Rushing Amy: A Love and Football Novel (27 page)

S
AMANTHA WAS STILL
jabbering away. It sounded like she was giving Amy the rundown on Pagliacci Pizza’s entire menu. Matt listened to her excitedly telling Amy about some pizza with pears and God knows what else on it. He was glad she seemed to be a bit happier now, but he knew there was going to be a discussion about her behavior later.

Samantha learned a long time ago it was best to not play him and Laura off against each other to get what she wanted. She’d end up with a punishment instead. She was about to learn the same lessons with Amy, but he wasn’t sure how to convey them without pissing Amy off. He knew she was only trying to help. He knew she was nervous about showing Samantha she wasn’t a threat or competition for his affection. At the same time, he wasn’t especially happy with Amy’s contradicting him right now, either.

His ex-wife moved a short distance away from their daughter and his date and beckoned him over. She lowered his voice. “Hey, I don’t mean to start something here, but Amy didn’t do that to piss you off.”

“I wish she’d discussed it with me first. Samantha probably thinks it’s going to work for her if she tries it again.”

“Let’s be happy she seems to enjoy our daughter’s company,” Laura said. “Did you, or did you not tell Samantha that you’d have pizza with her later? I seem to remember you telling her this three days ago, Matt. You double-booked yourself, and Sam wanted her to come along, too.”

Matt blew out a breath. Good thing he talked to Laura before he went apeshit over what he saw as Amy’s trying to interfere in his parenting again.

Laura stowed the video cam in her shoulder bag. “So, let your daughter and your girlfriend take you out for pizza. Talk to Amy later. If you two are going to stay together, you’re going to have to discuss all this stuff.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you want this to happen.”

Laura stared at the floor for a minute or so, and looked into his eyes again. “No matter what happened between us, Matt, you’re not a bad guy.”

He still remembered how much he loved her when they married. He remembered the laughter, their happy family of three, and the certainty they would be together for the rest of their lives. He also remembered the knife in his gut when he discovered she wanted someone else more. It took years, but he knew their marriage wasn’t meant to be, and he couldn’t hate her. Their friendship was built slowly as a result.

He hoped Amy could accept the fact he’d always have a bond with Laura. They shared a daughter. He’d like to believe he’d learned enough from the crash and burn of his first marriage to make sure he wouldn’t make the same mistakes a second time. He was encouraged by the fact Laura thought enough of Amy she’d stick up for her.

“Thanks for the ringing endorsement, Laura. You’re not so bad yourself.”

He saw the smile creep over her lips. She patted him on the back. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

Laura walked over to hug and kiss their daughter goodbye. She hugged Amy, too. Matt was ambushed by an overly excited Samantha while he watched Laura walk away from them, alone.

Chapter Twenty-One

S
EVERAL DAYS AFTER
her pizza date with Matt and Samantha, Amy stared at the stack of bills on her worktable and glanced at the balance left in her business account. She was getting orders—a lot of them—but service on her debt load was killing any progress she made. She’d been sitting here for a while now. After all, she was closed for the day. Estelle and Scott had gone home, and she could brood in private.

Amy wasn’t sure what to do, but there was one thing—actually, one
person
—she needed: Matt. She wanted the comfort of his arms around her, the broad shoulder to lay her head on. She told him that afternoon that she had bookwork at the shop and she probably wouldn’t see him tonight as a result.

She couldn’t believe she was doing it, but she let herself out of the shop, locked up, and threw herself into the driver’s seat of the van.

The trip across the 520 bridge wasn’t bad after seven o’clock at night. Unfortunately, though, it offered time to think. It wasn’t the best idea to go running to Matt like a little girl who’d fallen down and skinned a knee. He’d already expressed reservations about the amount of hours she worked and the fact she was tired most of the time as a result. He had no idea about the continuing money issues; Well, she hoped he didn’t anyway.

It was her business, damn it, and she could handle it herself. She couldn’t fall apart any time something went wrong. Adversity would always be part of owning a small business. The worries about where the money was coming from every month, even with the added business, were wearing a hole in her spirit.

She didn’t sleep well. She didn’t eat much. She worried all the time. Maybe Matt was right about the toll stress was taking on her, and it was better to go back to the way things were. Get another accounting job and have a boss. The risk would be on whomever it was she worked for. Amy was so unhappy working in the corporate world, but she had something outside of the office to look forward to. Right now she wanted a break, even if just for a little while.

She pulled into the driveway at Matt’s, shut off the van, and sat behind the wheel. She hadn’t even called him first, which was rude. Maybe she could rest for a few minutes, and then she’d turn around and go back home. She closed her eyes.

A few minutes later, Amy heard tapping on the driver’s side window, and Matt’s voice.

“Hey, Fifi, are you coming in? Want a beer?”

“Thanks, but I’ll just go home,” she assured him. “I should have called you first. You’re probably busy.” She scrubbed her face with her hands.

He pulled open the driver’s side door. She threw herself into his arms.

“Hey. Hey. What’s this?” he said.

“I—oh, forget it,” she muttered.

Amy tried to pull away from him. He didn’t let go. He stroked her hair, he kissed the top of her head, and she blinked back the tears.

“Let’s go inside.” He tucked her inside his arm. “Bad day at the office?”

She tried to answer him, but she could only manage an unintelligible sound. She pressed her face into his chest. He walked her through the front door of his house, down the hallway, and steered her out onto the deck that overlooked the lake. She glanced up long enough to note that the neighbor’s swans were out cruising around in the water. Matt sat her down on a porch swing.

“When did you get this?” Amy indicated the swing.

“Does it matter? What’s going on?”

Matt wrapped his arms around her again, and she realized she couldn’t speak or she was going to cry. Her chin quivered. Her lips trembled. If she could get it all under control, she wouldn’t make a fool of herself by crying like a two-year-old. Matt didn’t seem to realize this, however.

“Come here.” He pressed her head down onto his shoulder. His warm breath brushed her face. “It’s just me. I promise I won’t tell anyone that the iron woman cried.”

Amy swallowed hard. He rocked them back and forth, rested his scratchy cheek against her forehead, and the hot tears finally overflowed. “So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

She sniffled, and let out a sob. “Shhh. Everything’s going to be fine,” he crooned.

“You’re being so nice,” she managed to choke out.

“I’m a nice guy. I’m just misunderstood,” he assured her. She couldn’t stop the laugh that burbled out of her. “See? There’s that grin. Things aren’t so bad.”

He took her face in his hands and touched his lips to each tear. “We’ll get through this.” Little by little she relaxed against him.

“Matt?”

“Yes, Fifi?”

“I’m afraid I screwed everything up.”

“Everything? It can’t be everything.” His voice was gentle. “Maybe I can help.”

She stiffened against him. She didn’t want him to rescue her. She just wanted him to listen. Why couldn’t he seem to understand this?

“No. I can handle it. I have to do this myself.”

He held her silently until she relaxed again. “Why don’t you tell me what’s happening, and we can discuss it?”

“You don’t have to fix it.”

“I’ll just listen. I promise. I might have to kiss you, too. That’s okay, right?”

She nodded, wiped tears off her face with both hands, and rooted around in her jacket pocket for a tissue. If she sat up she could discuss things like a somewhat competent adult. Right now, though, she wanted to lose herself in the comfort of his big, warm body, the arms wrapped around her, the lips that were inches from hers. She longed to hold him, and be held in return.

She let out another sigh. “The shop is doing well, but it’s not doing well enough. I’m afraid I’m going to have to look for an investor.”

“Why do you think you need additional funds?”

“I hired a driver. I hired a designer. I couldn’t keep up with the work. I think I need another designer, but I don’t have money for that right now.” She closed her eyes as she wadded up the Kleenex in her hands. “I didn’t have it in my plan to hire anyone for at least another few months while I built up capital, and I have two people now. I had to replace the van. Just the paint job cost a butt load. I replaced the cooler, too, and that wasn’t cheap. I could take it out of my savings—”

“No. You never take business expenses out of your own money, Amy.”

She moved away from him; he pulled her close again.

“Okay. I forgot. I’m not supposed to comment.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Keep talking.”

“I don’t want to go into further debt. It scares me. What if I can’t do this? Plus, my parents will be horrified. They think I took such a risk. I had to take a risk. I have to succeed.” She was succeeding for a first-year business owner, but she wanted more.

He was quiet for a while, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Matt?”

“Hmm?” The rumble in his chest when he spoke tickled her cheek.

“Can I stay with you tonight?”

His chest shook with laughter. “What do you think?”

“Well, then, thank you for your generous offer.”

“I’m sure we could work something out. Let me think about it,” Matt teased. “Do you want any advice or not?”

She tipped her face up to murmur in his ear. “Do you know what I really want?”

“Why don’t you tell me, and I’ll try to make that happen.”

She couldn’t control her yawn. “I’m so tired, and all I want is to be with you.”

He stood up from the glider and held out his hand. “Come on. It’s time for bed.”

All her fight was gone, at least temporarily. He led her down the hall to his room, and gave her one of his old t-shirts to wear. He was starting to accumulate items at her place. She had a toothbrush here. He’d cleaned out one of the drawers in his bathroom for her to use, but she hadn’t yet.

Amy stripped her clothes off in the bathroom as quickly as possible, pulled the t-shirt on, and crawled into his bed. She laid her head on his shoulder. It was like sleeping on a skin-covered rock, but she listened to his steady heartbeat and the rhythm of his breathing.

“So, Amy, do you want advice yet?”

“Tomorrow.” She rubbed her face in the clean, fresh-smelling t-shirt he wore. “Definitely tomorrow.”

She heard the smile in his voice. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

Her eyelids slid closed. She took a deep breath. Matt’s bedding smelled like him, too, and it was comforting. “I know I’m acting like a big baby—”

He cut her off. “No, you’re not. You’re just worrying.”

“Don’t you worry?”

“I have people for that.”

“Oh. Maybe I should get some people.” Another yawn. “Are they expensive?”

“If you want the good ones, they are.”

He kissed her. His lips were sweet and tender on hers; she traced his bottom lip with her tongue and slid her tongue inside his mouth. As always, he tasted wonderful and felt even better. She wanted him so much, but she needed to sleep more. She pulled the blankets up over her shoulders.

“Don’t let go of me,” she whispered.

“I won’t. I promise.”

A
MY OPENED HER
eyes to dawn’s peeking through the sheer fabric blinds in Matt’s room, and the beeping of his alarm clock. He stirred next to her.

“Hey, Fifi. Up and at ’em.”

She’d awoken with him many times now, but she’d never get used to the fact he was breathtaking with rumpled hair and morning stubble. Couldn’t he at least have the dried saliva dribbles on one side of his mouth, for instance? It was freaking unfair.

As usual, she didn’t even want to dwell on what she must look like right now. He didn’t seem alarmed by her less-than-perfect current look.

After a shower, Amy put on a clean pair of Matt’s sweat pants and another t-shirt advertising some NFL event. He seemed to have an inexhaustible supply. She offered to cook breakfast for them. She had to be back at the shop in a couple of hours, but she had a little time still. Matt just laughed at her offer.

“Is that a threat?”

“I can cook,” she informed him. “How hard is it to screw up some scrambled eggs and toast?”

“I suppose we’re both going to find out.” He made a beeline for the coffee pot. “Want some?” He waved the carafe in her direction. Matt had one of the automatic grind-and-brew coffee pots, so his coffee prowess was more due to the fact he had $150 and a pound of coffee beans than some kind of culinary talent.

“Of course I want some.” She put both hands on her hips. “Excuse me, Mr. Health and Nutrition, but you are not the only one that can find his way around a kitchen.”

He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a glass pitcher with some nasty-looking green juice inside. “Okay, then. You cook, and I’ll drink some of this to counteract it.”

Amy managed to assemble scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, sliced fresh fruit, and toast without burning down the kitchen. Matt ate like he hadn’t seen food for several days. He also attempted to get Amy to try some of the nasty-looking green juice he had in the pitcher. He desisted when she told him she’d be happy to try it just as long as he didn’t mind a manscaping waxing appointment in return.

She wouldn’t have actually gone through with the waxing appointment. She loved running her fingers through his chest hair. He was the only guy she’d been with since college who hadn’t waxed it all off.