Page 85 of The Matchmaker Club

I ran to the car and got out my phone, thankful we had some signal. I turned on my GPS to find our location and called animal rescue. I told them I hadn’t seen the mother.

The fawn cried out again, and Lucas knelt by its side. He ran his fingers down the fawn’s head, comforting it. I looked around for any sign of the doe, but she wasn’t there.

“Someone’s coming, but not for another couple hours. There’s a rescue farm about an hour from here.”

Lucas sat down, prepared to stay by the fawn. “Where’s the mother?”

“Sometimes the mother stays nearby but won’t come out if humans are around… or the fawn could have been abandoned since it’s injured.” I sat down next to him. “The third explanation is that the doe is injured herself.”

“Or dead.”

I rubbed his back. “Yeah.”

The fawn tried to stand up again, stumbling even closer to Lucas. He held his arms out as the baby fell into his lap. The fawn nestled itself between Lucas’s legs, head resting on his knee.

“Wow.” I stared at them in awe. “I have never seen anything like that before. He really took to you.”

He gently petted the baby deer, continuing to give comfort, but I got the feeling that the fawn was comforting him.

After about an hour, Lucas’s back was beginning to hurt, but he refused to move until the rescuers got there. I sat down with my back against his to give him some support.

“It seems our drive to nowhere had a destination after all,” I said.

“It did.” He paused. “Thank you.”

“For what? You’re the one who led us to this spot.”

“Not just this… for everything. The list. My calling letter. Making me an honorary Matchmaker.” He let out a sigh. “I needed it. More than you know.”

“I understand.”

“Have you replied to Austin’s letter yet?”

“No.”

“Your dinner party is tomorrow, and Austin is your guest.”

It was my turn to let out a breath. “I know.”

“I shouldn’t have kissed you when you’re still trying to sort out your feelings for him. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. In a way, that kiss was meant to be. Maybe not a forever kiss, but a moment kiss.”

“You have to admit it was quite a moment.”

I laughed. “Oh yeah it was.” I had never felt anything like it in my life.

He leaned his head back on my shoulder, stretching his muscles. “What’s left on the list?”

“Mixtape or playlist, scavenger hunt, and pulling off a good prank.”

He dropped his head forward. “I’m not good with pranks, so don’t expect much.”

“Well, you could always go with a classic. Whoopie cushions, gum that taste like garbage.”

“Perhaps something a little better than that.”

I thought for a moment. “We could always toilet paper Deputy Frank’s yard when he’s out patrolling.”