Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“Michaela loves to hike,” she said just before she closed the door behind her.
Alone again, Troy thought of Fernsby’s rebuke. Sir, this is your future wife we’re talking about.
Marriage?
For the first time in his life, the idea of marriage didn’t terrify Troy. Truth be told, he’d never thought about it. Not when he’d asked Cammie out on a date. Not even when Dane had threatened to pummel him for doing it.
Marriage?
When he pictured Michaela in his bed, the idea didn’t seem so impossible.
After a knock on the door, Betsy poked her head in. “The Hong Kong phone conference starts in five minutes.”
He didn’t hesitate for even a moment. “Cancel it.”
She stared at him like she didn’t recognize him. “But… but…”
That was all she managed before he said, “Please give them my abject apologies and reschedule.”
He knew what Betsy was thinking: This wasn’t like him. He’d never cancel this close to a meeting time. Unless it was an emergency.
But this was an emergency.
This was his future. As Fernsby had said, maybe even his future wife.
True, it was a very important meeting with the Hong Kong shoe manufacturer. Their line of athletic shoes and hiking boots promised to blow everyone’s mind. Not just the buying public, but the whole athletic-shoe industry itself. He’d been courting the company for months, and now that he’d finally secured this negotiation, he was bailing on it.
She was still staring at him; maybe she thought he was a pod person straight out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. “But, Troy, you’ve chased these guys for a year.”
He waved his hand as if that didn’t matter. “I have something more important to work on. They can wait a couple of days. The deal isn’t going to fall apart in one weekend.” And if it did, so be it. His next date with Michaela took precedence.
“All right,” Betsy said with a singsong lilt. “I’ll let them know.” Her face creased in lines of befuddlement, she turned to leave. Looking at him over her shoulder, she shook her head. “Do I even know you anymore?”
Betsy had worked for him long enough to make a judgment about that.
“Lately, I’m not sure I know myself.”
Fernsby found a coffee shop only two blocks from Troy’s building. He ordered each of the ladies a foaming cappuccino and instructed the barista to sprinkle on a little extra cinnamon. Cinnamon was a health food.
He had coffee, black. He was so healthy he didn’t need cinnamon.
After a sip of cappuccino, Flo said, “But we didn’t give him any ideas about where to take Michaela.”
Fernsby drawled, “Which is perfect, my dear lady. The dear boy must come up with the romantic elements himself. And he will. He’s actually quite intelligent, believe it or not.” He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “He just needed a little kick in the pants from us. Which we delivered in spades.”
Susan put down her cappuccino mug. “Oh my, Fernsby, that is delicious. Thank you so much.” She licked a tiny bit of foam from her lip. “I have complete faith that Troy will figure it out.” She smiled. The lady had such a delightful smile. “He’s got it bad if he came to me for help finding out what her favorite things are.” She arched one elegant eyebrow. “He’s not one to give up easily.”
Flo added, “And if he can’t figure it out, we’ll go back.”
Fernsby saluted the two ladies with his mug. “It’s delightful to be on this matchmaking mission with two such lovely ladies.”
They were his new favorite people.
He wondered briefly if he could talk to them about Mathilda Sullivan. Both had the most delightful ears to lend to any problem.
But no. No. That long-ago time was his cross to bear.
And he needed to bear it alone.
Chapter Thirteen
I’m in love with this woman.
The thought should have struck Troy like a thunderbolt. Instead, it was like the finest mist of rain on a hot day. He was in love with Michaela Killian. He didn’t know how it had happened in just a couple of weeks. But Clay had fallen for Saskia in a matter of days. It wasn’t unheard of. It had taken Dane twelve years to admit his feelings for Cammie and fifteen for Ava to finally admit she’d never stopped loving Ransom. Some people were slow on the uptake.
Michaela was extraordinary. She was more than just beautiful on the outside. She was smart and funny—when he wasn’t irritating her. She worked harder than anyone he’d ever known, and she did it all with integrity. She was family and friends first, loyal and caring. She’d been a matchmaker long before she’d started her business, had been all about helping her friends. And she’d paid her mother back for her sacrifices, changed her life, bought her a townhouse, saved her eyes and her fingers from the hard work she’d done most of her life.