Myrna Mackenzie - Much Ado About Matchmaking

“I like the fact that the hotel is old and quaint and not perfect,” she said, her voice fierce and proud with a passion she couldn’t hide. “I like the creaky floors that speak of how many years it’s been around, how many life stories it’s witnessed. The Texas Lights has flaws, and they’re right there for the whole world to see. I like that. It’s a bit out of sync with the modern age. It’s…different.”

For a moment her words were met with silence.

“You never told me that, Emma,” Holly finally said.

Emmaline shrugged. She hoped she hadn’t embarrassed anyone with her sentiment. But things were changing so fast with Holly getting married and The Lights being modernized. She was afraid that when things were done she might not have a place where she fit. The Texas Lights would be more productive, but it might no longer be hers.

“You always keep so many things buried inside you,” Uncle Gilbert said softly. “I wish I’d asked before.”

“I’m sure the hotel is special,” Chris offered. “That is, it would have to be. The two of you were raised there, and look how wonderful you turned out.” He gazed at Holly as he said it.

And then everyone went back to their dinner. Emma realized that while Ryan was the one who had asked her about the hotel, he was the only one yet to react to her comments.

“Go ahead and say it,” she said, turning to him.

He gazed at her. “What was it exactly that you thought I was going to say?” It was a casual question, but there was nothing casual about the look in his eyes. He studied her as if he was an artist and she was an intensely interesting subject.

“That I’m an idiot. That if we don’t drastically change the things I love about The Lights, then it will die.”

“I wouldn’t say any of those things.”

“Why not?”

He tilted his head, and she became aware of that square, masculine jaw, pictured a woman placing her lips there…

Emmaline jerked herself out of such thoughts. “Why not?” she asked again.

“Because you told me that you did see the need for change even if you didn’t like it, Emma,” he said, using the more familiar form of her name. “Also, I was the one who asked for your opinion, and you do apparently know the hotel better than anyone. I may not agree with you, but your impressions are important. Now that I know you like things that are different, that’s a starting place. We’ll just jump in there.”

“Jump in where?” She swallowed hard and hoped that she didn’t look too nervous. The thought of jumping into anything with this dangerously attractive man was alarming.

He dared to give her one of those sexy smiles of his. “Don’t worry, Emmaline. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”

She stared at him and nodded stiffly. “All right.” But the problem was that she was very afraid that if she stayed near him long enough, she would want him to do things. She might even want him to kiss her again.

After dinner, when Emmaline had gone upstairs, and Ryan had gone to his room as well, Gilbert went in search of Holly. She was in the library, with Chris, of course. Though Gilbert already liked this young man who was so clearly besotted with his daughter, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea to involve him in the conversation that was about to take place.

“Mind if I borrow my daughter for a few minutes if I promise to bring her back to you?” he asked.

“You’re her father, sir,” Chris said. “You have first claim to her time.”

Gilbert chuckled. “Have I told you how much I like you? I’ll try not to keep her long.” And he whisked Holly away to the parlor and closed the doors.

“Something wrong, Dad?” she asked when he had turned back to her. “You were telling the truth, weren’t you? You do like Chris, don’t you?”

“I do. The question is, what do you think of his friend?”

Holly blinked. “In what way?”

He rubbed his jaw. “In an Emmaline kind of way.”

“Excuse me. Dad, are you feeling okay?”

He smiled at her. “You know, you look so much like your mother. I wish she could be here to see you get married, and I’m so happy for you. I’m sorry I wasn’t always there for you.”

“Dad…” she drawled. “You were a busy man, and you were a good father. I knew you loved me even when you had to travel.”

He nodded a little, hoping he wasn’t going to mist up. “Do you think that Emmaline knew that I loved her, too?”

Holly held out her hands. “I think she’s been reasonably content. She’s not unhappy. Why?”

Gilbert quickly filled Holly in on his matchmaking scheme. “That’s why I’m asking Emmaline to assist Ryan when normally I would handle that task. I want Emmaline to know the kind of bliss that your mother and I had, that you and Chris have.”

“Dad…you can’t mean what I think you mean, can you?”

He glanced down, and she looked toward the table he was staring at. “Yes,” he said.

“No. Not Much Ado About Nothing. I know you love that story, but that’s matchmaking. Emma would hate that.”

“Not if she doesn’t know.”

“She would know.”

“She wouldn’t, and if she’s happy in the end…”

“She might not be. Don’t ask me—”

“I’m not. At least not yet. I’m just telling you and asking you to at least let me try. She’s going to miss you so much, you know.”

“Dad, that’s playing dirty,” Holly said.

“I know.”

She sighed. “But you’re right, aren’t you? So, you want to know what I think of Ryan Benedict?”

“That was the question, yes.”

Holly grinned. “I think he’s everything that will make Emma nuts. He’s gorgeous, he’s physical, he has that military bearing, an undeniable way with women and he’s brilliant. She’ll like his mind and, independent as she is, she’ll hate the rest. And, for the record, while I don’t agree with your matchmaking schemes, I’ve always thought that Emma needed to let loose and kick up her heels a bit.”

Gilbert laughed. “You’ll help?”

“I didn’t say that. Ryan is Chris’s best friend. But I’ll at least promise not to stand in your way. I do want Emma to have some fun.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

“Do you think she’ll ever truly fall in love? She doesn’t want to. I know that much.”

“In that case, perhaps you’re right. I can’t make her fall in love with him, but I can try to make it happen. And anyway, a little excitement never hurt anyone, did it?”

The next day, Gilbert, Chris and Ryan were all clustered around a model spread out on a large table set up in one of the parlors, when Ryan looked up to see Emmaline entering the room.

She had a way of looking around when she walked into a room that told him that very little escaped her notice. Those pretty, intelligent eyes took in everything and made an instant assessment. Those eyes…he’d seen anxiety in them, anger, passion, he noted, letting that sharp kick of desire edge in before he pushed it away. And he’d seen something else. Sadness, longing when she’d mentioned the child she wanted.

He was glad she had said that. He didn’t want a child, could never allow himself to have a child. Benedicts were selfish. He’d seen it, he’d lived it and there was a child he had once almost risked, almost irreparably harmed before he’d realized the damage he was going to inflict if he stayed. He’d left, and nearly hurt the little boy even worse in doing so. He’d been careful of children ever since, very careful not to ever let anyone believe he might be a potential parent. It was good to know that such a great barrier stood between him and the very tempting woman with the sad, serious eyes.

“Come look, Emma,” Gilbert said, gazing down at the model. “This model…it’s amazing.”

Chris smiled, as well he should, because these were his ideas.

Emmaline probably already knew that, and to her credit, she nodded and smiled, too. She stared down at the miniature Texas Lights, the new Texas Lights with its curving lines, computerized lobby, its new lighting systems, new…everything. “It’s certainly an impressive model,” she finally said.

Which was the truth, and yet it didn’t really say anything, did it? Ryan noted.

“I’ve heard you’re a genius,” she told Chris.

“Oh, who told you that?”

She fingered one of the sleek new elevators on the model. “Holly.”

Gilbert laughed. “Chris could build something out of alphabet blocks, and my daughter would call it pure genius. Not that this isn’t pure genius,” he amended.

But it wasn’t what Emmaline had hoped for, Ryan could tell. It wasn’t old or odd or out of step with the rest of the world.

He came up behind her. “It’s just a prototype,” he said.

“I know. It’s very inventive,” she tried again, directing her comment toward Chris, who seemed to be satisfied with her conclusion.

But when Holly came to the door and held her arms out, Chris went to her. “Let’s go for a walk in the gardens,” she said. “I’ve been trying on new clothes to make myself beautiful for you, and I’ve missed you horribly.”

Chris looked at Gilbert and Ryan.

“Go,” they both said in unison.

Gilbert laughed. “I have things to do, too. Emmaline, I can see you have questions about the hotel. You and Ryan really need to discuss this and see how you can make it work. Spend some time on it. Take him to the scene of the crime and show him your true love.” He smiled at his niece, walking over to awkwardly pat her on the shoulder. Then he strolled out the door, turning right where Chris and Holly had turned left.

Emmaline stared after him, her pretty eyes narrowed with what looked very much like concern.

“Emma, are you all right?” Ryan asked.

“He seems so sad these days. I think he’s already missing Holly. She’s his only child, you know.”

Which just wasn’t true. Ryan started to remind Emmaline that she was Gilbert’s child as well, but then he realized how presumptuous that would be. Her relationship with her uncle was none of his affair. What did he know of families, after all, considering the examples he had been raised with, his self-absorbed father and his equally self-absorbed string of wives?

He let the moment pass, and the silence settled in like an entity in the room. Suddenly he was aware of the fact that he was completely alone with Emma for the very first time. He breathed in the scent of violets, and immediately wanted to move closer to feel her warmth, maybe even to touch.

What in hell was wrong with him? Hadn’t he received proof enough that she wasn’t for him? “Shall we?” he asked, motioning toward the model, determined to crush any inappropriate thoughts he should have about her. No doubt his body was simply responding to the fact that he would be here without feminine companionship for several weeks. “We’re alone now. You can tell me what you really think.”

Emma took a visible breath, the motion making the cloth on the bosom of her dress rise and fall. She was wearing a brown dress today. Not a pretty shade of brown, either. He remembered that she had been wearing blue the day he met her, a dusky-blue silk blouse that caressed her curves and accented the silvery-gray of her eyes.

“Do you like brown?” he suddenly asked.

Her eyes widened and she put one hand over her chest. Ryan realized that he had been staring at the way the dress camouflaged her breasts.

“Is there something wrong with brown?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

Again he noted how expressive her eyes were. Not even an ugly dress could disguise that. And she was right, anyway. He had been so indignant that she was hiding her lovely body that he had stepped out of line.