Wed Like Wildfire

WED LIKE WILDFIRE Copyright © 2023 Lauren Helms All rights reserved. All rights reserved worldwide. Print ISBN: 9798388542182 This book is meant for personal enjoyment only. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it from a proper retailer, won in a verified contest, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please delete or return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Published by Lauren Helms (www.authorlaurenhelms.com) Images © DepositPhotos Cover Design © Kim Wilson (http://www.kiwicoverdesign.com) Editing by Lawrence Editing (https://www.lawrenceediting.com) Proofreading by Yvette D’Eon and Kate Elspeth Created with Vellum Contents Playlist Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Epilogue Acknowledgments Also by Lauren Helms About the Author To Tessa, who is her very own vibe. Playlist this is what falling in love feels like – JVKE Heavenly – Cigarettes After Sex i don’t wanna know – GOLDHOUSE, Mokita You Feel Like Home – Hills x Hills Stuck In My Head [NITE MIX] (feat. AJ Mitchell) Love Somebody – Taylor Henderson Wrecked – Imagine Dragons If I Didn’t Have You – BANNERS Why Me – On The Outside Best Part of Me – Landon Austin Listen to the full playlist on Spotify. Prologue JUST A LITTLE PUSH RUTH My name is Ruth Anne James and I’m in the business of love. Let me explain. Once upon a time, I realized I had a knack for knowing when two people were meant for each other. I was twelve. Sitting on a big blanket in the front yard, where I found myself most afternoons after school, was where I first noticed my gift. I would shamelessly watch Sandra, the young, single mother who lived next door, shyly flirt with the mailman. His name was Frank. I think he was the same age as my parents. He held my attention every afternoon when he would turn onto our street on foot to deliver our mail. He was distinguished in a way, talked about among our neighbors; the wives thought he was attractive; the husbands grumbled that he smiled too much, which he did. He was a friendly guy, but upon my observations, that’s all he did when he came into contact with the residents he delivered mail to. Except for Sandra. Every day, he would knock on her door and personally hand her the mail. They would smile at each other. She would reach out cautiously and touch his arm, hand, or shoulder. He would tell her she looked beautiful. Witnessing them repeat these interactions daily became my own personal happy place. Watching them made me giddy and my heart felt full at the prospect of them falling in love and living happily ever after. But the thing was, they never took it further than the innocent flirting. I asked my mother why Sandra never asked Frank in for coffee or why he didn’t ask her on a date. My mother confided in me that neither of them had the confidence to make such a bold move. That maybe they just needed a little push. I knew right then and there that it was my duty, in the name of love, to give Sandra and Frank that little push. Because I knew they were meant for each other. Love would win. I devised a plan that involved a very carefully written note placed in just the right mailbox and watched the two of them take their relationship to the next level. They were married within six months. My mother, who suspected I may have had something to do with the progression of their relationship, made me promise I would stay out of other people’s love lives, especially when it came to adult matters. With my fingers crossed behind my back, I agreed. But that same day, I promised myself I would just have to become more stealthy when inserting myself into the lives of those who needed love. A love ninja if you will. At seventy-five, I’m still very much in the business of love. I’ve just honed my skills and my methods are more refined and my track record is perfect. My skills come in the form of matchmaking. After more than sixty years, I can say with certainty that the ability to match a couple is truly a gift. Most lonely hearts come to me willingly and I work my magic, but there are always those who are more stubborn. They want love, but they don’t believe I can truly help them find love. That’s when the fun begins. My most recent project, a woman who is very near and dear to my heart, Cassie Winters. She’s my granddaughter’s best friend and business partner. She deals in the same business of love but refuses to allow me to help. So when her perfect match walked into her life, it was an instant magnetic connection between the two. I itched to work my magic. The two were a match. On paper and in the flesh. Yet they were both too stubborn to see it. I offered to help, but they didn’t want to trust my process. I refused to let them risk missing out on true love. So I did