Another Stab at Life Read online

  12 – A Matchmaker Gone Awry

  “What?” I almost let go of his hand from the shock.

  Did I hear him right? I thought he was supposed to be struggling for his life.

  “A date. I’m asking if you’ll go out with me.” “Right this minute? This is crazy.” I still clung to his very warm hand and arm.

  “I want an answer,” Max said.

  “I thought you said you were going to be like a brother to me.”

  “I don’t need another sister. I have plenty. I don’t see you that way, Bailey.”

  “Then my answer is yes.” I yanked on his hand and arm with renewed gusto.

  Max got enough leverage to brace his arm on the floor and then lift himself up out of the hole. Boards he’d just used to hoist himself up on fell, making a crashing echo. He glanced downward and moved away from the opening. “I was about to drop, waiting for your yes,” he said grinning.

  How can he joke at a time like this?

  Max dusted off his shorts and shirt, but the effort was useless. He had become the color of dirt. “Guess it’s a good thing I do all those pushups.”

  I was so relieved he’d come out alive I wanted to hug him. But something held me back. “You really scared me. I’m so sorry about the floor. Are you all right?”

  Max nodded as he focused on my lips.

  His hair appeared all ruffled and dusty, but he looked very well indeed. I looked up at him and felt a flush take over my body. His soft brown eyes looked intense. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.” My mouth was about to betray me. “Okay, if I’m not a sister-type to you, then how do you see me?”

  Yeah. I saw it for sure. That smoldering thing men do right before they kiss a woman. My face must have given him the thumbs-up, because Max instantly made the distance between us disappear. He scooped me into an embrace.

  I threw my arms around his neck and finished reeling him down to my mouth. I shocked myself, not even caring if I, too, became the color of dirt. What fired up between us had no brotherly-sisterly feel to it. It was as if someone had thrown gasoline on a pilot light. As we moved to more serious ground, a warning bell went off in my head. If we kept up this pace, we’d be toast.

  I pulled back. Good grief, Bailey, for somebody who’s afraid to open her heart, you sure have no problem opening your arms!

  Max took in a deep breath, obviously trying to calm his breathing. “You kind of surprised me.”

  I moistened my lips. “I surprised myself. Believe me. Sorry. I think I embarrassed myself, too. We haven’t even been on a date yet.” Boy. None of my dates back home had ever made me feel that way. Was I making up for lost time, or was there something else going on? Something that fixed the short circuit to my heart. I had already known the latter rang true. I just didn’t know what I should do about it.

  “Well, if we count all those times I came over to work on your house as a date, this is our fourteenth.”

  “You thought of those workdays over here. . .as dates?” I asked.

  Max took me into his arms again. “Yes and no. I wanted to help you. I enjoyed being with you. And I’ve wanted to kiss you since the night you moved in.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. But I think you would have kicked me out.” “Yes, I would have.” I loosened myself from his cozy embrace.

  Max looked me over. “I think I got you kind of grimy.”

  “Well, it’s my floor you fell through, so I feel I’m the one who got you dirty.”

  Max frowned and cupped my cheek as if it were delicate crystal. “I think I scratched you with my whiskers. Your face looks a little pink.”

  “I’m blushing.” I grinned, still self-conscious. “So, I guess we’re going out.”

  “Yes, we are,” Max said. “Hopefully by then I’ll have recovered from that kiss.”

  “So was it worth falling through the floor?” I glanced away from his gaze.

  “Definitely. While I was down there, I realized I didn’t want to see my Maker before asking you out. Or before kissing you.”

  “Well, I’m glad my dangerous floors are good for something.”

  “By the way, I think you’d better add this hole to your repair list,” Max said in a paternal tone.

  I looked directly at him and saluted. “Yes, sir.” Max caught my fingers in his hand. The moment heated up again. Warm. Sweet. Inviting.

  We reached for each other, and then we both stop- ped before melting again. Max said, “We have some- thing. . .good going on here. Like a gift. I don’t want to spoil it. I think I could. I’m very attracted to you. But there’s more here. And I want us to have time to explore. . .what it is.” As soft as a petal brushing against my skin, Max kissed my hand. I closed my eyes to absorb the sweet pleasure of the gesture.

  When he finished, I opened my eyes.

  Max smiled and let go of my hand. “How about dinner tomorrow night?”

  “Yes. Oh no. I’ve got a date. I’m sorry, Max.”

  “With whom? If you don’t mind my asking?” “Someone Dedra set me up with. Another blind date, I’m afraid.” Wow. That disclosure certainly spoiled the moment. “Some guy named Rupert Rutledge. Is Rupert a real name?” I said to diffuse the damage.

  “That guy? I know him. We all go to the same church. Faith Community.”

  “That’s the church I started going to recently.” “Really?” Max said. “I haven’t seen you.”

  “It’s a very big church.”

  Max sat down on a bench and looked up at me. “Rupert’s okay, I guess. Stinking rich with an emphasis on stinking. Some women in our singles’ group would kill to go out with him.”

  “Then what’s he doing going out with me on a blind date?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s having a slow week.” Max grinned.

  I wanted to push him back into the hole. “What a thing to say.”

  “I’m teasing,” Max said. “Okay. He’s not a bad guy. It’s just. . .well. . .I think it’s obvious now why I’d rather it be me and not Rupert.” He pointed a finger in the air. “Oh, and just for your safety, I think you’d better take your umbrella with you on your date with Rupert.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s quite a spitter when he gets to talking.”

  I laughed and sat down across from Max. Just as

  I was about to keep the banter going, I saw a flash of light from the Lukins’s upper window again. Just like the night when I’d arrived. And I could see the faintest shadow of a figure running across my backyard. How odd. Then the ghostlike figure, no more than the size of a boy, disappeared beyond the fence. I held my expression steady, not wanting concern to flicker across my face. No sense in ruining the evening with speculation.

  But could Max have been right? A gang of boys wanted their clubhouse back, which just happened to be my home? Tonight. Alone. I was determined to find out. I decided not to invite Max along even though I knew he’d want to be included in my investigations. While he was obviously not the criminal of my first wild imaginings, I still held back. Why? I wasn’t totally sure. Oh, dear, what is Max saying? I decided to drop in where we’d left off. “Well, you could always ask me out for another time.”

  “I will,” Max said. “How about Sunday lunch after church?”

  I dropped my gaze. “I’m sorry, Max. Dedra’s been at it again.”

  “You have three blind dates in a row?”

  “I don’t usually do this blind-date thing. But Dedra thought she was helping me. Actually, I set it up this way just to get them over with. I don’t really want to go. But I made a promise.” I tried looking defenseless, but I don’t think he was convinced.

  “Dedra is a great gal, but don’t let her do this to you. She’s a bit of a matchmaker gone awry.”

  “And what if she decided to set me up with you?’ I asked.

  “Then I would say she had excellent taste, and I would highly recommend her suggestion.”

  I laughed, wishing I didn’t have any bli
nd dates. But Max suddenly looked quite serious. “Is something wrong?”

  “You know, Dedra is a caring and generous person.” “Yes, she is.” I wondered what was on Max’s mind. “Because you are a friend of hers now, I want you to know she’s had some struggles. Several years ago, she voluntarily entered a psychiatric ward at one of the hospitals here. While she was getting treatment for bipolar disorder, she later told me she’d struck one of the doctors. It frightened her, and since she has no family, she’s asked some of the neighbors to watch out for her. She has some difficulty when she’s off her pills.”

  “I’m so sorry Dedra has suffered like that. I can’t imagine.” Max seemed to study my expression.

  “I’m telling you this, so as a new friend to her, you can help us watch for the signs. . .that she’s not taking her medication.”

  “What are the signs?” I asked, still trying to let the news sink in. Dedra appeared so “together” all the time—except for those rather peculiar moments when I’d first arrived at our slumber party.

  “She can get super keyed up or so down she can barely function. I think lately she’s been faithful about her medicine. The incident in the hospital really scared her.”

  “I will. . .watch out for her, too.” After a long pause, I touched Max’s arm. He’d obviously been a good friend to Dedra.

  Max fell silent for a moment and then squeezed my hand. “So, what guy did you get stuck with for lunch on Sunday?”

  “Lee Yorker,” I said like someone who’d been chewing on a lemon.

  Max groaned.

  “So is Lee a really loaded spitter, too?” I asked. Max tugged on my sleeve while he stared at me.

  “No. He has his own unique failings.”

  I laughed. “You know, I accepted the dates because I didn’t really know there was anything between us. Well, that’s not totally true. I knew. I felt. . .things. But I just didn’t know. . .you know, what we. . .I’m digging a deep hole here, aren’t I? Can you help me out. . .please?”

  “I don’t think so.” Max leaned back against the window frame. “I’m enjoying this.”

  I cocked my head at him.

  “Look. I’m not asking you to cancel your dates. I’m simply hoping they’ll be unforgettable disasters.”

  “Like I said, unless you’ve given up on me already, you might try asking me out for another time.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask. Okay. How about tomorrow at noon? That should still give you plenty of time to get all gussied up for your big evening date.” Max winked.

  Or was that a twitch in his eye? “It’s a deal.” I stuck out my hand for a shake. “Where are you taking me?” “It’s a surprise.” Max kissed my hand again. This time even more slowly.

  “I think you’d better go,” I said softly, “before we both do something we’ll regret.”

  Max honored my suggestion and said good night. He headed down my walkway whistling “Three Blind Mice.” I chuckled, thinking about the promise of our date. He’d said the destination was a surprise. I’d never been big on surprises, but I had to admit I was really looking forward to spending some time with Max. I sniffed the palm of my hand. Mmm. Max’s cologne still lingered on my skin. Nice.

  Now, for a bit of snooping. No sense in telling Max. He’d only worry about me. I took my trusty flashlight and headed out the back door. I walked maybe one hundred feet to the back fence. I shined the light along the edge until I saw a section of the fence that was not only broken, but had an opening at the bottom. I got on my knees for an up-close look. The gap was certainly big enough for a kid to crawl through, and the dirt on the bottom had been worn hard and smooth as if someone had been scooting through the spot. Often.

  I angled the beam back and forth but saw nothing more. I dusted myself off and then noticed a small black apparatus sitting next to a rock. On closer inspection, the gadget appeared to be a two-way radio. A light on the front blinked green. Someone had left it turned on. Whoever it was must have been in a hurry. Since I’d found it resting on its side, the person appeared to have dropped it by accident.

  I headed back to the house with my morsel of evidence. I felt somehow this was my first real clue to the events that were intended to drive me from my home. In fact, was I being watched right now? Had someone wanted to draw me out? Here I was, silly enough to be alone in the dark. I heard the lonely hoot of an owl and a sudden rustling just beyond the fence. It was enough to send me racing toward the house. I slammed the door shut, triple locked it, turned on the security system, and let my body sink to the floor. The light on the walkie-talkie flickered off. The batteries must have just run out.

  I fumbled through my newly assigned junk drawer and found some AA batteries to replace the old ones. The green light blinked at me again.

  Dog-tired, I quickly readied myself for bed and placed the two-way radio on my night table next to my beta fish, Liberty. He looked at the device with curiosity and then went right back to looking bored.

  Later, in bed, my thoughts grappled with the new bits of information. The two-way radio. Was it a sign or just a kid playing with a toy? And what sad news about Dedra. I would always help her if she wanted me to, and I would certainly pray for her. But in spite of my good intentions and prayerful concern, I couldn’t help but wonder what other acts of aggression Dedra was capable of. No, way, Bailey. What are you thinking? Maybe I’m getting so paranoid I’ll be the one in need of a psych ward.

  Then my thoughts unwound and floated over to Max. He certainly seemed like a great Christian guy. Funny. Sweet. Confident. We had the same interests. There could be no doubt I sensed some kind of sparkle between us that went beyond attraction. Yes. The word risk had come back into my life. It seemed unavoidable. But now I was speeding headlong into an abyss where all was unknown and everything was up for grabs. Including my heart. I wondered if it could stay in one piece this time. Some part of me still doubted that love could triumph over all.

  Then I thought of Max’s mouth on mine and the electric kind of squeeze he gave me. A tingle flowed over me just as it had before. Wow. What a rush. But I’d need to put all those thoughts out of my head or I’d never get any sleep.

  As I burrowed down into the softness of my new bed, I could sense the sandman approaching.

  Out of my floating bliss, I heard a sound. The tiniest scratching noise. I opened one eye and gaped at the two-way radio. The green light not only blinked, but I could hear the faintest voice emerging. A woman’s angry voice. I wiped away my bleariness, grabbed the radio, and placed it firmly against my ear. “The plan is not working,” I heard a woman say. “Seth, we’ll need to. . .” And then I heard only white noise. I slapped the radio, but I heard nothing else. Perhaps it had landed on a rock earlier and was damaged.

  I played the woman’s words over and over in my head. “The plan is not working. Seth, we’ll need to. . .” Who was talking? Had I heard that voice before? What plan wasn’t working? Was there indeed a plan to flush me out? And how many people were involved? And who in the world was Seth? Seth is a guy’s name, popular perhaps a decade ago.

  Hmm. Oh well, moving on. I assumed the two- way radios only had a short radius, so that meant they couldn’t be too far away. But why not use cell phones? And still, I couldn’t imagine what anyone would want from such an old house like mine. My thoughts went back to the gallon jars of money again, but I felt certain Granny had told no one about the cash. And as far as any guilty kids, the woman certainly wasn’t part of a gang wanting their clubhouse back.

  After hours of tedious deciphering that led nowhere, I succumbed to the sandman and drifted off into some serious slumber.

  I woke early the next morning to greet my hired crews and they set to work with a variety of bangs and clatters. I glanced over at the two-way radio and chuckled. Now in the clear light of day, the voice I’d heard seemed more like a misinterpretation than evidence. I felt foolish for even taking the gibberish seriously. I said good morning to Liberty and slipped out o
f bed.

  Max had told me to dress “nice casual” for the day, so I picked out a short white jean skirt and a frilly light purple, scoop-necked blouse. The need for the frothy female look had always eluded me, but sometimes a woman had to do something out of her fashion comfort zone. And this was that day.

  Like fine car wax, the moisturizer that I slathered on my face gave it a nice glow. Then I applied everything else in my makeup case to give my face an overall showroom finish. I stared at my reflection and decided to bring out the big guns. Or should I say, “turbo engines”? I revved up the curling iron and my superhold hair lacquer. When all was creamed and preened, I thought I looked like a pretty decent display model. Perhaps a little yellow convertible coupe. Too bad Max wasn’t a car dealer. I chuckled at my little joke. Is Bailey in a good mood, or what?

  I grinned, wondering what had happened to me and what sort of mind-bending fairy dust had been sprayed on me to make me so intense about my appearance and so goofy in the head. Those ethereal creatures must have skipped the sprinkling and decided to drop a cargo load on me with a crop-dusting plane. In short, I’d become a hopeless emotional pixie.

  Fingering Granny’s necklace, I wondered if she’d be happy about Max asking me out, or had she only thought of him as a brother-helper type for me? But this date today was really only an assessment, not a commitment. It represented a test to see what hid behind all the emotions that had surfaced between us.

  I fidgeted for the last time in front of the bathroom mirror. Did I hear the doorbell? I looked at my watch. Right on time. I headed downstairs and swung the door open. I looked at Max’s smiling face and decided not to cloud up the day with the worries of the previous night.

  Max stood there in his khakis and periwinkle blue shirt. Handsome. His eyes got kind of big, so I thought maybe he appreciated the extra time I spent fixing up. “You look beautiful.” Max paused to stare some more. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I’m ready, but do you think these workers will be okay without me?”

  “Who, Woody G.? Absolutely. He’s one guy who’ll get the job done right. You don’t have to look over his shoulder. By the way, we should be back by three o’clock. These guys will still be here then.”