The Husband Maker Boxed Set

by White, Karey

  “I suppose you could call your parents and tell them you can’t make it to—whatever it is you’re going to . . .”

  “A dinner with some political contributors.”

  “Right. I’m sure they’d understand you missing that so you can try to make some girl snort.”

  “Yeah. It’s starting to sound weird.” We laughed again. “Another time.”

  “Definitely.”

  Kyle kept smiling at me, and my stomach had no trouble turning into a whole bunch of little mozzarella knots. “I had fun,” he said.

  “Me too. Seriously, so much fun.”

  I thought he might be thinking about kissing me, and I had a little trouble breathing.

  And then a blue shirt with the name Carlos written above the pocket appeared behind Kyle. He knocked on the window, and Kyle turned away from me and pushed the button to open the window. Way to ruin the moment, Carlos.

  “Sir, it’s a load and unload zone. You need to load or unload and move.”

  “Right. Sorry about that.”

  “No problem. Thank you.”

  Kyle closed the window and turned back to me, grinning. “I guess I need to unload you.”

  “I’m going. I’m going.” I got out of the car and picked up my Cheese School bag of mozzarella. “Don’t forget to refrigerate your cheese.”

  “I won’t. Talk to you soon.”

  I stood on the sidewalk and watched as Kyle’s car turned the corner.

  “Sorry, ma’am.” It was Carlos, who had pulled his white van into the spot Kyle had vacated.

  “That’s okay.” I headed upstairs.

  I smiled and leaned against the door after I entered my apartment.

  “Charlie, how’s it going?”

  I jumped.

  “Graham?” What was Graham doing sitting on the couch in my apartment? “Where’s Mia?”

  “I’m right here.” Mia came out of her bedroom in running clothes. She perched on the edge of the coffee table and laced up her shoes. “We’re going for a quick run. Want to come?”

  “No thanks.” I looked from Mia to Graham and back to Mia. What was going on?

  “We made some chocolate chip cookies if you want some,” she said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Okay. We’ll be back in a little while.” Mia pulled Graham up and they walked to the door.

  “Great to see you, Charlotte.” Graham waved.

  I watched the door close in stunned silence. Graham?

  The last time I’d seen Graham was almost a year ago. At the time, he and Mia had been dating for ages. I was so sure they were going to get married, I’d made an entire Pinterest board of ideas for the best bridal shower ever.

  And then it was over. Mia had gone to Phoenix for a week to see her family. She came back fired up and ready to give Graham an ultimatum. Move forward and start making concrete plans for the future, or end it. Mia was shocked when Graham chose the latter.

  “He wasn’t supposed to call it off. He was supposed to propose.” She could barely speak through her hiccupping sobs.

  “Better now than marrying you, and then taking off after you have two or three kids,” I said.

  Seriously, the dumbest thing in the world to say.

  But I was trying to be a supportive friend, and I was as surprised as she was.

  “I shouldn’t have pushed him. I should have been patient and waited for him to...”

  “To what?” I’d asked. “Why hasn’t he asked you? You’ve been dating forever. What’s he waiting for?”

  “Maybe he’s afraid of commitment. Or maybe he thinks he can’t afford it. There’s not that much money in retail.”

  “Mia, I don’t want to make you feel bad, but he’s a district manager. He’s over five stores. If he can’t afford to get married now, he’ll never be able to afford it.”

  “You hate him now, don’t you?”

  “You know I’ve always liked Graham, but if he’s going to break your heart, then yeah. I kinda hate him.”

  “You’re a good friend, Charlie.” Mia started bawling again. “But I love him.”

  I hugged her and rubbed her back. “Don’t cry. Give him a week. He’ll probably come crawling back, begging you to marry him and give him two basketball teams.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “How could he stay away? Look at you. You’re smart and adorable.” I held her at arm’s length and looked at her closely. “Well, you’re adorable when you’re not bawling and your nose isn’t running.” Mia laughed and blew her nose. “You watch. I’m usually right about these things.”

  I don’t know why I said that. I’m rarely right about anything when it comes to dating and guys. Look at my track record. But Mia wanted to believe me, so she did.

  I was wrong. Graham didn’t come back after a week. Or even a month. I guess the magic time frame was a year. And now they were out running, and Mia looked happy.

  Oh Graham, please don’t break her heart again.

  Mia and Graham returned about an hour later, sweaty and laughing. “We’re ordering Wok and Woll,” Mia stuck her head through my bedroom doorway. “Want anything?”

  “No thanks. I’ll just finish up the meatloaf if I get hungry.”

  “Okay. You can join us if you want.”

  “I know. I’ll probably just work on this job for a while.”

  I glanced at the clock a few hours later when I heard him leave. It was after eleven, and I was starving, so I closed my laptop and headed to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal.

  Mia heard me and came to the kitchen, rubbing moisturizer into her face. “You don’t have to avoid us, you know.” I couldn’t tell if she was angry or not.

  “I wasn’t avoiding you. I lost track of time working.”

  “What were you working on?” Okay, she was angry enough that she didn’t believe me.

  “I’m working on a bid for a show in Branson, Missouri. Want to see it?”

  Mia sighed. “No. I just don’t want you to be mad at me ‘cause I’m seeing Graham again.”

  “Are you seeing him again? More than today?”

  “Yes. He’s missed me, and he wants us to get back together.”

  “Like ‘let’s get married’ together or like ‘let’s hang out’ together?”

  “He wants to date me, but he doesn’t know when he’ll be ready to actually get married.”

  “So it’s back to how it was before?”

  Mia stomped the floor. “Why do you have to say it like that? You make it sound like I’m backsliding or falling off the wagon or something.”

  “Hey, don’t put words in my mouth. I’m trying to understand what’s happening.”

  “We’re dating. That’s all you need to know.” She swung around and a moment later the bathroom door closed. Hard. Why was she acting like I was the enemy because I didn’t want her to be hurt again? I’d eaten a few bites of cereal when I heard her fling open the door.

  “And just so you know,” Mia continued, back in the kitchen doorway, “I haven’t been really, truly happy since we broke up, so it’d be nice if you were at least a little happy for me.” A few seconds later, it was her bedroom door closing with a bang.

  This was so unfair. I’d never said I wasn’t happy for her. I finished my cereal even though now it tasted like mud. I rinsed the dish out in the sink and got ready for bed.

  The light was on under Mia’s door, so I lightly knocked. “What?”

  “Can I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  I opened the door. Mia was sitting cross-legged on her bed, crying.

  “Hey.” I sat down beside her. “If Graham is going to do right by you, then I love Graham, and I hope it works. The thing is, I love you way more, and I want you to be happy.”

  “I know.” She crumbled into sobs. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

  “It’s okay.”

  She blew her nose. “I’m scared. This is what I’ve been hoping for for the last year. I’ve imagined
him coming back and begging me to take him back at least a thousand times. And then it happens almost exactly how I imagined it, and of course I want it to work. I love him. But I’m scared. He really hurt me when he left.”

  “I know.”

  “But how can I not try?”

  “I guess you have to. But Mia, you’ve got to make him win you back. Make him work hard enough that he actually deserves you.”

  Mia nodded. “I’m not totally stupid, you know.”

  “I know that.”

  “I told him I won’t turn down dates from other guys unless there’s a ring on my finger.”

  “You said that?”

  Mia giggled. “Yep. And he said he understood.”

  “Way to go.” I put up my hand, and we high fived.

  “Are you ready to tell me I’m always right?” Jayne sat down, a smug grin on her face.

  “What were you right about?” I asked, pretending not to know.

  “I’ll wait for you to humble yourself. I just ate lunch, so I know I can sit here longer than you. Mmm. Is this dessert?” She reached for the giant box of Jelly Bellys on my desk. Jasper, the Jelly Belly publicity man, had sent me the box as inspiration. I was creating the graphics for an interactive tour visitors could take of the factory.

  “Those are for work.”

  “How many flavors are there?” she asked, lifting up the top tray and tasting a green bean from one of the lower compartments.

  “Fifty.”

  “I didn’t like that one. Let me try a cotton candy.” She popped a pink bean in her mouth. “I like that one better. Seriously though, Charlotte. Tell me I’m right and get it over with.”

  “Okay, fine. Kyle’s a nice guy.” I turned my face back to my computer.

  “That’s it? Kyle’s a nice guy?” She ate a blue and white speckled jelly bean.

  “A really nice guy.” When Jayne didn’t respond, I turned to find her shaking her head and filling her hand with candy. “Okay. I was wrong.” I put the lid on the box and moved it to the other side of the computer.

  Jayne leaned forward in her seat. “He’s cute, isn’t he?”

  “Gorgeous is more like it.”

  “I know, right? And he doesn’t look old at all.”

  “He wears his antiquity well. And he’s pretty handsome. And he’s taller than me. And what’s with his wavy hair? I just want to run my fingers through it.”

  “Then do it. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t complain.” There was the smug look again.

  “Has he talked to you about me?”

  “No.”

  “Oh.” I was more disappointed than I’d expected to be.

  “Not me, exactly.” Jayne got up, retrieved the Jelly Belly box, and put it back on my desk in front of her.

  “Has he talked to Trent?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Yes or no? How old are you, anyway? I feel like I’m talking to a sixth grader.”

  “Yes, he talked to Trent, and yes, he talked about you. You were all he talked about.” I tried not to look too pleased. “I think he likes you, Charlotte.”

  “Good.” I bit the side of my mouth as I turned back to a list of Jelly Belly flavors. “Which flavors should I have be the tour guides?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “For the factory tour? I’m having two animated Jelly Bellys on the little film they show at the beginning, but I can’t decide which flavors to make them. I was thinking Berry Blue and Bubble Gum because I like the alliteration of their names and they’re good colors together. But are blue and pink too obvious? Maybe I should go with something more unexpected, like Strawberry Daiquiri and Margarita.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. Some people might think you’re introducing the kids to mixed drinks. What about Lemon and Lime?”

  “Eh. Too 7-up-ish.”

  “What are your favorite flavors?” Jayne asked.

  “Toasted Marshmallow and Buttered Popcorn.”

  “You’re weird.”

  “I know.”

  “But back to Kyle. Do you like him too?” Jayne asked.

  I smiled. “Yeah. He’s a great guy, and he doesn’t seem a lot older than me. We had fun.”

  “I told you.”

  “But I’m still not sure about the whole money thing. And the political stuff. He couldn’t hang out Saturday night because he was going to some fund raiser. If I keep dating him, I’ll have to know a lot more about politics. And what if I hate his dad’s views on things?”

  “Then you’ll be diplomatic and keep your mouth shut. That’s what they all do. Do you think every husband and wife in government agree with each other’s political views?”

  “Probably not, but we both know I’m not always good at keeping my mouth shut.”

  “You’ll be fine. Besides, it’s his Dad. You won’t have to be involved that much.” Jayne stopped at the door. “Just be sure if you go to one of those events”—she giggled—“that you don’t snort.”

  She disappeared around the corner. “He told you about that?” I called after her.

  She didn’t answer. Instead she snorted.

  “Hi, Janice. This is Charlotte.”

  “Charlotte. It’s so good to hear from you. I keep telling Angus he needs to bring you down for a visit sometime. Will, too. I miss you kids.”

  Angus’s parents had moved to San Mateo the same year we graduated from high school. Janice’s mom—Angus’s grandma—had been ailing. Since she refused to live with Angus’s parents, it was either put her in a nursing home or move closer to help her. When a house on her cozy, tree-lined street went up for sale, Janice and Dave had snatched it up. Grandma Doris had died three years later, but Janice and Dave liked the area, so they’d stayed.

  “I miss you, too.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “This is silly, but when we were kids, you had an old video about a jelly bean learning life lessons.”

  “I can’t believe you remember that.”

  “How could I forget? Jellybean Takes Care of His Belongings. Jellybean Doesn’t Cheat. Jellybean Brushes His Teeth.”

  Janice laughed. “To think I actually spent good money on that.”

  “It was pretty funny, and it wasn’t a waste of money. I still sing the tooth brush song in my head when I’m brushing my teeth.”

  “Oh dear. I scarred you.” Janice said.

  “You probably saved me a few cavities. Anyway, I’m creating a tour for Jelly Belly, and I was thinking about that movie today and thought it would be funny to watch it again.”

  “Oh, Charlotte, I’m afraid that thing is long gone. We got rid of so many things when we moved.”

  “I thought that might be the case, but it was worth a try.”

  “You could check Ebay,” Janice said.

  “Maybe I will. How are you and Dave doing?”

  “We’re great. I’m still teaching, and Dave’s still straightening teeth. A tour for Jelly Belly. That sounds interesting.”

  “Yeah. It’s fun doing a job for something so close to home.”

  “You’ll be able to go take the tour when you go visit your parents.”

  “I can see people’s reactions without them knowing,” I said. “Actually, that sounds a little scary. Maybe I don’t want to see their reactions.”

  “I’m sure they’ll love it. Hey, I was wondering. Do you have a few hours free tomorrow night?”

  “Are you coming to San Francisco?”

  “No, Angus is coming down to pick up some paperwork. I told him we’d mail it to him, but he said he wanted to come since it’s been a few weeks since we saw him. Why don’t you come with him?”

  “Is he coming down alone?” I didn’t know how much his parents knew about Wyatt.

  “Yes. I guess he’s dating someone but she’s probably not ready to meet the parents yet, although I’m not sure it’s fair that your parents have already met her.”

  “She came with Angus to our birthday party.”

>   “I know. Your mom called me that night to give me the scoop. She said she was a nice girl. Did you think so?”

  “Yeah. She’s great.”

  “Well, Angus is coming alone, so you should come with him. I’ll make a pan of chicken enchiladas and you can have dinner with us.”

  “That sounds fun. Let me talk to Angus and see if we can work out the timing.”

  “I’ll plan on you. Tell him to call me if it won’t work out. Hopefully we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Tell me about Wyatt,” I said the next evening as we drove to San Mateo.

  “She’s gorgeous,” Angus said, and I rolled my eyes. “That was a dumb guy thing to say, wasn’t it?”

  “Well, I’m sure she’d be glad you noticed, but I already know she’s gorgeous. I meant how are things going? Do you like her?”

  “I like her a lot. She’s smart, funny, better at golf than any guy I know. Oh, and she’s gorgeous.” He grinned.

  “You guys are so shallow.”

  “I’m joking. I mean, she is, but that’s not why I like her. She’s a lot of fun.”

  “What does she do?”

  “She’s a corporate event planner. You know, parties, fundraisers, conferences. That kind of thing.”

  “I’ll bet our little birthday party was a bit of a letdown.”

  “Nah.” A dreadful pop song came on the radio and Angus turned it down so we could barely hear it. “What’s going on with you? McKayla said you’d have no problem finding someone to go to Mumford and Sons with you. Does that mean you’re dating someone again?”

  “I’ve been on a couple of dates with a guy. Kyle Aldsworth.”

  Angus looked surprised. “Any relation to Senator Aldsworth?”

  “It’s his son.”

  “Seriously? It’s not the Aldsworth that was arrested, is it?”

  “An Aldsworth got arrested?”

  “Yeah, last summer. Drunk driving, I think.”

  “Wow. I hope it’s not the same Aldsworth.”

  “Look it up.” I pulled out my iPhone. I’d never googled a guy I was dating before, and I felt a little icky punching Kyle’s name into the search engine. I hoped it wasn’t Kyle.

  “Nothing comes up under ‘Kyle Aldsworth arrested.’” I scrolled down the page. “Oh, it looks like it was his brother. ‘Alex Aldsworth was charged with DUI and disorderly conduct when he refused the officer’s request that he perform sobriety tests. Mr. Aldsworth locked himself in his car until his legal counsel arrived. His lawyer drove him to the San Francisco County Police Department where it was determined his blood alcohol level was .15, almost twice the legal limit.’”