Charlotte felt just a little bit depressed upon hearing this. "I'm already starting to regret it, to be honest."
"O ye of little faith!" Charlee-Mae's tone was teasing and chiding at the same time. "Don't you know Family 101? Thou shalt always have trust in thy sister-in-law—-"
"Thou certainly shalt not," Charlotte retorted, "when thy sister-in-law's name is Charlee-Mae Chastity Carmichaels."
"You should really stop overthinking," Charlee-Mae chastised. "It's going to give you wrinkles one day."
"If I do get wrinkles," Charlotte muttered, "it's all because—-"
"You keep thinking like I'm about to be your agency's biggest headache—-" Charlee-Mae gave her sister-in-law an innocent look. "—-when I'm not, naturally. So just relax. It's all going to be fine and smooth sailing from here."
Charlotte's gaze momentarily flicked upwards. I'm sure you've heard what your sister just said, Landon. She thinks it's going to be fine and smooth sailing, she reported forlornly to her husband in heaven, when it never is. Crazy things always happen where your baby sister is concerned—-
Charlee-Mae's gaze narrowed suspiciously at her sister-in-law. "Hey! I know that look. Are you tattling on me to my dead brother?"
Charlotte lifted her chin. "Don't be absurd, and anyway—-" She made a shooing gesture in the direction of the door. "It's time for you to go. I need peace and quiet if you want me to quickly find you a match."
"Then consider me gone." Charlee-Mae blew the other woman a goodbye kiss...which Charlotte took the time to catch just so she could make a show of crumpling it in her fist before throwing the invisible kiss into her wastebasket.
"Oh my goodness! Bless you, my darling sister-in-law," Charlee-Mae cooed. "You are such a bitch! I love it!"
Charlotte waited until the door closed behind Charlee-Mae before allowing herself a grudging little smile. Although her sister-in-law was the love-her-or-hate-her type, the other woman also had the most ridiculously optimistic outlook of life that Charlotte could only admire. Nothing ever fazed Charlee-Mae, and it reminded her of how an internationally renowned fashion designer had once described her sister-in-law upon watching Charlee-Mae sashay down the catwalk.
'Big hair, bigger boobs, and the biggest personality.'
That was Charlee-Mae in a nutshell, and in a way, that also perfectly summed up Charlotte's goal.
Most men in this world would likely be tempted to crush Charlee-Mae's spirit, and Charlotte's job, therefore, was to find the opposite. The ideal man for her sister-in-law was one who would appreciate the craziness that was Charlee-Mae, and while this might seem next to impossible...
How about a bet, Landon? Promise me you'll visit my dreams if I manage to find your sister her Mr. Right?
Charlotte knew it was the silliest of thoughts, but she didn't care. Years had already passed since Landon's death, but not a day had gone by that she didn't miss him. Since Charlee-Mae lived her life doing one crazy thing after the other, surely it wouldn't hurt if Charlotte indulged herself with a moment of insanity as well?
Dear God, I'm sure You heard what I said. I'll do everything in my power to find my sister-in-law her Mr. Right, and in return, is it okay if I can have mine back, even just for one night?
Charlotte's secret deal with heaven gave her all the inspiration and motivation she needed, and what was supposed to have taken three weeks was accomplished in three days.
However...
Chapter One
"Ican't believe you've already found me a match," Charlee-Mae exclaimed giddily upon plopping herself in her usual seat across her sister-in-law's desk.
"Actually...I've found you two potential matches."
"Bless you!" Charlee-Mae was genuinely impressed. "I've been playing the dating game for almost eighteen years, and I haven't even come close to finding a .5 match."
In the act of retrieving two folders from her drawer, Charlotte paused with a frown upon hearing Charlee-Mae's words. "There's no such thing as a .5 match—-"
"Of course there is," Charlee-Mae argued. "Basically, it's a woman who ticks all the boxes, which would've been perfect if I were bisexual. But since I'm not, that makes it a .5 match."
Charlotte had a slight headache by the time the other woman finished talking. Since Charlee-Mae wasn't bisexual in the first place, then that would have given the match zero percent of success instead of fifty. Didn't it?
"You get it, right?"
"No, I don't."
But Charlee-Mae only laughed this off, and Charlotte decided to set the issue aside. This wasn't the first time she did "not" get what her sister-in-law was saying, and anyway...