Jennifer Probst - Searching for Someday

His casual tone contradicted his unease. Put himself in the hands of Kate and her female crew? Meet a bunch of women he didn’t know in the pursuit of some type of affair that wouldn’t work out anyway?

Yes. He’d do it for Jane. To keep an eye on her and Kinnections.

Silence hummed over the line. “Are you kidding me? Why would you sign up with a matchmaking agency? You don’t want to settle down!”

“Maybe I do. Maybe I’m looking for a companion to share my life with. If this place is as good as they say, I’ll find someone, too. Hey, we can double date.”

A strangled laugh echoed. “You are so screwed-up. I can’t believe you’d really go through with this. The screening is intense. Are you getting a makeover?”

Hell no.

“We’ll see. Did you get your first date yet?” he asked.

“Soon. Kennedy is taking me to the salon this weekend to freshen up my appearance. Then she gave me some guys to peruse online to get an idea of my taste.”

The meat market atmosphere gave him the chills. Did people really do this shit just to get a date? For God’s sake, why? “Hey, I’d appreciate it if you kept me in the loop. I’m a bit nervous about the whole thing. It’ll help to know what you’re going through, too.”

Suspicion laced Jane’s voice. “Kate will take good care of you.”

An image of Kate on her knees unzipping his pants flashed before him. Sweat prickled his skin. What was wrong with him? “Maybe.”

“When’s your first date?”

“I’m getting a mixer next Friday night.” He drained the beer dry. “Why don’t you come?”

“What? Are you crazy? It’s the first time you’re meeting these women.”

“Who cares? You can find out how Kinnections works, and I can get your opinion. Besides, I never see you anymore, and they’re setting it up in Verily. It’s out of my element. I’ve never seen so many weird pottery shops in my life. How many pots can one person own?”

She gave the familiar snort she had since childhood. “Nothing’s out of your element, Slade. That’s your problem.”

“So, you’ll come?”

“Sorry, I can’t. I’m buried deep in research for my new article and won’t surface for a week.”

“Lunch this weekend, then? I’ll give you the rundown on my experience.”

“Sure. I’ll take you to Mugs, they have great burgers.”

“Fine. I’ll see you at one on Saturday.”

They exchanged good-byes and he terminated the call.

He was in perfect position now. Jane wouldn’t be suspicious, and he’d be able to watch her and monitor the company.

He hit the remote on the chair and eased back another inch, trying to concentrate on Milton’s speech regarding the moving of his desk, squirrels, and his precious red stapler. What made a woman decide to start a matchmaking business on her own? Was she just a savvy businesswoman looking to make a buck on a good sale? Or did it run much deeper? Her probing questions stirred a nest of emotions he had no interest in exploring.

The knowledge of love wasn’t enough, would never be enough. There was pleasure, and enjoying the moment, and respect. Sometimes there was even friendship.

But not love. At least not long-term.

He thought about Kate and her own personal confession. The words rang in his mind like a mantra.

No man has ever wanted me enough to propose.

Her raw honesty touched something deep inside him. A part that ached to soothe the hurt and prove her wrong.

Yeah, a matchmaker and a divorce lawyer. That’s got success written all over it.

His lips twisted into a smile. Probably the universe punishing him for his sudden craving to seduce her. Hell, he knew why he’d gotten into his career. To help guide the heartbreak and messiness of America’s favorite pastime: screwing the ones they loved. He helped a few people and made a ton of money. Sure, he wasn’t respected, and when he told people his career, they looked as if they’d gotten a piece of gum stuck on their sole. But who cared? No way was he messing up everything by chasing after a love do-gooder.

He was happy.

Life was perfect.

“ROBERT, I’M HOME!”

The scramble of feet on the ground filled her with a quiet joy. Her roommate, companion, and best friend appeared around the corner and headed straight for her.

Kate dropped to her knees and waited. His nonworking back legs didn’t slow him down a bit as he scooted over the floor and stopped right before her. She touched her forehead to his smooth fur. The gentle lick to her face was the only sign of deep affection her dignified dog allowed himself to express. She petted his back and checked his bladder. Almost full. Another hour and the poor thing would’ve had a problem. “Sorry, baby, I was late. Stayed to eat with the girls. Let’s go.”

Kate reached for the scooter beside the door and hooked it up with an expert ease that made her proud of how far they’d come. Together. She ignored the leash and led him outside to the perfect patch of grass meant for him. The whip of the frosty air caused her to shiver, but Robert twitched his nose, took a deep doggy breath, and ran.

She laughed at his outright joy and freedom, the wheels of the cart spinning rapidly as he raced over the lawn to his favorite tree, and began to do laps round and round the gnarled trunk. A deep sense of peace settled over her. Her bungalow-type home might be small, and her yard less than half an acre, but she’d managed to create a home and a family she loved on her own terms.

Robert did his business with perfect restraint, hiding in his own private alcove. When she’d first met him, he’d been run over by a car and lifeless. She found him at the side of the road, a mangle of dead limbs and a hollow look in his eyes. Kate rushed him to the vet and was immediately advised to put him to sleep. No shelter would take him. No owner would want him. He was a pit bull—the worst dog for adoption. Surgery was possible but expensive. Better to let him go in a cold world that had no time for imperfect humans, let alone dogs.

She agreed and went in to say good-bye, to at least allow him to slip to the other side with a friend beside him. He must have been in wretched pain, but when Kate laid her hand on top of his head, he swiveled to look at her.

Brown eyes so full of regret. Maybe for the life he had. Maybe for the life he always dreamed of but didn’t get. Human eyes, wise, accepting, and yet still full of kindness, though she knew his owner decided he was worthless and disposable.

I’m better than this fate. I’m worth something more.

The voice expressed from his eyes hit her hard. Kate knew in that moment he was her dog. Meant for her. A low hum of energy tingled her palm, as if she had met part of herself. And she turned to the vet and gave the order. “Save him. I don’t care how much it costs or how you do it. I love him.”

The vet’s startled gaze changed to compassion and a determination to win. “Then I will.”

It was a turning point for them both. Even though they were both damaged, they were worth loving. How many times had Kate cried herself to sleep, thinking of herself as a freak no one could love because she couldn’t speak like everyone else? The torturous years in school, ashamed to read aloud, to say hello, to be teased mercilessly on the playground and bullied nonstop. But she’d risen above it all and made a success from her life. Just like Robert. The rest of the world could go to hell.

It took weeks for the healing, a ton of medical bills she guessed the vet helped her out with, and a wonderful charity that donated the scooter so Robert, now paraplegic, could learn to walk again without using his back legs. Kate learned to empty his full bladder when needed. She took him to physical therapy, learned new skills of how he could lead a full life, and hired someone to come in a few hours per day when she was at work.