Perfectly Ms. Matched(50)

Chad ran a hand up and then down her back to comfort her. Then he said to Ryan, “Can you read the letters in his name?”

Ryan had been learning to read, but still struggled with some of his letters. He leaned down to trace them with his finger and called them out one by one. When he called out J-E-N-K-S, she blinked in surprise.

It didn’t make sense that her parents would put Chad’s last name on the headstone when Bryce’s birth certificate had her last name, with Chad as the father. “Did you have something to do with this, Chad?”

“Yeah. I thought it’d be easier for Ryan if things looked like a birthday party.”

“I meant the headstone.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. “I asked your parents if I could please take care of the headstone and provide the flowers each month.”

Flowers each month? While she’d tried to forget Bryce, Chad had made sure he remembered him. Looked like she’d done it all wrong. “I was actually asking about the last name. But never mind. It just means a lot to me that you care. I wasn’t sure before.”

He shook his head. “I never stopped caring about you and Bryce.”

It made her sad all over again that Chad and Ryan would be leaving soon.

But Ryan was getting antsy, so Jo closed her eyes and silently apologized to Bryce for taking so long to come see him. She vowed she’d be back soon.

At peace, she opened her eyes and turned to Ryan. “Who’s ready for some pizza?”

Ryan raised his hand. “Me!”

“Then let’s go.” She took his hand in one of hers and then Chad’s in the other. “Now I’m curious what business we have to discuss, Chad.” She couldn’t imagine what they needed to talk about.

When he cringed, her stomach sank. “We don’t want to bore Ryan with it, so let’s do it after the pizza party.”

That didn’t bode well.





13

ITEMS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR MIGHT BE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR. OR THEY MIGHT JUST DISAPPEAR FOREVER.

Jo followed behind Chad into his study. Books were interspersed with trophies of gold, bronze, and crystal, marking all of his accomplishments over the years. He’d acted so weird during lunch. Obviously, he hadn’t been happy about eating greasy pizza while he was trying to stay fit for the season, but she’d been pretty sure something else was bothering him.

She’d known for sure when he’d suggested Heather take Ryan to the Children’s Museum so they could discuss whatever business they had privately. Her pizza had turned into a lead ball of anticipation in her gut.

She sat in a chair in front of his imposing desk. “Spill it, Chad. You’re killing me here.”

He wiped his palms on his jeans before he sat in his leather chair. “First, I wanted to ask if you want to go to San Diego with me tomorrow? My team docs and coaches want me to do a light workout before the game. To check my knee for themselves after seeing that video.”

“You might not be ready for whatever they define as a light workout, Chad. Don’t go.”

“It’ll show them how much I want to be back on the field.” He fiddled with a bobblehead of himself that sat on the desktop. “I can do it.”

She laid her hands onto the desk and leaned forward. “Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should, Chad. I’m asking you, as your PT, to skip the workout. Ask for another week.”

He laid the doll with its bobbing head down again. “I appreciate your concern, but my knee is much better. Thanks to you.” His whole face lit up. “But why don’t you come along and supervise the workout? Then maybe I could show you my beach house, and after that we can have an early dinner at this place I love? We’ll be back by nine. I’d really like you to see how nice San Diego is.”

She’d rather Chad listen to her advice and stay home, but it was his knee, and if he wanted to mess it up again, she couldn’t stop him.

But she would like to see his beach house. And eat in his favorite restaurant, but that’d just make it harder to say good-bye later. “I have a lot to do tomorrow, Chad. But thanks for asking.”

The joy on his face quickly faded. “The offer stands if you change your mind.”

“Thanks. So what do you want to discuss with me?”

“I need to come clean about something that’s been bothering me.” He picked up a worry ball and gave it a squeeze as he paused and gathered his thoughts. “You remember when you and Shelby were looking for a place for your restaurant, and for financing?”

“Yeah? What about it?” The serious tone of his voice made the knots in her stomach loosen and morph into a stampede of elephants.