When You Least Expect Read Online Free Page A

Matt couldn’t tell if she was genuinely not interested or just being polite. Ordinarily, he’d have left it at that, but for some reason, he felt the urge to clarify.
    “No bother. Not at all.”
    He watched Ariel, trying to divine some idea of what she was thinking.
    “We’d love to,” she said, the ember in her eyes sparking as bright as the smile now covering her face.
    Matt felt twin surges of excitement and relief.
    “Great! Dani, do you want to be my helper?”

Chapter Three
    “Thanks for inviting us to dinner, Matt. Sorry about the surprise visit, but we had a great time. Didn’t we, Dani?”
    The girl gave her mother an excited thumbs-up and then ran around the backyard, as she had been since she’d been excused from the table.
    “Energetic, huh?” he said, tilting his head toward Dani.
    “You have no idea. She has a new backyard to explore, which only fuels that fire. But I can see why,” Ariel said as she scanned the backyard.
    Matt watched and for a moment he wished it was him that she was looking at with such naked appreciation.
    “It’s beautiful. I mean just gorgeous.”
    “Thanks. My mom’s pride and joy.”
    Ariel’s brows knitted in confusion and she turned to him. “Your mother lives here?”
    “In spirit only. She passed away when I was eight,” he said.
    “I’m sorry,” Ariel said, casting her eyes down, a pained expression on her face.
    Matt was such an ass. He knew about Ariel’s loss and that losing a spouse, especially at her age, was entirely different than losing a parent, especially since so much time had passed.
    “It was a long time ago, so don’t apologize. In fact, I should be the one apologizing.”
    Her expression slackened and some of the ease that had been growing between them returned. “So we’re both sorry, huh?” she said, the corner of her lips turned up.
    “Looks that way,” he said, now smiling as well.
    There was a flicker in her eyes, and she looked wistful. Matt could pretty well guess what she was thinking about.
    “Every person in this town loved Daniel Mallick,” Matt said, not taking his eyes off her.
    And they had. Preacher’s son, football star, all-around great guy, and taken far too soon in a tragic helicopter crash.
    “So I’ve learned. Did you know him?” she asked.
    “Well, everybody knows everybody here, but he was a little behind me in school, so we weren’t friends or anything. I think Verna knew him, though.”
    Ariel nodded. “She did, even showed me her yearbook.”
    Matt chuckled. “What did you have to pay her for that?”
    She smiled faintly. “It was easier than I’d thought it would be, but then again, most everyone in town still goes out of their way. It’s part of the reason I stayed,” she said.
    “And the other part?” he asked, letting curiosity get the better of him.
    She tilted slightly to look out to Dani, who was digging in a soft patch of dirt with a small gardening shovel. “I guess I just wanted her to be as close to him as she could, you know? Like maybe if she was in his town with his people, she might have at least some idea of who he was.” Then she smiled, her face brightening. “Not to mention the fact, Matilda would drag the reverend to west Zanzibar if necessary to be close to Dani.”
    “I’ll bet. And it’s kind of you to consider them, especially since Matilda can be…”
    “Merciless? Relentless? Hell on wheels?” she supplied.
    “Challenging,” Matt settled on.
    Ariel laughed out loud and then took a sip of water. “Well said, Dr. Matt. I spend too much time at the shop to practice putting things as delicately as that, but you got the point. And besides,” she said, going slightly wistful again, “I don’t do it for Matilda. I do it to honor Daniel’s memory and for Dani. She’s more important than anything else, and I can put up with Matilda’s bluster for my baby girl.”
    She stood abruptly. “But you don’t need to listen to me babble—give me a free session or