Must-Have Husband

who hadn’t believed in love. At least not for herself. And what a shame that was too, when she was so warm and wonderful and felt just like heaven to hold.
    “What do you think now?”
    She caught her breath as he moved closer. “I’m not sure.”
    “Let me try to convince you,” he said, his mouth hovering over hers.
    “Are we still just pretending?”
    His voice grew husky as he took her in his arms. “I hope not.”

    Mac brought his mouth to hers, and Connie feared she’d died and gone to heaven. His beard was soft and silky against her chin, his moustache lightly tickling her lips as he kissed her sweetly at first, and then with a deeper passion. She’d never felt so swept away by a man, and she longed to stay in this moment forever. While kissing him on the dance floor had been grand, it had nothing on now—with just the two of them embracing in the great outdoors. Connie’s pulse beat faster as she realized she was starting to hear herself think. And when her heart talked, her head had to listen. This was no longer make-believe for her. She was falling for Mac.

Chapter Eight

    The rest of the group lingered over coffee, discussing Mac’s pros and cons. “Well, at least he seems to care for her,” Elizabeth said. “Even if he’s not touchy-feely . ”
    “I would say their kiss last night proved that different,” Beau piped in.
    Wendell Senior harrumphed. “That was quite a display. Down to his tartan-plaid boxers.”
    “At least they looked clean,” Linda added before Beau elbowed her.
    He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Keep your eyes on your own man.”
    “Trust me, I do,” she said with a wink.
    Ollie blew an exasperated breath. “Look, guys, I already told you. He was borrowing my suit. So it ran a bit tight.”
    “Why are you so interested in defending him?” Wendell asked.
    “I just want you to give the guy a fair shake that’s all. Connie was so upset she—”
    All eyes turned to him. “Connie was upset?” they asked collectively.
    “Well, yeah. I mean, no. Listen, the point is, she was just having second thoughts for a moment. But she got over it.” Then he added under his breath, “And she’d probably kill me if she knew I told you.”
    “But why would she have second thoughts?” his dad asked. “I thought Mac was her chosen. ”
    “He is,” Ollie answered. “But still… You can’t blame Connie for getting cold feet, after all those other times.”
    “Those times the other guys left her, you mean,” Wendell added astutely.
    “Exactly.”
    “None of us wants that to happen again,” Wendell Junior said flatly.
    Elizabeth dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “No. We don’t.”
    “No, indeed,” Beau echoed. He turned toward Linda, whose eyes were as big as saucers. “You’re being awfully quiet.”
    “I want the same thing that all of you want,” she answered with a squeak. “For Connie to be happy.”
    As the breakfast dishes were cleared, they all decided they should go take a peek at the wedding dress. Nobody there besides Elizabeth had seen it, and Wendell couldn’t wait to get a look at his late wife’s gown, which brought back so many happy memories. He motioned his nurses along, who steered him into the elevator. “I’ll meet the rest of you upstairs,” he told the others, disappearing behind metal doors.

    Mac held Connie’s hand as they walked toward the main house. After an incredibly sexy kissing session in the vineyard, she’d taken him through the production part of the operation, showing him everything from the large oak casks to the automated wine bottler. It must have been something growing up around a thriving business like this one. It occurred to Mac for the first time that, in her own way, Connie had developed just as much appreciation for the land as he had. She just wasn’t as comfortable staying out in the open after dark, when there wasn’t a celebratory awning strung with festive lights hanging overhead.
    During the tour, they’d talked easily, joking with each other like old friends. Not wanting to break the spell between them, he’d put off telling her as long as he could. Now that the moment of truth was near, Mac had to face his fears.
    “Connie,” he said, stopping her when they stepped onto the back patio. “There’s something I need to tell you about the dress.”
    “Grandma Oliver’s wedding dress?” she asked, her eyes questioning. “What about it?”
    Mac hated himself for having to say