The Perfect Match: First Comes Marriage / Yours and Mine
‘Perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy’ - CandisFinding the one was never meant to be easy…Janine Hartman isn’t looking for a husband, but when Zach Thomas breezes into her life she is caught off guard. He’s the complete opposite to her in every way, so why does her heart start to skip a beat when he is around? Could he be her perfect match after all?Single mum Joanna Parsons is perfectly happy leaving married life in the past….until she meets Tanner Lund. Their daughters’ might think they are a perfect for each other, except Tanner and Joanna are determined to resist marriage. But true love won’t be ignored!Make Time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.
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Make time for friends. Make time for
DEBBIE MACOMBER
CEDAR COVE
16 Lighthouse Road
204 Rosewood Lane
311 Pelican Court
44 Cranberry Point
50 Harbor Street
6 Rainier Drive
74 Seaside Avenue
8 Sandpiper Way
92 Pacific Boulevard
1022 Evergreen Place
1105 Yakima Street
A Merry Little Christmas (featuring 1225 Christmas Tree Lane and 5-B Poppy Lane)
BLOSSOM STREET
The Shop on Blossom Street
A Good Yarn
Susannah’s Garden
(previously published as Old Boyfriends)
Back on Blossom Street
(previously published as Wednesdays at Four)
Twenty Wishes
Summer on Blossom Street
Hannah’s List
A Turn in the Road
Thursdays at Eight
Christmas in Seattle
Falling for Christmas
A Mother’s Gift
Angels at Christmas
A Mother’s Wish
Be My Valentine
Happy Mother’s Day
On a Snowy Night
Home for Christmas
Summer in Orchard Valley
Summer Wedding Bells
Summer Brides
This Matter of Marriage
The Perfect Match
THE MANNINGS
The Manning Sisters
The Manning Brides
The Manning Grooms
THE DAKOTAS
Dakota Born
Dakota Home
Always Dakota
The Farmer Takes a Wife
(Exclusive short story)
Contents
First Comes Marriage
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Yours and Mine
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
To Anna and Anton Adler, Russian immigrants and my loving grandparents.
Thank you for the wonderful heritage you gave me.
“You must be Zachary Thomas,” Janine said breathlessly as she whirled into the office. “Sorry I’m late, but I got hung up in traffic on Fourth Avenue. I didn’t realize they’d torn up the whole street.” Still a little winded, she unfastened her coat, tossed it over the back of the visitor’s chair and threw herself down, facing the large executive desk.
The man on the other side blinked twice as though he didn’t know quite what to think.
“I’m Janine Hartman.” She drew in a deep breath. “Gramps said if he wasn’t back from his appointment, I should introduce myself.”
“Yes,” Zachary said after a moment of strained silence. “But he didn’t tell me you’d be wearing—”
“Oh, the bandanna dress,” Janine said, smoothing one hand over her lap. The dress had been constructed of red and blue bandannas; it featured a knee-length zigzag hemline and closely hugged her hips. “It was a gift. And since I’m meeting the girl who made it later, I thought I should wear it.”
“And the necklace?”
Janine toyed with the colored Christmas-tree lights strung between large beads on a bootlace that dangled from her neck. “It’s a bit outrageous, isn’t it? That was a gift, too. I think it’s kind of cute, don’t you? Pamela is so clever.”
“Pamela?”
“A teenager from the Friendship Club.”
“I…see,” Zach said.
“I do volunteer work there and the two of us hit it off as soon as we met. Pam’s mother doesn’t live in the area and she’s at that awkward age and needs a friend. For some reason she took a liking to me, which was fine because I think she’s wonderful.”
“I see,” he said again.
Janine doubted he did.
“The necklace is different I’ll grant you,” Zach was saying—which wasn’t admitting to much. His dark eyes narrowed as he studied it.
Now that she’d met Zachary Thomas, Janine could understand why her grandfather was so impressed with him—if appearances were anything to judge by. In his well-tailored suit, he was the very picture of a high-powered executive, crisp, formal and in control. He was younger than she’d assumed, possibly in his early thirties, but it was difficult to tell. His facial features were attractive enough, but he wasn’t strikingly handsome. Still, she found herself fascinated by the strength of character she saw in the uneven planes of his face. His dark hair was cut military short. His jaw was strong, his cheekbones high and his mouth full. That was the way she’d describe him physically, but there was apparently much more to this man than met the eye. At least, her grandfather was convinced of it.
Several months earlier Anton Hartman had merged his well-established business-supply firm with the fast-expanding company owned by Zachary Thomas. Together the two men had quickly dominated the market.
For weeks now, Gramps had wanted Janine to meet Zachary. His name had popped up in every conversation, no matter what they were discussing. To say her grandfather thought highly of his partner was an understatement.
“Gramps has spoken…well of you,” she said next.
A hint of a smile—just the merest suggestion—touched his mouth, giving her the impression that he didn’t smile often. “Your grandfather has one of the keenest business minds in the country.”
“He’s incredible, isn’t he?”
Zachary’s nod betrayed no hesitation.
There was a polite knock on the door and a tall middle-aged woman wearing a navy-blue pin-striped suit stepped into the room. “Mr. Hartman phoned,” she announced primly. “He’s been delayed and asked that you meet him at the restaurant.”
