Matthew's Choice. Patricia Bradley
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hospital? He’d been there, his mom had taken him to the emergency room when he cut his hand. Noah bit his lip. Maybe he could ask someone. He looked around—a patrol car idled in the convenience store parking lot across the street. Swallowing hard, he took a second peek. Empty. The cop must be in the store. Noah ran against the light and kept going until he reached the next corner. Another convenience store. Maybe someone inside would tell him how to get to the hospital.
* * *
ALLIE STARED AT the cell number Peter had given her last night. He’d said to call her if she changed her mind about having breakfast with him this morning. She dialed before second thoughts set in. He answered with his last name, sounding very businesslike.
“Uh, it’s me, Allie. You said to—”
“Allie! Oh, good, you’ve changed your mind. Great. I’m staying at the Winthrop, and they serve an excellent brunch until one this afternoon. Would you like me to pick you up at Clint’s?”
“No, I’ll drive.” She’d leave for Cedar Grove from the hotel. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Allie disconnected. She hadn’t been able to forget the call Peter had received last night. In a town the size of Cedar Grove, she had to know the nine-year-old—more than likely he was one of her students. And after a restless night, she was pretty sure which one.
She arrived at the top floor of the Winthrop where the dining room overflowed into the mezzanine. She spotted Peter over by a window and hesitated. This was not a good idea. What would they talk about? Last night, conversation revolved around dancing and lots of other people. Talking with children one-on-one—piece of cake. Not so much with a man as good-looking as Peter—being the introvert she was, she never felt she was interesting enough to hold an attractive man’s attention. With her heart pounding, she took a step back, looking for an escape, but Peter spied her and waved her over. Allie smoothed the winter-white slacks she’d chosen and fastened a smile on her lips.
She accepted the chair Peter pulled out for her. From the window, she glimpsed a view of the Mississippi River as it rolled south. “I’ve never eaten here before.”
A pleased smile spread across his face. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.
“Good.” He lifted his eyebrows. “Maybe there will be more ‘firsts’ in the future. And I’ve ordered for us.”
“You’ve ordered for me?” She struggled to keep from giving him her detention glare.
“They were so busy, and I knew you wanted to leave for Cedar Grove as soon as you could.”
He made sense, but still...
“Your first course, sir.” The waiter placed identical bowls of tropical fruit before them.
As soon as they finished the fruit, the waiter produced their main course. How much money had Peter given him to hover? She stared at her plate.
“It’s a spanakopita omelet,” Peter said. “I had the chef make it especially for you.”
A Greek omelet. She took a hesitant bite, and as the contrasting flavors of spinach and feta cheese hit her taste buds, she smiled. “Very delicious.”
“I didn’t think you’d order one yourself, so I took the liberty.”
She frowned. How well did he think he knew her? He might have a surprise or two. She eyed Peter’s Belgian waffle and sausage. How in the world did he stay so trim? “Either you don’t eat like this every day or you are a workout nut.”
He laughed, his rich baritone warm to her ears. “Yes and no.”
She glanced up, seeking clarification, and he chuckled again.
“Yes, I don’t eat like this every day, and no, I don’t exercise. At least not too strenuously or every day.”
Some people got all the luck. Today Peter wore a black mock turtleneck that hugged his abs and he didn’t show an ounce of fat.
He leaned toward Allie. “It’s evident you work out.”
“Thank you.” At least Peter had noticed her weight loss since college. The approval in his eyes was the payoff for her hours in the gym, and she took a moment to enjoy the compliment.
“I understand you’re not seeing anyone right now.”
Allie almost choked on her omelet. She patted her lips with the napkin. “I don’t have time.”
“I’ve heard that, too. I don’t even know how you have time for the gym.” Peter used his fingers to count. “Teacher, counselor and Sarah told me you mentor some of the children who come into the shelter. And now you’ve added foster parenting to the mix?”
Peter had been doing his homework on her. “I like working with kids—it’s probably in my genes. Just like with Clint. Watching Mom and Dad take in foster kids influenced both of us. He works with kids at the Boys and Girls Club, and I do what I do. But, because I am busy, I’ve asked to be considered only for school-age children.”
She paused as the waiter appeared at their table and whisked the empty plates away. “But that’s enough talk about me,” Allie said after he left. “How did you get into social work?”
Peter shrugged. “Dad wanted me to become a psychiatrist, and I wanted to be a musician.” A wry grin spread across his lips. “We compromised.”
She laughed. “And neither of you won.”
“I don’t know. It brought me back to Cedar Grove and you.”
His pale blue eyes darkened, and she looked away.
“Actually, I never considered being a musician. I think that was just to irritate Dad. I did get a bachelor’s in psychology then knocked around for a while.”
“So, how did you get to be director of social services in Cedar Grove?”
He leaned back and folded his arms. “That is all your fault.”
“My fault?”
“Yeah, all that time I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, something you said at graduation kept bouncing around in my head.”
She cocked her head. “And that was?”
“You paraphrased John Kennedy, who paraphrased an old school master. ‘Don’t ask what our country can do for us—’”
“Ask what we can do for her.” Allie grinned as she finished the sentence. “I was young and idealistic.”
“You’re still idealistic. I’ve wanted to tell you for some time that the impact of your words prompted me to apply for a job with the Department of Human Services in Washington, and it didn’t take long to figure out I needed a master’s in social work.”
“Why did you come back to Cedar Grove?”
He took her hand and caressed her fingers. “Because of you.”
Her face burning, she withdrew her hand. “Why are you suddenly interested in me?”
“It’s not sudden. I’ve always been interested, but in high school and during college, you only had eyes for Matt. When I returned to Cedar Grove last year, friends told me not to waste my time. You were married to your job and your volunteer projects. I invented excuses to be at the shelter when I knew you would be there, but every time we met, you pulled into your shell and hung out the Do Not Disturb sign. That’s why I resorted to practically begging your brother to invite me last night.”
“Why didn’t you just flat-out ask?”
Peter flashed a wicked grin. “Let’s see if that will work.” He cleared his throat and leaned toward her. “Miss Carson, I enjoyed dancing with you last night. There’s a nice supper club in Cedar Grove. So what do you say? Dinner and dancing Friday night?”
Why