Page 36 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

Adam met her eyes and smiled back. “Hi yourself.”

“This is a great idea. I can’t remember the last time I did this.”

His smile brightened. “Did what?”

“Got picked up for ice cream.” She stopped short of saying the word date.

“Then it’s long overdue.” After a grand sweep of his arm, he walked with her to his truck. “Shall we?”

She stepped onto the running board of the silver Ford pickup and slid across the leather seat. This felt like a date. How could she make it clear why she had said yes?

She waited for Adam to buckle up and start the truck. Deciding to jump right in, she said, “I was surprised when you said you wanted to have a dry run for your date with Beth.”

He drove carefully as the night went from dusk to deeper shadows. “I’ve been thinking about my date with Susan, and maybe I played a part in the date falling flat. I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake, especially when you’re trying so hard to find a good match for me.”

Surprised she felt a tinge of jealousy, Mel said, “So give me your opening line.”

He tipped his head from side to side. “I’ll say it’s nice to meet her.”

“And then?”

He laughed, “I have no idea.” He slowed the truck as they approached a roadside ice cream stand. “Do you like soft serve?”

“It’s like you read my mind. I think there is a place just up the road.”

The truck picked up speed as he drove past. “Good. That place serves hard ice cream.”

“The Dairy Barn has soft serve and the chocolate dip too.”

“Tell me, vanilla, chocolate or twist?”

She relaxed and leaned back into the seat and said, “Mmm, twist, dipped. There is nothing like it. Heaven on earth.”

He shook his head. “Vanilla dipped in cherry.”

She said, “Nope. If you’re going with a vanilla cone, the coating has to be chocolate.”

He held up a hand in mock surrender. “I give! I’ll try it your way.” He flashed her a wide smile. “We’ll be twinning it.”

He slowed the truck and flicked on the blinker. Coming to a stop in the busy parking lot away from a bunch of small kids playing tag. They strolled through toward the takeout window in the cool evening breeze. Melinda pulled her cardigan closed.

Waiting in line to order, she watched as a mother smoothly steered her children, who were balancing small cones, around other patrons. A stab of longing washed over her. Wistfully she thought, If only John and I had had more time.

Adam touched her elbow. “Mel, ready to order?”

She gave the girl on the other side of the window her order and handed her a ten. “I’ll pay for his too.” She flipped her head toward Adam standing right behind her. “He’ll have the same.”

Taking the change Mel dropped the coins and a bill in the tip jar and then handed the first cone to Adam. “Here you go.”

He looked a little confused when she turned with another cone in her hand. “You didn’t need to pay for mine.”

She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “You drove, so we’re even.”

Licking the first drip that landed on her hand, she wished she had asked for a bowl to lay them in. Glancing at the long line of patrons, she knew that ship had sailed.

He pointed to a bench on the edge of the parking lot. “Let’s sit over there.”

They crossed the pavement as a man approached them from the opposite side off the lot. He held up a hand in greeting to Adam as he walked purposefully toward them.

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