Finding Perfect

She searched around for another explanation.

“I saw Jo,” she said quickly. “The friend who took the cat?”

He nodded.

“I wanted to ask if Jake missed me, which is dumb, right? He obviously adores her. I was just a way station in the feline road of life. She’s a destination. I just…”

“What?”

“I keep thinking if I can’t make a cat happy, what chance do I have with kids?”

His expression sharpened. “You’re going to have them?”

“Yes. No. I’m not sure.” She sighed. “Maybe. I know that’s what Crystal wanted. And no matter how many times I tell myself they’re not my responsibility, I feel they are. I’m female. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume I have all the working equipment.”

She could do more than assume, she reminded herself. She knew for sure.

Don’t go there, she told herself. Not today. Not now. Wasn’t there enough going on without a side trip to Guilt Land?

“You’ll have someone else’s children and then raise them?” he asked.

“It’s not like I’m going to have them and give them away.”

“Why not?”

She stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Why wouldn’t you give them away? There are hundreds of couples who are longing for children of their own. Infants are easy to place, aren’t they? You could handpick the couple yourself, be sure the babies are going to be well taken care of.”

That had never occurred to her. Give Crystal and Keith’s babies away? Despite the warm afternoon, a shiver raced through her.

“No,” she said firmly. “If that was what she wanted, she would have mentioned it in the will. Crystal took the trouble to pay for three years of storage. She wanted to give me time.”

“She didn’t warn you about what she was going to do.”

“I know and that confuses me, but it doesn’t change reality. If I have the babies, I’ll keep them. And raise them.” No matter how the thought of it made her stomach flip over and over.

He stared into her eyes as if searching for something. “I don’t know many women who would be willing to take that on.”

“Really? Because I don’t know many who would refuse.”

“You can’t believe that.”

She thought about her friends—how they looked out for each other. “I’m fairly sure.”

“As sure as Crystal was of you? You’re the one she picked.”

“Which raises the question why,” she said with a laugh that was almost real. “Okay—enough personal stuff for today. I have to compulsively check on things, and you need to stand in the sun so your shirt can dry.”

She took off before he could do something really dangerous, like put his arm around her. That would probably get her to babbling like a starstruck fan.

It was the strangest thing. Usually people made her nervous when she first met them. Over time, the feeling went away. With Raoul, it was the complete opposite. She was more tense every time she saw him. At this rate, in a month, just seeing him would send her into catatonic shock. And wouldn’t that give Fool’s Gold something to talk about?

RAOUL STOOD BY THE main building and watched the kids arrive for their first day of school at his camp. The parking lot was organized chaos as teachers sorted the children into classes.

In less time than he would have thought possible, the camp had been transformed. There were desks and chairs, playground equipment, books, papers and people prepping lunch.

Dakota joined him, a clipboard in hand.

“This is great,” she said. “Like the first day of school, only better.”

“The kids would have probably enjoyed more time off.”

She laughed. “You’re right, but education is important.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Everyone thinks you’re amazing for giving the town this place. Such a nice guy.”

“There are worse things to be.”

She looked surprised. “Most guys don’t want to be nice. It keeps them from getting the girl.”

He’d never had much trouble getting the girl. “A nice guy changed my life. Being like him would make me a happy man.”

Hawk wasn’t a pushover. He was a tough guy who did the right thing. Raoul doubted his old friend would have been fooled by Caro. The irony was Raoul had done his best to make sure he was choosing the right person. But he’d still managed to screw up.

“I need to check with a couple of teachers,” Dakota said and excused herself.

Three more cars pulled up and parked. Pia climbed out of one and waved in his direction.

She wore a dark skirt and boots. Her sweater was the color of her eyes. Not only did he notice, he found himself wanting to walk toward her. Meet her halfway. That image morphed into his mouth on hers, hands everywhere and a whole lot less clothing.

Not a good idea, he reminded himself. Pia was headed in a whole different direction. Besides, he had rules about small towns and the female residents. Pia might tempt him, but making her an exception would be a disaster…for both of them.

“Isn’t this the best?” she asked as she approached. “There was actual traffic coming up the mountain. I love it when a plan comes together.”

A bus pulled up. When the door opened, kids spilled out. One boy, skinny with bright red hair, ran over to Pia.

Raoul recognized him as the kid who had flinched when he’d tried to help the boy out of the smoky classroom. As he watched, Pia and the kid greeted each other with a complicated handshake.

“You remembered!” the boy crowed. “I knew you would.”

“It’s our thing,” Pia told him with a laugh. “You’d better get to class. Have fun.”

“I will.”

He turned and ran off.

“You know him?” Raoul asked.

“Peter?” Pia shook her head. “We met Saturday at the park. He was there with his friends. Why?”