Page 117 of The Merry Matchmaker

“That the sun will come out tomorrow.”

“I do,” she said. “I’ll admit it hasn’t always been easy, but I try to.” She popped the last bit of her egg roll in her mouth.

“Trying is good,” he said.

She put on her Yoda voice. “Do or do not. There is no try.” She sobered. “I’d say snarfing down Chinese food in a nice restaurant counts as doing, wouldn’t you?”

He nodded. “I’d say it does. Thanks for coming out with me tonight.”

“I’m glad I did,” she said.

His smile got bigger, and she reflected it back. Yes, maybe, just maybe this man could be mended. Maybe they both could be.

“Okay, here’s one for you,” he said. “I’ll be back.”

She snickered. “That is a cheesy accent, Mr. Terminator.”

He shrugged. “But take it to heart, because I will be.”

“Good,” she said.

Jenn was finishing up a game of Sorry! with Corky when Griff came back home. “I’m winning, Daddy,” Corky announced.

I’m winning, too, thought Griff as he helped himself to one of the peanut butter blossoms sitting on the cooling rack on the counter. At least, so far. Too soon to tell, though.Don’t rush, he advised himself, then wondered if he’d listen.

Corky got his last piece safely home and whooped, “I won!”

“Yes, you did, you little stinker,” said Jenn. “But now, we know what your dad’s going to say, right?”

“Time for bed,” Corky said, much less enthusiastically, and put the game back in the box.

“How was dinner?” Jenn asked. Corky was all ears, so she added, “With your friend?”

“Good.” Griff took the game box. “Okay, little dude, get on your pj’s and brush your teeth, and I’ll be right up.”

“I don’t want to go to bed,” Corky grumbled.

“Yeah, I never wanted to go to bed at your age, either,” Griff said. “Kiss your aunt good-night and scram. I’ll be up in a few.”

Corky gave Jenn a hug and kiss, then dragged himself up the stairs to his bedroom and little-boy solitary confinement.

“So, what do you think?” Jenn asked once Corky was gone.

“I think you better not make a habit of babysitting for me or your man’s gonna start getting pissed.”

Jenn waved that away. “Tonight was poker night. No problem. Anyway, you need a break.”

Yes, he did. The weight of being both Mom and Dad to his son pushed down on him constantly. The night out had done wonders for lifting his spirits. Or maybe it had been the woman he’d been with.

Jenn downed the rest of her pop and put the glass in the dishwasher. “Quit stalling and tell me how it went.”

“Good,” he said again, and leaned against the counter. “I like her.”

“Ha! You can thank me now for helping Santa put her in your life.”

“I’ll just stick with thanking you for watching Corky,” he said. “And don’t gloat.”

“You going to go out again?”

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