“So, you’re finishing your degree,” he started, hoping to keep the topic on her life. “Where do you go from there?”
Rachel stabbed a piece of pasta and lifted a shoulder. “Right now I’m helping Alexis with the charity auction for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation.”
Impressed, Matt nodded in silent admiration. “What’s the auction? Do you have donations from area businesses?”
Rachel dropped her fork, pulled the napkin from her lap and dabbed the corners of her mouth. “We’re auctioning men.”
Matt stilled. “Excuse me?”
Those bright, beautiful eyes locked on his across the table. There was that mischievous gleam he’d seen from her in the past. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know more.
“We’re having a bachelor auction. Care to be Bachelor Fifteen?”
Way to go. Nothing like blurting out her thoughts without easing into the request. Granted she’d promised Alexis she’d ask Matt for the favor, but Rachel probably could’ve done a better lead in.
“Bachelor Fifteen.”
The words slid slowly through his sultry, kissable lips as he set his fork down and continued to hold her gaze without so much as blinking. She really needed to not stare at his mouth, and she absolutely should not be imagining them on hers.
Rachel cringed. “So, we need another bachelor and we were wanting one that would be fairly popular, and you came to town, we’re friends, you’ve got that new title and...”
He sat still as stone.
“I’m rambling,” she muttered. “You don’t want the hype or the press. I get it. Forget I asked.”
Rachel focused on the potatoes on her plate. Carbs were always the answer, especially when she’d just verbally assaulted their friendship.
“Is that why you came?” he asked.
Rachel immediately met his gaze. “What? No. I wanted to see you. I wanted you to meet Ellie. Earlier I was working on the auction and Alexis and I started talking and your name came up.”
Matt offered that cocky, familiar smirk. “Is that right?”
He was clearly intrigued by the idea of being the topic of conversation, but she wasn’t about to feed that ego.
“But don’t feel obligated to agree just because we’re friends. In fact, forget I asked.”
Rachel started to reach for her sweet tea just as Ellie let out a cry of frustration. Pushing back in her chair, Rachel came to her feet, but Matt was quicker. He stood and crossed to the Pack ’n Play, reached down and lifted Ellie out.
Unable to look away, Rachel stared at the way Matt’s large hands held on to her daughter. Ellie’s little mouth slid into a frown as she stared at the stranger. She reached up and patted her tiny fingers against his mouth.
“Here, let me take her.”
Matt shook his head as he made his way back to the table. “She’s fine. Enjoy your dinner and we can discuss this auction some more.”
Rachel eased back into her seat as Matt sat back down in his own chair. Immediately Ellie’s arm smacked Matt’s glass over, spilling his drink into his plate of food.
“I’m so sorry.” Rachel jumped up and grabbed her daughter before handing Matt her cloth napkin. “Let me go inside and get a towel. Go finish my plate and I’ll get this cleaned up—”
Matt grabbed her arm. “Relax. Nobody’s hurt here and it’s just a spill. Maybe we should go inside where Ellie can play on the floor and we can sit on the sofa and have dinner?”
Rachel wanted to gather her child and their things and leave to save further embarrassment, but she knew that would be rude after all the trouble he’d gone to. So against her better instincts, she nodded.
“I think she’s getting hungry,” she replied. “Let me feed her and then I’ll help clean and carry things inside.”
“Take care of her. I’ll take care of everything else.”
Rachel stared for a moment until she realized he was serious. She couldn’t help but think back to Billy, who hadn’t wanted kids, who’d been flat out angry over the pregnancy. Yet here was Matt offering to care for Ellie while Rachel did something as simple as eat her dinner.
She shouldn’t compare the two men. Sure they were friends, but they’d always been opposite. Billy had been the adventurer, the wanderer, which had been the initial draw for Rachel.
Matt was just around for a good time. He was content in Dallas, happy with life and work. He was well-grounded and only got away to travel to Galloway Cove.
Who wouldn’t be happy owning their own island? At this point in her life, Rachel just wanted to own her own home, not the house Billy had bought and not some place her in-laws wanted her to have. She wanted to do life her way.
Several moments later, Ellie had been fed. After cleaning her up, Rachel scooted the coffee table off to the far wall and left an open area for Ellie to play in without hitting her head on the furniture.
Matt came back in and quickly had their food all set up, acting as if an infant hadn’t just turned his steak and potatoes into tea soup.
“I’m really sorry about that,” Rachel offered as he sat on the sofa next to her.
“Why do you keep apologizing? Just because I don’t have children doesn’t mean I’m going to get angry over an accident.”
Rachel glanced down to Ellie who was quite content plucking the nose on the stuffed toy monkey. “I just never know how people will respond. Some people don’t like children.”
“I’ve never really seen myself in the role of a father, but I like kids. I mean, I highly doubt she knocked my glass down on purpose.”
Rachel settled her plate into her lap. “You can eat at the table, you know. You don’t have to sit here with me.”
All of this was too familial, and being in a situation like this with Matt only made her fantasize about things she could never have...at least not with this man.
“Tell me more about the auction,” he said, ignoring her previous statement.
“Matt, really—”
“Tell me.”
His gruff command had her pulling in a deep breath. “Alright. The bachelor auction is going to raise funds for the Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation. Alexis’s grandmother and Gus’s wife passed away from that. When Alexis invited me to come visit, I offered to help with the auction. I’m not quite finished with my marketing degree, but I’m thrilled to be doing something along the lines of where I want to be. Not only am I helping the cause—this will look great on a resume when I finish my degree.”
“They’re lucky to have you working on this,” Matt stated with such conviction she turned to him in surprise .
“You have a lot of confidence for someone who hasn’t seen me in a year.”
Matt finished chewing before he replied. “I know you, Rachel. Maybe better than you know yourself. You’re determined, headstrong and always looking out for everyone but yourself.”
His blue eyes locked with hers, causing a warm melting sensation to spread through her.
“Alexis couldn’t have chosen a better person for the job. You don’t need a degree to have compassion.”
She wasn’t even sure how to respond to such praise. She hadn’t