MONTANA DIDN’T USUALLY attend city council meetings. Her job had never been political. Before working for Max, she’d been a part-time librarian. But Mayor Marsha had asked, so here she was.
The agenda was much as she had expected. Information about road construction—in this case a project funded by the state. A few permit issues. An update on the Summer Festival, only two days away.
Gladys, the city treasurer, turned to Mayor Marsha. “I assume Montana is here to talk about the Dr. Bradley issue.”
“She is.” The mayor smiled at Montana. “How is our project going?”
Montana realized she shouldn’t have been surprised by the shift in topic. If she’d thought about it for even a second, she would have known why she’d been asked to attend. Unfortunately, she went completely blank.
“I, ah, I don’t know what to tell you.”
“Is he enjoying Fool’s Gold?” Marsha asked.
“Yes. Everyone has been very welcoming and I think he appreciates that. He’s not much of a joiner, though. I haven’t found that he has any hobbies.”
“He went golfing with Josh and Ethan,” another council member said. “Raoul Moreno joined them for the last nine holes.”
“Do you think he would be impressed by sports celebrities?” Marsha asked earnestly. “Should I suggest Josh and Raoul spend more time with him?”
Montana felt everyone staring at her. She did her best not to squirm. “Not really. He’s not that kind of man. He’s quiet and thoughtful. He only seems comfortable opening up to his patients.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve had sex yet?” Gladys asked.
Heat flared on Montana’s cheeks.
“That is not our business,” Marsha announced firmly. “I asked Montana to be his friend, to show him around town and talk about the benefits of living here. She’s not expected to give her, ahem, all for the sake of the town.”
“In my day we understood a good sacrifice,” Gladys mumbled.
Marsha ignored her. “Montana, do you feel you’re making progress?”
“I don’t know. I’m never sure what he’s thinking.”
The mayor nodded, then the meeting moved on to other topics. When it was over, Mayor Marsha asked her to stay behind.
“Do you know how he got his scars?” the older woman asked when it was just the two of them.
She asked the question in such a way that Montana realized the mayor knew the answer.
Montana shifted in her seat. “He hasn’t told me.”
“Do you want to know?”
The tone was gentle, the expression caring. Mayor Marsha wouldn’t tell her if she didn’t want to know.
Montana nodded.
Marsha slipped on her reading glasses and opened a slim folder in front of her.
“From what I’ve been able to find out, his mother was largely a disinterested parent. There’s no word on Simon’s father. He seems to have disappeared fairly early on. Possibly while she was pregnant. According to the police reports, her boyfriend left because he found Simon…disconcerting.”
Marsha glanced at Montana, looking over her half-glasses. “He was very intelligent, even when he was young. He’d skipped a couple of grades by the time he was eleven and was expected to skip even more.”
Montana gripped the edge of the large conference table. She sensed she was going to need the support.
“When the boyfriend took off, Simon’s mother blamed her son. She pushed him into the fireplace.” Marsha looked up again and removed her glasses. “Obviously we’ve all seen his scars. When he tried to climb out, she pushed him back in. It’s something of a miracle he didn’t die.”
Don’t throw up, Montana told herself as her stomach turned over and over. Don’t think about it and don’t throw up.
Horror swept through her. Her brain flashed to Freddie, whose father had cut him on purpose.
“The neighbors called an ambulance, who in turn called the police. When Simon was taken away, the mother confessed all. She didn’t care if she went to jail. She never wanted to see her son again. As far as she was concerned, Simon had ruined her life.”
The mayor slipped on her glasses and continued to read. “He spent nearly four years in the hospital. There were countless surgeries. Amazingly, he was able to study on his own, without the benefit of much more than a part-time volunteer teacher. He achieved nearly perfect scores on the SAT and ACT tests and was given a full scholarship to Stanford at the age of sixteen. From there he went to UCLA medical school.”
Montana couldn’t listen anymore. “Excuse me,” she said, pushing her chair away from the table. “I have to go.”
She grabbed her purse and hurried out of the room. The door to the outside seemed miles away, but finally she made it and was able to breathe again.
This wasn’t happening, she thought, bent over slightly, sucking in air. She didn’t want to know.
But the knowledge couldn’t be unlearned. The reality of Simon’s past horrified her. She’d seen Kalinda’s burns. Simon’s would have been as bad. Maybe worse. She knew they were on his face and went down his neck. They were also on his body, she remembered. He’d told her that.
His mother hadn’t just pushed him into a fire, she’d tried to keep him there. She’d tried to punish or even kill him in one of the worst, most hideously painful ways possible. All the while, Simon would have been screaming, fighting to get out. The one person who was supposed to love him had nearly destroyed him.
She straightened, only to find she was crying. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Tears for the boy who had been brutally disfigured and tears for the man who insisted on living in emotional solitary confinement.
As she brushed her face with her fingers, she drew in a breath. Mayor Marsha had known all this when she’d first approached Montana about helping convince Simon to stay in Fool’s Gold. She’d wisely kept the truth quiet until Montana was ready to handle it.
Whatever her personal feelings for Simon, there was more at stake than her fragile heart. Simon needed to see there were good people in the world, people who cared about each other. She had to find a way to make him want to stay in Fool’s Gold. No matter what.
“TELL ME WHAT YOU LOVE about this,” Nevada said as she pulled weeds from between the roses. “It’s hot and sweaty. You’re digging in the dirt and the roses are attack plants.” She sat back on her heels and studied a new scratch on the side of her arm.
Denise laughed. “You make it sound so unpleasant. I happen to like gardening.”
“I get that. What isn’t clear is why.”
“It relaxes me. And I have something to show for my labor. I can stand back and look at what I’ve accomplished. I don’t get the same satisfaction from things like doing laundry. There will just be more tomorrow.”
“There’ll be more weeds tomorrow, too.”
“You’re missing the spirit of the work,” Denise scolded her.
Denise had been surprised when Nevada had shown up a few minutes ago, claiming to want to spend a little time with her. While she had close relationships with all her children, they seldom stopped by just to catch up. Usually they invited her out to lunch and dinner for that. When one of her children came home, it usually meant there was a problem.
What Denise didn’t know was what Nevada wanted to talk about, but many years of being a mother had taught her patience. Her daughter would tell her when she was ready. Which turned out to be sooner than she had expected.
“I’ve been thinking about my job,” Nevada said a few minutes later. “Ethan’s doing more with his windmills and less construction.”
Ethan had inherited the family business when his father had died. Although the company had focused entirely on home construction and renovation, he’d branched out into wind energy, building windmills in a facility outside of town.
“Are you interested in taking over the building part of the company?” Denise asked. Nevada had studied engineering in college and, when she’d finished her degree, she’d gone to work for her brother.
“Not exactly.” Nevada shifted until she was sitting on the grass. “I need to tell you something, Mom, and I don’t want you to get upset.”
Not words designed to make her relax, Denise thought, also sitting on the grass and taking off her gardening gloves.
“I can’t promise what I’ll feel, but I will do my best not to shriek so loud the neighbors hear.”
Nevada smiled. “I’ll take that.” She drew in a breath. “I’m thinking of changing jobs.”
“You want to do something else at the company?”
Her daughter stared at the grass, then back at her. “No. I want to go work somewhere else.”
“Why?”
“There are a lot of reasons.”
Denise didn’t know what to think. Nevada had worked for her brother for six years. As far as she knew, they got along fine. Ethan always talked about what a great job his sister did. But instead of asking, Denise once again waited.
“I never had to do anything to get the job,” Nevada told her. “It was understood I would join the company when I graduated, and I did. I didn’t have to think about what I wanted to do or where I was going to work. Mom, except for summer jobs, I’ve never been on an interview. I want to figure out how good I am.”
“Doesn’t that come from within, rather than from an external source?”
“I’m not talking about self-respect or self-esteem. I mean I want to know how good I am at my job.”
“Your brother thinks you’re great.”
“Does he have a choice? Could Ethan actually fire me?”
“Do you want him to?”
“No. But I do want the chance to prove myself.”
Denise studied her beautiful daughter and thought about how different their lives were. Denise had been nineteen when she’d met Ralph. While she’d been taking classes at Fool’s Gold Community College, she hadn’t had any serious plans for getting a degree.
Within six months, Ralph had proposed and she’d accepted. Her sole work experience had been a series of part-time jobs. Three months later, they’d been married and a couple of months after that, she’d gotten pregnant. She’d had the three boys in just over three years, had waited a couple of years, then gotten pregnant with the triplets. By the time she was Nevada’s age, she had six kids. Working had never been an issue.
The family business had provided enough money for them to live relatively comfortably. They’d bought this house just before the triplets were born and had paid for it in fifteen years. Saving for college for six kids had been a real challenge, but they’d managed.
When Ralph died, she discovered he’d left her a generous life insurance policy that would take care of her for the rest of her life. Ethan had taken over the family business and was bringing it to new heights. Each of the other children got a quarterly check from their share of the business.
Denise’s biggest problem was how to fill her day. After a lifetime of taking care of others, her house seemed empty and sometimes her days did, too. Maybe it was time to explore other options. She could always go back to school—start some kind of career. Whatever she chose would sure be a lot less work than being a stay-at-home mom.
But that was for another day. Right now, Nevada needed advice.
“Have you talked to your brother?” she asked.
“Not yet. I want to make up my mind first. I don’t want to leave him dangling.”
“Do you have another job in mind?” A horrifying thought occurred to Denise, although she was careful not to let her worry show. “Do you think you need to leave Fool’s Gold to prove yourself?”
“For a while I did, but maybe not. There’s a big job starting nearby. You’ve probably read about it in the paper. Janack Construction is building a casino-resort complex northeast of town. I thought I would see what I could do there.”
“Janack. Why is that name familiar?”
“Ethan was friends with Tucker Janack years ago. They were at cycling camp together.”
“Oh, right.” She remembered a skinny, dark-haired boy. His family had been extremely wealthy. Tucker’s father had picked up his son in a private jet. “They do big projects all over the world, don’t they?”
Nevada nodded. “They just finished that huge theme park in Rio. The land here has been held in trust for descendants of the Máa-zib tribe. His mother had Máa-zib blood in her.”
“You’ve done your homework,” Denise said, realizing this wasn’t an idle conversation. Nevada had already made up her mind.
“I think it’s important to know as much as I can about the company. This is going to be a good deal for Fool’s Gold. Part of the construction plans include widening the road into town. We’ll get the benefit of more tourists now that they’ll have an easier way to get here. Despite being on Máa-zib land, the facility will have to pay some local taxes.”
“Mayor Marsha is probably doing the happy dance as we speak.”
Nevada laughed. “I’m sure she is.”
“So you’re going to go to work for them, aren’t you?”
“I’m going to apply. If you’re okay with that.”
Denise took her hand and squeezed. “I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy. You know that, right?”
“I do, Mom.”
“Then be happy. You’re right—Ethan isn’t growing the construction side of the business very much. If you were interested in taking it on, he would be happy to let you. It would be a chance to put your mark on things. But if that isn’t what you want to do, better to get out now. What was it you said? Test yourself.”
Nevada could always go back, Denise thought. Not that she would suggest that. Hinting at failure rarely helped anyone.
“I need to know what I can do,” her daughter told her.
“Then go find out.”
Nevada pulled her hand free, then leaned in and hugged her mother. “You’re the best.”
Denise hugged her back. She’d been blessed with wonderful children. “I know. You six were very lucky that I’m your mother.”
Her daughter laughed. “It’s your modesty we admire most.”
“As you should.”
“There you are!”
They both turned to see Dakota walking around the side of the house, Hannah in her arms.
“I’ve been wandering through the house. I saw your car, Nevada, and couldn’t figure out why neither of you were anywhere. I actually went to the thought of alien abductions. Then I realized you must be in back.”
Denise rose and crossed to her. “Nevada came to help me weed.” She turned her gaze to the baby. Hannah grinned broadly and waved her arms, wanting to get to her grandmother.
“Look at you,” she said, taking the baby and cuddling her. “All pretty and happy. How’s my girl?”
Her granddaughter snuggled close, obviously loving the attention.
Dakota had adopted the six-month-old girl in early June. While the adoption itself wouldn’t be final for a bit longer, the whole family had bonded with Hannah. She was affectionate, curious and growing like crazy.
Dakota plopped on the grass next to her sister. “This grandmother thing is pretty fabulous. I get free advice and a built-in babysitter.”
“It seems to work for Grandma, as well.”
“It does,” Denise said happily, then nuzzled Hannah’s neck. “Let’s go inside. It’s getting warm out here and I don’t want her getting too much sun.”
“Of course you don’t,” Nevada teased. “Meanwhile, we could fall over from heatstroke and that would be fine.”
“Probably not fine,” Denise told her. “I’d be worried. I’d probably turn the hose on you at the very least.”
They went into the kitchen. Nevada got out glasses and plates. Dakota collected the pitcher of iced tea, and cookies from the jar on the counter. In a matter of a minute or so, they were in their familiar places at the big kitchen table.
“How is it having Kent and Reese in the house?” Nevada asked before biting into a homemade chocolate chip cookie.
“Wonderful. This is too much house for me. I like having family around.”
Dakota looked at her. “You’re not thinking of selling, are you?”
“No. All of you live in town, except for Ford. We need the space for our celebrations.” With luck, her youngest son would also move back when he finally left the military.
They talked about what was going on with Ethan and Liz and how Kent had been offered the job teaching math at Fool’s Gold High School.
“Is Montana still seeing that doctor guy?” Nevada asked. “She hasn’t said anything to me when we talk and I don’t want to bring it up.”
“I think so,” Denise answered. “Although I’m not sure what’s going on there. She mentioned she was showing Simon around town as a favor for Mayor Marsha. Do you think it’s more than that?”
Her daughters exchanged a look. “He’s pretty appealing,” Nevada said. “Handsome and scarred. Which I guess makes him both beauty and the beast. Montana seems to be spending a lot of time with him.”
“I suppose the best plan would be to simply ask her,” Denise murmured. “Any volunteers?”
“I’ll do it,” Dakota said. “Finn is up in Alaska, finalizing his sale of his business, so Hannah and I are on our own. We’re going to the Summer Festival tonight. I’m sure Montana will be there. We can talk then.”
“Be sure to tell her we’re not prying. We’re concerned.”
Her daughters laughed.
“It’s a thin line, Mom,” Nevada reminded her.
“But an important one.”
MONTANA LOVED THE QUIRKINESS of her town. Most places held Summer Festivals during the day. Not Fool’s Gold. While the celebration would continue all weekend, it started Friday evening, with live music, dozens of stands selling food, and a fireworks display when it was dark.
She moved through the growing crowd, greeting people she knew. There were a lot of tourists who came every year for the Summer Festival, filling local hotels and motels. Always a good thing. The restaurants would be crowded and there would be too many bikes on the path around the lake, but the residents were used to that. As the various festivals drew mostly families, there were rarely any problems.
She bought a carnitas taco from a stand and ate it standing up, then tasted a couple of types of wine at a different booth. Searching for dessert, she found herself in front of the place that sold elephant ears. Although she usually enjoyed the treat, tonight it made her think of Simon.
Silliness, she told herself. The man was a complication she didn’t need in her life. Not that telling herself that helped.
Even as she ordered an elephant ear, she found herself glancing back toward the main part of town. It would be easy to go to his hotel room on the pretext of inviting him to the festival.
She didn’t for two reasons. First, she wasn’t sure she could act normally around him. Knowing about his past made her even more curious about him. She wanted to talk about it, hear what he’d gone through, learn how he’d figured out how to be so strong. The second reason she didn’t go to his room was because she wasn’t that interested in bringing him to the festival. And she’d never once gone uninvited to a man’s bed.
Wanting to be with him that way wasn’t new, but the feeling was more intense. She knew she was reacting emotionally to new information. But from his perspective, nothing had changed. That made her vulnerable. She wasn’t sure that was particularly safe for her.
After finishing her elephant ear, she walked around, looking at the different booths. There were people selling everything from handmade jewelry to CDs. A guy offered samples of local wild honey. A woman in a turban told fortunes. One band replaced another and the music continued.
Around eight, she ran into her sister. Dakota had Hannah in a stroller. The little girl grinned with excitement and waved at everyone she saw.
“Having fun?” Montana asked.
“Sure. This is one of my favorite festivals.”
“Is Finn still in Alaska?”
“Yes. He comes back tomorrow. I can’t wait to see him.”
“I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing.”
Dakota grinned. “That’s what he tells me. I have to say, I really like that quality in a man.”
“I would, too.”
They started walking together. Their progress was slow, as most of the residents of the town knew them and Hannah, and wanted to stop and talk about how the little girl was doing.
“Do you think we got this much attention when we were her age?” Montana asked as Eddie Carberry, Josh Golden’s seventy-something assistant, paused to play “where’s the baby” with Hannah.
“We were triplets in a small town,” Dakota said with a laugh. “We probably got a parade.”
“I wish I could remember it.”
“You could try past regression therapy.”
Montana shook her head. “I’m not that interested, but thanks.”
“Anytime. So what’s new?”
One of the advantages of being a triplet was understanding how the others thought. To anyone else, the question would have been casual. Practically a throwaway. But Montana knew better. “What’s up?”
Dakota widened her eyes. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
Montana moved her off the path and onto the grass where there were less people. “You want to talk about something specific. I can tell. What is it?”
Dakota drew in a breath. “There is some concern about what’s happening with Simon.”
Montana wasn’t even surprised. “Did you volunteer or lose the bet?”
“I offered to talk to you.”
Which was just like her family. Love came with worry and snooping. “There’s not much to say. I’m trying to convince him to stay because Mayor Marsha asked me to.”
“We know that part. But what about the rest of it?” Dakota studied her. “He’s an intriguing man.”
“Don’t let Finn hear you say that.”
“I’m not the one in love with Simon.”
“I’m not either.”
“Are you sure?”
Montana thought about the question. There was no point in lying—Dakota would be able to tell. “He’s a really good guy who’s overcome some scary stuff. I’ve seen him with his patients. He cares. He gives them all he has, but still manages to hold back, emotionally. He’s unreachable.”
“A handsome, scarred stranger who heals children and can’t be touched emotionally,” Dakota said lightly. “He’s like catnip.”
Something she’d thought herself. Great minds and all that. “I’ve never been a fan of catnip.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I’m doing okay. I’m not in love with him.”
“Could you be?”
Montana didn’t want to think about that. “He needs me.”
“He doesn’t sound like he needs anyone. You can’t save him.”
“Someone has to.”
Dakota’s expression turned serious. “No. They don’t. Montana, you give your whole self in relationships. That’s not always the best way to keep yourself from getting hurt.”
“He’s lonely.”
“He’s leaving.”
“I know that.” Simon had been completely honest about that. She knew that getting involved was dangerous, that given her history, falling for a guy like him could be a disaster.
“Do you?”
“Of course. He’s made that very clear. He’s going to Peru when he leaves here. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“It comes with the job,” Dakota reminded her. “We want you to protect yourself. Just a little.”
Because the reality was, Simon could break her heart. She could fall in love with him, only to watch him walk away.
“I want to help him. But you’re right—I have to be smart about it. And I am. I know how this is going to end.”
Dakota looked like she was going to say more, then sighed. “That’s all we can ask.”
“There’s my precious baby girl.” Bella Gionni, a local hairdresser in town, walked toward them. She crouched down to smile at Hannah.
“You’re ignoring us,” Montana pointed out, grateful for the interruption.
“I’ll get to you next,” Bella promised, cooing over Hannah. “She’s growing so fast. Is that a tooth?”
“She has a couple now,” Dakota said. “But even though she’s teething, she’s hardly ever fussy.”
“I’m going to go walk around,” Montana murmured.
“Are we okay?”
She smiled. “Of course. I know you love me. Sometimes it’s annoying, but mostly it’s nice.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Montana walked away. As she got lost in the crowd, she thought about Simon. Her need to see him had only increased. Now, what was she willing to do about it?
SIMON HADN’T INTENDED to come to the Summer Festival. He’d seen it on his way back to the hotel, where he’d planned to order room service and then read. But instead he’d found himself changing his clothes and heading out.
The night was warm and the sounds of live music drifted to him. The sidewalks were crowded and he could see where the streets had been blocked to car traffic so those attending could spread out.
He’d lived in cities where people walked or used public transportation, but he’d never been anywhere like Fool’s Gold. The small town feel appealed to him, which he never would have expected.
Despite the short time he’d been there, he recognized several people. When they greeted him, he responded. It was almost as if he’d lived there forever. An illusion, but a nice one.
He ate ribs and a corn dog, washing both down with a beer, then walked around some more. He told himself he was simply exploring, but he knew the truth. Montana would be here and he wanted to find her.
“Hello, Dr. Bradley.”
He turned and recognized one of the nurses from the hospital. She was with a man and two small children. Her family, she confirmed, as she made introductions.
“Are you enjoying the festival?” she asked.
“Very much.”
“In the early fall we have an artist series. I haven’t heard who all is coming, but it’s fun to guess. A few years ago we had Wyland come. He’s the one who does those huge murals of undersea life? So beautiful. I love his work.”
“Sounds impressive.” A more polite response than the reality—which was that he wouldn’t be in town come fall.
“I’m sure you’ll like whoever comes.”
They chatted a few more minutes, then he excused himself. He walked purposefully now, searching for the one face he most wanted to see.
He heard laughter by the carousel and turned. He caught a flash of blond hair, but it was only one of her sisters. The one with the baby.
He took two more steps, then stopped. She was close—he could sense it. And then she was walking toward him. She smiled as she spotted him.
He stayed where he was, letting her come to him, letting it be her choice. When she was in front of him, she took his hand, as if this had been their plan.
“Let’s go home,” she said and led the way.