Read ENCORE PERFORMANCE (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY) for Free Online Page A

right?”
Thomas grinned as he watched the two women banter.
“That would be my job.” She winked.
They ordered and Thomas tucked his menu back
behind the napkin dispenser as Betsy walked away.
“What time is your first student?”
“Not until ten.”
“But you dragged my butt out of the house at seven?”
“You run to breakfast, you take a nice stroll back.”
Yes, that did make sense. “Then home for a shower and off
to work.”
Suddenly his head filled with images of her in the
shower. When he got home, his would have to be a cold
one.
“I was giving some thought to the design of the school
last night.”
“You were?” Her brows knit and he worried she
wasn’t open to criticism. But it would be better to add his
opinion before all the interior walls were complete.
“I was thinking that back room is going to be awfully
big. Don’t you think you could put some tables in and room
to do book work?”
“Book work?”
“Theory.”
Carissa’s beautiful pouty lips thinned and she shifted
her glance out the window and then back toward him.
“Theory goes home in a book and comes back for me
to look over and put a sticker on. It’s part of every lesson,
but not meant for a class of its own. We want the kids to
enjoy their classes, not dread them.”
“I don’t see why you don’t—” Betsy interrupted with a
plate of food and the conversation on theory came to a halt.
He watched as she doctored her breakfast with condiments,
keeping her thoughts to herself.
Perhaps the discussion over theory would be best for
another time. But time would soon be running out. He had
opinions and he damn well thought she should listen.
They ate their breakfast and managed to fill an hour
with small talk, which did not include the curriculum of the
school.
Thomas found Carissa intoxicating, once she’d stopped
snarling at him. She was witty, funny, smart, and a little
mouthy. What amazed him was how much she was like
Sophia though they’d never spent her childhood together
for her to have adopted those traits and qualities.
“Well look what the cat dragged in.” A hand fell onto
his shoulder and he froze at the sound of David’s voice.
“Daddy.” Carissa jumped up to kiss her father on the
cheek. “Where’s Mom?”
“She headed over to Katie’s to pick her up for her hair
appointment. You know Katie. She won’t miss it.”
Hope sat next to Thomas, bouncing on the cushion of
the booth. David gave her a look of warning and she settled
in even closer to Thomas.
David draped his arm over Carissa’s shoulders. “So
what are you two up to?”
Thomas felt the need to speak up. He’d done nothing
but sit and have a meal with Carissa, but suddenly he felt as
though he’d been caught doing something illicit.
Carissa spoke before he could begin to babble. “I made
him go for a run before my first student.”
“Yep, she’s just like her mother,” David confirmed.
“Not quite.” Thomas shook his head as he looked at
Carissa. “She runs faster.”
Carissa threw her napkin at him. “We have to go. Want
the booth?”
“Sure.” David moved into the spot Carissa vacated. “It
was nice to see you again, Thomas.” He held his hand out
as Thomas stood.
Thomas shook his hand. “Likewise. Good-bye, Hope.
Enjoy your Saturday.”
    Carissa zipped up her sweatshirt as they walked away
from the diner.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I feel like I just got caught.”
“Caught doing what?”
“I don’t know. You run into someone’s dad after
you’ve just crawled out of bed with his daughter . . .” His
eyes flew open and he looked at her. “Wait that’s not what
I meant. I meant separately. I mean . . .”
“Stop.” She was laughing at him. Tears were forming
in her eyes. “I got it.” She laid her hand on his chest as she
laughed. “Oh, Thomas, even if we’d crawled out of the
same bed he wouldn’t have treated you any differently.”
He wasn’t too sure of that.
Carissa stepped closer to him until he could feel