The Husband List
* * *
Keenan saw it in the beautiful blue eyes the second she dismissed him. He wasn’t sure why she’d wanted to kiss him—though he knew she had—when he obviously wasn’t her usual kind of guy.
Understanding didn’t stop the twinge of regret that settled like a lump of clay in his belly. Something told him, given the chance, they’d have enjoyed each other’s company.
Keenan reminded himself Mitzi wasn’t the only woman in Jackson Hole. If he was looking for a woman. Which he was not. He’d barely arrived back in town. He hadn’t even had time to unpack the bag sitting in his sister’s guest bedroom.
On Monday, he’d start his construction job. When he got off work, he’d look for a place to stay so he didn’t inconvenience his sister and brother-in-law any further. Despite Ryan and Betsy’s assurance that he was welcome to stay indefinitely, the desire to make his own way, to begin to rebuild the life he’d lost, was a burning need inside him.
“I suppose—” Mitzi began.
“I should mingle.” Keenan shoved his hands into his pockets, forcing a calm tone. He let his gaze skim over her once more then smiled. “It was good getting to know you. Thanks for the welcome-home kiss.”
Before he could embarrass himself by telling her to give him a call if she was ever free or something equally lame, he shot her a wink and sauntered back inside.
* * *
Mitzi watched in stunned disbelief as the man she’d been prepared to brush off opened the French doors and disappeared from view. Her impromptu speech of dismissal had been fully formed on her lips but he’d spoken first.
Irritation bubbled inside her. She clenched her hands into fists. He’d not only walked off, he had the audacity to wink at her.
Well, no man walked away from Mitzi Sanchez in such a cavalier manner. She was going to go inside, seek him out and tell him to his face that—
She paused, even in her anger realizing the irrationality of her plan. What could she say to him that wouldn’t make her sound like a kook? Or worse yet, desperate?
Taking a couple of deep, steadying breaths, Mitzi turned back to the rail and gazed over the lush lawn. Deep in her thoughts, she didn’t immediately notice that her friend, Kate Dennes, now stood beside her.
“You’re quite the party animal tonight.” Kate rested her hands on the rail and cast a sidelong glance in Mitzi’s direction.
“I needed air.”
“I saw you stroll out here with Keenan.” Kate’s expression gave nothing away. “Then he came back inside alone.”
“He wanted to mingle.” Mitzi could have cheered when her voice came out calm and offhand. “I preferred to stay out here a little longer.”
Kate nudged Mitzi with her elbow. “He’s quite a hunk.”
Mitzi lifted a shoulder in a little shrug. “I suppose. If you like the type.”
The smile faded from Kate’s lips. “Type?”
“Arrogant.” The moment the word slipped past Mitzi’s lips, she felt a pang of regret. As if she’d said something bad about a friend. But then she reminded herself that Keenan wasn’t a friend. He wasn’t anything more than a guy she had kissed under a full moon.
Kate inhaled sharply. “I hope that won’t be a problem.”
Mitzi shifted her body toward her friend, cocked her head.
“Joel hired him on the basis of everyone’s recommendation.” Kate chewed on her lip. “Customer service and teamwork is important to him. If Keenan has a bad attitude...”
Mitzi knew there were no secrets between Kate and her contractor husband, Joel. Once Kate was alone with her spouse, she’d share what Mitzi had told her. Keenan would have one strike against him before he even started his new job.
That would be my fault.
“He’s not really arrogant,” Mitzi said quickly, then felt heat rise up her neck at Kate’s assessing look.
“That’s what you said.”
“We kissed then he walked away as if it meant nothing,” Mitzi huffed. “Pissed me off.”
The serious look in Kate’s eyes faded, replaced by something that resembled amusement. “Did you say you kissed him?”
Mitzi scowled. “Is something wrong with your hearing?”
“You just met.”
“Kissed, Kate,” Mitzi sputtered. “I didn’t hop into bed with him.”
Kate searched Mitzi’s eyes then gave a little laugh. “You wanted to.”
Mitzi started to deny it then chuckled. “He’s hot.” She lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “Just not my type.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re still focused on that football player.”
Mitzi took a glass of champagne a passing waiter offered, and then enjoyed one delicious sip before answering. “That cheating snake? Get real. I’m not about to chase one mistake with another.”
Kate took a sip from the glass of water she’d brought with her to the deck. “You believe becoming involved with Keenan would be a mistake.”
“He’s an ex-con, Kate.”
“Innocent of all charges.”
“I’m looking for a different kind of man. Someone more like Winn Ferris or...” Mitzi brought a finger to her lips. “Tim Duggan.”
Tim Duggan was a physician in the same OB-GYN practice as their mutual friend, Travis Fisher. A widower with twin girls, the young doctor kept a low profile in the community.
“I like Tim.” Kate spoke slowly, as if choosing her words carefully. “He and I served on a medical-ethics committee together last year, so I got to know him pretty well. I’d be happy to set you up. But I have to say, you and he don’t seem like a particularly good fit.”
“Why?” Mitzi bristled. “Because he went to some Ivy League school and I grew up in East L.A.?”
Something in Kate’s eyes flickered, but her expression didn’t alter. “Because he’s quiet and very family oriented. His life revolves around his daughters.”
Mitzi considered. Dating a man with kids wouldn’t be her first choice, but she could adjust. “I could be family oriented.”
She didn’t even bother with the “quiet.” Keeping her mouth shut had never been a strength.
“In all the time you’ve lived in Jackson, you’ve never once given Tim a second glance. It doesn’t make sense that all of a sudden you’re hot for him.”
“I’m interested in getting to know him better.” Mitzi’s tone stopped just short of petulant. “I’m tired of dating the wrong men. I’m not getting any younger and I need to focus on quality.”
“Benedict Campbell was quality,” Kate reminded her. “You focused on him for well over a year.”
“Ben was—is—a quality guy,” Mitzi concurred. “But all we did was argue. He’s quite arrogant.”
Kate sipped her water. “Arrogant. There’s that word again.”
“You know he is,” Mitzi insisted.
“Poppy doesn’t seem to think so.” Kate gestured with her head.
Mitzi realized with a start that the couple standing so close together on the far end of the large deck was indeed her former flame and his wife. His arm was wrapped around her waist and her head rested against his shoulder.
“They seem happy together,” Mitzi grudgingly admitted. “What’s the point here? Are you implying I’m the one who’s difficult?”
“I’m saying,” Kate’s tone remained low and even, “that you’ve dated all sorts of men. You simply haven’t found the right one.”
“That’s why I made a list,” Mitzi confided, pleased with herself for taking this proactive step. “Wrote down all the qualities I want in a husband.”
Kate didn’t appear surprised. She probably recalled the lists Mitzi had made all through residency. Lists of manners she needed to master so as to not embarrass herself in public. Lists of things she needed to learn about everything from wine to art.
“What kept Keenan McGregor off the list?”
Mitzi took another sip of champagne. The qualities that she’d listed had been well thought out and valid. Yet, somehow, the thought of saying them aloud made her uneasy.
She reminded herself she hadn’t gotten to where she was in life by caring what other people thought.
“Successful.” Mitzi met Kate’s gaze. “I want a man who’s achieved a certain measure of success by the time he’s reached his thirties. While I admit Keenan is good-looking and charming, he’s certainly not, by anyone’s measure, a success.”
“You’re wrong.”
Mitzi whirled.
Betsy Harcourt, Keenan’s sister, stood so close it was obvious that while Mitzi had kept her voice deliberately low, the woman had heard every word.
Mitzi flinched. “I didn’t mean for you—”
“Don’t.” With a finger pointed directly at Mitzi, Betsy spoke, her voice snapping like a whip. “Don’t say another word.”
Stunned, Mitzi obeyed. This was a side to the sweet and docile paralegal she’d never seen. The sprinkle of freckles across Betsy’s nose now stood like angry pennies against the pallor of her skin.
“You’re wrong about Keenan. Dead wrong. My brother is a success. Perhaps he doesn’t have a shiny red sports car or a big house in Spring Gulch, but he’s successful in the ways that matter.” Betsy’s eyes flashed a warning when Mitzi started to open her mouth.
“Keenan raised me when he was only a kid himself. Never did he make me feel like a burden. He went to prison to protect me. Gave up his freedom for me.” Betsy brought her clenched fist to her chest. “If you can’t see that Keenan is a special guy, then I’m telling you...stay away from him. He deserves only good things—and good people—in his life.”
Tears welled in Betsy’s blue eyes. Before they could fall, the brunette blinked them back and straightened her shoulders. She shifted her focus to Kate, who stood slack-jawed at Mitzi’s side. “Mary Karen needs to speak with you.”
“I’ll be right in,” Kate responded when she finally found her voice, but Betsy had already spun on her heel and was headed inside.
Sighing, Mitzi bit her lip. “That was awful.”
Kate nodded. “I’m afraid it’s only going to get more so, at least for you.”
Mitzi cocked her head.
“The man you were just told to steer clear of is going to be the one trimming out your new home.”
Chapter Three
Keenan glanced around the family room of the gracious home in the Spring Gulch subdivision of Jackson Hole. At just over 2,100 square feet, Mitzi’s home might not be as large as some, but the spacious interior and the stone and brick exterior was appealing and surprisingly cozy.
After spending the morning raising rafters on a house in the mountains, he was sent by Joel to help Bill on Mitzi’s home. It was the first Keenan had seen of the place. “It’s a beauty.”
“Turning out pretty nice.” Balding and somewhere in his fifties, the foreman reminded Keenan of an accountant.
Buckling on the tool belt Joel had lent him, Keenan studied the French doors leading to a vaulted screened porch. Though he thought the house was still an awful lot of space for one person, he admired the efficiency of the floor plan. “For some reason I thought Mitzi, er, Dr. Sanchez, had a condo.”
“She bought a place in Teton Village about a year ago. Apparently she didn’t like it.” Bill shrugged. “Being an orthopedic surgeon, the lady has money to burn.”
Money to burn.
Keenan wondered what that would be like. Right now he’d be satisfied with enough cash to last until his next paycheck.
“Does she come around much?” He kept his tone casual.
“Every couple of days she drives up in that little red BMW M6.” Bill sanded a piece of trim. “Friendly enough. Stays just long enough to check on the progress. Sometimes asks a few questions. That’s about it. She’s a real looker.”
“She certainly is.”
Curiosity sparked in the older man’s eyes. “You acquainted?”
“We met recently.” Keenan measured a piece of molding and made a quick cut with the miter box. “She knows people I know.”
“Gabe and Joel are both married to doctors.”
Keenan was well aware of that fact. Joel, owner of Stone Craft Builders, was married to Mitzi’s good friend, Kate. He’d briefly met Gabe Davis, the construction engineer who was Joel’s second in command. Keenan hadn’t yet met Gabe’s wife, Michelle, another local doctor.
“Speak of the devil.” Bill brushed some of the sawdust off his pants and straightened.
Keenan followed Bill’s gaze out the front window and saw a car pull to a stop in the driveway. Mitzi got out and straightened a skirt the color of the Wyoming sky, modest but short enough to reveal an enticing expanse of tanned and toned thighs.
Keenan wasn’t sure if it was the legs or the cream-colored sweater hugging her generous curves that made his insides jiggle like the gelatin Betsy served for dessert last night.
He frowned. What was it about Mitzi that made him feel like some geeky teen crushing on the school’s head cheerleader?
Best not to delve too deeply into that muddy pool, he told himself. What mattered was the last time they were together he’d brushed off the gorgeous doctor. He’d done to her before she could do to him. The realization that he hadn’t let his attraction to her tie him into knots buoyed his courage. When the front door opened and Mitzi stepped inside, the smile he shot her was easy.
Her own smile flashed warm and friendly. If she felt any discomfort over seeing him again, it didn’t show.
“Dr. Sanchez.” Bill stepped forward. As the job site foreman, working with the client was his responsibility when Joel or Gabe wasn’t there. “We’re making good progress.”
“C’mon, Bill. Please call me Mitzi.” She slanted a sideways glance at Keenan. “Hello, again.”
Keenan touched the brim of his ball cap. “Ma’am.”
She frowned then turned from him in dismissal. Her imperious gaze swept the room.
He tried to see the home through her eyes: the massive stone fireplace with hand-carved mantel against one wall, twelve-foot ceilings that pulled the eyes upward, creating a feeling of openness. Whoever had drawn up the plans had done a superb job of contrasting warmth and comfort with understated elegance.
“I’m going to wander.” She waved a hand. “Don’t let me disturb you.”
“I can show you—” Bill began then glanced down as the phone clipped to his belt buzzed. He lifted it, grimaced. “I’m afraid I need to take this. Keenan can point out what we’ve finished up today.”
“I don’t need—”
“I’m happy to do it,” Keenan said smoothly, catching Bill’s look.
Mitzi must have noticed it too, because she didn’t protest further.
“Bill set the countertop this morning.” He gestured with one hand as they entered the kitchen area. Keenan pointed out several other accomplishments Bill had mentioned when he’d first arrived.
Though Mitzi listened intently, she didn’t say much. But as the tour continued, he understood by the way her gaze kept flitting to him and lingering that lust had punched her, too. Desire, hot as a fired-up grill, snapped and sizzled in the air.
She might be determined to push him away—as he was with her—but he’d stake his life she was fighting a losing battle with the pull.
No guts. No glory.
His former mantra rose up and slapped him in the face.
“Do you have plans for dinner?” Keenan heard himself ask when they paused at the door to the last of the three bedrooms.
Her head swiveled.
“I was thinking of stopping by Perfect Pizza tonight.” He gave a careless shrug. Just because he’d succumbed to the urge didn’t mean he’d beg. “Interested?”
Mitzi slid a hand along the recently sanded doorjamb and his mouth went dry.
Okay, maybe he’d consider begging.
“Interested?” She lifted a brow. “In what?”
In pushing up that sweater and letting me fill my hands with your breasts.
In tugging that scrap of skirt down and exploring with my mouth and tongue what lies beneath.
Heck, yes, he was interested.
Keenan took a moment to collect himself. “Pizza, of course.”
“I’m not sure us having dinner is a good idea.”
Keenan understood. Right now his own gut roiled. But standing back and letting life happen had never been his style. He gave a little chuckle. “You’re afraid.”
“Don’t be silly.” She huffed. “I’m not afraid of anything. Or anyone.”
He clucked like a chicken, a noise straight from childhood. It had infuriated Betsy when he’d used it on her as a kid. From the flash of temper in Mitzi’s eyes, it had the same effect on her.
“Have you considered,” she said between gritted teeth, “that I simply may not want to share a pizza with you but am too polite to say so?”
“Nope. Absolutely not.” He shook his head. “Chicken.”
Her lips twitched upward. Just once.
“If I did come,” she began, waving one hand loosely in the air, “it would be because I’m hungry. And because I haven’t had...pizza...in weeks.”
“Understood.” He hadn’t had...pizza...in years, either.
“It wouldn’t be a date,” she said quickly. “And I won’t allow you to pay my share.”
“Hmm.” Keenan rubbed his chin. “I don’t recall offering.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. She didn’t even crack a smile. “I’ll be blunt. I’m not looking for a relationship with you.”
“Sheesh, Mitzi.” Keenan lifted his hands, palms out. “Way to blow a simple invite into the stratosphere.”
She blew out a breath. “As long as we understand each other.”
Though she did a good job of hiding it, he saw the desire lurking in her eyes. Ah, yes, they understood each other. Quite well, in fact.
He fixed his gaze on her, let it drop and linger on her breasts before returning to her lips. “I know exactly what I want.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, tonight what you’re going to get is pizza.”
He hid a grin, wondering if Mitzi realized that instead of slamming the door shut, she’d left it slightly ajar.
* * *
Mitzi told herself if she didn’t find a parking space on the first pass through downtown, she’d head to Hill of Beans, pick up a nice Cobb salad and take it home to eat.
As she sped down Main, an Escalade eased from the curb, leaving a space big enough for the entire state of Utah. Yet, even after she pulled into the spot, Mitzi made no move to get out.
When she’d left Keenan and Bill at her new home, it hadn’t even been five. Now it was nearly seven. She’d had plenty of time to consider Keenan’s dinner challenge. Even as she showered and changed her clothes, the red flags waving wildly in the air urged her to turn tail and run. It wouldn’t be wise to meet him.
Not for pizza. Certainly not for sex.
Though if she was being totally honest, she’d have to admit to one or two lascivious thoughts when she’d seen him with that tool belt slung low across his hips and a white T-shirt stretched broad across his muscular chest.
Perhaps that’s why she was here. To prove to herself she could still handle temptation. If she ever did hop into bed with him—and that was a mighty big if—it would be a rational decision, made after much thought.
It would be foolish and shortsighted to cast aside the option entirely. Her husband hunt could take time. Until she found someone who met her criteria, her choice was either to remain celibate or snatch a few moments of pleasure where she could find it.
It wasn’t as if either she or Keenan would be using each other. Not if they both hopped into bed knowing it was only a physical thing. But tonight, the only thing on the menu was pizza.
Reassured, Mitzi headed for the restaurant.
* * *
Keenan spotted Mitzi before she saw him. Like him she wore jeans and a simple cotton shirt. But with heeled sandals and designer bag, the pretty doctor looked anything but casual. In fact, with her hair tousled around her face, she looked like a stylish socialite who’d just tumbled out of bed after an afternoon of lovemaking.
In all his years as an adult male, Keenan couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman the way he wanted Mitzi. When she drew close, his body began to hum. It wasn’t just out-of-prison hormones but something deeper.
The tiny hairs at the base of his neck rose and electricity crackled in the air. Even knowing she didn’t find him suitable for a “relationship” wasn’t enough to quell the attraction.
That didn’t mean he planned to sleep with her. Despite the teasing offer he’d extended, his years in the penitentiary had given him plenty of time to think. More important, time to assess where he came from and where he wanted to be headed.
Most of his life had been spent reacting, batting cleanup for his mother’s wrong choices. Gloria’s wild mood shifts, fueled by alcohol, had made a stable home life impossible. Still, for Betsy’s sake, Keenan had tried.
He’d made dinner, even if it was only hot dogs or mac and cheese from a box. When a teacher had commented on the cleanliness of his clothes and he saw concern in her eyes, Keenan had figured out how to run the washer. He’d forced Betsy to take a shower every night and made her brush her hair before she left the house.
Keenan may not have had designer jeans or a closetful of clothes like most of his friends, but he and his sister were clean and stayed under the social service radar.
He knew some of the girls in his class considered him beneath them because he didn’t have the cool car or the right clothes. Others had wanted him because of his bad-boy image. In their own way, both were snubs. Both had scraped bone. He’d assuaged pent-up fury with explosive contact during football games and later by participating in extreme sports.
Though he’d started to turn his life around before he was charged with murder, it was his prison counselor who helped him get his head straight.
She’d taught him to value his strengths, to not settle for less than he deserved. Keenan knew that being with a woman who considered him less than her, no matter how great the sex, would be settling.
When his body began to vibrate as Mitzi drew near, Keenan reminded himself that tonight only one thing was on the menu...pizza.
Chapter Four
Other than a group of giggly preteens and their parents, Perfect Pizza, a popular eatery in downtown Jackson, was surprisingly quiet. After placing their order at the counter, Mitzi picked up the table flag and plastic utensils. Keenan carried the glasses of soda to a series of wooden booths with high backs that lined the back wall.
Once seated, conversation flowed surprisingly easily. By the time the pizza was delivered to their table by a teenager in the throes of a war on acne, Mitzi had begun to relax.
Mitzi hesitated, not certain if she should eat the pizza with a fork or just pick it up. If she was alone she usually just picked up the slice.
When Keenan lifted his piece in one hand and took a bite, she relaxed and did the same.
The blend of herbs and spices, not to mention a generous artery-clogging supply of cheese, came together in something that could only be called delicious.
“I’m glad you like anchovies. Most people can’t stand them,” Keenan murmured, gazing at the large pie covered with the tiny fish on the table between them.
“They don’t know what they’re missing.” Mitzi let the slice hover just beyond her lips then took another bite.
“That’s true of most things in life,” Keenan said, sounding surprisingly philosophical. “We don’t try something because we don’t think it will be good for us. Or we convince ourselves we won’t like it even though we haven’t tried it.”
Mitzi pulled her brows together, unconvinced. “I don’t have to go to prison to know I wouldn’t like it.”
The second the words left her mouth, she wished she could pull them back. It certainly wasn’t her intent to keep ramming the fact that he’d spent the past few years behind bars down his throat.
Keenan took another bite of pizza, chewed. “You’re right. Some things are no-brainers.”
Though his tone was matter-of-fact, the light had faded from his eyes.
Impulsively Mitzi reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
She met his gaze firmly.
“Okay,” he said. “So maybe all the prison comments are getting old.”
“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “Sincerely.”