Chapter 1:

How the hell had I ended up consoling this woman again? I helped her off the ground, staring down at the disgusting dead squirrel that she somehow thought she murdered. It was the squirrel’s fault. Everyone knew that. The bastards couldn’t make up their minds where to go, and inevitably always got hit by cars. But of course, this woman was sympathetic to the mangy bastard. 

She sniffled as I pushed her into her car. “Just follow me back to your place, okay?”

She nodded. “Just don’t drive too fast. I tend to get lost easily.”

I wanted to roll my eyes. In a town of less than three-thousand people, there was no reason she should ever get lost. 

“I promise, I’ll drive slowly.”

I shut the door and gritted my teeth as I headed for my police car. I wanted to say I was upset because I had to deal with this woman, but the truth was, I was upset because I really liked her. In the six months since she’d come to our small town, I’d seen her around, but always tried to ignore her. She was too tempting. She was so damn petite compared to my huge frame, and I didn’t even think I was all that big, but compared to her, I was a giant. Every time I saw her, she always had something strange going on with her hair. It was either in a weird twisty thing on top of her head or braids. Hell, one time she even wore it in knots on top of her head. And I’m talking multiple tiny knots. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Somehow, it was all endearing.

I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot, watching in the rearview mirror every few seconds to make sure she was still behind me. The drive to her place took forever. How the hell did she still get lost after all this time? She had to be the worst driver known to man. That was one of the many reasons I hadn’t asked her out since the first day I met her. She was a menace on the road, and I was the deputy-sheriff. I had a reputation to uphold. How could I date a woman that was such a disaster?

Pulling into her driveway, I intended to just wave her off and leave, but when she got out all chipper and waving at me, I sighed and got out. She rushed around the car in her long, flowy skirt and grabbed my hand. Shocks of desire sparked, but if she noticed, she didn’t let it show.

“Thank you so much for helping me. I can’t understand why I have such a hard time finding my house. You would think it would be simple, right?” she laughed.

I laughed along too, but for different reasons. “Hey, everyone has something.”

“Anyway, do you have a minute? I just made my world famous cupcakes and I’d love for you to try them.”

I scratched at my chin, contemplating my options. “I don’t know. I usually go to Mary Anne’s for breakfast.”

“Oh, come on. It’s just one day. And you’ve been so nice to me. I’d really like to repay the favor.”

“Well…I do love cupcakes.”

“See?” she said brightly. “It was meant to be.”

She spun around and headed for the door, leaving me standing there pondering my potential demise. If this woman baked like she drove, I might end up dead. Still, it was a chance I was willing to take. I followed her to the door where she was digging through her purse. 

“I know I brought my keys with me. I mean, I had to, right? Because I wouldn’t have locked the door and left my keys inside.”

I nodded, glancing past her and sighing. Her keys were sticking out of the lock on the bolt. “Um…they’re in the door.”

“What?” she asked, still digging through her purse.

“Your keys…you left them in the door.”

She glanced up, stared at the keys, and then started laughing. “Oh my gosh. I’m such an idiot.” She slapped herself on the forehead and unlocked the door, heading inside with the keys still in the door. I shook my head and removed the keys, placing them on the side table as I shut the door. 

Inside was nothing like I had expected. Of course, with this woman, I never knew what to expect. I suppose I should have seen this coming. She was strange for sure. But this…crap, I needed to get out of here. 

“What do you think?” she asked, smiling brightly at me.

“It’s…cozy,” I went with, hoping she wasn’t offended by that. Luckily, she beamed up at me, and motioned for me to take a seat.

“Just sit wherever you want.”

Where? I mouthed, looking at the seating arrangements.

It was like a hippie’s paradise. A fluffy, cream rug with blue accents covered the floor, and where there should be seats, instead there were gigantic blue and brown cushions on the floor. Pillows of all shapes and sizes were spread out around the room. There was even a beanbag chair sitting in the corner. Books were stacked all around with candles on top, along with potted plants. Soft blankets were tossed all around the room, but I wasn’t sure if it was decorative or if she was a slob. There were even Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling. 

I ran my hand over my face, baffled at what I was seeing. How could I be attracted to this person? And then I glanced up and saw what I thought were astrological symbols on blankets, and they were attached to the vaulted ceiling. Slowly closing my eyes, I tried my best not to freak out. It wasn’t like I was dating her or anything. I just helped her find her way home. I was in no way committed to her. 

With that in mind, I took a deep breath and laughed to myself. I was freaking out way too much. I walked over to the brown ottoman cushion and sat down, jumping up when something screeched beneath me. A cat scampered out from underneath me. I hadn’t seen it because of the massive amount of fur on the animal. He ran off into the other room, hissing at me as he turned the corner. 

Shaking off the terrifying cat incident, I sat down on the ottoman again. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but there was nothing to lean back against. I ran my hand over my face, wondering how long I had to stay here. My eyes started watering and then I sneezed hard. What the hell? 

Abby came rushing into the room, her skirt billowing around her legs. Smiling, she set down a tray with some tea on the rug in front of me. There were also four gigantic cupcakes in front of me. I could do this. I could spend time with her in the name of cupcakes. It was just one time.

“I made you this peach tea that is so amazing, and I added a little sugar. I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” I said, lifting the cup. I didn’t want to taste it. Who drank peach tea? Taking a hesitant sip, I was surprised that I actually liked it. It definitely wasn’t my morning coffee, but it was delicious. “Mmm,” I nodded. “It’s good.” My eyes were still watering, and I could feel another sneeze coming on. “Do you have a tissue?”

“Of course.” She grabbed one, then smiled brightly at me, gathering her skirt as she sat down beside me, taking her own tea cup in hand. “I’m glad you like it.”

I blew my nose, wondering why I suddenly felt like I had a cold. “So, are you working today?”

“Well, I work every day. There’s always something my company needs done.”

“You never have a day off?”

“Well, there are days that I just check in and other days I work all day.”

“And what made you decide to be a virtual assistant?”

“Well, I don’t like working with people.”

I glanced around the space and frowned. She seemed like such a people person. 

“Aren’t you going to try the cupcake?”

I nodded and picked it up, tearing at the paper. This felt so wrong, like I was going against Mary Anne. Putting it to my mouth, I practically moaned when I tasted the moist, sweet goodness. It wasn’t overly sweet, but it had this flavor that I couldn’t even describe. It was amazing. In only two more bites, the cupcake was gone and I was licking my lips for more.

She smiled sweetly at me and pushed over another cupcake. “Go ahead. You know you want to.”

“I do,” I said, snatching up another one. 

“I could make you muffins tomorrow. I have this recipe I’ve been wanting to try, but…”

“But what?” I asked around another bite.

“Well, I don’t bake very often because it’s just me, and if I ate all my baked goods, I would be as big as this house.”

“You should definitely bake more of these. You should have opened your own bakery.”

She waved me off. “What’s the fun in that?”

“Um…this delicious goodness that I’m shoving in my mouth?”

“I know, but it’s no fun if it’s a job.”

I dipped my chin, understanding what she was saying. Taking another sip of the tea, I found myself drinking it much faster than I would my coffee. There was no bitter taste, and there was just enough sugar to add some flavor. 

“Whew,” I said, standing up and rubbing my belly. “That was very good. Thank you so much.”

“Any time,” her eyes sparkled. She stood up and twisted her fingers together nervously. Was she attracted to me? She blushed slightly the longer I stared at her. Crap, I needed to get out of here before she asked me to go out or something.

“Well, thanks for the cupcakes,” I said, sneezing again.

She blushed even harder. “Thank you for getting me home. Oh, and for not arresting me for murdering a squirrel.”

“Yeah,” I sniggered. “We don’t actually do that.”

I headed for the door, determined to get out of there before she said anything else to me. I sneezed again, wiping my nose on the tissue still in my hand. Crap, I must be allergic to her cat. As much as I wanted to find that one woman for me, she wasn’t it. 

✯

I stopped at the pharmacy on the way to the station, picking up some antihistamines, popping them in my mouth right away. The last thing I needed was to feel like my head was swelling. I walked into the station and over to my desk, tossing my hat down as I took my seat.

“How’s Penny?” Jack asked, staring at his paperwork. He was back to hiding. Just one person getting in an accident had him all torn up inside. I didn’t want him shrinking back into the hateful man I’d seen over the past few years.

“She’s recovering. She didn’t look too good, but that’s to be expected.”

“And Nathan?” he asked, his gaze finally meeting mine. “Are they back together?”

I grinned at him. “Well, I worked my magic.”

He shook his head, huffing slightly. “Of course you did. You know, one of these days, people are going to catch on to what you’re doing.”

“Hey, I bring people together. There’s nothing to be upset about.”

“You know, some people don’t like you interfering in their business.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my desk. “Name one person that hasn’t benefited from my interference.”

He frowned. “Well, I don’t know that they didn’t benefit, but I’m sure Robert would have preferred you didn’t hit on Anna quite as much as you did.”

I glanced away from him. Anna was the one that got away. I always wanted her, but she always wanted someone else. In high school when she was dating him, I had been just a few days late on asking her out. If I had gotten the courage to ask her out just a few days sooner, she might have ended up with me. At least, that’s what I told myself. But in all honesty, I knew she was never meant to be with me. She always had eyes for him.

“Anna was special and he didn’t see it. I needed him to get his head out of his ass.”

“But why? It’s not like it would have affected you in any way.”

I shoved back from my chair and busied myself with getting coffee. 

“Did you like her?” Jack asked incredulously.

I didn’t answer. I just sipped my coffee. Except, now that I’d had Abby’s tea, this tasted like shit. I poured it down the drain.

“Oh my God. You never told me,” Jack said, standing up. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I loved her, okay?” I finally turned around and faced him, feeling ashamed that I was admitting it to someone after all these years. “It was never meant to be with us, but yeah, I loved her. I loved her since she was in my English class in high school. She sat right in front of me, and I was madly in love with her.”

He frowned. “Did she ever know?”

I grunted low in my throat. “Not unless she caught me staring at her every second of the day.”

“But why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was trying to work up the courage to tell her, but I was too late. Robert beat me to it.”

“But they broke up. You had your chance for years.”

I shook my head. “She never wanted me. Trust me, I watched her all these years. She never wanted anyone else.”

“But you never tried.”

“Because I knew there was no point. Sure, I might have ended up with her, but she wouldn’t have wanted me the way she wanted him. And where would that leave me? Loving a woman that would never love me as much? It doesn’t matter anyway. She ended up with the man she was supposed to. I’ve moved on.”

He stared at me, but then his eyes widened and he pointed at me. “That’s what all this matchmaking is about. You don’t want others to miss out on what you did.”

I snorted in amusement. “Sure, that’s why I do it.”

“It makes total sense. You’re an ass to all of them. You blatantly hit on women that you know are taken. It’s like penance for not having the balls to do what you should have done all those years ago. And at the same time, you’re helping people get together when they should have never been apart to begin with. You’re cupid.”

My brows pinched together in disbelief as I took my seat. “Don’t we have work to do?”

“I don’t know, Cupid. Are there any women out there in desperate need of your assistance?”

Abby’s beautiful face flashed in my mind, the way she helplessly sat on the ground as she stared at the squirrel. Something about her was just so damn intoxicating. But she was a nut job-—No pun intended. I was supposed to end up with someone more like Anna, more put together and self-reliant. Abby was a mess, and I didn’t know what to make of her strange living arrangements. No, she definitely wasn’t the woman for me.

“Who is she?” Jack asked, bringing me out of my inner-musings.

“Who?”

“The woman you’re going all googly-eyed over.”

I waved him off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not googly-eyed over anyone.”

“Right, you just got this far off look in your eyes that I only see when you’re dating someone new.”

“Well, then you’re wrong, because I’m not dating anyone.”

“You don’t have to be to appear that way. So, it’s someone you’ve met, but you’re not with,” he nodded to himself as he started walking around the room. “And it can’t be someone you’ve already dated, so that knocks out half the town.”

I rolled my eyes at him. He placed his hand against his chin, scratching at his jaw as he thought.

“And it can’t be someone from out of town, at least, not that far out of town, because you hardly ever leave town.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“You were just at the hospital. It’s possible you met someone there.”

I held my breath, wondering if he would guess who it was.

“But you’re not the type to fall for a damsel in distress. You’ve always liked women that could watch after themselves. Like Anna,” he grinned.

He would definitely never guess Abby then. She was the opposite of Anna in every way.

“So, it’s got to be someone new to the area, someone that you’re interested in, but since you haven’t actually asked her out, there has to be something holding you back.”

He stopped his pacing, snapping his fingers at me. “That new chick.” He snapped his fingers as he tried to come up with a name. “Abigail. Yes, that woman you hugged in the middle of the street. That’s who it is, isn’t it?”

Crap, I was so screwed. “Why would you think it’s her?”

“Oh, come on! You were hugging a woman!”

“Yeah, because she was upset.”

“And you don’t like to comfort women. That’s not your MO at all.”

“Exactly,” I said, hoping he would disprove his own theory.

“And that’s what it is about her. She’s good looking, and despite the fact that you don’t like weak women, you like her.”

“She’s not weak,” I argued, giving myself away. I closed my eyes, shaking my head as he laughed.

“Holy shit. So, what is it about her?”

“Nothing. There’s absolutely nothing about her. It’s not her.”

“It’s gotta be the whole damsel thing. The question is, what makes her different?”

“I just said it’s not her.”

“Right, which means it is.”

He rushed over to his computer and started typing. 

“What are you doing?”

“Checking her background.”

“Why?” I asked, rushing over to his side.

“Because I want to know more about her.” He pulled up her name in the system, laughing at what he found. I sighed, rubbing at my eyes. “So, not only is she a damsel in distress, but she’s a very chaotic damsel, and that’s what you like about her.”

“I never said I liked her!”

“I should have known it. The moment I saw the footage of you holding her in the street, I should have known you were going to fall for her. Of course, I’m surprised it took this long. But now that I think about it, whenever we go out—” 

“The people always shout,” I interrupted, hoping to throw him off, but he kept going.

“—you’re always looking around, like you’re watching for someone.”

“Bullshit. You’re seeing what you want to see.”

“No, I’m finally paying attention. So, tell me about her.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” I argued. “I don’t know anything about her.”

“You must know something,” he laughed, “otherwise you wouldn’t be so wrapped up in her.”

I walked away from him, sitting down at my desk with a huff. “I’m not wrapped up in anyone. I don’t like her. I don’t know her, and I definitely am not the man for her.”

“So you do know something about her. Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t know if you were the right man for her or not,” he said, jabbing a finger in my direction.

“Fine, you want to know about her? She’s some kind of hippie. She has a living room filled with fluffy pillows, no furniture, and weird tea.”

He nodded, grinning at me the whole time. “Did you drink the tea?”

“Fuck off,” I said, storming out of the station, his laughter floating behind me.