Read Online Matthew's Choice by Patricia Bradley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Bradley
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going to Cedar Grove. He could just see her in his mother’s tiny frame house. No amount of paint or chrome and fancy furniture would transform it into something other than the four-room, white-clapboard dump that it was. And even though it wouldn’t matter one way or the other to Jessica, he wasn’t quite ready to show her how he’d grown up. “Not this time. There’s the boy to consider, and I don’t even know if Mariah will make it.”
“Oh, Matthew.” She put her arms around him. “That’s all the more reason for me to go.”
He stilled. Jessica could be quite stubborn when she wanted to be. “Maybe next time.”
“But—”
A plaintive meow interrupted her. Matt had forgotten the kitten.
Jessica glanced toward his bedroom. “Where did you get that kitten? And what are you going to do with it?”
Good question. Jessica certainly couldn’t take it, because of her allergies, not even for the two days until the animal shelter opened. “Maybe Clint will take it.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Tell me about you and Allie. You two seem very close.”
“We grew up together, went to the same college.” His hometown wasn’t the only thing Matt wasn’t ready to tell Jessica about. “Sweetheart, I have a lot to do, and I need you to leave so I can do it. I’ll call you tonight after I see Mariah.”
She patted his cheek. “I could help you. You know, clear the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher...”
“Thanks, but you would be a distraction.”
“You mean, like this?” Jessica slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
He leaned into the kiss...until the kitten intruded again with another insistent meow. He eased his lips away from hers and he turned her to face the door. “Yes, like that.”
After he closed the door behind Jessica, Matt leaned his head against the wood. How he dreaded returning to Cedar Grove.
* * *
J UST OUTSIDE OF M EMPHIS , a black sports car with its top down passed Matt on the four-lane highway. Unthinkable for it to be warm enough to lower the top on New Year’s Day, and if it hadn’t been for the kitten he’d been forced to bring along, he’d be enjoying the fresh air.
“Thanks, Kiddo,” Matt muttered to the kitten curled up in the pet carrier he’d stopped to buy after Clint had been unable to come for it. Something about his apartment lease. Maybe Cedar Grove had a good animal shelter. At least he’d been able to reach the real estate agent who managed his mother’s house for him. The last renters had moved out before Christmas, and it hadn’t been rented yet. The agent assured Matt that linens and a few basic items would be waiting for him. He’d forgotten that aspect of a small town—the willingness to accommodate.
His cell phone chirped, and he glanced at the ID. A Cedar Grove number, but not Allie’s. That one he knew by heart after trying to reach her for the better part of two hours. He’d finally given up and left her a voice mail that he was on his way and should be there by four-thirty.
“Hello?”
“Peter Elliott here. Clint gave me your number.”
“Hello, Peter.” Matt deadpanned his voice. “If you’re calling about Mariah and her son, I’m on my way to Cedar Grove. I understand the boy has been found.”
“Yes. Noah will be returning to the shelter, and that’s where he will remain until Tuesday’s youth court hearing. I’m looking for a foster home to place him in until it can be determined that Mariah can care for him.”
Matt gripped the phone. Who did Peter think he was, making decisions for his nephew? A car whizzed past him, the horn blowing, and Matt glanced at the speedometer. Fifty miles an hour. Time to pull over and focus on one thing. “No. He’ll be staying with me. I’m his uncle,” he said as he maneuvered the car onto the shoulder of the road.
“He’s a ward of the state, Matt.”
“He can’t be. Not legally. It’s New Year’s Day, and there’s no way that
“Oh, Matthew.” She put her arms around him. “That’s all the more reason for me to go.”
He stilled. Jessica could be quite stubborn when she wanted to be. “Maybe next time.”
“But—”
A plaintive meow interrupted her. Matt had forgotten the kitten.
Jessica glanced toward his bedroom. “Where did you get that kitten? And what are you going to do with it?”
Good question. Jessica certainly couldn’t take it, because of her allergies, not even for the two days until the animal shelter opened. “Maybe Clint will take it.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Tell me about you and Allie. You two seem very close.”
“We grew up together, went to the same college.” His hometown wasn’t the only thing Matt wasn’t ready to tell Jessica about. “Sweetheart, I have a lot to do, and I need you to leave so I can do it. I’ll call you tonight after I see Mariah.”
She patted his cheek. “I could help you. You know, clear the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher...”
“Thanks, but you would be a distraction.”
“You mean, like this?” Jessica slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
He leaned into the kiss...until the kitten intruded again with another insistent meow. He eased his lips away from hers and he turned her to face the door. “Yes, like that.”
After he closed the door behind Jessica, Matt leaned his head against the wood. How he dreaded returning to Cedar Grove.
* * *
J UST OUTSIDE OF M EMPHIS , a black sports car with its top down passed Matt on the four-lane highway. Unthinkable for it to be warm enough to lower the top on New Year’s Day, and if it hadn’t been for the kitten he’d been forced to bring along, he’d be enjoying the fresh air.
“Thanks, Kiddo,” Matt muttered to the kitten curled up in the pet carrier he’d stopped to buy after Clint had been unable to come for it. Something about his apartment lease. Maybe Cedar Grove had a good animal shelter. At least he’d been able to reach the real estate agent who managed his mother’s house for him. The last renters had moved out before Christmas, and it hadn’t been rented yet. The agent assured Matt that linens and a few basic items would be waiting for him. He’d forgotten that aspect of a small town—the willingness to accommodate.
His cell phone chirped, and he glanced at the ID. A Cedar Grove number, but not Allie’s. That one he knew by heart after trying to reach her for the better part of two hours. He’d finally given up and left her a voice mail that he was on his way and should be there by four-thirty.
“Hello?”
“Peter Elliott here. Clint gave me your number.”
“Hello, Peter.” Matt deadpanned his voice. “If you’re calling about Mariah and her son, I’m on my way to Cedar Grove. I understand the boy has been found.”
“Yes. Noah will be returning to the shelter, and that’s where he will remain until Tuesday’s youth court hearing. I’m looking for a foster home to place him in until it can be determined that Mariah can care for him.”
Matt gripped the phone. Who did Peter think he was, making decisions for his nephew? A car whizzed past him, the horn blowing, and Matt glanced at the speedometer. Fifty miles an hour. Time to pull over and focus on one thing. “No. He’ll be staying with me. I’m his uncle,” he said as he maneuvered the car onto the shoulder of the road.
“He’s a ward of the state, Matt.”
“He can’t be. Not legally. It’s New Year’s Day, and there’s no way that
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