Page 14 of Banter & Blushes #1

LUNA

W hy did I kiss him? Now there’s no going back.

I toss and turn all night, haunted by that incredible kiss.

Plus the hundred reasons why I can’t fall for Cade—the biggest ones being he’s my client and he doesn’t live in Seabreeze Harbor.

Deciding to put our relationship back on professional grounds, I text him that I won’t be joining him for a beach walk this morning.

Or any other morning for that matter. My heart drops when I read his abrupt reply asking me to schedule his third match date. I shouldn’t be disappointed, but I am.

Scanning the matchmaker’s network, a name stands out on Cade’s match list. Bridgette Andrews is not one of my favorite matchmakers.

She has an elitist attitude and in the past has declined to match some of her clients with mine.

When one of her client’s names pops up in Cade’s list, I hesitate for several long, excruciating moments while an inner battle rages inside me.

But my job is to find Cade a match, so I set my feelings aside and email Bridgette.

A few minutes later, she agrees to approach her client about a dinner date with Cade.

Bridgette couldn’t ignore his professional reputation and good looks, despite having to work with me.

Margorie McCoy sounds like a saint. She heads up her father’s philanthropic endeavors via a family trust that donates to multiple charities every year. Winning a charitable grant from The McCoy Foundation is a major coup, and Margorie is involved in reviewing every application .

Several articles describe her as sweet, compassionate, and caring. She’s only a 48 percent match with Cade, but I’ve been successful in matching couples with an even lower match score—Anders and Natasha being a prime example.

After exchanging a couple emails with Bridgette, the dinner date is scheduled for tomorrow evening. Considering Margorie’s sweet nature and her social media profile photo (yes, I peeked), Cade is going to fall head over heels for this woman. Can I handle watching him fall in love with someone else?

Needing some sugar and caffeine, I wander into Zoe’s bakery a few minutes after opening. My shop isn’t open for an hour, so I have time to commiserate with my friend over how things have turned out between Cade and me.

“I heard you had pizza with Cade last evening,” Zoe says with a saucy grin the minute I enter the bakery. “Tell me all about it!”

I frown. Leave it to Natasha to spread the word about my date with Cade. Harmony will be in my store asking for details the minute I open.

Zoe pours two mugs of her special blend, loads up a plate with pastries, and leads us to a table in the corner. “We can talk until customers start arriving.”

We sip the coffee and nibble on the delicious cream-filled Long Johns, but within a few minutes Zoe can’t stand the silence any further. “Come on,” she says wiggling her fingers. “Spill!”

Expelling a frustrated sigh, I say, “We ate pizza, we walked on the pier, then we kissed.”

“What!” my friend sputters.

“That was highly unprofessional on my part, and I told him that,” I say glumly.

She frowns. “Luna, you’re his matchmaker for Pete’s sake. Not his boss. Tear up his matchmaking contract and move on.”

Blinking back tears, I say, “It will never work between us. He knows it and I know it. There are just too many hurdles to overcome.” I take another big bite of my Long John and chew angrily, taking out my frustration on the pastry.

“I disagree. You’re afraid to try to make it work. It’s easier to hide out in your shop than put your heart on the line.”

I pause mid-chew. She has a point, but my true fears slide out before I can stop them.

“He’s a big-city guy who wants a partner as career-oriented as he is.

I’m just an ordinary gal running a quirky shop in a small town.

” My eyes lock with hers. “Isn’t it inevitable that he’ll leave and break my heart? ”

Zoe snorts. “Well of course he’ll leave unless you give him a reason to stay.” She glares at me as if I’m a misbehaving child. “Luna, you always sell yourself short. You’re a beautiful, vibrant, intriguing woman. Cade would be lucky to have you. And he’s worth fighting for.”

When a group of noisy laughing customers wander through the door, Zoe leaps to her feet. “Tell him how you feel,” she says sternly, then jogs over and greets the hungry patrons.

I finish my pastry, but instead of enjoying it, it sits like a brick in my stomach. Am I brave enough to tell Cade Bainbridge that I’ve fallen in love with him?

As predicted, my busybody neighbor saunters through the door the minute I flip over the Open sign. “So when does a matchmaker date her own client?” Harmony asks.

“It wasn’t a date. We split a pizza,” I huff, a little too vehemently.

“Um... Several people saw you kissing Cade on the pier,” she adds.

Humiliation and embarrassment heat my neck. “The kiss was a mistake, and I made it clear to Cade that we won’t be repeating it. I’m his matchmaker and nothing more. In fact, I’ve scheduled a third match date for him, which I hold high hopes for.”

Harmony quirks an eyebrow. “If you like the man, tear up your matchmaking contract and date him.”

That sounds eerily familiar to the advice Zoe gave me this morning. Biting my lower lip, I say, “I need to do everything I can to find Cade his perfect match.”

“What if the perfect match is you ?” Harmony pats my shoulder. “The heart knows what the heart wants. You’re allowed to follow yours.” She breezes out as quickly as she came. Did the busybody provide good advice for once? Maybe I need to listen to her.