Page 16 of Merry Little Midlife Matchmaker

Even in that ridiculous Christmas sweater featuring Rudolph with a light-up LED nose, she managed to make my mouth water.

What would life be like with a woman like Lizzie by my side? Someone who cherished her children instead of seeing them as a roadblock to the life she wanted? Someone who put effort into the thousand little things that truly mattered. Someone who reminded me that life could be enjoyed in all the tiny little moments and traditions that I’d let lapse. Someone to lean on.

And, I thought, watching her lean a hip against the counter, someone I could unwrap like my very own Christmas present every single night from now until old age dragged me six feet under.

I cleared my throat. “I should probably get going.”

“Oh.” Lizzie put the cookie down and wiped her lips. “Sure. And in exchange for being so thoughtful, I think I really should set you up with a friend of mine. My mom was a little over-the-top about it yesterday, but I do have a bit of a knack for figuring out who will click. And everyone deserves a New Year’s kiss.”

At that moment, the only person I wanted to kiss was Lizzie, so maybe she didn’t have as much of a knack as she thought.

But, I reminded myself for what felt like the millionth time, Lizzie was my oldest friend’s little sister. If there was one person in this town I couldn’t get involved with, it was her. So as much as I wanted to let her sprinkle some of that red and green sugar over her lips so I could lick it off myself, I knew that I needed to pull myself together and remember why I was here.

A support system. A community. A better life for my son.

So all I said was, “Maybe, but I’m out of practice with dating. Might be a harder match to make than you expect.”

Her smile widened. “I’m not one to back down from a challenge,” she told me. “Describe your perfect woman.”

“I’ll know her when I see her,” I said, and it sounded like a vow.

She pursed her lips. “Not helpful, Mr. Hardy. Let’s see.” She tapped her chin. “You look like you still enjoy fitness. Is that true?”

She thought I looked fit? Through sheer force of will, I didn’t let my chest puff out with pride. “I do,” I told her.

“Outdoor activities?”

“I like the odd hike in the summertime. Haven’t been snowboarding in years, though.”

“Someone to make you enjoy the sweeter side of life.”

“Yeah,” I replied, gaze dropping to a sugar crystal on the corner of Lizzie’s lips that her tongue had failed to lick up. “That sounds good.”

“Leave it with me,” Lizzie told me, eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ll see what I can do.”

I left the warmth and light and comfort of Lizzie’s presence and took my son back to the unpacked boxes and unfamiliar rooms of our new home, and I tried to stop myself from thinking of the one woman I wasn’t allowed to have.

EIGHT

LIZZIE

My job wasn’t allthat exciting, but it paid the bills and allowed me to pick up and drop off my kids every day. I sat behind a glossy white reception desk at a local architecture firm and managed the thousand and one tasks that the higher-ups threw my way.

I stood next to the gigantic filing cabinet that held the architectural plans for the firm’s projects, checking that the most up-to-date drawings were printed and filed correctly. My coworker Laurel sidled up to me. She was a beautiful brunette with the biggest blue eyes I’d ever seen, and a talented architect to boot, and I would definitely have been jealous of her if she weren’t so lovable.

“How’s the kid?” she asked.

“Zach’s all better. Good Thanksgiving weekend?”

“Ate way too much, drank more, and moved as little as possible. It was amazing.” When I laughed, she tipped her head toward the exit. “Coffee break? I need to get away from my computer for twenty minutes or I’ll go crazy.”

“Sure,” I said. “Just let me finish this up and I’ll meet you at the front desk.”

A few minutes later, we were bundled up in our jackets and walking the couple of blocks that would take us to the Four Cups Café. It was a cute little coffee shop on Heart’s Cove’s main drag that boasted the best baked goods in the county. I was unsurprised to find it bustling with people, the three employees behind the desk clad in their usual pink T-shirts with glittery writing that proclaimed themHeart’s Cove Hotties.

We got our drinks to go but ended up at one of the tables near the wall, where my eyes were drawn to a landscape painting of one of the cliffs on the coast. I’d been out there to take photos eons ago and they’d turned out pretty good. That had been a long time ago, though, before life and kids got in the way. My camera hadn’t made it out of its case in years.

Laurel regaled me with details of the proposal she was working on for the refurbishment of the Heart’s Cove Hotel. “I think it could turn out really good, but I don’t know how serious the twins are about fixing the place up.”

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