed in Brogan’s words. Studied them. Read them aloud, very softly so her nephew wouldn’t hear.

      “Hey,” the same nephew said from her doorway, causing Honor to slap her laptop closed. Ned gave her a strange look. “Chill, Honor.”

      “What is it, Neddie dear?”

      “You okay? You look all blotchy.”

      “Shush, child. What do you want?”

      “I’m leaving. I have a date. And a life. You should try it some time.”

      “Very funny, Ned. Have fun. Drive carefully.”

      She waited till his footsteps had faded away, then opened her laptop and looked at those words again. I have something important to tell you, and I think—I hope—it’ll make you really happy.

      Could