Dateline Matrimony (Hot off the Press! 3)

“And she’s been raising them on her own ever since.”

Serena nodded. “She’s such a good mother. I expect I’ll be calling on her quite a bit for advice.”

“I’m surprised Marjorie hasn’t started trying to fix her up with someone.” Lindsey grinned. “Your mother does love matchmaking.”

Cameron groaned, as did Dan and Riley—all of them had been recipients of Marjorie’s less-than-subtle matchmaking attentions at one time or another. Of course, with Cameron and Dan, her efforts had led to matrimony. Riley intended to be another story.

Serena’s smile was rueful. “Actually, Mom has started making lists of local eligible bachelors. She’s leaning toward Neal McClain and Bill Jungkind. I’ve been trying to discourage her from fixing Teresa up with anyone, but as you said, my mother loves being a matchmaker.”

Riley scowled at his plate. As fond as he was of Marjorie Schaffer, this matchmaking was getting out of hand. She’d stopped trying with him, of course, which he appreciated, but he didn’t see any reason for her to turn her attentions to Teresa.

Lindsey frowned thoughtfully. “Neal McClain’s a nice guy—but he’s a little old for Teresa, isn’t he? I’m guessing he’s close to fifty.”

“Mother said he would be good for her because he’s so steady and settled and financially secure. And he likes kids.”

“He’s a grandfather,” Riley muttered. “His oldest daughter just had her first kid. Why would Teresa want to get involved with a grandfather?”

“Bill Jungkind’s closer to the right age,” Lindsey mused. “Mid-thirties. Of course, he has joint custody of his own three kids, so that would be a lot of children involved.”

Abruptly losing his appetite, Riley set his fork on his plate. “You know, I really don’t think Teresa would appreciate knowing we’d been talking about her this way.”

“You’re right,” Serena agreed, her expression a bit sheepish. “I wish she could have joined us this evening, but she’d promised to take Mark and Maggie to a school party at the skating rink.”

Cameron changed the subject by bring up the local reaction to Riley’s latest column in the Evening Star. Serena deftly picked up the new conversational thread, and Dan and Lindsey went along. Riley was grateful to his hosts for the change of subject.

Now if only he could figure out a way to stop thinking about Marjorie pushing Teresa into the willing arms of one of the bachelors Serena had mentioned.

Chapter Eight

Teresa wasn’t exactly sure how she and her children ended up in Riley’s apartment the first Sunday afternoon in November watching a NASCAR race with Riley and Bud. She suspected that Mark had finagled an invitation for himself. Maggie hadn’t wanted to be excluded for a second time, so she’d been invited, too. Bud had insisted that Teresa be included since everyone else was. He seemed so disappointed when she initially declined that she allowed herself to be persuaded.

She’d only seen Bud a few times in the ten days since the still-unsolved shooting, but even those brief encounters had been enough to let her see the changes in his behavior. He seemed quieter, more withdrawn. And he looked older.

She could understand why Riley had been worried.

But watching Bud now, as he sat on the couch between Mark and Maggie, slugging ginger ale and explaining the fine points of stock car racing, she thought he seemed more like the man she had first met. He chuckled as he patiently answered Mark’s many questions and made a place on his knee for Maggie’s head when she tired of watching the colorful cars passing by on the screen.

Teresa sat in a chair next to Riley’s recliner. They’d made casual conversation during the past hour and a half, but Mark had claimed most of the attention for the afternoon. The boy was obviously wearing down a bit; he’d stopped talking quite so much and leaned companionably against Bud’s side as he watched the race with a fascinated concentration that rather surprised Teresa. Though this was the first time he’d ever watched a car race, he’d already chosen a driver to cheer for. His attention was focused on the flame-decorated car that was currently battling for second place with another equally determined driver.

Mark cheered when his driver took the spot, then gasped when two other cars slammed into each other, setting off a chain reaction of noisy crashes. Because of the efficiency of the high-tech safety equipment, no one was hurt in the incident, but debris on the track brought out a caution flag. The lead cars took advantage of the opportunity to head into their pits, where pit crews jumped the wall and started changing tires, pouring gas and washing grills and windshields with amazing speed and well-coordinated efficiency.

Teresa glanced from the frantic activity on the television screen to Riley, who sprawled in his chair beside her. “That’s what you once pictured yourself doing?”

He chuckled. “Hard to imagine, isn’t it?”

She watched as a crew member changed a tire in less than ten seconds. “It took you a bit longer than that to change my tire.”

He grinned. “Yeah. But I looked better doing it.”

She fought an answering smile. “If you say so.”

He reached for his soda can, shook it, then sighed. “Empty. Now I have to walk all the way into the kitchen.”

“I think it’s a good thing you didn’t join a pit crew.”

He

chuckled. “I think you’re right.”