Match Made In Paradise by Barbara Dunlop (black female authors TXT) 📕

knew it was just a pipedream. “Celeste would have the same problem I do, standing out and causing a fuss. Brodie would really hate me then.”

“Stop saying that. Brodie doesn’t hate you.”

Mia set two clean plates out on the counter. “Not yet.”

“So what we need is . . .” Raven jiggled the flipper, clearly thinking through the problem.

“More women,” Mia finished for her.

Raven pointed at her with the flipper. “That’s it.”

“I know plenty of women,” Mia said, seriously warming to the idea. “And it’s tough down there, and all the guys are arrogant assholes with zero chivalry. California women would love these guys—Zeke, Xavier, AJ, Dean. Cobra is too intimidating.”

Raven laughed. “That’s true.”

“But Tristen and Tobias have that strapping Scandinavian look.” Mia catalogued a few of the eligible men. “They could model outerwear if they wanted. All of these guys could, actually.”

“And Silas?” Raven asked.

“Sure, yeah, and Silas.” Mia couldn’t not keep him to herself but then keep him to herself. That wasn’t fair.

“How would we get them to come?” Raven asked.

“The bigger question is, how do we get them to stay away?” Mia could see it all now. “If I put out the offer of sexy, hardworking, principled Alaskan men, we’ll have a stampede. The sandwiches.”

Raven spun back and turned off the heat, transferring the grilled sandwiches from the pan to plates. “We curate them,” she said.

“Sounding creepy again,” Mia warned.

“I mean like a matchmaking service, only in bulk.”

Mia grinned as they made their way to the kitchen table. “You do have a way with words.”

“Pour us some wine,” Raven said as she sat down. “Let’s come up with a plan.”

“You mean dispense us some wine from the little plastic spigot?” Mia altered her course to head back to the kitchen.

Raven responded to the teasing. “You are a princess.”

Chapter Eleven

Mia felt like a covert operative. The fact she’d slept with Silas was classified. That she was learning the WSA radio was classified. And the matchmaking project for the guys in Paradise was classified too—at least for now.

With the Bear and Bar her go-to place for internet access, she’d been reading up on Alaskan and international radio standards, including the phonetic alphabet. She was also working her way through the introductory pages of popular dating sites, seeing what kind of questions they asked and wondering how she and Raven could customize something for themselves.

Breena came by to refill Mia’s soda.

Mia set down her phone then straightened and stretched out her shoulders. She was drinking diet cola to keep a little caffeine going through her system.

“Not too busy this morning,” she said to Breena, glancing around the quiet café, hoping that meant Breena would have time to sit down for a chat.

“You look so focused,” Breena said. “Your court case?”

“Tangentially related,” Mia said feeling honor-bound to keep the matchmaking project under wraps.

“New husband?” Breena asked.

The question startled Mia.

“I couldn’t help recognizing the Date-Deal logo,” Breena explained. “It’s pretty distinctive. Sorry, bad joke.”

“Definitely not a new husband.” It occurred to Mia that Breena could be a potential source of intelligence. “Do you use the site?”

Breena shook her head. “Guys are a dime a dozen down in Anchorage. But I have a few friends who’ve used dating sites.”

Mia was interested. “What do they think of them?”

Breena slid into the chair next to Mia, obviously warming to the topic. “They tell me most of the guys on them are a bust.”

“How so?”

“They’re all looking for the perfect woman while bringing practically nothing to the table.” Breena counted off on her fingers. “Low fitness, disorganized, little education, no money. There’ve been a few success stories among friends of friends, but it seems like you have to kiss a lot of frogs to get there.”

Mia smiled at the joke.

“We made our own algorithm in one of my systems design courses. The good guys come in and go out really fast, while the losers’ profiles hang around forever, so eventually your pool gets skewed. It’s not your best bet for dating.”

“I’ve never dated,” Mia said. “I mean, I sort of dated Alastair. He took me to industry functions and events before we were married, but we were colleagues and friends long before any romance.”

“So, not exactly the voice of experience,” Breena joked.

“Alas, not.”

Breena nodded to the phone screen. “So, if you’re not dating, what are you doing?”

Mia looked from side to side, reconfirming they were beyond hearing distance of the few other diners.

Breena mimicked her action, chuckling softly and appreciatively as she leaned closer. “What’s going on?”

“Can I bring you in on something?” Mia felt she could trust Breena, and was confident Raven would see the wisdom in asking for Breena’s help since her computer skills would be such an asset.

“Well, yeah.” Breena scooting closer still. “I’m dying to know now.”

“Raven and I had an idea. You know, all this nonsense with the poker game.”

“That was all in fun.”

“I thought so at the time. But Brodie didn’t like it.”

Breena shrugged. “Brodie is Brodie. He can be a stick in the mud.”

“But it’s a real problem.”

“Brodie?”

“No, women in Paradise. Well, the lack of women in Paradise compared to the number of men.”

“That’s sure true. A lot of the new guys hit on me. Not the ones who remember me from when I was fifteen; they stay away. But the last couple of summers, I’ve had a lot of guys come up to me.”

“Do you date anyone in town?”

She shook her head. “I’d have to convince them to move to a big city with me when I leave. I think it makes more sense to find a guy once I get settled.”

Mia knew would take a special kind of woman to settle down in rural Alaska. Which was why their curating process would be so important.

“We think we can find some,” Mia said. “I know lots of women in California who have trouble meeting nice guys. The guys at WSA and Galina are a cut above.”

“I’d agree with you there.”

“Our plan—Raven’s and mine—is to create