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

been to six out of seven continents.”

“I’ve only left Alaska six times,” Breena said as she finished grating a block of cheddar.

“Can you do some of the Havarti?” Raven asked Breena. “I never thought about it, but I haven’t left Alaska in years. I haven’t even left Paradise in months. But I might be going to Anchorage soon.”

“You are?” That was news to Mia. “What for?”

“Brodie wants me to fly down for a dinner to seal the road deal with the commissioner.”

Mia’s antenna went up. “With Brodie?”

“Hugh Oberg’s going to be there.”

“Who’s Hugh Oberg?” Mia asked.

“The owner,” Breena said.

“Hugh owns Galina,” Raven added. “I work for him.”

“Really.” Mia hadn’t given any thought to who owned the company.

“They think I can help schmooze the transportation commissioner and get the road repairs moved up on the agenda.” She gave a wry frown. “I’m supposed to soften the dinner, make it less official and more personal.”

“You’re going to add some beauty and class,” Mia said.

Breena looked surprised by the statement.

Raven laughed as she sprinkled onions and peppers across the layer of chips. “Does that sound at all like me?”

“We’ll put an outfit together. Do a nice makeup job.” Mia moved a little closer to take a critical look. “This is my area of expertise . . . a little something with your hair. Oh, I have exactly the right shoes; not too frou-frou but not too utilitarian.” She glanced at Raven’s hands. “There’s a sign in Yolanda’s salon that says she does manicures.” In fact, Mia had been thinking of getting her own nails done. “I quite desperately need an indulgent girls’ day. We can go in together for a manicure and a trim.”

“Count me in,” Breena said. “Yolanda’s assistant just finished an online facial course. She got one-hundred percent on the final.”

“I don’t need a manicure,” Raven said, gazing at her nails.

“I’m looking at your hands right now,” Mia countered. “I might suck at driving a loader, but I know a bad manicure when I see it.”

“She’s right,” Breena said, bending forward to check out Raven’s nails.

“Fine,” Raven said with resignation. Then she switched on the oven. “Have we got enough cheese?”

“These are going to be awesome,” Breena said, holding up a platter heaped with shredded cheese.

Mia had to agree with that. “It’s been literally years since I had nachos.”

Raven took a sip from her glass of wine. “And I’ve never had wine like this.”

Breena grinned, giving Raven a mock toast before tasting her own wine. “Yum. So, what are you guys thinking for the dating app? How are we going to select our group?”

Chapter Twelve

“Is something going on between you and Mia?” Brodie asked Silas as the two men muscled bags of mineral core samples into the beaver at the Duncan Exploration camp. The Duncan airstrip was short and rough, and Brodie didn’t trust anyone but the two of them to land or take off there, especially after the rain had taken its toll.

Sleeves rolled up, sweat dripping from their brows in the sunshine, they were most of the way done on the thousand-plus-pound load.

“What do you mean?” Silas asked, fishing for what Brodie might know before answering.

Brodie stopped and straightened. “I mean, do the two of you have a thing going?”

Silas straightened too, taking the opportunity to readjust his leather work gloves. “Why would you ask that?”

“Why won’t you answer?”

“Because I don’t understand the question. Do you want me to just say no?”

“I want you to tell the truth.”

“Then no.” Silas wished there was something going on between them. But there wasn’t, not right now. And Brodie hadn’t asked if anything had ever gone on between them.

“People keep seeing you together,” Brodie said.

Silas silently cursed at the size of the town. “Where? When? Who?”

Brodie stopped working. “Well, that wasn’t at all defensive.”

“I just want to know what we’re talking about here.”

“AJ, Xavier, at the Bear and Bar, in your truck.” Brodie waited.

“Everyone’s always at the Bear and Bar. And she doesn’t have her own car, so I was just giving her a ride.”

Silas hopped in to secure the load. He covered the bags with a net then secured the tie-down strap to the floor, tightening it with the ratchet.

“So, that’s all it is.”

“That’s all it is.” Silas double-checked his work on the load then hopped down to close the cargo door.

“Cobra mentioned you brought Mia to the office.”

Brodie had obviously saved that revelation for last. He had Silas trapped, and he knew it.

Silas paused, hoping for more specifics to help him frame an answer, but Brodie just waited him out.

Silas weighed the pros and cons of his admission. Did he tell Brodie he had a thing for Mia, or did he tell him she was learning to operate the radio?

“The longer you stall, the guiltier you look,” Brodie said.

“I was showing her the radio,” Silas blurted out.

“Uh-huh,” Brodie looked suspicious. “And what did Mia think of the radio?”

“That wasn’t a euphemism. I was literally showing her how to operate the radio.”

Brodie’s expression changed from suspicious to perplexed.

“I felt bad about how things went at Galina, so I offered to teach her the radio instead. It’s a better fit for her. She’s smart, articulate, quick on her feet.”

Brodie held up a hand. “Hang on, hang on. You want to let Mia loose on the WSA radio?”

“I—”

“Are you kidding me? There are pilots in the sky depending on Shannon. I’m not letting some—”

“She’s learning the skills, not taking over for Shannon.” Silas secured the door, remembering Mia’s enthusiasm that day. “I have to say, I’m surprised at how fast she’s catching on. I thought it would take a lot longer.”

Load ready, he headed for the pilot’s seat.

Brodie had flown the left side on the way over, taking the landing on the camp strip while Silas helped spot the condition of the runway. Silas would do the takeoff and fly them back home.

“What I should have said was thanks,” Brodie said as he buckled in.

The abrupt mood change confused