Page 3 of Double Take

For years, she’d sensed something momentous awaited her on the horizon, and with the move to Terra Nova, the anticipation had grown, like she would finally meet her destiny. Practical-minded, she didn’t grant that feelingseriouscredence, but she couldn’t completely discount it, since it never went away.

Maybe I’ll become famous. Maybe my pottery will become an interplanetary sensation. Maybe the love of my life is going to walk through that door.

The odds of the latter were slim. She had a better chance of becoming famous. Once, she’d believed the man she’d married had been her soul mate, but that hadn’t turned out to be the case. Her rational mind told her she wouldn’t meet him here, either.

The village of Willow Wood on planet Terra Nova was not the place to meet marriage-minded bachelors. The Earth settlement drew couples and families. Very few people came here alone. She hadn’t. Her friend Amity had accompanied her.

Besides, once bitten, twice shy. She wasn’t quite ready to get involved with a man. She had enough to handle without adding a relationship to the mix.

Relocating to another planet had been a scary decision, but that intuitive inner wisdom that said something big would happen in her life had encouraged the leap. She had to admit that the agrarian, slow-paced lifestyle of Willow Wood suited her much more than the frenetic, overpopulated, congested Earth where one city of high-rises merged into the next, forming an endless metropolis. Even the national parks, which promised green space and serenity, couldn’t deliver. So many people crowded into the parks that they’d become as populated as the cities.

She needed space to relax and create.Meet my destiny.

Hello, Terra Nova.

Through the window, she spied Amity hurrying toward the shop. It had been her friend’s idea to place the pottery wheel by the window so people could see her work and be drawn inside. Faith created; her longtime friend provided the business brain. Amity’s suggestion seemed to be working because sales at All Fired Up boomed. They had sold more crockery in the two months in Willow Wood than they had in the previous year on Earth. Of course, the Terra Novan culture probably factored in, too. People valued pottery because they used it in their everyday life.

“Hey,” Amity greeted her as she entered the shop.

“Hey.” She looked up, expecting a smile, but her best friend’s forehead crinkled into a worried frown. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to tell you something.” Amity bit her lip. “You may not like it. You might hate me.”

“I doubt that,” she replied. Amity was the older sister she’d never had, a port in the storm. Her friend had stood by her through thick and thin, lending a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. Amity had insisted on accompanying her to Terra Nova, even though she loved big-city hustle and bustle. If she could sometimes be overzealous in her caring and concern, well, Faith forgave her. Wasn’t that what “big sisters” were like?

Amity scrunched up her face. “I, uh, submitted applications to Cosmic Mates.”

“The interplanetary matchmaking service?” She’d heard about the service that matched Earth women with aliens. Cosmic Mates was quite the talk! “I think that’s great! You deserve to meet your Mr. Right.”

“It’s not that—”

“If you’re worried about leaving me alone here, don’t be. Focus on you.” Marrying an alien might require moving to his planet, in which case, Faith would have to buy Amity out of the business. However, they’d cross that bridge if they came to it.

In her early forties, Amity was a decade older than Faith and had never been married—but not for lack of trying. Her friend had done everything she could to put herself out there, but after a person reached a certain age, the eligible pool of available, decent men shrank to a puddle. And that was on Earth.

Honestly, Cosmic Mates probably offered the best shot at meeting a man. Neither of them would meet one on Terra Nova. Faith felt guilty at how much Amity had sacrificed by accompanying her there. So, she was glad she’d signed up with Cosmic Mates.

She tilted her head, studying the spinning vase.The neck needs to be a little higher.She smoothed her handsupward. “Wait a minute—what do you mean you submittedapplications?”

“I put in one for you, too.” Amity said.

The vase collapsed.

No, no, no.Her inner voice and practical sensibilities were in complete agreement. “Absolutely not.” She grabbed a damp rag and wiped her hands. How could Amity have done such a thing without consulting her?

“You were open to it a second ago.”

“When I thought it was for you!”

“You got a hit. An alien man is interested in meeting you.”

“No.”

“Why is it okay for me and not for you?”

“Because it’s my decision to make, not yours. And because I’m not interested in getting married right now. You are.”

“It’s been five years since he died.”

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