Page 26 of The Matchmaker Club

“Well, the woman seems really lonely and about to give up. I don’t think she has ever been in love before. She said she’s older, but I’m not sure how old.”

“Did she mention having her eye on someone?”

I chomped on a fry. “No. I don’t think she has anyone in mind, but she said,I want him to see in me what I see in him. If that makes any sense.”

“Sounds like an observer.” He washed down his bite with lemonade.

“How do you mean?”

“It means she probably sees things most people don’t pay much attention to. I think she’d like someone to notice those parts of her that you don’t see on the outside.”

“Like dreams and aspirations?”

He took a bite of his sandwich and thought a moment. “Could be, but I’d say it doesn’t have to be as big as all that.”

“Like knowing her favorite songs?”

“That would be one of ’em, but it would be more like having someone who knows her favorite songs not to impress her, but because he understands her and what they mean to her.”

I set down my pastrami on rye, suddenly not feeling so hungry anymore.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. That’s beautiful, actually.”

“But?”

I forced out a smile, despite the hollow feeling settling in my chest. “Nothing, just thinking about what I’ll say to her.”

“You’ll know when the time’s right.”

But I wasn’t sure I’d ever know. How could I give someone hope that they could find something like that when I didn’t believe I could ever have it myself?

“Your grandmother told me what happened with the Freemans and the house. I’m sorry.”

I picked up a fry and dug through the others with no intention of eating another bite. “Yeah, Grandma wants me to try tocharmLucas into letting us stay.”

“Might be worth a shot. Your grandmother managed to charm a Freeman who was also well set on selling the place.”

“I don’t think I can even pretend to like Lucas.”

“Huh.” He took a bite of his sandwich.

“What does ‘huh’ mean?”

He shrugged. “Nothing. If you say you don’t like him, then you don’t like him.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t. Lucas is oil, and I’m water.”

He smiled. “More like vinegar.”

I threw a fry on his plate, hiding a smirk. “Hey.”

“You may talk a lot of vinegar, but your heart’s as sweet as Tupelo honey. I get that same feelin’ from Lucas.”

“You’re right about a lot of things, Charlie, but I’m not sure Lucas has much honey in that heart of his. The only reason he was even nice to me was to butter me up, so I wouldn’t be tempted to tell the world his family’s shameful secret.”

“Maybe he’d change his mind if he got to know you all a little better. I know I did.”