Page 98 of Game, Set, MatchMaker

“I figured you might say that, so I packed option ‘B’.” I drag a second sweater, tags still on, from the depths of my suitcase.

Parker and I arrived at the Manning’s ski house a couple hours ago, but I haven’t had a chance to unpack.

Mostly because Carly’s occupied my time. I can’t complain about the fact that we took a long snowshoe hike, sipped a glass of wine by the fire, and now we’re getting ready for some mysterious “ugly sweater” photo shoot that Mitch Manning apparently insists on, every Christmas Eve.

It’s been fun, catching up with her.

Ever since she took over as CEO for Manning Light Fixtures she’s been a peach to be around. Less irritable. More fun.

She approves of this second sweater option, a neon green thing that says ‘let it snow’ in big, hot pink letters across the front, so I pull it over my head. “Hey, were you able to get Thursday and Friday off, so we can ski?”

I peer into the guest room mirror and try to flatten my static-crazy, finger-in-a-socket hair.

On the bed, she flops down to her back, sticks her leg straight up, and grips her toes.“Ugh, my hammies are so tight. Yeah, I did! Yet another perk of being my own boss.”

“You really love your new gig, don’t you?”

“Solove it. I can’t believe it took Dad so long to see I was a good fit.” She switches legs and repeats the stretch on the other side. “He had tunnel vision about getting Parker behind that desk, I think. I’m way better at bossing people around though. Parker’s too much of a ‘good time’ guy, and he can’t lay down the law like I can.”

I smile at her description. Parkerisall about good times.

It’s one of the things I love about him.

One of themanythings.

It’s been a year and a couple months since we got together, and I’m slowly, steadily learning just how fun life can be.

I’ve backed off of my intense work schedule. I still love my job, but I’m finding balance. It felt right to put the move to an online business model on hold. Down the road, maybe me and my team will tackle that. But right now, I have other priorities.

It doesn’t matter to me that I didn’t find a wife for Parker, and I never got that funding from Mitch. His assignment got me here, to Vermont, and that’s what matters to me. And, who knows…? Maybe I’ll marry Parker one day.

Spending so much time up here in Pines Peak really helps, with the work-life balance thing. It’s almost impossible to obsess about work after a long mountain bike ride with him. Or, a session on the basketball court, smacking tennis balls at those plywood backboards.

And lately, I care more about my volunteer shifts at the Animal Shelter than I care about profit margins.

I think that’s healthy for me.

Those volunteer shifts could be a little problematic, though, if I keep adopting animals at my current rate. So far, I’ve managed to sneak two kitty friends to Parker’s home permanently, so Queenie has friends when we come up to stay in Vermont. Little Max grew like a ragweed, and he’s twice Queenie’s size now but he still lets her boss him around. And the latest addition, an orange tabby named Dusty, is my favorite cuddle buddy.

Well, except for Parker. He’s the king, when it comes to snuggling.

Parker’s just as bad as me, when it comes to falling for animals. He brought a puppy home out of the blue this fall, and I think he has his sights set on another.

It’s a good thing he started construction on a new house, up on his land.

Carly’s phone beeps, and she stops stretching to check out the text. “Hey, speaking of my wild-card brother, he says I can quit stalling you. They’re ready for us, out in the sitting area.”

She bounces off the bed and hooks her elbow through mine.

“What do you mean, stalling me?”

I don’t know what she’s talking about, or why she’s dragging me out through the guest room door and down the hall.

But a second later, I find out.

In the sitting room, Parker’s on one knee.

A fire dances in the hearth behind him and the big, bristly, Christmas tree’s off to his left, in front of the snowy landscape pictured through the huge window.

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