ENCORE PERFORMANCE (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY) (22 page)

Spring was all around Katie and she drank it in. The
trees had new leaves, a promise of hope. The heads of
tulips had rose from the ground and colored the many
flower boxes that Katie and her own mother had planted so
many times when she was a young girl.

She looked out over the backyard where she’d played
as a child and she smiled. She’d married her George in that
yard, and her son had married his wife there. When Sophia
and David had finally made it to the altar, they too married
in the beautiful yard.

Once again, Katie sat among her flowers and her
family and watched as two people who loved one another
became man and wife.

The students from their school of music played the
“Wedding March” with their chosen instruments as Carissa
walked down the aisle. The mixed sounds from the
instruments might have been as welcoming as fingernails
on a chalkboard to most, but to Thomas and Carissa it was
more beautiful than any symphony, and that fact shone in
their smiles.

Carissa’s father gave her a smile as he lifted her veil,
and Katie watched as the big man wiped tears from his
eyes.

Katie smiled. Yes, Sophia had learned from the best.
At least Carissa and Thomas had had the foresight to get
married right away. Sophia and David had dragged out
their courtship for over a decade, making her and her best
friend wait to see that their matchmaking had paired the
perfect couple.

Hope turned from her sister’s side and waved at her
mother and great-grandmother. Katie waved back.
Someday it would be her turn to wed in the beautiful yard.
It pained Katie to think she wouldn’t be there to see it, but
she’d be there in spirit. Who knew, maybe she’d be there in
some small way to play matchmaker for Hope too; after all,
she’d already written letters to people in Mandy’s past to
let them know Hope existed. Katie knew that there would
come a time when Hope would want to know where she
came from. And a time when her family—her whole
family—would welcome her into their hearts.

It gave Katie some solace to know that though she
couldn’t handpick a man for Hope, perhaps she’d set into
motion all the pieces of Hope’s discovering where she
came from and realizing just how blessed she was to have
David and Sophia for her parents. It was a matchmaking of
sorts, Katie thought.

Someday love would come looking for Hope too, and
Katie smiled thinking that she just might be a part of that.

Snowy Creek Romance™ is pleased to offer you this first
chapter of HOPE’S DISCOVERY, from Book Three in the
MATCHMAKER TRILOGY by Bernadette Marie.