The Wife Finder

by McClone, Melissa

  Henry was known for his hyperbole, but no one could deny the guy’s love for Brett and Laurel’s daughter. Not that Blaise understood the infatuation. “Children are sticky and dirty. Their noses are always running. They don’t know how to be quiet or sit still.”

  “Because they’re kids.”

  “I’ll stick to winning.”

  “Being in love is better than winning.” Henry beamed with pride. “Or so I’ve been told.”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Blaise was too busy working to get wrapped up in a woman. Casually dating when he had time or wanted company was enough. “But I’ll take winning over love any day. Saves me from paying lawyers to write an iron-clad prenup. Which is why I’m winning the bet.”

  Henry cocked a brow. “Wes and Dash might have something to say about that.”

  Neither man appeared interested in dating, but Blaise doubted the bet was the reason. At least not for Dash, who had forgotten about it until tonight. Wes, however, might care and be a worthy opponent. The man had decimated companies with his take-no-prisoner attitude to get where he was today—the wealthiest of the six. Bragging rights would mean more to him than the money. They were fifty-fifty for Blaise.

  Winning was a way to prove he was one of them. That skinny kid, who qualified for free breakfast and lunch at school, lurked inside him, still hungered for acceptance, that ever-elusive sense of belonging, and security.

  That was why Blaise needed to convince his two friends marriage was the best—the only option—they wanted to pursue. Seeing Henry gave Blaise an idea on how to make that happen.

  “Want to play matchmaker?” he asked. “If anyone could accomplish the task, you could.”

  Henry laughed. “Thanks for the compliment, but I promised Brett I would only play matchmaker on my birthday. April first is nearly seven months away. Unless you want to wait until then.”

  Blaise didn’t have that much patience. Especially with so much money to be won. “I’ll find someone else.”

  “If you want to hire an official matchmaker, I can recommend someone.” Henry tilted his head. “They call her the wife finder.”

  “Sounds perfect since I need to find Wes and Dash wives.”

  “If anyone can help you do that, Hadley can. She works differently than other matchmakers, but she’s the best around. I’ll text you her number.”

  “Hadley?” Blaise asked.

  “Hadley Lowell,” Henry replied. “She lives in San Francisco and also has an office in New York. She’s thorough. Discreet. Successful. And expensive.”

  “Sounds like she’s exactly what I need.”

  “Oh, she definitely is.”

  Good. The sooner Blaise’s friends fell in love and got married, the sooner he would be declared the winner.

  CHAPTER TWO

  At 6:00 AM on Monday morning, Hadley Lowell placed three planners and a zippered pouch full of colored pens on the kitchen table. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air of her two-bedroom condo in San Francisco’s Marina District. She inhaled once, twice…

  No caffeine, remember?

  Instead of pouring herself a steaming cup of her favorite brand of coffee, she reached for the glass of water with half a lemon squeezed into it.

  She sat at the table.

  A week ago, Hadley had stopped drinking coffee after hearing lower caffeine intake improved sleep quality. She’d been so tired she went cold turkey. No coffee, tea, or chocolate. Since then, she not only tossed and turned in bed but was also jittery and yawning during the day.

  Withdrawal symptoms?

  She’d go one more week before adding caffeine back into her diet.

  Hadley indulged herself with one more sniff before sipping her lemon water. She wished it hit the same spot as well as freshly ground dark-roasted coffee beans brewed and served with a dash of cream.

  “Seriously?” Her younger sister, Fallon Caples, entered the kitchen. The heels of her pumps clicked against the hardwood, wide-plank floor. Her blond hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. The severe style fit well with the lime green pencil skirt and coordinating jacket she’d purchased at a thrift shop. She was dressed to impress. Still, the tired circles and lines on her face made her look older than thirty-two. “It’s too early on a Monday morning to pull out the planners. Especially when we went over everything last night.”

  Hadley opened the top one. “I want to review the kids’ schedules so I don’t forget something.”

  “You never forget anything.” Fallon poured coffee into her Best Mom Ever mug. “I’m only out of town until Thursday. No need to plan out my absence like a military operation.”

  Except Hadley did that with every part of her life—personal and professional. Without schedules and plans, she would be lost. Or feel that way. Same difference to her. “This is what I do.”

  “Yes, but it’s unnecessary.” Fallon took a sip of coffee. “Skip the kids’ activities this week.”

  Hadley gasped, tightening her grip on the pen. Just the thought… Her stomach churned. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you have a business to run. You should spend time with Audra and Ryder as their aunt, not their second parent, and have fun with them.”

  “We have fun. You guys make this place a home.” A crowded one, especially with an overweight cat named Tiny who thought he was a dog, but Hadley was saving for a bigger place. Her parents had helped her purchase the condo, but her current goal was to sell it and buy a house in the same neighborhood so the kids—in first and second grade—wouldn’t have to switch schools again. They’d previously been enrolled in a private school. Real estate in San Francisco was expensive, especially in the Marina District, so a move was a solid year, maybe two, away. “It’s nothing like the house where you lived before…”

  “This is better. Perfect. I don’t know what we would do without you and this condo.” Gratitude filled Fallon’s voice. “You’ve sacrificed so much for us.”

  “We’re family.” The words shot out fast. Firm.

  After the arrest of Fallon’s husband, Hadley hadn’t thought twice about taking in her sister and the kids. Their parents had retired early, sold everything, given them each money, and moved onto a cruise ship. They loved their new lifestyle, and though they visited and sent money if needed, they’d raised their family and wanted to travel.

  Which was why her sister and the kids lived with Hadley now.

  “You should be dating.” Fallon refilled her cup. “Not being a stand-in parent for my two kids.”

  “I have all I need right here with you three.” Hadley didn’t want her sister to feel bad. Fallon had been through enough with her loser ex-husband. “Besides, we both know my amazing success rate finding my clients the loves of their lives hasn’t translated to my own. I suck at finding myself a decent guy to date. Or…you.”

  Fallon waggled her index finger. “You introduced me to Clint, but he wasn’t one of your clients and neither was I.”

  Guilt coated Hadley’s throat. “I—”

  “Stop.” As Fallon’s eyes narrowed, her lips tightened into a thin line. “I take full responsibility for falling for his lies and marrying him. There were plenty of warning signs I ignored. What happened is on me. You’ve gone above and beyond by taking us in and finding me a job.”

  “It’s…”

  Not enough.

  “Everything.” Fallon’s lips curved upward. For a moment, she appeared a decade younger and ready to take on the world. Not a harried single mom with two kids, all her assets confiscated, and an ex-husband who would spend the next twenty years in jail for embezzlement and fraud. “And when I’m ready, though it might take me a few more years to get to that point, I’ll even ask you to fix me up with a nice, honest man who wouldn’t mind taking on a ready-made family and cat.”

  Hadley’s mouth dropped open. “You want to get married again?”

  Fallon raised her chin. “I liked being married. Clint wouldn’t win any husband- or father-of-the-
year awards, but I can’t assume every man is the same. Besides, without him, I wouldn’t have the two greatest kids in the world.”

  “That’s…”

  “Stupid?”

  “Mature.” More so than Hadley was with dating. One bad relationship after another had soured her on romance. She’d given up to focus on her clients. If anything, her sister and the kids gave Hadley a valid excuse why she wasn’t in the market for a boyfriend. Or a date. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you. I’m trying to look for the silver lining in what happened. Including spending this week in Los Angeles.”

  “Even though you’ll be working, the trip will be good for you. No sharing a bedroom or a bathroom.”

  “Or nighttime calls for a glass of water.” Fallon smiled. “But I’m not the only one who needs to get away. You haven’t taken a vacation in over a year.”

  Hadley shrugged. “I’m at the New York office twice a month.”

  “Still work.”

  She was about to say she caught a Broadway show or a performance at the Met when she was there, but she hadn’t done that since Fallon and the kids moved in. “But I’m working in the Big Apple. That has to count for something.”

  According to one recent survey, San Francisco had the highest number of billionaires per capita. New York was second. That was why she had offices in both cities. Not that she only worked with billionaires. Anyone who wanted to pay her fee and did as she required was welcome. Seeing her clients live happily ever after was almost as good as the money she made. Emphasis on almost. Still, no one could argue with her success rate. None of the couples matched by her firm had divorced since she opened her business seven years ago.

  She wanted a perfect match for her sister, too. Audra and Ryder deserved a dad—a loving, kind, honest father.

  Speaking of which…

  “Okay, the kids.” Hadley grabbed the yellow pen—the color for her niece’s activities. “Let’s start with Audra.”

  Fallon rolled her eyes. “You are anal retentive, OCD, and a control freak.”

  “Yet you still love me.”

  “I do.” Fallon sat and placed her mug on the table. “If not for those tendencies, you wouldn’t be as successful as you are and the kids and I would be—”

  “Wherever I was.”

  Therapy was helping the three with trust and abandonment issues. Hadley had her own issues after past relationships left her feeling used and worthless. They were one big happy family trying to lighten their emotional baggage.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she added, hoping to put her sister at ease. Hadley readied her pen. “So Audra…”

  “Dance today. Choir on Tuesday. Nothing on Wednesday. And soccer on Thursday.”

  Hadley had written those. She picked up the red pen. “Now Ryder.”

  “Soccer game today, nothing on Tuesday, soccer on Wednesday, and a piano lesson on Thursday.” Fallon raised her mug. “No playdates scheduled. Both kids keep mentioning that story time you took them to and want to go back.”

  That had been a fun Saturday. The three of them had gone out to breakfast before hitting Cassandra’s Attic, a local bookstore. “I’ll see what the shop has coming up.”

  “This week is full.” Fallon’s mouth slanted. “Don’t make more work for yourself.”

  “A bookstore is the definition of fun.”

  “If you think that, then you need a boyfriend. And not a book one. A real-life, blood-flowing-through-his-veins, kisses-you-until-your-toes-curl boyfriend.”

  As if those existed.

  Not in Hadley’s world. Book boyfriends were safer. They didn’t disappoint her the way real men had.

  She stuck her tongue out at her sister.

  Fallon did the same.

  Hadley laughed. “Better not let the kids see us, or they’ll copy.”

  “Too late. They started as soon as they discovered that appendage in their mouths.” Fallon motioned to the planners. “Anything else you want to discuss?”

  One planner contained the menu plan, but Hadley had filled that out before the month began. It saved running to the grocery store because they didn’t have what they needed to make dinner. The other planner held her budget. Hadley didn’t want to bring that up because Fallon hated discussing money. Her sister had gone from spending whatever she wanted to watching every dollar she spent and cutting coupons.

  “I’m good,” Hadley said. “I keep the three together so I know where everything is.”

  Fallon giggled, a sound that wasn’t as rare as it had been a few months ago. Another sign that she was healing, albeit slowly. “I’m so tempted to rearrange the sheets in your planner and watch you freak out.”

  Hadley grabbed the three planners and clutched them against her chest. Her pulse raced. The discs holding the pages together would make it easy for someone to mix up the pages or remove some without her knowing.

  She took a breath and then another. “That would be cruel.”

  Humor glinted in Fallon’s eyes. “You know I’m joking.”

  Yes, but that didn’t stop a shiver from racing along Hadley’s spine. When they were kids, she remembered the horror when Fallon had cut off the hair on Hadley’s favorite doll.

  Maybe she would store the planners in her desk.

  And lock it from now on.

  That way Fallon wouldn’t be tempted…

  * * *

  An hour later, Hadley entered the lobby of the workspace floor where she leased a two-person office. Companies like this were the hottest trend across the country, allowing businesses flexibility with their office space, and giving her a popular business location for an affordable price.

  Her computer bag hung from her shoulder, bouncing against her hip. The scent of coffee tempted her, but she ignored it.

  “Good morning, Hadley,” a receptionist greeted her with a wide smile. “Ella dropped off today’s list of appointments. We’ll take good care of your clients.”

  “Thanks.”

  A short walk down a hallway and two right turns later, she opened the door to her office. A familiar sense of pride washed over her—the same way it did each morning when she stepped inside.

  Some people called her the wife finder. Others the husband finder. She was fine with either moniker. Her clientele came from word of mouth. The more people talked about her services, the better for her business.

  “You’re early this morning.” Ella, her assistant, greeted her. “Getting the kids off to school must have gone smoothly.”

  “It did.” Hadley approached the desk. “Ryder misplaced a shoe, but it was under the couch so it didn’t take long to find.”

  “Good.”

  Yes, except… She studied her assistant. Hair, makeup, jewelry, and Ella’s posture were perfect as always, but something was missing. A big something. “You’re not smiling.”

  Ella shrugged.

  Not a good sign.

  Neither were the lines creasing her forehead, emphasized by her intricate cornrow braids. The woman dressed to impress, coordinating in ways that would make paid stylists drool. Her competence and intelligence made her the best assistant ever. Her only flaw—if it could even be called that—was her kindness. Ella exuded compassion and empathy. Sometimes too much.

  But Hadley didn’t mind being the heavy if Ella couldn’t do that on a phone call or in person.

  Hadley mentally reviewed the list of current clients, but no red flags popped up. Not even yellow ones. She didn’t work with people who caused problems. That was part of the reason for her high success rate. She limited the variables so less could go wrong. She knew each client’s wants, needs, avoid lists by heart. Technology provided the first step in comparing profiles, but the matches came from a gut feeling telling her which two people belonged together.

  She sat on the edge of Ella’s desk. “What’s up?”

  “I’ve had three calls from a CEO’s assistant. Each one was more frantic than the last. He’d left a message before I a
rrived this morning.” Ella bit off what lipstick remained. “His boss wants to meet with you this afternoon in Portland, Oregon.”

  “Today?”

  Worry filled Ella’s brown-eyed gaze, stealing away the warmth that usually resided there. She nodded once. “Sounds like the boss isn’t the type to take no for an answer.”

  None of these wealthy, successful types were. That was why Hadley had developed her own process to weed through potential clients. She didn’t have as big a business as she could, but her market was niche. Matching couples to go on a date might be the starting point, but the end goal was to find a client the person they wanted to be with forever. Her services didn’t end until they said “I do.”

  Some who came to her, however, weren’t interested in falling in love. Finding a life partner wasn’t their goal. They wanted a trophy—the definition of trophy depended on whether someone wanted arm candy or accomplished or both—a wife or a husband who fell at their feet without them having to put any effort into the relationship. Someone who would sign a prenup without complaint and be as pliant once wed. A spouse who would be nothing more than the newest addition to their portfolio of stocks, homes, and artwork. One they could show off until the time came to replace them with a younger version.

  Which Clint had been planning to do to Fallon before his arrest.

  Hadley turned down those people, telling them her services weren’t a good fit. She only took on clients who wanted more.

  Wanted love.

  Wanted forever.

  Those men and women were more flexible, willing to give up some control to find their perfect matches. Some complained loudly about what she expected from them, which she understood. Ultimately, without fail, each client who met her requirements had put or was putting in the effort required. The result—marriage. Given the nonexistent divorce rate so far, she would say a happy marriage. Each successful coupling gave her a glimmer of hope there was someone for everyone, especially Fallon. Even if logically Hadley had doubts about finding that herself.