Fool's Gold Collection Part 2. Susan Mallery

grumbled. “You have Finn.”

      Not as much as they thought. “He’s only here temporarily. As soon as he gets his brothers to go back home or figures out it’s time to let go, he’ll return to South Salmon.”

      “What about a long-distance relationship?” Montana asked.

      Dakota shook her head. “Finn and I want different things. He’s tired of being responsible and I want to get serious. In fact, he told me he’s concerned I’m getting too attached, so I don’t think we’re going to see each other anymore.”

      Both her sisters stared at her.

      “He didn’t,” Nevada breathed.

      “He did.”

      “Butthead,” Montana grumbled. “I liked him. Why do all the guys I like have to be jerks?”

      “Max isn’t a jerk,” Nevada said.

      “Would you lay off Max? He’s old enough to be my father and while he’s nice and everything, um, ick. He’s my boss.”

      “The boss-secretary romance is very popular,” Dakota said, her voice teasing. “What about that ‘Ms. Jones, you’re so beautiful’ moment? That could be fun.”

      “I don’t want to have sex with Max. Ever!”

      Nevada looked at Dakota. “I hope she makes up her mind soon. All this indecision exhausts me.”

      Dakota sighed as she leaned back in her chair. “Me, too.”

      “I’m ignoring you both,” Montana grumbled.

      Nevada laughed.

      “We’ll all find someone,” Dakota told her sisters. “Statistically, it’s bound to happen.”

      “I love math as much as the next girl,” Nevada said, “but I don’t find it very comforting when it’s applied to my love life.”

      “You could go to South Salmon with Finn,” Montana suggested.

      Dakota shook her head. “First, he hasn’t asked.” If anything, he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in keeping things going for the next two days, let alone twenty years. “Second, I don’t want to. I’m sure it’s a wonderful place to live, but my life is here. I love Fool’s Gold. My family is here. My history, my friends. I belong here. When Geoff’s show wraps up, I’m going back to work for Raoul and develop the curriculum for the program we want to start.”

      She was also thinking of opening a private practice. Just part-time, seeing a few patients a week.

      “His loss,” Nevada said firmly. “I’d thought the guy had a brain, but I was wrong.”

      “I wish I had a dog that liked to bite people.” Montana wrinkled her nose. “A really big, scary, biting dog. That would show him. Maybe I could train one of the dogs to bite on command.”

      Dakota leaned forward and hugged them. “I love you both,” she whispered.

      “We love you, too.”

      She was lucky, she reminded herself. No matter what, she would never have to deal with the dips in her life alone. There were people who cared about her. People who would always be there for her. And eventually, because she refused to give up hope, she would have a child. And that would be enough.

      CHAPTER TEN

      FINN FOUND SASHA AND LANI playing volleyball in the park. His brother had recovered from his minor burns and seemed to be doing just fine. Sasha spotted him and waved but didn’t break away from his game.

      After watching for a few minutes, Finn wandered away. It was Saturday afternoon on a warm spring day. Much of the town seemed to be outside taking walks, running errands. He saw parents with small children, old ladies walking little dogs. The fire department had pulled one of their trucks up to the park. Children scrambled over the shiny rig. Restaurants and coffee shops had set up tables outside, taking advantage of the mild weather.

      Two of the other couples on the show were away on dates. Finn thought they might have gone to Lake Tahoe. Regardless of their destination, there was no filming in town today.

      He walked through the park, remembering that Stephen had told him he and Aurelia were going to have a picnic by the lake. Twenty minutes later he found them on a blanket in the shade of a tall tree. Aurelia sat cross-legged while Stephen lay on his stomach, looking at her. Their expressions were intense, as if they were talking about something important.

      Finn hesitated, torn between the normal polite response of not wanting to interrupt and the need to come between a sophisticated older woman and his brother. Then Aurelia spotted him and waved him over.

      “How’s it going?” he asked, hovering at the edge of the blanket, not comfortable sitting down.

      Stephen sat up. “Good. We were just talking.”

      “I have an overbearing mother,” Aurelia admitted. “We’re strategizing. I’m going to stand up to her and tell her to get off my back.” She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds so brave. I’m fearless, right up until I see her. Then I crumble.” She looked at Finn. “Any suggestions for gathering courage while facing a private demon? Not that my mother is a demon. She has her reasons for running my life. I’m the one with the problem.”

      Finn was having a little trouble following her conversation. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

      Stephen laughed. “Typical guy response to an emotional situation. When in doubt, distance yourself, then run.”

      “You’re not running,” Finn said. “Why is that?”

      “I like Aurelia. We have a lot in common.” Stephen sat up. “We’re both the quiet ones in our family, we like the same movies, we enjoy reading.”

      “I finished college and you didn’t,” Aurelia said with a quick smile. “Oh, wait. That’s a difference.”

      Her teasing but effective dig surprised Finn.

      “You’re taking my side on the college thing?” he asked, incredulous.

      “It does seem a little shortsighted to go all the way to your last semester and then quit.” Instead of looking at Stephen, Aurelia looked at him. “Stephen’s been majoring in engineering.”

      “I know,” Finn told her. He didn’t understand. She seemed to think the words were significant. He was Stephen’s older brother. Of course he knew what he was studying.

      Stephen shot her a look that silenced her. When she ducked her head, he reached out his hand and touched her arm.

      Finn stood there, feeling like the odd man out. There was an undercurrent he didn’t understand and made him uncomfortable. Which made him miss Dakota. She would get it and smooth the situation over. She did that kind of thing.

      “I, ah, have to get going,” Finn said quickly. “You two kids have fun today.”

      He hurried away, not sure where he was going but wanting to get far away.

      What was up with those two? As for Aurelia supporting the idea of Stephen finishing college, he couldn’t tell if that meant she was an okay person, as Dakota had claimed, or if this was all part of her cougar game.

      He kept walking. The park was filled with residents and tourists. Young children offered bread to the ducks by the pond. He caught sight of someone with blond hair and a familiar build. Dakota!

      He turned toward her, frowning when the family between them moved. No. Not Dakota. One of her sisters walking several dogs wearing service vests. He stood in place until she was out of sight. His cell phone rang.

      He checked the screen and recognized Bill’s number. “How’s it going?”

      “Great. The new guy’s a terrific pilot. There’s