Page 46 of An Unexpected Match

“Frozen?” she asked hopefully.

“I’d love to watch the movie with you two.”

He glanced at Arden. “Will you join us?”

She shook her head. “I’m tired, I think I’ll go to bed early.”

She didn’t meet his eyes, but continued to concentrate on clearing the table and then doing the dishes.

Of course, the television was in the family room with just the thickness of a door from her. She could hear the excited voices of the children, Brendan’s quiet tones. Then the murmur of the movie.

When the smell of popcorn wafted in, her mouth watered. She’d eaten plenty of dinner, but there was something about the aroma of popcorn that had her wanting some.

Trying to ignore the enticing image on the other side of the door, she went to the drafting table to study her project. It was a design implementation as a prototype for one of her classes. Almost finished, it didn’t take long for Arden to be caught up in her project as she put on the final touches.

Pleased with the work, she carefully rolled it up and put it in a tube to protect it. Now what? The movie still droned on. Were the three of them cuddled together on the sofa? Or had Brendan sat in the chair and left the sofa for the girls?

She longed to peek out, but instead drew her sketch pad closer and began drawing a picture of Brendan and his daughters on the sofa. His hard features were softened as he looked at Hailey. Avery snuggled against his side while she placed Hailey a little apart, telling him of their day.

Arden studied the drawing when she finished. She’d captured the excitement in the children’s expressions and the bafflement Brendan sometimes displayed around his girls. Flipping over the page, Arden began to sketch another.

It was late when she put her pad down and stretched.

She was still wide awake, but a glance at the clock showed it was after midnight. Listening for a moment, she heard nothing. Everyone else had gone to bed hours before.

She rubbed her eyes. They felt strained after hours of sketching. And the results of her work were for her eyes only. She wouldn’t share pages of pictures of Brendan Ferguson with anyone.

Standing, she rotated her shoulders to loosen up. Maybe one day, in the distant future, she’d have a showing at an art gallery and could frame some drawings. She loved the one where she’d depicted him as a Viking warrior. And the one in the flower garden with two dainty little girls. That one she’d like to paint, maybe using oils. Watercolor would be too weak.

“Yeah, right, your own showing. They don’t show commercial art,” she scoffed.

Pacing her room, she decided to take a walk in the yard. Maybe the cool night air would clear her head. Then she’d try to go to sleep. She should be exhausted, but she felt full of energy.

Punching in the security code on the panel by the back door, she let herself out into the yard. Looking directly overhead, she could see the vast array of the stars in the night sky. The trees blocked a panoramic view, but she could see enough to fill her with delight. There was no moon, just the black canopy sprinkled with a million points of light.

It was a balmy night, with just a hint of a breeze. She wandered around the yard until she grew cool. Time to go inside and to bed.

Stumbling over one of the girls’ toys, she almost fell. She nudged it aside and headed for the house. Pausing for a moment on the stoop, she looked up again at the stars. Maybe one night she could take the girls to the beach after dark and let them see the entire sky as black as velvet with the scattering of a billion stars.

She turned to go inside, pulling the door behind her.

Suddenly she was grabbed from behind.

“All right, what are you doing here?”

Brendan’s harsh voice sounded in her right ear.

“Brendan, it’s me, Arden. I live here,” she squeaked.

He turned her, his hands hard against her upper arms. She reached out and touched bare skin. Snatching her hand back as if she’d been burned, she tried to see him in the darkness.

“Arden? What are you doing outside at this time of night?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I thought I’d just get some fresh air. Is that a crime?”

“No. Of course not. I heard something, came downstairs and found the door open. I know I closed it and set the security alarm before I went up. When I saw you come in, I thought, well, never mind.”

“That I was a burglar?”

---