Page 42 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

She looked him over. “You’re looking handsome today.” Softly she continued, “Green is your color.”

He tugged at the collar on his shirt. “Thanks, I guess.” He pointed to a bag of soil. “I can stop back around later and give you a hand.”

“You’ve done enough and I have my handy-dandy cart.” She pulled a glove back on. “I should get back at it.” She smiled and said, “But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He held up a hand and waved. “See you in the morning.”

He started up the truck feeling less than enthused about meeting Beth when what he really wanted to do was stay and dig in the dirt with Mel.

He drove slowly down Shore Line Drive and pulled into the small parking area. There was a vintage cherry red Mustang with a white ragtop parked near the bench. A woman was sitting inside. She got out and held up her hand in greeting. He parked and got out of the truck, took a deep breath and walked across the parking area.

“Hello, Adam.” She extended her hand. “I recognize you from your picture.”

He grasped hers and was surprised at the gesture. “Beth, it’s nice to meet you.”

She looked just like her picture. Her dark brown hair was short and stylishly arranged. She wasn’t as tall as Mel, but looked healthy and fit. He guessed it was from the active lifestyle she described in her bio. Why had he compared Beth to Mel?

Beth held up a thermos and two metal mugs. “As promised, I brought the coffee.”

“I’ll be right back.” He walked to his truck and reached into the open window. He pulled out a brown paper bag and held it up. “I picked up muffins.”

Beth gave him a friendly smile. “Shall we sit and get to know each other?”

She was certainly direct, which he thought was refreshing, and gestured toward the bench. “After you.”

“Isn’t it the perfect day?” she asked. “Puffy white clouds lazily floating through the deep blue sky.”

He nodded. “We’ve been pretty lucky this year. We’ve had the right mix of rain and sun. It’s made the gardens really grow.”

“Do you garden?”

“No, but my friends have a big vegetable garden and I’ve been fortunate to have them share the fruits of their labor with me.”

“I’m not so much a fan of planting and weeding. I don’t like all that work, but I love farm stands.” She opened the thermos, poured a mug and passed it to Adam. “Here you go.”

Accepting it, he said, “Thank you.” He set it aside, turned back the top edge of the paper bag and set it between them. “Help yourself.”

“I will, thank you.” She peeked inside. “What kind are they?”

“Cinnamon swirl. I wasn’t sure where you stood on fruit.” He smiled. So far, so good.

Her eyes grew big. “They’re huge.” She broke one in half and then in half again. Taking a bite, she said, “They’re still warm.”

Adam nodded and chuckled. “They are.” He took a sip of the piping hot coffee. “So, have you gone on many first dates?” He felt heat flush his face. “Does that sound rude?”

She laughed. It was light and carefree. “I’ve had a couple, but I haven’t had a lot in common with them. Which is why I thought I’d give Its Just Coffee a try.” Her eyes drifted to the ocean. “They’ve all been really nice. Just nothing has clicked, if you know what I mean.” She gave him a quizzical look. “What about you?”

“I’ve had one, but she wasn’t honest in her interview with Ms. Phillips. Therefore, it wasn’t a good match.”

“That stinks. If you’re going to spend good money on something like this, you really should do all you can to be completely honest. It’s your best chance of a strong match.”

He nodded in agreement. “I can assure you I was completely honest with her and”—with a wave from his head to toes — “what you see is what you get.”

Inwardly, he cringed. He had left out one very important detail.

“Good to know.” Beth took a sip of her coffee. “I’ll go first and fill you in on some details. I was in a long-term relationship. I wanted to have kids but he didn’t, so we decided to go our own ways. I’ve lived in the area my entire life and can’t imagine not being near the ocean. I have two siblings. My parents are alive and in good health, and I love horror movies, all things suspense and mystery related. Last but not least, my favorite holiday is Halloween.”

He teased, “You forgot your sign, favorite meal and color.”

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