A Perfectly Imperfect Match (Matchmaking Mamas) by Marie Ferrarella Page A

sure it was signed. Satisfied, he swiped the magnetic strip through the card reader next to the register.
    Elizabeth waited until it asked for her signature, then did the best she could to make it look legible, not an easy feat with something that resembled an Etch A Sketch.
    Manny gave it a second. When he saw the words transaction accepted, he nodded with a smile. “Looks like you’re good to go,” he told them. The whole transaction had taken under ten minutes to complete. The store manager waved them off, saying, “You two have yourselves a nice night, now.”
    The way he said it, Elizabeth was certain that the store manager thought they were a couple. She knew she should have corrected the man, but for a moment, she just allowed herself to enjoy the sensation of being thought of as one half of a duo. In truth, the notion of having someone standing beside her through thick and thin was incredibly tantalizing.
    What surprised her most of all, though, was that Jared didn’t say anything, didn’t try to set the man straight.
    Maybe, she mused, along with being a knight in shining armor, he was also a sensitive man who didn’t like making people feel foolish or uncomfortable by pointing out their mistakes.
    “Thanks, things are looking up...now that we’ve got this,” Jared called back, indicating the battery he was carrying out of the store.
    * * *
    They were back in the parking lot within half an hour of initially leaving it. The guard posted at the studio entrance stopped them from going in. “Need to see your ID,” he said.
    “But we were just here,” Jared protested, taking out his driver’s license. “You checked my ID before.”
    “And you were on the list as a visitor for the More than Roommates taping. But they’re gone for the day and that means you should be, too.” His eyes swept over both of them. It was apparent that he recognized her as well, but the same limitations applied to her as to the man he’d just denied access to the studio.
    “We’re not going to the soundstage,” Elizabeth told the guard. “Just the parking lot.”
    “Lots of other parking lots to go to that aren’t behind closed gates,” the guard informed them.
    “You don’t understand. My car battery died and this man was nice enough to take me to the last auto parts store that was still open to get a new battery. It’s right in the back if you don’t believe me. You can come see for yourself,” she urged.
    “I believe you. If you were going to make up a story, it would have been more interesting than that,” he groused. Pausing for a moment, as if wrestling with his conscience, he finally stepped aside. “It’s against regulations, but okay, go on in. But just be quick about it,” he urged.
    “Absolutely. I have no intentions of spending the night here,” she told the guard, then turned to look at Jared. “Thanks to you,” she added.
    Jared shrugged off her thanks as he drove back onto the lot and toward her vehicle. “Just trying to earn my merit badge,” he cracked.
    “You earned it when you found the parts guy,” she responded.
    “Then maybe I’ll go for two,” he said, pressing down on the accelerator. With most of the soundstages closed for the evening, there was far less foot and vehicle traffic and no reason to go slow.
    Reaching her car, he took a flashlight out of his glove compartment and got out. Elizabeth jumped out on her side, eager to get this over with. She’d detained Jared long enough already.
    He turned on the flashlight, and handed it to Elizabeth. “Here, hold this,” he instructed, then gestured for her to aim the light at the inside of the open hood.
    Jared took the new battery out of his backseat and brought it over to her car, setting it down on the ground. He took a long look at the defunct battery inside her car. Getting it out would have been a very simple matter—if he had the proper tools.
    Staring at the dead battery now, he muttered under his breath, “Houston,