Page 64 of The Matchmaker and the Marine

She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t use my full name. You promised.”

He gave a solemn salute. “Won’t happen again, ma’am.”

With a laugh Melinda steered him toward a barstool. “And you’re staying for dinner and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Chapter 24

The party at Melinda’s was in full swing when Adam arrived. He knew it was going to be a good time when he saw all the cars lining the street and he had to park at the very end. He could hear the music from the backyard and noticed the vibrant red and orange colors just beginning to emerge on the large maple trees lining the street. There was nothing like early fall in New England. He marveled at how quickly the summer had flown by.

He walked in the front door and through the kitchen. Smiling to himself, he set a bouquet of pink asters on the counter before he joined the party. He wondered if he’d be around when she saw them. He was sure Mel would like them.

His gaze roamed over the backyard. She had strung white twinkle lights on the beams of the pergola and hung lanterns, more likely for bugs than light. Stacey and Will were sitting with Molly and Tim next to the fire pit as it crackled and shot sparks in the air. He spotted Melinda nearby. She looked fantastic in snug-fitting jeans, a deep pink turtleneck sweater and loafers. She was carrying a platter of what he guessed were appetizers across the lawn to a group of people.

Before intercepting Mel, he grabbed a beer, said hello to some friends and walked over to where she was standing. Softly he said in her ear, “Hey, great party,” and then took the tray out of her hands.

She turned quickly and his lips grazed her mouth. Without missing a beat, her face lit up. “About time you arrived.” She pointed to a couple admiring his handiwork. “Sara and Marcia asked who my carpenter was.” She took the tray back. “Go talk to them. Sounds like they might have some work for you.” She gave him a nudge and murmured, “Remember our deal. I’m counting on a nice dinner and I don’t plan on eating that day.”

Her laughter followed him as he went over to introduce himself.

What was that? He sort-of kissed me. Choosing to ignore the momentary awkwardness Melinda kept one eye on Adam and the other on the food table. It must have been purely by accident. If she hadn’t turned quickly and if he hadn’t been trying to be funny it would never have occurred. There was one thing she just couldn’t let happen, and that was for anyone to be less than half full when they went home. She even had to-go containers ready for her guests to take home leftovers.

“Melinda, over here,” Molly called and waved to her.

She strolled across the grass. Holding the tray out to Tim, he took a slice of the Stromboli and said, “You’re spoiling us, Melinda. We were just saying we should have all our parties’ right here.”

“Tim, stop.” She hoped she wasn’t about to blush. She enjoyed being the hostess. It was much easier than being a guest—she had a reason to stay busy and it helped her avoid any personal conversations.

Molly looped arms with Tim. “We have good and bad news.”

Melinda looked at Stacey. “Do we want to talk bad news today?”

“Well, there is a very happy conclusion, so here goes.” Molly’s face glowed. “You know I wanted to get married on Block Island and have a Christmas-themed wedding, but when the venue we wanted wasn’t available on short notice, we had to postpone.”

“Were you able to get your date for next year?”

“Funny you should ask, Melinda. We made some calls and by a fluke”—her voice went up several decibels—“someone cancelled at a mansion in Newport!” She squeezed Tim’s hand so tight that Melinda thought he would lose feeling. “We’re getting married at Rosecliff!” She bounced on her toes. “Can you believe it? We’re all going to spend a weekend in Newport and have a beautiful Christmas-themed wedding.”

Melinda wrapped her arms around Molly and Tim. “That’s unbelievable,” she said. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride.”

Adam hurried over. “What’s going on? Molly, are you crying?”

“Happy tears, Adam. We’ve moved the wedding to Newport.”

Adam clapped Tim on the back and grinned. “Wow, that is quite a change.”

“It is, but I’ve always said I was doing this one time, and we’re going to make it an unforgettable weekend.” He kissed Molly’s forehead. “It’s still going to be small, around seventy-five people. When we saw pictures of the mansion decorated for Christmas and that heart-shaped staircase, I had to agree with Molly. It is the best place for us to start our married life.”

Adam looked around the group. “Guess that means we need to make plans.”

Melinda said, “We’d all better make hotel reservations. Don’t keep us in suspense, what’s the new date?”

“It’s the second Friday in December. Not too close to Thanksgiving or Christmas. And since we’re not on an island we don’t need to worry about the weather and we can have my Christmas-themed wedding after all.” Molly beamed. “This way our anniversary won’t be too close to either holiday.”

“And the people we want at the wedding should be able to come.” Tim smiled at Melinda and Adam and Will and Stacey. “You’ll be there, right?”

Melinda said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Adam nodded. “You can count on me.”

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