Page 6 of Lonely Beard
“We have these questionnaires,” I say helplessly, like my world isn’t crumbling around me, because I made those stupid matches. Soulmate Express is my whole life, and I put Aiden in that position. “We vet everyone who signs up to the program… we make sure their priorities are right…”
“Guess people are different in real life than on paper.”
Crapping crapsticks. How did I go so wrong?
“And your third match?” I don’t really want to ask, but I did this. I should face whatever monster I set Aiden up with last. She probably wore a puppy fur coat or tried to steal his life savings—but this time his expression softens a bit.
“Luna’s sweet,” he allows, tipping his chin. “She’s a good neighbor. And she’s a good wife to Griff.”
…Neighbor?Griff?
“Who the hell is Griff?” Glancing down, I notice I’m wringing my hands together. I drop my arms, trying to look like a normal person. Over in the log burner, the fire spits out a flurry of sparks.
Aiden watches my discomfort with one eyebrow raised. “The man who ruined your perfect record. You want to hunt him down with a whittling knife?”
So Aiden did like Luna, then. That’s… good.
My stomach doesn’t ache at all.
“Okay. Well. If you tell me what you liked about Luna, I could find you someone else like her—”
“I didn’t,” he interrupts. “I mean, she’s sweet. Like I said. But I wasn’t sad about the canceled match. I didn’t, you know. Feel anything.”
Aiden frowns at my feet as he speaks, bundled up in a borrowed pair of red knitted socks. I scrunch my cozy toes against the floorboards, a maelstrom of different feelings crashing around inside me, rougher than the storm howling outside.
There’s shame and horror—about those failed matches.Myfailures.
There’s curdling jealousy over his calling this Luna girl ‘sweet’.
And relief—bright, stupid relief—that he didn’t really click with her anyway. What is wrong with me? I’m not signed up to Soulmate Express. This man is not an option for me.
“Grace?” He sounds so patient, moss green eyes flicking up to mine. I don’t deserve this kindness. “I’m done talking about this. Alright?”
My temples throb as I nod, because I may be the fixer, but even I have to admit when I’m slamming my head against a brick wall.
“I’ll cook dinner,” Aiden says, briefly squeezing my shoulder before he walks away. Like I’m the one who needs comforting, even though I’ve done nothing but bring this man trouble.
I watch him go, feeling completely lost.
Now what do I do?
* * *
“You have electricity in your cabin. And running water.”
Here’s what I’ve learned over the last hour or so: when in doubt, pester Aiden McRae. It’s a surefire hit of happiness, and I need one of those right now. I need it bad.
Sure enough, the mountain man glances at me from where he’s stirring a pot of chili on the stove, his expression wry. “What a world.”
“Do all the cabins on the mountain have power and water?”
“No.” The wooden spoon knocks gently against the rim of the pot, chunks of sauce dropping back into the chili. It smells spicy and savory and freaking amazing. Like roasted tomatoes and sizzling beef. My stomach keeps growling louder than the thunder outside. “But it’s not hard to get a generator and a water tank going.”
I bet it is hard. And I bet Aiden dismisses a lot of his skills like that—as something anyone could do. Bullshit, I say.
“You should pimp your cabin out more on your Soulmate profile.”
He sighs, checking the saucepan of boiling rice. “Because that’s what I want my match to fall in love with. My real estate.”
