Page 37 of Loved By Tandy

When he opens the door, a teenage girl waves. “Hey, Colt. My dad sent me over with your check and this.” She hands over a large box, then sets an envelope on the top. “He said it was a housewarming gift.”

“I told your dad he didn’t have to pay me. I didn’t mind helping him with the fences.” Colt sets the box on the floor near the door and scratches his head. “Sorry. Where are my manners? Come on in, Bree.”

Tandy hurries in from the kitchen. “Hi. I’m Tandy.”

“Bree De Los Santos. Nice to meet you.” She nods at me. “Hi, I’m Bree.”

I smile. “I’m Matthew. Forgive me for not getting up.”

“Oh, no worries.” Bree shoves her hands in her back pockets and tips her head toward the box. “So Colt, I need to run because I have a ton of homework. I can’t wait until I’m done with high school. But could you open that before I go because Dad didn’t tell me what was inside?”

Tandy seems less ecstatic now that Bree has dropped the info about high school, and I’m not sure if Colt realizes he was a target for being matched. When Tandy shoots me a look, I bite back a laugh.

Colt chuckles and kneels down and lifts the flaps on the box. Once the top is open, he shakes his head, amused. “Non-alcoholic beer, Big Red, and juice boxes.”

Bree peers into the box. “That seems like a weird thing to give you.”

Seems to me like Zeke De Los Santos is giving Colt a bit of a hard time about his age.

“A man needs good stuff to drink.” Colt slides the check into his back pocket. “Thanks for bringing this by.”

“No problem. It was nice to meet y’all. And I can’t wait to hear about people falling in love. I’ve heard that you’re going to be matchmaking. That’s really cool.” She flashes a grin before slipping out the door.

Colt stands in the doorway and only shuts the door after a car door closes. “Nice family.”

“And she’s a doll.” Tandy sighs.

“Don’t be getting any ideas in your head, Miss Tandy. I don’t date highschoolers.”

She puts her hands up in defense. “I’d never suggest it. I just got prematurely excited. She has an older sister, doesn’t she?”

“I only work here, Miss Tandy. I did not sign up to be matched.” Colt carries his box of beverages into the kitchen.

I chuckle. “You need to leave that man alone, Tandy.”

“Fine. I will. Soon, I’ll have plenty of others to find happily-ever-afters for.” She doesn’t know what to do with herself if she can’t match people. Although, she hasn’t matched anyone in months, and that’s working out well for me. So in some way, she has been matchmaking.

Saturday evening,I take a deep breath before knocking on Tandy’s door. Bracing myself for a possible change of heart, I adjust my hat, then knock.

The door swings open, and Tandy, with arms out to each side, says, “What do you think? Too much?” She’s wearing sparkles from head to toe, boots included.

“Perfectly dazzling. It suits you.”

She laughs as she steps outside and pulls the door closed. “I’ve been wanting an excuse to wear this outfit.”

Her fingers tangle with mine as we walk to the truck. Then I open the passenger side door and hold out my hand to help Tandy into her seat. “While I play, I’ll be able to watch you sparkle on the dance floor.”

She shakes her head as she buckles in. “I probably won’t be doing much in the way of dancing. I’m there for the music.”

As I drive, she twists her fingers into a knot, then untwists them.

So I reach for her hand. “Nervous?”

“Not really.”

The answer sounds a bit uncertain. I stroke her knuckles. “We can keep things on the down low if you prefer. I don’t mind.”

She squares her shoulders and blows out a breath. “I made such a point of ignoring you. Then I continually insistedwe’re only talking because of business. And at the girls’ night, I admitted to my friends what they already guessed—we’re friends. And I emphasized the word friends. A lot. They’re going to laugh at me.” She flashes a smile. “But I’m not even sure they’ll be shocked.”

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