He hadn’t understood that comment then and still didn’t now. But what he did understand is that his Anna was missing, and the troubled woman of his past had returned. He needed to find out why.
That Saturday afternoon he prepped for the evening meal. They would enjoy barbecued steak, baked potato, and a tossed salad. He had insisted Anna rest while Melody had her nap and assured her he could handle the details. He had every intention of getting to the bottom of her angst and didn’t want her exhausted.
A disheveled Anna with Melody in hand appeared on the patio a good two hours later.
“Can’t believe I crashed like that. I didn’t hear a thing until Melody woke up.”
Matt looked at his adorable girls, both with sleepy eyes and hair sticking up in every direction. He kissed them both on the cheeks.
“Got the lawn cut while my two angels rested,” he said. “And supper is well underway. I’ve phoned Lorena, and we’re going to drop Melody off at her house so we can have the evening to ourselves.”
He glanced at his watch. That gives us five hours alone before we’ll have to pick her up and get her to bed. Time’s-a-wasting—let’s get going.”
Anna smiled in delight. “Melody, did you hear that? I get to eat steak without you bothering me twenty times.” She snuggled Melody close and then whirled her around. Melody giggled in pleasure.
Dinner passed slowly—a wonderful treat where they both took the uninterrupted time to enjoy every bite.
“Goodness, I’m sooo full.” Anna placed her hands on her stomach and rubbed. “I’m going to have to undo the top button on my jeans, and you’re going to have to be a gentleman and not say a word.”
“I warned you, Anna, three pieces of sour dough bread before a steak is never a good idea.”
She scrambled around the table and placed her finger on his mouth. “I told you, not a word.”
He rose from the table and grabbed her close. “Well, I know how to make that happen,” he said. With a gleam in his eyes, his head drifted slowly down to her laughing lips.
The heat from her body radiated like the afternoon sun as shivers skimmed along his flesh. She reached up and circled the muscled column of his neck. Her fingers lightly combed their way through the ends of his hair. A hunger coursed through his body. His mouth left hers with a tearing slowness as he stepped out of the danger zone and back into reality.
“What? The grape juice doesn’t taste good after having the wine?” She muttered under her breath.
“What did you say?” He couldn’t keep the shock from his voice.
She moved aside and picked up the dishes from the patio table. “Nothing.”
For a couple of hours Anna had returned to him, but now the guarded Anna was back, the one who perplexed him to no end.
He marched over and took the dishes from her hands and placed them heavily back down on the table. “Come,” he said. “We have to talk.”
He captured her hand in his and pulled her to the porch swing where they sat together. Not once did he break his stare. He needed to know what was going on inside that pretty little head of hers.
He waited.
She waited.
They both started talking at the same time.
“So, what is—”
“I’m sorry, Matt—”
“Ladies first.” He said. One hand gallantly rolled in the air.
“Matt, I’m sorry, I don’t know how to even have this conversation.”
His hands turned instantly clammy, and his heart hammered in his ears. “What is it?”
“What I just said is something Tamara said to me the night of our party. She was the wine and I was the grape juice.”
Matt’s eyes fell to his lap. “I wondered if she would try and corner you. I didn’t invite her, by the way—she just showed up. But when you didn’t mention her, I thought maybe she had enough class to let things be.” He read hurt in Anna’s eyes.
“Anna, I tried to tell you about her that day we went for a walk in the park. I wanted you to know about my past, but you said you didn’t need to know. Remember?”
He paused. “I have no problem sharing my life with you—all of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
A disturbed look flickered in her soulful brown eyes. “I have only one question, Matt.”
He inched closer taking both of her hands in his. His thumbs traced up and down her wrists, but his eyes never left her face. “Ask me whatever you want.”
“How long ago was it over between the two of you? Because she was talking about a current thing.”
He did not hesitate. “Not a chance, Anna. I haven’t been with Tamara since you came back into my life.”
“Matt,” she said falling forward into his arms. The swing jostled wildly and she laughed against his lips. “I love you, Matthew Carmichael, so much.”
Anna’s peace of mind lasted exactly two weeks. Long enough to set the wedding date for April thirtieth and meet with Carla the wedding planner. Matt had hired her to help pull off a wedding in six weeks—and no more.
Anna had been thrilled that God arranged the opportunity to talk to Matt and that one question had quelled all the others. She concluded that Tamara was exactly who Faye pegged her to be—a brilliant liar.
Then Matt’s cell phone dinged, and a text appeared. Anna didn’t mean to be nosy, but Matt had left the phone on the counter and gone to the washroom. Enough of the message was visible to send her heart crashing to the floor.
“Hey, Matt, are we meeting at seven tomorrow night or eight?
