“Oh, that would be great.” Rhys eyes her from head to toe now that she’s on the other side of the window.
Brigette is beautiful. She danced for years until she found her true passion was animals. She came to Alaska on vacation and decided this is where she wanted to go to school, if for nothing more than to experience living in Alaska. She’s kind of a bucket-list girl, which scares me because I’m not a bucket list kind of guy. I’m born, bred, and happy to die in Lake Starlight. But she swears she loves it here, so all I can really do is trust her.
“Rhys, this is my fiancée, Brigette,” I introduce them, which causes Rhys’s gaze to snap back up to Brigette’s eyes instead of her breasts.
She does dress in some revealing tops on occasion. Dr. Murphy told me Lori doesn’t approve and would like me to talk to Brigette about it now that we’re engaged, but I’d rather be hit by a Mack truck than tell a woman another woman disapproves of what she’s wearing.
All I hear is Brigette ‘cooing’ and ‘ahhing’ over the new dog, Clyde. I peek over the ledge to get a look at the breed and type. Usually I can predict the type of dog someone will buy. The fact that Austin, Juno’s older brother, got a husky fits. Austin loves the outdoors and would want a dog who loves it too. Juno’s sister, Brooklyn, has Gizmo, who is a cross between husky and corgi. One look at her and her husband, Wyatt, says they’re purse-dog people. Nothing too big to ruin their expensive stuff.
I would have expected Rhys to get a Labrador or a golden retriever. A big dog that needs exercise. Not the bulldog that’s slobbering all over Brigette’s coat at the moment. The name Clyde fits him perfectly, but I’m surprised Rhys would pick such a lazy dog.
Rhys finishes fairly quickly and hands the paperwork to Lori, but instead of letting me take them to go examine the little guy, Lori insists she needs to make up the folder first. So we all wait for her to color code and label it, then type information into the computer. She’s organized, don’t get me wrong, but she’s inflexible.
Finally, she hands the folder to Hillary, her dark eyes on me. “She gets it first.”
I raise my hand. “Hillary, let me know when you’re done.”
I disappear before I say something I’ll regret. Something that would cause Dr. Murphy to have a conversation with me. Something that could jeopardize me getting the practice.
“I’ll be just a moment.” Hillary smiles and opens the door to the waiting room. “Come on in, Clyde.”
“I think he’s in love,” Rhys says.
I glance over my shoulder to see Clyde nestled in Brigette’s arms, his face right between her large breasts. I huff a laugh because I’m pretty sure it’s not only Clyde who likes what Brigette has to offer.
Four
Juno
I’m sitting at my desk, looking through files of the women who came in a few months ago for another bachelor, pulling out the ones I think might be a fit based on the little bit of information I got from my potential new client on the phone.
But I can’t focus. My mind keeps wandering to this morning with Colton. A man I’ve known almost as long as I knew my father. Colton’s my rock, the one person I depend on, and his upcoming wedding will change that. He’s not going to run over with soup when I’m sick, veg out with me when I’m depressed, call me up when he has something he needs to talk about. We won’t go on our road trips on the first real nice day of spring. Or cheer on his alma mater, the Rams, on opening college football day. He’ll do all those things with her.
The bell on my door dings, pulling me from the funk I’ve found myself in since the announcement of his upcoming nuptials. A tall, handsome man with dimples so deep, most women drool over them stands inside my office. I’ve had beautiful women use my services on occasion because they feel like they keep attracting the same type of man, but drop-dead gorgeous men are unicorns in my office.
“Hi.” I push away from my desk, holding out my hand while breaking the distance. “Juno Bailey, your matchmaker.”
He shakes my hand and I make a mental note: firm handshake, smooth skin, kind smile. “Hello. I’m Jason Graham.”
“Nice to meet you. Please help yourself to a cookie. Sorry about the children’s theme going on. Mix up at the bakery. Would you like a drink?”
He glances at the box and shakes his head. A guy like him probably stays away from refined sugar and has already had a protein shake after his workout this morning. Think, Juno. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
“Have a seat.” I motion for him to sit in the chair in front of my desk.
“This place is cute. I don’t come to Lake Starlight very often.”
I eye the tattoo peeking out of his shirt sleeve. He’s dressed casually, in jeans and a nice V-neck T-shirt, but a T-shirt no less. Which means he doesn’t have a demanding white-collar job that takes him out of the state. Many women don’t prefer when a man has to constantly travel for work.
“Thanks. I’m born and bred, so I’m a bit prejudiced. Go Spartans!” I raise my fist.
“No worries, I’m not originally from Greywall.”
That’s good, since Greywall and Lake Starlight are rivals in the high school sports circuit. So much so that sometimes grown adults still have riffs.
“When did you move to Greywall?” I ask.
“About two years ago. I’m originally from Seattle. Followed my fiancée to Alaska.”
I frown. “I’m sorry.”
He looks at me skeptically.
“I figure if you’re coming to a matchmaker, you’re no longer engaged?”
He laughs and nods. “Right. Slow on the uptake. Our engagement ended about six months after I followed her here, but I fell in love with Alaska. Go figure, right? I love the one state with more males than females.”
I smile. “Don’t worry. I can’t imagine you’re a hard person to match. Mind if we start in on the personal questions?”
He straightens in his chair. “Shoot.”
I ask him the series of questions I’ve developed and find out that he’s an optometrist. His office is closed on Mondays, but that means he works Saturdays. He loves the outdoors, which is a given since he fell in love with Alaska. You have to be somewhat of an outdoors person to live here. He’s an avid hiker and adventure enthusiast.
“Have you ever done an excursion with Lifetime Adventures?” I ask.
“No. When I first moved here, I checked them out, they seemed really serious and I felt like I might not be able to keep up, but I see they have some novice survivalist excursions now.”
“My brother owns it.” I pull one of their cards out of my desk. “Tell him I sent you.”
He twirls it in his hand. “Perfect.”
“Now let’s get into what you’re looking for in a woman. Please feel free to be as picky and specific as you’d like. I can’t say I’ll get all the boxes checked—I might find a blonde who’s better suited for you than a brunette—but tell me what you’re attracted to.”
He eyes me and his cheeks turn a slight pink. “Are you really asking me to pick my dream girl?”