He dropped down in a chair. “How does it start?”
He really was curious. She couldn’t help but be a bit proud of her work on the island. And most people never bothered to find out more about what she actually did. What would it hurt to give him a little insight into the process? It wasn’t like he was going to start his own wedding venue. The thought made her smile.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I was just thinking of you as a matchmaker.”
He gave a firm shake of his head. “It’s not going to happen. But that doesn’t mean I’m not curious about your work.”
“Come here.” And then she typed the island’s website address into her computer. “This is where everything begins.”
“A website? Interesting. But I’m guessing your grandparents didn’t have it so easy.”
“No, they didn’t. They would advertise in newspapers and magazines. Then they would send out questionnaires. It was a very long process. And it was still done that way until I took over.”
“Really?” He rubbed his palm over his jaw. “I take it you’ve done a lot to speed up the process.”
“I did...on my end. But it is still the same process for the prospective bride and groom. Digital or not, it still yields the same results.”
“Mind if I try this process?”
He was joking, right? Why would he be interested in a matchmaking program? But he was the first man to show a genuine interest in her work. And it felt good to be taken seriously. Her parents had told her coming to the island was a waste of her time—a waste of her education. The echo of their words still hurt.
And so Lea turned to her computer. “Here it is.”
“Do you mind?” Xander indicated that he’d like to sit in her chair for a closer look.
“Not at all.” She stood and moved aside, careful that they didn’t bump into each other. It wasn’t until now that she realized how little space there was behind her desk.
He took a seat and perused the home page. “I like the setup. For some reason, I was expecting a bunch of red and pink hearts everywhere and maybe a cupid or two.”
Lea gazed over his shoulder at the computer monitor that displayed a photo of the cove at sunset. She’d always thought it was so romantic. If she were ever to get married, she would love for it to be on the patio of the café that overlooked the cove. She couldn’t think of any better backdrop for a wedding. Surprisingly, none of her guests had requested such a wedding. Not that Lea was planning on getting married any time soon. She had other more pressing matters—like her baby. And saving her home.
“I don’t run a cheesy business.” And then realizing that she’d misspoken, she said, “Well, I do have a cheese business, thanks to the goats. What I mean is—”
“I know what you mean. I like what I’ve seen so far.” He flipped to the next page. “The website is well laid out and contains some stunning photos of the island.”
The web page also spoke of its history and how successful the marriages on the island had been. It also spoke of Lea’s grandparents who ran the island before her. She’d come across photo albums with black-and-white photos. She was able to digitize some of them and include them on the website.
The next page contained testimonials of happily married couples, from people who were married just a few years to others who had been married fifty or more years. Talking to those couples and reading their testimonials of what Infinity Island meant to them was what drove Lea to fight the good fight. This would work out somehow. Infinity Island would go on being the stepping stone to happily-ever-afters.
The following web page was where engaged couples began their journey. Many applied to be married on the island but only a few made it through the process and were chosen.
Xander studied the page. “So this is it? They just fill out this form and you know whether they are lifelong partners or not?”
“Something like that.” She wasn’t about to give away her family’s secret. There was a certain, some might call it, magic to it all.
“I don’t know.” Xander rubbed the back of his neck. “I just don’t see how this survey or whatever you call it can pick out true love. I’m not even sure there is such a thing.”