Perfectly Ms. Matched (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Series Book 2) Page 18

  She couldn’t get enough air. She’d lost all she’d worked for? Was it the oven? She’d asked the kid to rig it up so it would work. She’d destroyed Chad’s building? He was going to kill her.

  She laid her hand on her sick stomach and kept reading. Shelby was looking for her. Oh God. They saw her car and thought she’d been in there. Instead of reading the rest of the texts, she called her best friend.

  Shelby answered with “Thank God, Jo. Where the hell have you been? Everyone has been looking for you.”

  “I was with Chad’s mom at the ranch. Do we know what started the fire?”

  Please don’t let it have been the oven.

  “Not yet. But I called Chad, and he’s worried sick. His plane is due in about a half hour.”

  She checked the time. He’d missed his game for her? She loved him for it, but she felt like crap at the same time. She’d burned down his building and made him miss his first game back, while she’d been out riding Black Jack? She hoped she hadn’t gotten him into trouble with his coach. “I’ll meet his plane. I think that fire might have been my fault. I’ll call you later.”

  “Call your parents too. They’re beside themselves.”

  “Will do.”

  Jo got back on the road and headed for the airport. She dialed her parents’ home number. Her father answered on the first ring. “Joann?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry I worried you guys.”

  “Are you okay?” Her father’s voiced cracked. She could hear her mom asking about her too in the background.

  The emotion in her dad’s voice made her get weepy. He really did care. “Yes. I was out at Chad’s ranch.” She had to stop and clear her throat. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do now without the restaurant.”

  “The important thing is that you’re okay. It’s just a building. It can be fixed.”

  He didn’t bring up going back to PT? Maybe he’d finally understood. “Thanks, Dad. I’m driving, so I’d better go. I’ll call you guys later. Bye.”

  After they hung up, Jo wiped the tears from her eyes with her T-shirt. Hopefully Chad would see it that way too. That it was just a building. But dammit, it was her dreams too that had gone up in flames.

  She hit the gas and headed for the airport. Chad always flew private, from a smaller airport south of downtown, so hopefully she’d be able to intercept him, explain what happened, before the fire department told him what she suspected happened. She was still kicking herself for asking that kid to do something she shouldn’t have asked him to do.

  After she parked, Jo walked into the smaller terminal and found herself behind a mob of reporters lined up, waiting. She asked one of them who they were waiting for.

  He said, “Chad Jenks. He walked away from his first game back for some family emergency. Coach said at halftime there might be consequences. He let a lot of fans down.”

  Crap! Because of her. “Thanks.”

  She got out her phone and sent Chad a text. Hopefully he’d see it when he landed and could use his cell. “Sorry I worried you. I’m at the terminal waiting. There’s a boatload of press.”

  She checked the time. He was due any minute. With each jet that landed, the pit in her stomach grew and the photographers got antsy. Using their high-powered lenses, they’d call out that it wasn’t Chad.

  She found a seat in the back and flopped into it. Deep in thought about Chad, what she’d done to his future, and her own future, she jumped at the tap on her shoulder. “Are you Jo?”

  She glanced up into the kind eyes of a woman in her late fifties. “Yes.”

  “I’m Barb. A friend of Chad’s. He asked me to take you somewhere a little quieter. Will you follow me?”

  Jo grabbed her purse and followed the woman through a door that required a code and then found herself in a cavernous hangar. There were three little jets inside. She stood just inside the open hangar doors and waited while another small jet pulled up outside. After a few moments, the door opened and Chad appeared. His head swiveled around until he saw her, and then a huge grin lit his face.

  She bit her lip to stop her tears. Was this going to be the end of their relationship for sure now that she might have cost him his job? It meant everything to him.

  His eyes locked with hers as his long strides brought him closer. The sight of him smiling at her like that made her heart stutter, so she ran and met him halfway. When she got closer, she jumped and hoped he’d catch her.

  Chad dropped a backpack and didn’t let her down. After she wrapped her legs around his waist, he whispered, “Thank God you’re okay.” He buried his face in her neck. His warm tears against her skin made her eyes leak too. Chad never cried. She didn’t normally much either. They were both marshmallows again at the moment. She loved that Chad could make her one.

  She leaned back and took his face in her hands. “I’m happy to see you too. But I’m so freakin’ mad at you for walking away from the field for me, Chad. What the hell were you thinking?”

  He smiled. “I was thinking that maybe I missed you this week. And maybe I’d come back home so you could smack some sense into me.” Then he kissed her.

  She gave the back of his head a halfhearted slap for show as she settled into the kiss. She closed her eyes and let him draw her under. Melt her heart like he always did. Her mind and body always went to the happiest place on earth when he kissed her, and she was almost to the departure gate when she remembered something she really needed to tell him.

  “Wait.” She leaned back and stared into his beautiful brown eyes. “I think the fire might be my fault, Chad. That damned oven. I had them fix it one too many times.”

  He dropped her to her feet but didn’t let go. “I don’t care about the fire, Jo. I only care about you. But I realized something today.” He licked his lips like he was nervous.

  She blinked up at him in confusion. “What?”

  “That I don’t love you and Ryan as much as football.”

  “You don’t?” Her stomach took a nosedive to her feet.

  Dammit. She couldn’t blame him. She’d probably just lost him his job.

  He slowly shook his head as his dark eyes filled with emotion. “I love you both much more. Will you please tear up that stupid letter I sent and take me and Ryan back?”

  A hallelujah choir went off inside her head. “On one condition.” As cool relief washed through her, she plastered her body against his. “That you don’t kill me when you hear what I did with your Heisman.”

  “Wait. What—”

  She quickly laid her mouth over his to show him how much she loved him. She was determined to accept his work habits and be content with whatever life with him would bring. Because the alternative wasn’t acceptable anymore.

  Questions being shouted at them made her end their kiss. Some of the press had found them, so she quietly slipped out of his embrace and let him do his thing. Being on the sidelines for that part would never be a problem for her. Chad was the star, and she was happy to let him shine.

  The next evening, Jo curled against Chad’s side as they watched the late news in bed. The fire department had confirmed earlier that it was a faulty breaker that had started the fire in the café. Chad’s insurance agent had said not to worry. They’d cover the cost to rebuild so she’d have her café back better than new. Maybe six or eight months later, but now they could rebuild using the new location next door and make her café even better than she’d hoped. So all was well there. Maybe she and Chad would just have to have a long-distance relationship until he was done playing football. They’d make it work one way or another.

  And it was Ryan’s first night back. He’d been so happy to see them that he’d called Chad Dad for the first time. It warmed her heart thinking about it, so she leaned down and kissed Ryan’s forehead as he snoozed beside her.

  Having Ryan home made everything feel whole and complete again. She’d made him a welcome-home cake that morning before they picked him up, which sent him over the moon with joy.
Chad had even let him have two pieces after dinner.

  But they hadn’t been able to avoid the press camped outside Chad’s lawyer’s office after they’d picked up Ryan. The only good thing about the press was that the rumors they spread of Chad losing his job made Linda accept a million dollars less in child support in exchange for Chad getting full custody. Total win-win.

  The reporters had been following them around like ants at a picnic, waiting to hear if her fire had been arson or some other horrific thing, and to see if Chad got his job back. It was getting old. But now they were safely ensconced in their condo and away from the prying eyes that camped outside in the cold.

  When the subject on the news turned to the statement Chad had given outside his lawyer’s office a few hours earlier, she sat up to watch. Then the cameras panned her way, and she groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me I had flour on my forehead this morning from Ryan’s cake? I can’t believe I’m on the national news looking like that!”

  Chad kissed her cheek. “Because ninety-five percent of the time, you have flour somewhere on your body. It’s cute.”

  She huffed out a breath. “New rule. If there are TV cameras near, please wipe it off.”

  “You don’t get to make up any new rules unless you marry me. Then you can make up as many as you like.”

  She blinked up at him as his words sank in. “Was that a marriage proposal? Because if it was, it was pretty lame.” But still, her heart was doing backflips.

  He laughed. “It was. And it’s just going to have to do for now, because my knee is killing me too much to get down on it and ask properly.”

  His phone rang on his nightstand, and he picked it up.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Seriously, Chad? You’re in the middle of proposing to me.”

  He checked the screen and then met her gaze and cringed. “So can you hurry and say yes? It’s Coach. He wouldn’t be calling to fire me again.”

  Jo rolled her eyes for show, but she was determined to do her part to make their relationship work. “Fine, then, I guess I’ll marry you.”

  “You guess? Don’t you want to marry me?” The phone rang again.

  “Just answer the call, and we’ll talk about it later.” She muted the TV so he could hear.

  He tossed the phone on the nightstand and crossed his arms. “I’m not going to marry someone with a bad attitude.” The phone fell quiet, and then he grinned. “Let’s try this one more time.” He threw the covers back and, dressed in only his boxers, got down on his good knee and took her hand. “Joann Westin, the love of my life, will you marry me?”

  She felt a little silly dressed in one of his big T-shirts, kneeling on the bed while he was on the floor. She’d pictured something a little more romantic, but then she’d been waiting for him to do it all day, so she wasn’t complaining. Besides, her ring was still at home, so she’d probably make him do it all over again with the ring anyway. “It would make me the happiest woman on earth to get to spend the rest of my life with you, Chad. So yes, I’d love to marry you.”

  Ryan said, “You guys make too much noise. I’m going to my bed.”

  She called out, “Night, sweetheart.”

  Chad slowly struggled to stand and then joined her in bed again. “Thank you. But is that going to be a new habit?” He threw his thumb in Ryan’s direction.

  “Tonight was going to be an exception for his first night back.”

  Chad moved closer to her and whispered, “Good. Because I don’t know how we’d ever be able to make a new little Jenks if we have company every night.”

  She couldn’t wait to make another little Jenks. “Maybe you should return your coach’s call?” She kissed him slowly and deeply to give him a preview of what was to come. “And then we can celebrate being engaged properly.”

  “Good idea.” Chad hit redial and waited. “Hey, Coach. Sorry I missed your call.”

  Chad listened for a few minutes and then said, “That’s amazing. But I’d have to discuss it with my agent and my fiancée first. I’ll call you back tomorrow.”

  Coach was probably offering Chad his position back. Especially after Chad’s story had made national headlines. It’d look bad for the team if they didn’t. She’d suck it up and tell him to take the job. It was going to be only the first of many compromises to come. But she’d do it for them.

  Chad hung up and smiled sheepishly. “So . . . that was my coach.”

  “Obviously. Stop stalling. Did he offer you your job back or not?”

  “No.” Chad shook his head. “But I’m not fired anymore, because he said the Broncos called.”

  A slow smile tilted her lips. “So I could rebuild my café, and you could still play football? And come home at night after work?” That would be the perfect scenario.

  “That’s mostly right. But I won’t be playing football anymore. They want me to be a coach.”

  Jo sat up and laid a hand on his cheek. “But you’d hate that, right? Don’t take that job because of me. Do what you need to do, Chad. Take a trade to another team. We’ll work something out.”

  He took her hand and placed a kiss in her palm. “Don’t take offense to this, but guess what? You didn’t fix my knee all the way. When Coach threatened to trade me to another team, I realized the pills and shots it’d take just to tolerate the pain enough to play wasn’t worth it anymore. I called my agent yesterday and asked him to see if I could make a deal with the Broncos. I’d like to try coaching before I throw in the towel and start designing buildings. I want to help some of these young kids make better decisions off the field. They don’t emphasize that part enough in the locker room.”

  Her heart nearly burst with pride. “I think that’s a fabulous idea, Chad.”

  He held up a finger. “But wait. It’s a major pay cut. Are you sure?”

  “It’s me, remember? I don’t care about the money.”

  Chad took her face in his hands and whispered, “What did I ever do to deserve you, Jo?”

  “Oh stop. Giving me your Heisman was thanks enough. I had no idea how much that thing was worth.”

  His eyebrows popped up. “I forgot about that. Jo . . . where is my Heisman?” He rolled on top of her, pinning her whole body against the mattress.

  It made her want him. Bad. “I don’t have it anymore. Did you know that thing weighs twenty-five pounds and is made of pure bronze?”

  “Yes.” Chad leaned his forehead against hers. “Please don’t tell me you sold it. I had to sign something that said I never would.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that. But did you know that some estimate winning one is worth at least eight hundred thousand dollars over the years?”

  He closed his eyes as if digging for patience. She loved it. “Joann, if I wanted to get my trophy back, where would I look?”

  He only used her real name when he was irritated with her. Might be time to come clean. She leaned her mouth up to his and kissed him. “In your study, where it’s always been. I put it back on Monday.”

  He blinked his eyes opened. “You’re a brat. You scared me to death.”

  “Are you sure you still want to make me your brat? It’s a forever deal, you know.”

  He moved his mouth next to her ear and gave her lobe a nip. “It’ll be the best deal I’ll ever make.” When he kissed her, she closed her eyes and sighed. She’d found her perfect match; it’d just taken nine years to seal the deal. But totally worth the wait.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

  I’d like to thank my team. The ones whose support I couldn’t live without. First, my critique partners, Robin, Sherri, and Louise. You guys are the best! And my agent, Jill Marsal, my new editor, Linda Ingmanson, and my cover artist Clarissa Yeo. And a big shout out to my family, who are always rooting for my success. Lastly, but never the least, thanks to my lovely readers. You guys make writing books the best job in the world!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Tamra Baumann is an award-winning author who writes light-hearted contemporary
romance. Always a voracious reader, she picked up her first romance novel off the bestseller table in her favorite bookstore and was forever hooked. (Thank you, Nora Roberts!)

  She lives in the Southwest, where the sun shines almost every day and the sunsets steal her breath away. She has two kids, both bilingual in English and sarcasm, and a dog who is addicted to Claritin because he’s allergic to grass. Her husband, who gamely tolerates her many book boyfriends, has been her real-life boyfriend for more than thirty years.

  Stop by and say hi at www.tamrabaumann.com.