Susan Mallery Fool's Gold Series Volume One: Chasing Perfect\Almost Perfect\Sister of the Bride\Finding Perfect (96 page)

“He's into real estate. He had to do something with all his winnings.” She tilted her head. “Is it tough for the two of you to share the spotlight? I mean with your large egos and all.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You've seen my ego—you tell me.”

“Very funny. I guess if anyone would have the problem, it would be Josh. He's been the favorite son for years. But I don't think he's the type to care if you get more of the attention.”

“You like Josh.” Raoul didn't seem to be asking a question.

“Sure. I've known him most of my life. He was a few years ahead of me in high school. Very crush-worthy.”

“Did the two of you ever…”

She looked at him, pretending confusion. “Did we ever?”

“Get involved. Date.”

“Oh,” she said with mock understanding. “Did I ever see his ego?”

Raoul stared at her without speaking. She wanted to believe his interest was an important clue into how he felt about her. That even as they sat there, he was realizing he was wildly infatuated with her and seconds away from falling in love.

Or maybe not. Did she really need a guy in her life right now? Weren't three potential children enough?

“We never dated,” she said. “I've never seen his ego.” She grinned. “Although his butt
is
on a screensaver, so I've seen that.” She lowered her voice. “Yours is better.”

“It's not a competition,” he grumbled.

But he had been asking, she thought, amused. Raoul was such a guy.

She sipped her water, studying him. His dark hair fell across his forehead.

“You need a haircut,” she told him.

“No, thanks. It sounds too complicated, what with the warring hairdressers and all.”

“I'll take you. Show you off.”

“Thanks.” He leaned toward her. “Have you told anyone about the embryos?”

“Marsha knows. She may or may not have told
Charity. I'm waiting. I guess until it's sure. I just didn't want a lot of people speculating until there was something to speculate about. It seems wrong. This is Crystal's moment, not mine.”

“You're the one who's going to be pregnant.”

“I'll be peeing on a stick in a few days,” she said. “I'm thinking that will be a wake-up call.”

“I want to be there.”

“Okay, although that's lovely, we're really not that close.”

He shook his head. “In the house, not in the room.”

She wasn't sure about peeing on command, especially with someone waiting to know the results, but she supposed she could run water or make him hum loudly.

“Okay.”

“Good.”

He handed her the last egg roll. The overhead light caught the thin scar on his cheek.

“What happened?” she asked, pointing to the scar. “Let me guess. You were helping an old lady across the street.”

“Would you feel better if I told you I got it in a bar fight?”

“Yes, but I'd think you were lying.”

“How about if I ran into a fence during practice.”

And impaled his cheek? She shuddered at the thought. “Maybe the bar fight makes a better story.”

“Whatever makes you happy.”

After dinner, he insisted on walking her home.

It was already dark and the night was cool. Pia pulled her sweater around her and crossed her arms over her chest. “We'll have snow by November,” she said.

“Do you like winter?”

“Most of the time. We don't get a ton of snow, which is nice. The resort is only a few miles up the mountain, but even a couple thousand feet can make a big difference. They usually get several feet. At least I don't have to worry about shoveling a driveway. I can walk everywhere.”

He put his arm around her and drew her against him. “If you have any shoveling needs, just let me know.”

“More pregnancy-buddy duties?”

“Absolutely.”

“You should put out a brochure, so I can know what to expect.”

“I'll do that.”

He felt warm, she thought as she leaned into him. Safe. All the things a pregnant woman could want in a man. Or a nonpregnant woman.

Once again she thought about the woman he'd been married to before and wanted to ask what had happened. But she wouldn't. For reasons she couldn't explain, Raoul wanted to take care of her for a little while. For someone who had been on her own since she was seventeen, having someone to lean on felt good. Especially now, she thought, pressing her hand to her belly.

They reached her apartment building. He held open the front door, then followed her up the stairs. When they reached her door, he turned and faced her.

“You going to be okay by yourself?” he asked.

“I've been living here for years. I can handle it.”

“If you need anything, call me.”

“I don't want to interrupt your hot date.”

He adjusted the front of her sweater. “You're my hot date.”

Words to make her heart beat faster, she thought,
knowing giving in to emotional temptation would be a really bad thing.

“Raoul…”

Before she could say anything else, he pressed his mouth to hers.

The kiss was soft and tender, more caring than passionate. He didn't try to deepen it or even touch her anywhere else. Yet the feel of his lips against hers was devastating. Not from wanting in a sexual way, but because the gentleness ignited a longing she rarely allowed herself to experience. The kiss made her dream about what it would be like to fall in love, to risk her heart, to believe she could have someone to care about. Someone who wouldn't leave.

Unexpected tears burned in her eyes. She pulled back, dug her keys out of her pocket and opened the door.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone light. “Especially for the last egg roll.”

“All part of the full-service plan. You'll let me know when you're going to pee on the stick?”

Despite the emptiness inside of her, she laughed. “No one's ever asked me that before, so I have to say yes.”

“Good. Night, Pia.”

“Good night.”

She waited until he started down the stairs, then she closed the door, locked it and leaned back against the sturdy surface.

“Don't go there,” she whispered into the quiet room. “Don't believe in him. You know what will happen if you do.”

What always happened. He would leave. She had
a feeling that telling herself she was used to being on her own wouldn't make dealing without him any easier to take.

CHAPTER TEN

“I
T WAS THE WEIRDEST THING,”
Pia said as she and Montana sat in Pia's office, going over details for the bachelor auction. Technically now an auction/talent show.

“I don't understand,” Montana said, frowning slightly. “Isn't the auction enough?”

“Apparently not. Nearly thirty women will be getting up onstage and performing in one way or another. They have a three-minute limit.” Pia told her about the woman who bragged about a lack of cavities. “I grew up here. When did the women in town get so distressed about the lack of men?”

“Some women want to be in a relationship.”

“I agree, but not like this.” Pia looked at her friend. “Have you noticed all the extra men in town?”

Montana nodded. “Three guys in a car whistled at me yesterday. It was strange. But kind of nice.”

Pia winced. “Tell me you're not going to be there, meeting the bus.”

Montana laughed. “I can barely hold down a job, let alone find and keep a man.”

“Tell me about it,” Pia grumbled. “I've never had a guy stay. And I can't figure out why. Is it me? Do I give off the leave-me vibe? Is there something fundamentally wrong with me?”

“No. You're great. Smart, funny.”

“Well, so are you.”

Montana wrinkled her nose. “No, I'm scattered. I feel like it's been harder for me to grow up than for everyone else. Maybe that's why I haven't found the one.”

“I don't have an excuse,” Pia told her. Not that it would matter now, what with the implantation and all.

Without meaning to, she found herself thinking about Raoul. She appreciated the pregnancy-buddy support, but she was going to have a serious talk with him about the kissing. They couldn't keep doing it. She was finding it confusing. Not the kissing itself—that was easy. But the wanting that followed. She was fine wanting sex. But wanting more…that was the real danger.

“I want to find where I belong,” Montana said, then sighed. “Don't laugh, but I have an interview for a job.”

“Why would I laugh at that?”

“Okay—not laugh exactly. I'm really excited, but just, I'm nervous.”

Pia patted Montana's arm. “As long as it's not starring in porn, I'm good with it.”

Montana's mouth twisted. “Well, crap.”

Pia stared at her. “Oh, God. You're seriously going to be in a porn movie?”

Montana laughed. “I'm kidding.”

“Very funny. What is it?”

“There's this guy named Max. He lives outside of town and he trains therapy dogs. They're the ones who go into hospitals and nursing homes. Being around them makes people feel better. He also trains dogs for a reading program. They've done studies and kids who have trouble reading do a lot better reading to a dog rather
than a person. I guess they feel they're not being judged. Anyway, he's looking for someone to help him run the kennel and help with the training and take the dogs to their various programs.”

Montana drew in a breath. “There's a lot to learn. When I spoke to Max, he said I would have to take a couple of classes online and get certified as a dog trainer. While I was doing that, I would work in the kennel and get to know the dogs. He's giving me a four-month trial period. If that goes well, he'll start me actually working with the therapy dogs. I have an interview in a couple of days.”

Pia was still reeling from the porn joke. “You sound excited.”

“I am. I like the idea of working with the dogs and helping people. I want to make a difference, but I still don't know if this job is the right one. Dakota and Nevada both just knew what they wanted to do with their lives. I'm an identical triplet. Shouldn't I be like them?”

“You have to follow your own path and figure out what's right for you. It sounds like you might have found it.”

“I hope so. I'm tired of messing up.”

“Montana, don't beat yourself up. When have you messed up?”

Her friend shrugged. “I just turned down a full-time job with benefits. Who does that?”

“Someone who's thinking long term.”

“I want to be good at something. Look at you. You're great at your job.”

“I organize festivals. That's hardly saving the world.”

“You're an integral part of the community. What you do marks the passage of time and makes memories. Parents look forward to bringing their kids to their first Fall Festival or the Saturday of Giving. People plan their travel schedules to come here for their favorites. What you do changes the way people live.”

Pia stared at her. “Wow. I should ask for a raise.”

Montana laughed. “I'm serious.”

“So am I.” She'd always loved her work, but it had never seemed all that important. Montana's words made her rethink that concept. “I'd always focused on the fact that I bring tourists to town, which means more money for all the local businesses.”

“It's not just about money.”

“You're right. Which is why you shouldn't feel bad about turning down the full-time library job. You have to think about what's really important to you.”

“I want to make a difference,” Montana said firmly. “I've watched some videos about the service dogs. They're wonderful. I could be a part of that.”

“Then I hope you get the job.”

“Me, too. It would be nice to find where I belong. I want to be more than my family name.”

“Don't discount being a Hendrix,” Pia told her. “You're already part of something wonderful.”

“I know, but they're just family.”

Pia thought about her relatively solitary life. How she'd been on her own for so long, with no one to depend on. Now she was going to be responsible for three new lives. At least that was the hope.

“Family can be the most important thing of all,” she said, thinking it was sad that Keith and Crystal had
only had each other, and now the babies would only have her.

Montana rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like my mother.”

“Denise is wonderful, so thanks for the compliment.”

“You're welcome.”

* * *

“I
DON'T NEED MY HAIR CUT,”
Raoul told Pia as they walked down the street.

“You sound whiny,” she told him. “I expect a fairly high level of maturity from my pregnancy buddy. Don't let me down.”

“When did you get bossy?”

“I always have been,” she said with a laugh. “I thought you would have noticed.”

The day was cool. Pia had pulled on a bright red coat over her jeans and sweater. Her boots made her a little taller, which meant she was the perfect height for kissing, he thought absently.

He liked kissing Pia. He'd liked doing more, but under the circumstances, that wasn't on the table. She might be pregnant, and neither of them would do anything to hurt the babies. Not that she'd shown any interest in getting back in his bed. Although given what had happened the last time they'd been together, he doubted either of them would say no.

Still, he had a higher purpose here: taking care of Pia as she took care of Crystal's embryos.

“It's a simple rule,” Pia told him. “You alternate between the sisters. Today we're seeing Bella. Next time you'll go to Julia's shop.”

“I still think getting my hair cut out of town solves the problem.”