Page 11 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

TANNER LOCKE NEEDED a matchmaker’s help

Two days earlier Whitney Thohtly as she’d held the phone He was certainly a blast from the past Why would someone like Tanner require her help?

An hour earlier he had texted her that he needed to change their arrangements and asked her to meet him at a small airport outside San Francisco As the owner of Professional Match, Whitney had made concessions for clients on more than one occasion, but this was the first time she’d been asked to meet one at an airport at dusk

Tanner had said so had come up and that he couldn’t join her at her office He would appreciate herhim at the airport If she hadn’t been familiar with his status in the community she wouldn’t have considered such a plan She wasn’t acquainted with the sreed to do as he’d requested

Having the Dr Tanner Locke’s nah it was unethical to publicize his name, she could say that an eminent doctor in the city had used her services Who knew? He ht even send her referrals Either of those would make it worth her drive to meet him

As the “big irls had had a crush on Tanner, including herself But she hadn’t been his style He had been into thin, blonde, preppy sorority girls while she had been the heavy, dark-haired, mousy nobody At least she already knew his type

In the past couple of years she’d seen Tanner’s naeon in the heart transplant field So why did soible as Tanner need her help in finding a mate?

Whitney chuckled drily For the same reasons her other clients did They didn’t have the tiy to weed out the unsuitable She handled the nitty-gritty work of finding people with sirounds so they only connected with the people most appropriate for them It was a one-and-done process

She rolled through the gate of the airfield nize her? Why should he? She’d just been one of those people who had been a filler in a couple of his classes Plus she’d changed a great deal since then At least on the outside She’d lost fifty pounds She’d long outgrown having a crush on Tanner Heavens, she didn’t even really know him

Pulling into a parking spot in the lot next to a red single-story, ce white jet sat on the tarmac in front of the ter around it Was Tanner going somewhere? Probably off to Hawaii for the weekend

Normally Whitney liked to have her initial interview in a neutral and laid-back place A local café, the park Out of the client’s high-pressure orld so that they were h people’s favorite subject was themselves, when it ca Men tended toward telling about half of what she needed to know Theor both they were about their choices for mates

At the sound of an ambula

nce siren, she glanced into the rearview h the gate at a normal speed and continued until the aroup of people dressed in green scrubs exited the back

What was going on?

One of the roup and started toward her That must be Tanner It had been years since she’d seen hied as well His shoulders had broadened and his face had lost its youthfulness, having les He was still an extremely handsome man Maybe even more so now

With a wide stride that spoke of a person who controlled his realm and was confident to do so, he approached her She stepped out of the car, closed the door and waited

“Whitney?”

He didn’t recognize her Was she relieved or disappointed? She extended her hand when he ithin arm’s reach

“Whitney Thomason”

Tanner took her hand and pulled her to hi

What was he doing?

Her face was pressed into the curve of his shoulder He smelled not of hospital antiseptic but of clean, warm male Whitney was so surprised her hands fluttered at his waist What was going on? She was released alrabbed her

Tanner glanced over his shoulder “Please just go along with me First names only No titles”

She looked beyond hi the sound like a covert operation She took a small step away from him “Okay I’m Whitney”

“I’m Tanner I would prefer we keep my request between the two of us” His dark brown eyes beseeched her

“I understand I assure you I am discreet” Most professionals she worked anted their interactions with her to remain low-key Either they didn’t want others to know they needed help in their personal life or were just embarrassed they couldn’t find someone on their own Whatever it was, she respected their desires But no one had gone to the extent that Tanner was to keep his secret

So as he ues? “Then why here?” She nodded her head toward the group at the plane

“I didn’t knoas going to have to go after a heart and I wanted you to get started on this right away”

“After a heart?” Her voice rose

“I’ a heart”

“Oh” He ht be, but for her it was a little unnerving

He looked over his shoulder as the jet engines roared to life “So what do you need from me?”