Must-Have Husband

Chapter One

    Connie Oliver bent forward to pick the brambles off her hiking socks. A manicured fingertip caught on the scratchy wool fabric and tore. She peered up through the bangs of her short blonde bob. “Excellent idea, sis. Totally awesome.”
    Linda gave an indignant pout. “Give me a break, will you? Just look. Look around! It’s gorgeous.”
    Connie straightened in time to catch a fuzzy brown arachnid skittering up her leg. “Gorgeous, and full of spiders, ticks, and fleas!” she proclaimed, pulling it off with a pinch.
    Linda watched her fling the bug into the forest then lifted an eyebrow. “Like those bloodsuckers back in Los Angeles are so much better.”
    “Now, don’t you even go there. Just don’t. You promised. No man talk, remember? This was supposed to be a girls’ getaway.”
    “Yeah, yeah. I hear you. It’s just that if you’d seen Walt for who he was in the first—”
    “Linda!”
    “Fine.” She adjusted her baseball cap. “Deny it all you want. But you, girlfriend, have a talent for picking out losers.”
    “That’s not true. I’ve just had bad luck.”
    “Bad luck since the eighth grade?”
    “With a memory like yours, who needs iPhones?”
    “Maybe we should have recorded it. Might have avoided instant replays.”
    Connie picked up her walking stick and moved along. “Like you’re such an expert,” she said, casting a scowl over her shoulder.
    “I’m three years younger than you, and married, aren’t I? To a great guy besides, because I know how to pick ’em.” Linda hastened her pace to catch up, her long blonde ponytail bouncing. “Say… How about if Beau and I introduce you to—”
    Connie hurried to stay ahead of her. “Another tomcat like Doctor Martin? No thank you.”
    Linda threw out her hands. “How were we supposed to know Beau’s ethics professor was married with six children?”
    “Ethics? Ha! So you see? I’m not the only one around here who makes mistakes.”
    “One mistake, okay?” She narrowed her thumb toward her forefinger. “One teeny little mistake…” She hustled to keep up. “Will you puleeze slow down?”
    Connie halted in her tracks and met her sister’s earnest blue gaze. “Beau’s got a cousin…”
    “No.”
    Linda’s lips turned up in a grin. “Second cousin, twice-removed…?”
    Connie huffed, feeling beaten down by this entire affair. Here she was, slated to get married in nine weeks, and she was absent one particular item: the groom. Not that it was entirely her fault. She’d had him at one point. He’d just unfortunately slipped away. “I said, no.”
    “Fine! Remain an old maid and break the family tradition. See if I care.”
    Connie took Linda by the elbow, stung by her barbs. “You know, Linda. If I didn’t totally believe you love me… I’d swear you hate me.”
    Linda’s expression softened. “Oh, Connie, I don’t hate you, can’t you see? I’m just worried about this predicament you’ve put yourself in.”
    Connie’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t exactly ask Walt to walk out.”
    “No, hon, of course you didn’t. But, can’t you see? That was four months ago. And all this while plans for your wedding have been steamrolling along. You should have told them by now, Connie. Mom, Dad, Ollie… Everyone.”
    “Not everyone ,” she said, referring to their sickly older grandfather, “and you know it.”
    Linda warmly patted her shoulder. “If only I could help you face facts, then maybe you wouldn’t keep doing this to yourself.”
    “Oh? And what facts are those?”
    “You’re a great girl from a wonderful family, but you can’t seem to stop yourself from going after these tigers on the prowl.”
    Connie twisted her lips and stared at her sister. Inwardly, she knew that Linda was right. Connie did have a talent for picking out losers, but she’d never done it on purpose. Perhaps she was just too trusting, always wanting to see the good in everyone. “Just what are you saying?”
    Linda stared at her sincerely. “Simply that you wouldn’t know a decent man if he fell on you.”
    “Hey!”
    “I mean it, Connie. There are tons of great people out there. Really good ones.”
    “Yeah, and as you keep reminding me, lots of bad ones too.”
    “I’m not encouraging you to keep going after the bad ones. All I’m saying is you need to be a little more flexible, not so rigid in your expectations.”
    “My expectations are the same as yours were,” Connie lied. While she