Only in Oklahoma
Book Six in At the Altar
By Kirsten Osbourne
Copyright 2015 Kirsten Osbourne
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Michaela Hunter is at a crossroads in her life. Having just graduated from college, she's about to lose her internship, which is her only job. When she's asked by friend and matchmaker, Lachele Simpson, to agree to marry a man chosen for her, sight unseen, she's hesitant. After a bit of convincing, Michaela agrees to the plan, though she has her doubts about how it will work out.
Pastor Jon Larson has watched a couple matched by Matchrimony for eight months, and he's impressed with how well the couple does together. Frustrated with the single women in town chasing him, he gives Dr. Lachele a call, hoping she can find him a match like she found for his friend. As soon as he sees Michaela, he knows she's the woman for him. Will they survive the honeymoon? Or will the pressures of everyday life keep them from having the love they deserve?
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Chapter One
Jon knew he was crazy even as he picked up the phone. He was tired of being single, and the women chasing after him were making him crazy! Being a single pastor in a small town wasn't as easy as it sounded.
"Matchrimony. May I help you?"
"Yes, this is Jon Larson. May I speak with Lachele Simpson?" He wanted to talk to the woman he'd met at Henry and Samara Crider's wedding. He knew her, and she was in charge. Why would he talk to anyone else?
"Certainly. Just a moment." Hold music filled the line, but it wasn't normal hold music. It was the country song, "Lookin' for Love." He shook his head. The woman had her own way of doing things, that was for certain!
"This is Lachele." Her soft voice reminded him of a little girl on the phone, not the forty-something-year-old woman he'd met.
"Lachele, you probably don't remember me, but I was the pastor at Henry and Samara's wedding back in September."
"Of course I remember you! How could I forget? You were a single pastor, so I gave you my card. Thanks for calling. You ready to find your sweetie?"
"I think I am. How do we go about doing this?" he asked, slightly embarrassed. At least she seemed to be taking his call in stride and she didn't act like he was strange for making it.
"I'll fly out there. I need to rub SamiSunflower's baby bump anyway. Would Friday be good for you?"
Jon blinked a couple of times, astounded by how fast she was ready to move on his request. "Friday?" It was Wednesday. No one did things that fast. Did they?
"No time like the present! I'll get a flight and stay with Sami and Henry. Make sure he's treating her right now that she's knocked up!"
Knocked up? Did she really just say that? "Um, sure, Friday is fine." Was it even polite to say knocked up?
"Good. I'll rent a car at the airport."
"I've heard you're not a great driver. Why don't I pick you up?" He didn't want to feel responsible for a wreck if she caused one.
"Me? I'm a great driver! Don't worry yourself. I'll see you at eight in the morning at the church. Plan on spending the whole day at this. My tests are grueling!"
The call ended before he could agree. Jon stared at his phone, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. He wanted a wife, though, so if she could make it happen, he was more than willing. He said a silent prayer that God would be with the crazy woman.
*****
Samara was standing out front as Lachele narrowly missed her mailbox the next day. She had her hands folded over her belly, shaking her head. "Lachele, you need to stop driving! You're going to kill someone!" she yelled at her friend.
"Good gravy, woman! Where's your sense of adventure?" Lachele got out of the car and hugged Samara close. "How are little Iggy and Ziggy?" she asked, pulling away to pat Samara's belly. She lowered her face down to within inches of her friend's belly. "Grandma Lachele is here, and you're going to be my favorite Matchrimony munchkins!"
"They're fine. I'm ready for them to be born already."
"And those two precious monsters of yours? What are their names again?" Lachele frowned. The two Samara already had may be adopted munchkins, but they were still important. She should know their names!
"Abby and Avy are doing great. I think they're finally adjusting to having a new aunt and two cousins soon."
"You never told me what Henry said when you told him it was twins." Lachele put her arm around Samara and headed toward the house.
"Henry? He just sighed and said he should have known I'd go overboard, even when having babies." Samara grinned. "Like I had control over the fact I was having two and not just one." She patted her belly happily.
"I prayed for you to have triplets, and I bet Henry was praying for only one. God met us in the middle." Lachele wrapped her arm around Samara's neck and walked toward the house with her.
"I'm telling Henry you were the one who caused the twins then." Samara grinned at Lachele.
Lachele shrugged. "I'm not worried about him! Hey, do you think Henry will let us run off for some girl time this evening? Or will he insist on you staying home?"
"We can ask. Whatever we do, I'm going to drive. I need to be careful of my unborn children."
"Et tu, SamiSunflower?"
*****
Lachele was at the church early the next morning for her meeting with Jon. She hadn't had a pastor for a client yet, but she ran a Christian service, so she was certain she could handle the job. In fact, she already had someone at the back of her mind for him. She went to the church offices and found him already on the phone.
"I understand the problem. Yes, of course. Thank you." He scrubbed his face with his hands as he dropped the phone on the cradle. "Dr. Simpson. Thank you for meeting me here. It's so much easier than flying to New York for a meeting." He wasn't certain he'd have been able to get out of town anytime soon anyway. His duties were weighing heavy on his shoulders.
"Happy to accommodate," she said. "I'm just happy I got to see Sami and Henry and their little ones. Sami's as big as a house, but don't tell her I said that. That girl is all baby!"
Jon grinned, waving his hand to the seat across from him. One of the main reasons he wanted to marry was children. He'd always been fond of them, and he wanted to have them before he got too much older. "Have a seat."
Lachele grinned, settling into the chair he'd indicated. "Are you ready for me to pick your brain for a few hours? Sami's going to meet us for lunch if you're okay with her knowing you're a client. I haven't told her yet, but I'll tell you, it would be really difficult for me to keep her from knowing. She does still work for me."
"Oh, yes, of course, I don't mind. Samara can keep a confidence." He leaned back in his chair. "Will I have to fly to New York to marry?"
"I'll see what I can do. You can't take a couple of days off?" she asked, making a note on her note pad. It would be a lot easier for him to marry the girl she had in mind if he could take a few days.
"Oh, I'm sure I could." He picked up his calendar and flipped through. "I'd have to make sure there were no weddings that weekend. Or could we do a mid-week wedding?"
Lachele shrugged. "I've never done a mid-week, but that
could be fun. Yes, we'll shoot for that." She held up her notebook. "Before we can find you a wife, though, I'll need to ask you some questions."
"Is this really going to take all day?" The stack of paperwork he needed to be working on caught his eye. Surely they could finish things up faster.
Lachele laughed. "Oh yeah. And then some."
*****
Michaela Hunter hugged the children who were running toward her one after the other. She'd recently graduated from college with her degree in early childhood education. Now that she was out of school, her job with the church would end in a week. After being the children's minister there for four years, it would be hard to say goodbye.
At least she had until the end of May to figure out what she was going to do with herself. She knew it wouldn't be enough time, but maybe she could find another job in a church there in Manhattan. She'd lived there her entire life, and gone to this church since she was tiny. Her life was about to change dramatically no matter what decision she made.
She looked up as Lachele Simpson, one of her favorite people in the church walked toward her. "You have got to see my new Matchrimony munchkins!"
"New munchkins?" Michaela asked. She knew Lachele's business was called Matchrimony, and she'd adopted all of the children that came from the couples she set up as her own grandchildren. "Who had babies?"
"Well, Samara should be popping out those twins next month, but Cindy had hers, and Cissie's pregnant too. I don't have pictures of Cissie's baby yet, because she waited way too long to get knocked up, but I have a picture with her holding Cindy's little girl, Tanya, and you can see her belly, so that's two munchkins!"
When Michaela had no difficulty following Lachele's thoughts, she wondered if maybe it was time to get away for a while. "Oh Tanya's a beauty!"
"She is," Lachele said with a sigh. "And I have three more munchkins coming soon. Hey, you should marry and give me more munchkins. What are your plans now that you've graduated?"
Michaela wanted to run and hide in a corner instead of facing Lachele's questioning look. She had always felt a little like the older woman could see straight into her soul. "Err—"
"Oh, don't make something up. Come see me at my office tomorrow. I know I'm being pushy, but I actually have just the right man for you."
"I don't know—I've never even been one to go on blind dates!" The truth was, Michaela had hardly ever dated at all. Most college guys were only interested in sex, and once she made it clear she was holding out for marriage, they tended to run in the other direction.
Lachele frowned. "It's not like I set people up on blind dates. I introduce them at the altar—after extensive testing!" She shook her head, her purple hair waving. "Don't underestimate the power of the matchmaker!"
Michaela bit her lip. She didn't have plans, and marrying soon was something that appealed more than she cared to admit. There were no men in the congregation that appealed to her. "Is he a Christian?"
Lachele laughed. "Oh, honey, he's a strong Christian. Come see me, and we'll talk."
Michaela watched Lachele walk away, wondering why she felt so nervous about talking to her. She could always say 'no,' right?
*****
Michaela had been to Matchrimony's office a couple of times when she'd met Samara and Lachele for lunch. She'd always enjoyed hanging out with the two of them, so she was familiar with the building. It was different this time, though, because she was there as a client. She sat on the edge of the couch in the waiting area, thumbing through magazines in an attempt not to gnaw at her nails.
"You ready, Michaela?" Lachele asked, startling her.
Michaela jumped to her feet. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea," she said, ready to run back to her lonely apartment. Well, it was as lonely as a tiny apartment could be when you shared it with a friend.
"Good looking, smart, Christian? Are you sure you want to pass this guy up?"
Michaela followed Lachele back to her office. "I don't know that you're supposed to tell me that much about him." She couldn't help but grin at Lachele's attempt to lure her in. The man did sound like her dream man, though.
Lachele laughed. "The rules are mine, aren't they? I'll tell you what I want to tell you!" When they got into her office, she shut the door, pointing at a comfortable chair for Michaela to sit in. "I'm going to do the abbreviated interview for you, because I've known you since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. That work for you?"
Michaela frowned. "You can't break the rules for me."
"I just told you. I made the rules. If anyone can break them, I can." Lachele settled behind her desk. "Relax. This won't hurt at all."
*****
A few hours later they sat down in a small restaurant on Broadway, Lachele said, "I really have found the perfect man for you, Michaela. I could have the wedding arranged by next Wednesday."
"Next Wednesday? But, that's so fast! And I don't have the money to pay you." She knew Lachele's services didn't come cheaply. While she'd never really looked into it, she'd heard rumors, and the rumors were scary.
Lachele shrugged. "I'm not doing this for the money. I see you, looking so lost at church, not knowing what to do. I see the perfect man for you and know he's ready to settle down. I feel it's my duty as a Christian to match you two up."
"You just want more Matchrimony munchkins."
"You're right about that. I want dozens more. I won't make a bad match for the sake of more munchkins, though. I'm hurt that you'd think I would." Lachele flopped back on her side of the booth, her purple hair flipping with her dramatic movement.
"You're right. I know you wouldn't. So when should I be ready to marry?" Michaela waited to feel as if she was drowning, but she didn't. Maybe it was the right decision after all. She'd prayed all night to help her decide what to do. She knew once she committed to marrying the man she'd never back out. She believed in fulfilling her obligations.
"A week from Wednesday. Do you want me to go wedding dress shopping with you, or do you want me to call your mom and ask her to go?"
Michaela sighed. "Maybe you should call her. If you tell her that you've carefully vetted him, and he really is right for me, I know she'll agree." The idea of calling her mother and telling her that she'd agreed to marry a stranger was frightening. Because really, who did that?
"I think she will." Lachele pulled out her cell phone and punched in a number.
"Now? You can't call her now!" Michaela hissed. She'd been certain Lachele would do it when she wasn't around, which would make it a great deal easier for her.
"Hey, Joanna. It's Lachele. I talked Michaela into marrying one of my clients." Lachele laughed. "Yes, I'm certain they'll be perfect together. A week from Wednesday. She needs you to help her shop for a dress." There was a pause. "Yes, that sounds good. We're at the Italian place on Broadway in Times Square. Buca di Beppo. Meet us here in an hour and she'll be ready to shop. See you then."
Michaela stared at Lachele in disbelief. "I can't believe you just did that!" She'd expected her to wait until she wasn't with her to call.
"Why? I got the impression you were planning on telling her next week five minutes before the wedding! It's easier this way."
"Well, yeah, but—"
Lachele prodded Michaela with her menu. "Figure out what you're going to eat, would you?"
Michaela wasn't sure if she was more angry that she didn't get to tell her mother the big news or if she was relieved she didn't have to. She decided to let it go and chose her lunch.
An hour later, she and Lachele stepped out of the restaurant and Michaela's mother was waiting there for her. "Mom. You came." Michaela was having a hard time dealing with how quickly her world was spinning.
"Of course, I did." Her mother hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you're listening to Lachele and getting married. If I had to wait on you, I'd never get to be a grandmother."
"Mom, you have two grandkids. Hannah has a son and a daughter, remember?" Hannah was Michaela's older sister, and she
'd been married for five years.
"Oh, sure. I remember. But don't you think they're funny looking?"
Michaela choked on her laughter. "Funny looking? Why would you say that about your own grandkids?"
"Come on. Not all kids are cute. I mean, I love them, don't get me wrong. Those two are—well, they look like their father, and I'll just leave it at that."
"You can't say that about your grandkids. That's just wrong!" Michaela was giggling as she shook her head. She couldn't believe her mother would say such a thing. Well—yes, she could. Her mother had never been the most tactful person alive.
Linking her arm with Michaela's the two set off down the street. "I thought we'd start at that little place on Madison. I made an appointment for three. We'll window shop on the way."
Michaela sighed, wishing she'd worn her tennis shoes. Her mother would walk her feet off before three. Oh, well. They'd only get to shop for wedding dresses once.
*****
It was the night before her wedding, and Michaela still couldn't get Lachele to tell her where she'd be moving to. Her husband was coming to her, which would be nice, but where would they go after?
She'd been told to expect a two or three day honeymoon that could be spent anywhere from Manhattan to a beach somewhere or even the mountains, but her future husband had been told not to plan to leave the country, because she didn't have a passport.
Michaela couldn't help but wonder what he'd be like. She was in her bedroom, daydreaming about the man Lachele had thought was just right for her, when her roommate knocked.
"I can't believe you're actually leaving," Haley said, plopping herself down on Michaela's bed and hugging her knees to her chest. "We've been together for three years! And you're just abandoning me!" She was a drama major, and had always been melodramatic.
"You're getting married at the end of the month! I'll be back for your wedding. I promise." Surely her future husband would understand she needed to go to Haley's wedding. How could he not?
Only in Oklahoma (At the Altar Book 6) Page 1
