“Oh. Well, I’m not sure.” God, this wasn’t what he wanted to be thinking about right now. He was already questioning himself over the way he’d handled this case. Thinking about the future seemed way too risky at this point. Especially with everything with Mattie so up in the air. Once this job was over, would she be done with him too? Did it even make sense for them to try to make it work as a couple when he’d be spending his days, and possibly nights, protecting other people? Worse, were they even a couple to begin with or was he worrying about nothing?

  God. This was exactly why he tried to keep his emotions out of it. But Mattie had found a way into his heart anyway, with her smiles and her kindness and her sunshine. Her and Liza both. He cared about them deeply. Way more than he’d ever expected or planned on. But given how they’d barely spoken in two days and how busy they both were, plus the uncertainty of their future, did his caring matter enough to keep them together after all this was over?

  “You still there?” Hope asked.

  “Sorry. Yes.” Greg raked a hand through his hair and stared out the window beside him at the blackened wreckage of the gazebo. “Let me think about it. I’ll let you know next week.”

  12

  “You be good for June until I get back, okay?” Mattie said, grabbing her bag from her desk drawer before hurrying out the door. “I won’t be long.”

  “Take your time,” June called after her as Mattie rushed down the hall to the front entrance. “We’ll be fine.”

  Mattie rushed out into the late afternoon chill and headed for her car. Liza had forgotten a book she needed for her homework at school, so Mattie was rushing over there to get it for her before the teacher left. Honestly, considering the wreck of a day she’d had, she shouldn’t have been surprised by another emergency crisis that needed solving right away.

  Between the looming one-month deadline from Mr. Taylor and her self-imposed estrangement from Greg, everything had been off. From the coffee pot not working that morning to the volunteers showing up late, to the tours being off schedule. It was all wonky. Including her heart.

  Thankfully, when she’d called the school, Liza’s teacher had answered and agreed to wait for Mattie to get there to retrieve the book. The last thing she needed was her daughter’s education getting thrown off course too.

  What she should’ve been focusing on was solving the hauntings, but instead her mind kept returning to this thing with Greg. She’d thought putting some distance between them was the right choice after that call with Mr. Taylor, but then she’d spent all her time hoping Greg would reach out to her and tell her everything would be okay. He hadn’t though. Which was okay. He’d retreated into professional mode too. Even suggested they work separately. She should be happy.

  Except she wasn’t. Not happy. At all.

  She stopped for a light and fiddled with the radio, blinking hard to push the tears away.

  I will not cry about this. It’s stupid. It was my choice. I will not cry.

  Yes, fine. The sex was good. Great. Wonderful, even. But that didn’t translate to some grand romance that she didn’t want in the first place. She was all about living in the moment these days. She liked her freedom. She did.

  So why then did it suck so much that they hadn’t said more than a few words to each other the past two days? Why did it hurt that he hid himself now behind his professional façade? That’s what she’d wanted, right? For them to forget about their feelings and focus on the case. That should be her top priority, not the ache in her heart over Greg.

  Mattie was still stewing over it when she pulled into the parking lot of Liza’s school a few minutes later. There were a few parents lingering on the playground in the corner, talking and laughing. She cut the engine, then sat there a moment, just watching them. Dammit. Fine. It hurt, having Greg pull back from her, regardless of what she’d said to him.

  It hurt because she wanted more from him.

  Not a relationship, necessarily, because he’d already told her he wasn’t in the right place for that, but maybe they could at least start with a “friends with benefits” situation and see where it led them. It would be so wonderful to have someone to be there for her when she needed the support because frankly, she was so damned tired of doing it all alone. In fact, what she really wanted more than anything was a partner. A support system. And sure, great sex thrown in once in a while and cuddling afterward was nice too.

  She sighed and leaned forward, resting her forehead against the steering wheel and closing her eyes. She wanted someone to just be there, a regular part of her life, providing a regular, daily dose of ease and kindness.

  Spending time with Greg had made her think that maybe he could be that person. Part of her was still stunned how great it had been having him there in her life these past few weeks. Great and good and…right somehow.

  That last one scared her most of all.

  So, nope. Not going there. Not. At. All.

  With a firm click, Mattie undid her seatbelt and got out of the car fast, like her butt was on fire, fleeing all those scary thoughts about life and love and the future as she hightailed it into the school instead, traversing the maze of hallways until she found Liza’s classroom.

  At the door, she knocked on the metal frame and Liza’s teacher, Ms. Clapp—a woman about Mattie’s age with long brown hair and pretty brown eyes—looked up from the desk. “Uh, hi, Ms. Clapp. Sorry. Mattie Salisbury—we met at the parent-teacher conference? I’m here to pick up Liza’s book.”

  “Right.” Ms. Clapp got up and waved Mattie into the classroom, her smile bright as she held out her hand. “But it’s after three o’clock, so I’m not Ms. Clapp anymore. Please, call me Alexandra.”

  “Right, of course,” Mattie said, shaking the woman’s hand. Then she looked around the classroom, all the bright colors and kid’s drawings on the walls. Oh, to be in kindergarten again, when life was simple. “Um, remind me where Liza’s desk is?”

  “Over here.” She led Mattie to a row of brightly colored bins against the back wall. “Each of the kids has a cubby where they keep their things. Makes it easier that way, keeping everything separate.”

  Keeping everything separate.

  If only she and Greg had done that, Mattie wouldn’t be standing here now feeling like her heart had been ripped out and stomped on even though she’d been the one to agree to keep their distance and…

  Oh God. I’m such a mess.

  Unwanted tears prickled her eyes again and she blinked them away, forcing a smile she didn’t feel.

  Apparently, it wasn’t enough to fool the teacher though because her bright smile dimmed to concern. “I’m sorry, Mattie. But is everything okay?”

  Mattie tried to keep her smile in place and say she was fine, really, she was, but before she could stop it, her composure crumbled and she found herself collapsing into a too-small chair at one of the tables, crying like the idiot she was while poor Alexandra did her best to console her.

  Luckily, being a kindergarten teacher probably prepared one for unexpected tears better than most.

  “Here,” Alexandra said, sliding a box of tissues in front of Mattie. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” Mattie sobbed, sniffling and blowing her nose. “I’m really not. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to do this here, but I can’t seem to stop.”

  “Well then, you best tell me all about it,” the teacher said.

  Hesitating, Mattie wiped her damp cheeks, then hazarded a glance at the woman now seated beside her. To an outside observer, they probably looked ridiculous, sitting in those little chairs, but somehow, in the quiet space of this classroom, Mattie felt safe to talk, even though she shouldn’t. She gave a sad little chuckle through her tears. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my problems.”

  Alexandra snorted. “Believe it or not, given that most of my conversations these days involve fights about someone touching someone else or eating glue, I’d actually love to hear about adult problems for a change.”

  Mattie had to laugh at that. “Yeah, I could see that.”

  “I’ve only been in town a few months, since taking this job, and haven’t had a chance to really meet many people or make friends,” Alexandra explained. “Westminster is pretty small and most of the adults either have kids in my school or know someone who does, so if I excluded parents from my friends list, I’d have no one left.”

  “Well, I guess that’s true too.” Mattie pulled another tissue from the box and twisted it between her fingers. Honestly, she missed having a girlfriend to talk to as well. And Alexandra seemed nice enough. They seemed to be close in age too, so…why not? Before she knew what she was doing, Mattie had told her all about the museum and the hauntings and her call with Mr. Taylor and the deadline he’d given her to deal with it all. Even what happened with Greg. By the time she stopped for a breath, Mattie felt guilt about dumping all over the woman. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to blurt it all out like that.”

  “No, no. It’s fine. I’m glad you opened up to me.” Alexandra smiled again, warm and genuine. “From what you’ve told me, I’d say that maybe you need to take some time away from the museum and away from Greg. Give yourself a break so you can come back at the problems with fresh eyes. I mean, not a long time, since you have this deadline and all, but you can afford to take a night off, right?”

  “Maybe.” Mattie sat back, the tiny chair creaking beneath her. Carter had been bugging her lately to host a game night at the carriage house. Perhaps she should take him up on it. Maybe invite Alexandra too, since she was new in town and needed to meet people. “Would you want to come over tomorrow night? I’ll have another friend of mine there. We’ll play board games and drink wine and just be silly. I mean you don’t have to—”

  “I’d love to come!” Alexandra said, clapping her hands excitedly. “Just tell me where and when and if there’s anything I can bring.”

  “Seven p.m. Carriage house behind the museum. Just bring yourself,” Mattie said, standing to grab Liza’s book from the cubby with her name on the front. Surprisingly, she felt better already. “Can’t wait to see you there.”

  13

  The longer the day went on, the more frustrated Greg felt. He’d spent his time investigating leads Hope had given him that went nowhere, and he couldn’t get his mind off the fact that things were still strained between him and Mattie.

  Finally, he decided that enough was enough. It was well past five now, so the museum was closed. He changed his shirt, freshened up in the bathroom, then went downstairs to see if he could find Mattie. She wasn’t hanging around the museum tonight, like she sometimes did, so she was probably home with Liza.

  As he walked outside, he remembered the last time he’d been over there, which led to him remembering their night together—which was not helpful at all. Inhaling deep of the crisp night air, he shook off those heated memories and instead focused on the time before that, when they’d made dinner together.

  A check of his watch showed it was a bit after seven. Maybe Mattie was making dinner now. Maybe he could help again. That idea seemed to bolster his spirits. He liked cooking. It helped center him. He cut across the yard between the museum and the carriage house, neatly avoiding the wreckage of the gazebo, and stepped up on her porch, using the elaborate lion’s head knocker to bang on the door.

  Even if she wasn’t cooking, they needed to clear the air. He missed the ease between them, the camaraderie. And dammit, if he was honest with himself, he missed Mattie too. So much so that it was interfering with his ability to decide about the security job Hope had offered him. How could he think about that when his attention kept straying to Mattie?

  The woman in question answered the door a few seconds later, her sunny smile faltering as she registered it was him. She glanced behind her toward the living room and closed the door slightly, blocking his entry. “What are you doing here?”

  Greg resisted the urge to bounce slightly on the balls of his feet to reduce some of the nervous energy pinballing around inside him, and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets instead. “I, uh, thought we could talk. About the leads I’ve been working. And stuff.”

  Those last two words hung heavy in the air, and Greg wanted to kick himself. Jesus. Be a man and just say it. Except when he opened his mouth again, the sound of talking and laughter from behind Mattie drifted out. His stomach dropped. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had people over.”

  Was it friends? A date? Had she moved on and replaced him already?

  “Is something wrong at the museum?”

  “No. No. I just wanted to talk. Clear the air.” Because I miss you.

  Mattie stared at him a moment, then stepped back, bowing her head slightly. “I invited some people over for game night. Come in. Why don’t you join us?”

  Game night? Greg had never had much time for games growing up, what with sports and parties and work and all. When he was a SEAL, he and his teammates would play poker for money during their down times, but he doubted that was the kind of thing Mattie was into. He took a step back off the porch, feeling even more unwanted and idiotic than he already did. “Oh. Sorry. I don’t want to bother you—”

  Mattie gave him a look and shook her head. “No bother at all. Don’t be silly.”

  She stepped out and grabbed his arm and tugged him inside. “Seriously. It’s just Carter and Alexandra, Liza’s teacher. We’re playing Trivial Pursuit.” She waited while he shrugged off his jacket, then hung it on a hook on the wall before leading him into the living room. “Now that we have an even number, we can play teams. It’ll be fun.”

  “Uh…” The only trivia he knew was about military stuff, and a few odd rock band facts. He doubted he’d be much help, especially among Mattie and her friends. They’d studied history and literature and all the things cultured people were supposed to know. He’d never spent much time on any of those things. He’d blasted through college in three years, taking no extraneous classes, focusing mostly on his NROTC training. He’d expected to be a Navy lifer. He hadn’t paid much attention to anything beyond that, until now. Mattie tugged him into the living room where Carter and another woman he assumed was Liza’s teacher sat. They looked comfortable and well-dressed, like a living breathing Ralph Lauren ad and Greg suddenly felt totally out of place in his old jeans and faded blue T-shirt. Even Mattie still had on her work clothes. Yeah, this was a mistake. Still, he could hardly scurry back to his room without making more of an ass out of himself, so he forced his feet to stay put and plastered on a polite smile as he raised a hand. “Hey.”

  “Carter, you’ve met Greg before. He’s the security expert for the museum.”

  Carter gave him a friendly nod. “Hey. Good to see you again.”

  “And Greg, this is Alexandra Clapp. She’s Liza’s kindergarten teacher and is new in Westminster.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Alexandra said. “Being a security expert sounds interesting. I bet you see all sorts of action in your job, huh?”

  “You have no idea,” he said, taking a seat on the couch and trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. “I’m, um, sorry to interrupt your game.”

  Carter scoffed. “Please, interrupt away. I was getting my ass kicked by these two ladies, so I’m glad you’re here. We need more testosterone in the room.”

  Mattie laughed. “Whatever. Greg, can I get you something to drink?”

  “Uh, water’s fine. Thanks.”

  He watched her walk away to the kitchen, a bit stunned by how she was able to act like he was just another guy off the street and they hadn’t spent the night together. Every time he closed his eyes, he could still see her, skin glowing in the lamplight, lips pink and parted from his kisses, eyes dazed with passion. And, oh God….

  Abort. Abort.

  Flustered, he looked back across the coffee table where Alexandra was watching him expectantly. Shit. She’d obviously asked him something and he had no idea what. Heat crept up from beneath the collar of his shirt. “Sorry?”

  “I asked how you got into the security business,” she said. She was cute. Long brown hair, big brown eyes. Tall and willowy. Back in the day, he might’ve asked her out. Except now, all he could think about was the short bombshell in the kitchen with the killer curves and stubborn attitude.

  Still, he didn’t want to be rude, so he clasped his hands between his open knees and told her. “I was a SEAL before this. Left after an injury. A buddy of mine—also a former SEAL—started up a security agency and thought I’d be a good fit. And here I am.”

  “Fascinating,” Carter said, taking a swig of his beer. Greg couldn’t really tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but then he didn’t really care. There was something about that guy he didn’t like. Of course, it could be that Carter was a good friend and confidant of Mattie’s and he was just jealous. It was a new feeling for Greg, since he wasn’t the jealous type, but then everything with Mattie so far had seemed like alien territory, so… “So, what are your specialties?”

  “Pardon?” Greg frowned.

  “Trivia-wise,” Carter said, pointing toward the board on the table. “Where’s your expertise? With your background, I’d say history is probably a good category for you, especially military. Maybe sports too.”

  “Oh, I’m not really good at games like this,” he said, accepting the glass of water from Mattie, who’d returned from the kitchen and now took a seat on the couch beside him. “I shouldn’t play.”

  “Come on,” Mattie said, nudging him with her shoulder. “Give it a shot. It’s just for fun anyway. We all suck, to be honest.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Carter said with mock affront. “I’m very talented in the Arts and Entertainment section.”

  “Yeah, right.” Mattie tossed a balled-up napkin at him, which Carter dodged. “You thought GRINDR was a cooking utensil.”