An Unpredictable Match

An Unpredictable Match

A Match Series Romance

USA Today Bestselling author

Barbara Dunlop

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An Unpredictable Match

Copyright © 2014 Barbara Dunlop

The Tule Publishing Group, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-944925-44-4

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Other Books in The Match Series

About the Author

Chapter One

Lizbet Blythe leaned forward in her chair on the pool deck at Sunny Autumn Seniors Community in Port Aidin, Florida. Should I be worried? she asked her friend, Hannah Sprite, who was floating on top of the crystal water.

Hannah was mother, grandmother, and aunt extraordinaire, while Lizbet, on a good day, could charitably be called the middle of the pack.

"Are you worried?" Hannah asked, lifting her sunglasses to squint at Lizbet.

I’m not worried, Lizbet answered. But I’m worried that I’m not worried. Would a good grandmother be worried?

We did wait until MacKenzie’s twenty-first birthday, Daisy Vashon said.

Daisy was famously kindhearted, and Lizbet trusted her judgement where it came to the kids.

Sam Finnegan, former NASA genius and the inventor of the group’s computer matchmaking program, tapped on the tablet in his lap. Hammond is thirty-one, he said.

But he’s a very good man, Daisy told them staunchly. He’s been his father’s right hand in the company for years now.

That’s not such a big gap, JW Sterling said. Back in my day, men usually married younger women. It seemed to work out fine.

Lizbet couldn’t help but snicker. Your day was all of our days, JW.

My point remains, he said gruffly.

A former Green Beret and army general, JW didn’t have a perceptible sense of humor.

Hannah climbed out of the pool, wrapping herself in a short, white cover-up.

So, we’re agreed? Lizbet asked, glancing around at the group. We think she can hold her own?

Hammond is going to adore her, Daisy said, moving behind Sam to view the screen. He’ll take very good care of her.

I don’t think that’s how it works these days, Hannah said. Women pretty much take care of themselves. It sounds like she’s got a good job.

She’s a line producer in Hollywood.

What exactly is a line producer? Daisy asked.

I have no idea, Lizbet said, assuming the question was directed to her. Jade and Jillian filled in most of MacKenzie’s information.

We could ask them. Sam suggested.

JW harrumphed his disagreement. That would be a great way to leak the plan.

They’d be excited we were matching MacKenzie, Lizbet said.

Her other two granddaughters, MacKenzie’s cousins, had already found their own true loves through Sam’s matchmaking program.

I agree with JW, Hannah said. They might accidentally give it away. And Hammond’s already got his guard up.

It’s been six months since we showed him the matchmaking program, Hannah said.

Sam shared a grin with JW. I seriously doubt he’s forgotten about us.

Due to a typo, the group had tried valiantly to match Hammond up with the woman who was meant for his brother Hunter. The mistake had first made them question the program’s accuracy. But when Hunter annihilated every obstacle they put in his way to win Kalie Gray for himself, they all realized the program was infallible.

Hammond is on his guard, JW said.

Oh, you men, Daisy said, giving Sam a playful rap on the shoulder. You fight the inevitable, but then you’re happy as kids in a candy store when you finally give in.

Hunter is sure happy, Lizbet said.

She couldn’t help but think that if Hammond ended up loving MacKenzie half as much as Hunter obviously loved Kalie, her granddaughter would be living a fairy tale.

Hammond is very wealthy, Hannah said.

But he does seem to be a workaholic, Sam said.

Maybe she cures him of that, Daisy said. Maybe that’s the point of the match.

JW rose to join the group. What the heck is a line producer? Then he looked at Hannah. His brow went up and his mouth curved into a rare smile. Amelia, he said, referring to their very first matchup.

Amelia was an actress in Los Angeles.

Hannah grinned right back at him. We’ll call my great-niece and ask. It’s perfect. She can’t accidentally tell MacKenzie about the matchmaking program. She doesn’t even know her.

The next day, Lizbet watched JW pace across the pool deck, turning at the umbrella-covered dining table to march back again.

So, we’re all clear, he said in an officious tone, as if he was addressing the troops. We have Hammond Vashon, the vice president of a corporate real estate management company, in Boston and MacKenzie Bowen, a television line producer, in Hollywood California.

Sam compressed his lips. That’s twenty-five hundred miles apart.

California is a nice vacation spot, Hannah said. Could we arrange for Hammond to win a trip to Hollywood?

Hammond hasn’t taken a vacation in five years, Daisy said.

I don’t see any way for them to work together, Lizbet said.

Learning that a line producer managed the day-to-day activities on a film set hadn’t helped them at one bit.

JW came to a halt. Vacations don’t give enough time for a romance to develop.

Might Hammond check out real estate opportunities in LA? Sam asked.

That’s not bad, JW said with a nod.

What if we bring her to him instead? Daisy asked. "She once worked on location in Louisiana. She was there for two months, filming a series pilot called The Ruby Blue."

What a strange title, Hannah said. What was it about?

I have no idea, Daisy said.

Lizbet came to her feet. That’s a great idea. Two months would be perfect. All we need is to find a series pilot that’s filming in Boston.

JW stared at her in obvious astonishment. "Is that all we need? How would we get MacKenzie the job? How would we get Hammond to the film set?"

Calm down, JW, Daisy said. There are no bad ideas.

Yes, there are, JW said.

Sam interjected evenly. "It could work if it was our pilot."

Everyone looked at him.

Unlike some of you, I read all the way through that beginners’ filmmaking guide Amelia sent us. There’s someone called an executive producer who finances the project. He controls the project and can decide where it’s filmed and who is hired. He glanced around the circle. The executive producer can be multiple people, or even a corporation. It could be us. All we’d need was a company name, money, and a script.

I don’t understand, Hannah said.

We can specify that MacKenzie is hired for the project, said Sam.

Oh, my, Lizbet said, dropping into the nearest deck chair as Sam’s plan became clear in her mind. And we can use the Vashon mansion as a film set.

Sam’s brow shot up. "I hadn’t thought of that. Nice touch, Lizbet. He looked to Daisy. Would your son agree to using the mansion?"

Daisy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Let him try to say no to his mother.

You don’t think Hammond is going to catch on? JW asked. We can create a numbered company, but he might dig down into the details and find out it’s us.

He’s very smart, Daisy agreed.

Let’s assume he figures out it’s us, Sam said. And let’s assume he makes the leap to it being a matchmaking scheme. From what I understand, there’ll be twenty or thirty people on the crew, likely half of them women. He’ll never know who she is.

Oh, oh, oh! Daisy was practically jumping up and down. We lead him to think it’s someone else. We hire someone really obvious and throw her in front of him.

The female lead, Lizbet said, her excitement mounting. She can be drop-dead gorgeous. Oh, he’ll think he’s so smart.

A red herring. JW mused. That could work.

While he’s busy avoiding the starlet, Hannah said, MacKenzie will be standing right beside him, day after day, looking interesting and wonderful. It’s brilliant. She counted off on her finger. First thing we need is a script, something that takes place in a Boston mansion with a bombshell of a leading lady.

How much is all this going to cost? JW asked.

The location will be free, Sam said.

"Oh, this is going to be such fun, Daisy said. We’re outsmarting my grandson!"

MacKenzie Bowen braced herself for her friend Chantal Green’s reaction.

"You swore," Chantal said, rolling up on her elbow on the sand of the Santa Monica beach.

I know, MacKenzie said, lying on her back, her eyes squinted against the glare.

You said, and I quote, ‘not with a gun to my head’.

I did, MacKenzie agreed, putting her prescription sunglasses back on to bring the world into focus. Thing was—

No, Chantal said with a shake of her blond head. There is no thing. There’s not a thing.