Читать книгу Fool's Gold Collection Part 1 - Susan Mallery - Страница 15

“OBVIOUSLY THE MISSING money is our primary concern,” Marsha said from her place at the head of the table. “I had an unpleasant call from the governor this morning. It’s not an experience I want to repeat.” She sighed. “I’m not blaming you, Robert, I’m just frustrated.”

“So am I,” he said. “You’ve hired an auditor. She’ll be here next week. In the meantime, we’ve already begun our own investigation. Three quarters of a million dollars is a lot of money to lose.”

Charity heard the worry in his voice and understood the cause. He was the treasurer and the money had gone missing on his watch. He had to be frantic. She wished she could help, but her accounting expertise was limited to a single class she’d taken in college and barely passed. Math wasn’t exactly her thing.

The morning meeting had started right on time, with several items on the agenda. Charity enjoyed the review of everything going on in the world that was Fool’s Gold. Normally the items were discussed in order, but for the past thirty minutes, Pia had been squirming in her seat. Charity tried not to stare, but it was difficult to ignore Pia’s eager expression and tapping foot.

Marsha made a few notes on the pad in front of her, then glanced at Pia. “I assume you’re not trying to tell me you have to go to the bathroom?”

“No.”

“Then why don’t you tell us what is obviously the most exciting news ever.”

Pia grinned. “I can wait my turn.”

“Perhaps, but then you’ll so annoy one of the city council members that she’ll snap and kill you. What is it, Pia?”

Pia cleared her throat. “Remember that bike race that lost its sponsors and had nowhere to go? We’re getting it! I’ve spoken with the committee leaders and they’re very excited about the opportunity to bring their event to our town. The bike race is only one day, but there’s a celebrity golf tournament, as well. We’re talking three, maybe four nights of people staying.”

She paused as the council members started murmuring to each other.

“That’s huge,” Gladys said. “Four nights? We’re talking some major revenue.”

“It’s going to be a logistical nightmare,” Alice said. “I’ll need overtime approval and money to hire a few temporary people to help with crowd control.”

“Get me an estimate,” Marsha told her. “Pia, do you have a full report prepared?”

“I just found out this morning. I’ll have it to you tomorrow. Most of the preliminary work is done. We did that golf tournament last year, so I’ll use that for a blueprint. I’m talking to Josh later, to get a feel for the race.”

Gladys raised her eyebrows. “Is that all you’ll be getting a feel for?”

“Not everyone has your thing for Josh,” Pia told the older woman.

“Name one woman who doesn’t.”

Most of the women chuckled. Charity did her best to look as if she was enjoying the joke without drawing attention to herself.

Last night was burned into her brain. She couldn’t believe what had happened, what she’d done. She’d never been that wild or uninhibited in her life and she’d certainly never made love with a guy she barely knew.

And yet…she couldn’t seem to find even a hint of a regret. Not only because the physical experience had been incredible, but because the more time she spent with Josh, the more she actually liked him.

Now, as Pia went into more detail about the race, Charity wondered how he would handle the news. It would probably upset him, she thought, feeling sympathy. His past would be discussed, the press might even want interviews. Plus, having all those racers in town would remind him of everything he’d been forced to walk away from.

If he were anyone else, she would suggest that he head out of town for the weekend and avoid the circus. But Josh wouldn’t. He would stay and be available and not let anyone know how it was eating him up inside.

“There’s more,” Pia said, her eyes bright with excitement. “I saved the best for last.”

“I’m not sure how there can be more,” Marsha told her.

“There is. Josh is going to be riding in the race. He’s making his comeback right here in Fool’s Gold.”

Conversation exploded. Everyone was talking over everyone else. Even Alice looked happy about the news. Charity did her best to join in the moment, but it was difficult for her to get her mind around the information. Josh racing? How could he?

She’d heard the pain in his voice when he talked about the accident and his inability to ride with anyone. Wouldn’t racing mean training and exposure? Wouldn’t the whole town see what he was doing?

Even as she asked herself the questions, she wondered if that was the point. If he’d decided to face the problem head-on. If he was successful, it would be an impressive moment. But if he failed, the world would know. Talk about jumping in the deep end. She didn’t know if she should admire him or tell him to think about therapy.

Marsha called for order and the meeting resumed. When it was finished, Charity made sure she walked out with Robert. They had some unfinished business.

“I had a great time last night,” he said as they headed down the hall. “What are you doing this weekend?”

She winced silently. She waited until they’d stepped into her office to speak.

“Thanks for inviting me over,” she began. “Your home is lovely. Especially the garden. The thing is, while I would love for us to be friends, I don’t see us having a romantic relationship.”

He frowned at her. “I don’t understand. Last night I thought you had a good time.”

“I did.” A polite lie, she told herself.

“Is there someone else?”

“No.”

Not a lie. Yes, she and Josh had done the wild thing, but that did not a relationship make. After all, it wasn’t as if she was in love with him.

“When we first went out, I thought I was ready to get involved,” she said. “But I’m not. I’m busy with working and getting settled. You’re great, Robert. I know you’ll find someone.”

“In this town, finding someone is the easy part,” he said, sounding more confused than annoyed. “I guess I understand. I thought you were special, Charity. That’s why I wanted to get to know you better.”

“I appreciate that.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I am.”

“Okay.”

He left. She returned to her desk, relieved there hadn’t been anything remotely uncomfortable about their conversation. A cheap lesson, she told herself. Workplace romances were innately difficult. She should avoid them.

Josh didn’t work in City Hall, a little voice in her whispered. Interesting, but not significant, she told herself firmly. Josh was a fantasy. She was looking for someone real. Although the way she’d felt in his arms last night had been about as real as it could get.

“MY LIFE IS INSANE,” Pia said, two days later, as she sat across from Charity at the Fox and Hound. “I’m loving the idea of the bike race, but talk about extra work. I may come after you for help when it gets closer.”

“Absolutely,” Charity told her.

“I’m lining up a team, then figuring out what volunteers can do. Crystal’s really excited about the whole thing, especially Josh coming out of retirement.” Pia grinned. “Like the rest of us, she once had a thing for him. Before she met her husband.”

“It does seem to be a universal condition,” Charity said, hoping she sounded both friendly and neutral.

“Crystal’s great at organizing, but with her being sick, she can’t always be available. Still, I’ll take what I can get.” She scanned the menu. “The Josh angle is the best part. It’ll give us a lot more press than we would have gotten otherwise. I never understood why he retired when he did. He was at the top of his game. That last season, he couldn’t lose. It was amazing to watch.” Until the race where Frank died, Charity thought, knowing the loss had devastated Josh and stolen a piece of him.

The server came and they placed their orders. When she’d left, Pia leaned toward Charity. “You look great. That jacket is adorable. Am I allowed to say that?”

Charity laughed. “Yes. Pia, it’s fine. I told you before, I appreciate your blunt, albeit drunk, honesty about how I looked. I’m having fun remembering how to do the girly stuff. I’m even getting highlights.”

“They’d look good on you.” Pia sipped her diet soda. “The problem is where to go. The two best places in town are owned by two sisters who have a serious rivalry. Not only for clients, but for gossip. Each of them has to be the first to know anything. If you’re loyal to one, you’re the enemy of the other. I get around the problem by alternating back and forth. They try to pin me down, but I won’t let them.”

“That sounds like a lot of work.”

“It is, but worth it to keep the peace. You’re still living at the hotel, aren’t you? There used to be a salon there, but it closed. How is it living like the rich and famous?”

“Not so rich and certainly not famous. It’s fine until I can find a place of my own. I get a special rate through the city.” Compliments of Josh, she thought. Marsha had told her about the discount when she’d hired Charity.

“I’ve started looking for a house to buy,” she continued. “There was one place I saw that was terrific. It’s a restored craftsman-style house. I love everything about it except the price. I heard the owner would be willing to bargain, but even then I’m not sure I can swing it.”

Pia frowned. “Which house is that?”

Charity told her the street. “There’s a wide porch and a beautiful backyard. I love the mature trees on the street.”

“Who told you the owner was willing to deal?”

Charity tried not to feel trapped. “Um, Josh mentioned it.”

“Did he?” Pia’s mouth turned into a knowing smile. “He must really like you. He put a lot of money into that property and was expecting top dollar for it.”

“What do you mean?”

“He owns the house. He bought it a few years ago and fixed it up. Actually he was still racing then, so he had the work done. He used it as a rental, then decided to sell it. I know a few people are interested and he’s not lowering the price for them.”

Pia’s expression turned speculative. “He’s always put business before the ladies, but that seems to be changing.”

Charity did her best not to blush. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t know Josh owned the house.”

“You do now.”

“But he didn’t tell me.”

He hadn’t even hinted when he’d shown her the house. Although looking back, she should have guessed something was up when he’d had a key.

“Why would he do that?”

Pia raised her eyebrows. “You tell me.”

“We’re not together.”

“Maybe he wants to be.”

“No. Guys like him don’t…” She shook her head. “He’s too…”

“Rich, successful, hot?”

“I’m not his type.”

“How do you know?”

“Then I’ll pose it as a question. Am I his type?”

“Until today, I would have said no. But maybe times are changing.”

CHARITY LEFT HER LUNCH with Pia nearly as hungry as when she’d arrived. She’d only been able to pick at her salad, mostly because she was thinking about Josh and the house and what Pia had said.

It made no sense for him to give her a break on the price when other people would be offering him more. It implied a relationship they didn’t have. The fact that he’d done it before the “incident”—as she was now thinking of it—should have helped, but only made the situation more confusing.

Just as mind-bending was Pia’s implication that Josh might be interested in her. He wasn’t. His ex-wife had been some gorgeous actress. Charity was going to have to go online and find out who, exactly. But the point was, he was not someone orbiting in her universe. Interested? On what planet?

Yes, they’d had sex, but only because they’d both been carried away by the moment. Her more literally, but still. She refused to read too much into a single evening of hot lovemaking. That’s how hearts got broken.

She did her best to push any thoughts of Josh out of her mind, only to have them resurface when she saw his offices up ahead. Maybe she should simply ask the question outright. Why was he giving her a deal on a house when he didn’t have to? Asking him was the adult, mature thing to do. She squared her shoulders and walked into the building.

“THERE’S SOMEONE HERE to see you,” Eddie told Josh. “She doesn’t have an appointment. She being the operative word here. Although I’ll give her credit. She’s not like the usual groupies who come looking for you. She’s out of her teens, for one thing, and dressed like a regular person.”

Josh wasn’t in the mood to dash anyone’s hopes this afternoon. He had a lot to deal with, including figuring out how he was going to start training—a relatively easy problem to solve—while dealing with an irrational inability to ride with other people. A problem with a less clear solution.

“You can handle her,” he told Eddie.

“I can, but I don’t want to. She claims you know her. Charity Jones.”

He was out of his seat before she’d finished speaking. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“I just did. Are you giving me attitude?”

He ignored her outrage and went out to the reception area. Charity stood in the center, looking nervous and determined. She managed a faint smile, which made him want to promise to fix whatever problem she had.

“I didn’t have an appointment,” she told him. “Do you have a minute?”

“Sure. You don’t need an appointment.”

“It would be nice if someone made one,” Eddie said with a sniff.

Josh pointed to her desk. Eddie sighed heavily before returning to it. He put his hand on the small of Charity’s back, leading her to his office and then closing the door behind them.

“Your assistant has a lot of personality,” Charity said.

“She’s efficient and takes care of me.”

“I like her.”

“Me, too. Not that I want her to know.”

Charity’s smile turned genuine. “She’d use it against you forever.”

“Tell me about it.”

He motioned to the sofa and chairs in the corner. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Iced tea?”

“I’m fine. I just had lunch with Pia.” She sat in a chair.

He took the center of the sofa. “What’s going on?”

She clasped her hands together. “I’m not sure where to start.”

She didn’t sound worried, which was good. As he didn’t have a clue as to what she wanted to talk about, he simply waited. Checking out the view filled the seconds. She wore a short jacket over a lacy shirt and black pants. Very “woman in charge,” a look he enjoyed. It made him think about taming that power, and making the lady in question weak with longing.

“That house we went to,” she began, forcing him to ignore the fantasy of a naked Charity writhing under him.

“You want to make an offer?”

“Not exactly. You own that house.”

He wasn’t sure how she found out, but he wasn’t surprised, either.

“Does it matter who’s selling it?”

She drew in a breath. “You’ve had other offers. People who can pay more than me.”

“I put a lot into that house. I want it to go to the right person.”

“You’re giving me a break on the price that you’re not giving them.”

Normally he would have been happy to take credit for being a great guy, but there was something in her tone, in the way she stared so intently.

“And that’s bad why?” he asked.

“How much of the town do you own?” she asked. “I know about the hotel. Do you own this building? More houses?”

“Want to see a profit and loss statement? My accountant prepares one every quarter.”

“No. Of course not. But you’re rich.”

“By some definitions.”

She shook her head. “Don’t play games. You’re successful and rich and gorgeous and great in bed.” She sucked in a breath. “Well, I can’t say about the ‘in bed’ part, but you obviously know what you’re doing and you do it well. And you’re nice.”

Her tone told him she wasn’t trying to compliment him. The last statement had come out like an accusation.

“Okay,” he said neutrally.

She stood, so he rose. She faced him.

“It’s so not fair. Why can’t this be easier?” she asked.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. Answering the question would be less of a problem if he knew what they were talking about. “I, ah…”

“Sure. For you,” she grumbled. “You get whoever you want. You practically have women being delivered by room service.”

“I don’t do that.”

“I know. I didn’t mean that, exactly. It’s just you could if you wanted. And you don’t, which means more points for you.”

“Charity? What are we talking about?”

She glared at him. “My life. My sucky love life. I don’t get it. Is it genetic? Karma? Did I do something bad in a previous life?”

He stood there, feeling helpless. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” She was pretty and smart and funny and when she smiled at him, he had the feeling that he could do just about anything.

“Isn’t there? Look at Robert. Isn’t he nice? Calm and pleasant and looking to settle down. But there’s not a scrap of chemistry. I couldn’t do it. I tried, but I couldn’t do it. And he would fall in the column of my more successful relationships. My first boyfriend hit me. Just once, but he did it.”

Josh’s hands curled into fists. “Where is he now?” he asked, his voice low and angry.

“It was ten years ago,” she said. “I walked out and never saw him again. But still. It made me wonder. My second serious boyfriend cleaned out my savings account. Talk about feeling stupid. The last one…” She sighed. “I’m not even going there. It’s too humiliating. And now there’s you. I like you. I like you a lot. Which means all I can think is if I like you then what on earth is wrong with you?”

With that, she turned and left.

Josh stood in the center of his office, trying not to grin like a fool. She liked him? Hot damn!

CHARITY STALKED OUT of Josh’s office, feeling foolish and exposed and a thousand other things that weren’t very pleasant. Her head was spinning, her chest felt tight and if she were the type to give in to tears, she would be having a breakdown right here on the sidewalk.

Instead she kept moving, head held high, smiling at people on the street. She saw Morgan in his bookstore and waved at the old man. He grinned back.

Now that was a simple relationship, she thought, trying to grit her teeth. She understood all the elements of it. She and Morgan were friends. They said hello, talked about the weather and went on with their lives. No complications. No handsome, hunky guy messing with her head.

What had she been thinking, telling Josh she liked him? Were they in high school? “Tell Bobby I like him, but only if he says he likes me first.”

She was confused, upset and unsettled.

Despite the fact that her mother hadn’t been the most maternal of women, Charity found herself wishing she was still alive so that she could ask for her advice. As silly as it sounded, right now she could use a hug from her mother. Or an aunt. Even a long-lost cousin would be good.

She walked into City Hall and started up the stairs. At the top, she passed Marsha, walking out of the break room with a cup of coffee.

“How was your lunch?” the mayor asked.

“Good. Pia’s always fun.”

“She is. She was a bit of a terror when she was younger.” Marsha frowned. “What’s that expression? She was a mean girl.”

“Pia?” Charity couldn’t imagine it.

“She was pretty and popular and wanted her way. Not a good combination in a teenager. But she turned out well.” Marsha sipped her coffee. “Is everything all right? I don’t mean to pry, but you look…I’m not sure. If I had to pick, I would say you look sad.”

Charity forced herself to smile. “I’m fine. Missing my mom, a little. She died several years ago. I guess that’s something you never get over.”

Marsha stiffened and the color drained from her face.

Charity moved toward her. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Of course. The loss of a mother is always tragic. I still miss mine and she’s been gone over thirty years.” Marsha squared her shoulders. “Charity, would you please come with me into my office.”

“Sure.”

Charity followed her. Something was wrong, she could feel it, but she had no idea what it was. Had she done something wrong? Had she crossed a line talking about something personal?

When they reached Marsha’s office, the mayor did something Charity had never experienced before. Not in Fool’s Gold. She closed her doors. Then she led the way to the small conversation area by the wall.

“There’s something I have to tell you,” Marsha said when they were both seated. “I’ve been waiting for the right time. Which is the coward’s way of saying I didn’t know how to tell you. I suppose the best way is to simply blurt out the words.”

Charity did her best not to go to the bad place. Possibilities flashed through her mind. Marsha was sick and/or dying. Charity was about to be fired. The town was going to disappear into a giant sinkhole. But no scenario prepared her for what came next.

Marsha leaned forward, lightly touching Charity’s arm as she gave her a gentle smile. “I’m your grandmother.”