Page 1 of A Heart to Find (Sweetheart Island #2)

Keira smoothed wrinkles out of the paper she kept in her coat pocket, searching the document for a way out. She had made a hasty decision and couldn’t follow through on her plan, even though she had already stepped off the ferry.

She focused on the words at the top of the contract she had enthusiastically signed. Red ink and a bold font mocked her poor decision-making skills. She was a different person when she signed that…

“Money-back guarantee.”

How about a life-back guarantee?

She left behind a perfectly adequate boyfriend, risked the wrath of her cat, and, just to be sure she was thorough, potentially risked her job. And for what?

Love.

Yup. She shook her head, the new bangs fringing the sides of her temple banging into her eyes.

She put everything on the line for the promise of finding her true love.

Why did that promise sound so ridiculous to her now?

It certainly hadn’t bothered her when she transferred most of her savings into her checking account so she could enroll in what promised to be a life-changing experience.

It hadn’t bothered her when she told that perfectly adequate boyfriend that she didn’t see things going any further than the polite weekly dates they had somewhat enjoyed for the last six months, nor when she gave him a kiss on the cheek to say farewell.

It hadn’t bothered her when she told her principal she had lined up a substitute to cover her kindergarten class for the week after February vacation.

But okay, it bothered her more than a little having to tell her cat she’d be gone for a solid two weeks. She may have overcompensated with the super-expensive homemade cat food her cat liked so much from the shop in downtown Healing Springs.

The memories played in her head like a badly written movie. A movie where it was impossible to feel sympathy for the protagonist because it was so painfully obvious she made nothing but bad decisions.

And here she was. Wondering how to get out of something she knew she couldn’t get out of. Because that “Money-Back Guarantee" came with carefully articulated conditions in the fine print.

Which she had read multiple times.

And which wasn’t even in fine print–it was bold and in large font because they didn’t want anyone to sign the contract without fully understanding what they were getting into.

You chose the produce, Keira. Time to eat the salad.

Keira’s grandmother’s voice resonated deeply in her soul, reminding her of why she made the choices she made. Reminding her why she was there on a freezing cold matchmaking island off the coast of Maine instead of in her cozy apartment in front of the fireplace with a good book and a pan full of freshly baked brownies.

She wiped away the moisture that gathered at the corners of her eyes, cleared her throat, and tucked the wrinkly contract into the front pocket of her luggage.

All of her decisions led her to this place, to this situation, and she had to make the best of it.

So back to picking out what to wear to the matchmaking orientation.

A knock on the door of her hotel room—also known as ridiculously-amazing-resort-that-she-never-imagined-she’d-be-able-to-afford-to-stay-in—forced her to grab one of her new blouses and toss it over her head.

Keira flung open the door with a tense smile, but the smile turned genuine when she saw her new-as-of-a-few-hours-ago friend, Megan, standing on the other side of the threshold.

“You look amazing, Megan. Your match will fall head over heels in love with you.”

“You think so?”

Megan twirled around so her dress would spin, making Keira wonder if she should have gone with something more dressy than the dark jeans and floral print blouse she settled on.

“Definitely. You’re gorgeous.”

“And so are you, my friend. That shirt does amazing things for your eyes.”

“Really? I wasn’t sure if?—”

Megan grabbed the sides of Keira’s arms.

“Remember what we vowed to one another on the shuttle ride? No self-doubt. Our matches are here, they will love the women we are, and we will not be insecure no matter what. We pinky-promised.”

“You’re right.”

Keira blushed at the thought of breaking a vow so soon after it was made.

“I appreciate the reminder.”

“Great. And don’t worry, I had to give myself the same pep talk on my way up here.”

Megan pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the screen.

“We need to hurry and get down there. We don’t want everyone looking at us if we slip in late.”

Keira ran the brush through her freshly waved hair, refreshed her lip gloss, and said a silent prayer that she’d feel the magic as soon as she was introduced to her match.

If there was anything she needed these days, it was a wave of magic. A tsunami would be nice, but she’d settle for a gentle, comforting wave.

The walk to the orientation hall felt as comfortable as walking through ankle-deep lava. She had to remind herself over and over that she had signed up for this, used her life savings to pay for the two-week vacation, and begged her best friend to water her plants and take care of her cat while she was away. Best friend duties, yes, but since Robyn abhorred cats, it had taken quite a bit of bribing to get her to agree.

She wasn’t the only one to be hit by nerves in the form of swirling bees in the gut, if Megan’s pale face and sudden nail biting was any indication.

“You okay, Megan? We can go to the bathroom for a few minutes before we walk in if you want.”

“No, I mean, uh, I’m okay.”

Megan’s nose scrunched up.

“Okay, I’m terrified. What if my match isn’t a match? What if he’s as horrible as my exes? What if?—”

“My turn to remind you of the promises we made to each other. We aren’t going to think about our past failed relationships. Remember what you told me about why you chose this matchmaking resort?”

Megan nodded somberly.

“Because I am terrible at picking men for myself, so I might as well let someone else do it for me.”

“Exactly. No more abusive jerks. The man waiting for you on the other side of that door is someone who will adore you. Care for you. Treat you the way you deserve to be treated. The man you’ll meet has been carefully vetted, background check and all. You have nothing to worry about.”

Megan inhaled deeply and twirled her earring.

“Thank you, Keira. Your words of confidence will be my fight song all night.”

“Good.”

Keira pulled Megan into a tight hug.

“What do you think your match will be like?”

Megan asked. Keira wondered if her question was a delay tactic.

“When you imagine someone matching you with someone else, what qualities do you think your match would have? Slick business owner? Hardworking construction worker? Single dad with an adorable kid?”

Keira’s shoulders tensed, and the once-buzzing bees in her gut died a hasty death, leaving a heavy feeling that made her clutch her stomach.

“No, definitely not that.”

“Oh, I was just thinking since you love kids so much, maybe they’d want to set you up with an instant family. You’d put to rest all those crazy ‘evil stepmother’ clichés.”

Keira closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

“You’re right, I do love kids. But, well, I’ll tell you my horror stories later. Right now we need to get in there before our matches think we’re flaking out on them.”

“Sorry if I ventured into dangerous territory with my silly conversation.”

“Not at all, my friend. Your train of thought has merit. All I know is that this is our chance. We put our faith in the Matchmakers, and they will come through for us.”

Megan’s smile encompassed her entire face.

“I know you don’t have the same abusive past as me when it comes to boyfriends, but I just know that your match is going to be exactly what you deserve.”

Keira smiled.

“I sure hope so. Otherwise, I’ll need to get a few more cats for companionship.”

Jared breathed in the sweet scent of Hailey’s bubblegum-scented hair as her little arms gripped his neck ferociously.

“I’ll miss you, Daddy!”

“Not nearly as much as I’ll miss you, my tiny puffer fish.”

Hailey pulled away enough to show him her impersonation of her nickname, puffing up her chubby cheeks and pushing her lips out. He responded in kind, eliciting giggles from his precious girl. The sparkle returned to her eyes, helping him breathe a sigh of relief.

“You’ll have so much fun with Auntie Meredith. I’ve heard she has big plans for spoiling you rotten.”

Hailey giggled again, covering her mouth to hide the sound of conspiracy. She glanced up at her aunt, and Meredith put a finger over her lips. “Shhhh.”

“I can’t wait to meet my new mommy.”

A familiar ache coursed through Jared at the memory of his loss and the pain his baby girl should never have had to experience at such a young age.

“No one will ever replace your mommy. You know that, right?”

She nodded dramatically.

“Yes, but Mommy told me to take good care of you, and she told me she made sure you’d find another grownup to love. And she told me it was okay if I wanted to call her Mommy someday, even though my real mommy wouldn’t be there.”

“Your mommy is always here.”

Jared tapped a finger over his daughter’s beating heart, then another to her head.

“And here.”

Hailey nodded solemnly before her lips turned to a pout.

“But she isn’t here to make me pancakes anymore. She said maybe you’d find someone who could make me pancakes as yummy as hers.”

“Oh, that might be asking too much. Your mommy made the best pancakes in the whole wide world. But now that you mention it, she did leave us her recipe, so how about when I get back we will make a big, big batch of pancakes and eat them for dinner?”

“Okay! And we’ll put a pile of whipped cream on ‘em!”

“Deal.”

Jared stood up, swinging Hailey up over his head. Delighted squeals punctuated the crisp New England air, and though he had agreed to go to this matchmaking island, the closer the ferry got to the mainland to board passengers, the less eager he was to follow through on his promise.

After more cuddles and tickles, Meredith held out her arms for Hailey to jump into. His sister-in-law smiled warmly, her eyes encouraging him to do what they both knew he needed to do.

“You’re the most adventurous guy I’ve ever known. Why do you look so hesitant?”

Jared pulled at his collar and turned away. He couldn’t meet his wife’s sister’s gaze. None of this made sense.

“Jared, don’t do this to yourself. You stuck by her even though she asked you for a divorce. Her gift to you was to set this up for you so you could find the true love she knew you wanted. Don’t disappoint us by regretting the agreement.”

His throat closed, and the backs of his eyes prickled.

Meredith helped Hailey get down to pick up rocks and then rested a hand on Jared’s elbow. Her empathetic look nearly killed him.

“I loved her, Meredith. I promise I did.”

“Of course you did. She was your best friend. No one ever doubted that.”

He closed his eyes against the anguish that threatened to ruin his send-off.

“Elizabeth knew your honor would get in the way of this moment, so she made me promise to get you onto that island. She told me she saved up for ages to pay for this trip, and to tell you that if you didn’t get on the ferry she would haunt you for the rest of your days. And she also said that since she knows every single secret of yours, she would find a way to use those secrets against you in the afterlife. As her sister, I know firsthand that she will find a way to follow through on that threat.”

Jared released a stream of air and fought for a smile.

“I’m all in. I’m going to do it. Thanks for reminding me of why.”

“You’ve always been a big brother to me, Jared. I want your happiness as much as she did. Now go! The ferry is boarding. Hailey and I have trouble to cause, don’t we, Hail?”

Hailey nodded emphatically.

Jared squatted down for one more eye-to-eye discussion with the love of his life, adjusting her winter hat over her ears.

“Ok, but promise you won’t have any fun at all while I’m gone, okay, my tiny puffer fish? I want you to cry all day, every day because you miss me too much. And we all know that Auntie Meredith is no fun at all.”

“No, you sillyhead!”

Hailey leaned forward, clasping her hands in front of her, a big smile lighting up her face and his entire world.

“Auntie Meredith is sooooooo fun!”

“That’s my girl.”

Meredith rubbed the top of Hailey’s hair.

“Ah, I’m doomed with you ladies sticking together.”

Hailey leapt into his arms and pressed her face into his neck. He hugged her tight. This wasn’t the first time he had left her—she often stayed home with her mom while he traveled. But he hadn’t traveled since Hailey’s mom died, and something told him he wouldn’t be the same man when he returned this time. That these two weeks would change him in ways he couldn’t wrap his head around.

He only hoped it would change him for the better.

“Okay, pumpkin. I will see you in two weeks. But I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”

Meredith called Hailey away from Jared.

“We’ll be far too busy to be bothering you while you’re finding love. But we’ll be happy to see you when you return.”

Meredith hugged Jared and whispered in his ear, “Go find the true love of your life. The one you thought you’d never want.”

And though Jared hoped he’d get matched with the person most compatible with him, the only one he saw when he closed his eyes was his truest regret, the one Elizabeth had always said he shouldn’t have left behind. And as his eternal best friend, Elizabeth was seldom wrong. Especially in matters of his heart.

He only hoped his wife guided the matchmakers from her new ethereal home. That a woman who could measure up to his biggest love would be his match. Elizabeth had thought he deserved this effort. He hoped he could prove her right.