“Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.” She didn’t want their day to deteriorate, but she wouldn’t run home with her tail between her legs without letting him know that he was no better than she was. He was letting his past define him, the same as she was.

  “I went because…”

  When his voice trailed off, she said, “You wanted to rewrite history. You wanted them to be envious, to show them you were everything they would never be.” She couldn’t blame him. In his place, she probably would have felt the same way.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  Kristen didn’t want to make him feel bad. She believed Matt was one of the good guys, but that didn’t mean they were right for each other. The Matt she used to know might be a much better fit for her. He appreciated the simpler things in life. She didn’t know if she would ever have anything in common with a sexy, uber-rich, risk-taking jet-setter.

  “So where does that leave us?” she asked, almost afraid of his answer.

  “Right back where we started, I guess.”

  Chapter Five

  Matt finally convinced Kristen to spend the day with him as planned instead of going back to her office and wasting a perfect fall day in Hill Country. He was glad she’d relented because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had more fun. Once the pressure was off and she believed he was only asking for one day, she relaxed and let him see the woman he’d known was hiding underneath her protective layers.

  They talked and laughed and held hands. They visited little antique shops, stores proudly displaying handmade artisan’s wares, and one or two local galleries, which were often part of a café or vintage shop. When her back was turned, he bought her a handmade turquoise and silver bracelet she’d admired. He just had to find the perfect time to give it to her. He would tell her it was just a reminder of their day together, but he wanted it to be so much more than that. He wanted her to look at that bracelet years later and smile because it made her think of their first date.

  He pulled into the parking lot behind his mother’s art gallery and cut the engine. Kristen had fallen asleep almost an hour ago. He watched her sleep, and the slight smile curving her luscious mouth made him reluctant to wake her. The only other place he would rather see her fast asleep was tucked under the down duvet in his big antique bed. He still believed that day would come. He just had to be patient. Too bad patience wasn’t his strong suit.

  Kristen stirred, opening her blue eyes hesitantly. “Hey.” She sat up and looked out the window. “Where are we?”

  “My mother’s gallery.”

  She checked her watch. “It’s after eight. She won’t be here now, will she?”

  “I texted her and asked her to meet us here.”

  “Oh, I wish you hadn’t done that.” She removed her seatbelt. “I could have stopped by tomorrow or the next day.”

  “She really won’t mind, trust me.” If there was one thing his mother could talk about all day and night, it was art.

  “I hope she doesn’t live too far from here,” Kristen said, reaching for her door handle.

  Before Matt responded, he rounded the car to meet her. “They live on the outskirts of town. It’s an old farmhouse.” He chuckled. “My father would have preferred something newer, right on a golf course, but my mother walked through their old place and declared it the end of their hunt. She had to have it.”

  Kristen smiled at him when he slipped an arm around her waist. “And your father indulged her?”

  “He usually does.”

  “My kind of man.”

  Matt tugged on her hand to pull her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you saying you’d like a man who would treat you like a princess, give you anything and everything you ever wanted, always be there for you?” He couldn’t believe he was saying those things, especially so soon and knowing how gun-shy she was. “’Cause I just might be your guy.”

  “Matt.” She flattened her palms on his chest. “I thought I made myself clear.”

  “You can’t blame a guy for trying,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck. Her body responded as if she was steel and he was a magnet. She latched on, curling into him as though she never wanted to let go. Couldn’t she see that her body and heart were sending her a message, even if her stubborn mind seemed determined to fight it?

  “You’re used to getting what you want,” she said, curling her arms around his waist. “You like the thrill of the challenge.”

  “I like the thrill of spending time with a woman who’s perfect for me.” She was, in every way. Matt didn’t need a woman who was a thrill seeker or loved sports. He needed a woman who shared his values and his vision for the future. Given his experience with marriage, he knew that was the only thing that mattered.

  “I’m not perfect for you,” she said, tipping her head back to look up at him. “You only think I am because of some adolescent fantasy about your dream girl.”

  He dropped his hands to her waist and forced her to acknowledge the effect she had on him. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a kid anymore. I’ve been around the block a time or two since high school, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to never give up when I find something worth fighting for.”

  She looped her thumbs through the belt loops of his faded designer jeans. “And you think I’m worth fighting for?”

  “I do.”

  “I’m afraid you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. I’m a terrible girlfriend. I work crazy hours, including nights and weekends. I rarely cook. Hell, even my house plants die from neglect.”

  “Hmm….” He slipped a hand into her hair, loving the way it felt gliding through his fingers. “You’re right. Maybe it would be best if we just forgot the whole thing.” Her face fell, making him smile. “What’s wrong? You don’t agree?”

  She tried to wrestle out of his arms, but he wouldn’t let her go. “You think this is funny?”

  “No, I think it’s kind of sad if you wanna know the truth.” No way would he let her sabotage what might turn out to be the best thing that had ever happened to either of them. “I get that you’re scared. You have reason to be, but that’s no excuse for checking out on life, Kris.”

  “That’s not what I’m doing.”

  He felt her whole body tensing, but he wasn’t about to back down. “Isn’t it? You hide out in your office, hide behind your work, refuse to date—”

  “Who said I refuse to date?” She glared at him.

  Apparently he’d hit a nerve, which only confirmed his suspicions. She was running scared, and he wouldn’t let her. “Okay, when was the last time you went out with someone who really intrigued you, someone you thought you could see a future with?”

  “None of your business.”

  “I rest my case.” In a perfect world, she would have said today, but he didn’t need her to affirm their connection.

  “You get off on being right, don’t you?”

  He knew it may seem that way, but he had so much more at stake than his ego. “This has nothing to do with being right or wrong. This is about convincing someone I care about to step out of her comfort zone and take a stab at real and lasting happiness.”

  “You’re getting way ahead of yourself, Hudson.” She stepped back, holding up her hand.

  “Maybe once or twice in a lifetime you meet someone you can’t get out of your head. Am I right?” Matt was prepared to lay it all on the line. That may be his one and only shot to convince her they could have something special.

  “I suppose,” she said, looking skeptical.

  “I think you might be my once in a lifetime, Kris.” He reached for her, and she let him take her hands. “I don’t say that lightly. In fact, I’ve never said it before.” They should have that conversation months from now, when they had more history behind them, but she clearly wasn’t willing to give him that kind of time.

  “How can you say that?”

  He looked into her eyes and searched for some hint that she wanted to believe him. “You have no idea how much time I spent thinking about you. I imagined what it would be like if things were different.”

  “Different how?”

  “If I was the kind of guy you dated. If I’d had the courage to ask you out, or even tell you that I liked you.” He’d rehearsed that conversation with Kristen a hundred times. In his daydream, she’d smiled sweetly and told him she liked him too, but of course, that was just a fantasy. He finally had a chance at the real deal.

  “How do you know this isn’t about your need to right some wrong?”

  “What are you talking about?” He knew he wouldn’t like where she was going.

  “I know kids who were bullied in school often bear emotional scars,” she said, running her hands over his biceps. “Maybe you just want a shot with me because it’ll help you get over what happened back then.”

  Matt couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh. “Honey, you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m happy with the ways things turned out. I wouldn’t change a thing about my life, not even those years. Overcoming those challenges made me a better man.” It may be tough for someone who hadn’t walked in his shoes to believe, but it was true. Had it not been for the bullies, he may never have found the intestinal fortitude to get back up when life tried to knock him down.

  “So wanting to date me has nothing to do with—”

  “No.” Matt didn’t need to hear it again. He knew what she was going to say. “I want to go out with you because you’re fun and sweet and sexy and I love the way I feel when I’m with you.” Matt’s buddies would rake him over the coals if they could hear him. Kristen’s opinion was the only one that mattered though. “So what do you say? Will you have dinner with me at High Rollers tomorrow night? It’ll give you a chance to check the place out. Maybe you’ll decide to take that job after all.”

  “Let me think about it.” She took his hand and led him around the front of the small stone building.

  “You’re not saying no. I’ll take it.”

  ***

  Kristen wandered around the small gallery. Matt had claimed his mother kept her favorite pieces at home, but to Kristen’s untrained eye, every piece looked more beautiful than the last.

  “Your name sounds so familiar to me,” Nancy Hudson said, falling into step behind Kristen as she moved from one piece to the next. “Are you sure we haven’t met before?”

  “I don’t think so, Mrs. Hudson,” Kristen said, smiling.

  As soon as she’d met Matt’s mother, she was struck by her warmth and friendliness. Nancy welcomed them into her “‘humble’ home away from home,” with a hug for each of them, treating Kristen as though she was a long-lost friend instead of the woman who’d intruded on her quiet night at home with her husband.

  “You recognize the name because we went to high school together,” Matt said, leaning against the antique reception desk. “I used to tutor Kris in math.”

  Kristen wrinkled her nose. “Math was never my strong suit. In fact, it still isn’t.”

  Nancy laughed and patted Kristen’s forearm. “I could say the same, my dear. It’s that right brain/left brain thing. My husband and son are the business gurus. My youngest and I are the free-spirited, creative ones.”

  Matt rolled his eyes. “That’s what Paul keeps telling people so he won’t have to get a real job. I’m still waiting to see some evidence of his creativity.”

  Nancy waved her hand dismissively. “Your brother’s still young. He’ll find his way. Look at me. I was thirty-seven before I finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up.” Nancy asked Kristen, “What do you do, dear?”

  “I’m an event planner.”

  “She’s being modest, Ma. Her company is the most sought after in town. That’s why I’m trying to talk her into planning High Rollers’ anniversary party.”

  “You know I’d love to, but with my assistant out of town—”

  “Would it help if you had an extra pair of hands to lighten your load?” Nancy asked, spreading her arms.

  Kristen gave Nancy a quick once-over, trying to decide if she was serious. With her long flowing skirt, colorful hand-painted jewelry, and chic silver bob, she looked like the quintessential artist. Kristen didn’t know if she had any experience with event planning and couldn’t ask without sounding ungrateful. She’d learned long ago an inexperienced assistant was often worse than no assistant at all.

  “Um, that’s very sweet of you to offer, Mrs. Hudson, but I—”

  “Please call me Nancy,” she said. Her bright blue eyes shone with amusement. “I know you must be asking yourself whether I’m up to the challenge.”

  “No, I—”

  “It’s okay.” Nancy laughed. “I’d feel the same way if someone walked in off the street and asked to apprentice with me.”

  “You won’t find a more capable wing woman than my mother,” Matt said, tongue in cheek. “You wouldn’t know it to look at her, but her family’s so firmly planted in high society, most of them have grown roots.”

  “Oh behave yourself.” Nancy waved a dismissive hand in Matt’s direction. “My family has a bit of a reputation in this town, but…” She ignored Matt’s cough, masking his amusement. “That doesn’t mean I’ve taken pleasure in big society events the way they all have.”

  Kristen felt as though she was being left out of the loop. She had no idea who Nancy’s family was or whether she would even recognize her maiden name. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m a bit confused.”

  “Lancaster,” Matt said. “My granddaddy was the mayor before he started Lancaster Funeral Homes.”

  “Oh my goodness,” Kristen said. Nancy’s family was known across the country. They had dozens of funeral homes, and to her knowledge, the business remained in the family still. “I had no idea.”

  Nancy wrinkled her nose. “I can’t say the business ever appealed to me.” She nodded to a colorful botanical piece on the wall. “I’d much rather celebrate life than death.”

  “I can’t say I disagree with you.” Kristin thought Matt’s mother seemed so easy-going and down to earth, in spite of her privileged upbringing.

  “At any rate, my family has always enjoyed making the society pages. They’ve diversified their interests a lot in recent years, and that means stepping out into the social scene and rubbing elbows with the rich and snooty.” She giggled like a school girl. “It’s all rather silly if you ask me, but as long as they help raise money for good causes, I guess it’s worth it.”

  Kristen had planned a lot of the events Nancy was referring to, but she didn’t take offense. She often wondered how anyone in their right mind could pay that much to attend one of her soirées.

  “I’m sure our party is nothing compared to some of the events you’ve taken on, Kristen.” Matt disarmed her with a flash of perfect white teeth. “But I’d consider it a personal favor.” He winked at her when his mother’s back was turned. “I’d owe you big time.”

  If that kiss last night was any indication of how he intended to repay his debt, Kristen would gladly clear the decks to plan his party. “You know I’d love to help you out—”

  “As would I,” Nancy said, nudging Kristen. “So can we put the poor boy out of misery and tell him we’ll do it already?”

  Nancy looked so much like a mischievous pixie that Kristen couldn’t help but laugh. She had no doubt working with Matt’s mother would be entertaining to say the least.

  “I’ll tell you what,” Matt said when Kristen failed to respond to his mother’s gentle ribbing. “As an incentive, pick any original in the store, on me.”

  Kristen gaped at him. He couldn’t be serious. From what she had seen, the smaller studies started at two thousand dollars with the larger pieces ranging between ten and fifteen thousand. “I couldn’t. I mean, my fee isn’t nearly—”

  “Of course you could.” Nancy slipped her arm through Kristen’s and led her toward a landscape she’d gushed over as soon as she walked through the door.

  The piece had a small white cottage in the distance with wildflowers meandering around a drawbridge that led to a small pond. Kristen had fallen in love with it... until she saw the price tag of twelve thousand dollars.

  “If there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s spending my son’s hard-earned money,” Nancy said, winking at Matt. “You liked this one, didn’t you?”

  “I love it, but it’s too much. I couldn’t possibly accept this as payment for my services.”

  “Who said anything about payment for your services?” Matt asked, propping one elbow on the tall desk. “I said this was an incentive to take on the project. You’ll still be paid your normal fee to plan the party.”

  “But that’s ridiculous.” Kristen feared his mother may get the impression she was trying to take advantage of Matt’s generosity. “I couldn’t possibly…” She became so flustered, she ran out of words.

  While Kristen was trying to protest, Matt inched her aside and took the piece off the wall. “Wrap it up and send me the bill, Ma,” he said, carrying the painting to a small room behind the reception desk.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Nancy asked, crossing her arms and looking as though she was in no hurry.

  Matt’s lips twitched as he stared his mother down, trying not to smile. “You’re right. Please.”

  “Better.” Nancy nodded her approval.

  “Nancy, wait.” Kristen reached for her wrist. “Please, I can’t let you do this. Matt’s not thinking clearly. Give me some time to make him see that.”

  “You’re wasting your time, hon.” Nancy grinned. “If there’s one thing I can tell you about this one, it’s that he’s as stubborn as a mule. Once he’s made up his mind about something, there’s no sense trying to change it.”

  “She’s right.” Matt appeared totally unaffected by his mother’s less-than-favorable characterization.

  “But you can’t force me to agree,” Kristen said through clenched teeth.