The Perfect Blend by Donna Marie Rogers Read Free Book Online

raced out of the library and recognized her. “How’s Dad.”
    “Took you long enough to ask.”
    He opened the fridge and grabbed a can of soda. “Can you please not give me a hard time about this? I feel guilty enough without you adding to it.”
    She seemed genuinely surprised by his admission. “Why would you feel guilty? Dad had a heart attack. How is that your fault?”
    “Lindy...”
    “He’s fine, Matt. Crabby that his days of bacon and Yum Yum Donuts are over, but if he changes his diet and makes use of the exercise room once in a while, he’ll be good as new in no time.”
    “Thank God. And Mom?”
    “Matt, why don’t you just give her a call? I mean, this is ridiculous. Mom asking me how you are, you asking me how mom is, both of you acting like it’s no big deal that you haven’t spoken in almost a year.”
    Matt guzzled half his soda, hoping the lump in his throat would go down with it. “I have called,” he admitted, meeting her stunned gaze. “Several times. But she plays the phone tag game, not answering her cell, leaving messages on my home phone when she knows I’m at the library.”
    “I had no idea. She asks about you constantly: how is he, do I think he’ll ever come home, etcetera. I just assumed...She’s never told me you’ve actually tried to call her. And you’ve never mentioned it either.”
    Matt shrugged, not sure what to say. Truthfully, stubborn pride was the reason he’d never mentioned it, and no doubt the reason his mother hadn’t either. They were two peas in a pod, both as stubborn as the day was long. “Listen, I’ve got some work to do on the computer. Can you amuse yourself for a couple hours?”
    “End of discussion, I get it.” She stood up and started searching through his cabinets. “Got any munchies?”
    * * *
    Matt nearly choked on his tongue when Carrie answered the door. The woman was beautiful, no doubt about it, but she rarely wore makeup, or jewelry, or flattering clothes—although the way she filled out a simple, baby-doll T-shirt, it was a miracle she hadn’t yet caused a riot.
    Tonight she wore a skintight pair of boot-cut, stonewashed jeans and a sexy black tube blouse with a corset-type neckline that clung to her breasts and flared out over her hips. Big sexy gold hoops hung from her ears, her gorgeous shiny auburn hair hung down to her waist—
    Matt loved long hair on a woman. To him, nothing was sexier. She wore shiny lip gloss that would have already needed reapplying if Lindy wasn’t standing beside him. But what really took his breath away were her eyes. Dark and sultry and heavy on the eyeliner. Maybe Lindy would fall into a food coma after supper so he and Carrie could finally have some alone time.
    “You look beautiful.” Damn, did that sound lame? “I mean, you always look beautiful, but that blouse...wow.” Great, he’d turned into a babbling idiot who couldn’t quit looking at her boobs. He used every bit of self-control he had to keep his eyes from wandering down to her chest, but it was hard. Until Lindy gave him an elbow in the side.
    “So, is dinner ready? I’m starving.”
    Carrie smiled and gestured for them to enter. “Just about. I have the deep fryer on; I’ll fry the zucchini while we eat since they cook fast and taste so much better fresh out of the oil.”
    “Amazing your skin is as clear as it is.”
    Carrie shot Lindy a look, but didn’t bother with a reply. For that, Matt was grateful.
    They followed Carrie through the house, and Matt glanced around, impressed with the simplicity of her décor. Her living room was done in earth tones; a dark beige couch and matching armchair, a coffee table with a few magazines neatly spread across the top, a gold-framed mirror over the couch. Several photos—of family, he assumed, since he recognized her sister Tina—covered the wall behind the chair.
    Her kitchen appliances were white and stainless steel, just like Matt’s apartment back in L.A. Carrie motioned for