Page 123 of Perfectly Matched: Harbor Falls Romance Collection

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and Emma Jo Baker has tried every trick in the book to land a date for the annual New Year’s Eve Bash at Falls Lake Lodge. This year she doesn’t want to go alone.

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When Emma sets up a kissing booth at the Harbor Falls Elementary Winter Carnival to (hopefully) snag a potential date (under the guise of a school fundraiser, of course) she thinks she’s found the perfect solution to her dateless New Year’s Eve dilemma—until the school principal promptly shuts her booth down, deeming it inappropriate.

Having secretly crushed on Will Craig for years, Emma suddenly realizes she would love to show him inappropriate!

After eight years of teaching and five more as principal, Will knows he has just about seen it all. Between the students, their parents, and occasionally his teachers, school life is never dull. When he spies the kissing booth in the corner of the gym during the winter carnival, he knows things are about to get interesting—and he’s not at all surprised that Emma Baker is behind the supposed fund-raising effort. That woman has both intrigued and frustrated him for far too long.

It’s about time he does something about it.

There is one thing Will knows for certain—if Emma is passing out kisses, candy or real ones, he intends to be the first, and last, in line to sample the goods. And he doesn’t want to sample them in front of the student body.

Cast of Characters

Main Characters

Emma Jo Baker (teacher)

Will Craig (principal)

Supporting Characters

Annie Carter (Emma’s best friend)

Curt Carter (Annie’s husband)

Sydney Hart

Suzie Hart Matthews

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At Sugar High Bakery….

The bell on the door at Sugar High Bakery jingled and Sydney Hart glanced up from the cash register to see who had entered. Annie Carter stepped inside and turned to close the heavy door behind her, shutting out a kicked-up burst of wind and snow with it. Sydney took a quick look at the clock over the door—the time was just a few minutes after six-thirty in the morning.

“Whew.”

Annie brushed snow from her shoulders and then smoothed her wind-swept hair.

“That wind rolling off the mountain is wicked!”

Sydney smiled.

“That it is. Hi Annie. You’re out early this morning.”

She rolled her eyes.

“I need cupcakes or cookies or something for my classroom today. What with the Christmas pageant last night at the school, and me grading papers until after midnight, I didn’t have time to bake for my class party today.”

She sighed and glanced over the glass display case, then frowned.

“Oh, you’re running low.”

Sydney grinned.

“No, we’re good. We can fix you up darling. We just don’t have everything out yet. We’re running a little behind schedule.”

Annie looked relieved.

“Great. I should probably get some donuts too—for the teacher’s lounge.”

Nodding, Sydney said.

“Today the last day of school before break?”

“Yes. Thank God.”

Laughing, Sydney turned back to counting the bills in the cash tray and closed the register door.

“Suzie is in the back filling the trays. We have plenty of cookies and cupcakes. What do you want and how much?”

Annie glanced off, thinking.

“Let’s see. I have twenty-six kids in my class. Some parents will be here today. There’s my teaching assistant and the reading coach and the cooks and custodians. Oh heck, give me about four dozen of something, whatever you have the most of, and I’ll take a couple dozen glazed donuts too.”

Suzie Matthews burst through the swinging doors between the kitchen and front room of the bakery, carrying a large tray of scones.

“Hey, Annie.”

She smiled.

“Hi! Oh, those look good. Are they maple-glazed?”

“Yes.”

“I should get something for Will Craig too. Give me a couple of those in a bag. And maybe two of those big sugar cookies shaped like a Christmas tree.”

“For your kids?”

“No, me. It’s been a long week!”

The women laughed. Suzie sidled past Annie with the tray and squeezed behind the counter.

“So how is Will, Annie? He married yet?”

Sydney watched Annie’s face turn into a puzzle. “What?”

Balancing the tray in her hands, she waited while Sydney opened the back of the display case. Once she had slid the tray of scones into place, Suzie stood up, bushed her hands together, and looked Annie straight in the face.

“Will Craig. He’s still single, right?”

Annie shrugged.

“As far as I know, Suzie. I don’t really keep tabs on my boss’s personal life.”

“I hear he doesn’t date,”

Sydney interjected.

Suzie stared off, thinking. “Hm.”

Annie and Sydney exchanged a look, then Sydney directed to her cousin.

“What’s in that head of yours, Suzie Hart Matthews?”

Breaking out of her short trance, Suzie turned and shook her head.

“Oh nothing. I just like to keep tabs on the single men in town, you know.”

Annie looked even more puzzled.

“But you’re married, Suzie. Right?”

“Oh yes!”

Suzie’s eyes widened.

“Very married. But as the matchmaker in town, I need to know who is available and who isn’t. You never know when a potential client is around the corner.”

“Oh.”

Annie nodded, and glanced between the two women.

“So, it’s true then? You are a matchmaker in real life? It’s not just television?”

Suzie grinned broadly and leaned closer.

“Very real, my dear. Know anyone who might need my services? I don’t charge a thing.”

Annie thought about that for a moment.

“Well. Maybe….”