A Match Made at Christmas - Courtney Walsh Page 0,35

For as long as we both shall live.

He wasn’t ready. They weren’t ready. And it would be a miracle if she ever talked to him again.

He whipped out his phone and sent her a text:

I’m so sorry, Pru. We need to talk.

He waited to the count of ten before clicking his phone off. She wasn’t responding. Could he blame her? She was either freaked out by his mixed messages or as horrified as he was that they’d just crossed that invisible, unspoken, always-present line.

What was he thinking?

But man, that was some kiss. It made him curious and excited and anxious to do it again. He didn’t think he could go on being “just friends” with Pru. Could he be the man she deserved?

He glanced at the screen and saw that Howie was still sitting there, alone.

He hesitated to leave the perfectly cooked, half-eaten filet mignon on the desk, but he didn’t want to miss a chance to talk to the man—find out what had really happened between him and Peggy.

He raced out of the office and into the private room, where he found Howie nursing a beer and staring out the window toward the street.

“You just missed her.” Howie took a swig.

Hayes didn’t bother to tell him he knew he’d missed her—he’d been watching like a creeper on a video camera in the back room.

“Mind if I sit?”

Howie motioned to the chair opposite him, then regarded Hayes for a long moment. He sighed. “Can I give you a bit of advice?”

Hayes leaned back in his chair. “Sure.”

“Don’t be an idiot.”

Hayes frowned. “You think I’m an idiot?”

Howie laughed. “Well, maybe, but I was talking about myself.”

“How so?”

“Did you know Peggy and I used to be good friends?” Howie asked. “Best friends, actually.”

“Like me and Pru.”

Howie’s gave him a knowing look. “Yeah, like that.”

“I admit I do know a little bit about your history,” Hayes said.

Howie glanced down at the tray of appetizers on his table. “Hungry?”

Hayes was, in fact. His mind wandered back to the steak he’d left behind, and his mouth practically watered for it. Howie set a small plate in front of him. “Go ahead. Pru isn’t coming. She had them send this out to tide me over, but then she texted and said something came up.”

A flash of the scene that had just played out in the office raced through his mind. He liked kissing her—more than liked it, really—why was he fighting it? What if they could be great together?

Or what if he ended up hurting her because he couldn’t be what she needed? He did have a way of botching relationships.

Hayes picked up two stuffed mushrooms and put them on his plate. “I’m starving, actually.”

“Dig in,” Howie said.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Howie took a sip of water and folded his hands on the table. “What do you know? About me and Peg?”

“That you were an idiot.” Hayes grinned.

“If I’m honest, I always loved Peggy,” Howie said. “Thought she didn’t look at me as anything other than a friend. Like a brother, actually. We had a pretty unique relationship.”

Hayes understood.

“She was quiet, and I was scared. Peggy was the real deal, you know? Someone you make a commitment to.” He stilled. “Like Pru.”

Hayes’s eyes darted to Howie’s, but he didn’t respond.

“Why didn’t you do anything about it back then?” Hayes asked, looking for insight into his own romantic quandary. “What kept you from taking the risk?”

Howie looked at him. “She was the most important person in the world to me, kid. But Peggy and I are very different. Believe it or not, she was the one who wanted to travel and see the world. I was hooked on Nantucket. I never in a million years thought we’d trade places.”

“But she loves it here,” Hayes said. “She’s practically the town historian. And adventure doesn’t really seem like her thing.

“Yeah, but, she had a different side to her back then. Peggy was always going to see the world. She had her passport and her big dream was to get as many stamps as she could.”

“Wow,” Hayes said. “What changed?”

“Her mom got sick, and she had to stay and take care of her. I think between that and, well, me—her spirit got crushed.” Howie’s face fell. “I guess she settled for safe after that.”

Nothing good ever came from playing it safe, did it?

“So, if you had it to do over . . . ?” Hayes asked.

“No question,” Howie said. “I would’ve wised up sooner and