The Bachelor's Perfect Match

“You’ve been waiting a year for it to come out, so why don’t I bring it to church on Sunday?” Maddie offered.

“That would be wonderful!” Mrs. Hammond leaned closer. “But we have to make a trade. The book for a batch of pecan turtles?”

“Deal!” Her former teacher had a weakness for suspense novels, while Maddie’s happened to be chocolate in any shape or form.

It was one of the reasons Maddie had loved growing up in Castle Falls.

People knew each other.

Her gaze slid toward the reading nook, something that had been happening way too often over the past half hour.

Judging from the expression on Aiden’s face, he wouldn’t put that particular trait on the “pro” column of living in a small town.

Maddie hadn’t heard what Mrs. Hammond said to him, but whatever it was had stripped the smile from Aiden’s face the moment the woman had walked away. He’d picked up one of the magazines, but Maddie suspected it was a barrier meant to hold people at bay rather than a way to pass the time.

The cell phone in her pocket vibrated, a reminder that the historical society’s monthly meeting was scheduled to start in ten minutes.

Encouraging members of the community to see the library as a gathering place had been at the top of Maddie’s goals when she’d moved into a full-time position. She’d extended the evening hours two days a week, talked local clubs into holding their meetings in the conference room and hosted special events on the weekends.

Change had taken place slowly—another characteristic of small-town life—but Maddie persevered. Things began to turn around when she showed the mayor’s wife how to unlock the secrets of social media. The woman had told a friend...who’d told a friend...who’d told a friend...and suddenly Maddie found herself teaching classes on everything from résumé writing to basic web design. For the last two years, at the request of the high school principal, Maddie had even helped some members of the graduating class with the research for their senior projects.

Her parents had expressed concern over how much time and energy she poured into her job, but Maddie loved every minute of it. And since there was very little chance she’d be blessed with a family of her own someday, Maddie had decided to bloom in the place God had planted her, and nurture the people He brought through the doors of the library instead.

A flash of light outside the window caught Maddie’s attention as she stood up from her desk. A white van sporting the logo of a regional medical clinic was rolling up to the curb. A few seconds later, a stocky man vaulted from the driver’s seat. The back door slid open and a hydraulic ramp made a slow descent toward the sidewalk. The interior of the van was empty, and the driver looked around.

That’s when Maddie realized the van wasn’t there to drop someone off. It was there to pick someone up.

And she was pretty sure she knew who that someone was. Maddie glanced at the reading nook again. Three members of the historical society had commandeered the table closest to Aiden so they could chat before their meeting started, and two of Maddie’s “regulars” stood by the coffeepot, absorbed in conversation.

Aiden continued to stare at the magazine, completely unaware the driver of the medical van was waiting outside. Considering the way he’d reacted when Maddie tried to help him before, she couldn’t imagine he would want an audience—or assistance—getting into the van.

Maddie saw the driver look at his watch and figured she had about sixty seconds before he came in.

Without considering all the possible ramifications of her actions—and Maddie always considered the possible ramifications of her actions—she walked over to the members of the historical society and eased into their conversation with a smile.

“Good morning, ladies!” She was careful not to look at Aiden. “I reserved the media room until eleven o’clock so you won’t have to share the computers with anyone this morning.”

Janette Morrison, the society’s secretary, patted Maddie on the shoulder. “Thank you again for helping me, Maddie. I couldn’t have found Adelle without your detective work.”

“You’re welcome.” Maddie tried not to smile.

While helping the woman trace her family genealogy, Maddie had discovered a little-known connection to the mysterious Adelle Lewis, the daughter of the wealthy lumber baron who’d founded Castle Falls.

Adelle’s name had abruptly disappeared from the society pages and everyone assumed she’d died, but Maddie had traced the young woman’s life through a series of old journals and found out that Adelle’s parents had disowned her after she’d married a young circuit preacher against their wishes.

Now the historical society viewed Maddie as a sort of twenty-first-century Nancy Drew, able to track down clues in cyberspace, link by link.

“I do have a question about how to use the microfilm scanner,” Janette said. “If you can spare a few minutes.”

“Of course. I’ll grab a cup of coffee and meet you there in a few minutes,” Maddie promised, not mentioning the coffee wasn’t for her.

Janette looked relieved as the rest of the committee members scooped up their belongings and filed toward the computer room in the back of the library.

“It’s pretty chilly out there this morning,” Maddie mused out loud. “I thought the med van driver might appreciate a cup of coffee.” She filled a disposable cup and turned toward the door.

She could practically feel Aiden’s eyes follow her. But would he?

The driver waved at Maddie, and she hoped he was a flavored-coffee kind of guy. A group of men who met at the library once a month to play chess claimed that it smelled like potpourri and wouldn’t touch the stuff.

“Good morning!” Maddie raised the steaming cup. “We’ve got curbside delivery today. Pumpkin spice.”

“Mmm.” The skeptical look on the driver’s face belied the teasing sparkle in his eyes. “Does it pair well with a jelly doughnut?”

“In my experience, everything goes with jelly doughnuts.” Maddie grinned and handed him the coffee.

She heard the soft click of the door and dared a glance over her shoulder. Aiden had bypassed the handicap-accessible ramp—no surprise there—and was making his way slowly down the concrete steps.

One. Two. Three.

Maddie silently cheered Aiden on until he reached the sidewalk. And lurched past her without a word. Again.

The driver tossed back a swallow of coffee and looked Aiden over. “PT?”

“Yup.” Aiden bared his teeth in a smile. “That’s me.”

Maddie turned away, knowing it was the driver’s job to assist his passenger even if said passenger didn’t want—or appreciate—the assistance.

But at least she’d made sure that Aiden no longer had an audience.

“Thanks, Pixie.”

It took a moment for Maddie to realize Aiden was talking to her. But he had to be, considering the only other person within earshot happened to be the burly guy climbing into the driver’s seat of the van.

But...Pixie? Seriously? He’d already forgotten her name?

“It’s Maddie—”

Aiden’s smile—this time a genuine, no-holds-barred, steal-the-breath-from-a-girl’s-lungs smile—was the last thing Maddie saw before the door slid shut.

Making her wonder if he’d forgotten at all.

* * *

Aiden’s hand tightened on the handle of the crutch as he stared out the window of the sunroom.

Autumn was his favorite time of year. Crimson trees lined both sides of the bank like torches, the sapphire-blue river the base of the flames. For Aiden, it was like paddling through a fiery corridor. Even on sunny days, the breeze carried a bite that stirred his senses. Made him feel alive.

Rich Mason, Sunni’s husband and Aiden’s foster dad, had teased Aiden about having river water flowing through his veins instead of blood. But for a ten-year-old boy who’d grown up surrounded by concrete, the river had proved more fascinating than a playground.