Maybe in Moab Read online

  Maybe in Moab

  At the Altar

  Kirsten Osbourne

  Copyright © 2019 by Kirsten Osbourne

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Kirsten Osbourne

  Chapter 1

  Jackson Pine felt alone. He had moved to New York to live near his fiancée, and she’d died two weeks later, killed in a hit-and-run accident. No one knew who had killed her or why.

  After her death, he’d spent two entire years obsessing over who had done it, trying to follow any clues that were there, but there were none. It was time to let Paisley’s death go and move on with his life. But how?

  He knew no one in New York. He knew no one on the entire east coast of the United States. He was from Texas, and he had no desire to go home. His mother would be shoving women down his throat in an attempt to help him get over Paisley, but he had no desire to meet the kind of woman his mother thought was perfect for him.

  He moved through the crowds to the little Italian restaurant he and Paisley had enjoyed together for the short time they’d had together in real life.

  The two of them had met online, playing an online role-playing game together, and they’d struck up a friendship. Over the course of a few years, it had become more, until finally they’d started spending weekends together. Platonically, because that’s what Paisley had wanted.

  Finally, they’d decided they needed to get married, and he’d moved to New York. The plan was for them to date while living close for a little while, and they would work on planning the wedding. And then it had all ended. Their two weeks together had been the most treasured of his life, and now he always wanted to eat at her favorite Italian restaurant. It made him think of her.

  He was led to a booth off to one side of the room, and he sat with his back to two women who were talking. One of them said something about twitching her nose, and then he heard her gasp. “She’s gone! I can’t believe it really worked!”

  Jackson turned around then and noticed the woman with the purple hair was the only one left at the table. “Where’d she go?”

  The purple-haired woman turned to him. “I think I just twitched her to thirteenth-century Scotland!”

  He frowned at her as if she’d lost her mind, which she undoubtedly had. “You know that’s not possible, right?”

  “I do…but…she’s gone!” The woman pointed to the empty seat across from her. “Where else could she have gone?”

  “I don’t know, but there’s no way to send someone back in time by twitching your nose. Surely you realize that.” Jackson was certain the woman had lost her mind.

  “Look, I have a PhD in psychology. Of course I know it’s not possible, but yet…I guess I should tell you the story from the beginning, but you’re making my neck hurt. Come sit over here with me, and we’ll chat.”

  Jackson thought about protesting, but instead, he stood up and walked to her table. He hadn’t eaten a meal with another human in two years. It was time. “Okay, tell me the whole story.” He was almost afraid to hear it, but he was just happy not to be alone for a little while.

  The woman took a deep breath. “First, my name is Dr. Lachele Simpson. I’m a matchmaker, and a month or so ago, I got this odd letter inviting me to join a Guild of Godmothers. I figured what the heck, so I said I’d join. Then I got another letter saying that my ceremony would be performed long distance, and they had no way of knowing what powers I’d get.”

  “Powers?” Jackson grinned, certain this woman had escaped from a looney bin somewhere, or else she was a writer. Writers tended to be very strange people.

  “So anyway, I went to a book club this morning, and I met this woman who wanted to go back to thirteenth-century Scotland. It was all she could talk about. So I told her I had a power, but I didn’t know what it was, but since I was a godmother, maybe I had the ability to grant wishes.” Dr. Lachele shrugged like everything she was saying was perfectly normal, when Jackson knew very well it wasn’t.

  “Sure…” Jackson tried not to let his face show that he knew she was crazy. Maybe he could quietly call 911 under the table if she got too strange.

  “So we came to lunch together, and I tried to grant her wish. I wasn’t sure if I should wag my fingers or twitch my nose, but since I’ve always loved Bewitched, I figured twitching my nose was the way to go. So I twitched my nose, and she disappeared. I sure hope I did it right, because she wants to be in thirteenth-century Scotland and not eighteenth-century France. I sure hope I didn’t send her back to the French Revolution!”

  Jackson decided to play along. What did he have to lose? “How will you know?”

  “I don’t know! I didn’t get a manual with these strange powers of mine!” Dr. Lachele sighed. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Jackson Pine.”

  “Why are you alone on a beautiful spring afternoon?” She narrowed her eyes at him as if being alone was somehow sketchy.

  Jackson shrugged. “I moved here about two years ago to be close to my fiancée who died two weeks later. I don’t really know anyone. I work out of my apartment, so it’s not like I have a lot of opportunity to meet people.”

  Dr. Lachele tilted her head to one side as she studied him. “You should hire me to find you the perfect match.” She pulled a card out of her purse. “I promise that I don’t usually use magic. That was a first for me. Usually, I just use psychology and computers.”

  He looked at her card. “Matchrimony?”

  “Yeah, isn’t that a great name? I introduce people at the altar.”

  “Wait…you mean, I wouldn’t meet the woman you wanted me to marry until she was walking down the aisle toward me?” This woman was insane long before she got her “powers.”

  “That’s right. And I require people to sign a contract saying they won’t split up until they’ve been married for at least a year. Trust me, I’m good at what I do.”

  He pocketed her card. “I’ll research you when I get home.”

  “That sounds smart. I wouldn’t want to be stuck with marrying a random stranger when I didn’t know or trust the woman doing the matchmaking.” She leaned forward, ready to impart wisdom. “I actually have a girl who I think would be perfect for you. Are you able to move or do you need to stay here for work?”

  He frowned. “I’m mobile. I’m self-employed and work from home.”

  “Yes, I think she’d be perfect. You really should come see me.”

  The waitress arrived then with two meals. He hadn’t yet ordered. “What happened to the girl who was sitting here? She ordered the chicken fettucine alfredo.”

  “I’ll take it. That’s what I was planning to order.” Jackson went between three or four things that he ordered every time. He hadn’t made a decision yet, and the fettucine was one of those things. Easy enough to eat it and not make them do something else.

  The waitress looked around before shrugging. “All right.” She wandered away still seeming confused.

  Dr. Lachele grinned at him. “You’re a good man, Jackson Pine.”

  He sighed. Her card was already burning a hole in his wallet. Why didn’t he just tell her he’d do it?

  Sydney Harris arrived home from her
day and collapsed into a comfortable chair. It had been a long week. Some hikers had wandered off the trail and fallen, both hurting themselves. Thankfully they’d registered their intent to backpack in the area, and they had been found after a long search. She wanted to shake them and give them all the reasons they should have followed the guides and stayed on the trail.

  She sank down in her chair and glanced at her phone, almost too tired to care that she’d missed a few calls. One was from her mother, and she ignored that. Her mother thought that being a park ranger was too dangerous, and she called almost daily just to make sure her daughter hadn’t been eaten by a bear.

  No matter how many times Sydney told her there were no bears in Arches National Park, it didn’t seem to matter. Her mother had in her head that she was in imminent danger of being a bear snack. Therefore, she must call hourly and confirm no bears had eaten her.

  There was a voicemail from her best friend, Alexis, and she smiled. She’d call her back the next day after she’d rested. The last voicemail was from Dr. Lachele. As soon as Sydney heard her voice, she snapped to attention.

  “Hey, Sydney. It’s your friendly matchmaker. I wanted to let you know that I’ve set a date for the wedding there in Moab. Your match will be moving to you. Date is June twenty-ninth. Call me for more details.”

  Sydney wasn’t sure what more details Dr. Lachele would give her, but she was ready to hear them. She’d been about to pass out, but finding out there was a match for her perked her right up.

  She dialed and waited. “Dr. Lachele.”

  “Hey, Dr. Lachele. This is Sydney. I hear you have a match for me. What’s he like?”

  “Perfect for you. You know I’m not going to tell you more than that, sugar butt.”

  “This is true…But he’s willing to move here?”

  “Yup. I told him you needed someone who could move to you.”

  “Sounds good. Are you sure I’m ready for this?” Sydney looked around at her messy apartment. Was she ready for a man to live there with her? She could easily pick everything up, and it was just clutter from being gone for days on end…but…

  “I’m sure. And this man is going to be grateful for who you are. I promise.” Dr. Lachele paused for a moment. “He’s going to need a lot of love.”

  “Is it going to matter to him that sometimes I’m working for days at a time trying to find stupid hikers who don’t know how to stay on marked trails?”

  Dr. Lachele cackled softly. “I think he’ll be happy for every moment he gets with you.”

  “All right. If you’re sure he can handle me and my lifestyle, then I’m all for it.”

  “Good. I’ll be there on the evening of the twenty-eighth. Sam is coming. Do you think your parents will be there?”

  “No, I don’t think so. My mom is afraid to fly. She’s afraid of everything.” Sydney stopped short of saying her mother was a neurotic mess, but truth was truth. “I’m going to have to call her in a few minutes and let her know I haven’t been eaten by a bear. Again.”

  Dr. Lachele laughed. “You’ll understand when you’re a mama. You should see me with my little grandbaby, Preston. I don’t want to let him out of my sight for fear something will happen to him, but he’s not even my baby.”

  “I can see that.” Sydney yawned. “I need to get that call into my mother before I fall asleep. I’ll see you on the twenty-eighth.”

  “All right. Tell your mama I said hi.”

  Sydney grinned. “Will do.”

  As soon as she’d ended the call, she tapped her mother’s name in her phone. “Sydney? I was worried sick! Where have you been?”

  “My job has me away from home for a day or two at a time. We had some hikers wander off the trail and they got injured. It took us a while to find them.”

  “Are they all right?”

  “Yeah. They’re both dehydrated. They took enough water for a regular hike but not for a three-day hike, and they weren’t factoring in that it is a desert here. Then one of them fell, and the other used his shirt to make her a splint for her wrist. But then he got hypothermia, because it was so cold at the higher elevation.” Sydney shook her head. It was all crazy. “I’m getting married on the twenty-ninth.” She glanced at a calendar for the first time since she’d gotten a date, and realized it was only two weeks away.

  “Are you pregnant?” her mother asked.

  Sydney laughed. She hadn’t even met the man. “Nope. Not yet!”

  “What’s his name?”

  “No idea. Let’s call him Fred to make things easier.”

  There was a moment of silence. “How did you meet Fred?”

  “I haven’t yet. I went to this matchmaker who introduces people at the altar. I’ll meet him on the twenty-ninth.” Sydney waited for her mother to tell her she was going to be murdered in her sleep, and it didn’t take long.

  “What are you thinking? You can’t just marry a stranger! Have you lost your mind?”

  Sydney sighed heavily. “You know I like being daring. I love what I do, Mom. It makes me happy. It’s just hard to meet eligible men unless they’re stupid enough to get lost in the park, and I don’t want to marry someone who is mentally deficient!”

  “How do you know this total stranger isn’t mentally deficient?” her mother asked. “What if he’s a mass murderer who intends to kill you in your sleep?”

  “Then at least it won’t be painful.” Sydney shook her head, knowing she had to put her mother’s mind to rest as well as she could. “The matchmaker I’m using puts people through intense psychological testing. If he had serial-killer tendencies, she’d know!”

  “You’re putting a lot of faith in this matchmaker person. How do you know she’s all right?”

  “Mom, she matched Alexis and Joanna. Alexis worked for her as an intern for three summers. She’s just fine. I promise.”

  “I doubt it.” Her mother couldn’t seem to come up with any more arguments against the idea though. “Make sure you call me every evening and let me know how it is. I wish we could be there, but your father’s heart isn’t what it used to be.”

  There was nothing wrong with her father’s heart, and Sydney knew it. Only in her mother’s mind. “I know, Mom. I’ll make sure you get a copy of the wedding video.” She knew someone would video the wedding, but she didn’t know who yet.

  “Good. I need to see this man.”

  “I’m sure we’ll come out to visit soon.” Sydney loved her mother, but she was certifiable. She always had been. When Sydney was a child, she’d wander away to Central Park and dream about being a park ranger. Now she was a real live park ranger for Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. She lived in Moab, commuting the short distance every day.

  “I need you to visit soon,” her mother said softly. “You know how I worry about you between visits.”

  “I promise I’m eating enough and having regular bowel movements. I love you, Mom.”

  “Love you too.” Her mother ended the call, And Sydney sat quietly feeling sad for a while. Then she showered and headed right to bed, not even bothering to read one of her mail-order bride books. As much as she loved them, she needed sleep so much more at the moment.

  When Sydney woke up the following morning, she immediately showered and dressed, jumping in her car and heading for the Four Corners. She and her three closest friends—Alexis, Joanna, and Tess—had lunch on the third Saturday of every month. She’d almost forgotten, but she was determined to be there. She couldn’t wait to share the news of her upcoming nuptials with her friends.

  She glanced at her car clock and went just a bit faster. She hated breaking any laws, but she was determined to be the first one there, and Alexis sometimes got there within a minute or two of her arrival. It was a game she played with her friend and herself, whether her friend knew it or not.

  When she got to the restaurant, she immediately looked for Alexis’s Jeep. She didn’t see it, but that didn’t mean anything. She scanned the parking lot in the vegan restau
rant across the street to see if Dirk’s car was there. Dirk was Alexis’s new husband. They had met through Dr. Lachele as well. In fact, all four of the girls had interviewed with Dr. Lachele, each hoping to get their match. Well, none of them were sure what Tess wanted, but she had at least gone through the psych tests for the possibility of being matched.

  She walked into the restaurant, and the hostess sat her at their usual table. Every month, the four of them sat in the same place, drinking the same drinks, and eating the same foods. It was their time to be away from the world and any pressures it brought them.

  Alexis was there within a minute or two of Sydney, and Sydney did her best to hide her grin. She’d beaten her. Again.

  “You’re always here before me! Next month, Dirk and I are going to leave thirty minutes earlier.”

  “Did he drive you again?”

  “Of course. He’s my chauffer for this lunch every month now. I’m just glad there’s a vegan place he likes across the street.” Alexis shook her head. “I still can’t believe the man is vegan.”

  “You’ll get through it,” Sydney said with a grin.

  “I’m sure I will, but it’s just so odd to me. Who eats that kind of food because they like it?” Alexis gave a delicate shudder. “Did you find those missing hikers?”

  Sydney nodded. “You saw it on the news, I guess?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We found them. They’re in the hospital for dehydration and a broken wrist, but nothing serious. Thank God.” Sydney’s first rescue had been one she’d never forget. The missing hiker had fallen and died, and she had felt personally responsible. There was no reason for it, but she hadn’t been able to change how she felt. “I’m glad they were smart enough to go together.”

  “Me too.” Alexis eyed Sydney for a moment. “You heard from Dr. Lachele!”