by V. A. Dold
Krystal grinned at her cousin. “Perfect.” With the family meeting winding down, she glanced at Kensie sitting a few seats away. “I need to talk to you.”
Kensie’s brows rose. “All right.” She got to her feet and came around the table to walk with Krystal out to the great room. “What’s up?”
“I’d like to ask Jojo to work for me in the office, is that okay with you?”
“Sure. With the dude ranch closing, she’ll need a job, so why not?”
Krystal hugged Kensie. “That’s great. I didn’t want to assume anything before I asked her.”
Krystal found Jojo in the horse barn, talking to her favorite horse. “What do you think, Jazzy?”
“If Jazzy answers you, I’m out of here,” Krystal said as she joined Jojo to lean on the stall door.
Jojo clasped a hand over her chest. “Geez, you scared the heck out of me.”
She gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry, sweetie. I thought you heard me come in.”
Jojo snorted. “You’re so quiet when you move around, I’d swear you’re magic or something.”
“Or something,” Krystal mumbled under her breath. “I wanted to let you know that I’m closing down the dude ranch.”
Jojo’s shoulders slumped.
“We have big plans for this part of our operation, and I would like your help with that.”
Jojo instantly straightened. “Really?”
“Yeah. You were the first person I thought of. Why don’t you come with me back to my cabin so we can talk? I have a lot to tell you.”
“Okay.”
Krystal’s cabin was only a couple of acres from the horse barn. It took less than a minute or two to reach her door.
Opening the door, she waved Jojo toward the living room. “Let me get us cold drinks and we can talk.” Once they were settled on her couch with sweet tea, Krystal took a deep breath. “What I’m going to tell you can never be repeated outside this ranch.”
Jojo’s brows popped. “Um, okay.”
“Doug is an extraterrestrial from another solar system, and more ETs are coming.”
Jojo busted out laughing until she realized Krystal wasn’t amused. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not even a little. Has Kensie told you about my gifts?”
“Kind of. She said you can see auras, but I’m not sure what that is.”
“An aura is the natural energy every living thing emits, and it appears to me as colors around each person.”
“Huh. That’s a thing?”
“Yeah,” Krystal chuckled. “It’s a thing.”
Jojo turned to face Krystal straight on. “So what color am I?”
“You’re a lovely pinkish purple, swirled with white wisps.”
“Wow, pretty.”
“Very pretty. I can also talk to spirit guides. Each of us has at least one guide, and I can see them, as well as talk to them.”
Jojo sat back. “Whoa! That’s kind of trippy.”
That made Krystal laugh harder. “You could call it that.”
Jojo was very quiet for a few seconds. “So, aliens are real?”
“Yep, and I’m going to use my gifts to match them with humans.”
“Oh hell, no! People will freak.”
“Yeah, we’re dealing with that. Anyway, long story short, there was a war in another solar system a long time ago, and the bad guys kidnapped the majority of the women and stranded them on other planets. Earth is one of them. So, now centuries later, I’m going to help them find their missing women.”
“We have aliens living on earth?”
“Yes, though they don’t know it. It’s been so long they’ve all died and been reincarnated so many times they have forgotten they aren’t human. Oh, and I prefer the term extra-terrestrial. Alien sounds so derogatory.”
“Holy cow! So are you saying anyone could be an extraterrestrial and not know it?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Jojo looked gobsmacked.
“Anyway, Quin made me a website for the matchmaking service, and the humans will apply to be matched with the extra-terrestrials, and I’ll figure out who belongs with whom. It’s going to be a lot of work, and I’d like you to be my right-hand woman.”
“Yeah, okay. So, how can I help?”
“First of all, I’d like to offer you the job as my administrative assistant, but I need you to do something first.”
Jojo narrowed her eyes. “Like what?”
“I need someone to test drive the website application. All you need to do is apply as if you’re looking for a match so I can verify the information comes through the way it should.”
“Hold on there, I don’t want a human man, much less an ET. I date them and have fun but never ever get serious.”
“I’ve noticed, but like it or not, I need someone to test the system, and you’re it.”
“Can I think about it?”
“Well, I really need it done right away. I can give you until tomorrow, and then I’ll have to find someone else to help me with this project. I was really hoping you’d be my assistant.” Krystal let that hang in the air. She didn’t want to have the job hinge on Jojo applying to the service, but it was the only way to get Jojo in the system.
“So, if I test drive it for you, I get the job?”
“Absolutely.”
“But it won’t be a real application, right? I mean, you aren’t going to process my information into the system or anything like that?”
“Well… once you’re in the system, you’re in. If I find someone who matches your aura and your guide tells me he’s the one, I’ll have to introduce you.”
“What if I meet the guy and I don’t like him? Can I tell him I’m not interested?”
“Sure, if that’s what you really want to do. I would never force you to be with anyone.”
Jojo got up and took her empty glass to the kitchen. “Okay, let me think about it.”
“Great, let me write down the website address, so if you decide to go forward, you can fill out the questionnaire.” She wrote down the info, and the password then handed the slip of paper to Jojo.
Folding it, she tucked it in her pocket. “I’ll let you know tomorrow. Thanks for thinking of me for the job, Krystal.”
Krystal watched her leave and heaved a sigh. She prayed Jojo would take the bait and apply or she’d have to figure out something else. She’d met Jojo’s non-terrestrial match at the meeting. Somehow, she needed to get the two of them together. Getting up, she refilled her sweet tea and grabbed the bottle of aspirin from the medicine cabinet. The website wasn’t even live, and she already had a headache.
Epilogue
Emma gazed at the three-tiered fountain, reminiscing. The past couple of years had brought incredible blessings to the Le Beau family. The plan that Isaac and Emma, the heads of the family, had hatched had worked beautifully. They were secretly setting their children up with their mates, and the kids didn’t have a clue. They should have thought of asking Luperca for help decades ago. But that was water under the bridge. It was time to count their blessing, not wallow in could have beens. All that mattered was that the children remained clueless to what they were up to so they could continue arranging accidental meetings.
The game, as they called it, started with Cade when they set him up to meet his mate, Anna, at the Crescent City Brewhouse. All they had to do was arrange for Isaac to have lunch with Cade on a day when Anna was sure to be there and then cancel at the last minute. Anna’s ex-husband tried to cause trouble, but he’d been handled. Anna also came with a bonus, she had two adult sons, Thomas and John, who immediately blended into the family like they were Le Beau born. And now, her eldest son, Thomas, was mated to their niece Julia.
The icing on the cake of Cade’s mating was Anna’s friend Rose. It was almost too easy to get Anna to invite Rose to visit and then have Simon in place to meet her. Well, it was easy except for the pa
rts where Simon was stuck in wolf form and the swampers dragged Rose into the bayou. But that’s another story.
Then, like dominos falling in a perfect line, Simon started a service dog charity. Several mates were identified when they held a charity ball to announce and finance the endeavor. Mark Anderson found his mate Sharon and Stefan spotted El. Of course, Stefan’s past came back to haunt him, but what had he expected? He’d slept around, creating a hard row to hoe for himself before he could convince El to accept him. That had been much too close a call.
Another fantastic idea had been reinstating the annual wolf shifter gathering. Thomas and Julia got together at the first one. Then shortly after the gathering, Lucas purchased the ranch in Texas. His timing couldn’t have been better. One of the first guests at the dude ranch was his mate, Kensie. Once they handled the psychotic doctor stalking her, it was smooth sailing.
The scariest mating was Seth, who had only recently retired from the Elite Guard, and Sara. Seth and Sara almost died hunting a rogue shifter. Thank goodness it all worked out without anyone dying.
And don’t forget Richie, he mated a woman who chased down bond jumpers. The last one tried to turn the tables and hunt her instead. Luckily, Seth had been close by when Richie needed medical care.
And now Krystal was happily mated to Doug Dansby. That pairing was very satisfying. There were still six Le Beau children who have yet to find their mates. Who would be next?
Emma was deep in meditation when Luperca materialized beside her.
“Blessings,” Luperca greeted cheerfully.
“Blessings to you, Luperca. I was just thinking about you.”
“Of course you were. I heard your thoughts, and here I am.”
“Really? You heard my thoughts? I didn’t know you could do that.”
“I can do many things you don’t know about. Now, about your wishes and desires. You would like another mate identified for your children and nephews.”
“Yes, I would, if that’s okay with you.”
“Actually, it isn’t.”
Emma’s expectant smile faded. “I see.”
“No, I don’t believe you do. I am not refusing to help you; I am simply changing your direction of achieving your goals. I would like all of the unmated Le Beau children to apply to Krystal’s service. Over the next few years, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.”
“That’s exciting news! Isaac and I will get on that right away.”
“Excellent. I will be closely monitoring everything. If trouble arises from our endeavor, I will know.”
“Thank you, again, and blessed be,” Emma called as Luperca faded from sight.
The End
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Thank you!
V.A. Dold
Continue reading for an excerpt from
Cosmic Cowboy
A.D.A.M Agency
Book Three
One
Jojo hung her purse on the coat hook by the door and tossed her phone onto the couch as she made a beeline for her kitchenette. She was on a mission of great importance. Wine, she needed wine. Lots and lots of wine. Oh, and Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream. Nothing calmed her nerves like a CocoBerryBliss. She and Kensie came upon the taste bud tantalizing combine during a winery tasting tour. One of the wineries offered homemade dark chocolate with their dessert wine. It was an instant go-to favorite.
Impulsively agreeing to consider Krystal’s job offer of administrative assistant in exchange for test driving her matchmaking website was the stupidest thing she’d ever done, and that was saying a lot. She snagged a bottle of red from her wine rack and a glass from the cupboard. A quick search of the utensil draw produced the corkscrew. A few twists of the wrist and presto, ruby red aromatic ambrosia filled her glass. Just the sight of it made her feel minutely better. She took a gulp and then went for the ice cream. Like everything in her kitchen, the freezer was tiny, so she didn’t have to dig to find her cherished Ben & Jerry’s.
With a glass in her right hand and a bowl in her left, she made for her couch. With a mouth full of Super Fudge Chunk, she opened her laptop and pulled up the A.D.A.M. Agency website.
Are you an adult woman of legal age who is up for a unique adventure with an out of this world man?
If so, you are invited to apply for the chance to meet your soulmate.
Our matchmakers will use your information and aura photo to find your perfect match.
Did you know that there is someone waiting for you who has an aura identical to yours?
It’s true! There is a perfect match for each and every one of you, and he’s awaiting your response.
This is your chance to find the love of your life. And we’re here to help you.
Let the Alien Dating and Mating (A.D.A.M.) Agency make your dreams come true.
An image of several impossibly handsome men standing together filled the lower half of her screen. Jojo snorted out loud. Those guys had to be photoshopped because there was no way they were real. Except for the obviously fake guys, Quin had done an incredible job on the site. She’d visited her fair share of dating sites, and none looked as professional or high class as Krystal’s.
Four bright blue buttons presented themselves. Stacked in a column from top to bottom were, About A.D.A.M. Agency, The process, Apply, and F.A.Q. Her finger hovered over the Apply button. Nope. No way. She couldn’t do it. Snapping the laptop shut, she sat back on the couch.
Jojo took a sip of wine as she eyed the computer. Dang, it! Not only did she want the job, she’d made a promise to consider it. What she hadn’t said aloud to Krystal was she had already decided to do it. There were only a few absolute rules Jojo lived by, and keeping her promise was one of them, even if it was to herself. Glancing around, she located her phone. In the work of a moment, she sent a text to Kensie.
Jojo: S.O.S. I need your help.
Kensie: What wrong! Are you bleeding?
She rolled her eyes. With her sister, it was always death and disaster.
Jojo: No blood in sight. I need my big sister’s support. I have wine and ice cream.
Kensie: I’m on my way. F.Y.I., you’re in big trouble for scaring me like that.
Laughing, Jojo tossed her phone onto the coffee table and grinned. She loved pushing Kensie buttons.
Minutes later, Kensie joined Jojo on the couch with her own glass of wine and a bowl of ice cream. “I’m so glad you texted. You have no idea how much I needed a night away from the main house craziness,” she said as she dug into her ice cream with relish. “Mm, so good.”
“Enjoying that, are you?” Jojo teased.
Kensie licked the back of her spoon. “You know it.” Lifting her wine glass, she asked. “So what’s up? You only indulge in CocoBerryBliss when you’re really stressed.”
“Krystal offered me the administrative assistant position and asked me to test drive the A.D.A.M. application process for her. I promised that I would,” Jojo confessed, before downing a significant portion of her nearly full to the brim glass.
Kensie froze with her wine glass halfway to her mouth. “There’s no way I heard you right. My sister, the master of dating while never committing to a relationship, would never apply to that program.”
Jojo frowned at her sister. Frustrated and feeling a little defensive, she drained the remainder of her glass, but the delicious wine did little to wash away the bitter truth of Kensie’s words. She could do a relationship. Heck, she could be great at one.
Kensie placed her glass on the coffee table and leaned forward. “Don’t you have a date this weekend with some guy in town? How are you going to date the local cowboys and be a match for an extraterrestrial from another planet?”
&nbs
p; Great. Just great. Her sister had gone into doctor-mom mode. Now she was in for the third degree when what she wanted was support. Couldn’t Kensie see she was scared to death? Sure, she was the one stupid enough to make an impulsive promise without thinking it through, but still, a little sympathy would be nice. Jojo snagged the bottle of wine off the table and refilled her glass. “Yes, I have a date. But that’s in three days. I doubt Krystal will have a match for me that quickly.”
Grabbing her bowl of ice cream, Kensie sighed and scooped up a spoonful. “Tell me that you knew that ETs mate for life before you said yes.”
Jojo cringed at the thought of being tied to one man for—like ever. But really, men were men no matter where they came from. There was no way that was true, so she lied. “Yeah, she told me. But you can’t tell me that every one of these guys commits to a relationship, and none of them change their minds later. That’s just not realistic.”
Kensie sat back and crossed her arms. “Are you saying that Lucas will tire of me and leave me?”
Jojo choked on her wine. “No! I didn’t say that. Lucas is crazy about you.”
Kensie popped her brows. “So, you’re saying he’d never leave me?”
“I didn’t say all men leave, I said that not all men stay.” She licked at her spoon full of ice cream, rather pleased with her logical answer. She rarely won a debate with her brainiac sister.
“I concede that not all human men stay, but when a shifter claims a mate, it’s forever.” Kensie leaned forward and put her hand on Jojo’s knee. “Hon, these extra-terrestrials are related to the shifters here on Earth. Heck, their cousins. That Luperca ET... being... whatever she is, created the shifters using the D.N.A. of the extra-terrestrials Krystal is working with. And from what I’ve heard, these advanced ETs are even more attached to their soulmates than shifters are, which I can’t begin to fathom.”
