Montana Match

Heather nodded. “Since you’re going to ask her about the job, I suppose you should know I also told her you were a recluse because of what happened.”

A recluse. No wonder Brittany had imagined him as an old man with a salt-and-pepper beard. “The recluse part’s an overstatement.”

“Not much of one.”

Parker stopped himself before he tried to refute Heather’s claims. Arguing with her would only put more ideas into her head. True, he’d kept to himself and rarely went into town. He didn’t want to deal with the stares or whispered comments when he ran into people he knew—people who used to be his friends and coworkers. He didn’t have anything to say to those people now, especially the ones from church. Why had they been so quick to condemn him? Where had God been in this mess?

Parker didn’t have the answers.

Crossing her arms, Heather stared at him. “Since you seem to have lost your ability to talk, would you like me to run the idea by her?”

Heather’s question rolled around in his mind. “I’ll talk to her.”

“She has great references.” Patting herself on the chest, Heather grinned again. “Me. She’s got experience as a substitute teacher, and she’s terrific with kids, as you witnessed tonight.”

Parker chuckled. “Have you ever thought of going into sales? You’re very convincing.”

“I just know how to make a persuasive argument. I say don’t waste another minute.” Heather pointed to the door. “Get out there and talk to her.”

“You’re not that persuasive. I’m going to sleep on it and see whether it still seems like a good idea in the morning.”

“Hey, nerdly uncle, don’t think too long, or I’ll talk to her myself.”

“Okay, nerdly niece, I’ve been forewarned.” Parker couldn’t help smiling at Heather’s reference to him—a moniker that brightened his mood. They’d been teasing each other this way for years.

“You know you’ve got me beat in the nerd department. I always tell my friends that you’re my mad-scientist uncle.”

Parker turned to look at Heather. “Is that what you’ve told Brittany?”

“So you are worried about what she thinks?” Heather shot him a speculative grin.

Parker shook his head and gave Heather a wry smile. “I think you should go bother someone else.”

“Okay, but while you’re in here by yourself, why don’t you spend a little time talking to God about hiring Brittany?”

Parker frowned. Why did Heather have to bring God into it? He hadn’t helped before, so what reason was there to believe He would be there now? “You know my feelings about that, and they aren’t going to change.”

“I’m still praying for you. And so is the rest of the family.”

Parker knew that was true. Every time he talked with his mother, he heard the same statement. “You always say that.”

“I’m going to keep saying it until you get right with God.”

“I gathered from something Brittany said tonight that she’s a Christian, too.”

Heather nodded. “We attend the same church. That’s how we started sharing an apartment. But don’t let that stop you from talking to her.”

“Your breathing down my neck is the only thing that’ll stop me.”

Heather backed up toward the door. “Okay, I’m out of here, so you can make plans.”

“Thanks.”

As the door closed behind Heather, he sank onto the nearby chair. Brittany seemed like an answer to a prayer, even though he didn’t pray anymore. Was God working on him—pulling him in despite his resistance? Or were his thoughts getting way ahead of reality? Just because he asked her didn’t mean she would accept.

Chapter Four

On Sunday evening, following an afternoon of skiing, Parker sat at the dinner table with his family. Although the sunny day had turned into a clear, cold night, the conversation and laughter around the table warmed Parker’s heart. If he could capture this slice of happiness and take it home, maybe he could put the past behind him. That’s the way he felt every year during this get-together, but the feeling soon faded. He hadn’t learned to let go of the heartache or bitterness associated with his unfair treatment.

Parker looked across the table. Rose and Jasmine were laughing with Brittany and Heather. Their interaction reminded him that Saturday and Sunday’s flurry of activities had never given him a chance to talk to Brittany. The whole weekend he’d watched her having fun not only with Rose and Jasmine, but also with the rest of his relatives. Brittany had charmed them all, including him.

Was that a good thing when he wanted to offer her a job? Doubts and questions floated through his mind.

As Parker finished eating, the jangling sound of a cell phone echoed through the room and interrupted his thoughts. He knew immediately who was receiving a call. That distinctive ringtone belonged to Brittany.

“Excuse me.” Brittany jumped up from the table and grabbed her phone and a jacket. She answered the phone as she went out on the deck at the back of the house.

Picking up his plate, Parker tried not to appear interested in what Brittany was doing. “Delia, thanks for the great meal.”

“Thanks. It was nothing.” Delia waved a hand in his direction.

“Rose, Jasmine, let’s help clean up.” Parker motioned for them to follow.

Without protest, the little girls helped carry the dishes into the kitchen while the rest of the family also pitched in. As Parker loaded dishes into the dishwasher, he tried to ignore Heather. Every time he looked up she was staring at him.

Heather came up behind him and nodded her head toward the door leading to the deck. “Time’s running out. I’ll keep an eye on the girls so you can ask Brittany about the job.”

Parker glanced out the window. Brittany paced back and forth across the deck as she talked on the phone. Her breath formed a cloud in the cold air—a cloud that matched the cloud of doubt forming in his mind. He wasn’t sure about this, but he needed a nanny now so he could meet the deadline for his latest project. He needed someone to take care of his girls. “I can’t interrupt her phone call.”

“I didn’t say you should. But as soon as she’s finished—”

“I’ll talk to her when she comes inside.” Parker turned and looked out the window again as Brittany slipped her phone into her jacket pocket. She leaned her forearms on the railing and made no move toward the house.

“Looks like she doesn’t intend to come in right now.”

“Maybe she wants some time alone.”

“No excuses.” Heather smiled wryly. “I’ll get your jacket, so you can join her.”

Heather headed to the closet. Since she was on a mission, trying to stop her was pointless. After she returned, she handed him the jacket, then ushered Rose and Jasmine into the family room for a game.

Brittany continued to lean against the railing. Even in the dim light, her coppery hair shimmered. Putting on his jacket, he took a deep breath, then opened the sliding door. It made a whooshing sound as he closed it.

Brittany turned as he stepped toward her. “Hi. Sorry. I didn’t mean to skip out on the cleanup.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Should he ask her about her phone call, or jump into the reason he was standing here in the cold? He shouldn’t have let Heather push him into this until he was ready.

“That was my parents. They wanted to know how things were going.” Brittany lowered her gaze and kicked at a chunk of ice that stuck to the floorboards of the deck. “I was hoping my dad had some good news about a job, but he found out that the position he’d mentioned to me last week has been filled.”