Page 2 of Fierce-Matt (Fierce Matchmaking #19)

HER VOICE HEARD

One Month Later

“Hi, Anya.”

“Jolene,” Anya said. “How are you doing?”

“Wonderful. You looked like you were having so much fun at Ben’s wedding.”

Her hand reaching for the glass stilled. The wedding was a month ago. It was an odd statement to make now.

Though she hadn’t seen Jolene since, so that could be part of it.

“I had a great time,” she said. “It was nice of Brendan to ask me.”

Brendan had asked her four times until she finally caved and said she’d go.

She hadn’t wanted to see Matt again and for a reason.

He acted the same as he always did.

Privileged prick and getting his way.

Thankfully, Brendan laughed off the interruption of their dance. She’d put Matt in his place so he didn’t come back and try to talk to her again.

She was no longer that young girl he could get a silly emotional reaction out of.

Life got hard and she grew up.

There was no time for that petty crap now.

“Are you two dating?” Jolene asked. “I hadn’t been aware of that.” She leaned in closer. “We know I’m aware of everything.”

Anya laughed. Jolene Fierce, Mason’s mother, still owned part of the brewery. She was also known for meddling in a lot of people’s love lives.

“We are just friends,” she said.

In her mind at least. In his and everyone else’s now. She wasn’t afraid to have her voice heard anymore.

Brendan had asked her out twice more. Once she wasn’t available, the second she didn’t want to lie and say she was busy when she wasn’t.

They had dinner, they talked, there was no heat on her end, and the last thing she wanted to do was get involved with a guy she had to see at work.

He hadn’t asked her again in the past two weeks since she slammed him into the friend’s zone.

“Your generation is so good at those things. In my time, men and women couldn’t be friends without one of them wanting something more.”

Anya smiled and shrugged. “It’s not like that on my end.”

“Ahhh,” Jolene said, smirking, then placing her elbows on the bar. “Guess times haven’t changed all that much. I’m surprised to see you here today. You normally work on Saturday night or earlier in the week.”

When she had time from her other job. The real estate market fluctuated, and the past few months showed more failures than successes.

It was a cutthroat business she didn’t have the stomach for. Not if she had to lie and stab people in the back.

But like everything else in her life, she wanted to give it a try.

The part-time bartending job here gave her more stable money in tips than her full-time career had in two months.

“I’ve been picking up one afternoon shift,” she said. “There aren’t as many people looking at housing during the day as there are at night.”

And most narrowed down what they wanted online so they only viewed what they were looking for exactly. It helped not waste her time, but also didn’t give her a chance to get a commission if she wasn’t pushing them to look outside their scope.

Again, sales wasn’t really her thing. Or maybe being pushy wasn’t.

One more decision she’d have to make soon. If life ever slowed down enough.

“That’s too bad,” Jolene said. “But it allows you to work here as well.”

“I love it here,” she said. “Hang on.”

The bar would open in twenty minutes. She was getting everything ready. Another bartender would be here soon, but she was always early.

Even on a Tuesday, crowds would pack the place from the moment the tours began until the nine o’clock closing.

There was a time limit on how long clients could stay in the tasting room so that others could come in too. The best part about that was the tips flowed faster.

“You’re so neat and organized,” Jolene said. “Just as I used to be when I was a waitress all those years ago. Server. That’s what it’s called now.”

“Things change but always stay the same,” she said.

“They do,” Jolene said. “And I’ll let you get back to work as I know it will be busy.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

She was only working five hours. She had a house showing at six and would have plenty of time to get ready for it leaving here at four.

Fingers crossed she got lucky enough to at least put an offer in for the couple she’d been working with for over a month.

Jolene left and she saw Justin coming in. He was a full-time manager of the bar.

“Hi, Anya. I saw Jolene in here just now. Does she have her sights on you?”

She frowned. “For what?”

“Matchmaking,” Justin said. “Thanks for getting everything ready. I was running late.”

“No worries. I’m always early. And no, she wouldn’t set me up with anyone.”

Though Jolene was asking about her and Brendan.

Urgh, was Jolene going to push them together? She held the gag in barely. The guy was way too soft in the personality department for her.

Brendan was nice but not her type.

Any man she was with should have gotten annoyed over being interrupted on a date when Matt stepped in. Brendan almost felt honored that he had a woman on his arm that others wanted.

Nope.

She liked to go out and have fun and he wanted to talk about beer.

She thought for sure someone who worked around beer or drank it as much as Brendan would like to do something else in his free time.

How wrong she was!

“I figured she’d be pushing you and Brendan together since you were at Ben’s wedding.”

“We are just friends,” she said. As she’d been saying to every single person who asked her the day of the wedding and after.

“Oh,” Justin said. “I don’t think he thinks that.”

She kept the growl from escaping her lips. Barely. “I told him. I’m not sure how much clearer I can be.”

When Brendan leaned in for a kiss at the end of their second date, she’d inched back and was honest she didn’t think of him that way.

Honesty was the only way she could live her life.

No more hoping someone got the hint or assumed anything.

Just like she’d told Matt Kelly when he butted into her dance.

He’d always been a jerk. He played jokes at her expense and then continued to pick on her after. It was hurtful at a time in her life when she needed a friend and someone she could count on. She’d never forgive him. She’d never forget.

She moved on.

Justin laughed. “I haven’t talked to him in a few weeks, so I could be behind the ball somewhat.”

“You are,” she said. “And look at that line out there.”

“Going to be a good day for tips,” Justin said, rubbing his hands together. “I can feel it.”

“I hope you’re right.” She needed it thanks to her car repair bill last week.

“You’re always so prepared for the day,” Justin said. “If you ever want to work more or full-time, let me know. I’d love to have less part-time staff and more reliable ones.”

It was nice to be wanted.

But she needed a sustainable career and to not always have to bust her butt and work long hours, nights or weekends.

Which stood to reason why she thought being a realtor would be a good fit!?

“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll let you know if I’m ever interested.”

Better to not burn bridges because who the heck knew where she’d be in six months if she couldn’t get her life together?

“Hi, Ben.”

Her son’s head brewmaster turned his head from where he was on the floor.

Jolene had her bright orange vest and matching goggles on. Her middle child thought he was being so cute making her wear this on the floor for her protection.

It was more about them seeing her coming so they could hide.

She wore it just to spite them. It made her laugh to get the last word.

Just like Ben was doing now as he looked her over. “How are you doing, Jolene?” he asked.

“Great,” she said. “Did you have a nice honeymoon?”

“Eve and I did.”

“Are you going to thank me for setting you up with your wife?”

Ben closed one eye at her and smirked. “Are you going to ask me that every time you see me now? Before it was if I’d thank you for finding me a fiancée.”

“I only asked it that once.” She shrugged. “Like I do with everyone.”

“In that case, yes. Thank you for helping me find my wife.”

“You’re very welcome. It was a lovely wedding.” And another check on her list of completion.

“It was,” he said.

“I did not know Anya was a close friend of the family,” she said.

After talking with Grace, Ben’s mother, who asked about some help with Matt. She’d had her eyes peeled on Ben’s brother the whole day.

Imagine her surprise when Matt was dancing with the lovely part-time bartender here at the brewery.

It might be the only way she could get involved in this one because she’d never see Matt otherwise.

“Anya was Phoebe’s best friend when they were younger. I’ve known her most of her life.”

“So she’s like a little sister to you also,” she said. Hmmm, interesting.

“Sure. I guess. I always liked her.”

“She’s a beautiful woman. So happy all the time and friendly.”

“Let me guess, you’ve decided to see if you can push her and Brendan together. That has fizzled. Anya shoulder blocked him into the friend category with the precision of a linebacker. We all knew it would happen and warned Brendan, but he didn’t believe us.”

She pursed her lips. She didn’t like the sound of that.

It was as if Anya was mean or rude. Yeah, that wouldn’t work for her so she had to gather more intel.

“That’s too bad,” she said. “Poor Brendan. Did he feel led on?”

Jolene had to play this close to her chest. She had no intention of pushing Brendan and Anya together.

Nope. She was more interested in the brief dance Anya had with Matt and the fact Ben’s younger brother had his eyes on the Fierce employee most of the reception.

“Anya doesn’t have it in her to lead anyone on. I’m shocked she told him she wasn’t interested. The girl I remembered always got run over and was afraid to speak her mind for fear of hurting someone’s feelings.”

“She doesn’t come across that way to me,” she said. Getting better in her mind. Someone who came into their own.

“She’s not now. At least not with Brendan, but she let him down nicely. Who do you have in mind for her?” Ben asked, lifting his eyebrows. “Let me know. Maybe I can help.”

“Really?” she asked. No one ever wanted to help her matchmaking.

“Sure. I know my men well. I know Anya. I’ll let you know if it’d work.”

How to play this?

Ben always acted laid-back and funny with her.

He’d tell her the way it was too. She could trust that.

Would he back his brother though?

Maybe now that he was happily married.

Sometimes you had to take a risk.

“I was thinking about Matt.”

“Matt Whistle?” Ben asked. “Nah. I don’t see them together.”

She didn’t even know who that guy was. “Your brother, Matt.”

Ben burst out laughing. “Yeah. No. Anya can’t stand Matt.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he was an asshole to her when they were younger. He always had to joke and pick on Phoebe and her friends and Anya seemed to get the brunt of it. Never in a million years. If she’d decked him at my wedding, I would have applauded her.”

“That’s a no then,” she said. “Thanks. I won’t waste my time.”

Ben snorted. “Yes, you will, but don’t claim you weren’t warned.”

Just as she thought. Ben saw through her and called her out on it.

“Are you going to tell Matt?”

“No way. He has it coming to him.” Ben laughed even harder.

Jolene wiggled her shoulders and happily turned away from Ben and formulated her next move.