One Sure Thing (Mamma Lou Matchmaker Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

women, who were obviously related, were so engrossed in their conversation, that they hardly noticed her. Both were apparently worked in the medical field. They discussed an article in The New England Medical Journal of Medicine and the latest medical research in a JAMA piece.
    After a few minutes, the conversation veered to something more interesting, the subject of finding the elusive Mr. Right. It was this last conversation that garnered Louise’s full attention.
    Of course, she’d heard this many times before. It was an age-old problem from generation to generation. There were television talk shows; relationship gurus and entire sections of bookstores devoted to the how-to, how-come and why-not me self-help books. Billions of dollars were shelled out to answer a very simple question: how to find love.
    “Hope,” the younger one said sadly, “this time I really thought it was real. He was perfect and he said he really truly loved me.”
    “Faith, they say that every time.”
    “This time I believed it was true love.”
    “How can he possibly love you when he just met you, Faith?”
    “Haven’t you ever heard of love at first sight?”
    “Sure, every other day,” Hope answered sarcastically. She saw the dejected expression on her sister’s face. She exhaled. “Faith, you are so trusting and men can be so cruel.”
    “Yeah, I know same old, same old. Hope, not all men are the same. They’re not all like Nolan, and Hugh and our father and stepfather, and all the other jerks. There are good men out there. You just have to have a little faith and hope.” She sighed heavily. “Don’t you miss being in love?”
    “Love is an illusion,” Hope began. “Love is the ultimate fantasy. That’s how they trap you. Once you fall in love, your life is over.”
    “Oh please, not this again. Your big sister speeches are really getting old.”
    “Yes again, because obviously you weren’t listening the first, second or twentieth times. The perfect man, the elusive Mr. Right is a fantasy at best, and a fool’s errand at the very least. Most women spend a great deal of money, time and energy searching in vain for someone who doesn’t exist, someone to fall in love with. It’s not rocket science. The search for love is like the Holy Grail. I see it every day. Love hurts, and as we both know, sometimes it kills.”
    “No Hope,” Faith implored her sister, “love is finding a man who is right for you, then working like hell to make the relationship succeed. The problem with you, Hope, is that you’ve not only lost your faith, but more importantly, you’ve lost hope. You need to find yourself again girl.”
    “In a man I suppose is your advice?”
    “They’re not all the same. One day you’ll see.”
    “Never again.”
    “Never is a long time. One of these days love is going to sneak up and bite you on the butt.”
    Hope laughed. “Then I’ll just have it surgically removed.”
    “I refuse to believe that you’re this hopeless when it comes to love.” Faith finally relented.
    “Dr. Hope Adams,” she said ruefully, “I’m always hopeful.”
    Their tête-à-tête ended abruptly as the two exited the ladies room. Satisfied that she’d heard all she needed to know, Louise dropped the tissue in the trash basket, stood and adjusted the double strand of cultured pearls around her neck and patted the hair at the nape of her neck.
    Bravo, Louise thought. She applauded Hope’s keen insight. She couldn’t have said it better herself. Curious to see this well of wisdom, Louise pivoted in her seat just enough to see the woman’s reflection bounce across the room into the near mirror. Louise smiled with hope. The next time she saw this woman, would be the beginning of the rest of her life.
    ***
    Of course, the satin purse, high heels and fashionable evening suit from the night Hope attended the Broadway musical were gone. They had been replaced with green hospital scrubs, a white lab coat and comfortable