Читать книгу Fool's Gold Collection Part 2: Only Mine / Only Yours / Only His / Only Us: A Fool's Gold Holiday - Сьюзен Мэллери, Susan Mallery - Страница 13

DAKOTA COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time she’d been this cold. Although the calendar claimed it was mid-spring, a cold front had blown through, dropping the temperature nearly twenty degrees and depositing over a foot of snow in the mountains.

She pulled her coat tighter and wished she’d thought to wear gloves. Unfortunately, she’d already packed away most of her winter clothes and had had to make do with layering. The thick blanket of clouds weren’t helping, she thought, staring at the pale gray sky.

She heard someone call her name and turned. Montana waved as she hurried down the street, looking warm and comfy in a thick down jacket. A colorful knitted cap covered her head, and she had on matching mittens.

“You look cold,” her sister said as she approached. “Why aren’t you in something warmer?”

“I packed it all away.”

Montana grinned. “Sometimes it pays to procrastinate.”

“Apparently.”

“It’s supposed to warm up in a few days.”

“Lucky me.”

Montana moved close and linked arms. “We’ll share body heat.” She pointed to the lake. “What’s going on?”

“We’re filming a date.”

“Outside? They’re making contestants be outside on water when it’s three degrees above freezing?”

“Somebody didn’t look at the weather report. Worse, it’s one of the older couples. They’re supposed to be having a romantic picnic lunch. Last I heard, the sound guy is complaining he can’t understand anything. Between the wind howling and their teeth chattering, there’s not much conversation.”

Montana studied the small boat in the middle of the black, choppy water. “TV isn’t anything like I thought. It’s not very interesting. Or romantic.”

“Taping segments takes a long time. I won’t miss this when they’re gone.”

“I can see why.” Montana frowned. “There’s no music. Do they add that later?”

“Probably.” Dakota shivered. “The next few dates are out of town. Stephen and Aurelia are going to Las Vegas, then Sasha and Lani were supposed to go to San Diego, but Geoff freaked about the price of rooms, so they might be staying here.”

Temperatures in both places were supposed to be well into the seventies. She was hoping for San Diego for sure.

“Those are the twin boys, right?” Montana asked. “They’re gorgeous.”

“A little young for you,” Dakota said dryly.

“Oh, I know. I wouldn’t be interested. I’m just saying, they’re very nice to look at.”

Dakota laughed. “Looking is allowed. Just don’t let Finn catch you. He’s still determined to get his brothers back home.”

“How’s the plan going?”

“Not very well, but not for lack of trying on his part.”

Finn was determined. He was a lot of other things she really liked, but she wasn’t going to share those with Montana. The last thing she needed was her sisters speculating about her personal life. While the attention would be well-meant, it would still be more than she could handle.

“So he’s sticking around?” Montana asked.

“I suspect to the bitter end.”

“Poor guy.” Montana glanced to her left, then nudged Dakota. “Is that him?”

Dakota turned and saw Finn walking toward them. He wore a leather jacket. His head and hands were bare, but he didn’t look the least bit cold. Probably because, compared to a brisk South Salmon spring, these temperatures were practically balmy.

“That’s him,” she said. “Don’t embarrass me.”

Montana freed her arm. “When have I ever done that?”

“We don’t have enough time for me to start the list.”

Montana started to say something, but mercifully stopped before Finn got close enough to hear.

“Whose fool idea was this?” he asked. “It’s too cold for them to be out on the lake. Does anyone plan ahead?”

Dakota did her best not to smile. “Finn, this is my sister Montana. Montana, this is Finn. His two brothers are on the show.”

Finn glanced at them both. “Sorry. I was distracted.” He held out his hand to Montana. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Montana said. “It doesn’t sound like you’re having a good time.”

“Is it that obvious?” He shook his head. “Never mind. I don’t think I want you to answer that.” He glanced between them, paused, then looked more thoroughly. “You really are identical, aren’t you?”

Dakota laughed. “Because we’d lie about it?”

“Good point,” Finn said. “My brothers are identical twins,” he told Montana. “They’ve always said they have a relationship I can’t understand. Are they telling the truth?”

“Sorry,” Montana told him. “But they are. It’s a weird thing to be identical to someone else. You kind of always know what they’re thinking. I can’t imagine life any other way, but I’ve been told it’s not like that for other people.”

“I figured you’d say that,” he admitted. “Dakota said the same thing.”

“But you didn’t want to believe me?” Dakota asked, not sure if she should be annoyed or not.

Finn looked at her. “I believed you. I just wanted you to be wrong.”

“At least he’s honest,” Montana said. “The last honest man.”

“Don’t say that,” Finn told her. “I couldn’t stand the pressure.” He looked at Dakota. “I hear we’re going to Las Vegas tomorrow.”

“Have you ever been?” she asked. Las Vegas didn’t strike her as a Finn kind of town.

“No. It’s not my thing. I’m sure Stephen will love it, though.” He sighed. “Damn show.”

“You’ll get it figured out,” she told him.

“Want to tell me when so I have something to look forward to?”

“I wish I knew.”

He turned to Montana. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

Finn waved, then turned and walked away.

Dakota watched him go. She enjoyed the way he moved, his easy confidence. While she felt badly that he was worried about his brothers, there was a part of her that was looking forward to being with him in Las Vegas. She’d been there a couple of times with girlfriends, and it had been fun. She could only imagine what that town would be like with a man like Finn.

“Interesting,” Montana said. “Very, very interesting. How was the sex?”

Dakota nearly choked. “Excuse me? What kind of question is that?”

“An obvious one. Don’t try to pretend nothing happened. I know you. You and Finn have had sex. I’m not asking for a lot of details, I just want to know how he was. Hardly an unreasonable request. It’s not like I’m getting any. Living vicariously through one’s sisters is a time-honored tradition.”

“I, ah…” Dakota swallowed. She knew better than to try to fake her way out of telling the truth. With someone else she might have a prayer, but not with one of her sisters.

“Fine. Yes, I was with Finn. It was great.” She smiled. “It was better than great.”

“Are you going to do it again?” Montana asked.

“The possibility is on the table. I’d like to.”

Montana studied her. “Is it serious?”

“No. Even if I was tempted, it can’t be. Finn isn’t staying. He practically lives on another planet and my life is here. Besides, neither of us is looking for anything significant or long-lasting. So we’ll be fine.”

“I hope you’re right,” her sister told her. “Because sometimes when things are going really well, we find the one thing we’re pretending we’re not looking for.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN the shipment came in early? All three hundred and eighty boxes? Are you telling me there are three hundred and eighty boxes sitting in our warehouse?” Finn asked.

“Not boxes,” his partner Bill said. “Crates. Goddamn crates. What is he building? An ark?”

This wasn’t happening, Finn told himself. It couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not while he was stuck here.

The air charter company survived on contracts. That’s where the main money came from. The one-time deliveries were great, but the annual contracts paid the bills.

One of their largest customers had decided to build a boat. By hand. He’d ordered it from God knows where and had arranged to have the pieces delivered to South Salmon. Now they had to be airlifted to his property three hundred miles north of town.

When Finn had first heard about the project, he’d figured they were talking a half dozen boxes at most. Apparently, he’d been wrong.

“The weight’s listed on the side of each crate,” Bill said. “We’re talking three to four crates per trip, at best. You want to do the math?”

Finn swore. One hundred trips? “It’s not possible,” he said, more to himself than to Bill. “We have other customers.”

“He’s willing to pay,” Bill said. “Finn, we can’t lose this guy. He keeps us going all winter.”

His partner was right. The majority of their work came between April and October. But a hundred trips?

“I’ve already put the word out,” Bill told him. “We’ve got the planes. I’ve shifted around the schedule. What we need is pilots. You have to come back.”

Finn stared at the Southwest Airlines plane at the gate. The flight was already boarding. Stephen and the cougar were going to Las Vegas, and he had to be there to make sure everything was going to be okay. He didn’t trust that woman, or Geoff or anyone associated with the show. Excluding Dakota. Like him, she was doing what she had to.

“I can’t,” he said. “Sasha and Stephen need me.”

“That’s bullshit. They’re twenty-one. They’ll be fine on their own. This is where you belong, Finn. Get your ass back here.”

He’d been responsible for his brothers for the past eight years. There was no way he could walk away now.

“Who have you called? Did you try Spencer? He’s a good pilot and is usually available this time of year.”

There was a long silence before Bill spoke again. “So that’s your answer? Hire someone else?”

Finn turned his back on the other passengers and lowered his voice. “How many times have you needed me to cover for you? Before you got married, how many times did you have a hot date down in Anchorage or want to go trolling for lonely tourists in Juneau? I’ve always said yes to whatever you asked me to do. Now I’m asking you to give me a break. I’ll be back when I can. Until then you have to handle it.”

“All right,” Bill said, sounding pissed. “But you’d better get back here pretty quick. Or there’s going to be a problem.”

“I will,” Finn said, wondering if he was telling the truth.

He closed his phone and shoved it in his pocket, then joined the line of passengers waiting to board. Guilt battled with annoyance. To make matters worse, he was flying commercial. He hated flying commercial. He hated flying when he wasn’t in charge. But the tickets to Vegas had been cheaper than renting a plane, and Geoff was trying to save money.

Finn stalked onto the plane and shoved his small duffel into the first overhead compartment.

“Sir, you might want to take that with you,” the flight attendant said. “That way it will be closer to where you’re sitting.”

“Fine,” Finn growled between gritted teeth.

He grabbed the duffel and continued down the aisle. When he spotted Dakota with an empty seat next to her, he stopped. Of course there was no room for his carry-on here. Cursing under his breath, he stepped over her, dropped into the middle seat, and shoved his duffel into the space where his feet should go.

“Tell me this isn’t a five-hour flight,” he grumbled.

“Aren’t you perky this morning.” Dakota turned to him. “What has you all grumpy?”

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. “Is grumpy the technical term? Are you asking me as a psychologist?”

“Do you want me to?”

“Maybe we could just skip the talk therapy and go directly to electric shock treatment.” A few thousand volts of electricity coursing through his body would put everything else in perspective, he thought.

Dakota touched his arm with her hand. “Seriously? It’s that bad? You’re not blowing things just a little out of proportion?”

“Let’s see. I just talked to my business partner. We have an unexpected delivery of nearly four hundred crates that have to be flown several hundred miles. We can get maybe four crates on each plane. I should be there helping. Instead I’m stuck on a plane I’m not piloting, going to Las Vegas. Why, you ask? Because my brothers decided to leave college in their last semester. Even as we speak, Sasha is planning to destroy his life by moving to Hollywood. And Stephen is about to be devoured by a cougar.” He turned to her. “You tell me. Am I blowing things out of proportion?”

Her mouth twitched a little.

He narrowed his gaze. “This isn’t funny.”

“It’s a little funny. If you weren’t you, you would think it was funny.”

He leaned back in his seat. “Go away.”

“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I’ll take this more seriously, I promise. I really can’t help with your business problem. Although the good news is, you have a lot of new business. Is your partner going to hire another pilot?”

“He has to. He’ll probably charge me for it. I’d do it to him.”

“You could go home. You don’t really have to be here.”

“I do. Someone has to look out for them.” He hesitated, then glanced around to make sure no one was listening.

“Years ago, when our parents died, it was a mess. There was a plane crash and the media got involved. Reporters crawled all over town, we were the hot story of the week, at least up in Alaska. Some even sent money to help us out.”

Dakota stared at him. “I have a feeling you hated that.”

“I did. I knew it was a temporary thing, but that’s not what Sasha got from it. He wants to be famous because he believes being cared for by the world at large will keep him safe. Sure, he’s twenty-one, but that thirteen-year-old kid who lost his folks has never gone away.”

He leaned back in his seat. “Stephen is going along with this. I’m guessing it’s to make sure Sasha is okay. I know they’re technically adults. But they lived in a small town until they went to college. They don’t know about this world. They’re too trusting and don’t know enough to protect themselves. I have to be there for them.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, putting her hand on his. “I didn’t know.”

He shrugged. “I have to let them go. I’m good with that. But not like this. Not when they’re dealing with men like Geoff.”

“Agreed. But you do realize that at some point you have to let go. At some point you have to trust them to make their own decisions.”

“Maybe you’re right. But not today.” He looked around. “Have you seen her?”

“Who?”

“The cougar out to destroy my brother. The one you said was going to get pregnant to trap him.” He wanted to think she would miss the flight, but his luck wasn’t that good.

Dakota’s eyes widened. At the same time, Finn heard something very much like a whimper coming from in front of them.

Dakota cleared her throat. “Ah, yes. Aurelia is on the plane. In fact, she’s sitting in the row in front of us. Had you been paying attention, you would have noticed.” She jabbed him in the side. “And I never said she was going to get pregnant. Oh, look.” She pointed. “There’s your brother. He’s going to sit next to her.” Dakota turned to him. “Perhaps he can explain why you’re such an idiot.”

Finn almost regretted what he said. Almost. He was sure that under normal circumstances Aurelia was a perfectly decent human being. But he couldn’t trust a woman who had gone on a reality show to find a man. Who did that? She was too old for Stephen. He was going to do everything in his power to keep them apart.

He glanced out the window. “When does the flight leave?”

“I swear, if you plan to spend the entire hour flight asking, ‘Are we there yet?’ I’m going to drop something heavy on your groin.”

Despite everything going on and his growing level of frustration, Finn laughed. “Okay, you win. I’ll behave.”

“Can I get that in writing?” she asked.

“Sure.”

She settled back in her seat and took his hand in hers. “You are so lying.”

“Maybe not.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it. So tell me, what would you be doing if you were back in Alaska? Flying?”

“Probably.”

“You’re on a plane now. That’s practically the same thing.”

He laced his fingers with hers. “It’s not the same thing. When you’re the pilot, you’re in charge.”

“We could ask the flight attendant if you can have a pair of those little wings they give kids. You could pin them on your shirt. That might make you feel better.”

“You think you’re pretty funny, don’t you?”

“I am pretty funny.”

“I’ll give you pretty, but that’s as far as I’m going.”

She smiled. “I can live with that.”

AURELIA HAD NEVER BEEN to Las Vegas before. She’d seen it on TV and in the movies, but she found that real life was much, much better. The short plane ride had passed painfully slowly, as she’d desperately wished to disappear into her seat. Finn’s cruel assumptions about her and why she was on the show had made her feel horrible. She’d spent most of the trip berating herself for not standing up to her mother more. Because if she had something close to a spine, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

Now they’d arrived at the huge airport in Las Vegas, she was determined to shake off her bad feelings and simply enjoy the experience. She might never come back, and she had a feeling she would want these memories later.

Stephen stood next to her as they waited for their luggage. Geoff had said to pack for an evening on the town. That was tomorrow. This afternoon’s agenda was supposed to be a lot of quick shots of them in the casino and around town.

As the luggage carousel started, she caught sight of Finn and Dakota walking toward the taxi stand. As they weren’t going to be on television, they’d been able to pack light and only needed carry-on bags. Aurelia had been forced to borrow a couple of fancy dresses from women at the office, with the idea that at least one of them should be okay for their dressy evening.

As she watched, Finn put his hand on the small of Dakota’s back. It was a simple, polite gesture, but one that made Aurelia long for a man in her life. Someone who would be there for her, just like she wanted to be there for him. Someone who would care.

“Point out your bag and I’ll grab it,” Stephen told her.

She nodded.

He was sweet, she thought wistfully. But too young. That’s what she wanted to tell Finn—that she’d already come to terms with the fact that she and his brother could only be friends. But she was afraid if she told Stephen, he would act different and Geoff would notice. Aurelia didn’t want to be voted off the show too soon. The longer she stayed, the more she didn’t have to deal with her mother. Oddly enough, the more she was around Stephen, the stronger she felt.

She saw her bag, and Stephen lifted it off the carousel. He had his. Karen, one of the production assistants, ushered them toward a limo. The camera guy was already waiting for them.

“Don’t look so scared,” Stephen said, leaning toward her and speaking softly. “They’re going to think you don’t want to be with me.”

“That’s not true,” she said, doing her best not to remember Finn’s outrageous claim she would trap his brother by getting pregnant.

“Because I’m exactly who you’ve been waiting for all your life?” he asked, his voice teasing.

She smiled. “I’ve always had a desperate longing for someone who could tell me the difference between Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan.”

He winked. “I knew it.”

They were still looking at each other as they got into the limo.

She’d never been good at talking to men, let alone flirting, but Stephen made it easy. Maybe because she knew she was safe with him. He was…nice. Probably not a word to excite him, but for her, it was plenty.

They left the airport and drove toward the Strip. She could see all the hotels rising toward the sky, their various heights and shapes standing out against the sand-colored mountains. As they got closer, she made out the different structures. The big, black pyramid at the Luxor, the Eiffel Tower in front of the Paris Hotel and the vast expanse that was Caesars Palace.

“Do you know where we’re staying?” she asked.

“There.”

Stephen pointed to the right. As they rounded the curve in the road, Aurelia saw the tall towers of the Venetian Hotel. The limo pulled into the covered entry and their door was opened.

She was vaguely aware that the cameras were filming everything, but she couldn’t seem to pay attention to them. Not when there was so much to see.

They stepped into a massive lobby with a painted ceiling. Every inch was beautiful—from the huge sprays of flowers to the gilded posts. Even the carpets were gorgeous.

There were people everywhere. She could hear a dozen different languages flowing around her, and the air was lightly scented with a slightly citrus fragrance.

“You’re already checked in,” Geoff told her, and handed over her keys. “Your rooms are next door to each other. If you decide to do anything interesting, call one of us. We want to be there.”

Aurelia felt her eyes bug out. Call him? What? If any of the contestants decided to have sex, he wanted it on film?

“I can’t really see that happening,” she murmured.

Geoff sighed. “Tell me about it. Still, if you get drunk enough, we all might get lucky.”

With that, he walked off.

Aurelia stood in the center of the lobby. The crowd moved around her, as if she wasn’t there. Hardly a surprise. She’d spent most of her life being invisible.

“Ready to go to the rooms?” Stephen asked, joining her. “Geoff said we’re already checked in.”

She held up her key.

He glanced at the number. “We’re next to each other. That’s great. We can send coded messages through the wall.”

She stared into his blue eyes and told herself it was enough that Stephen was nice. Going through this with a guy who was a jerk would have been unbearable.

“Do you know any codes?” she asked.

“No, but we could learn one. Or make one up. You’re good with numbers, right?”

She smiled. “I’ll work on it.”

They made their way to the room elevators. Thankfully, the camera guy took a different elevator, leaving them alone for a few minutes.

Once they reached their floor, they made their way to their rooms. They were actually across from each other, rather than next door, but still close enough. A different camera guy was already waiting for them.

“Who do you want to go in with?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Your room. Stephen, go with her.”

Like they were sharing a room? She blushed at the thought, then shoved her key into the lock and opened the door.

Aurelia hadn’t traveled much and rarely stayed in a hotel. Still, she knew what a regular room looked like, and this wasn’t it.

To her right was a beautiful bathroom done in marble and glass. There was a stall shower and a big tub, double sinks, a vanity and plenty of mirrors. It was like a movie set or something out of a fairy tale. Past the bathroom was the bedroom. Except it was more than a bedroom. There was a king-size bed with beautiful linens and big nightstands. Beyond that, three steps led to a sunken living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered her a view of the pirate boat floating in front of Treasure Island.

She turned in a slow circle, taking in the room again, then looked at Stephen. “I don’t understand,” she said. “This can’t be my room. It’s so beautiful.” She laughed. “Tell me we never have to leave.”

“If we win big downstairs, we can stay as long as you like,” he told her.

Aurelia smiled. “I’d like that.”

They agreed to meet in half an hour and go down to the casino. Aurelia used her time to put her brown hair into hot rollers and pray that it came out okay. She changed into white jeans and a turquoise-colored silk blouse she’d bought on sale nearly a year ago.

She normally didn’t spend much money on her casual wardrobe. All of her clothing budget was spent on work clothes, and everything she didn’t spend on her own living expenses either went to her mother or her small savings account. But the shirt had been so beautiful, she’d been unable to resist it.

After spreading out her newly purchased cosmetics on the marble counter, she carefully applied moisturizer, then concealer. The powder foundation went on as easily as the girl at the makeup counter had promised. She kept her eye shadow simple by brushing on a light taupe color. After mascara, she applied blush, then lip gloss. The last step was pulling out the hot rollers and finger combing her hair. She bent at the waist and doused herself in hairspray. As she stood, she flipped her head back and surveyed the look.

In a bathroom full of mirrors, there was no escaping reality. But this time it wasn’t so bad. Aurelia looked at herself from several angles. She would never be stunning, but for once in her life she was pretty. At least she felt pretty, and that might be enough.

She’d barely slipped into her shoes when Stephen knocked on her door. She picked up her purse and went to meet him.

“Hi,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

“Hi, yourself,” he began, then stopped and stared at her. “Wow, you look great.”

“Thanks.”

She was aware of the man and the camera just beyond Stephen’s shoulder. For a moment she wished it could just be the two of them. That even a small part of their time together could be real. But it wasn’t. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

“What do you want to do first?” Stephen asked. “Slots, blackjack, or do you prefer roulette?”

“I’ve never gambled,” she admitted. “What do you suggest?”

As they spoke they walked toward the elevators. Stephen pushed the button for them to go down. The doors opened immediately. As they stepped onto the elevator, she felt him put his hand on the small of her back.

It was nothing, she told herself. Men did that sort of thing all the time. She’d just noticed Finn doing it to Dakota. But she couldn’t help being aware of how he touched her. The silk of her shirt seemed to intensify the heat from his hand. As the elevator started down, she felt a little light-headed and told herself it was from the vertical movement and nothing else.

They walked out of the elevator and into the craziness. It was fun and bright and loud. Aurelia didn’t know where to look first.

“Are you hungry?” Stephen asked, pointing to the Grand Lux Café.

“Maybe later,” she said. Right now she was too excited to eat. There was too much to see.

An older couple walked past them. “Don’t you love seeing a family traveling together, George?” the woman asked. “She brought her baby brother to Las Vegas. Isn’t that nice?”

Aurelia stepped away from Stephen. She didn’t know if he’d heard the comment or not. The camera guy had his lens trained on the old people, so she knew that moment was going to make the show.

She started walking, not sure where she was going. Humiliation heated her cheeks and stole the pleasure she felt at being here. She thought about running after the couple and telling them what was going on, but what was the point?

Stephen kept pace with her. “You okay?” he asked.

His obvious confusion told her he hadn’t heard their words, at least not yet. Reminding herself they were just friends didn’t make her feel any better.

She stopped in the center of the casino and faced him. He was so nice, she thought. A good guy. But there was no way…

“Excuse me. What are you doing?”

Aurelia and Stephen turned toward the well-muscled man in the dark suit. The name badge said that he was with security. His expression told them he was very serious about his job.

He pointed to the camera guy. “You can’t film here.”

“We’re doing a reality show,” Stephen said. “Didn’t the production company clear this with you?”

“No.” The man from security moved toward the camera. “Turn that off now or I will turn it off for you.”

“I’ll get Geoff,” the camera guy said as he turned and practically ran away.

“Is he coming back or do I have to chase him down?”

Aurelia wasn’t sure if the security man was talking to them or not. Apparently, it didn’t matter. He pulled a walkie-talkie out of his jacket pocket and spoke into it. She had a feeling that this wasn’t going to end well.

“We’ll go,” she said taking Stephen’s hand in hers.

Stephen glanced at the security guy’s annoyed face and nodded. “I don’t think either of us would like jail.”

They turned.

For a second, Aurelia wondered if they would be allowed to simply walk away. But nothing happened as they dashed up an escalator. As the stairs carried them to another floor, she was able to draw in a deep breath.

“You okay? I thought you were going to faint,” Stephen told her.

“I was terrified,” she admitted. “I can’t believe Geoff brought us all here without making arrangements with the hotel. It’s not a surprise they don’t want us filming. They don’t know what we’re going do with it. It could be a scam. Or a trick to cheat or something.”

She had more to say but suddenly couldn’t speak. Stephen was riding on the step behind her. Without warning, he rested one hand on her hip as he leaned toward her.

Aurelia did her best to act casual. Shrieking in surprise wasn’t very appropriate. Besides, she’d taken his hand in hers to pull him away from the security guy—although that had been different. She couldn’t explain why, but knew it was.

When they reached the top of the escalator, they stepped off. She planned to continue her analysis of what it all meant, only she couldn’t. Not when it seemed as if they’d entered another world.

Above them, the ceiling was painted sky blue with clouds that almost appeared to float by. They were in the hotel, but she felt like they really could be outside. There were stores and restaurants and…

“Look,” she breathed, pointing to the narrow boats floating on a man-made canal. “Gondolas.”

“Want to ride?” he asked, then urged her forward. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

There wasn’t much of a line, so in a matter of minutes, she was carefully stepping into the gondola. It wobbled on the water, but she managed to sit down without falling. Stephen sat next to her.

There wasn’t a lot of room, so he was close. Close enough for her to feel the softness of his long-sleeved shirt against her hand and the pressure of his thigh against hers.

“Ever done anything like this before?” he asked as he looked around. “No.”

Never. Not even in her dreams.

They took the leisurely boat ride through a winding course. People walking by stopped to wave. Music echoed off the ceiling and reverberated all around them. She caught sight of stores whose names she’d only seen in magazines. Everything about the moment was perfect.

Then Stephen put his arm around her and it all got better.

When they rounded a corner, a man was waiting with a camera. He told them to smile, then snapped their picture. Once the ride was over, they went to check on the digital image displayed on a computer screen.

“You’re beautiful,” Stephen told her.

Aurelia knew he was being kind, but she was pleased with how the photo had turned out. They were both looking at the camera, with genuine smiles. She noticed they were leaning into each other and looked very much like a couple. If one ignored the age difference.

“We’ll take two,” he said, then paid for them.

“I should buy them.”

“Why?”

Because she made more than him. Because he was still in college and this wasn’t a date. But she didn’t want to say any of that, so instead she simply said, “Thank you,” when he handed her the thin bag containing the pictures in a paper frame.

“Hungry?” Stephen asked, pointing to one of the outdoor restaurants.

“Yes.”

“Good. Me, too.”

It was midafternoon, and there wasn’t much of a crowd. They were seated immediately at a small corner table next to a plant. Despite being in the open, the space felt private. Intimate.

The server gave them menus. Even though she was hungry, Aurelia couldn’t imagine eating. She chose a salad and iced tea. Stephen ordered a pizza and soda.

“You know why I decided to do the show,” she said. “Why did you?”

He picked up his fork and turned it over in his hands. “A lot of reasons. I wanted to get out of South Salmon and this was a good way.”

“A good way? You left college in your last semester. How is that smart?”

Stephan rolled his eyes but Aurelia persisted.

“Getting an education can’t hurt. What are you going to do when the show is over?”

Stephen put down the fork and leaned toward her. “I don’t want to fly.”

“I don’t understand. You want to drive back to Alaska?”

He laughed. “No. I mean I don’t want to be a pilot, like my brother. I don’t want to go into the family business.”

“Oh.” She knew all about family expectations. Despite the fact that she was nearly thirty, she had never once been able to please her mother. “Is that what Finn wants? He expects you to go into the family business?”

“It’s implied.”

“Have you told him how you feel?”

“No. He doesn’t care about that.”

Aurelia shook her head. “You’re talking about a man who flew a thousand miles to make sure you and your brother were okay. I think he cares a lot about you.”

“That’s different. He wants me home so he can control me. If I were to tell him that I wanted to be an engineer, he’d fly me up to ten thousand feet and kick me out of the airplane.”

“Now you’re talking like a kid.”

“Hey!” He straightened. “Where do you get off saying that?”

“Look at your actions. You’re not willing to sit down and talk to Finn. Instead, you ran off. How is that mature?”

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I’m a disinterested third party.” Disinterested probably wasn’t the right word. Embarrassingly enough, she found herself more than a little interested in Stephen. Why couldn’t he have been thirty instead of twenty? Life was nothing if not karmically cruel.

“Besides,” she continued. “If you’re one semester away from graduation, he already knows your major.”

“The major isn’t important as long as I come back home.” He shook his head. “When our folks died, things were bad. Finn took care of us. Now he can’t let that go. He thinks we’re still the little kids who needed him.”

“You should talk to him,” she said. “Why wouldn’t he be happy that you wanted to be an engineer? It’s a good, solid job.”

“I’ve known him all my life, Aurelia. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Finn would never approve.”

She wanted to argue but didn’t. After all, there were plenty of people who would tell her to simply stand up to her mother. From the outside it seemed so easy. But from the inside, everything was different. She couldn’t seem to survive the waves of guilt every time she tried. It was as if her mother had been given an instruction manual on how to manipulate her and had memorized every page.

Stephen had been one of the few people to accept her limitations. “I do trust you,” she said.

In the square, someone called their names. She and Stephen turned toward the sound of several people running. One of the production assistants hurried up to them.

“There you are,” Karen said, sounding breathless. “We’ve been looking everywhere. Geoff is furious. We’re all packing up and going home. You have to come right now.”

Aurelia looked at Stephen, who shrugged. “I guess we’ll get something to eat at the airport,” he said.

“Hurry,” the production assistant said. “We have to get to the airport. Geoff is furious that there wasn’t a date.”

Aurelia and Stephen walked out of the restaurant. As they followed the production assistant to the elevators, he leaned close.

“Geoff was wrong,” he whispered in her ear. “There was a date and I had a great time.”

Deep inside of her, she felt her heart give a little tug. “Me, too,” she whispered back.

He smiled at her and took her hand in his.