Page 24 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

Melinda looked down at Adam’s legs. Concern filled her eyes. “Are you limping?”

“No. Just a minor muscle cramp. I’ll walk it off.” His stomach clenched. Did she have to pay such close attention?

“If you say so.” Melinda took the cart from him and stowed it near the garage door. “I have to get into the office, but I’ll pop out later to check on you guys.” She opened the back door and paused. “Remember, there are water and snacks in the kitchen. Help yourselves.”

“Thanks, Mel.” Adam waved his hand in acknowledgement.

The door closed behind her and Adam discovered the guys watching him watch her. “What?”

Will asked, “Since when did you get so relaxed around her and start calling her Mel?”

With a shrug he said, “It just sort of happened.”

“Interesting.” Tim winked at Will. “Nicknames now…”

“She’s working as my matchmaker. It’s only natural we’ve become friends.”

Will crossed his arms across his chest. “If you say so.”

“But do me a favor, don’t call her Mel.” Adam turned his back on his buddies. Briskly, he said, “Let’s get to work.”

Melinda combed out her damp hair and twisted it into a knot at the base of her neck. Wearing capris and a lightweight top, she padded into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She needed to get into the office since she had two appointments after lunch with potential new clients. Maybe she’d get lucky and one of the ladies would be a good match for Adam.

She could hear the deep murmur of male voices drifting through the open window as the guys worked. Last week Adam had set the cement pads. He said it wouldn’t be long now and her patio would be complete.

Leaning against the counter, sipping her coffee, she watched as the first column was positioned into place. Adam was using a level to make sure it was straight and Will was knocking the post with a hammer near the ground. Tim seemed to be hanging on to the other side of the post. She hoped it was safe for all of them.

It started to move. Her heart flipped. Adam.

Shaking off the worry, she heard him grumble, “Hold on to it, Tim.”

She breathed easier when it stopped moving. Turning away from the window, she picked up her phone and hit a few buttons. She listened as it rang several times until a female voice said, “Hello.”

“Hi Stacey. It’s Melinda.”

“Hey, girl. What’s going on?”

“Did you know your husband, Adam and Tim are working extra hard at my house?”

With a laugh Stacey said, “I’m sure you’re getting anxious to get things back in shape.”

Melinda grinned into the phone. “You know me so well, but that got me thinking.”

“Do tell.”

Melinda knew she’d piqued Stacey’s curiosity. “What if I host a small shower for the engaged couple?”

“That sounds like a great idea, but only if you let me help.”

Melinda said, “I’d like that.”

Stacey asked. “Do you want to get together soon and we can pick a date, make up a guest list and food options?”

“Yeah, since the wedding is right around the corner, we shouldn’t waste any time.” Melinda walked over to the wall calendar. “We’ve got less than two months until the big day, so maybe we could target four weeks from now?”

“I’ll send Molly’s mom a text and see which weekend she thinks is best. Then we can make definite plans.”

Melinda asked, “Do you want to meet at my place or yours?”’

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