Free A Needful Heart by J.M. Madden Page B

him and wrapped her arms around him in
a hug. Matt allowed himself a few seconds to enjoy the feeling,
even going so far as to bury his nose in her hair and inhale the
fragrance before he pulled back. Gina let him go without complaint.
She stepped to the counter, snagged two more cookies and pressed
them into his hand. “Here. These should hold you till lunch.”
    Matt nodded and turned away. He paused at the
door. “Gina, I uh…” He stopped and shook his head, at a loss for
what to say. “Thank you for the cookies.”
    “You’re welcome,” she whispered, but he was
already gone.
    Matt Calvin was tearing her to pieces, and
breaking her heart one little chunk at a time. It was so difficult
to remain emotionally reserved. Desire danced in her blood, just
from that small hug. Gina knew if she tried to move too fast, he
would be gone. And she didn’t want to spook him.
    She finished the cookies and made Matt an
easy lunch of ham sandwiches, but she didn’t stay to chat. After
commenting on the progress of the stairs, she forced herself to
walk away. When she looked at the supplies on the counter, she
decided she didn’t want anything herself right then. Her arm ached,
and her tummy was a little nauseous. She shoved everything in the
fridge and popped a couple of ibuprofen as she straightened the
kitchen. Tiredness dragged at her, and she decided to lay down for
a little bit on the couch in the living room. There she would be
close enough to hear Matt work, but not in his direct line of
sight.
    The poufy couch and Matt’s noises lulled her
into sleep almost immediately.
    Gina was roused seconds later when her cell
phone rang in her pocket. She fumbled it out and tapped the screen.
The display told her she had actually been asleep for almost two
hours, and this was the second call from her mother.
    “Yes, Mom.”
    Linda Carruther’s voice on the other end of
the line was nauseatingly chirpy. “Hello, dear. I didn’t think you
were going to answer. I called earlier.”
    Gina rubbed her eyes with her casted fingers.
“I know, Mom. I was asleep on the couch and didn’t hear it the
first time.”
    “Oh, okay.” Her mother didn’t sound appeased.
“Well, did you get my voicemail?”
    “No, Mom. I literally just woke up. Haven’t
had a chance to do anything. What did your voicemail say?”
    Sighing the way she always did when everybody
else wasn’t following along with her program, Linda repeated
the message, relating party details and an updated list. Gina was
still drowsy, but her ears sharpened when she heard her mother say
‘date’.
    “Wait a minute, Mom. What did you say?”
    “Just that I got you a date dear. A really
nice man from the fitness club I go to.”
    Gina groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. “You
didn’t.”
    “Grayson is a wonderful man, and I expect you
to be nice to him.”
    Gina counted to ten, struggling to control
her mouth. She knew her mother was only trying to do what she
thought was best, but it still pissed her off. “Mom, I’m not a
child. You can’t just set me up on a date without asking me.
Especially with some guy you don’t even know.”
    “Oh, but I do know him dear, from the fitness
club,” she repeated. “He’s wonderful, actually. A doctor. I’ve
spoken with him several times, and I think he would be perfect for
you.”
    “Mom,” Gina spoke through clenched teeth, “I
don’t care if he’s a doctor. I don’t care if he’s a lawyer. I don’t
care if he’s a multi-gazillionaire. I pick my dates. Not you.”
    Silence stretched on the other end of the
line, and Gina knew what was coming. The wounded, ‘I’m just trying
to do what’s best for you’ act. So many times over the years she
had heard the same thing. Gina loved her mother, she really did,
but certain things got on her nerves.
    “Besides,” she said quickly, “I already have
a date for the cookout.”
    Gina’s eyes widened as she realized what she
had done. Her mother gasped on the other