Page 81 of To Believe In You
Tim nodded. “And you know how to reach her?”
“I’ve looked at hundreds of online profiles, and none are her.”
“She may have a different last name now.”
Matt nodded.
“You know where she’s from? Where she grew up?”
“Yeah. We used to make fun of it. It was a food … Sounded like a food … Hamburg.”
“State?”
Matt cringed. His relationship with Nadia had been one of the most notable of his life, yet he knew little about her. “Must not have been as easy to make fun of.”
Amusement trickled across Tim’s face. “And her maiden name was Holmes.”
That much, Matt had remembered, and he’d used the surname in his searches to no avail. Tim’s memory surprised him, though. Perhaps writing the name on a check had seared it into his brain, or he might’ve refreshed his memory.
Either way, Tim finished his coffee and stood. “I’ll find her info for you.”
“You don’t owe me that.”
“You make amends your way, I’ll make them my way.”
Matt nodded. At least, for once, Tim would be using his knack for learning the details of other people’s business for good. But the mention of amends didn’t sit right. “Maybe there’s another reason you don’t feel better.”
Tim waited.
“You don’t need to make amends with me as much as you need to get right with God.”
“And you need to get to work.”
Right. Twelve minutes late and counting.
* * *
Lina’ssleepless night gave her plenty of time to brainstorm ways to turn things around with Matt. Advocating for the audition he wanted seemed like a decent first step. Besides, she owed him for defending her the way he had.
Hoping her boss had her phone silenced if eight a.m. was too early—and one day after her honeymoon, it probably was—Lina texted Adeline.Welcome back, Mrs. Vaughn! It doesn’t have to be today, but eventually I’d like to talk to you two about the altercation at the wedding.
She set her phone on the counter to clean up her breakfast dishes, but a ding drew her right back to read Adeline’s reply.
You can drop by the house this morning if you have time. We’re both here. I’m testing our new espresso machine, but Gannon’s not a coffee drinker.
Easier than expected. Lina hurried through her morning routine, then plundered her kitchen for gifts. If only she’d had some warning, she would’ve baked a coffee cake or something, but without, the best she could do was collect a bottle of unopened coffee syrup and a box of tea she’d meant to keep for herself. Then, with Grandma’s blue diamond sparkling on her finger, she drove to the Vaughn’s gated property near Lakeshore, along Lake Superior.
Beyond the wrought iron gate, maples, aspens, and pines splashed the landscape with red, yellow, and green, blocking the view of the brick house beyond. She loosened her grip on the wheel, tempted to grab her phone and reread Adeline’s message. Had she understood the invitation correctly? Or overlooked a passcode to enter on the keypad next to the drive?
But before she’d woken her phone, the gate jerked into motion. She had a lot on the line here. A new friendship, her connection with Matt to preserve, his opportunity with Awestruck. Her foot twitched on the accelerator, but she corrected in time to ease up and keep the car from bursting down the lane. She could do this, advocate for Matt. It wouldn’t be awkward. Adeline was a friend. And her boss. But a friend.
She parked by the front door, and with a deep breath and a prayer for favor, she grabbed the grocery bag. Adeline opened the door before she’d rung the bell. Dressed even more casually than her usual jeans, Adeline wore leggings, a loose T-shirt, and a soft gray cardigan.
This visit really was an intrusion.
Lina lifted a shaky smile and the coffee syrup. “Before I moved, I bought a couple bottles of salted caramel syrup from my favorite shop back in New York. It’s amazing.”
Adeline accepted the offering with both hands. “Are you sure you want to part with it?”
