Jack took that as vindication. “Mel seems great,” he said.
“She is.” He said the answer without thinking, and he meant it completely. What the hell? Why not tell Jack how he felt? The man would be family soon.
They chatted for a few more minutes until Kyle noticed that Frances had moved away from two of his cousins and was heading toward the kitchen. He said goodbye to Jack and intercepted her just outside the room.
“What gives?” he said.
For just a fraction of an instant, comprehension showed on her face. Then her expression shifted, becoming blank and innocent. “I’m sorry, Kyle, honey, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Frances. Tell me the truth. Did Grandma and Gregory Tanner set Mel and me up?”
The color that rushed to her cheeks was answer enough. Kyle shook his head and rubbed his temples. “How?”
She explained the elaborate ruse to him, her voice barely a whisper as she went over the plans for thenecklace and then explained how Emily had to call in the temp agency when it became apparent that he and Mel hadn’t hooked up after Frances’s house.
“Is the necklace even an heirloom?”
Frances shook her head. “Oh my, no. Emily bought it last month. It was my idea to add my initials. Don’t you think that was a good touch?”
He grimaced. “The best.”
She beamed.
He sighed. “Why didn’t they just introduce us?”
Frances waved the question away. “Don’t be foolish, my dear. Would you have stood still for yet another woman foisted on you by Emily?” She didn’t bother to wait for an answer. “Of course not. This way was perfect.”
“Except that we’re not together.”
“Pshaw. I’ve seen you two. You will be.”
Kyle silently hoped she was right. And as he headed back into the party to find Mel, he realized that, this time, his grandmother really had played the matchmaking game perfectly. He’d fallen for Mel, all right.
Finally his grandmother had won.
* * *
“THEY SET US UP?” The party had finally wound down, and now they were in Kyle’s Jeep, headingaway from Mission Viejo after dropping Gregory back at the house. “It was all some sort ofscam?”
“Yup. You’ve got to hand it to them, actually. It was a pretty intricate plot.”
“I don’t have to hand anything to them,” Mel said. “I don’t appreciate being manipulated.”
Neither did Kyle as a rule, but in this case he had to admit he didn’t mind too much.
They drove in silence for a while, him trying to remember the way to Doug Bryant’s house and her seething in the passenger seat beside him. Bryant, a high-end client with a system nearly identical to Driskell’s, had agreed to let his house be used as a test case. Since they didn’t have time to spare, Mel and Kyle had decided that they’d do the initial run tonight.
“So they’ve known each other a lot better than they’ve let on,” Mel said.
Kyle frowned, taking a minute to follow the conversation. “Yeah,” he finally said. “I got the impression from Frances that Gregory and my grandmother were actually quite close. Probably would have gotten together if the head of the studio hadn’t discouraged Emily from getting serious. Then your grandpa went and got married and—”
“And back in those days you didn’t stay friends with someone you’d once had the hots for.”
“Or still did have the hots for,” Kyle added.
“You thought so, too?” She shifted in her seat to look at him more directly. “The way they were talking in the corner, I really got the impression that there were some serious sparks between them. And now that I know all of this…” She leaned forward, clearly excited. “Well, I thinkthey’rethe ones who need a matchmaker. Not us.”
“No kidding,” he said.
