Good Husband Material

Maybe instead of answers, he needed a woman. It had been a long time and his need hadn’t gone away. There were, he supposed, several women he could call on. They would invite him inside for dessert…and breakfast. He paused at the stop sign. No doubt Daisy would do the happy dance if he turned his attention in her direction. Of course, she would want a whole lot more than breakfast. Daisy was a woman in search of a happy ending. Gage was sure it was possible—just not with him.

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, then swore and headed home. None of those welcoming beds appealed to him tonight. They hadn’t in a long time. He’d reached that place in his life where the idea of variety only made him tired. He wanted the familiar. He wanted to settle down, get married and have a half-dozen kids. So why couldn’t he make it happen? Why hadn’t he fallen in love and popped the question? Why hadn’t he—

He turned into his driveway, his headlights sweeping the front of the house next door. Someone sat on the top step, shielding her eyes from the flash of light. A familiar someone who made parts of him stand up at attention without even trying.

Been there, done that, he told himself as he killed the engine and stepped out into the quiet of the night. But that didn’t stop him from heading toward her, crossing his lawn and then hers.

Anticipation filled him. He wondered how she liked her eggs.

Chapter Four

Kari watched as Gage approached. He moved with the liquid grace of a man comfortable in his own skin. He was what people called “a man’s man,” which made the most female part of her flutter. How ironic. She’d spent nearly eight years surrounded by some of the most handsome, appealing male models New York had to offer—a good percentage of whom had not been gay—and she’d never once felt herself melt just by watching them move. What was it about Gage that got to her? Was she just a sucker for a man in uniform, or was it something specific about him?

“So, how was your date?” she asked to distract herself from the liquid heat easing through her belly. “You’re back early, so I’m going to guess the ever-delightful Daisy is playing hard to get.”

She thought about mentioning her surprise that Daisy would let Gage leave without visiting the promised land, but was afraid the comment would come out sounding catty.

He settled next to her on the front step and rested his forearms on his knees. “You always were a nosy thing back when you were in high school. I see that hasn’t changed.”

“Not for a second.” She grinned.

He glanced at her and gave her an answering smile that made her heart do a triple flip.

“I had dinner with my mother,” he said. “I do it every week.”

“Oh.”

She tried to think of a witty comeback but couldn’t. The admission didn’t surprise her. Gage had always been good to the women in his life…his mother, her grandmother. She remembered reading an article somewhere, something about paying attention to how a man treats his mother because it’s a good indication of how he’ll treat his wife. Not that she was planning on marrying Gage Reynolds. Still, it was nice to reconfirm that he was one of the good guys.

“How is your mom?” she asked.

“Good. She had a rough time after my dad died. They’d been together for so long, I’m not sure she thought she could make it without him. Eventually she got it together. Last year she started dating again. She met a guy named John. They’re engaged.”

Kari straightened. “Wow. That’s great.” Then she remembered how close Gage had been to his father. “Are you okay with it?”

He nodded. “Sure. John is one of the good guys.”

Takes one to know one, Kari thought. “When’s the wedding?”

“This fall. He’s a retired contractor. He has a lot of family up in Dallas. That’s where he is this week. One of his granddaughters is having a birthday, and he wanted to be there for the party.”

“They say people who have one successful marriage can have another.”

Gage stared up at the night. “I believe that’s true. My folks loved each other. There were plenty of fights and difficult times, but on the whole, they were in love. From what John has said about his late wife, they had a strong marriage, too. I figure the two of them are going to do just fine.”

“I’d like to see your mother again. I always liked her.”

“She’s working up at the hardware store. It’s a part-time job to get her out of the house. You should head on up and say hi.”

“I will.”

When Kari and Gage had been dating, Edie had welcomed her with open arms. Kari didn’t know if the woman had done that with all Gage’s girlfriends, but she liked to think she and Edie had been especially close. Of course, Edie wouldn’t have been thrilled about her dumping Gage via a note and running away.

“Is she still mad at me for what I did?”

He glanced at her, laughter lurking in his dark eyes. “She seems to have recovered.”

“Okay. Then, I’ll pop over and congratulate her on the upcoming nuptials. I think it’s great that she’s found someone. No one should be alone.”

As soon as the words fell from her mouth, she wanted to call them back. Obviously, both she and Gage were alone. She knew her circumstances—but what were his? He was the kind of man who had always attracted women, so the choice to be single must have been his. Why?

She was about to ask, when he beat her to the punch.

“So, why aren’t you married, Kari?”

Before she could answer, he shrugged. “Never mind. I forgot. You weren’t interested in home and hearth. You had things to do and places to be.”

She bristled. “That’s not true. Of course I want to get married and have kids. I’ve always wanted that.”

“Just not with me?”

He didn’t look at her as he spoke, and she didn’t know what he was thinking.

“Just not on your timetable,” she told him. She sighed. “Eight years ago, you were right on track with your life. You had seen the world and were ready to settle down. I was a senior in high school with a lot of unrealized dreams. I was young and hopeful, and as much as I cared about you, I was terrified by your life plan. You seemed so much older—so sure of yourself. Everything you said was reasonable, yet it felt wrong for me at the time. I didn’t want to be like my mother and grandmother, marrying out of high school, having kids right away. I wanted my chance to see the world and live my dreams.”