Tessa nodded and slipped out, pulling the door partially closed behind her. The hallway was quiet, the girls’ soft breathing audible through their partially open doors. Shepaused for a moment, listening to the peaceful sounds of the sleeping household, before heading back downstairs.
The living room felt different now, emptier and more intimate in its silence. Tessa slumped down in the armchair, suddenly bone-tired but too wired to sleep. Her gaze fell on her sketchbook, still open to the drawing she’d been working on.
Matt’s figure stood in the courtyard garden, perfectly rendered despite her having spent only minutes on it. The set of his shoulders, the confident stance, and then there were his eyes… she’d captured the way he looked at her with an accuracy that made her breath catch.
Too accurate. Too revealing of her feelings.
Tessa sighed and flipped to a fresh page. She couldn’t give this to Eleanor Thornberg as a birthday gift. Not with her son standing there like some romantic hero from a novel. Not with her feelings so nakedly displayed for anyone to see.
She began again, focusing solely on the courtyard this time. Her pencil moved across the page, capturing the weathered flagstones, the climbing vines, and the terracotta pots bursting with herbs. She worked meticulously, adding texture to the ancient stone walls, suggesting the play of late afternoon light across the garden.
Every few minutes, her mind tried to drift back to Matt—the way he’d looked in that light, how his voice had deepened when he talked about his mother, the careful way he’d held that sprig of rosemary for her to smell. Each time, she firmly redirected her focus to the physical details of the garden itself. The exact curve of a vine. The pattern of cracks in an old pot. The way the bench sat slightly askew on the uneven stones.
An hour passed, the house settling around her with occasional creaks and sighs. The drawing took shape under her carefulattention, capturing that sense of hidden sanctuary that had struck her immediately upon entering the courtyard.
In the quiet of the deepening night, Rachel’s words floated back to her: “Jenny told me that Matt only has eyes for you.”
Tessa’s stomach flipped at the memory. So he did feel the same way. It wasn’t her imagination…
So perhaps she should follow Rachel’s advice and go for it. Whateveritwas…
But there was only one way to find out the truth. And that was to take a chance.
Because everyone deserved a second chance at life. Including her.
Chapter Ten – Matt
Was eight o’clock too early to call at Rachel’s house? Matt mused as he parked his truck outside and reached for the brown paper bag on the passenger seat that contained freshly baked pain au chocolat.
It’s never too early when you come bearing such delicious sweet treats,his bear told him.
We’ll see,Matt replied as he got out of the truck and headed for the house. He’d been up since five this morning baking, his head filled with thoughts of his mate.
Try not to look so nervous,Matt’s bear told him.
Hard not to,Matt replied as he strode to Rachel’s door. He paused before knocking. He could sense Tessa in the kitchen. Alone.
Knock,his bear demanded.
But as he raised his hand, he sensed Tessa approaching.
She knows we’re here!Matt’s bear was ecstatic.
While Matt’s nerves increased.
“Morning.” Tessa opened the door with a bright smile that reached her eyes, and his nerves evaporated.
“Morning.” Matt cracked a wide smile.
“Would you like to come in?” Tessa stepped back, opening the door wider. The delicious scent wafting from the brown paper bag caught her attention immediately. “Those smell amazing.”
“Fresh pain au chocolat,” Matt said, following her inside. “I made them myself this morning.”
Tessa’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You made these? That’s impressive.”
“It’s kind of my thing,” he replied with a small shrug that couldn’t quite hide his pleasure at her reaction.
“Well, your timing is perfect. These might actually motivate the girls to get out of bed for school.” She glanced toward the stairs. “Monday mornings are always a struggle.”
