The Matriarch Read online

  “I see. Well, if my lights are on when you get back, feel free to stop by,” Sam said. “I’ll see you all later.” Sam turned and waltzed out the door and down the sidewalk.

  She plopped herself on the sofa. “Thanks, Logan.”

  “One of these days you’re going to have to tell him you’re not interested,” Dylan said, handing her a glass of water.

  “I’m hoping he’ll just find a new object of his affection.” She patted the sofa cushion. “Now, why don’t all you boys have a seat. I have something I need to tell you.”

  “Are you finally going to go out on a date with Wesley?” Dylan asked. “He’s perfect for you, and I have it on good authority that he’s pretty smitten.”

  “Smitten?” Ramey tossed a wad of paper at his little brother. “Who the hell uses a word like that?”

  “I’m expanding my vocabulary,” Dylan said. “You might consider it, especially since all you ever do is swear.”

  “Oh, now that’s calling the kettle black.” Nick leaned against the doorway into the dining room. “But I concur, Mom. Wesley is a great man.”

  “I know he is.” Catherine sighed. “But he reminds me too much of your father, and it wouldn’t be fair if I was constantly comparing him to your dad.”

  “Mom. He’s crazy about you,” Logan said as he sat down next to her on the sofa. Logan looked more like her late husband than any of the boys, but if she had to pick one of them to have his personality, it would have to be a combination of Nick and Dylan.

  Not that it mattered.

  Each one of the Sarich boys had a special piece of their father.

  “He’s a good man,” Dylan said. “And he’s only a little bit weird. I mean as fathers-in-law go, I could have done a whole lot worse.”

  “I know what kind of person Wesley is, but he’s not for me, and I’ve told him that,” she said firmly. For the last thirty years, she’d been sticking her nose into her kids’ business, even when they didn’t want her to, so payback was going to be a bitch. But this was her life, and she was entering her golden years. She would spend them as she saw fit. “However, I am going on a date tonight.”

  “You’re what?” Nick asked with a scratchy voice. “With who? Where did you meet him? Has anyone done a proper background check on him?”

  “Oh, my God. I knew I should have waited until after the date to tell you.” She shook her head. She had half a mind to lie, only she couldn’t do that to her boys. “I met him on a dating app.”

  Logan smacked his forehead. “Mom. Those sights are full of creepers.”

  “That’s not entirely true, and while I’d rather you date Wesley,” Dylan laughed, “you go, Mom.”

  “This coming from the guy who doesn’t think sexting is a problem,” Nick said.

  “Hey. My wife and I are into it. Nothing wrong with a little naked selfie between married people.” Dylan held up his phone.

  Catherine wanted to sink into a hole. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t want to know what any of you do with your wives as I’m sure you wouldn’t want to know about my sex life if I ever got one.”

  “Mom, really? That’s gross.” Ramey plugged his ears for a couple of seconds. “Okay, but all kidding aside, who is this guy, and what do you really know about him?”

  “More importantly, where are you meeting him?” Logan asked with an arched brow. “It’s a crazy world out there, and those apps are filled with predators.”

  Catherine nodded, well aware of the dangers. “I’m meeting him in a public place. I’m driving myself. And I’ll text you when I get to the date and when I leave.” She held up her hand. “And I’ll agree to share my location as long as you promise me you won’t follow me or show up and make an ass out of all of us.”

  “What if we put one of our guys wherever this date is happening?” Nick asked. “That way you won’t know who is watching, but just in case something goes bad, you’re protected.”

  “And give us his name and let us do a background check on him,” Dylan said. “Please, Mom? You don’t know him from Adam, and he could be lying.”

  Catherine wasn’t stupid, but she wasn’t going to give her nosy, doesn’t-fall-too-far-from-the-tree children too much leeway into her love life. “I can agree to all of that.” She waggled her finger. “But if you ruin my date, I will say no to babysitting for an entire month. Hell, you get in my way, I’ll go on a singles cruise where you’re not welcome and then post my escapades on Facebook for all the world to see.”

  2

  Wesley would do anything for his daughter and her new husband.

  But spying on the woman whom he had more than a crush on was almost asking too much. He picked at the popcorn in the basket in front of him. He’d arrived at the new bar and restaurant a good hour before Catherine and her date—what’s his name—were supposed to arrive.

  Damn. He wasn’t even sixty yet, and his memory was already going.

  Or maybe it was selective hearing.

  He was going with the latter simply because he’d decided he was no longer going to sit on the sidelines. Nope. Time to get into the game. He’d been respectful of Catherine’s feelings when she’d first moved to the area, especially during his daughter and her son’s engagement and wedding. He didn’t want to pressure Catherine into anything.

  Besides, at the time, he’d still been a little gun-shy. However, the longer he hung around Catherine, the more she wormed her way into his heart and soothed his aching soul.

  And now that she was ready to date, why not him? Why did she need to go find some stranger on some crazy dating app? His daughter, Kinsley, believed Catherine thought it had to do with how close the family was and that Catherine might find it a little too uncomfortable considering how much time they all spent together. He could understand that. The Sarich boys were about as tight as any group of siblings he’d ever seen. And they were more than overprotective of each other, their children, their wives, and especially their mother.

  “Hey, aren’t you Wesley Maron?” a gentleman with a receding hairline asked as he snagged a to-go order from the counter.

  “I am,” Wesley said while he searched the archives in his mind for why this man looked so familiar. “Oh, you’re Sam, right? You live next to Catherine.”

  Same nodded. “Sweet lady. I’m hoping she’ll stop by my barbeque tonight when she’s done babysitting.” He held up his to-go bag. “I’m doing the ribs but not the sides, and my daughter was going to come get them, but she got into the wine.”

  Wesley looked at the size of the bag and felt bad for Sam because his party couldn’t be very big. Besides, it was after six and most barbeques he knew of started in the afternoon, not to mention Catherine lied to the man about her plans. He better shuffle Sam out of here before she showed up and made the night really awkward. “I’ll let you go so you can get back to your guests.”

  “Have a good one,” Sam said as he scurried out the back door as if he were being chased by a ghost.

  Wesley fiddled with his phone. Catherine should be here any second, and all he could think about were all the various ways he could ruin her date.

  “Another beer?” the bartender asked.

  Dylan, his son-in-law, had made it quite clear that he was only to intervene if someone found something horrible about what’s-his-name or if Wesley thought Catherine was in some kind of danger. Otherwise, he was to sit at the bar, drink his beer, eat his dinner, and observe. If Catherine approached him, fine. He could say hello. He lived right around the corner, so it made sense he might be out on a Saturday night. Not to mention he’d just returned yesterday from a three-week assignment that had been grueling, so a little R and R was indeed in order.

  He pulled up the image of what’s-his-name—James-fucking-Wilson—that’s his name. And he looked like an asshole with his stupid white goatee, badly corrected buck teeth, and his blonde hair that looked as if he washed it with lemon juice and sat out in the sun. Not a good way to dye hair, especially for an older gentleman. His wire frame glasses went out of style ten years ago. If he was five eight, that would be generous. Not that height should matter, but he was also soft in the middle.

  Christ. Now he was being about as shallow as his ex-wife could be. If he were being completely honest with himself, he wasn’t necessarily all that attractive anymore. He had a receding hairline, and deep-set wrinkles from years of hard living lined his eyes and the corners of his mouth. He might still be in decent shape, but he was getting up there in age, and his joints felt those years every time he moved.

  Wesley scanned the bar and found James, who sat at a table near the back, which made it easier for Wesley to keep an eye on them. Thankfully, when Catherine showed up, her back would be to him; otherwise, knowing her, she’d make a scene, or at the very least, give him the evil stink-eye.

  “Yes, please,” Wesley said.

  “Coming right up.” The bartender nodded.

  Wesley stared at the television, pretending to be interested in the game. It was ten after seven, and while he’d only known Catherine for a few months, he’d never known her to be late. No sooner did he think that than she waltzed through the door.

  Immediately, James was on his pudgy feet. He waved like a moron.

  She waved back with a bright smile, though he knew her well enough he could tell by the way her lips didn’t stretch all the way across her angelic face that she was indeed nervous. Hopefully that meant cautious as well.

  His phone buzzed.

  Dylan: Status report?

  Wesley: Your mother just arrived. They are sitting down. Nothing else to report.

  Dylan: Okay. Thanks.

  Wesley: Did you get anything yet on a background check?

  Dylan: I should have somethi
ng in an hour. I’ll let you know ASAP.

  Wesley: Sounds good.

  Wesley knew better than to judge a book by its cover. But if he were making a first impression assessment, he’d be split. This guy could be just boring as fuck. A bit on the dorky side. The bookworm type. The kind of guy that wasn’t into sports but maybe a little bird watching.

  Or a psycho.

  “Wesley,” a familiar female voice rang out.

  He turned his head. Fuck. The last person he wanted to see was Rosie. He hadn’t dated very many women since meeting Catherine, but when she’d made it clear she needed time to get settled into her new home six months ago, Wesley went licking his wounds.

  With Rosie.

  And that didn’t end well.

  “Hey, Rosie,” he said with a smile, because at the end of the day, he was still a gentleman. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing great. How are you? More importantly, how is that beautiful daughter of yours? Has she had the baby yet?”

  Wesley shook his head. “She’s a week late and miserable. But Dylan is a saint and is doing everything he can to make her comfortable, including not working.”

  “So, is Grandpa covering for his son-in-law?”

  “Absolutely.” He held up his beer. “I’m happy to do so. I’m so glad Dylan will be able to be around more than I was. They both are going to make great parents.”

  As he glanced over toward where James was seated, he caught Catherine’s gaze.

  Not good.

  She frowned.

  He smiled and waved.

  Rosie twisted her head. “Who’s that?”

  “Dylan’s mother,” Wesley said matter-of-factly.

  “Oh. I don’t think I’ve ever met her. I hear all those boys are amazing,” Rosie said.

  “They are an incredible bunch, and I’m honored to have one that I can call a son, and I’m thrilled to work with the rest of them.” His mind started forming ideas he wished hadn’t popped into his head about how to turn this night into some fake double date. “Let’s see what Catherine is up to, and I’ll introduce you,” he said. There was no valid reason for him to make the suggestion. He couldn’t think of anything they had in common other than they were both widows, parents, and grandmothers. Okay. So, that was a fair amount. “Maybe she’ll have a drink with you.” There, now he wasn’t committing himself to anything like dinner and what could constitute a date.

  And he’d make sure that this time, Rosie understood he wasn’t interested in her romantically.

  “I’d love to meet her, but tonight isn’t good for me,” Rosie said as she glanced toward the front of the bar. “I’m kind of seeing someone, and he just arrived.”

  A tall man with silver hair and an expensive suit waltzed in as if he owned the place.

  “I better go,” Rosie said.

  Wesley nodded. “Catherine is always at the park in town with her grandkids, and we both know you’re not shy, so one of these days, just introduce yourself. She’s a sweet woman.” He lowered himself back to the barstool. “Have a great night, Rosie.”

  “Thanks. You too.”

  The only reason he felt dejected had been because Rosie took away his excuse to go speak to Catherine. He couldn’t have cared less about who she dated.

  “Are you interested in ordering any food tonight?” the bartender asked.

  “Yeah. Bacon cheeseburger loaded and fries. And while you’re at it, bring me a Coke.” He would have preferred another beer, but if Catherine left with this wanker, Wesley needed to be able to drive.

  He popped another kernel of buttery popcorn into his mouth and tried not to stare at the back of Catherine’s head, but that proved impossible.

  She wore a white blouse with holes down the sleeves, and her black slacks hugged her hips just tight enough that the fabric showed off her sexy curves. She carried herself with all the grace and style that came with age and maturity, but she had a vibrant and youthful spirit.

  Sipping her wine, she nodded while James chatted away, using his hands like a wild animal. He constantly tugged at his facial hair, and that drove Wesley insane.

  Of course, anything James did, Wesley would criticize.

  Christ. He was being a bitter old man before his first grandchild was even born. He tapped the screen on his cell.

  Wesley: Hey, Kiddo. How are you tonight?

  Kinsley: Besides making my poor husband crazy?

  Wesley: Before you know it, you’ll have a baby in your arms.

  Kinsley: Just get it out of my damn belly. I’m so tired of being pregnant, and I told Dylan we are one and done.

  Wesley: You don’t mean that.

  Kinsley: Yeah, I do. And he agrees. Of course, the poor man is afraid to disagree with anything I say in fear I will chop off his head. And speaking of doing things that annoy me, I’m mad at you.

  Wesley rolled his eyes.

  Wesley: Oh, come on. What was I supposed to do? Say no to those four young men?

  Kinsley: YES.

  He laughed, shaking his head.

  Wesley: Well, lecture your husband; he’s the one doing the background check.

  Kinsley: I’ll probably be wanting him to do that when this kid starts dating.

  Wesley: And you both will spy, so cut me some slack. Besides, Catherine is so trusting. She sees the good in everyone. I’d hate to see her get taken for a ride.

  Kinsley: You just hate that you’re not the one sitting across from her.

  Well, there was that too, but right now, there was not much he could do without pissing off the woman he wanted to win over.

  Fuck. Catherine was heading his way. He set his phone, screen down, on the counter.

  “So, you’re the secret agent my boys sent to keep an eye on me?”

  “I don’t even get a hello? How are you?” He raised his glass. Catherine might be as sweet as pie, but when backed into a corner, watch out.

  “I told them I wanted to be left alone.”

  “I’m not bothering you. As a matter of fact, I was sitting here, waiting for my dinner, minding my own business, when—”

  “You were minding my business.” She poked him dead center in his chest.

  He rubbed his tender skin. “That’s going to leave a bruise.”

  “I understand why my boys are concerned. I’ve meddled for so long in their lives that I get payback is a bitch.”

  Wesley arched a brow. That wasn’t a comment he expected to come out of her mouth.

  “I pushed them for years to find someone and settle down. I wanted them to fix their broken souls and mend their hearts, and now, while I know they want the same for me, they, for some reason, think I’m incapable of taking care of myself. That I’m stupid or don’t know how to protect myself from predators. Duh. This is why you meet people in public places. Tell your friends where you’re going. Blah, blah, blah.”

  “Catherine,” he said.

  “I’m not done talking.” She planted her hands on her hips. Her lids narrowed over her dark-blue eyes.

  Damn, she was sexy as hell when she got pissed off, but he didn’t like being the one taking on all the heat.

  “First, your date just came out of the bathroom and is heading back to the table, and second, I’m just doing my son-in-law a favor. If the tables were turned, and Kinsley asked you to come down here and check out who I’d gone out on date with, you’d do it.” He held up his hand. “Don’t say you wouldn’t, because we both know that would be a lie.”

  She pursed her lips. “Just keep your distance, got it?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  With that, she spun on her sexy one-inch heels and marched herself back to her table.

  This was going to be a long night.

  Catherine tucked her purse under her arm, holding it with her free hand as she strolled side by side with James down the street toward Shea’s Ice Cream shop.

  While he seemed nice enough, she didn’t want to send him the wrong message by either holding his hand or looping her arm through his, even though she wouldn’t mind doing it just to annoy Wesley.

  She stole a glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, Wesley had stepped out of the bar and was currently sitting on a bench across the street.

  Jerk.

  Sexy jerk.

  Stepping into Shea’s, she sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She liked Wesley.