Free His Island Bride by Shadonna Richards Page B

and on my end and I’m afraid there isn’t.”
     
Jessica thought for a moment. What was she afraid of? Another rejection? What if it didn’t work out? Then for sure she’d be branded a total failure. In some cultures when in any family a girl approaches the age of about twenty to twenty-four years the father of the girl started making enquiries about suitable bride grooms nearby. In Jessica’s household the father was her mother and the age was thirty not twenty or twenty-four .
     
“Will you agree to meet with him? He’ll be here from England in a couple of weeks.”
     
“Mother, what does he look like? How come I can’t see a photo beforehand?”
     
“The photo would be the last stage. It’s what’s inside that counts and the compatible background, dear.”
     
“Oh, God! He’s hideous!”
     
Jessica was stumped. She didn’t know which felt worse: having a terrible track record in her love life resulting in her so-called spinsterhood, or being pitied and thus set up because she wasn’t capable of finding love on her own. She’d been single for over two years now without a prospect in sight. Yes, she’d thought by thirty she would have found her soul mate and married and had children of her own but it just hadn’t worked out that way.
     
       Every man she’d met told her it wasn’t her it was him—which meant, it was her. Her family didn’t know what to think of her luck with men and even suggested “if you could just lose a little weight then maybe…” Yes, maybe, maybe…if she were more attractive meaning skinny in their eyes! Her last relationship with John had been rudely interrupted by a 110 pound, five foot, three inch secret with silky, long hair. His mistress. Aargh ! How could she trust another man, right now?
     
She’d been hooked up before on disastrous blind dates and the last thing she wanted was an arranged marriage—to someone she’d never met. Okay, she wasn’t perfect. She snorted when she laughed. She dressed as if she were colour blind and she was a little heavy but she was who she was.
       Oh, and she loved watching Columbo DVD’s. She craved the series and wanted to watch it nonstop and figure out little details in how the crime was committed and how Columbo figured out all the little missing parts to the mystery—and oh, she loved his quirky humour. Maybe she could relate to him being dissed by high society and underestimated because of his simple nature when his brilliance and genius attention to detail was what got the criminals every time. Okay, she was no sleuth but she wasn’t exactly accepted in all social circles. She wasn’t perfect, but she was who she was. She just couldn’t take another heartbreak . Maybe she was destined to be alone stuffing her face with seafood, cream puffs and watching Columbo DVDs throughout the night and reading on her Kindle when she wasn’t watching TV.
     
“I really want you to do something with your life, dear.”
     
“Something with my life? I have a good job and I volunteer at the Kids’ Club.”
     
“Yes, dear but you know, people will talk. I mean you’re still single at your age, no children…” Her mother was always about keeping up appearances. God forbid she should become a spinster. What will her girlfriends at the bridge club think?
     
 “Okay, Mom. I will. I will meet my potential future husband.” Jessica reached over and kissed her mother’s cheeks then she stood up and stretched. “I’d better finish packing. Can you imagine? Two whole weeks in Montego Bay. I hear the Grandim Resort is the best.”
     
“Yes. And at least when you come back you’ll be more relaxed…and tanned.” Her mother grinned. “Darling, you have no idea how much this means to me…and your father. We both love you very much. We want the best for you. We couldn’t give you everything growing up when things were rough but now you have a chance. Finally.”
     
Her mother’s teary eyes caused a