ENCORE PERFORMANCE (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY) Read Free

that’s what he’d
do. He’d hurt her, just as his father had hurt the ones he
was supposed to love.
He blew out a breath. They had a lot in common, the
members of Pablo’s ensemble. Pablo had run from whom
he was. Sophia had run from what she thought. Thomas had
run from what he might become.
He’d run for a long time. He’d left the States when he
was only seventeen and started touring with Pablo almost
immediately. He’d been Pablo’s prodigy. Far away from
his family, if you could call it that.
His family didn’t live too far from where he stood
questioning his very being. Fear fluttered in his heart.
Occasionally he let himself dream of being part of a family
again, but he knew it could never come true.
As it was, he was going to wash up, go downstairs, and
dine with Sophia’s family. A family he already knew a
great deal about. But the nerves wouldn’t subside. They
were a family and he was an outsider, just as he’d always
been.
A commotion filtered through the house, and Thomas
followed the sound toward the wonderfully large kitchen.
With her back turned to him, Carissa stood at the sink
beside her mother. Heat rushed through him.
They were laughing, joking, and bumping into each
other over the sink.
“If you’d move your big behind . . .” Sophia directed
the insult to Carissa.
“Oh, excuse me, Miss-I-Haven’t-Seen-a-Treadmill-ina-year.” Carissa boosted back and they both laughed.
He could see that happiness had landed on Sophia.
She’d always been a firm and taut person, but the few
pounds that had crept onto her let him know she was truly
joyous in her role of wife and mother.
“Who are you?” a small voice asked from the table.
The laughter died and Thomas turned his head to the
table, where Katie sat. A young girl with rosy cheeks, deep
blue eyes, and mounds of blonde curls sat next to Katie,
looking up at him. He smiled cautiously at her.
“I’m Thomas, who are you?”
“I’m Hope. I’m eight.” Her expression clearly said, you should have known that.
“Thomas!” Sophia squealed as she grabbed for a towel
to wipe her hands on and then she raced across the room
and wrapped her arms around him.
He breathed her in.
She pulled him back at arm’s length to study him and
he did the same. Her auburn hair was a bit longer, but her
brown eyes were just as welcoming. When she smiled at
him he knew he’d found a home. One thing about Sophia,
she could always make him feel at home.
“I can’t believe you’re here. I can’t believe you’re
standing right here.” Tears formed in her eyes and she
pulled him to her again. He held her tight. Already he was
glad he’d come.
“How come there is some man hugging my wife in the
kitchen and you are all standing around watching?”
Thomas stiffened at the sound of the man’s voice.
“Daddy!” Hope ran into the man’s arms and embraced
him. Still in his pilot’s uniform, he bent down to hug his
daughter. “This is Thomas. He knows Mommy.”
“Well, maybe you should introduce us.”
Hope nodded and walked her father by the hand to
Thomas, who still held one arm around Sophia.
“Daddy, this is Thomas.”
“Thomas, it’s nice to meet you. I’m David Kendal.”
He extended his hand and Thomas shook it.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I feel like I know you very
well.”
“Considering the time frame in which you got your
stories, I’d beg for another chance to make a first
impression.” He touched his wife’s cheek and she moved
forward and kissed him gently.
“Mr. Kendal, she never had a bad word to say about
you.” He looked at Sophia.
“She should have come home sooner, then.”
“You know, I’m not going to stand here and relive the
fact I made a mistake years ago.” Sophia threw up her
hands and shook her head with a smile. “Is there anyone in
this kitchen who doesn’t think I’m a wonderful
granddaughter, mother, friend, and wife? They shook their
heads.
“Okay, then, everything ended well and we can