My Favorite Husband

by Pam McCutcheon

  He was still confused. “Didn’t your mother help out with the money situation?” She lived like a queen. Surely she could spare some cash for her daughter.

  “She couldn’t. I know it looks like she has a lot of money, but she doesn’t really. I learned that when I moved back in. The house takes a lot of upkeep and the only reason she’s been able to hold on to it is because Scott manages her money for her. Actually, having us there to share the expenses helped her, too.”

  Chaz frowned. He wanted to ask why Grace didn’t just move into a smaller place and sell some of those antiques and jewels she had lying around the house, but he knew what the answer would be. Appearance was everything to Grace Richmond.

  “So, will she be upset with you for leaving?” He didn’t care how little money he and Kelly had—there was no way he was living in the same house with her mother.

  “Of course not. She already accepted the fact that I was going to live with Spencer.”

  Yeah, Chaz could see where Mr. Elegant would be the apple of Gracie’s eye. “But you’re not going to live with him anymore,” Chaz said, though it came out more like a question than he had intended it to. “You’re going to live with me . . . right?”

  Kelly smiled and caressed his cheek. “Of course. And Mother will just have to cope with that.” She sighed. “It will be nice to have a home of our own again.”

  Now this was more like it—he loved Kelly in this dreamy planning sort of mode. Since they had both made considerable inroads on the contents of the tray, he dragged her back to bed to cuddle with him. Sighing contentedly, he asked, “What kind of place do you want?”

  She snuggled up against him, laying her head on his shoulder. “Hmm, I don’t know. I’d love to go back to our old apartment, but I doubt it’s available.”

  “That would be nice,” he agreed. They had been very happy there, and the place held many good memories.

  “Maybe we can afford something a little nicer now. A condo, maybe, or a small house?”

  “Do they pay you well, now that you’re an editor?”

  Her lips twisted in a rueful smile. “I’m not even sure I have a job after making Candace get down on all fours to hide from my mother.” She splayed a hand across her face. “God, how embarrassing.”

  He squeezed her reassuringly. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. Now that you’ve freed up Deuce, she’ll probably be so grateful she’ll give you a raise.”

  “Deuce?” she asked with a puzzled expression.

  Oops. He waved a hand dismissively. “Just my little nickname for your . . . the guy who horned in on my territory. Never mind.”

  She shrugged. “Well, I’ll be happy if I can just keep my current job. The money is better than what I made before I was promoted, but it’s still not great. We can get by until you find a job.”

  He nodded absently and nuzzled her neck, loving the feel and the smell of her in his arms. “That shouldn’t be a problem. Whatever you want, honey. Anything will seem like a palace with you . . . especially after what I’ve been living in the past few years.”

  Her arms tightened around him. “Oh, Chaz. I so want you to have everything you missed, to make up for lost time. What do you want in a house?”

  “I told you—it doesn’t really matter, so long as you’re there. I just want a place of our own.” Unlike the zoo of the last few days with people popping out of the woodwork every time he turned around.

  Her arm tightened around him and she played with the hair on his chest. “Having a home is important to you, isn’t it? Especially since you haven’t had one in so long.”

  “Yes—it’s one of the things that kept me going all that time, knowing you were here waiting for me.” He sighed, remembering. “I had fantasies about returning to you and our old life together. I always loved coming home to you, and I always will.”

  Her hand stilled on his chest. “Always will?”

  “Of course,” he said, squeezing her tight. “Do you doubt it?”

  “You mean, you’re planning on leaving again?”

  “Not anytime soon. But you said it yourself, I have to find a job. I’ve been making some inquiries and learned there’s a dig in Turkey looking for someone with my skills. There’s a rumor of precious artifacts there, and I’m sure I can find them.”

  “Turkey?” She sat up to stare down at him and he was surprised to see a spark of anger in her eyes. “Are you kidding?”

  Uh-oh. It appeared he was on quicksand once again without quite realizing how he had gotten there. “No, I’m not kidding. I can’t live off you for the rest of my life. I need to earn my keep.”

  “By taking off and leaving me alone again?” Kelly asked with tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t stand that, Chaz. I lost you once, and I don’t ever want to go through that again.”

  “You wouldn’t,” he assured her. “Turkey is nothing like the Amazon.”

  “Yeah, right. Well, I may not know much about geography and world affairs, but I do know that part of the world is never quite stable. What if you get caught up in a war? What if you’re captured again? What if you’re killed?”

  “Aw, honey, I won’t be.” He sat up and tried to give her a reassuring hug, but she shrugged him off.

  “Don’t you ‘aw, honey’ me. It’s dangerous and you know it.” She got up from the bed to pace in the small room. “Can’t you do something else?”

  “Like what?” he asked in trepidation. “This is the only thing I know how to do. I don’t have any other skills, and with no recent job experience, who’d hire me?”

  “Anyone would hire you, once you tell them the circumstances,” she said in a cajoling tone.

  “Hire me to do what? Flip burgers? I couldn’t stand that.” Cooped up in some greasy little joint, never seeing the sun, never experiencing the joy of a unique find? It sounded like hell. She couldn’t really expect him to do that . . . could she?

  “You wouldn’t have to flip burgers,” she said, her voice rising. “And the danger isn’t all I’m worried about—I hate having you thousands of miles away. I’m sure there is something else you can do. Here.”

  He frowned. “But nothing I’d enjoy as much as what I do now.” He wouldn’t ask her to give up a job she loved. How could she ask that of him?

  Besides, it was more than just a job, it was a part of who he was. The adventure of traveling to new places, the excitement of a new find, the thrill of having his name in the history books . . . He didn’t want to give that up.

  She crossed her arms and stared at him with a defiant expression. “I couldn’t stand it if you left me again. I’m tired of worrying about you, tired of wondering if you’re dead or alive. Chaz, I want you to stay in Denver.”

  He rose from the bed to face her. “Are you giving me an ultimatum?” he asked in disbelief.

  She lifted her chin. “I suppose I am. It’s your job or me. Which will it be?”

  Stunned, he could do nothing but stare at her for a moment. Either choice was totally abhorrent. Either he stayed in Denver with Kelly at a boring, soul-stealing job, or he did the work he loved and lost his wife. Running a hand through his hair, he said, “How can you ask me to make this kind of choice?” It was a no-win situation.

  Kelly threw up her hands in disgust. “You know what? Never mind. If you even have to stop and think about it, then the answer’s plain. Your job is far more important to you than I am. Hell, you proved that when you stayed in the jungle after you were set free—just so you could find a few more baubles to add to your collection.”

  “That’s not fair,” he protested. “I needed those ‘baubles’ as you call them to fulfill my contract. They weren’t just some passing whim—they’re what allowed me to earn my way home and give us enough cash to pay for a few months’ living expenses. For both of us.”

  “No, they’re what allowed you to continue playing Indiana Jones—your favorite role.”

  He shook his head, wondering where the hell he’d gone wrong an
d how he could possibly put it right. “That’s not my favorite role,” he corrected her softly. “My favorite role is playing Kelly Vincent’s husband.” The Courageous Corsair was kind of fun, too.

  “I’m sorry, Chaz. I don’t believe you.” She dashed a tear away. “Just take me back to the hotel, okay?”

  “Why?” he asked in alarm. Had he screwed up totally? Was she planning on going from his bed to Deuce’s arms?

  “Because I need time to think. Time without you.”

  God, that hurt. He didn’t want her doing anything without him. “But—”

  “No buts, Chaz. You said last night that all I had to do was say the word and you would take me back to the hotel. Well, I’m saying it.”

  She had him there. He never went back on his word. Sighing, Chaz said, “All right.” He finished dressing and called a cab, his heart leaden.

  “It’ll be here in a few minutes,” he told her.

  Apparently unable to keep still, Kelly was straightening up the bed, cleaning up their breakfast, and generally tidying up. When she came to the red gown pooled in the floor, she hesitated then fiercely balled it up and threw it in the trash.

  God, why don’t you throw my heart in there along with it, Chaz thought, but knew better than to say it aloud. Instead, as she headed for the bathroom, he removed the negligee from the trash, smoothed it out, and folded it carefully, tucking it inside his voluminous shirt.

  “What do you want with that?” she asked as she caught him at it.

  “Memories . . .” The remembrance of one perfect night with Kelly . . . before he had managed to screw up the rest of his life.

  * * *

  Kelly sat in the cab, fuming as they headed back to the hotel. How could he do this to her again? The night before had been so wonderful, so special . . . but it was all fake. Even as he’d lavished her with attention, babbled on about how much he loved her, he was planning to leave her again.

  But isn’t he worth waiting for? a little voice asked.

  Maybe, but he wasn’t worth the pain of worrying, of wondering if he were dead or alive. And she would always worry. How could she not? He took huge risks, believing they had to be big to make the payoff even bigger.

  In some ways, she admired him for that, but when the risk he was taking was with their marriage, she couldn’t stand it. She wasn’t willing to take the chance of losing him again. Not anymore.

  From the other side of the cab, Chaz asked, “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know,” Kelly said in clipped tones. Right now, she was too angry to even think about the future.

  “Have you changed your mind about choosing me?”

  The little boy quality of his voice should have melted her heart, but all it did was tick her off more.

  “You changed my mind for me.” If he hadn’t been so insensitive, so dense, so idiotically male, she wouldn’t have to change her mind.

  “What does that mean?”

  The anxious tone in his voice made her realize what he was really asking was if she was going to dump him to take off with Spencer. But the way she felt, she didn’t care to clarify. Besides, she didn’t know what she was going to do yet. “That means you made me change my mind about spending the rest of my life with you.”

  There, let him figure that one out.

  “You can’t mean that,” he protested.

  “I do mean that. Besides, the way you live, the rest of your life won’t be very long anyway.”

  Chaz tried to scoot closer to her, but she gave him a dirty look and he halted. It didn’t stop him from using a cajoling tone, however. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ll say anything, do anything, if we can just stay together.”

  Kelly almost sneered. “Anything but give up your job, you mean.” When he couldn’t answer that, she added, “I’m sure you’d say anything. But would you mean it?”

  “Of course I would,” he said, sounding wounded.

  “Only until the next time an exciting job or rumor of an new find comes up. Then you’ll forget all about me and jet off to some stupid dirty dig that doesn’t even have a proper toilet.”

  “What does the toilet have to do with anything?” he asked in bewilderment.

  “I don’t know,” she said in exasperation. “Maybe it symbolizes the fate of our marriage.”

  “You can’t mean that,” Chaz repeated, shifting on the seat so he could look her in the eye. “I love you and you love me. We can work this out. Somehow.”

  No, he was not going to sweet-talk her into going along with his plans for their life together. He had always been able to do it before, but this time she wouldn’t let him. “Just be quiet, Chaz. I’m too angry to talk about this anymore.”

  “You’re not going to make any hasty decisions, are you?”

  “I might if you don’t keep your mouth shut.”

  He finally seemed to get the hint and kept quiet the rest of the short way back to the Pourtales. But she couldn’t stop him from following her as she stalked across the lobby.

  Chaz seemed to squirm a little as Billings raised his eyebrows at Chaz’s attire and two gay men gazed with appreciation at his tight pants, but it only made him move faster as he and Kelly reached the elevator and rode up the together, silently.

  When they came out into the hallway of the third floor, Kelly spotted what was waiting for her and muttered, “Great. Just great.”

  Mother and Spencer seemed to be having a genteel if intense argument with Scott in the hallway while Candace and Amalia watched . . . along with half a dozen other hotel guests who lingered in the hallway or peeked out their doors.

  Kelly would have ignored them all and locked herself in her room, but she suddenly remembered she didn’t have a key. She had left it behind with all the contents of her purse the night before.

  She hesitated, not knowing which was worse—going back downstairs to ask Billings for another key or asking one of the gang here to do it for her.

  But Scott had spotted her then, or so she assumed from the look of intense relief that crossed his face. They all turned to see what he was looking at and Amalia made a beeline for Chaz.

  “Where have you been?” Mother demanded.

  “I’ve been so worried about you,” Spencer said.

  Amalia grabbed Chaz’s arm. “There you are. I haf something muy importante to tell you.”

  “Sweet outfit,” Scott said with raised eyebrows at Chaz. “Trying out for the ballet?”

  And everyone else seemed determined to put their two cents’ worth in as well. The resulting babble made Kelly want to scream. “Quiet,” she said in the firmest tone she could manage. When they all stared at her in surprise, she added, “Let’s take this out of the hallway before we’re all thrown out of here, shall we?”

  “Like where?” Scott asked.

  “Spencer’s room?” Kelly suggested.

  Chaz bristled. “Like hell—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Kelly said with exasperation. “The honeymoon suite is the biggest room on this floor. Or would you rather have everyone crammed in your room?”

  She could tell he understood the logic, but still didn’t like it. But since he didn’t say anything, she took his silence for consent. “Spencer, if you would open the door?”

  “Certainly,” he said and hastened to do as she asked.

  They all trooped into the honeymoon suite. Kelly would much rather have done without the presence of her mother, her boss, and Chaz’s leech, but their stubborn expressions showed they weren’t about to leave now.

  Once they had all settled inside, Grace stared haughtily at her daughter. “Where have you been? We’ve all been worried sick, and Scott would tell us nothing.”

  “Now, Mother, I’m sure he told you I was all right.”

  “Well, yes, but considering the company you were in,” she said with a searing glance at Chaz, “I wasn’t sure you were safe.”

  Kelly sighed but decided not to answer that
piece of rudeness. “You don’t need to know where I’ve been.”

  “But what have you been doing?” Candace asked in a half-fascinated, half-hopeful tone.

  Kelly might as well come clean, though she really didn’t care for the thought of airing her laundry—dirty or clean—in public. “I was getting to know Chaz better,” she said with as much dignity as she could manage. “I thought we might have a reconciliation. Turns out I was wrong.”

  “Wait a minute,” Chaz protested. “There was nothing to reconcile about—we weren’t arguing.”

  But Spencer’s expression had turned hopeful. “Does that mean . . . ?”

  How could he ask? Surely he must realize she had spent the night with Chaz. How could he still want her after that?

  And though she might be angry enough with Chaz to scratch him off her list of potential husbands, she knew that life with Spencer wouldn’t be right either. She would always be comparing him to Chaz . . . unfavorably.

  But she couldn’t say that out loud and humiliate Spencer in front of everyone else. “It means I want to be alone.”

  A silence fell and Amalia tugged on Chaz’s arm again. “I haf something important to tell you,” she persisted.

  Chaz shrugged her off. “I don’t want to hear it,” he all but snarled at her.

  A knock sounded at the door, and everyone looked around in surprise. The whole gang was there already—and none of them even in hiding. Who could it be?

  Spencer opened the door to reveal Billings standing there rocking on his heels with a supercilious expression and his hands behind his back.

  “What’s the problem?” Chaz asked. “We’re keeping the noise level down.”

  The manager inclined his head, silently acknowledging the truth of his words. “That isn’t why I’m here.”

  “And why is that?” Chaz asked belligerently.

  Kelly gave him a warning glance. It wouldn’t do to anger the assistant manager if they wanted to stay here any longer. But it appeared Chaz needed some outlet for his frustration, and Billings looked like a likely target.

  Billings’s expression didn’t change one iota. “My maintenance staff found something odd this morning in Mrs. Preston’s room.”