The Perfect Groom

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“Oh…” She thought of all she needed to do to wrap up the closing. Straightening the counter displays could wait until Monday morning, and Brad already waited in the back room to clean the floors. She supposed she could speed up her day’s receipt count, but she still had to drop her deposit in the bank.

“Thirty minutes, Gerry. Sorry, but a working girl has to pay attention to her p’s and q’s. Why don’t I meet you at Barlow’s? They’re open ‘til ten.”

He shrugged. “All right, if you must.”

Ivy pushed to close the store. Exactly twenty-five minutes later, Ivy slid into a booth across from Gerry. The impatience he wore left the moment she sat down.

“Ah, there you are. Thought you’d be forever.”

Smiling, she let his flattering gaze soothe her nagging guilt at leaving too much work undone. “I came as quickly as possible.”

“You have a nice little shop, Ivy. But I’m sure much of what you do can be delegated to your employees. That’s what you have them for, you know.”

“Mmm…Well, I’m here now.” Ivy smiled at him and the smile he gave her in return made her pulse quicken.

Yes, Gerry Reeves was exactly the type of man she’d been looking for.

Chapter Five (#ulink_815e547a-c1f0-53d6-a9dc-ceca6515d35e)

The monthly potluck had been pronounced kickback time for busy people, Noah’d been told. No one dressed up for these events. Jeans and sneakers, or something equally comfortable was the dress code. Nevertheless, he’d bought new sneakers for the occasion, pulled out his favorite college T-shirt, and even made an effort to press his best flannel shirt to wear over it. He hadn’t had this kind of a date in a long time.

Ivy looked about sixteen wearing a faded blue T-shirt and jeans when she met him at the apartment door, ready to go and carrying a covered cake plate. She answered, “Aunt Arletta” when he raised a questioning brow.

He led her to his freshly washed red pickup and opened the wide passenger door. She shot him an unreadable glance and shifted the cake and her purse before grabbing the doorframe. He put a hand to her elbow and lifted. She was light on her feet and slid gracefully onto the bench seat—but she didn’t go very far over toward the driver’s side.

Letting his breath out slowly, Noah wondered what it would take to make Ivy feel more cozy toward him. Nothing about their friendship so far had given him any encouragement toward thinking she might fall for him in any big way. If his gut instinct hadn’t told him better, he’d say she was attracted but fighting to keep acres of distance between them.

She made small talk on the ten-minute drive to the church. Or rather, he made idle comments on the weather or local events while she answered politely but without much interest. It seemed her thoughts were elsewhere.

They arrived just in time to join the circle of about thirty people, mixed singles who met once a month for fellowship and sustenance, both spiritual and . mundane, as they laid a table groaning with combined food. Aunt Arletta had told him about the group. More women than men, it contained the never-marrieds and widowed, but also the divorced singles, all of whom had left their first blush of youth behind them. They used the group to fill in the gaps of their lives, shared prayers, and frequently helped each other out on a personal level, as well. According to Arletta’s comments, this bunch offered comradery with an open heart.

He hoped so, because he sorely needed a new set of friends.

As soon as the evening prayer had been given in the church multipurpose room, Ivy slid into a chair opposite two core members of the thirty-something singles, Haley and Donna. Noah took the chair beside her.

“Hi, everyone,” she said, picking up a chicken leg from her plate. “This is Noah Thornton. He’s new to the church and looking for friends, so make him feel at home, people. I hear he plays a mean basketball game.”

Noah slanted her a look, then nodded to the two women opposite them when they greeted him. Yeah, he did need friends, especially ones who shared the same faith and values, but he’d hoped Ivy…

“Where did you hear that?” he asked her between bites of scalloped potatoes.

“Aunt A, of course. Need you ask?”

“Guess not.” He bit into a hard roll. “She does spread the news, doesn’t she?”

“Basketball is your game, is it?” Haley asked.

“I play for a little fun now and again.”

“Ever play in school?” she queried.

He chewed thoughtfully a moment while he returned Haley’s steady gaze. It carried a glint of challenge. He’d loved the game in high school, had even counted himself as one of his team’s star players, much to his dad’s delight He hadn’t been half-bad on his West Coast college team, either, but not good enough to make the pros if he’d wanted. It hadn’t been much of a disappointment to him, even though his dad had hoped for more, because Noah already knew he wanted a somewhat quieter life than a pro athlete’s would bring.

But surely no one here in the Midwest would know about his near star ability. He kept his skill reasonably sharp with a hoop set up near his trailer on the edge of his nursery fields and played with the fellows who worked with him. Hands down, he beat them every time. But he had no regrets about refusing to push into the pros or choosing his quieter profession.

He glanced again at Ivy. Something told him he’d confessed more than he should have when he and Arletta got to talking the other day on the way home from shopping. How much had he really told the old lady? Or more to the point, what had she told Ivy?

“A bit,” he finally conceded to Haley’s question.

“Care to play after dinner?” came the careless offer. He recognized an underplayed challenge when he heard one.

“Guess we could.” His gaze roamed the gymlike room and spotted the goals at each end. Of course! The church was large enough to provide for all kinds of activities.

He carefully assessed Haley’s narrow-eyed green gaze, her slender, wiry figure, and guessed her to be a player. About thirty, he thought, but a woman who kept in shape. Then he turned to Ivy’s profile, idly noticing a few freckles across her nose. She didn’t have the athlete’s build, but he thought her curvy femininity very appealing.

“Anyone else here up to it?” he asked, a grin tugging his mouth. He had the feeling he’d been set up, but if this crowd wanted to play, he was game. He wished he’d brought his gym shorts, though.

“Hey Scotty!” Haley shouted. “You up for basketball?”

“Sure, you bet!” came the reply.

A couple wearing forest-green matching T-shirts, whom Ivy addressed as Kelly and Scott, joined the table.

“They’re the bride and groom who married that day at Reeves House,” she explained. “Technically—” she gave a pointedly teasing stare at her friend “—they don’t belong in this group anymore, now that they’re married. Why aren’t the two of you home cooing and cuddling?”

“C’mon, Ivy, just because we’re married now doesn’t mean we’ve suddenly gotten stodgy and dull overnight,” Kelly said with a laugh. “What—you want to banish us now?”

“Naw, we won’t let you desert us,” Haley insisted. “I don’t care if you’re married or not I have to beat Scotty at least once in this century.”

“Huh,” Scott grunted. “You wish! It’s a shame when a female basketball coach can’t stand up to a little local competition.”

“Well, Noah, here, is panting for a little activity,” Ivy offered. Then lowering her tone, she said for his benefit, “Haley and Scott are brother and sister, if you hadn’t noticed.”

Chewing thoughtfully, Noah studied Ivy’s face from beneath half-lowered lashes. A teasing spark shone from her deep blue-green gaze, though no hint of a smile captured her mouth.

“Well?” Haley demanded.

“D’you play?” Noah asked Ivy, recognizing he had been caught in a friendly long-standing rivalry.

“Oh, I’m not into sports that much,” she answered, leaning back in her chair, looking all too innocent. “But I’ll happily watch from the sidelines.”

“Well, what?” Scott spoke up above their heads. “You know I never turn down a friendly game.”

“You’re on.” Haley gave a thumbs-up and jumped to her feet, leaving her plate half-full.

“Oh, must we?” came a female voice from another table. “I’d enjoy a nice quiet game of bridge, myself.”

From the sleepy droop of Ivy’s lids and the smudges under her eyes, Noah wasn’t too sure she wouldn’t fall asleep over a subdued bridge game. He knew she’d put in a long week at the store, and Aunt Arletta had let it slip that her niece had been late home the night before, out having a social hour with a client. That he’d discovered the client was Gerry Reeves nettled him more than he’d like to admit, even to himself.

“Bridge is boring,” Scott argued. “C’mon, Val. You can’t have your pick of things to do every time.”

“But I hate basketball!” Val whined. “I’m no good at it.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Scott said with determination. “Kelly plays, and she’s not much good at it, either.”

Kelly punched her husband in playful protest Scott laughingly grabbed her fist and held tight, shooting her a tender grin. “We’ll team up so that everyone gets a turn,” he added.

Noah turned his raised-brow stare directly at Ivy. “Great idea, pal,” he agreed. “Everybody plays. No slackers.”

“There’s too many people for everybody to play,” Ivy argued.

“Hmm, you’re right, I guess. Okay. But you play, too, or I don’t.”

Haley groaned. “Please, Ivy. Say you’ll play. I want a chance, just one, to beat Scotty at the game, or his head will be the size of a basketball again and I’ll have to listen to his bragging all week. And I can’t do it all by myself. I have a feeling I need Noah to be on my team.” Ivy looked doubtful. “I’m not fast enough for it.” “You don’t have to stay in long,” Haley insisted. “Does she, Noah?” “Ten minutes, then we’ll let you off the hook.” “All right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Haley pushed and hurried dinner along. “Save dessert,” she begged. “I’ve a real player on my team now.”

Good-naturedly, the crowd complied, cleaning up the food tables and folding them away with more speed than usual while Haley gathered a hand-picked few into a huddle. Noah played starting guard, Ivy forward. The game began among friendly challenges from both sides, swiftly proceeding to hoots and cheers.