Mr Right?

“Vaguely,” she said, not about to elaborate on the surprise encounter she’d had with the man.

Marti sighed, telling Mia that the young woman definitely considered Marshall Cates eye candy. “Gorgeous, isn’t he?”

“He’s, uh—a nice-looking man.”

“Mmm. Well, my sister, Felicia, thought so, too. They dated for a while and she was getting wedding bells on the brain.”

Mia was afraid to ask, but she did anyway. “What happened?”

Wrinkling her nose, Marti said, “She found out the good doctor wasn’t about to settle for just one woman. Not when he had a flock of them waiting in line.”

So the man was a playboy. That shouldn’t surprise her. No matter where he was or who he was with, the man was bound to turn female heads. The best thing she could do was forget she’d ever met him. Still, she couldn’t help but ask the question, “Is your sister still dating Dr. Cates?”

Marti chuckled. “No, thank goodness. She finally opened her eyes wide where Marshall Cates was concerned. She recently moved to Bozeman and got engaged to another guy.”

Across the room, one of the hairdressers called out. “Marti, I’m ready for you, honey.”

Smiling at Mia, the young woman hurriedly snatched up her handbag and jumped to her feet. “Nice meeting you, Mia. Maybe I’ll see you at the coffee shop. Come by and say hello, okay?”

Nodding, Mia returned Marti’s smile. “Sure. I’ll look forward to it.”

Later that afternoon, at the resort lodge, Marshall finished up the small amount of paperwork he had to do, then left Ruthann in charge of the quiet infirmary and headed down to the lounge bar for a short break.

Three couples were sitting at tables, busy talking and sipping tall, cool drinks. One older man with graying hair and a hefty paunch was sitting at the end of the bar. He appeared to be sleeping off his cocktail.

Lizbeth Stanton was tending bar this afternoon, and the pretty young woman with long auburn hair smiled when Marshall slid onto one of the stools.

“Hey, there. I was about to decide you weren’t going to show up today.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist. “This is late for you.”

Marshall chuckled. “I’m so relieved that at least one woman around this place is interested enough to keep up with my comings and goings.”

She shot him a sexy smile. “Awww. Poor Marshall,” she cooed. “Had a bad day?”

With an easy grin, he raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair.

“I’ve never seen so many patients in one day. Several were suffering from altitude sickness and one had taken a nasty fall on a hiking trail. But they’ll all be okay.”

Not bothering to ask if he wanted a drink, Lizbeth went over to a back bar and began to mix him a cherry cola. At one end of the work counter, a small stereo was emitting the twangy sounds of a popular country music tune.

“Well,” Lizbeth said to him, “that is what you’re paid for. To doctor people who have more money than sense.”

Yeah, he thought, that’s right. But sometimes in the darkest part of the night, when everything looks different, he wondered if he was just as shallow as some of the guests he treated. He’d not gone to school for eight years intending to doctor women who’d ripped off nail beds trying to rock climb with false fingernails. But on the other hand, Marshall was making an enormous salary and most days he hardly had to lift a hand to earn it. He’d be crazy to want anything else. Wouldn’t he?

Lizbeth carried the tall glass over to the bar and placed it on a cork coaster before she pushed the frosty drink in front of him.

“Here, since you can’t drink anything alcoholic on the job, maybe this will perk you up.”

“Thanks, beautiful. Remind me to do something for you sometime.” Giving her a wink, he took a sip of the drink, then lifted the stemmed cherry she’d placed on top and popped it into his mouth.

As he chewed the sweet treat, Lizbeth’s brown eyes studied him in a calculating way. “Well, if you really mean that you could take me out to dinner tonight. I’m getting tired of taking home a sack of fast food and eating it in front of the television.”

Marshall chuckled a second time. He doubted Lizbeth ever had to spend a night alone, unless she wanted it that way. Even if she was known as a big flirt, she was pretty, bubbly and enjoyable to be around, the perfect type of woman for Marshall, who didn’t want any sort of clingy hands grabbing hold of him.

“If you’d really like to go out to dinner tonight, then I’m all for it.”

A faint look of surprise crossed her face. “You really mean that?”

Marshall shrugged. He and Lizbeth both knew that neither of them would ever be serious about each other, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy an evening together. Besides, eating dinner with a warm, appreciative female was better than being snubbed by a cool, beautiful heiress.

“Sure,” he answered. “Let’s splurge and eat at the Gallatin Room. The grilled salmon is delicious.”

Lizbeth’s brown eyes were suddenly sparkling and Marshall wondered what it would take to see Mia Smith react to him in such a way.

Damn it, man, forget the woman, Marshall scolded himself. You’ve got plenty of female distraction around here. You don’t need to get hung up on a woman who’s apparently forgotten how to smile.

“Oh, this is great, Marshall! I can wear my new high heels. Just for you,” she added with coy sweetness. “What time shall we meet?”

“When do you get off work?” Marshall asked.

“Six this evening. But I can ready by seven.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you in the lounge at seven-thirty,” he told her. And by then he was going to make damn sure that the winsome Mia Smith was going to be pushed completely out of his thoughts.

Chapter Three

Mia wasn’t at all sure why she’d bothered going out to eat this evening, especially at the Gallatin Room. Before she’d found Janelle, Mia had never been inside a restaurant where the tables were covered with fine linen and the food was served on fragile china. After her father, Will Hanover, had died of a lung disease, she and her mother had been lucky to splurge on burgers and fries at the local fast-food joint. The sort of life she was experiencing here at Thunder Canyon Resort was the sort she could only dream about back then.

Today at the Clip ’N’ Curl, her brief visit with Marti Newmar had reminded her even more of how simple and precious those years on the farm had been with her adoptive parents. Maybe she’d not had much in the way of material things, but she’d been wrapped in the security of her family’s loving arms. Mia had learned at an early age that she was adopted; yet that hadn’t mattered. She’d been a happy girl until her father had died. And then things had gotten tough and she’d made all sorts of wrong choices. She’d begun to believe that money was all it would take to fix everything wrong in her life. Well, now she had it, but she was far from happy.

With a wistful sigh, she realized the Gallatin Room was the sort of restaurant that a woman should visit with her husband or lover. The small table where Mia sat near a wall of plate glass gave a magnificent view of the riding stables and several corrals of beautiful horses. Far beyond, near the valley floor, a river glistened like a ribbon of silver in the moonlight. Yet the pleasant sights couldn’t hold Mia’s attention. Instead she was imagining what it would be like if the handsome Dr. Cates was sitting opposite her, reaching across the fine white linen and clasping her fingers with his.

“Ms. Smith, your steak will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like more wine?”

Mia looked around to see a young waiter hovering at her elbow, willing to jump through hoops, if necessary, to please her. After the first few days at Thunder Canyon Resort, Mia had become aware that some of the male staff seemed to bend over backward in an effort to make her happy. She’d not been fooled into thinking they were at her beck and call because they liked their job. No doubt they’d heard gossip or simply assumed that she was rich. The fact that she was rich, only made her resent their behavior even more.

“Yes, I will take more wine, thank you,” she told him.

The young man filled Mia’s goblet with the dark, fruity wine she’d selected, then eased back from the table. As he moved from her sight, Mia got a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye. Turning her head slightly to the right, she was shocked to see the handsome doctor and a sexy redhead taking their seats several tables over from hers.

Mia stared for a moment, then purposely looked away before either of them could spot her. She’d seen the redhead before, but where?

Recognition hit her almost immediately. She was the bartender here at the lounge. Mia had visited the bar on a few occasions, just to enjoy a cocktail and a change of scenery from the rooms of her cabin. The redhead had always been working behind the bar, but Mia had never seen Dr. Cates there. Were the two of them an item? It certainly appeared that way to Mia. But from what Marti Newmar had told her at the Clip ’N’ Curl earlier today, the man liked women in the plural form. The bartender was probably just one in a long line waiting for a date with Dr. Smooth.

Across the room, at Marshall’s table, he and Lizbeth had ordered and the waiter was pouring chilled Chablis into Lizbeth’s stemmed glass when he looked slightly to the left and spotted the woman. She was sitting alone and, even over the heads of the other diners, Marshall couldn’t mistake the black-haired beauty. It was Mia Smith, wearing a slim pink sheath and black high heels with a strap that fastened around her ankles. Her black hair was swept tightly back from the perfect oval of her face and knotted into an intricate chignon at the back of her head. She was a picture of quiet elegance and Marshall found it hard not to stare.

“Dining here in this posh part of the resort is quite a treat for me, Marshall. You must be feeling generous,” Lizbeth teased.

Jerking his head back to his date, Marshall plastered a smile on his face. Lizbeth was the sort of woman who’d be happy to let a rich man take care of her for the rest of her life. Since it wasn’t going to be him, he could afford to feel generous.

“Maybe I just felt as though I had earned my paycheck today,” he told her.

She laughed. “Oh, Marshall, you’re so funny at times. I hope you never go serious like that brother of yours. He should have been a judge.”

Marshall had three brothers. At thirty, Mitchell was four years younger than him. And then there were the twins, Matthew and Marlon, who were just twenty-one and trying to finish up their last year of college.

At one time in their young lives both Marshall and Mitchell had walked somewhat on the wild side. And while the two boys had lived on the edge, they’d both loved a passel of ladies and broken more than a few hearts. But age had slowed both of them down, Mitchell especially. He’d founded a farm and ranching equipment business and spent nearly all his time making the place turn big dollars.

“That’s why Mitchell has made a big success of Cates International,” Marshall said to her. “He takes his business seriously. When I’m out on the slopes skiing, he’s usually at work. That’s the difference between him and me.”

Lizbeth playfully wrinkled her nose at him. “What’s the use of money if you can’t have a little fun with it?”

Marshall sipped at the beer he’d ordered, then licked the foam from his lips. He would surely like to ask Mia Smith that question, he thought. But then maybe she was having fun. Maybe being alone was how she liked things.

He looked back to the table where Mia was dining and before he could catch himself he was gazing at her again. At the moment she was eating one slow bite at a time. There was something very sensual in her movements, as though she was a woman who savored each and every taste. Marshall could only imagine what it would feel like to have those lush lips touching him.

“In case you don’t know, her name is Mia Smith.”

Lizbeth’s comment doused him with hot embarrassment and he quickly jerked his attention back to his dining companion.

“You caught me. What can I say, Lizbeth, except that I’m sorry?”

Laughing lightly, she reached over and touched the top of his hand. “Don’t bother. I know when a man considers me just a friend. It might be nice if you looked at me the way you’re looking at her. But you don’t.”

Relief washed through him. Jealous women were hard to handle, especially in a place that required good manners. “Thanks for understanding, Lizbeth,” he said wryly. “I guess I’m pretty transparent, huh?”

“Well, if I knew the Gettysburg address I would have had time enough to recite the whole thing while you were staring at Ms. Smith.”

Shaking his head with a bit of self-disgust, he said, “I’m sorry. It’s just that—well, I met her yesterday. On the mountain while I was hiking.”

Intrigued by this morsel of news, Lizbeth leaned forward. “Really? Did you exchange words with the woman?”

The two of them had exchanged words, glances, even touches, but apparently none of it had affected Mia Smith the way it had Marshall. She’d walked away from him as though he were no more than a servant.

“A few.”

“That’s all? Just a few?”

“The lady is cool, Lizbeth. She—uh—wasn’t interested in getting to know me.”

Picking up her wineglass, Lizbeth laughed, which only caused the frown on Marshall’s face to deepen. “That’s hard to believe. I’ve talked with her at the bar and she seemed friendly to me.”

Now it was Marshall’s turn to stare with open curiosity at Lizbeth. “You know the woman?”

Shrugging, Lizbeth said, “She comes in the bar fairly often. Drinks a piña colada with only a dash of alcohol.”

“Does she ever have anyone with her?”

“No. She’s always alone,” Lizbeth answered. “Can’t figure it, can you? The lady is beautiful. Men would swoon at her feet, but apparently she won’t let them. Maybe you ought to ask her for a date. If anyone can change her tune about the opposite sex, it would be you, dear Marshall.”

He chuckled with disbelief. “Me? Not hardly. I offered to buy her a drink. She pretty much gave me the cold shoulder.”

“Maybe you should try again. That is—if you’re really interested in the woman.”

Unable to stop himself, Marshall glanced over at Mia’s table. At the moment she was staring pensively out the window as though she were seeking something in the starlit sky.

“Frankly, I wish I wasn’t interested. I have a feeling the lady is trouble. She doesn’t come across as the other rich guests around here. She’s different.”

Lizbeth smiled coyly. “And maybe that’s why you can’t get her off your mind. Because she is different.”

He thoughtfully studied his date. “Hmm. Maybe you’re right. And maybe once I got to know her, I’d find out she’s not my type at all. Then I could safely cross her off my list.”

Lizbeth let out a knowing little laugh. “You’ll never know until you try.”

The next morning on his way to work, Marshall entered the lodge by way of the lounge and headed to the coffee shop. After the busy day in the infirmary yesterday, he wanted to pick up one of those fancy lattes and present it to Ruthann when she walked through the door. No doubt the surprise treat would make his hardworking nurse want to whip out her thermometer and take his temperature, he thought wryly.

At this early hour, the coffee shop was full of customers sitting around the group of tiny tables, reading the Thunder Canyon Nugget and the daily newspaper from nearby Bozeman while drinking ridiculously expensive cups of flavored java. Marshall found himself waiting at the back of a long line and wondering if he had time to deal with getting the latte for Ruthann after all, when a vaguely familiar voice spoke behind him.

“Looks like we have a long line this morning.”

Turning, he was more than surprised to see Mia Smith. She was dressed casually in jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled back against her tanned arms. Her black hair was loose upon her shoulders and the strands glistened attractively in the artificial lights.

The sight of her put an instant smile on his face. “Yes. Everyone must have had the same idea for coffee this morning.”

Mia could feel his gaze sliding over her face and down her throat to where her shirt made aV between her breasts. The sensual gaze made her wonder if he’d looked this same way at his date last night. Then just as quickly she scolded herself for speculating about the playboy doctor. The man’s private behavior was none of her business.

Even so, she couldn’t stop the next words out of her mouth. “How did you like your dinner last night at the Gallatin Room?”

His brows lifted ever so slightly. “I didn’t realize you saw me there.”

This morning he was obviously dressed for work in a pair of dark slacks and a baby-blue button-down shirt. A red tie with a blue geometric print was knotted neatly at his throat. She could see that he’d attempted to tame the wild waves of his thick hair, but several of the locks had already fallen onto his forehead. Just one look at him was probably enough to cure most of his female patients.

“I…uh—spotted you and your date when you were arriving.”

“Oh. Well, Lizbeth wasn’t actually a date. I mean—she was—but we’re basically just friends. Actually, she was the one who asked me out.”

Mia shot him a droll look. Was this the sort of line he handed out to all unsuspecting females?

“Good for her.”

The line of customers began to move forward and she tried to peer around his shoulder to gauge how much longer the wait would be, but the man held her gaze.

“I stopped here at the coffee shop this morning to pick up a latte for my nurse,” he explained. “She’s always treating me so I thought I’d do something for her.”

Figuring his nurse was a twenty-something blonde with long eyelashes and a come-hither smile, Mia said, “Why settle for just a coffee? Perhaps you should take her to the Gallatin Room, too.”

To her amazement a look of dawning swept over his face and he nodded in agreement. “You know, that’s a wonderful idea. Ruthann has been a nurse for more than thirty years and she’s always taking care of other people, even when she isn’t on the job. Her husband died of a heart attack about three years ago and she’s having a hard time making ends meet with just his social security to help her along. Dinner at the Gallatin Room would be something really special for her. Thank you, Mia, for suggesting it.”

Feeling suddenly like a heel, she hoped he never guessed that her suggestion had been given in sarcasm. Damn it, why did she continually want to believe this man was only out for himself? Because Marti had described him as a ladies’ man? Or because a user could always spot another user, she thought dismally.

But you’re not a user, Mia. Everything you have has been given to you freely. You haven’t taken anything from anybody—except your adoptive mother’s life.

Trying to shut away the guilty voice inside of her, Mia gave him a hesitant smile. “I—uh—think that would be a very nice gesture for your nurse.”

“Well, I’m not always as thoughtful as I should be. Blame it on my male genes.”

The grin on his handsome face was as wicked as the images going through Mia’s head. She’d never been around a man who continually made her feel like she needed to take deep breaths of pure oxygen. Dr. Cates was making her think things that definitely belonged behind closed doors.

Smiling in spite of herself, she said, “I’m sure your nurse will think you’re very thoughtful.”

At that moment a customer carrying a portable cardboard holder filled with several cups of coffee was attempting to work his way through the crowd. As he jostled close to Mia, the doctor’s hands closed around her shoulders and quickly set her out of the customer’s path.

The abrupt movement brought her even closer to Marshall and he realized her thigh was pressed against his and the thrust of her breasts was almost touching his chest. His breathing slowed, while the faint scent of gardenia filled his head like a gentle breeze on a hot night.

“I—uh—thought that man’s drink was going to topple right on you.” Reluctantly, he eased his grip on her shoulders. “Sorry if I startled you.”

He watched a pretty pink flush fill her cheeks. “I—it’s okay. Better to be a little startled than scalded.”

The line ahead of them moved again and Marshall quickly glanced over his shoulder to see he was next to place an order. If he was ever going to make his move on this woman he needed to do it now and fast.

“You— I noticed you were dining alone last night and I was wondering if you might like some company tonight? I’m free if you are.”

Faint surprise crossed her face, an expression that puzzled Marshall. Surely a woman who looked like her was used to men asking her out to dinner.

“Actually, I don’t think I could take the Gallatin Room two nights in a row. It’s a little stuffy for my taste.”

Hope sprang up in him like an exploding geyser and he wondered what the hell was coming over him. The world was full of pretty women and willing ones at that. Why had getting a date with this one suddenly become so important?

“Mine, too. I only took Lizbeth there because she— Well, she enjoys that sort of thing, but she can’t really afford such a splurge on her own.” Another quick glance over his shoulder told him the customer was about to step away from the counter. He turned a beseeching look on Mia. “We could go downtown and maybe grab a burger or pizza. How does that sound?”

She opened her mouth as though to speak, then just as quickly her pink lips pressed thoughtfully together. Behind him, the coffee shop attendant said, “Dr. Cates, it’s your turn to order now.”

With his eyes riveted on Mia’s face, he tossed over his shoulder, “A large latte with plenty of foam.”

His dark brown eyes were pulling her in, making her forget there was a crowd of people around them. In the back of her mind, she understood he was a man who would be dangerous to any woman’s heart. Yet there was something about his smile that made him impossible to resist.

“Sure,” she heard herself saying. “A burger would be nice.”

“Great. Where shall I pick you up? Are you staying here in the lodge?”

Not yet ready to give him that much information, she said, “I’ll meet you here at the lounge.”

A wide smile suddenly dimpled both cheeks and Mia felt her insides go as gooey as warm taffy.

“Great. I’ll be here. Six-thirty okay?”

Why not, she thought. It wasn’t like she had anything important to do and maybe it was time she did something about this aimless path she’d been on for the past few months. “Six-thirty is fine. I’ll see you then.”

After he’d picked up his latte and given her a quick farewell, Mia found herself standing at the counter staring straight into Marti Newmar’s smiling face.

“Hi, Mia! I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. What can I get you this morning?”

“Hi yourself,” Mia greeted the bubbly young woman. “I’d like a cappuccino with sugar and a pecan Danish.”

Marti repeated the order to another worker who was busily preparing the drinks and rang in Mia’s purchases.

While they waited on the cappuccino, Marti leaned slightly over the counter and said in a hushed voice, “Looks like Dr. Cates has his eye on you. Be careful, Mia. I wouldn’t want you to end up like my sister.”

Shaking her head, Mia smiled at the young woman’s earnest face. “Don’t worry, Marti. I’m not about to let the doctor turn my head.”

“Yeah, well that’s what Felicia said, too.”

Thankfully, a worker set her order on the counter and Mia quickly scooped it up. Now that she’d agreed to a date with Dr. Cates, the last thing she wanted to hear were warnings about the man’s character. She’d rather find out such things for herself than listen to gossip.