by Delia Latham
But the other woman’s face cleared in an instant. “You must have seen Solomon!”
“Solomon, yes! Just like the agency’s name.”
Destiny’s face glowed. Kylie squirmed a little under her intense stare. “You can’t possibly know how fortunate you are, sweetie. Not everyone gets to see him.”
“He’s kind of hard to miss.”
Rich, warm laughter met her statement. “He is, isn’t he?” Destiny crossed the few feet between them and pulled Kylie into a quick hug. “Listen to me, girl. I’ll tell you about Solomon when I think you’re ready to hear it, OK? Right now, I’m just glad you met him. It lets me know you’re supposed to be here.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re sure. That makes one of us.” Two, if she counted Solomon, who had said something along those same lines…hadn’t he?
“I am sure,” Destiny said. “But that doesn’t release you from our agreement about attending services.”
Kylie rolled her eyes. “I know. I promise I’ll find a church.”
She left with plans to return for a video session the next morning. Solomon no longer waited outside, though she watched for him all the way to her car.
Kylie's Kiss
3
Rick Dale rushed into the Creekside Restaurant at ten minutes past the hour. He’d scheduled this appointment for seven o’clock, and he was late. He glanced around the bustling room, searching for his friend.
“Ricky D!”
A heavy hand pounded his shoulder, and he swung around to face Clay Gallagher’s grinning countenance. As a teenager, this guy stood head and shoulders above every other kid in their class. Now Rick felt like a man in the shadow of Mt. Gallagher.
“We have a table. Come on.” Clay motioned for Rick to follow and made his way through the candlelit dining room. “Destiny’s eager to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He hoped he sounded more sincere than he felt. Their whole purpose in meeting here tonight was so he could meet Clay’s wife, but he lacked any discernible measure of enthusiasm. At his friend’s urging, he’d agreed to hear more about Destiny Gallagher’s matchmaking service, but that kind of thing was way outside his realm of familiarity or comfort, Christian service or not.
It wasn’t as though he’d ever had to beg for dates. He didn’t see anything particularly outstanding about the way he looked, but most women seemed to find him at least somewhat attractive. At thirty-three, he’d dated here and there and everywhere for a long time with no results worth mentioning, and that included one brief, disastrous marriage. Maybe it was time he got a little help. He wasn’t getting any younger.
They arrived at a table in the back corner, located far enough from the other diners to provide a bit of seclusion. Clay must have requested a semi-private arrangement. Good old Gallagher! The last thing Rick needed was someone overhearing his conversation with Castle Creek’s new love mogul.
“Rick Dale, I’d like you to meet my wife, Destiny.” Clay’s eyes shone with love and pride as he made the introduction, and Rick turned. What kind of woman had snagged his boyhood friend?
He found himself mesmerized by a pair of smoky green eyes beneath a mane of thick auburn hair, and a wide smile that demanded one in return. Seated with her back to the wall behind the square table, Destiny Gallagher sparkled. It was the only word Rick could think of to do her justice, despite her simplicity of apparel. She wore a simple black cocktail dress and a bare minimum of jewelry—just the gleaming rock on her left hand and a diamond-studded cross on a thin chain around her neck.
“Hey!” Clay placed a hand on Rick’s shoulder and shook it hard enough to rattle his teeth. “That’s my wife you’re drooling over.”
The woman laughed—a delightful gurgle of merriment that enchanted Rick in an instant. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Clay’s told me so much about the scrapes the two of you got into as kids.” She grabbed a massive paw and tugged her husband down beside her. “Stop bullying your friend, darling. Be nice.”
“The pleasure is entirely mine.” Rick slid in opposite Clay and smiled. “Man, all I can say is you’d better be glad you found her before I did.”
Clay cocked one eyebrow and glared. Rick chuckled, knowing the mock warning was only somewhat playful. Well, he didn’t blame the man. If he ever got lucky enough to find a woman like this one, he’d be every bit as possessive.
The waiter took their orders, then melted into the semi-darkness. Destiny allowed no time for uncomfortable silence. “Clay says you’ve just returned to California. I must say, he was thrilled to hear you’re back in Castle Creek.” She cast a quick, teasing glance at her husband before continuing. “Where have you been all these years, Rick Dale?”
He didn’t really want to get into that tonight. “Oh, here and there.” He coaxed his lips into a half-hearted smile. “I never knew where my job would land me next.”
“What job is that?”
To his surprise, talking about himself wasn’t as painful as he had expected. Clay’s wife made the interview feel like normal conversation.
“Was,” he said, in answer to Destiny’s question. “I’ve taken a new career path now, but at the time I was dropping fire repellent chemicals down on wildfires from a C-130 air tanker.”
She raised one eyebrow. “How interesting! You’re the first firefighter pilot I’ve ever met. There’ve been a devastating number of wildfires in California the last few years. They must have kept you busy.”
“Busier than I wanted to be sometimes,” he admitted. “Record hot temperatures the last few years have created dry conditions that are always a hazard. Then there’s plain old human negligence—to say nothing of deliberate arson.” He sighed, recalling the endless miles of devastation to nature, destruction of homes, and even loss of human life he’d witnessed over the years. “Do you realize that in the last couple of decades, U.S. wildfires have destroyed an area about the size of Oregon?”
Clay frowned and shook his head. “I didn’t have a clue it was that bad.”
“Neither did I.” Destiny hesitated. “It’s a dangerous job, of course.”
“It can be.” Rick made no attempt to downplay the hazards of the occupation. He’d lost too many friends for that. “But then, it’s not quite the derring-do it appears to be in some old movies I could mention.”
“Always. Richard Dreyfuss and John Goodman.” Destiny landed an elbow in her husband’s ribs and he groaned. “But we won’t name any names.”
Rick sipped from his water goblet. “Most pilots are smarter than to pull those kinds of stunts. Besides, the FAA would have our hides if we tried.”
Their food arrived, and the conversation took a more lighthearted turn. Rick was glad for the reprieve. He couldn’t forget the real reason they were here. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
When Destiny finally brought up the dreaded subject over dessert, she angled the attention toward Clay. Again, Rick noted her tact. The woman seemed almost uncannily perceptive.
“I’m still having trouble believing this guy told you about Solomon’s Gate.” She brushed the fingers of one hand down Clay’s cheek and gave him a saucy grin. Head-over-heels in love, the two of them. Rick’s heart gave a lurch of such intense longing that it almost took his breath away. He clenched his jaw, stunned. Until that moment, he hadn’t known how much he wanted that kind of relationship.
He made a conscious effort to focus on what Destiny was saying.
“I don’t know if he told you, but your pal here wasn’t my biggest fan when I first hung out the shingle at Solomon’s Gate.”
“That’s not true. I was always a fan of yours,” Clay countered. “I just wasn’t too excited about your choice of profession.”
Rick chuckled. “I can imagine. Castle Creek has always been such a conservative town. It’s hard to believe places like this still exist in California. Back east, everyone thinks we’re on the cutting edge of every new idea, invention, fad…whatever. It’s hard to make them understand that the G
olden State still boasts quite a few mid-sized towns that cling to a deeply conservative standard.” He smiled across the table at his hostess. “I have to admit, I was a little shocked myself when I discovered my hometown has a dating service—and even more surprised to see how successful it is.”
“God’s been good.” Destiny’s sincere response caught and held his attention. “He had Solomon’s Gate planned long before I ever started thinking about it. When His time is right, everything falls into place, Rick—and that’s the foundation on which I built my business.” She met his gaze. “If a relationship is not in God’s plan, I don’t want it for my Seekers. I talk to Him at length before I bring any couple together, and He always guides my decisions.”
“Are you saying every couple you introduce is right for one another?”
Destiny laughed. “I only wish that were true! But I will say this. So far, we haven’t caused any emotional train wrecks. Most of my couples know within a date or two whether it’s a viable connection or not—probably because, as Christians, they’ve prayed about it. Some become the best of friends, even when there’s no spark of physical attraction.” She stirred her iced tea, picked it up, and sipped. “I happen to believe God is as much behind those pairings of friendship as He is the love connections. Everyone needs a good friend, but certain personalities have a hard time making them.”
Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “Of course, our primary goal is still to hear the wedding bells. I’ll be honest, my policy is to refund a large percentage of the Seeker fee to those who don’t find Mr. or Ms. Right within six months. Good friends don’t count in that equation, so obviously I’m thrilled when my matchmaking efforts come to the sought-after conclusion.”
“Destiny has amazed me with this business.” Clay’s voice held no remaining hint of levity. “At first, I had more than a few qualms about its success—not that I doubted your abilities, sweetheart.”
“Not enough qualms to keep you from secretly funding it.” Clay’s wife sent him a teasing glance. Stunned, Rick watched his friend’s face redden.
“Well, yeah. But we’re not going to talk about that tonight.”
Destiny laughed softly as Clay turned to Rick, his gaze steady and sober. “Thanks to my wife, I’ve learned that when God has a plan, circumstances don’t matter. Not location, not background, not prejudices—nothing. Solomon’s Gate is an excellent example. I believe it has thrived here because of this woman’s faith. She allowed God to take the wheel, and He drove through every obstacle to make this business what He meant it to be all along.”
Rick downed his last swig of lukewarm coffee and stared for a moment into the empty mug before raising his gaze. He looked first at his old friend and then at the woman beside him. “I never thought I’d do it, but you’ve convinced me.” He nodded. “I have an annoying little insurance situation to take care of in the morning, but any time in the afternoon will work for me. When should I come in?”
****
“Stop fidgeting, Ky!” Dayna tugged Kylie’s fingers across the table until she achieved an unyielding hold on the squirming digits.
Kylie blew out an impatient huff of air, then giggled. Her friend’s boisterous movements had set her short black curls bouncing like a Slinky spring.
“How can I give you gorgeous nails if you keep moving your hand?” Her caramel-skinned friend raised a dark chocolate-colored gaze from Kylie’s fingers long enough to throw her a mock frown. “You’re worse than Eva Kate about sitting still.”
They were seated at the Matthews’ dining table. When Dayna heard about the upcoming video session at Solomon’s Gate, she had insisted on giving Kylie a free manicure. This included acrylic nails, which Kylie rarely wore.
But Dayna would not be put off. “If you think men don’t notice a woman’s fingernails—ragged or otherwise—you are so far off. Besides, no friend of Dayna Patton’s is going to parade herself on video with anything less than sensational hands.”
Dayna owned a bustling little beauty business called Tipz and Tanz. A steady stream of customers kept the perky manicurist busy as a honeybee in June—which was just the way she seemed to like it.
“I sit still, Mommy. See.” Seated at the other end of the table, Eva Kate had been squirming in time to the off-key tune she hummed, while doodling in the butterfly notebook Kylie gave her. Now she struck a pose like a statue, bright pink marker in hand, eyes the same deep brown as her mother’s, frozen wide open.
Both women laughed, and Dayna blew the child a kiss. “You’re being such a good girl for Mommy. Now, Kylie, see if you can do that!”
“Eva Kate.” From the arched doorway, a rich male baritone broke in. “What are you doing, princess? These girls treating you OK?”
The child’s eyes lit up and she abandoned her notebook to dash across the room and throw her arms around Jack Matthews’s long legs. “Papa Jack! I came to see you.”
When Dayna’s parents retired to the East Coast the year before, the Matthews family unofficially adopted her little clan. Kylie’s dad swung the little girl up into his arms and planted a loud smooch on her soft cheek. “I’m glad you did. I missed my girl.” He fixed a questioning gaze on his daughter. “Kylie, did you call the insurance company?”
She sucked in a breath and grimaced. “I forgot.”
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “All right, fine. Where’s the information? I’ll do it, just as you hoped I would.”
She grinned, feeling a little sheepish. But only a little. “Thanks, Daddy. You’re so much better at these things than I am.”
“Yeah, yeah. Flattery always gets you everywhere, doesn’t it? So where’s the information? You did get it, right?”
She started to rise, but Dayna refused to release her hand. Kylie sighed. “Eva Kate, would you bring my purse over here, please? Papa Jack needs something out of it.”
The little girl slid down one long leg, dashed across the room, and snatched the yellow bag off a nearby sofa table. She climbed up onto a dining chair and popped the purse open, grinning ear to ear. Apparently, pawing through the contents of an adult’s pocketbook was great fun. “This one?” She held up a compact, giggling when the pose triggered a round of laughter.
“No, that’s not it, baby. It’s on a little white card about this big.” Using the fingers of the hand not locked in Dayna’s clutches, Kylie indicated the approximate size. “I think I just dropped it down in there, so it should be floating around all by itself. It’s not inside anything.” She swung her gaze to Dayna. “I was so upset! I might have swallowed the silly thing and never known what I did.”
“This one?” Eva Kate produced the business card and waved it in the air over her head.
“Yep, that’s it. Take it to Papa Jack, please.”
Leaving the purse gaping open, the child obeyed. Kylie’s dad picked her up again and slid the card from her fingers. “Thank you, princess.” He eyed the women and twisted his lips in a grimace. “That stuff smells awful. I’m taking Eva Kate in the other room with Elle and me. You don’t mind, do you, Dayna?”
“Of course not.” She shot her daughter a warning look. “Eva Kate, you be a good girl for Papa Jack and Nanny Elle.”
“I always good, Mommy.” Eva Kate’s vehement nod set the row of bright barrettes in her hair to bouncing like antennae. She tightened her hold on her pretend papa’s neck. “Wanna see Nanny Elle now.”
“Your wish is my command.” He turned to leave, but looked over his shoulder. “Oh, I forgot. I was supposed to remind you to call your sister.” Without waiting for an answer, he disappeared down the hall.
Kylie groaned. “I cannot wait to get in that apartment!”
“Oh, quit whining, child. Just call Shay and get it over with.” Dayna sat a little straighter and grinned, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Now tell me all about Solomon’s Gate, little Miss Dating Diva. I’ll give you some pointers for your video session.” She emitted a fake evil chuckle. “When I get through with y
ou, those Solomon’s Gate bachelors won’t even know what hit them.”
Kylie's Kiss
4
Once she overcame her reservations about calling her new boss by his first name as he insisted, Kylie relaxed a little and found that she loved her job at Gallagher Investments more than she had dreamed possible.
Just this morning, Clay surprised her by handing over full responsibility for a major proposal. Fully aware of its importance to the company, Kylie determined that it would be flawless before she gave it back to her employer. Absorbed in perfecting a difficult turn of phrase, she jumped three inches off her seat when the phone rang, then snatched up the receiver to still the jangling.
“Gallagher Investments. Kylie speaking.”
“Hi! Do you have a moment?”
Destiny? Kylie hadn’t expected to hear from anyone at the agency for at least another week. Only three days had passed since her video session.
“Kylie?”
“Sorry. I’m a little surprised to hear from you so soon.” She searched her mind for anything she might have forgotten during the taped interview. “Did I do something wrong on my video intro?”
“You’re so unsure of yourself, sweetie. We’ve really got to work on that!” Destiny chuckled. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. But to be honest, I haven’t shown your video to anyone just yet.”
“That’s OK. I didn’t expect things to happen overnight.”
“Well, that’s just it. I have someone I’d like you to meet.” She hurried on before Kylie could interrupt with questions. “I know you haven’t seen his session. He hasn’t seen yours either, but—well, I have the strongest feeling about you two.”
“Hmmm.” Kylie chewed at her bottom lip while every nerve in her body zinged like an electric current. She’d never get through meeting someone in an arranged program. Her stomach tied itself in knots at the thought, and her heart pounded like a two-ton hammer. “A feeling, huh?”