Can’t Hurry Love by Nadine Millard (primary phonics books .txt) 📕

all the rage, isn’t it?” Beth said excitedly. Already she was running through plans in her head.

How many books and movies had she read and seen where characters fell in love at dating events. Loads. That was how many. And especially if she was planning one! She could see the whole thing play out right now…

Some gorgeous millionaire businessman would breeze into town all moody and cynical about love.

And Beth would hate that he was so moody and cynical but secretly fall in love with him.

And then, when she’d given up, he’d arrive at the high school gym — maybe, she hadn’t worked out the details yet — and declare his love.

And somehow, magically, she would have forgotten all about Josh Larson in the meantime, so she’d be free to love him back and have her happy ending.

“Er — no. Not really.”

Her runaway thoughts came to a crashing halt as Jenna brought her back to earth with a bang.

“Nobody does speed dating anymore, Beth. Everyone is online.”

She was right, Beth knew.

But the idea had taken root, and she couldn’t shake it.

The truth was that Josh Larson had been the only man she’d been interested in — really, truly, happily-ever-after interested in — in years. Maybe ever, truth be told.

And if a dating event helped her forget him, then why not do it?

“Well, then, maybe it’s time for it to make a comeback,” she said confidently. “Come on, girls. Every one of us is single. Every one of us knows every single man in this town. Don’t you think we should get some fresh blood in?”

“And if people don’t come?”

Beth thought about her fantasy of a tall, dark, successful man sweeping her off her feet and making her forget all about Josh Larson and his enigmatic silences and heart-stopping kisses.

“They will. They have to!”

“So, you want me to organise a speed dating event?” Paige sounded dubious. “By Saturday? That’s not enough time, Beth.”

Beth sighed in defeat.

No, it wasn’t enough time. Of course it wasn’t! It was still a good idea though.

It didn’t solve Saturday’s problem, but it could potentially solve the problem of having a distinct lack of romance in her life in general.

“I know it’s not.”

“Why can’t you just keep going with online dating?” Jenna asked.

Beth sighed, her frustration giving a bite to her tone. “Because it’s useless,” she whined. She hadn’t meant to whine but whine she did. “My phone practically has track marks from all the swiping. Nothing sticks. Nobody is worth it. I don’t think it works. Not for me, anyway. I need to meet someone the old-fashioned way.”

“And speed dating is old-fashioned?” Paige asked sceptically.

“Well, old-fashioned, but quick,” Beth clarified.

“I don’t get it. What’s the rush? I mean, how likely are you to find your soulmate during one speed-dating session? It doesn’t seem likely.”

What was the rush? Beth didn’t even know. Maybe it was because she’d been single practically since college. Maybe it was having watched her best friend get married and knowing how far from it she was. She knew that she was supposed to find happiness herself and not look for it in someone else. Every single self-help book she’d read had told her that.

That to find love outside of herself, she must first learn to love herself.

Or something like that.

But she couldn’t help how she felt.

Mostly, she had an awful suspicion that it was the arrival of Josh Larson that had kicked her search into overdrive. He was the first man she’d ever felt honest-to-goodness butterflies with.

And now that she knew they existed — and that he wasn’t a willing supplier of them — she desperately wanted to get them elsewhere.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled dejectedly. “It would just be nice to have someone, you know? Sooner rather than later.”

“So you can forget Josh?” Brooke asked gently.

Beth couldn’t bring herself to answer.

Brooke’s words had ceased all chatter as the four women stood and sat in contemplative silence.

“My cousin is just back from a trip to Ireland,” Jenna suddenly spoke up, her grey eyes lighting. “She said while she was there, they had a matchmaking festival.”

“A what?” Beth asked.

“A matchmaking festival! She said it was awesome. A whole month of events — parties and meet-ups. They even had a resident matchmaker. I mean, she didn’t find her soulmate or anything, but she did get a lot of dates with strapping Irishmen! It’s a pity we don’t have something like that.”

“Hang on. An actual matchmaker? In the twenty-first century? You’re kidding,” Brooke was laughing, and Paige was smiling a little wistfully, but Beth was enthralled.

That could work. Seriously work.

Organising it would keep her too busy to worry about Josh and his gorgeousness and unavailability. And with a whole month of events, even she was bound to find someone.

“I’m not! Look.” Jenna whipped her phone out and opened Instagram.

Within seconds, they were all pouring over her cousin’s photos. Sure enough, there it was. The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival.

It looked like a blast! And judging from the number of selfies with different guys, it looked like it had been a success too!

“Ok. This! This is what we should do,” Beth said excitedly. “Obviously, not by Saturday,” she hurried on when Paige opened her mouth to speak. “But we should, right? Paige…” She turned to fully face the other blonde. “…you’re forever fundraising for the library. It’s always on the brink of running out of money, right?”

It was true. When Paige wasn’t working as an online teacher or in the library, she was desperately raising funds to keep all of her courses and classes going.

“Wouldn’t this be a fantastic way to fundraise? It wouldn’t even have to be for a full month. We could do it for a week or two.”

“I don’t know—“

“It’s not a bad idea,” Brooke piped up. “I can help to organise it. And it would be good for the local businesses. Especially if we do it right before the tourist season kicks in.”

“And we’ll help in any way we can. Right, Jenna?”

Jenna grinned widely. “I’m