A Match Made at Christmas - Courtney Walsh Page 0,28

not friends. So, we need to maybe concentrate on getting them talking again.”

“Right.” He pushed a hand through his hair, which, it turned out, was an incredibly sexy thing to do. That simple action left it perfectly mussed.

“Uh . . . I’m going to go,” he said. “I’ll be back in a little while to go get your tree.”

She pushed her plate of half-eaten food away from her, her appetite gone.

“I’ll be back,” he repeated.

“Okay,” she said. “See ya in a little bit.” Her mouth went dry.

What had she done? She’d let that conversation get away from her. She’d spooked him with her nonsensical talk.

And she had no idea how to take back what she’d said.

Chapter 11

Heart Otherwise Engaged

Hayes raced out of Pru’s house, mind spinning, heart pounding.

One minute they were talking about Howie and Peggy and the next minute—well, he wasn’t sure who they were talking about.

Pru’s questions, along with that indescribable sense of calm he’d felt in her presence had his mind tumbling. Add that to the conversation they’d just had, and all Hayes could think about was running away.

What on earth was going on?

He hurried back to his parents’ cottage, showered, got dressed, then sat on the edge of his bed, replaying the conversation over and over in his mind. Downstairs, he could hear his family, taking advantage of the long holiday weekend by playing a rousing game of gin at the kitchen table. They laughed and spoke loudly, and Hayes could’ve sat down with them and pretended to be as laid-back and easy-going as they all thought he was.

He could crack jokes and tell stories and keep them all entertained. After all, that was his role. But somehow, he couldn’t muster the energy.

This whole matchmaking thing was getting out of hand. He was supposed to be concentrating on Peggy, finding her perfect match—and instead, he couldn’t stop thinking maybe it was time he got serious about his own.

And Pru happened to be occupying all of those thoughts. But she was off-limits, especially to him. Hayes wasn’t a serious relationship kind of guy. And Pru was a till death do us part kind of girl.

He wasn’t good enough for her, and he knew it. Besides, she didn’t think of him that way—she’d made that clear how many times over the years?

He opened the box Aunt Nellie had left him and pulled everything out. Maybe there was some secret Noni Rose magic inside that he hadn’t uncovered. Something to keep him from getting too wrapped up in it, to stay focused on the task at hand.

He flipped open Nellie’s small scrapbook and read through the success stories, carefully detailed by the matchmakers who’d made them happen. Maybe it would spark an idea about Peggy and Howie—that was the relationship he should be focusing on, after all.

He moved on to a manila envelope that had been neatly tucked in the bottom of the box. Inside, he found a stack of loose papers. On the top was a sticky note that read “Unsuccessful Matches.”

Aunt Nellie hadn’t mentioned any unsuccessful attempts. Maybe there wasn’t some great pressure to get this right. Maybe Peggy would be just fine if Hayes failed and she ended up alone.

And yet, that didn’t seem right either. While he didn’t consider himself a romantic, he’d certainly noticed that zap between Peggy and Howie. It was undeniable, really. Even after all this time, the spark was still there. He had to at least try to get them together.

He shuffled the papers, each detailing a Nantucket native who hadn’t been matched. Reasons were written at the bottom.

Left the island.

Too focused on career to settle down.

Heart otherwise engaged.

He stopped. He was staring at a photo of Pru. His eyes went back to the bottom of the page, where someone (Aunt Nellie?) had written Heart otherwise engaged.

What?

There was no date on the sheet, but maybe Pru had been holding out on him. Maybe she’d fallen for someone and never told him. His heart wrenched. Why? He would be happy for her if she found someone who made her happy. Of course he would.

So why the sick feeling in his stomach?

Hayes folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket. He’d head straight over and make her tell him the truth. Weren’t they supposed to be best friends? He thought for sure when she fell in love, he’d be the first to know.

They used to joke that he’d be her maid of honor—after all, he was her best friend.

Heart otherwise engaged.

The words