mother’s obsession with finding the perfect man was with her.
The perfect man.
Such a man didn’t exist. But that was her mother’s dream and Kim knew all about chasing dreams. Just like she understood her mother’s desire to see her only child married. Wynona thought she’d failed in both the mother and wife departments. Neither was true, but until mother and daughter were happily married, she would always believe that.
The backseat of the cab got quiet, as if Duan was allowing her time to think, and then he asked, “When is the wedding?”
She rubbed a hand down her face. “They want to marry in three weeks, which will put me in more hot water because of a lie I’ve told.”
“What lie?”
“That I’m engaged.”
At his surprised look, she said, “Okay, I’ll admit that was a big one, but I had a reason for lying in this case. Mom and her sister, my aunt Gertrude, believemy exposure to my parents’ relationship for all those years is the reason I’m not in what they call a healthy relationship with a man.”
He shrugged. “That’s probably true. At least I know it is for me. I’m not sure I can fully trust a woman after what my mother did to my dad. I know all women aren’t the same, like I’m sure you know all men aren’t the same. But still, it’s understandable for anyone who’s witnessed all that to want to protect their heart.”
Kim nodded. What he said made sense. Her parents’ marriage had influenced her way of thinking.
“But I don’t want Mom to beat herself up about it and worry unnecessarily. I’m happy with my marital status, and I think Mom would ease off if it wasn’t for Aunt Gert. She’s a bona fide romantic. She’s also a reality TV junkie. A couple of months ago, without me knowing, she submitted my name and bio to How to Find a Good Man . Believe it or not, I was the one selected to go on a televised scavenger hunt to find a good man.”
Duan chuckled. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Trust me, I kid you not. Anyway, they wanted to surprise me, and they sure did when the film crew showed up at the hospital. The only way I could get out of it was to lie and say I’d gotten engaged after Aunt Gert had submitted my personal info.”
She shook her head. “That made everyone happy and I was left alone. And to this day, no one has asked methe name of my fiancé. But just like Sherri warned, the lie has caught up with me. Now Mom wants to meet him. I can’t put it off any longer.”
“Just tell them the truth.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t know my family, especially Aunt Gert. I would go so far as to tell her to butt out of my business, but I know she means well, so I can’t. When I go home next week I not only have to meet what could be my fourth stepfather, but also take a man with me to Shreveport as my fiancé. A fake one at least.”
Duan thought it might be wise for her to just fess up and tell her family the truth. But if she didn’t do that and took a man home…a part of him didn’t like the thought of that for some reason. He knew what she did was her business. But still…
“You have any prospects?” he asked, looking down at her. Not for the first time he thought how gorgeous her brown eyes were. He could recall staring into them while climaxing. Several times.
She lifted an arched brow. “Prospects?”
“You know. Guys willing to play the part of your fiancé.”
Kim shrugged. She immediately thought of Winslow Breaker. He was a surgeon at the hospital who’d been after her for months. The only problem was that she could just imagine what good old Winslow would expect in return. And she just wasn’t feeling it with Winslow. Never had.
“Possibly,” she heard herself say.
Duan cursed under his breath, wondering why he even gave a damn. Like he’d thought earlier, what she did was her business.
He noticed the huge marker that indicated the airport was less than ten miles away and knew what he wanted to do before they
The perfect man.
Such a man didn’t exist. But that was her mother’s dream and Kim knew all about chasing dreams. Just like she understood her mother’s desire to see her only child married. Wynona thought she’d failed in both the mother and wife departments. Neither was true, but until mother and daughter were happily married, she would always believe that.
The backseat of the cab got quiet, as if Duan was allowing her time to think, and then he asked, “When is the wedding?”
She rubbed a hand down her face. “They want to marry in three weeks, which will put me in more hot water because of a lie I’ve told.”
“What lie?”
“That I’m engaged.”
At his surprised look, she said, “Okay, I’ll admit that was a big one, but I had a reason for lying in this case. Mom and her sister, my aunt Gertrude, believemy exposure to my parents’ relationship for all those years is the reason I’m not in what they call a healthy relationship with a man.”
He shrugged. “That’s probably true. At least I know it is for me. I’m not sure I can fully trust a woman after what my mother did to my dad. I know all women aren’t the same, like I’m sure you know all men aren’t the same. But still, it’s understandable for anyone who’s witnessed all that to want to protect their heart.”
Kim nodded. What he said made sense. Her parents’ marriage had influenced her way of thinking.
“But I don’t want Mom to beat herself up about it and worry unnecessarily. I’m happy with my marital status, and I think Mom would ease off if it wasn’t for Aunt Gert. She’s a bona fide romantic. She’s also a reality TV junkie. A couple of months ago, without me knowing, she submitted my name and bio to How to Find a Good Man . Believe it or not, I was the one selected to go on a televised scavenger hunt to find a good man.”
Duan chuckled. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Trust me, I kid you not. Anyway, they wanted to surprise me, and they sure did when the film crew showed up at the hospital. The only way I could get out of it was to lie and say I’d gotten engaged after Aunt Gert had submitted my personal info.”
She shook her head. “That made everyone happy and I was left alone. And to this day, no one has asked methe name of my fiancé. But just like Sherri warned, the lie has caught up with me. Now Mom wants to meet him. I can’t put it off any longer.”
“Just tell them the truth.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t know my family, especially Aunt Gert. I would go so far as to tell her to butt out of my business, but I know she means well, so I can’t. When I go home next week I not only have to meet what could be my fourth stepfather, but also take a man with me to Shreveport as my fiancé. A fake one at least.”
Duan thought it might be wise for her to just fess up and tell her family the truth. But if she didn’t do that and took a man home…a part of him didn’t like the thought of that for some reason. He knew what she did was her business. But still…
“You have any prospects?” he asked, looking down at her. Not for the first time he thought how gorgeous her brown eyes were. He could recall staring into them while climaxing. Several times.
She lifted an arched brow. “Prospects?”
“You know. Guys willing to play the part of your fiancé.”
Kim shrugged. She immediately thought of Winslow Breaker. He was a surgeon at the hospital who’d been after her for months. The only problem was that she could just imagine what good old Winslow would expect in return. And she just wasn’t feeling it with Winslow. Never had.
“Possibly,” she heard herself say.
Duan cursed under his breath, wondering why he even gave a damn. Like he’d thought earlier, what she did was her business.
He noticed the huge marker that indicated the airport was less than ten miles away and knew what he wanted to do before they
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