extra help was needed to introduce eligible bachelors to the potential brides and vice versa. The Trowbridge family always provided a spinster relative to take care of the task.
Leticia visited the surrounding towns, looking for interested mates for the residents. Charlie’s mother was introduced to her father by Leticia’s great-aunt, the previous matchmaker. Charlie considered turning around and walking in the opposite direction. But Lettie was as tenacious as her little terrier and ignoring her now would make her only more determined,
“Evening, Lettie.”
Her little Westie pranced along at her side and Charlie bent down to pet the dog. “Hello, Poppy. How are you tonight?”
“She has a sore paw,” Lettie said. “I think she might have stepped on a piece of glass on our morning walk. I’m glad I ran into you, Charlotte.”
Charlie had her doubts that their meeting had happened by chance. In truth, she’d been expecting Lettie to show up all evening, ready to evaluate the new man in town, especially since he was a Quinn and sleeping at the Sibley boathouse.
No doubt she knew of Ronan Quinn’s arrival just minutes after it happened. Maxine at the visitor’s center had Lettie on speed dial. She’d probably already done a background check, a credit check and a Google search, preparing a file that would rival those of the Secret Service.
“I’m just on my way home, Lettie. I’ve had a really long day.”
“I know! And that’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I hear we have a new man in town. And he’s single and handsome and will be working for you.”
“All of that is correct,” she said. “And he’s a Quinn.”
“You know what this means, don’t you?”
Charlie sighed and ran her fingers through her windblown hair. “I really don’t think he’s going to want to be set up on any dates, Lettie. He’s only here for six weeks and then he’s heading back to Seattle. So he won’t have time to date. You can ask him, but I think he’ll agree.”
“I’m not thinking of him for my other clients. I’m thinking of him for you, Charlotte.”
“Me?” Charlie shook her head. “No, no, no. He’s my employee. You are not going to bother him with any of your manipulations. Especially if they’re on my behalf. I’m not interested in getting married.”
“Don’t you understand, Charlotte? If you fall in love with this man and marry him, the curse will be broken. He’s a Quinn, you’re a Sibley. It’s meant to be. After all these years, the marriage that Bridie wanted can happen.”
“Shhh! Lettie, please. Don’t start with this. I’m not interested in marrying Ronan. We don’t even know each other. Besides, he lives in Seattle.”
Lettie wagged her finger at Charlie. “Let me be very clear here, Charlotte. The entire town is depending on you. We’ve lived with this curse for far too long. And I’ve been thinking about retiring to Florida for the last three years only I’ve been stuck here trying to fix people up so that at least a few of our citizens can find a happily-ever-after. I’m tired. I want to spend my days playing shuffleboard and my nights playing canasta with my sister, Prudy.”
What was she supposed to say? If Ronan got wind of Lettie’s plans, he’d be on the next bus out of town. “How many people have you told about this?” Charlie asked.
“No one. I wanted to talk to you first.”
“All right. I want to keep it that way. There’s no use getting the whole town all excited about something that might never happen.”
Charlie knew she’d need to buy herself some time. If she could convince Lettie to keep her plans to herself, maybe she might manage to save herself some embarrassment. After all, she had no intention of marrying Ronan Quinn! Maybe she’d fool around a little with him, but in six weeks, he’d return to Seattle and she’d go on with her life in Sibleyville.
“I’m going to need all the advice you can give me. But you
Leticia visited the surrounding towns, looking for interested mates for the residents. Charlie’s mother was introduced to her father by Leticia’s great-aunt, the previous matchmaker. Charlie considered turning around and walking in the opposite direction. But Lettie was as tenacious as her little terrier and ignoring her now would make her only more determined,
“Evening, Lettie.”
Her little Westie pranced along at her side and Charlie bent down to pet the dog. “Hello, Poppy. How are you tonight?”
“She has a sore paw,” Lettie said. “I think she might have stepped on a piece of glass on our morning walk. I’m glad I ran into you, Charlotte.”
Charlie had her doubts that their meeting had happened by chance. In truth, she’d been expecting Lettie to show up all evening, ready to evaluate the new man in town, especially since he was a Quinn and sleeping at the Sibley boathouse.
No doubt she knew of Ronan Quinn’s arrival just minutes after it happened. Maxine at the visitor’s center had Lettie on speed dial. She’d probably already done a background check, a credit check and a Google search, preparing a file that would rival those of the Secret Service.
“I’m just on my way home, Lettie. I’ve had a really long day.”
“I know! And that’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I hear we have a new man in town. And he’s single and handsome and will be working for you.”
“All of that is correct,” she said. “And he’s a Quinn.”
“You know what this means, don’t you?”
Charlie sighed and ran her fingers through her windblown hair. “I really don’t think he’s going to want to be set up on any dates, Lettie. He’s only here for six weeks and then he’s heading back to Seattle. So he won’t have time to date. You can ask him, but I think he’ll agree.”
“I’m not thinking of him for my other clients. I’m thinking of him for you, Charlotte.”
“Me?” Charlie shook her head. “No, no, no. He’s my employee. You are not going to bother him with any of your manipulations. Especially if they’re on my behalf. I’m not interested in getting married.”
“Don’t you understand, Charlotte? If you fall in love with this man and marry him, the curse will be broken. He’s a Quinn, you’re a Sibley. It’s meant to be. After all these years, the marriage that Bridie wanted can happen.”
“Shhh! Lettie, please. Don’t start with this. I’m not interested in marrying Ronan. We don’t even know each other. Besides, he lives in Seattle.”
Lettie wagged her finger at Charlie. “Let me be very clear here, Charlotte. The entire town is depending on you. We’ve lived with this curse for far too long. And I’ve been thinking about retiring to Florida for the last three years only I’ve been stuck here trying to fix people up so that at least a few of our citizens can find a happily-ever-after. I’m tired. I want to spend my days playing shuffleboard and my nights playing canasta with my sister, Prudy.”
What was she supposed to say? If Ronan got wind of Lettie’s plans, he’d be on the next bus out of town. “How many people have you told about this?” Charlie asked.
“No one. I wanted to talk to you first.”
“All right. I want to keep it that way. There’s no use getting the whole town all excited about something that might never happen.”
Charlie knew she’d need to buy herself some time. If she could convince Lettie to keep her plans to herself, maybe she might manage to save herself some embarrassment. After all, she had no intention of marrying Ronan Quinn! Maybe she’d fool around a little with him, but in six weeks, he’d return to Seattle and she’d go on with her life in Sibleyville.
“I’m going to need all the advice you can give me. But you
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