Mr Right?

Faint surprise crossed her face, an expression that puzzled Marshall. Surely a woman who looked like her was used to men asking her out to dinner.

“Actually, I don’t think I could take the Gallatin Room two nights in a row. It’s a little stuffy for my taste.”

Hope sprang up in him like an exploding geyser and he wondered what the hell was coming over him. The world was full of pretty women and willing ones at that. Why had getting a date with this one suddenly become so important?

“Mine, too. I only took Lizbeth there because she— Well, she enjoys that sort of thing, but she can’t really afford such a splurge on her own.” Another quick glance over his shoulder told him the customer was about to step away from the counter. He turned a beseeching look on Mia. “We could go downtown and maybe grab a burger or pizza. How does that sound?”

She opened her mouth as though to speak, then just as quickly her pink lips pressed thoughtfully together. Behind him, the coffee shop attendant said, “Dr. Cates, it’s your turn to order now.”

With his eyes riveted on Mia’s face, he tossed over his shoulder, “A large latte with plenty of foam.”

His dark brown eyes were pulling her in, making her forget there was a crowd of people around them. In the back of her mind, she understood he was a man who would be dangerous to any woman’s heart. Yet there was something about his smile that made him impossible to resist.

“Sure,” she heard herself saying. “A burger would be nice.”

“Great. Where shall I pick you up? Are you staying here in the lodge?”

Not yet ready to give him that much information, she said, “I’ll meet you here at the lounge.”

A wide smile suddenly dimpled both cheeks and Mia felt her insides go as gooey as warm taffy.

“Great. I’ll be here. Six-thirty okay?”

Why not, she thought. It wasn’t like she had anything important to do and maybe it was time she did something about this aimless path she’d been on for the past few months. “Six-thirty is fine. I’ll see you then.”

After he’d picked up his latte and given her a quick farewell, Mia found herself standing at the counter staring straight into Marti Newmar’s smiling face.

“Hi, Mia! I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. What can I get you this morning?”

“Hi yourself,” Mia greeted the bubbly young woman. “I’d like a cappuccino with sugar and a pecan Danish.”

Marti repeated the order to another worker who was busily preparing the drinks and rang in Mia’s purchases.

While they waited on the cappuccino, Marti leaned slightly over the counter and said in a hushed voice, “Looks like Dr. Cates has his eye on you. Be careful, Mia. I wouldn’t want you to end up like my sister.”

Shaking her head, Mia smiled at the young woman’s earnest face. “Don’t worry, Marti. I’m not about to let the doctor turn my head.”

“Yeah, well that’s what Felicia said, too.”

Thankfully, a worker set her order on the counter and Mia quickly scooped it up. Now that she’d agreed to a date with Dr. Cates, the last thing she wanted to hear were warnings about the man’s character. She’d rather find out such things for herself than listen to gossip.

“I’ll keep that in mind. See you later, Marti.”

At the back of the lodge, in Marshall’s airy office, Ruthann sipped leisurely at her latte while Marshall playfully tap-danced around her chair.

“Have you lost your mind, doc?” she asked with a laugh. “First you surprise me with a cup of coffee that cost more than my wristwatch and now you’re trying to imitate Fred Astaire. What else do you have planned for today?”

Laughing, he grabbed her swivel chair and spun her in a wild circle that had her yelling for him to stop.

“How about a date with the heiress? That’s what I have planned.”

She planted her feet on the hardwood floor and stared at his smug face. “Oh. So that’s what this display of joy is all about. You’ve proved me wrong and talked the mystery beauty into a date. I should have guessed. How did you do it?”

Still smiling, he sauntered over to his desk and took a seat in his plush leather chair. “Frankly, Ruthie, I don’t have a clue. I ran into her at the coffee shop and—” He stopped and held up a hand. “Wait a minute, I’d better tell you about last night first. I saw her, the mystery beauty, dining at the Gallatin Room last night.”

Ruthann lowered her coffee and frowned at him. “It’s a good thing we don’t have any patients waiting this morning, cause I’d like to hear what you were doing having dinner in the Gallatin Room. You have so much money that you’ve decided to start throwing it away?”

His expression suddenly sheepish, Marshall shrugged. “I took Lizbeth out to dinner.”

Ruthann groaned out loud. “Oh, Lord, Marshall, what were you thinking? She’s nothing but a big flirt.”

He batted a dismissive hand at her. “Never mind Lizbeth. I’m not serious about her.”

Ruthann’s expression turned incredulous. “And you are serious about the mystery woman?”

Marshall chuckled at his nurse’s question. “Ruthie, you know me, I don’t have plans to get serious about any woman. Why should I? I’m having too much fun.”

She smirked. “Why indeed? Have you ever thought of children? Of someone to spend your golden days with?”

Marshall’s barked laugh said he was worried about Ruthann’s sanity. “Just how old do you think I am, Ruthie? I’ve got years ahead of me before I think about anything like a family. Right now I’ve got mountains to climb.”

She leveled a thoughtful look at him. “And what are you going to find when you reach the top?”

Tilting the plush chair to a reclining position, he linked his hands at the back of his neck and let out a smug sigh. “The satisfaction of getting there. That’s what I’ll find.”

“Satisfaction, huh? Well, you go on climbing, doc. I’d rather have two loving arms around me.”

Chapter Four

Later that evening, before it was time to meet Marshall, Mia sat on the bed in her cabin and slowly sifted through the stack of photos in her hand. She wasn’t at all sure why she’d packed the snapshots when she’d left Colorado.

Maybe she’d brought them along as a reminder of all she’d left behind. The photos were the only images she had of herself with her birth mother. They’d been taken during Mia’s twenty-sixth birthday party, which had been held at Janelle’s lavish home.

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. She still couldn’t think of the mansion in Denver as her home. But for nearly two years Mia had lived there with her birth mother. During that time she’d tried to fit into Janelle’s rich social life and accustom herself to the role of an heiress. All of which had been a drastic change for the young woman who until then had been struggling to work her way through school.

With a sigh, Mia stared at the snapshot in front of her. No one could mistake the identity of the tall woman with her arm draped affectionately around Mia’s shoulders. She was almost the mirror image of Mia, only older. One minute Mia had been a young woman in nursing school who longed for the safe and secure home she’d had when her father had still been alive and working their potato farm, a young woman on a long and seemingly fruitless search for her birth mother. The next minute she’d not only found Janelle Josephson but she also discovered the woman was unbelievably rich. After that, Mia and her adopted mother’s life had taken a drastic turn.

For years Mia had hunted her birth mother and for just as many years Nina had tried to dissuade her from the search, insisting that Mia’s birth mother didn’t want to be found. But Mia had felt driven to find the woman who’d signed her baby girl over to a stranger.

In the end, both Janelle and Mia had been shocked at the occurrences that had separated mother and daughter. Controlling parents had led a teenage Janelle to believe her baby was stillborn. She’d had no idea that her daughter was alive and searching for her. As for Mia, it was difficult for her to absorb the fact that she had a wealthy mother, one who seemingly loved her and was only too happy to lavish her with all the treasures and resources that money could buy.

What happens when a person goes from poverty to riches? Mia was a good example of that age-old question. Suddenly she could have any material thing she wanted, but none of it had made her happy.

For a moment the turmoil in Mia’s heart brought a stinging mist to her eyes. But then she determinedly pressed her lips together and shoved the photos in the nightstand drawer.

Right now she needed to put her troubled reflections away and put on the cheeriest face she could muster. It was almost time for her to walk down to the lodge and meet Dr. Cates. And she wanted to give the jovial, flirty doctor the impression that she was just as carefree and happy as he.

Minutes later, Mia walked into the lounge and spotted her date sitting on the end of a plush leather couch. He was focusing intently on the BlackBerry in his hand and for a brief moment Mia paused to study his sexy image.