Must-Have Husband

there?” She studied her daughter’s finger. “And why are you still wearing his ring?”
    Connie gulped. “Um. The one from Mac is on order. He’s having it custom-made.”
    “And he’s okay with this…substitution?”
    “Oh yeah, totally fine. Mac’s what you’d call a super chill guy.”

    Ollie slid his charcoal Armani suit jacket onto Mac’s back. “It may be a little snug in the shoulders, but you can make do.”
    Mac squirmed uncomfortably, feeling as if he’d been pinned in something akin to a straitjacket. “Thanks, Ollie. Very nice of you to do this.”
    Ollie adjusted Mac’s tie, then stepped aside so he could view himself in the mirror. He looked okay, he supposed. He just wasn’t used to it. The trousers fit awfully tight too and were a tad short at the ankles. Didn’t help matters that Mac had brought only his hiking boots. Doctor’s orders. “Keep those on the next few days,” the doc had said. Perfect for providing extra stability.
    “Don’t suppose you brought any other shoes?” Ollie asked, looking down.
    Mac shook his head.
    “No worries.” Ollie soundly slapped his shoulder. “No one will likely even notice.”

    Linda sidled up next to Connie as she sipped her champagne. “Did you reconnect with your husband?” Connie asked, lifting an eyebrow.
    Linda shot her a devilish grin. “In a manner of speaking.”
    “Where is the lucky guy?”
    “I sent him down the hall to introduce himself to Mac. You know, so the poor guy would have one more person in his corner.”
    Connie gasped. “You didn’t tell him?”
    “About the ruse? No way. That’s just our sisters’ secret.”
    Connie sighed with relief and raised her drink to her lips. The panorama before them was dotted with party guests, all dressed in finery and tilting champagne flutes as a Latin band played.
    “Whose idea was the music?” Connie asked.
    “Grandpa’s, of course.”
    “I thought he’d given up salsa dancing?”
    Linda turned toward her. “I wouldn’t put it past him to try it in a wheelchair. Not if he could convince one of those pretty nurses to sit on his lap.”
    Connie giggled briefly, but then grew serious. “Do you think Mom suspects?”
    “Why would you say that?”
    “I don’t know. I just get a funny feeling.”
    “Maybe you shouldn’t have flashed that rock the way you did.” Linda angled her head toward Connie’s left hand.
    “But you swore nobody would notice!”
    “That it’s the one Walt gave you? Nobody might have! Unless you’d put it on such proud display.”
    “Well, when Dad asked—”
    “Shh,” Linda cautioned quietly. “It’s Grandpa. He’s coming.”
    The crowd broke into applause as the old man wheeled into the courtyard, escorted by two lovely caretakers. One brunette and one blonde.

    Just then, Mac and Beau approached the sisters, who stood beside a potted fern.
    “Connie,” Beau acknowledged with a nod of his head. “Good to see you. You look lovely.”
    And she did too. Her beauty nearly took Mac’s breath away. She was gorgeous in a short blue dress that complemented the color of her eyes. And the heels she was wearing did everything to accentuate the curves of her lovely legs.
    “Thanks, Beau,” she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Love the tie.”
    But Mac was so caught up in Connie, he couldn’t even recall what color Beau’s tie was. Red? No. Yellow? He didn’t dare chance a look if that meant breaking away from Connie’s gaze. She looked like a princess, regal somehow. With that neat string of pearls around her neck and the tasteful dangling earrings to match. This Constance Oliver was one uptown woman. And Mac was nothing but a down-home guy, he reminded himself as his shoulder blades twitched beneath the jacket’s tight constraints.
    “Wow, you’re just gorgeous.” Realizing his mistake, he turned his attention immediately on Linda. “Both of you ladies are knockouts for sure.”
    Linda smiled and said something to Beau, while Connie’s face colored sweetly. “Thanks,” she told Mac. “You look great too.” Suddenly her gaze dropped to the floor. “Are those hiking boots?” She looked up again.
    “It’s all he had,” Ollie explained, surfacing with three flutes of champagne, one for himself and the rest for the other two gentlemen.
    The small group watched as Elizabeth and Wendell Junior walked into the courtyard to stand proudly beside Wendell Senior’s wheelchair. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Wendell