Blushing in Boston: At the Altar, #7

By Kirsten Osbourne

Brenda Holt is certain she'll never find love. At the urging of her friend Michaela, she contacts a matchmaker, hoping the woman will work magic and find her a man she can spend her life with. The only catch is, they will be introduced at the altar. When she first meets Daniel Axford, she's convinced that Matchrimony has made its first mistake. 
After a rough childhood, Daniel establishes an online dating site, running the business as its CEO. When using his own company doesn't work well for him, he hires a matchmaker to find a suitable bride. Not expecting to feel more than a passing affection for his new bride, he's startled when he sees her, afraid if he gets too close, he'll lose his heart. Can he spend the rest of his life with this woman without falling in love? Or will she break through the wall he's built around himself to find the man within?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Unlimited Dreams
• Release date: Jul 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533716170

Book preview

Brenda Holt is certain she'll never find love. At the urging of her friend Michaela, she contacts a matchmaker, hoping the woman will work magic and find her a man she can spend her life with.  The only catch is, they will be introduced at the altar.  When she first meets Daniel Axford, she's convinced that Matchrimony has made its first mistake.

After a rough childhood, Daniel establishes an online dating site, running the business as its CEO. When using his own company doesn't work well for him, he hires a matchmaker to find a suitable bride.  Not expecting to feel more than a passing affection for his new bride, he's startled when he sees her, afraid if he gets too close, he'll lose his heart.  Can he spend the rest of his life with this woman without falling in love?  Or will she break through the wall he's built around himself to find the man within?

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Chapter 1

Brenda Holt walked into the lunch room at work. She had her phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder, chatting with her friend, Michaela. Michaela had recently married a pastor in Oklahoma, and Brenda wanted to know everything she could about how Michaela had met her new husband, because it was so unorthodox. 

They'd been introduced by Dr. Lachele Simpson. Dr. Lachele ran a company called Matchrimony, which she had founded just a couple of years before, specializing in introducing people at the altar.  Brenda couldn't help but be intrigued by the idea of a matchmaker.  So you really laid eyes on the man for the first time while you were walking down the aisle toward him?  You'd never even talked on the phone?

Michaela sighed.  I told you all this.  The only contact we'd had before the wedding was when he held my hand through the doorway so we could pray together before we married.

But—What if he'd been a mass-murderer or something?  How could you trust someone enough to match you to a man you'd come to love? Brenda could just picture the man she would meet that way.  She'd be walking down the aisle, slowly, holding her father's arm.  And he would turn and have red eyes, and his voice would sound like an evil hiss.  She shook her head, forcing herself to listen to Michaela.

I've known Dr. Lachele since I was a little girl, and I knew she wouldn't match me with someone who would hurt me.

Brenda popped her frozen lunch into the microwave and pushed the buttons to start the cycle.  And you weren't nervous?  Walking to the coffee machine, she made herself a cup of hot cocoa before she sat down at a small table in the middle of the kitchen, waiting on the microwave. 

Michaela laughed.  Nervous?  I was petrified!

But you managed to get through it? Brenda wasn't certain she could push through her fear for long enough to get to the wedding night. She could just see her red-eyed demonic groom standing over her as she lay on her back on the bed, twirling handcuffs on one finger.

Once I was in the situation, I didn't really have a choice.

You think I should do it don't you?

Michaela sighed. Yeah, I do. I think anyone who wants to be happy should do it. I've seen so many people who thought they found their perfect mate, who were in love, who couldn't make it work. Dr. Lachele has a perfect success rate.

No one can have a perfect success rate. I don't care how good they are. Brenda stood up and got her lunch from the microwave. How long has she been in business?

Just a few years. But so far, she's batting a thousand.

How can that be? Brenda sat back down at the table, grabbing a fork. Everyone fails sometimes.  She wasn't about to believe that this Dr. Lachele person was perfect.  She didn't care what Michaela said.

That's true. Eventually she will, I'm sure. She just hasn't yet. I know she's matched at least twenty couples, and there hasn't been a divorce yet.

Brenda frowned. Maybe I'll call her tomorrow. If I can get up the guts.  She liked the idea of having the emotions cut out of the equation where marriage was concerned.  She'd never even picked a good boyfriend, let alone a husband.

Do it now! Michaela urged. Before you lose your courage. I know Lachele can find the right person for you. And I know you'd be so much happier.

Not everyone needs to be married to be happy. Even as she said the words, Brenda realized that she desperately wanted children, and she wasn't about to have them alone.  She didn't want to wait much longer either.

That's very true. Not everyone does. But you've always wanted children. I remember when we were in college and you would talk about wanting six kids. But you wanted at least a year after you were married before you have them. Something about a career?

Brenda sighed. A career in finance is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I expected to adore everything I do, but it's just not working out that way. She looked around to make sure no one was listening to her conversation. Spending eight hours a day talking on the phone is not what I had in mind when I got my degree.  She was working in finance, but it felt like her phone job had to be the bowels of the financial world.

So you should tell Lachele that you need a rich man who keeps you in the style with which you want to be accustomed.

Brenda laughed. Yeah right. Because that's what you do. I'm sure you asked to see Jon's financial statements before you agreed to marry him. Pastors make so much money.

Michaela chuckled. Oh, you're so right about that. Why, we're the richest people in all of Oklahoma. In love.

I never figured you'd get all sappy after you got married.

I'm happy in my sappiness. I'd like you to be happy too.

Fine, I'll call her. When I get home. I can't drive and talk on the phone in Boston traffic. And I'm certainly not calling her from work! She would feel as if she was on display if she called.  She pictured herself in a giant glass jar with all of her co-workers peering into the jar, like Darla, the little girl who looked at the fish in the dentist's office in Finding Nemo.

Yay! I can't wait to hear how happily married you are.

They talked for a few more minutes before Brenda had to hang up, so she could eat her lunch before getting back to work. Another four hours on the phones today. Brenda was sure she could handle it. 

She walked back to her beige cubicle, imagining bars surrounding her.  She was jailed by her phone job!

* * *

Daniel Axford frowned at the woman sitting across from him. She was beautiful, but he was already positive she wasn't his type. They'd only met an hour before, and he was already bored. The only word that came to mind as he thought about her was vacuous. Somehow the elevator didn't go all the way to the top floor.

Daniel was the CEO of an online dating service, and this was the last in a long string of dates that convinced him that online dating services really didn't work. He wished they did, because he was looking for someone. He was a thirty-two-year-old self-made millionaire. Within the year he'd be into the billions.

He wanted to have children and mentor them, teaching them about the world. He considered seeking out a surrogate, but he didn't want anything so impersonal for his child. And he wanted to make sure the woman he chose was the type of mother he wanted for his children. He certainly didn't want someone like vacuous Valerie to mother his child. He wanted someone with a brain. Maybe instead of vacuous Valerie he could find brainy Brenda.

Valerie, or Veronica maybe, was droning on and on about how painful waxing was. It's not bad when you just do the eyebrows, but when they do your legs I just want to scream in pain! There's got to be a better way. She licked her bottom lip in an obvious effort to entice him. What did you say you do?

I didn't. Daniel was ready to get up and leave her there.

Oh. She shook her head, obviously not caring what he thought. Have you ever tried healing crystals? They are so amazing. My grandmother had cancer, or at least we're pretty sure it was cancer. She hadn't been to the doctor yet. But we bought some healing crystals, and we put them on her head, and she was healed in just a few hours. When she went to the doctor the next week, all of the cancer was gone!

Daniel looked at his phone. His secretary was supposed to text him any minute with an emergency. He had her do that for every first date. If it was actually someone he liked he could tell them what he'd done, and they could laugh together. It hadn't happened yet. Never tried them.

Oh, you should! Maybe they could heal your nervous twitch.

Daniel hadn't had a nervous twitch before he met her. I think I'll be all right.

Valerie took another bite of her salad. I'm so glad they don't put cheese on the salad. Some places put it on every salad, and I just think it's so barbaric what they put cows through to get cheese! You know it has to hurt them!

Daniel didn't think that was worth responding to. He just cut off another bite of his steak and popped it into his mouth. He glanced at his phone again. His secretary was five minutes late. Normally he could handle an extra five minutes, but this one was bad. He might have to fire her over this.

His text tone sounded. He picked up his phone and swiped his finger across it. It's my secretary, he said.  There's an emergency. I have to get back to the office.

Valerie looked baffled. It's a Friday night. Who goes back to the office on a Friday?

A man who's in charge of many people. He stood, removed his wallet from his pocket, and threw a hundred-dollar bill on the table. It was great meeting you Vanessa.

It's Valerie.

It really doesn't matter since I'll never be seeing you again. Yes, of course, Valerie.  Have a good night, Valerie. Daniel turned and strode