by Mari Carr
Kristen opened her mouth to retaliate, then closed it. Her brow creased. She was silent for several moments, then she sighed. “Damn. You’re right.”
He had to fight to hide his grin. “How much did it hurt you to say that?”
“A lot. God, Jason. Do you think this is a midlife crisis or something? I can’t seem to get my act together these days.”
“Is turning forty really bothering you so much?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes. And no. I don’t think it’s the age as much as the fact I thought I’d have more to show for my life by now.”
“Meaning?”
“I’m not married and haven’t had a serious boyfriend since college. I’m still renting that stupid little townhouse, even though I could have bought any house I wanted years ago. And I don’t even want to tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had sex. And I’m not talking about the self-induced kind. I mean the sweaty, hot kind with a real man. I really miss sex.”
“It’s official. You are having a midlife crisis.”
She giggled lightly. “What threw me over the top? The lack of sex?”
He shook his head. “Nope. The fact you confessed all of that to me.”
Her laughter exploded, pure, genuine, loud. The sound was almost foreign. Jason could count on one hand the number of times he’d heard Kristen truly laugh.
“You want to change your life?”
Kristen nodded.
“Then let’s get rid of the scapegoat. We’ll hire a couple of interns. If they work out, we’ll talk about taking one or both of them on as associates. Business is booming. We’re taking in enough money that we can afford to bring in some extra help. We can make them do a lot of this damn grunt work. Agreed?”
“Yeah. That’s a good idea. I have a friend who teaches law at Barton University. I’ll see if she can suggest some promising students.”
“Cool. That will allow us to work a little less. Now it’s time to get serious about the set-ups. We let the last couple of months slide away from us. No more stalling. From this point on, we keep each other on track. Okay?”
Kristen reached for her purse and car keys. “It’s a deal. So, should we go meet bachelor number one?”
Jason stepped aside as Kristen walked by him. “Yep. Lead the way.”
They were halfway through the first drink when Rod excused himself to go to the restroom. Once he was out of earshot, Jason leaned closer. “So?”
“Seriously? He’s what you think my type is?” Kristen shook her head. “This was a big mistake.”
Jason frowned, apparently amazed by her dismay. “What’s wrong with him?”
Kristen looked at him as if he’d grown a third head. When it was clear he really didn’t get it, she explained. “He still lives at home.”
“So what?”
“He’s forty-five years old, he’s never been married and he’s still living with his parents. That doesn’t seem odd to you?”
Jason lifted one shoulder as he gave her a shit-eating grin. “Not really. Maybe he’s saving money to buy a house like you.”
“Touché, smart ass. But at least I’m living on my own. And with twenty years of rent-free living under his belt, I think it’s safe to say he could afford a damn mansion by now.”
When she left the office, she’d been impressed by Jason’s intuitiveness. He’d managed to get right to the root of her unhappiness and then he’d even offered some suggestions of how she could move past it. Now, however, he appeared to have turned back into the same unobservant, clueless man she’d grown accustomed to over the years.
Jason shook his head as if her complaint was unreasonable. “I didn’t expect you to be so narrow-minded and picky.”
“His mother still does his laundry.”
Jason tilted his head. “How can you know that just by looking at him?”
Kristen gritted her teeth and prayed for patience. “He mentioned it when you were flirting with the waitress.”
“Oh.” Jason looked only slightly chagrined. “Wow. Lucky bastard. I hate doing laundry. Just went out last Friday and bought more boxers so I could skip it this weekend.”
Kristen glanced at her watch. “How much longer do we have to sit here? I really wanted that hot bath.”
“We haven’t even finished the first beer. It would be rude to leave so soon.”
“Fine.” Kristen pointed her finger in Jason’s face. “But if he starts rambling on about his pet bird again, I fully expect you to save me.”
“No problem.” Even as Jason distractedly spoke the words, she knew she was screwed. Her partner was checking out the redheaded waitress again.
She lifted her beer and took a big swig. “I thought you were bored with the bimbos of the world. Turning over a new leaf. Or were those just empty words you were spouting in my office earlier?”
He smirked at her, letting her know he was aware of her ploy to drink fast and run when she took another healthy chug. “I’m not planning to hook up with her. I’m just bored.”
She grimaced. “Rod does tend to drone on and on, doesn’t he?”
Jason nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t realize. He and I never really talked much before tonight.”
Kristen rubbed her forehead. “I must have been insane to agree to let you set me up,” she said. “If this is an example of the type of guy you think is perfect for me, maybe I’d be smarter to go it on my own.”
“Now come on. Batters get three strikes. Rod was just a warm-up. I’m feeling things out. Never fear, Kris. I’ve got a whole arsenal of men. In fact, there’s this one guy I think you’ll like. He’s a pediatrician. Dr. Matthew Carlton. We play golf every once in a while. He’s been divorced a year and he’s a workaholic like you.”
Unfortunately Rod returned to the table before she could ask Jason any questions about the doctor and once again, the conversation turned to mundane, watching-paint-dry topics like tax law and hernias. Finally, after two beers, Rod said goodbye, claiming he needed to get back to the office, as it was tax season.
Neither Jason nor Kristen stood up to leave. Sheer boredom left them too numb to move.
“Wow,” she whispered exhaustedly once Rod was gone.
“Yeah.”
“Maybe I should ask, Jason. What are you looking for when you say you’ve got a guy who’s perfect for me?”
He chuckled. “Oh, you know, the usual stuff. Someone with a good job, a full head of hair, thirty-five to forty-five years old.”
Kristen leaned back and crossed her arms, uncertain why she was surprised by his scanty list. Jason put a minimal amount of effort into most things, so she was crazy to think this would be any different. “That’s all you’re looking for? Jason, that list is lame. First of all, I don’t give a damn about hair. And I’m not sure how those attributes scream Ooh…this guy is great for Kristen.”
“Fine. Clearly I need to work on the details a little.”
“Gee, ya think?”
“Okay, Miss Know-It-All. Why don’t you tell me what kind of woman you’re trying to find for me?”
Kristen didn’t even have to consider her answer. “Age doesn’t matter that much to you, though I think you’d be happier with someone with at least a grasp of the same history you can recall, so I’m looking for someone between the ages of thirty and forty-five.”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
“You’re an active man, so you’d most likely prefer someone who enjoyed doing physical things with you.”
“Physical is very good.”
Kristen didn’t miss the sexual innuendo. “I mean things like hiking, going to the gym, playing tennis.”
Jason sighed, pretending to be disappointed that she hadn’t meant sex, but she forged on.
“I’m also looking for someone with a good sense of humor who likes action/adventure movies, leans just slightly to the liberal side, enjoys concerts, hot dogs from vendor stands, an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day, dancing and camping.”
Jaso
n’s mouth fell open as she reached the end of her description of his perfect woman.
“How did I do?” she asked.
“Nailed it.” His tone was pure amazement, which pleased her.
“You didn’t think I knew you so well, did you?”
He shook his head. “No. I really didn’t.”
“Well, tonight was fun.” She stood and pulled her purse strap over her arm. Jason gave her a really look that made her laugh and add, “After Rod left.”
Jason rose as well. “So you’re going to give me another chance to find the right guy for you?”
She pretended to think about it, then said, “Sure. I sort of like the sound of the doctor you mentioned. How about another trial run with drinks next week?”
He nodded as they walked toward the parking lot and their cars. “I’ll set it up. And, Kris—”
She turned to look at him as she reached her Kia. “Yeah?”
“I’ll work on my list. I think you might be surprised how well I know you too.”
He started to walk away before she could tell him he’d already proven that when he’d called her on the carpet for being a coward, forcing her to face some hard truths. She was grateful for his direct honesty. But she left that unsaid, deciding she wanted to see what else he’d come up with.
Jason was turning out to be so much more than she realized. Who would have known when she’d set her second chance that her back-up plan would be her biggest supporter? Suddenly her goal didn’t seem quite so impossible.
Chapter Three
In Iowa, it is illegal for a man with a mustache to kiss a woman in public.
Jason watched Kristen as she talked to the doctor he’d fixed her up with. The two of them had hit it off immediately over the happy hour trial run, so Jason had suggested a double date. Kristen had followed through on her part of the deal, setting him up with her trainer, Monica, from the gym. He had to hand it to her. Kristen had done well. Monica was everything she’d promised—active, beautiful, nice.
“You have two daughters?” he heard Kristen ask Matthew.
Shit. He’d forgotten to mention the kids. He remembered Kristen saying something about not wanting children, but he didn’t know where she stood on preteens from a previous marriage.
Matthew nodded. “My ex-wife, Ellen, has full custody, which relegates me to part-time dad. I see Jeannie and Retta every other weekend. Of course, if you ask Ellen she would say I was always part time and I’m afraid she might be right about that. I know I spend far too much time at work, but you know how it is. We had a mortgage and two cars. Ellen quit her job to stay home with the kids, so I was trying to support us on just one income. And…”
Matthew paused and grinned ruefully, adding, “Methinks he doth protest too much. I’m making a bunch of excuses to justify my divorce, aren’t I?”
Kristen smiled. “I think you need to let go of the guilt. The marriage didn’t work out and it’s usually because there was fault on both sides. That’s just life. You can’t keep beating yourself up over it.”
Matthew seemed to appreciate Kristen’s understanding. “You’re very kind to say so.”
“…then I tore my hamstring junior year of college and that put an end to my hopes of playing soccer professionally.”
Jason looked at Monica and realized she’d been talking to him. He hadn’t heard much more than the last few words. “That must’ve been rough.”
She nodded and continued her story. “It was. I’d always thought that…”
Jason tried to listen, but he found his attention continually drifting back to Kristen and Matthew. At one point, she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder in a move that was straight out of the Flirting 101 textbook. He’d never seen Kristen acting so…so…feminine.
His eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets when she’d sashayed into the restaurant with Monica, wearing a short black skirt, shimmering red blouse that sparkled when the light hit it just right and fuck-me heels. She’d worn her hair down, soft blonde waves falling over her shoulders instead of pinned up in the loose bun she sported every day at work. Best part was her stockings. He’d bet an entire year’s salary that she wasn’t wearing plain old pantyhose. There was just the hint of a clasp along her thighs that screamed garter belt. Goddamn, he loved those things.
Kristen reached over and touched Matthew’s hand as she spoke. It was an innocent enough gesture, but it felt almost intimate to Jason. He was used to her take-no-prisoners attitude in the courtroom and at work. Seeing her blush when Matthew complimented her necklace or hearing her giggle when the man told a joke was foreign territory for him. It was like she had a split personality or something.
Then he realized Kristen was a woman. A damn sexy one. Where the hell had she been hiding all these years?
“Kristen tells me you’re a hiker as well. Got a favorite spot?” Monica asked, forcing him back into their conversation. If she noticed his distraction, she was kind enough to overlook it.
Jason dismissed his wayward thoughts about Kristen and chatted with Monica about local trails and overlooks until the meal arrived.
Kristen caught his eye as they started to eat and gave him a quick wink. Clearly she viewed the night as a success. Strangely he didn’t feel as excited about the evening. While Monica was a pleasant woman, he couldn’t summon up the energy to turn on the charm. In fact, he was sort of bored.
Meanwhile, Kristen seemed enchanted by every word out of Matthew’s mouth, which started to grate on Jason’s nerves. He studied the man, wondering what kind of guy grew a mustache. The doctor was trying too freaking hard to look like Tom Selleck and it took all the strength in Jason’s body not to lean across the table and tell the man nineteen-eighty called and wanted its look back.
Instead he endured all the small talk through dinner and dessert, laughing when he was supposed to, smiling politely at Monica and gritting his teeth when Matthew put his arm around Kristen’s chair in a possessive way.
Who the fuck did this guy think he was? He’d only met Kristen twice and already he was acting like he’d laid claim to her. Worst part was Kristen wasn’t annihilating him for it. In fact, she seemed to like it when Matthew leaned closer and whispered something in her ear.
Jason recognized the smooth moves. Hell, he’d used all of them. In any other situation, Jason probably would have given the guy props for his mad skills. But this was Kristen. She wasn’t some bimbo or one-night stand. She deserved a decent guy, not a player.
This set-up was a mistake and he intended to tell Kristen first thing tomorrow. They’d mark Matthew off the list and he’d find her another man to date. He ran through the list of single guys he knew, trying to come up with a name. Unfortunately, no one fit the bill. Didn’t he have any friends who weren’t womanizers?
“Jason?”
He looked up to find Kristen trying to get his attention. How many times had she called his name?
“Sorry. Daydreaming.”
Kristen gave him a disapproving glare that told him she wasn’t impressed with his efforts tonight and he suddenly felt guilty for ignoring Monica.
“Matthew offered to drive me home. I was just asking if you minded taking Monica back to her place.”
He barely stopped himself from yelling Hell no. Mercifully, his brain engaged just in time. He nodded stiffly and said, “Sure.”
The last thing he wanted was Matthew taking Kristen back to her place. The smug bastard was clearly hoping to get into Kristen’s pants. Jason’s mind whirled as he tried to figure out how he could get Kristen away from Matthew long enough to warn her.
Unfortunately, the doctor was too slick and quick. He had the bill paid and Kristen on his arm before Jason could come up with a plan. Jason watched the two of them walk out of the restaurant with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“I have my own car,” Monica said.
“What?” God, he’d been the world’s rudest date, so worried about Kristen he hadn’t considered how b
adly he had treated Monica.
“Kristen seemed pretty wrapped up in Matthew. I guess it slipped her mind that I drove us here. My car’s in the parking lot and I’m perfectly capable of getting myself home.”
Jason sighed. “I’m sorry, Monica.”
Monica smiled. “She doesn’t realize, does she?”
He frowned, completely confused by her question. “She?”
“Kristen. She has no idea how you feel about her.”
Now he was really flummoxed. “What are you talking about?”
Monica laughed, the sound soft and pretty. It made Jason even sorrier he hadn’t been nice to her. “Oh shit. You don’t know either.”
“Did I miss something?”
Monica nodded. “Yeah. But I’m not sure it’s my place to explain it to you.”
He considered her comments and began to comprehend their meaning. She’d misinterpreted everything. “Oh no. Listen. Kris and I are just friends. I guess I’m feeling a bit protective. She doesn’t date much, so I’m not sure she realized the guy was a player. I didn’t really like the way Tom Selleck was putting the moves on her.”
His nickname for Matthew made Monica laugh even harder. “Oh my God. That’s exactly who he looks like. I’ve been sitting here all night trying to figure it out. That was quite a mustache. Bet it tickles when he kisses.”
The idea of Matthew’s mustache getting anywhere near Kristen sent him into orbit again. “Fuck,” he muttered.
Monica put her hand over his. “I think Matthew is a decent guy. And you’re not giving Kristen enough credit. She’s smart and strong and not easily led by anyone. Maybe your vision is just a little bit cloudy when it comes to her.”
Jason wondered if Monica was right. His friendship with Kristen had taken a turn lately, grown a bit stronger. Maybe that was bringing out some kind of brotherly feelings in him. Weird. He’d never worried about her being able to take care of herself before.
“Yeah. I guess so.”
