A Matchmaker's Challenge by Teresa Southwick

Author:Teresa Southwick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-05-07T13:56:30+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Are you sure you want to come with us?” Courtney carried her coffee over to the little kitchen table and set it down before sitting in the chair near her daughter’s.

Ava finished chewing a bite of cereal, but her eyes were saying, “Are you kidding me?” When she swallowed, she elaborated with words. “Mom, it’s the zoo! You said Mr. B invited me to go along. Did he change his mind or something?”

“No, sweetie.”

Between her hands she cradled her favorite mug, the one that had the words World’s Best Mom written on it. Courtney felt like a fraud on so many fronts, but particularly that one. Excluding her current situation with Gabe, Courtney had made it a point to tell her daughter the truth. She’d explained in the gentlest possible terms that Adam Nelson, the jerk she’d had the bad judgment to marry, wanted kids, but only if they were his kids, with his DNA. When he proposed, he’d said he wanted to be a father to Ava but he lied and her daughter had been hurt.

After that she was more determined than ever to protect her child. She didn’t believe Gabe would deliberately hurt Ava, and it was really nice of him to include her in today’s outing. But she could be collateral damage in this scheme if they weren’t careful.

Let’s try this again, Courtney thought. “I’m concerned about you, Ava. You could get attached to Gabe after spending time with him. There are no guarantees that he and I will be anything more than friends.”

“He’s my friend, too, so I don’t think it’s a problem.” Ava took another spoonful of cereal and started to chew.

Courtney was trying to put a finer point on this warning without tipping her hand. “I don’t want you to be caught in the middle if there’s a nasty breakup because things take a turn.”

Like sex. Just the thought of it made her girl parts tingle.

Ava was staring at her. “Why are you being this way?”

“What way?”

“So negative. You don’t have an open mind about dating at all. And you always tell me I have to change my attitude. Well, back at you, Mom. It’s like you’re going into this with an exit strategy.”

Wow, since when did this child get so observant? “I just want you to have realistic expectations. This isn’t a cartoon fantasy where we know each other for fifteen minutes and live happily ever after.”

Ava glared. “So, you’re already convinced that things won’t work out.”

Courtney was absolutely certain of it, because neither she nor Gabriel was looking for love. But she was on very thin ice here. “I just want you to be prepared.”

“You mean like our earthquake supplies?” the teen asked.

“If the big one hits, you’ll be very thankful to have something to eat,” Courtney defended. “And yes, that’s what I mean. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Just in case.”

“Do you like Mr. B at all? Or are you just going out with him because I was on your case?”

The thin ice just cracked, and Courtney was about to fall in.

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