“Maybe Heidi could train the goats to sniff out gold.”
“I’ll mention that to her.”
They rounded a corner and saw an old farmhouse up ahead. It had been built in the thirties, he would guess. The roof wasn’t in bad shape, but the whole place needed painting. He wondered if any of the original woodwork remained. He appreciated craftsmanship in any form.
A woman ran out the open gate and hurried toward them.
“Heidi,” he guessed.
“Looking for her goats.”
“Maybe I should get a goat.”
Nevada laughed. “Start with something small. Like a fish. If you can keep that alive, we’ll talk.”
“You wound me.”
“I’m sorry,” Heidi called as she approached. “It’s all my fault. I wasn’t paying attention and I left the gate open.”
“Not to worry,” Nevada told her. “They found their way to the construction site and scared the guys. I enjoyed seeing that happen.”
Heidi gave her a sad smile. “We were distracted by some bad news.” The smile faded. “A friend of my grandfather’s told us he’s sick. He needs surgery and medicine and doesn’t have insurance. It’s a terrible situation.” She took the lead ropes. “Thanks for bringing them back.”
“You’re welcome.” Nevada touched her arm. “What can I do to help with your friend?”
Tucker noticed the phrasing. Not “Can I do anything?” but “What can I do?” There was a difference. An assumption of getting involved. Another small-town characteristic?
“Nothing right now, but I’ll let you know if that changes.”
“Please do. You’re one of us now, and we take care of our own.”
Heidi’s blue eyes filled with tears. “Thank you,” she said, and hugged Nevada. Then she turned back to the ranch, leading the goats.
“That was nice,” Tucker said when they’d started back to the construction site.
“I meant it. If she needs help, we’ll be there for her. We can do a fundraiser or check with the local hospital to see if they can give the guy a break on the cost.” She frowned. “I’ll go back later today and explain all that. Maybe talk to the mayor.”
“Why would the mayor get involved?”
“That’s the beauty of a small town. Or, at least, Fool’s Gold. If anyone tries to mess with Heidi or her grandfather, he or she is going to be messing with the whole town.”
“You should put out a warning sign.”
“We prefer the thrill of the surprise.”
THE GOLD RUSH SKI LODGE and Resort sat up on the mountain at just over four thousand feet. There was plenty of snow in the winter for skiers and snowboarders, and the cold weather was also a great excuse for those who simply wished to look good sitting around the fireplace. The elegant resort was home to Fool’s Gold’s only five-star restaurant and had a monthly “chef in residence” dinner that brought in people from as far away as New York and Japan. It was the kind of place where anyone who enjoyed food looked forward to going for dinner. That meant Nevada should be thrilled to be there. Except she wasn’t.
The invitation had come when her mother left a message on her voice mail. “Family dinner at seven. You’ll be meeting Max.”
As Nevada had already seen Max na**d, she wasn’t sure an introduction was necessary at this point. Nor was it especially welcome. What was she supposed to say? Where was she supposed to look? There were dozens of potential pitfalls and she wasn’t confident in her ability to avoid them all. Not that staying home was an option.
She’d briefly thought about bringing Tucker with her as a distraction, but if she asked him she’d have to explain why she needed him, and she didn’t want to have to relive the moment by talking about it. Instead, she deliberately arrived a few minutes late, hoping the crowd of her brothers and sisters, their families and significant others would shield her.
She saw Simon, Montana’s fiancé, in the lobby, talking on his cell phone. His expression was intense, so she hung back until he’d ended the call, then crossed to him.
“Hi, Simon.”
He tucked the phone into his suit jacket pocket, then smiled and took both her hands. “Nevada. How are you?”
After kissing her cheek, he tucked her arm in the crook of his elbow and led her toward the private dining room off the lobby.
She came to a stop, forcing him to do the same. “I need to ask you a medical question.”
He faced her, his gray-green eyes meeting hers. “Of course. How can I help?”
Simon was possibly the most handsome man Nevada had ever seen. There was a beauty to his face that made him slightly separate from others who were merely good-looking or attractive. But that was only half the picture. The other half was a set of burn scars that savaged half of his features.
He was both beauty and beast—outwardly. From what Nevada knew of him, on the inside he was a gifted healer who sacrificed all for his patients and loved her sister with a devotion that would cause the happiest of women a slight case of envy.
“Is there some way to erase a specific memory?” she asked. “Hypnosis or maybe some kind of electronic probe in my frontal lobe?”
The perfect side of his mouth twitched slightly.
“This isn’t funny,” she added, knowing she sounded defensive.
“It’s a little funny.”
“Fine.” She sighed. “Be amused, but I still want an answer.”
“What do you know about your frontal lobe?” he asked.
“Not much.”
“Trust me. It’s not a place you want to go messing around in.” He kissed her cheek again. “Your mother is an amazing, vital woman. You should be happy for her.”
“I am. I just didn’t want to see her ‘vital’ side. She’s my mother. It’s not natural.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I can’t help. For what it’s worth, the memory will fade with time.”
“That’s not worth very much.”
“It’s the best I have.”
“And here I thought you were a gifted doctor.”
He was still laughing when they walked into the dining room.
She stood in the doorway, watching Simon walk to Montana, then took in the rest of her family. Kent with his son, and Ethan with Liz. Their kids laughing and talking. Dakota with Finn, who held Hannah. Nevada braced herself for the rush of memories and allowed her gaze to sweep over her mother and the tall, well-dressed man next to her.
Here it is, she thought, trying not to wince. The memory slammed into her, making her want to cover her eyes and shriek. Instead she grabbed a glass of champagne from the table by the door and sucked about half of it down in a single gulp. To quote that dead German guy, that which didn’t kill her would make her stronger.
She made the rounds, greeting her siblings, her nieces and nephews, spouses and fiancés, then finally, when there was nothing else to do, walked toward her mother and Max.
Denise saw her coming and whispered something to Max, before meeting Nevada in the center of the room by the elegantly set table.
“How are you?” Denise asked, frowning slightly. “I wasn’t sure if I should call or come by.”“I’m fine, Mom.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
Nevada drew in a breath. “I’m glad you and Max are happy. Really. It’s great. Don’t take this wrong, but I never, ever want to walk in on the two of you ha**g s*x again. Especially on the kitchen table.”
Denise grinned. “Weren’t you even a little impressed?”
“No. You’re my mother. I ate cereal at that table. It was too twisted for me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll make sure the door is locked when we…you know, do it.”
Nevada winced. “Please don’t say ‘do it,’ I beg you. Let’s call it armadillo. You’ll lock the doors when you armadillo and then no one will surprise you. How’s that?”
Her mother laughed, then hugged her. “I can’t wait for you to have children of your own.”
“I don’t see that happening in the near future, but, sure.”
“Are we okay?”
Nevada nodded. “We’re fine.”
“Good. Now, come meet Max.” Her mother drew her toward the man. “You’re really going to like him. He’s great.”
“I’m sure he is. And, hey, what a butt.”
Denise started to laugh. Nevada joined in and decided that maybe it was going to be all right after all.
AFTER DINNER, Nevada drove home, but found herself too restless to stay inside. She changed into jeans and tennis shoes, then grabbed her keys and a hoodie and went outside. It was nearly ten and the sky was clear. She could practically touch the stars as she walked. There was a bit of nip in the air, so she shrugged into the hoodie, but didn’t bother zipping it.
They were nearing the end of September. One morning she would wake up and the leaves would all be changed. Then winter would come and the mountains would be blanketed in white. For the most part Fool’s Gold only got a small portion of the snow that was dumped higher up, but there could be enough to slow construction. She made a mental note to go over the schedule to make sure there were contingencies and allowances for bad weather.
Once she reached the center of town, she paused, not sure which way to go. Jo’s Bar was always an option, but on Friday and Saturday night it was more a date place than a girl hangout. Good for Jo’s business, but not so fun for single women who were restless.
“How was dinner?”
She turned and saw Tucker walking toward her. “Hi. It was good. I got through it without shrieking.”
He grinned. “I’m sure that pleased everyone. You and your mom okay?”
“We were always fine. I wasn’t mad at her, I was just freaked a little. And don’t tell me to get over it. Would you want to walk in on your dad ha**g s*x with some woman?”
“It depends on the woman.”
She shoved his arm. “You’re lying. It would send you screaming into the night just as much as it did me.”
He raised both eyebrows. “You saw my dad having sex? When?”
“Stop it. You know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do. Come on. Let’s go back to my hotel. I’ll buy you a drink and you can tell me all about it.”
“The sex or the dinner?” she asked.
“The dinner.”
She nodded her agreement, even as a voice in her head warned her against the plan. Hanging out with Tucker socially was trouble. They couldn’t seem to be alone together without some kind of physical reaction, at least on her part. Did she really want to take the chance?
Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her along, and she found herself going because backing out would make too big a deal out of it—and maybe, just maybe, she wanted something to happen, because he was Tucker and she’d never completely gotten him out of her system.
She drew in a deep breath, grateful one could think long thoughts without getting winded.
“What did you do tonight?” she asked.
“Got an early dinner, then saw a movie.”
“Still liking the town?”
“Sure. Everyone is friendly. They all know who I am, which is a little scary, but I’m dealing.”
She grinned. “Any more encounters with the ladies?”
“No. You are excellent protection. Which is why I’m paying for the drinks.”
The bar at Ronan’s Folly was only about half-full. Tucker led them to a small booth in the back corner. They both ordered cognac and leaned back against the leather bench seats.
“Did everyone like Max?” he asked.
She nodded. “He’s Montana’s boss, so it’s not as if he was a stranger. He’s basically a good guy. From what I can figure out, he knew my mom when she was a teenager and it was a pretty hot romance. Then she met my dad and she knew he was the one. So Max left town.”
“He didn’t fight for the girl?”
“I guess he knew he was going to lose. Dakota’s talked to Mom about it. She said Max knew he wasn’t ready to settle down. And Mom wanted a husband and a family.”
“It’s been a long time since your dad died. I’m glad she’s found someone.”
“Me, too. As long as I don’t have to be a witness to the hot monkey sex.”
The cognac arrived. She took a sip and felt the liquid burn its way down her throat.
“Come upstairs with me.”
The words and the request both caught her off guard. She looked at Tucker, but couldn’t figure out what to say. Her hands started shaking, so she tucked them under the table.
“Tucker, I…”
She pressed her lips together, mostly to keep herself from blurting out an agreement. She knew what going upstairs meant. That they would touch and give and take and make love. That she would feel his hard body against hers, his hands pleasing her. She wanted to know what he would be like inside of her, this time, when she was ready and hungry.
His dark eyes were bright with passion. She was sure hers were the same.
“I want you,” he murmured, then lightly touched the side of her face.
His fingers were warm. She was already melting inside. Imagine what would happen if she gave in.
“I really like my job,” she whispered.
“This has nothing to do with that.”
She knew what he meant—that giving in or refusing wouldn’t affect her employment. Tucker wasn’t going to fire her for saying no. But making love with him would change everything.