Must-Have Husband

Whoa!” she yelped. To her horror, the tray tilted and its contents began to slide. The pup yapped happily underneath the tilting tray, on the verge of having the whole weight of it dropped on him as it slid from Connie’s grip. “Oh no!” she cried, watching the scalding hot teapot and everything else plummet.
    Mac leaped forward, pouncing on Connie and pushing the tray to the side while calling out like a madman, “Chance!” Both lost their footing and tumbled, but Mac held her close, breaking her fall with his arms behind her and her head cradled in his hands.
    The dog darted under a table with a whimper as the teapot exploded in streams of hot liquid and ceramic shards, and scones bounced out of their basket.

    Connie looked up at Mac, who lay flat on top of her, pinning her to the floor. “Are you all right?” he asked, his face coloring beneath his beard.
    “I think so,” she said, still reeling from the moment. Of all people! Mac McCormack, that incredibly handsome outdoorsman. And right here on top of her. Connie realized café patrons were staring and felt her temperature rise.
    He seemed lost in her eyes, then snapped himself out of it. “Good. That’s really good,” he said, rolling off her so she could once again breathe. He offered her his hands and pulled her into a sitting position. Chance scrambled out from under a table and loped over, picking up a scone along the way.
    “Why, who’s this?” Connie asked with delight, as the pup dropped the scone and scrambled up in her lap, putting its paws on her shoulders to lick her face.
    Mac rocked back on his knees with a smile. “Chance.”
    Connie laughed at the pup’s tickling wet kisses. “Chance?” she asked, patting his furry head.
    “The Second!” Hank called from nearby.
    Connie glanced at him and smiled. She hadn’t even noticed he was here. Of course, that would have been difficult with a gorgeous blast from her past landing on top of her. It was hard to forget what being in Mac’s arms had been like. Harder still to erase the memory of his sexy kisses. She’d tried to forget and move on with her life, and she’d really been doing quite well. In her mind, she’d totally convinced herself that she was over him. Now, seeing him in person, her heart felt otherwise. By the look in his eyes, he felt otherwise too. She didn’t know if he’d planned it or if serendipity had brought him to her shop. But one way or another, it seemed a magical twist of fate. A sign too blatant to ignore. She grinned at Mac and tilted her chin, hoping that he’d say yes. “Second chance?”
    His face warmed all over as he held her gaze. “I’d like that.”

Epilogue

    A small flower girl tossed white rose petals down the aisle ahead of her as she strode in perfectly measured steps. Connie stood behind her in the narthex, glowing radiantly. Mac could spot her from the front of the church and couldn’t wait for her to join him at the altar so the priest could make her his bride. Of all the crazy things that had happened to him in his life, falling out of that tree and nearly landing on Connie had been the single most important. For that hapless event had set in motion a whole series of others that led to this wonderful moment here.
    Grandpa Oliver wheeled up beside Connie, prepared to escort her down the aisle. She’d talked it over with her parents and all agreed it would be the highlight of her grandfather’s life. He had lived to see his final granddaughter married in the family dress, and, my, didn’t she look beautiful wearing it. Just like an angel, in fact. Mac chuckled to himself, recalling his initial impression of Connie with a halo, and knew that, for the eternity of their marriage, he would always be in heaven.

    At the back of the church, Connie caught sight of Mac standing beside Hank at the altar. He was a vision in a tuxedo and boutonniere, and had offered to shave his beard, but Connie had said, “Don’t you dare . ” She adored her rugged mountain man exactly as he was and looked forward to many years of proving just how much she loved him. It was June fifteenth, and they’d set this date on purpose. It was precisely one year since they’d met during Connie and Linda’s ill-fated girls’ getaway. Connie smiled to herself, thinking that sometimes mishaps led to happy endings, and that when you found the right guy, free falling wasn’t so hard.
    “You look beautiful,” Grandpa Oliver told her. “Just like your