Secrets of the World's Worst Matchmaker Read online

  For the past week, Juno and I have been inseparable. Dr. Murphy has called me in for a meeting today and I’m hopeful it has something to do with buying the practice.

  I knock on the door to his office and he looks up from the computer, waving me in.

  “Colton,” he says, directing me to the chair in front of his desk.

  “Good morning.”

  “So we lost Brigette,” he says and a pit forms in my stomach. “But sounds like she’s happy. You both are.”

  “Was your friend able to help?” I ask.

  “He might have, but she and Rhys left two days ago to explore the lower forty-eight. I’m not sure what their plans are.”

  Dr. Murphy knows more than me. Although it was an amicable split between Brigette and me, she didn’t come to me to talk about it before she and Rhys set off into the sunset. I hope she’s happy though.

  “That leaves an opening here at the office. I have a call in to my professor friend in Anchorage with the hopes that we can get someone to help us out. But I think we should get the paperwork together. I figure you’ll need to secure a loan, so why don’t you finalize that, and I’ll contact my lawyer?”

  “Really? You’re ready?” There’s a strong possibility that Dr. Murphy will stay on until we find a new person and train them.

  Dr. Murphy smiles and nods. “After your stint of stopping your wedding for the one you love, Mrs. Murphy has some newfound love for spontaneity, and she wants to travel. I promised her five years ago I’d slow down once I found someone I trusted, and she’s been bothering me since you graduated. So here we are. That is, if you still want the practice?”

  “Yes.” I nod enthusiastically. No question about it, especially now that I’m with Juno. Me owning a vet practice is the security we’ll need to start our life together. “Definitely.”

  He smiles and shakes my hand.

  “Thank you, Dr. Murphy. I promise to run it with the same professionalism and caring nature you have all these years.”

  “Well, we do have one problem to talk about still.”

  I sit back in my chair, already aware of what he wants to talk about—Lori.

  “Lori’s my sister, and although she could get a job somewhere else with her skills, I can’t just throw her out. I sense that once you’re her boss, she’ll ease up on you.”

  I rest my elbows on the arms of the chair. “I think she might hate me.”

  “No. She just doesn’t understand new ways of doing things and I’ve probably allowed her too much leeway over the years. But I have to put in the paperwork that she stays on staff until she chooses or does something against the office policies.”

  If this is the cost of having the business, I won’t argue. Lori isn’t exactly youthful, so I can handle her until her retirement. “I understand, and I’m in agreement.”

  His expression says he appreciates that I’m being a team player. “Okay, well, call that contact at the bank, and let’s get the ball rolling. Congratulations, Colton.” He stands and puts his hand out again.

  I stand and shake his hand. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

  “You’re a good kid. I’m happy to see things are turning around for you.” He winks.

  All I can think of is Juno, and he’s right. Things couldn’t be better with us, and now I’m getting the practice. Life has never been better.

  After I leave Dr. Murphy’s office, I go to the break room and dial up Mario at the bank, hoping the paperwork won’t take that long. We’ve already discussed everything; the question has always been when.

  “Mario Arroyo,” he answers.

  “Hey, Mario, it’s Colton Stone.”

  “Dr. Murphy is finally ready to retire, huh?”

  I laugh. “Yeah.”

  “Okay, I’ll draw up the loan application. Come by on your lunch if you want, or we’re open until five. You can sign everything, and I’ll start getting the loan processed.”

  Butterflies fill my stomach. I’m actually doing this. A loan isn’t ideal, but I don’t have enough in savings since I purchased a house. “I’ll be there at lunch.”

  “Perfect.”

  I hang up and relish that my life is finally coming together how I always wanted.

  Twenty-Four

  Juno

  * * *

  I’m packing up stuff at my office to head back to the bar in Anchorage for another blind speed dating night. I’ve sent a text to Stella to let her know that Kingston will be there tonight, but she hasn’t answered. If they both show up, I’m diving under a table.

  “Ready?” Colton walks into my office looking delicious in jeans and a T-shirt that stretches over his shoulders.

  “You already changed after work? All the women there are going to be wishing you were one of the dates.” I add flyers and business cards for SparkFinder into the box.

  “Well, then I’ll have to tell them someone stole my heart already.”

  I shake my head, smiling at him.

  “I have some good news.” He sits in my office chair, twirling around like a child.

  At least he has good news. My news is that maybe, just maybe, I can catch up on my rent if these blind date functions keep going so well.

  “Yeah?”

  “Dr. Murphy has agreed to sell me the practice.”

  I abandon the box and turn around to face him. “And you waited this long to tell me? When did he let you know?”

  “This morning. I had to call in my loan to be processed. Signed the papers at lunch, so I’ll find out in a week or so.” His boyish smile shows how happy he is.

  This is what he’s wanted since he graduated. He knew there was no room for two vet practices in Lake Starlight, so either he buys Four Paws from Dr. Murphy when he retires, or he would have to go somewhere else to practice. This keeps him here in Lake Starlight permanently.

  Other than Colton, my life is in flux, but he doesn’t need to worry about my problems when all his dreams are coming true.

  “I have my girl and a practice. Life is good.” He leans back and puts his hands behind his head while stretching his legs out on the desk.

  “And it looks good on you.” I grin.

  “Good enough that you maybe want to have a quickie before we leave?” His eyebrows waggle.

  I laugh, breaking the distance between us and pushing his feet off the desk. “I could just hide here under the desk. No one would know what was happening if they looked through the glass.”

  I glance at the clock. We have at least ten minutes before we have to leave to be there. After I slide under the desk, Colton straightens the chair so he’s facing my desk straight-on. On my knees, I unbutton his jeans and pull the zipper down.

  He groans and slides down in the chair so I have more to work with. Rubbing his hard length, I lower his boxer briefs down over his dick, not thinking anything of seeing it anymore. This past week, we’ve sought and found every erogenous zone on one another. I run my tongue up his length, twirling it around the tip, which makes him press his back to the chair.

  “Shit,” he says, his hands gripping the arms of my office chair.

  I’m not exactly a pro at this, but Colton makes me feel like a porn star when I go down on him. He groans as one of my hand plays with his balls while my other one pumps him. My mouth works his tip as though it’s my favorite lollipop.

  “Damn, Juno.” He bucks forward, the tip of his dick hitting the back of my throat.

  I continue my pace, cranking up the speed little by little, and he groans like a game of hot and cold, telling me how close we’re getting to him coming. When his hands tug on my hair, he’s hit his threshold and I work him as I have the past few days, the way I know will get him off.

  “I’m gonna come,” he says and bucks again in my mouth.

  The bell on my door rings and Colton freezes as his cum leaks into my mouth as if it’s an afterthought.

  “Colton,” his mom says with a chuckle. “Are you the matchmaker now?”

  �
��Mom,” Colton says and coughs.

  He glances down between his legs and my mind scrambles with a million half-assed ways to get out of this. I could’ve dropped a pen, but why would Colton be tucked into the open space in my desk instead of helping me? Nothing explains why I’m down here except that I was just blowing her son.

  My head falls against his kneecap and I want to cry from embarrassment.

  “Where’s Juno? I brought her this cute knick-knack I found at the flea market in Greywall this weekend. Isn’t it cute? It says, ‘Trust me, I’m a matchmaker.’”

  “Yeah. Cute.”

  “So, where is she?”

  Colton laughs because he always laughs when he’s uncomfortable. I punch his thigh, which only makes him laugh harder.

  “She’s looking for something,” he says.

  “Where?”

  Colton laughs harder now. “Okay, Mom, you know we’re grown and everything, right?”

  Oh no, he doesn’t. My hand slides up his pant leg and I pinch any skin I can find.

  “Ouch!” He wheels back and grabs his leg.

  “What?” His mom sounds panicked because Colton, her only child, is her world. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine. I’m sure Juno will be back soon. Just leave it and I’ll give it to her.”

  “Oh, I’ll wait. Where’d she go?”

  He slyly slides his hands under the desk, tucking himself into his boxers, but he has no choice but to leave his pants open if he doesn’t want to tip her off as to where I am. “I’m not sure. The bank?”

  To beg for money if that was the case.

  “How are things with the two of you?” she asks.

  I hear the vinyl of my guest chair crinkle, suggesting she’s getting comfortable.

  “Good.”

  “Good as in we’ll be planning another wedding soon?”

  I gag and Colton coughs to mask the noise.

  “You’re not getting sick, are you, sweetie?”

  “No. Don’t come over here. I’m not five, Mom, I don’t have a fever.” He waves her off before she can come over to this side of the desk and see his pants undone and me between his legs.

  At least we’ve moved the conversation somewhere other than a wedding. Hello, it’s been one week since he left his bride at the altar for me. What is she thinking?

  “Are you sure? You know you sometimes get spring allergies.”

  “I’m positive.”

  I want to laugh out loud because he just said this morning he’d used up the last of his allergy pills and had to grab some today.

  “Listen, Mom, I know she has to head out to Anchorage for a blind speed date thing. I don’t know if she’ll be coming back here before she leaves.”

  “When did she start doing that? She’s always just been a matchmaker, not a dating service.”

  Leave it to Mrs. Stone to ask questions that will make Colton think harder about what I’m doing. Shit.

  “I guess to get more customers. I’m not really sure,” he says.

  “Is she okay? You do know to not only talk about yourself in a relationship, right? You have to be a true partner and listen to her as well. It’s a two-way street—”

  Colton holds up his hand. “I know. No worries, you’ve taught me well.”

  And she has. You never have to worry about that with Colton, which is precisely why I don’t want him to find out about my failing business. He’ll put on his superhero cape. I don’t need him swooping in to save me.

  “If you say so.” She’s quiet for a moment. “I’m sad to miss her. I really wanted to hug her because I’m so happy the two of you are finally together.”

  Colton smiles at his mom. It’s the one that says he agrees with her.

  “Well, I guess I’ll come back tomorrow. Give me a hug.”

  “No,” Colton says.

  “What?” Mrs. Stone sounds confused.

  “I have to go to the bathroom. If I get up and hug you without going to the bathroom first, I might pee myself.”

  I bite his jeans to muffle my laugh. That’s the best he could come up with?

  “I’ve told you not to hold it. You’ll get a urinary tract infection.”

  “Sorry, Mom.”

  I cover my mouth before I lose it and crack up under here.

  “Uh huh. Okay, love you.”

  “Bye, Mom.” He waves and I’m assuming she’s at the door.

  “I love you too. Juno, you can come out from under the desk now. Oh, young love. Reminds me of your father and me.”

  The door chime rings, and Colton slides out, buttoning and zipping his jeans.

  My cheeks are red hot. “I can never face your mother again,” I say, crawling into his lap.

  He holds me tightly, kissing my neck. “She might be weirded out, but she’s cool with it.”

  “That’s just wrong. For your mom to know I was doing that.”

  His fingers run up my back to the back of my head. “And you are a master at that, I’m telling you.”

  I climb off his lap. “Don’t you have to go to the bathroom?” I chuckle.

  “What was I supposed to say?”

  “How about you think you might be catching a cold?”

  “You know that wouldn’t stop my mom.”

  I nod. “True.” I pick up the box. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.” He takes the box from my hands and the bell chimes again.

  This time it’s Earl, the mailman.

  “Hey, Earl,” Colton says. “Put it in the box.”

  Earl does and he nods at me. “Miss Juno. Mr. Colton. Congratulations are in order?”

  Colton glances at me over his shoulder and back at Earl. “I guess.”

  “Happy to hear it. You make a lovely couple. Have a nice day.”

  “You too, Earl,” we say in unison.

  I go to the box and pick up the mail, then shove it into my drawer.

  “You can open it on the way,” Colton suggests.

  “Nah. I’m sure there’s nothing important.” I wave him off.

  Hopefully, he didn’t see the red line on the paper through the envelope like I did. Of course if he did, he probably thought nothing of it, having never received a past due notice in his life.

  Colton walks out to his truck that’s parked along the side of the road. I look at the picture of Aunt Etta and debate if this whole matchmaker thing is even worth fighting for. Maybe my mom had it wrong and I can’t predict who belongs together. The fact that my business is failing is a bigger sign than my red hair. The color means exactly what it did when I was eleven—that I’m different.

  Twenty-Five

  Colton

  * * *

  As usual, Juno organizes the blind speed dating thing perfectly and her customers—who are most of Kingston’s buddies—are happy. Thankfully, whether Stella got Juno’s message or not, she didn’t show up. Although I view the situation differently than Juno. Kingston deserves to know that Stella’s back so he can clear things up with her. Figure out where they stand going forward, even if it’s as acquaintances or nothing at all.

  After everyone blindly talks through the partitions, a few of Kingston’s buddies head into the bar area to mingle with girls, but Kingston heads my way, a beer in hand.

  “What’s up?” he says, sliding into the stool across from me.

  “Nothing. No matches?” I ask.

  He smirks and shakes his head. “I just can’t. You know? I’ve tried. You ever feel like you’re filling a need and not the hole?”

  I raise my eyebrows and he laughs.

  “Yeah, I phrased that wrong. I guess I mean, I sleep with girls, but nothing really fills the void.”

  I tip my water bottle toward him. “There’s a better word.”

  He chuckles.

  Sadly, I do understand, and my gaze lingers on Juno talking to some of the ladies who didn’t match with anyone. She hands them business cards and they continue talking, one of them pointing toward our table. I catch her
eyes for a moment, and she smiles and turns back to the group, telling them something.

  “I’d only tell you this, but I’m sick of wasting my time with the entire dating thing,” Kingston says. “For a while I was cool with it, but now all my siblings are getting hitched and having babies.”

  “You’re only twenty-five,” I say, and he nods.

  “I guess so.” He glances over his shoulder. “I looked Stella up the other day. Being back at Cozy Cottage with Selene last week made the urge too strong to ignore.”

  My throat tightens. “And?”

  “From what I can tell, she’s still in New York. I’m thinking about going out to Sedona’s, maybe pop in on Stella.”

  “Don’t track her down,” I say, mostly because he’s wrong. Stella’s literally minutes away from us right now and I hate that I’m keeping this secret.

  “It’s been a while. We were cordial at Austin and Holly’s wedding. We friended each other on social media. That means something, right?”

  Something I’ve noticed about Kingston is that he’s almost always willing to tell others his feelings. Where Rome and Denver always hid them, and I think Austin, being the oldest, felt like he had to keep it all in, Kingston wears his heart on his sleeve, so to speak. It’s admirable.

  “You’re talking to a guy who waited for more than a decade for your sister to come to her senses.”

  He chuckles and sips his beer. “She’s a slow learner.”

  “Excuse me.” Juno slaps him on the back of the head. “You better not have been talking about me.”

  “It took you forever to admit your feelings for Colton.”

  Juno sticks out her tongue, weaving her way between my legs and wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “Did you have to tell those girls I’m taken?” I ask.

  She draws back and narrows her eyes. I nod toward the girls with the business card, and she laughs. “Sorry, Don Juan, they were interested in Kingston.”

  Kingston laughs.

  “Ouch,” I say.

  “Ouch? You have the best girl in this place.”

  I tighten my arms around her and kiss her neck. “That’s right. You are a brilliant matchmaker.”