The Husband Maker Boxed Set

by White, Karey

  “When did you try him last?”

  “Last night. Maybe he was at work. It’s just that we never go this long without talking, so I was just hoping you’d heard from him.”

  “I haven’t. But I’ll try him. I’ll try Aleena too.”

  “Great. Let me know if you talk to him, okay? I know he’s got a lot going on. I just don’t like not being able to reach him.”

  I tried Aleena after Will and I said goodbye, but her phone rang once and then went to voicemail, so I tried the restaurant.

  “Is this Mr. Li?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hi, this is Charlotte.”

  “Hm.” It was part huff, part grunt, and completely unfriendly. I was taken aback. Mr. Li had always liked me. My hands were suddenly clammy, and I felt a little sick to my stomach.

  “Is Aleena there?”

  “She might be. Why do you want her?”

  “I just wanted to talk to her. I’ve been out of town and . . .” I felt compelled to give him more information. It was almost like I was sticking up for myself, even though no one had attacked me. Yet. “Well, I’d just like to talk to her.”

  “She might be busy.”

  “Oh. Okay. I guess I’ll try back. Or maybe I’ll stop by later.”

  “You should call first.” I wanted to cry, but there were no tears. All I could muster was a lump in my throat. Should I try Angus? Would he tell me what was wrong with Aleena? I looked at the clock on the phone. It was after four. I was glad to be almost finished with this eternal day. Who cared about cheesy souvenirs when you wanted to remember The Isle of Lewis? Okay, I cared. But it still didn’t keep my mind tethered to San Francisco and my office.

  Call me a coward, but I just wasn’t ready to face Angus yet—either in person or on the phone—so I texted Aleena instead.

  ME: HEY, IS SOMETHING WRONG? YOUR DAD’S SCREENING YOUR CALLS AND I DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT. GIVE ME A CALL WHEN YOU’VE GOT A MINUTE.

  ALEENA: HE’S JUST WORRIED ABOUT ME.

  ME: IS SOMETHING WRONG?

  ALEENA: I’M SURE ANGUS HAS FILLED YOU IN ON ALL THE FUN DETAILS.

  ME: I HAVEN’T TALKED TO ANGUS SINCE I GOT BACK. WHAT FUN DETAILS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

  ALEENA: REALLY, CHARLOTTE? IF YOU WEREN’T INTERESTED IN ANGUS, THAT’S FINE. BUT I NEVER IMAGINED YOU’D TRY TO USE ME TO DISTRACT HIM FOR YOU. YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME WHAT YOU WERE DOING. AT LEAST THEN I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THINGS WOULDN’T WORK OUT.

  ME: THAT’S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED. WE REALLY NEED TO TALK. PLEASE.

  ALEENA: I’M NOT READY TO TALK ABOUT IT AND I DON’T KNOW WHEN I WILL BE.

  ME: I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO EXPLAIN A FEW THINGS.

  ALEENA: I’M SURE YOU WOULD. HEY, AT LEAST YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FINDING SOMEONE ELSE TO OCCUPY HIS TIME. HE PROBABLY WON’T BE BUGGING YOU FROM KANSAS CITY.

  Kansas City? What was she talking about? Dread dropped into my stomach and lodged itself there like a stone. I wanted to talk to Aleena and make things right with her.

  But I had to talk to Angus.

  I only had forty-five more minutes of work. I couldn’t cut out early after being gone for two weeks, so I would endure it.

  Even though she didn’t want to talk to me, I couldn’t leave Aleena hanging, so I sent her one final text.

  ME: ALEENA, WHATEVER HAPPENED, I’M SORRY YOU’RE UPSET. I PROMISE I WASN’T SETTING YOU UP TO DISTRACT ANGUS. I LOVE BOTH OF YOU AND THOUGHT YOU’D BE A GOOD MATCH. THERE ARE THINGS I REALLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT. PLEASE CALL ME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IF YOU DON’T, I’LL BE CALLING YOU. AND I’LL KEEP CALLING UNTIL WE CAN TALK. I HATE THAT YOU THINK I WOULD SET YOU UP TO BE HURT. I PROMISE I’D NEVER DO THAT.

  Aleena didn’t respond, and at exactly five o’clock, I closed my office door and left.

  I was in such a hurry to leave work that I didn’t fully formulate a plan. I sat in my car in the parking garage and tried to gather my thoughts. I could call and tell Angus I wanted to see him, but I feared he might respond to a phone call the same way Aleena had, and then I would be stuck.

  It seemed obvious that Will didn’t know anything about Kansas City or he would have said something when he called. It didn’t seem that Angus had confided in Will, which was almost unheard of. They had talked about everything since they were boys.

  I could call Angus’s parents, but even though that might be easier, it would look like I was going behind his back. I needed to face this squarely and find out what was going on.

  And then a feeling of peace came over me and I felt as calm as I had sitting on the hill above Tolsta Beach on the Isle of Lewis. I had sat on that grassy slope and watched the waves crash onto the white sand beach, colliding with the tall, black rocks that rose out of the sand. It was a beautiful place, and it was there that I had determined I would tell Angus I thought he was right, that there was something between us. I wanted to tell him what I had discovered in my heart.

  I turned the key in the ignition and backed out of my parking place. I needed to see him. I didn’t know what was going on with Kansas City, and even though I felt terrible about Aleena being hurt, I suddenly realized what that meant. Angus was free. All I had to do was let him know how I felt and everything would be okay.

  It took me more than an hour to get to Angus’s apartment, but I didn’t curse the traffic. It didn’t aggravate me at all. It gave me time to think, and the more I thought, the more I was ready to throw my arms around Angus’s neck and repeat The Kiss.

  I couldn’t remember the day we first met. He was just suddenly part of our lives—coming home after school several nights a week, playing games, riding bikes, and watching Jeopardy. Angus had always known more of the right answers. Will and I thought he should apply to go on the show. I had even sent in a letter to Alex Trebek, telling him Angus would make a great contestant, but Alex never responded.

  The closer I got to Angus’s apartment, the more excited I became. Lucy said Paul thought about the kiss and asked Ivy to dinner. Maybe in honor of Lucy, I should take Angus out to dinner and then at the end of the night, we could share another kiss. But this one would be better, because I wouldn’t feel guilty that he was dating Aleena and that she was right there in the backyard.

  Yeah, right. No way did I want to wait until the end of the evening. Maybe I should just kiss him as soon as he opened the door. There would be very little I would need to say after that.

  My heart rate started going wild as I turned the corner onto Angus’s street. Fate was smiling on me. There was a parking place less than a block from his apartment. I parked and started down the sidewalk. I put my hand on my chest, trying to settle the rapid heart rate. I laughed a little as I thought about what it would sound like through a stethoscope. Maybe that’s how I should tell Angus I love him.

  “Hey Angus, grab your stethoscope and listen to my heart. Can you figure out what it’s saying?”

  Oh. My. Cheesy. What was wrong with me? Did orthopedists even use stethoscopes?

  The kiss would be much better. And much less cheesy.

  I knocked. Loud music came from the apartment next door. It was a rap song with lyrics that made me cringe. This wasn’t exactly the best soundtrack for a perfect kiss.

  I was about to knock again when Angus appeared at the tall, narrow window beside the door. I couldn’t be sure because there was glass between us, but it looked like he sighed. I smiled and gave a little wave. He didn’t smile back.

  My excitement faltered a bit.

  Angus opened the door and moved aside so I could enter.

  I stepped into the little hallway. Angus closed the door and started walking toward the living room, so I followed. He sat in a chair. When he didn’t say anything, I sat in the corner of the couch.

  “Hi, Angus.”

  “Welcome back from Scotland.” The words were friendly, but the tone wasn’t.

  “Yeah, I got back a couple of days ago.” Angus nodded. “The jetlag has been atrocious.”

  “I
’ll bet.”

  He wasn’t making this easy for me. Not that he should. I hadn’t made it easy for him.

  “How are you?” I asked. Now that I was here, the idea of planting a gigantic, life-changing kiss on him seemed ludicrous. My body must have been momentarily overtaken by the star of a romantic comedy or a music video, because I would never have the confidence to be so bold.

  “Um...” I rubbed my hands up and down my thighs. I wasn’t sure whether to start with Aleena, or Kansas City, or I love you.

  “What is it, Charlotte?”

  I took a deep breath. “You and Aleena broke up?”

  “I suppose she told you.”

  “Not exactly. She won’t talk to me.”

  “She took it pretty hard.”

  I nodded. She had been falling in love with Angus. Of course she had taken it hard. “I really thought you two would be good together.”

  “It isn’t her fault. She’s great. I should never have let you set us up.”

  “Angus. What’s going on with Kansas City?”

  For a second, Angus looked stunned, but a moment later his face was back to its stony expression. “Dr. Fickland recommended me for a hip fellowship in Kansas City. So I’ll be heading there in August.”

  Hulk Hogan might as well have body slammed me to the floor. “What about your residency? I thought you’d be here a few more years.”

  “It’s unusual, but Dr. Fickland is friends with a doctor out there, and when he heard about the fellowship, he thought it was a good fit for me. They worked things out, so I’ll be finishing my residency there along with the hip fellowship.”

  I didn’t even know what a hip fellowship was. I should have been more involved in Angus’s life. I should have known about this. I should have been someone he talked to while he made his decision.

  Angus laughed a short, humorless laugh. “Don’t look so shocked, Chuck.”

  I took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. “It’s just that... I don’t want you to go.”

  “You’ll be fine. You don’t need me here. Have Will and Gina go with you to therapy.”

  I could hardly get my words out, and I’m sure they sounded weak and strangled. “I don’t think I’ll need therapy again.”

  Now it was Angus’s turn to look surprised, but then he smiled. Sort of. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Congratulations.”

  “What?”

  “Does this mean you’re moving to Scotland, or did you convince him to come here?” He thought Flynn and I were together.

  I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant.” Angus’s face became a question. “Flynn and I are just friends.”

  The corner of Angus’s mouth rose in a smile. “You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

  “I’m good at what?” It wasn’t easy keeping my voice steady, but I did.

  “You’re good at putting people who care about you in the friend zone.”

  “Angus.” So much for romance and kisses.

  The bass of the rap music pounded against the walls, a muted, but maddening thrum.

  “Think about it,” Angus continued. “There’s me and Flynn, and maybe even Kyle. It was you that decided that wouldn’t work, right?”

  “Stop it, Angus.” Nothing was ideal—Angus’s chilliness and the neighbor’s awful noise—but I knew I had to say what I had come to say, and the longer I waited, the harder it would be.

  “I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking and figuring things out, and—” I sighed. “I came over here to tell you that I love you.”

  We looked at each other for several seconds. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and I felt panic rising like a tsunami.

  Angus was the first to look away. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands behind his neck. I couldn’t see his expression, but everything about his body looked tight and on edge.

  “Sorry, Charles. It’s too late.” His voice was low and filled with emotion.

  “It can’t be too late. It hasn’t even been two months. Your feelings couldn’t have changed that quickly. You said you love me. You broke up with Aleena. You should give us a chance.” Desperation made my mouth run wild, but the entire time I spoke, Angus slowly shook his head, and I finally stopped.

  Angus sat back up and looked at me with pain-filled eyes. “Charlotte, I don’t think I have any more chances left to give. I’ve been waiting for you for years. I’m moving on.”

  “But . . .” I wanted to remind him that I hadn’t known how he felt.

  “Please let me finish. Every time you’ve broken up with someone, I’ve planned how I’m going to tell you. But I’ve never wanted to be a rebound guy or the one you settle for because you’re sad. So I’ve waited for you to be okay and then, before I can tell you how I feel, you’re dating someone else. I know it’s because you’re hopeful and optimistic. That’s one of the things I’ve always admired about you, but it’s been years now and I don’t think I can do it anymore.

  “I told myself it was the last straw when you set me up with Aleena. I knew then that there was no hope for us. If you had any interest in me at all, you wouldn’t be trying to be my match maker.”

  “But, The Kiss. What about that?”

  “That was a mistake.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “Something about being there for your birthday made me think I should try one last time to see if there was anything there. I wanted to know for sure before I said yes to the fellowship. You gave me my answer.”

  “No, Angus.” I felt like crying. “You should tell them no. You should stay here.”

  “I can’t. It’s done. I won’t have a position here. I have to go.”

  “But I didn’t know. You never said anything about how you feel about me.”

  “Come on, Charlotte. I think everyone had it figured out but you.”

  Had everyone known? Will was the only one who had ever mentioned it. Then I remembered Kyle saying Wyatt had thought Angus and I would be dating. At the time, it had seemed like a joke, but maybe she was just a lot smarter than I am.

  “I’m sorry. I was so stunned when you kissed me. I didn’t know what to do, and all I could think about was not hurting Aleena.”

  “I wish you’d have cared as much about not hurting me.”

  Ouch. There was nothing to say to that. I had been so blind.

  I leaned forward on the couch and put my hand on Angus’s arm. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how you felt. I didn’t realize how I felt either. But I know now.”

  Angus stood, pulling his arm out from under my hand. “I have to be at the hospital early tomorrow, and I’ve got a few things I still need to get done tonight.”

  It took me a dazed minute before I gathered my thoughts and stood. I needed to kiss him, break this terrible spell. The thumping music became louder as Angus opened the door.

  I stopped at the door and faced him. The sorrow in his eyes squeezed my wildly hammering heart. I had put that sadness there. My pulse pounded in my ears like waves crashing into rocks. I put my arms around his waist and hugged him. His arms didn’t move. I was terrified, but desperate to let him know I was here and I loved him. I stood on my tiptoes and touched his lips with mine.

  For a moment, he didn’t move, and I thought he might respond, but then he turned his face so my lips were on his cheek. Embarrassed, I fell back to my heels.

  “Charlotte, please don’t make things harder than they already are.”

  I took a step back, rejected and disappointed.

  “When do you leave?”

  “August.”

  I nodded. “Can we get dinner or something before you go?”

  Angus sighed, and I saw a slight crack in his resolve. “I don’t know, Chuck.”

  “Angus, we’ve been friends for years.” A tear that I hadn’t even realized I was shedding slipped down my cheek. I quickly brushed it away.

  “Sure, we can have dinner.”

  I felt like screaming at the occupan
ts of the next-door apartment, but instead I turned and walked away.

  I glanced back. The music had drowned out the sound of the door closing. Angus was gone.

  This had not gone according to plan.

  There had to be a way to convince Angus that he should give me another chance. His feelings couldn’t have changed that quickly. He could call the doctor who had arranged the fellowship and tell him he had changed his mind. He could convince them to let him stay.

  I needed to think. I needed to figure things out. I had won Angus’s heart without even knowing it and now I’d lost it. Whatever it took, I had to win it again.

  I needed to come up with a new plan.

  Angus

  I banged on the wall, hoping the guy next door would turn down his offensive music. Most of the time I could just tune it out, but right now it felt like a prize fighter clobbering his way through my skull.

  What had just happened? I tried to replay the last twenty minutes, but my mind couldn’t make sense of it. I hadn’t expected to see Charles at my front door. I hadn’t seen her since her birthday. What a mistake that had been. A piece of advice—all those Hallmark movies my mom watches are a bunch of garbage. They’d have you believe that all it takes for the best friend to win the leading lady’s heart is a courageous declaration and a romantic kiss.

  Not true. It had taken me years to overcome my fear of telling Charlotte how I feel. And what had been the reward for that great act of courage? A humiliating rejection and—you guessed it—no more best friend. Definitely not the stuff chick flicks are made of.

  If Charlotte knocking on my door had been a surprise, the reason she was there was such a shock it was hard to process. Had she really come to tell me she loved me? I’d been waiting for her to say those words for most of my adult life. If she had said them two months earlier, life would have been perfect—Alameda residency, Charles, and me. We’d probably be engaged already. When you know someone so well, have been through all the good and bad of the past fifteen years, and have been in love with her for about half of that, it’s not really rushing into anything.