Page 52 of An Unexpected Match

She clenched her hands into fists and refused to pick up the phone. It was necessary for her to maintain her distance. She’d thought about it long and hard. And tonight she’d start.

“Call me when you hear this.”

A minute later, she pressed the play button on the machine to listen to him again. She loved his voice, the intonation, the deep, rich tones. Closing her eyes, she could see him as clearly as if he were standing in front of her.

She listened once more to the message, then switched off the kitchen light and went to check on the girls one last time before heading for her room.

The temptation to talk to Brendan was strong, but her resolve was stronger. She refused to be drawn in any deeper. She'd keep her distance and do her best to gain some perspective.

About an hour later, her phone rang again. Again, she ignored it.

She began the final study for another class, just skimming over her notes and the text. She’d done well during the semester, knew the material, and wasn’t worried about how she’d do. But a last-minute brush-up couldn’t hurt.

The house phone rang again. She held her breath, hearing the murmur of Brendan’s voice on the machine in the kitchen.

Trying to concentrate, she did her best to ignore him. But the temptation to race to the phone was strong.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Surprised, Arden glanced at the clock. It was after ten. Who came calling so late?

She went to the front door and peered through the glass panel on the side. A couple she recognized as living across the street stood on the porch.

She opened the door.

“Yes?”

“Are you Arden Glover?” the woman asked.

Arden nodded.

“Is everything all right here?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“Brendan Ferguson has been trying to reach you all night. He’s very concerned because no one is answering the phone. The girls are all right, aren’t they?”

Arden felt horrible. She’d never thought about what Brendan might think when she didn’t answer.

“We’re all fine. The girls are in bed already.”

The woman held out a scrap of paper.

“This is his cell phone number. He wants you to call him. He thought something might be wrong since he couldn’t reach you.”

Arden took the paper, guilt swamping her. Of course, Brendan would worry when she didn’t answer. He knew she and the girls should be home. Not answering would definitely raise his concern. Why hadn’t she thought about that? He must be frantic.

“I’ll call him right away,” she said.

“Better check the phone is working. We can wait. Must be something wrong if he can’t get through,” the man said. “You can come use our phone if you need to. Molly can stay with the girls.”

“I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll come over if I can’t reach him. You live in the yellow house, right?”

“That’s right, Molly and Bill Dougans,” Molly said brightly. “I’ve seen you here for several weeks but haven’t had a chance to stop by. Welcome to the neighborhood. I understand you are watching the girls now that Ella has moved to California.”

“That’s right. Nice to meet you both. And thank you for coming over. I’ll call Brendan now.”

The couple left, and Arden closed the door.

What an idiot she was. Brendan was probably pacing his hotel room worried sick about his children and she’d deliberately not spoken to him when she should have.

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