Hope's Discovery (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY) Read Online Free Page A

you left, he walked by searching for his aunt’s grave.”
    “Was he cute?”
    Hope laughed. “He was amazing.”
    “You were painting him?”
    “His face won’t leave my mind. He shook my hand and there was such a shock that passed through us, I can still feel it.” She clasped her hands together.
    “And if I know you, you think that was a sign?” Carissa was studying her and Hope smiled at her sister.
    “It was nice, that’s all.” She took her sister’s arm again and they headed to the kitchen.
    The aromas of Thomas’s signature spaghetti sauce filled the house and had Hope’s stomach growling. It was only then she realized she hadn’t eaten anything since her bagel that morning before heading to the cemetery. Her mind had been too occupied to think of food.
    Her father was the first to cross to her.
    “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” He kissed her on the cheek a smiled down at her.
    David Kendal, father of the year, every year, in her book. She knew she’d only be happy when she found a man like her father.
    He’d been a pilot until up until the beginning of the year when he’d retired. Hope wasn’t sure when he’d had time to work. He and her mother had been going nonstop since they’d cleaned up the retirement party.
    They had traveled Europe and spent a month in Australia. They spent time in Italy with her former boss Pablo DiAngelo and his partner Pierre before returning home and planting the biggest garden in the city and taken on the role of babysitter for Carissa’s children. Happiness was truly theirs.
    He wore his sixty-three years handsomely. His hair was pure silver, but as he always said, “It let go of the color but at least it didn’t let go.”
    Well-deserved lines peeked from the corners of his eyes. There had been a lot of world seen through them.
    “Thank you, Daddy.” She fell into his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her.
    “Stop hogging her.” Sophia Kendal wiped her hands on a towel and crossed the kitchen to hug her. “Happy birthday, darling.”
    Her mother kissed her on the cheek and beamed at her. Hope couldn’t imagine that a child born into a family could be more loved than she was. Luck had been on her side when her birth mother had given her to them. They hadn’t chosen her, but they had taken her, and loved her.
    “There’s my girl!” Thomas put down his spoon and turned from the stove to envelop Hope in another hug. “I got your favorite almost finished. Why don’t you get the kids to wash up and sit down?”
    “I can do that much.” Hope smiled at her brother-in-law. Carissa was a lucky woman. Sophia had set her sister and Thomas up to fall in love, just as her grandma Katie had done for Sophia and David years ago. Matchmaking. It seemed to be a family trait that lead to happiness. Hope could only assume they hadn’t found the right man yet, or she’d have fallen a willing victim to their skills as well.
    As they gathered around the table Hope sat, as she often did, in awe of the commotion that ensued. Over the years, as each member of the family was added, she’d come accustomed to the changes at the table. Certain people sat in certain chairs. Some would eat their peas. Others would tuck them under other items on their plate to hide them.
    Her sister never actually sat down, and her meal wasn’t touched until her four beautiful children bounded from the table to find something better to do.
    Thomas could carry on a conversation with every person at the table simultaneously. Her mother had taken on her great-grandmother’s art of gossip. Never did Sophia say a harsh word though. She enjoyed sharing the happenings of those she knew.
    Her father, as usual, was more reserved. He kept his words, she always mused, until he was ready to use them, and then he’d use them all.
    Dinnertime at Carissa’s was noisy, and messy, and always the one thing Hope looked forward to being a part of.
    Thomas left the table and returned a moment later with a