“ONE MORE,” SIMON SAID, then pulled out the last stitch. He examined the boy’s face under the strong light, then nodded. “You’re good.”
Kent moved closer and studied his son’s cheek. “I can’t believe how fast he’s healing.”
“The advantage of being a healthy kid,” Simon said. He put his hand on Reese’s shoulder. “Change the bandage the same way you have been. Give it another week, then you’re done. I’m leaving you in charge.”
The boy grinned at him. “Sweet.” He turned to his dad. “Did you hear that?”
“I sure did.”
Reese scrambled off the table. “Can I go see Kalinda? I told her I was coming in today to get my stitches out, and she said I should go see her.”
While the girl’s fever was down, she wasn’t a hundred percent. Not by a long shot. Still, the company might help.
“You’ll have to wear a gown and mask,” Simon told him. “She can’t risk getting sick.”
“Sure! Will you come get me when you’re ready to leave?” Reese asked his father.
Kent nodded. “I’ll stop in and see one of the guys I know who works in the office. Then I’ll come get you.”
Reese ran off.
“He’s a good kid,” Simon said.
“Yes, he is. I got lucky with him.” They walked out of the examining room together. “How are you liking your time here in town?”
“Tell me you’re not part of the conspiracy,” Simon said.
“The one to get you to stay?” Kent shook his head. “I was just making conversation. But, given what I know about this town, I’m not surprised you’re getting a little pressure.”
“I’m flattered by the attention.”
They paused in the hallway. It was nearly lunch-time and the area was quiet.
“I have a question,” Kent said. “Feel free to tell me to mind my own business.”
Simon braced himself. Kent was Montana’s older brother. Of course he would be worried about family. “Ask away.”
“Why do you keep your scars? When Reese was hurt, I did some research online. Doctors have figured out a lot of ways to treat scars. I would guess you know about all of them.”
It wasn’t the question Simon had been expecting, nor did most people have the courage to ask it, although he knew they wondered.
“I keep them for my patients. I want them to know it’s okay to look different. I want them to believe they can still be happy, even if they have scars or some other kind of disfigurement.”
He also kept them as a reminder, but he wasn’t going to tell Kent that.
“That makes sense,” the other man told him. “I hope the question wasn’t too personal.”
“Hard to hide these.”
“Thanks again for everything.”
“You’re welcome.”
Kent walked toward the elevator. Simon took the stairs up a couple of floors and came out by the burn ward. He walked to Kalinda’s room and stopped when he heard the sound of laughter. From where he was standing he could see Reese walking like a zombie, his arms raised, his legs stiff. Both kids were giggling.
She wasn’t getting better fast enough. He knew that and didn’t know how to change things. The fever bothered him. It drained her and made it harder for her to heal. It meant her body was still adjusting, that there was still danger.
Uncertainty was part of the job, but he’d never accepted it. He always searched for answers, solutions that made sense. But sometimes they weren’t there. By now Kalinda should be progressing better. She should be safe and it didn’t sit well with him that she wasn’t.
“I THOUGHT DOCTORS TOOK OFF work to golf,” Montana said, sitting across from Simon in Margaritaville, one of the restaurants in town.
When he’d phoned her to ask if she wanted to have lunch, she’d suggested this place.
“You’re more interesting than golf,” he told her.
She laughed. “Is that even a compliment?”
“It is if you like golf.”
“Do you?”
He shrugged. “It’s okay.”
She laughed again. “Are you teasing me? Does the stern doctor board know? If they find out, you won’t be asked to speak at their conference.”
“I can live with the disappointment.”
“And here I wanted to see your picture in the newsletter.”
Their server appeared and quickly made guacamole tableside. Montana watched intently, giving herself over to the moment.
She did that a lot, he realized. So many parts of her life were fun. She must go from highlight to highlight. It would never be his style, but he could learn from her.
When the guacamole was finished and placed between them, she leaned forward. “You are going to love this. Seriously, it’s amazing. Everyone goes on and on about the margaritas they serve here, but I think they’re missing the point.”
She offered him the chips, then waited while he sampled the dip.
“Well?”
“Very nice.”
She rolled her eyes. “You need to work on your superlatives. Nice is a clean toothbrush. This is life changing.”
She scooped up some with a chip and popped it in her mouth. “Mmm. Perfection.”
He wanted to tease that she should get out more, but didn’t. Nothing about Montana needed changing.
“How are the puppies?”
“Growing. If you look at them long enough, you can see it happening. Oh, and last night there were no accidents.”
He’d learned in his lone overnight stay at her house that getting the puppies up at two in the morning for a potty break didn’t mean they weren’t going to pee on the floor.
“Progress.”
“I know. Now I’m waiting for them to get through the night. The 2:00 a.m. thing is getting really old. How are things at the hospital?”
“Good.”
He was tired, Montana thought, watching him as he told her about a difficult surgery. Working too hard. But that was probably always the case. He did as much work as he could in the short time he was around. Not that she was going to think about him leaving. Better to enjoy him while he was here.
“Montana! So nice to see you and your young man out in town.”
Montana looked up and winced. “Hello, Gladys.”
Gladys had been a fixture in Fool’s Gold for a lot longer than Montana had been alive. She was a good-hearted sort of person but often spoke her mind, and in a scary kind of way. She was the sort of person who made everyone around her cringe and then couldn’t see what she had said that was the least bit awkward.
She patted Montana on the shoulder and leaned down to speak in her ear. “Too bad about his face, but I bet the rest of him is working just fine.”
Montana didn’t know whether to scream, hide under the table or run for the mountains just outside of town. She hoped that Simon hadn’t heard the comment, but when she glanced at him one eyebrow was raised.
“Sorry,” she mouthed silently, then turned to Gladys. “You make me crazy, you know that, right?”
An unrepentant Gladys grinned. “Then my work here is complete.”
She straightened, waved at Simon and walked away. Montana covered her face with her hands.
“This is when I think I should’ve stayed in L.A. I never ran into anyone I knew there. Maybe it was better.” She dropped her hands to her lap and looked at him. “How mad are you?”
“I’m a little offended that you didn’t defend my honor.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t tell her how great I am in bed.”
“Is that what you wanted? I’m sure I’ll be invited back to the city council in the next week or so. I can put it on the agenda.”
He picked up his glass of iced tea. “I would appreciate that.”
“If I really did that, you wouldn’t know what to say.”
“I’m not so sure.” His gray-green eyes sparkled with humor. “The first few weeks I was here, everyone was very polite. Now I’m getting not-so-subtle hints that I should live in Fool’s Gold permanently. Oh, and yesterday, some old lady in a tracksuit told me I should make an honest woman of you.”
Montana winced. “My guess is you ran into Eddie and, yes, that does sound like her. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. This is a good place. I like it here.”
“I have a PowerPoint presentation illustrating all the reasons you should consider relocating here.” She kept her tone light and made sure she was smiling as she spoke. She wanted him to think she was kidding, and she was, sort of. “Color graphs?”
“What is a PowerPoint presentation without color graphs?” She reached for another chip. “Doesn’t this happen everywhere you go? Don’t they always want you to stay?”
“Mostly.”
“Does that surprise you? You’re a very gifted surgeon. Having you around would mean a lot to any community. And you’re good-looking.”
His expression tightened. She did a mental rewind, trying to figure out what she’d said wrong. Nothing came to her.
“What?” she demanded. “You have scrunchy face.”
“What the hell is scrunchy face?”
“When your face gets all scrunchy. Like you’re mad. What did I say?”
“You talk about my face as if it’s normal.”
He was choosing his words carefully. She could tell from the cadence of his speech and how he paused between the words. But why?
“Yes, I said you were…”
She got it then—what she’d said. Not knowing if it was good or bad, she admitted the truth.
She leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “Simon, I don’t see the scars. I haven’t for a long time.”
Something flashed in his eyes. She would have given a lot to know what he was thinking, but he’d always been incredibly good at keeping his thoughts from her.
“How can you not?”
She shrugged. “You’re just you. That’s who I see.” They were getting into dangerous territory. “If we’re going to have this conversation, I think it’s about time you returned my never ending compliment. I mean, hello, I’m the girl here.”
She spoke confidently, which was a complete crock, but he didn’t have to know that.
One corner of his mouth turned out. “You’re right. We don’t talk about you enough.” He stared into her eyes with an intensity that made her squirm. “Have I told you how beautiful you are today?”
She tilted her head. “Are you asking me if you said it today, or are you asking me if you’ve told me I look beautiful today? They are very different.”
He surprised her by leaning back in his chair and laughing. The sound was loud and came from his belly and made her feel good all over.
When he straightened, he looked more relaxed. Younger. “You are very beautiful all the time and I don’t think I’ve told you that yet today. While we’re on the subject, I am lucky to be with you. You’re extraordinary, Montana.”
She felt herself blushing. “I was just playing.”
“I was telling the truth.”
She felt awkward and flustered, and didn’t know what to do with her hands. Fortunately their server arrived with their meals.
By the time the food had been placed and their drinks refilled, the topic of conversation had been forgotten. Or at least not brought up again.
“Reese came by to visit Kalinda,” he said.
“I’m glad he’s still doing that. How did it go?”
“I think it helped to have the distraction of company.”
Montana wanted to ask how the girl was healing but knew Simon wouldn’t discuss that with her. The last few times she’d been there with Cece, one of the nurses had been in the room. She’d only been able to drop off the dog and then excuse herself. Next time she would try to speak with Fay.
“I know you think I’m counting the minutes until I leave,” he said, “but that’s not true. Kalinda is an example of a patient I will regret leaving behind. She needs so many surgeries.”
“The implication being another doctor won’t get it right?”
“That makes me sound arrogant.”
“You kind of are.”
He gave her a reluctant smile.
She was such a liar, she thought sadly. Pretending this was about Kalinda, when in truth his words had made her want to ask if he’d meant it when he’d said he would miss her. If he would have regrets about ending their relationship. When he left, would he remember her at all?
“Enjoying your lunch?” Mayor Marsha asked as she walked up to their table.
“Yes,” Montana said. “How are you?”
“Very well.” The mayor turned to Simon. “I see you’re enjoying yourself in our lovely town.”
“Yes, I am.”
Marsha laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to start on all the reasons why you should stay. But I was pleased to hear you’re coming to the hospital fundraiser.” She glanced back at Montana. “I can’t wait to see what you’ll be wearing, my dear. Remember, it’s cocktail-dressy, rather than formal.” She smiled at them both. “You’ll be a very handsome couple. Have a nice lunch.”
“Thank you,” Montana murmured, staring intently at her plate.
Fundraiser? Now that she thought about it, she remembered seeing posters about it around town. It was to raise money to support the work Simon was doing. Obviously it was something Simon had to attend—he would probably be the guest of honor. Usually people brought a date to an event like that. The mayor had assumed Simon’s date would be Montana.
But he hadn’t asked her.
Simon wasn’t the kind of man who forgot things. Even when he was busy, he knew exactly what was going on around him. Which meant he hadn’t planned on asking her.
She wasn’t sure why. Whether it was the public nature of the evening, or him not wanting to lead her on about their relationship. All of which was logical. She supposed she should be able to understand and accept.
But the truth was a voice was screaming in her head. A voice that demanded he explain how she could be good enough to sleep with, but not good enough to take to a stupid fundraiser.
“I didn’t ask you because…” His voice trailed off.
She raised her head and looked at him. He seemed more uncomfortable than embarrassed. And then she got it.
For all her claims that she knew he was leaving, that all this was temporary, she’d assumed what they had together was still some kind of relationship. That they were together. A couple.
That wasn’t the way it was for Simon. She was a convenience, someone he wanted and maybe liked a little, but no one significant. She’d been worried about whether or not he would miss her when he left. That was the least of it. What she should be more worried about was whether or not he gave a damn about being with her while he was here.
Her chest tightened and her throat began to close. She recognized the symptoms and knew she didn’t have much time.
She looked up and gave him what she hoped was a startled expression. “Oh, no. I just realized I’m supposed to be meeting Max. I can’t believe it. I need to hurry or I’ll be late.”
She fumbled in her purse and threw a twenty on the table. “Sorry.”
“Montana.” He rose when she did.
She waved him back in place. “No. Please. Eat your lunch. This is my fault. I’m so scattered.”
She offered a frantic little wave, then dashed out of the restaurant.
Terrified he would follow her and demand to talk, she ducked into the closest store, then out the back, so she was standing alone in the alley. It was only then that she allowed herself to begin to cry.
“I KNOW IT’S NOT MUCH,” Nevada was saying as she paced back and forth in Montana’s living room, a puppy in each arm, dodging the other two as she walked. “But I swear it was a moment.”
Montana was still dealing with her luncheon revelation, so she was having a little trouble following Nevada’s story.
“You saw Mom at the tasting room place outside of town, and she ran off when she saw Max? Are you sure those two events are linked? Maybe she was late for something or the date had been really bad.”
“I thought of that.” Nevada sank into the chair opposite the sofa. “But there was that second when they saw each other. Mom went completely white. I was afraid she would pass out or something. And Max froze. I’m telling you, he’s the Max. Your Max is her Max.”
Her mother and Max Thurman? “No. I can’t believe that. I’ve worked for Max for a year and she’s never said a word about him. It’s not like I don’t talk about my job or my boss.”
“Hasn’t Max lived here before?”
“Sure, but not for years. He left before we were born.”
Nevada gave her a “See!” look.
“You’re inventing drama where it doesn’t exist,” Montana told her.
“I don’t think so. Look at the facts. Mom has the name Max tattooed on her hip. We don’t know much about him, except he used to live in the area, but not in town. He left before Mom and Dad got married. Max Thurman moves back to Fool’s Gold after being gone over thirty years. He’s mysterious.”
“He’s not mysterious,” Montana said, interrupting. “He’s a nice guy.”
“Where does he get his money? Doesn’t he finance all the work the therapy dogs do?”
“We get some donations, but yes, Max pays for most of it. So, he’s rich.”
“From what? Did he inherit? Rob a bank? Make great investments?”
“We don’t talk about that.”
“But he did live here before. Seriously, Montana, how many guys around Mom’s age who once lived in town are named Max? I’m telling you, he’s the one.”
“I’m not sure I want him to be,” she admitted. “It’s weird to think at one time she loved a man enough to get his name tattooed on her body and then she met Dad.”
Bentley scrambled into her lap. She patted him absently.
“But you said Max was nice,” Nevada pressed.
“He is. I like him a lot. I wouldn’t mind if he and Mom got together. I just hate thinking she loved someone else. You know, before.”
“Because Dad should be her one true love?”
“Yes.”
“Why would knowing who Max is change that?”
“Maybe it doesn’t.” Her mother was allowed to have a past. Everyone did. “You know what—if they’re the same Max, then this could be really interesting, right?”
Nevada sighed. “Sorry. Why didn’t I see it before?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You. There’s something wrong. Is it Simon? Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing happened. That’s the problem.”
“I thought you’d slept together.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sex doesn’t solve problems, it starts them.”
“Which means something happened.”
“I knew he was leaving. I’ve known from the beginning. Despite Mayor Marsha’s request that I convince him to stay, we all know that’s not going to happen.” She cuddled a sleepy Bentley. “But I was okay with that. I haven’t been attracted to someone in a while. I liked being with him and how I felt around him. So the leaving part was simply something I had to deal with.”
“What changed?”
Montana looked at her sister. “I thought he cared about me, too. I thought I was important to him. It turns out I was just a convenience. A way to get laid.”
“Are you sure?”
“That big fundraiser for the hospital? He’s the guest of honor or something like that. He didn’t ask me.”
Nevada didn’t look as shocked as Montana would have liked.
“And you’re sure that’s about you?” her sister asked.
“Who else could it be about?”
“Him. From everything you’ve said, Simon isn’t interested in being the center of attention. So why would he bring you to an event like that, where everyone will notice? Maybe this is more about protecting you than avoiding you.”
“You can’t know that,” Montana snapped, annoyed Nevada wasn’t taking her side.
“You can’t be sure you’re right, either. Not until you ask.” Her sister drew in a breath. “You tend to blame yourself when things go wrong.”
“This time I’m blaming Simon.”
“I don’t think so. Your description of the relationship is all about how you assumed things and you were wrong. What if you’re not wrong? What if instead of being a jerk, he’s trying to be nice? It’s not wrong to want to be with someone. It’s not wrong to think the regular rules of love, or like, or whatever apply.”
“I hate it when you’re rational,” Montana grumbled, even as she thought maybe Nevada was right.
“I’m just saying talk to him. Find out why he didn’t invite you to go with him. If he says it’s because he doesn’t care about you or wouldn’t be caught dead with you in public, then kick him in the balls and leave.”
“He’s been seen in public with me before.”
“Ask.”
“Fine.”
Nevada rubbed the puppies she held. “You know you’re falling in love with him, right? That’s the real problem.”
Words Montana really, really didn’t want to hear. “I’m not in love with him yet.”
Her identical-triplet sister shook her head. “Yes, Montana. You are.”