Page 58 of Perfectly Matched: Harbor Falls Romance Collection

Sam pulled another bag of mulch off the flat and loaded it into the back of the woman’s small SUV.

She smiled and thanked him and headed toward the driver’s side of her car.

Tugging at the handle on the flat, he backed away and turned toward the store.

Sunday was always a busy day, especially in May, and today he was thankful for both the business and the physical energy it took to deal with customers.

Normally he would let one of the younger men do the loading but today, he craved the mindless task and had taken over that job for a while.

Loading customers’ vehicles when they had larger purchases was a perk Haven’s Hill offered over big box stores that sold plants and gardening supplies as a sideline.

The other benefit was that he and his brother trained Haven’s Hills employees to offer advice, ideas, and solutions.

They even had computer programs that could sketch out landscaping plots and worked with customers to choose the right plans.

All free of charge.

They hired people who knew about plants and gardening and trained new staff personally.

They strived to be more knowledgeable than any other nursery around and shared that knowledge with their customers so they could make informed choices.

Haven’s Hill banked on the fact that customers simply couldn’t get that type of support at a commercial store.

He and Jack desired to keep their clientele happy and convert them into returning customers.

They strived to provide the human touch, respect the local flavor, and maintain their upstanding reputation—while working within a highly competitive regional market.

Technology and social media were their friends and their efforts seemed to be paying off.

Business this spring was already up two-fold over last year.

Shoving the flat between the metal rails of the corral that held them just inside the door, he headed toward the back to see if anyone was getting ready to water.

The afternoon was growing warmer.

The plants would need a good spritz soon.

Last thing he wanted was customers seeing gasping and dying plants on the showroom floor.

He rounded a corner and immediately came face-to-face with a woman pushing an overloaded flat.

“Oh!”

The woman stopped abruptly.

“Trudy?”

“Oh, Sam! Lordy you practically scared the bejeebers out of me!”

He grasped her elbow.

“I’m so sorry. Was sort of lost in thought there.”

He looked at her flat and gave it the once over—petunias and begonias, a Boston fern, two bags of topsoil, a large clay pot and saucer, gardening cloves, and a battery-powered weed eater.

“Looks like you have your week cut out for you.”

She grinned.

“As always. You know I can’t stop myself from digging in the dirt.”

He grinned and then thought of Becca. She had said something similar about her mother, right? He looked at Trudy.

She eyed him back.

“Everything okay, Sam? You look puzzled.”

Nodding, he replied.

“Of course. I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t. Trudy North was Becca’s mother. He’d known Trudy for a couple of years now—she was always in and out of the store—but until he saw her face-to-face this morning, he hadn’t realized how much Becca looked like her. Immediately he was reminded of the pleasant afternoon he’d had yesterday once Becca had been thrust into the television show scenario.

He’d not been able to get her out of his mind since then.

“Well, you looked a little startled.”

He grinned.

“May I be honest?”

“Of course! You know me, Sam. I’m has down-to-earth as they come. I prefer your candid honesty over bullshit any day of the week.”

He laughed.

“Trudy, you are one of a kind.”

“I strive to be. Now, what’s on your mind?”

Pausing, he studied her.

“I met Becca the other day. She was in here about a week ago. I didn’t realize you had a daughter.”

This time it was Trudy’s turn to study him.

“My Becca? What on earth was she doing here?”

Then she stopped, thinking.

“Oh, pansies. Did she buy the pansies here?”

He nodded.

“She did. Although at the time, I didn’t think about your having bought pansies the other day, or I would never have recommended them. Hell, you about bought me out of them a few days earlier.”

Trudy burst out laughing.

“That girl was trying. She knows what I love. How she is mine, I will never know though. She is such a bookworm and hates getting dirty. Lord knows she did not get that from me. Probably from her dad. He did like to read although he came in from the fields mighty dirty most of the time. He died when she was only five, you know.”

Sam frowned.

“No, I didn’t know that, Trudy. I’m really sorry for your loss.”

She stared off. “Me too.”

For a moment she appeared to be in another place. Sam let her memories linger. Then she shook herself and looked to Sam.

“But it’s okay. Becca and I have had a good life and we are thankful. I love that girl like no tomorrow. Proud of her too. She just finished a double major in English and business. She’s been away at college for the past few years.”

So that’s why he hadn’t seen her around Harbor Falls. Before she left for college, she would have been just a kid and he wouldn’t have paid any attention. Now, she was back and a full-blown woman—and yes, he was paying attention. What would Trudy think of that?

“I’m sure she’s a wonderful young woman.”

Trudy eyed him.

“She is. If those degrees don’t take her off to some big city somewhere soon, I’m hoping she’ll meet settle down with a nice young man here in Harbor Falls one day. I sure would like to keep her and my future grandkids close.”

Take her off to come big city someday….

“Is that her plan? To move away?”

That notion bothered him.

Trudy shrugged.

“I think it is a possibility. Lord knows I won’t interfere in her life. I don’t want her to go but I understand. The job at the bookstore is temporary, or so she says. She and Nora are close. Have been since they were kids. But she’s been looking for jobs in Asheville and Charlotte. Or so she says.”

No.

“What do you think about that, Trudy? Do you want her to go? No bullshit.”

“Honestly?”

Trudy looked him straight in the eyes.

“I’m hoping someone sweeps her off her feet before she finds that big job she thinks she wants.”

****

On Monday, Becca pulled the gardening book off the shelf and ran her fingertips over the smooth cover. The author was one of those guys who had a television show on the Home his mouth much too close to hers.

“I’d much rather taste your lips,”

he murmured. And as he descended quite close to those lips a crackle of electricity passed between them, causing Becca’s lips to twitch in anticipation. Then—

“Ack! Ack! Ack!”

Screaming came from the office.

Sam jumped back.

Becca pushed off his chest.

Nora came running from the back of the store.

“Becca. Bec-ca!”

On three-inch heels, she slid on the hardwood floors, around the counter, and—

“Oh. My. God!”

“What the hell?”

Becca didn’t like the look on Nora’s face. She was white as a sheet. Racing past her, Nora went straight to Sam.

“Omigod!”

she repeated.

“Sam. Sam! Did you hear? Did you come in to talk about it? Did they call you, too? OMG! I can’t believe it!”

“Believe what, Nora?”

Becca took in Sam’s face. He wasn’t the least big excited. In fact, he looked, well, annoyed.

Nora turned to Becca and grasped her arm.

“They want a second episode! With Sam. And guess what? They want another couple. So, of course I said the girl had to be you. They want you! Patricia said you were perfect. Now all we need to do is find another guy and we’re set. We’re going to be on TV. Again! Together!”

Then she shrieked again, hopped up and down, and grasped Sam by the shoulders giving him a big squeeze. The look he gave Becca over Nora’s head was one of frustration, confusion, and disbelief.

She was quite certain at that point that her emotions were rivaling the same. No way could she stomach lunch now. And she was damned certain she wasn’t going to get that kiss from Sam now, either.

“Yippee...?”

She mouthed the word and twirled a finger in the air.

Sam caught her gaze over a bouncy Nora and rolled his eyes.

****

Later, Sam sat at Suzie’s kitchen table, stroking the fingers of his right hand through his hair. Repeatedly.

“I’m telling you right now. Get me out of this.”

She handed him a cup of coffee. He took it and cradled the mug in his hands.

“I don’t know what I can do, Sam. Patricia is holding you to the contract.”

“I signed for one episode.”

“Well, yeah, but there is something about continuity.”

Closing his eyes, he just wanted to make it all disappear.

“You don’t understand, Suzie. This whole thing is interfering with...”

My love life. Hell. Did it really matter? Perhaps he should just get the thing over with, and then he could pursue Becca to his heart’s content.

For that is truly what he wanted to do. Pursue Becca and win her over.

It was more than that, somehow. He was drawn to her like he’d never been drawn to a woman before this. With Becca, he could see having the whole kit and caboodle. Make her his, get her pregnant with his children. Keep her in Harbor Falls so that Trudy could see her grandkids as much as she wanted.

“Nora is very interested in you, Sam.”

Shit. He knew that but didn’t know how to address it. He looked Suzie straight in the eyes.

“You can’t force what isn’t there, Suzie.”

“I understand that. I’m just asking you to be…flexible.”

“Ah hell. I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I know. But Sam? My career as the matchmaking chef is on the line. I know you don’t want to do this but...”

“Suzie,”

he interrupted.

“I know you are supposed to be this matchmaking queen, but if I can be upfront and honest with you, Nora just isn’t the girl for me. I’m not interested. Not in the least.”

“So, you don’t want to try it another time?”

He huffed out a short, quick breath. “No.”

Suzie sighed.

“Well, I suppose people would see right through it, anyway. I’ll have to come up with something else.”

“I would very much appreciate that.”

He took a sip of coffee and felt her gaze play over him.

After a moment, she said.

“This is about Becca, isn’t it?”

Now his curiosity was piqued.

“You can tell?”

“I’m the matchmaking queen, right?”

Reaching out, she laid a hand over his.

“Leave it to me, Sam. I promise you. I will fix this.”

He watched her eyes dart back and forth as she peered into his face.

“All right,”

he said.

“But fix it fast. I’m not a patient man.”

Suzie tossed him a half-grin.

“Got it. I won’t drag out the misery.”

“Thank God.”