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CHAPTER 37
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IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 38
Jackson Daniel Kingman glanced up and pointed across the room.“I can still see this place as it was back then… There was a long counter over there. I used to come by after work with my buddy and sit and drink cup after cup, just to watch her, just to hear her… It took me nearly three weeks to work up the nerve to ask Judi out. I knew I was a goner when she poured that cup of coffee in my lap.”“But… what happened?”“She tried mopping it up with a towel.”“No, I mean… Uhm… Why didn’t you two marry?” He shook his head.“It was a stupid thing, really.” His eyebrows furrowed.“We got into this stupid fight… The church double-booked us. I wanted to elope, but Judi wouldn’t hear of it. She had to have her church wedding.” Jackson paused, dragging his ragged hand over his face.“I thought she was getting cold feet… That she was stalling or something. All the churches around were booked solid for months.”“And what happened next?” Mackenzie asked.“My
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 39
Wyatt paced to his front window and stared blankly at the maple tree in his yard. His temples throbbed. So much had happened lately, he hadn’t had time to assimilate it all. Yesterday, his father phoned to say his mother had called and they were getting together to talk. Wyatt’s trip to the mountains had paid off, after all. Maybe he wasn’t a stupid Cupid after all. Maybe this was a good sign. If his parents could come to terms, he, too, had a chance of mending things with Mackenzie. Jackson should have made it to her shop by now. Maybe Wyatt should have gone along to see how things worked out. He glanced nervously at the flickering candles he’d scattered throughout the house. He’d placed them in every room, anticipating Mackenzie’s wonder when she saw them. Surely, she would come to him… Soft music played on the stereo in the front room. Wyatt shook his head. If she didn’t show, he’d feel like the biggest fool for creat
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 1
“Wyatt, I need you! I’m quite desperate!” Panic laced Estelle Daniels’s voice. Wyatt Carlyle swallowed in discomfort. His stomach tightened. Normally women spoke those words to him with a sultry breathlessness, something he felt more capable of handling. He’d stepped into the office of Benjamin Swanson, his business partner, with nothing more on his mind than reviewing the day’s trading and their clients’ portfolios over their nightly shot of tequila. The last thing he’d expected was to walk in on a squabble between Ben and his wife-to-be. Wyatt’s gaze swung from Estelle to Benjamin. His partner sat rigidly behind his massive walnut desk. His expression reminded Wyatt of his own father facing off with his mother, back in the days when they tolerated being in the same room. Estelle lunged toward Wyatt and he stiffened. Her small hands clung to his arm, eliciting a sense of frustration. Why did he have this desire to help her, when he’d
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 2
Wyatt pulled his mind from Kimberly’s magnificent legs and delicious curves. He’d rather spend Friday night with her than with a ‘sweet, nice’ girl.“Can’t you find someone else, bro?”“There isn’t anyone else, Wyatt! I wouldn’t have asked you if someone else was available.” With a frown, Wyatt scooped the legal pad off the desk. He scanned the page-long list of scratched-off names.“You asked Fred? The security guy? And you asked him before asking me?”“I told you I was desperate.” Wyatt tapped the pad.“Dude, my name isn’t even on here.” Benjamin glared at him.“Okay, what will it take? How much?”“What? You’re bribing me now?” A chuckle rose from Wyatt’s throat.“Dude… you couldn’t pay me enough.”“I’ve got it! Kimberly!” Benjamin’s eyes widened. He moved toward Wyatt.“You take Mackenzie to dinner, then get her to the party and I’ll put in a good word for you with Kimberly. I’ll even invite her to the party.” Visi
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 3
Mackenzie frowned. The woman looked ready to have a stroke and seemed determined enough to keep at it until Mackenzie joined in.“Okay, Judi,” she replied, raising her arms and swaying. “Just for a minute.” She glanced around again to ensure no one saw.“Move those hips!” Judi’s hips pivoted in exaggerated circles. Mackenzie chewed her lip in concentration. After a few moments, her muscles warmed and she smiled. The music flowed over her. Her body moved in tune with the sax’s sultry strains.“There! I think I’ve got it, Judi.”“Oh, you’ve got it all right,” a deep masculine voice sounded from behind her. “The question is, are you giving any of it away?” Embarrassment flooded Mackenzie as she swung around to face a tall stranger. He stood a few feet inside the shop’s door. The light breeze ruffled his dark blond hair. His eyes, as green as the summer sky, shone with undisguised admiration. His gaze ran lazily over her hips, then up, pausing a lon
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 4
Music played softly overhead as Mackenzie looked a bit stunned at the price tag of a clingy black dress. She sighed and glanced at Helen, her shopping companion. Thank goodness her friend had come along to help. Nothing in Mackenzie’s assortment of flowing skirts and dresses would do for her date with Wyatt. She needed Helen’s discerning eye to pick just the right outfit. She pulled the black dress from the rack, then draped it over her front.“Sexy... That’s what I want. No flowers, no pastel tones, and no ruffles or fringes.”“Well, mercy me, Miss Thang! I never thought I’d see the day when my best friend in the whole world would throw away those Barbie dresses and go for black…” Helen exclaimed laughing. Helen held up a wine-colored sheath for Mackenzie’s inspection.“If sexy is what you want, sexy is what you gonna get.” Mackenzie nodded. Helen added the dress to the pile on her arm.“So, tell me more about Mr. Breathtakingly Gorgeous,” Hele
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 5
The sun filtered through the garden window of Mackenzie’s kitchen, showering light on her plants. A curl of steam drifted up from her big coffee cup. She glanced up and frowned at the date on her kitchen calendar. Friday the thirteenth… Her big day… Mackenzie lifted her mug in salute.“Happy birthday to me.” Ignoring a vague sense of impending doom, she focused on the night to come. The phone rang. She swallowed the hot brew and smiled when she saw the ID of the caller.“Morning, Mom.”“‘Happy birthday, my darling. You aren’t moping about, are you?’” Serena Swanson’s voice held its usual note of censure.“Actually, no. I was just toasting the grand occasion.”“‘Mackie, it’s nine in the morning… Surely, you’re not drinking…’”“No, mother! It’s just coffee.”“‘Decaf?’” Mackenzie grimaced.“No! Ew!”“‘That caffeine will age you, baby girl, mark my word! You’re such a beauty now. And young. Oh, to be young again… To hav
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 6
‘Did he really say that? Please, God… let me die now!’ Blood pounded in Mackenzie’s ears as Wyatt sank back into his seat. His chair creaked in the sudden silence. George ran his hand down the front of his white dress shirt.“I’ll… Uhm… I’ll get you some fresh rolls… give you the time to decide…” He looked curiously at Wyatt, then scuttled away without a backward glance. Slowly, the tables around them returned to their former buzz. Mackenzie stared at her date in stunned silence. ‘He knows... Dammit, Benjamin!’ Her brother had no right to divulge such personal information. Heat climbed her neck. Anger and embarrassment warred in her. Was her virginity the reason for Wyatt’s brusque behavior?“I’m… Mackenzie, I’m really sorry. I don’t know why I said that…” Wyatt heaved out a breath.“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to cause a scene.” Not trusting herself to answer, Mackenzie pursed her lips and counted to ten.
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