The Billionaire's Matchmaker(55)

“Thank you.” She pushed around the greens and nibbled a bite before saying, “How’s the packing going at your house?”

“It’s going. You don’t realize how much junk you’ve accumulated until you have to box it all up. I’ve got a couple of loads ready for Goodwill, and the garbage man’s back is liable to be bothering him after he stops at my house on his rounds this week.”

She cleared her throat. “And the house hunting? How’s that going?”

“So-so.” He waved his hand. “I’ve looked at a couple of places. One’s in town not far from Gabby’s studio. The other one is about five miles farther outside town than Marney’s McMansion.” He shrugged. “Both of them need a lot of work.”

“So you want something that’s move-in ready?” Mia speared a piece of meat with her fork, but instead of putting it in her mouth, she pushed it and more greens around her plate.

“Yeah. Small projects are fine, but I don’t feel like playing subcontractor for months on end this time around.”

Gid had put in a lot of work on the house he’d been living in, renovating nearly every room from floorboards to rafters by the time he was done. Mia had joined in on occasion, helping to sand down cabinets and paint trim. She’d even suggested the wall colors and had helped him pick out his couch. Even so, the house had never felt like home.

Mia cleared her throat. “I might know of a place.”

“In Chandler’s Cove?” That came as a surprise since his agent seemed to have run out of available listings that fit both Gid’s criteria and his price range. “Where?”

“It’s in a nice neighborhood on a quiet street. It’s not very large.”

“I don’t need a lot of room. Bigger isn’t always better. What’s the yard like?”

“Very nice. The back is fenced.” She smiled. “And the flowerbeds are gorgeous.”

“Oh. That’s not good.”

She blinked in alarm before sputtering, “Wh-why?”

“I don’t want to be responsible for killing plants. You know my thumb is black.”

“Oh.” Some of the tension left her shoulders. “Well, there’s no need to worry. I’ll tend them.”

“Thanks, but I can’t ask you to take care of my yard and yours.” In the house he’d just sold, Gid had refused her offer to put in more than a few shrubs and some low-maintenance day lilies for the same reason. She was a perfectionist who wouldn’t allow plants to languish from neglect.

She nibbled her bottom lip, her gaze glued to her plate. Had she eaten anything, he wondered? “It won’t be a problem, Gid.” She glanced up then. The smile she sent him wobbled a little before turning steady. “You see, the house I’m talking about is mine.”

“You want—”

“I want you to move in with me.” She exhaled sharply, but her smile was wide and sincere.

Gid grinned in return. It wasn’t marriage, but it was a huge step for Mia.

“On one condition?”

“And that is?”

“I get the left side of the bed.”





Chapter Eight



With only two days to go before Gid closed on his house, his move to Mia’s place was well under way. They’d spent the evenings of the past few weeks packing up his belongings and taking them over to Mia’s a few boxes at a time, unpacking as they went.

She’d discovered it wasn’t hard to make room for him in her home, especially since other than a few key pieces of furniture, he’d sold off or donated much of his. Her sanctuary didn’t feel invaded so much as fortified with him there.

She was boxing up his home office when she spied the email. She wasn’t trying to snoop but he’d left his laptop on and the file was open. The subject line read: An offer too good to refuse. She recognized the sender as the man who had offered Gid the job in California.

The note read:

I know you’ve said no several times now, but I speak on behalf of the department of veterinary medicine when I say we are hoping you will reconsider when you learn about the most recent development. A wealthy alumna recently died and has bequeathed the university nearly thirty million dollars to be used for research along with endowing a position. That position would be yours. Better still, you would be able to hire a full-time assistant. We look forward to hearing from you.

-- Norman Fleisher

Mia wilted onto the chair behind the desk. Gid’s dream job had just gotten, well, dreamier. How could she possibly compete with this? How could he possibly turn it down? The old panic bubbled up inside along with a voice telling her she wasn’t worthy of his love, and that the love she felt for him, as well as the home they were making together, weren’t enough to make him stay with her for keeps. The voice grew louder, more insistent. It urged her to cut and run. For a moment, she almost listened to it, just as she had at Christmas. In the end, she decided to do what Gabby and Marney had done and trust her heart. Not only was she going to trust her heart. She was going to trust Gid.

“My Jeep is almost full,” he said as he entered the office. “I’ve got room for maybe a box or two. Do you have anything ready?”

“No. Sorry. I got…distracted.”