“A little. We’re just wondering what happened.”
“Nothing that concerns any of you. I won’t discuss this and I don’t want you three talking about it, either.”
“Mom, why are you mad?”
“I’m not mad. I’m pointing out I don’t need my adult children butting into my private life.”
Montana felt as if she’d been slapped. “All right,” she murmured, standing. “We won’t discuss it again. I’m sorry.”
She grabbed her purse and ran to her car.
SIMON REACHED FOR HIS CELL phone. “Bradley.”
“It’s Erica. How are things in Fool’s Gold?”
“Good.”
Erica worked for the company that coordinated his assignments. As his time in Fool’s Gold would soon be ending, it made sense she was calling.
He glanced at the calendar on the wall. The months had gone by quickly.
“I have dozens of requests, as per usual,” she said. “After Peru, I think the two that look the best are either helping out at a clinic in Appalachia or joining a humanitarian aid group in Pakistan. I suppose it depends on where you want to spend those months. Both teams would be delighted to have you. Should I email the information?”
He felt a light scratching on his leg and glanced down. Cece gazed at him adoringly, obviously wanting to be in his lap. He scooped her up.
“Sure. Send the files and I’ll look them over. I can travel to either place.”
“If you’re going to Pakistan, you’ll need a couple more booster vaccines. One of the thrills of international travel.”
He petted the little dog as she stared at him. Love burned in her little brown eyes. When he shifted his hand so he was scratching her chest, she licked his wrist.
“Send me that information, as well,” he told her.
Erica agreed she would and they hung up.
Montana tapped on his partially open door, then entered. “Hi. I was waiting in the hall. I didn’t want to interrupt your call.”
“You wouldn’t have.”
She stopped in front of his desk. “I’m here to take Cece for a walk.”
The little dog had been spending most of her days at the hospital. When she couldn’t be in Kalinda’s room during a treatment or for meals, Fay dropped her off in his office.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking in the troubled expression.
“I had a fight with my mom. Except it wasn’t exactly a fight. I don’t know. I asked her about Max.”
“Your boss?”
She told him about the tattoo on her mom’s hip, how she’d had it for years, probably since before she’d gotten married.
“We never knew who the guy was. Even when Max moved here and hired me, I didn’t put it together. He never said anything and Mom never talked about him. But Nevada saw them together. Or rather, not together. They just stared at each other. It was intense.”
“But if they had a relationship, it was years ago.”
She sank into the chair on the other side of his desk. “I know, so it shouldn’t matter, right? She loved Dad. We all know that. But when I asked her about Max, she got angry and told me it wasn’t my business. That she didn’t want me and my sisters talking about her. She seemed really angry. We have a good relationship. I’m not used to being on the outs with her.”
“So talk to her again.”
“Maybe. I’m giving it a couple of days. I would apologize, only I didn’t do anything wrong. We’ve always been a family who talks about things. She and Dad encouraged that. No secrets. But here we are, ignoring a very tall man.”
He’d never had a close family, so he couldn’t relate to what she was feeling. What he did know was that Montana was hurt and he had to help.
“Maybe she’s embarrassed and doesn’t want you to know.”
“Embarrassed about what? An old boyfriend? Max is a great guy. I guess what scares me is that I always thought Dad was the great love of her life. But what if she loved Max, too?”
“People can love more than one person.”
“Other people. Not my mother.”
He relaxed back in his chair and petted Cece. “That’s rational.”
“I know.” She sighed. “As I said, I don’t usually fight with my mom and I don’t like it. All right, enough about me. Who were you talking to before? Is it okay to ask that? It sounded like you were talking about a trip.”
“My assignment after the next one.”
“Oh.”
She glanced at her lap, then back at him. “Where are you thinking of going?”
“Appalachia or Pakistan.”
“That’s a big difference.”
“There’s poverty in both places, and people who need my help.”
“How do you decide?”
“I have someone send me background information. I look over the cases and see which seems like the place I can do the most good.”
“So why did you come to Fool’s Gold?”
“The hospital set up a program that brought dozens of patients from several states here. Also children from Mexico. I don’t have to be in a Third World country to make a difference. I go where I think I can get the most accomplished.”
“I’m glad you chose us.”
He waited for more, for some hint that he should stay, or an attempt to make him feel guilty. Instead she smiled.
“You and Cece are becoming quite the item.”
“She’s my kind of girl.”
“Adoring?”
“It helps.”
“You are just such a typical guy.”
He knew that wasn’t true but liked hearing the words.
He rose, supporting the dog in his arms. “You okay?”
She stood as well. “I guess. I’ll talk to my mom and everything will be fine again.”
“Can I do anything to help?”“You already did. Talking about it was good.” She reached for Cece. “I’ll take her for a walk and bring her back.”
He glanced at the clock. “I have to prep for surgery.”
“Okay, then I’ll go to Kalinda’s room and see if Cece can stay there. If not, I’ll take her back to Max’s.”
Simon waited for her to ask more questions about where he would be going, or to suggest he should stay. Instead she kissed him lightly, then walked out of his office, leaving him very much alone.
“HOLD STILL,” DAKOTA grumbled, checking the hot curlers clinging to Montana’s head. “These have to stay in longer.”
“How much longer? They hurt.” Montana did her best to ignore the sense of heat burning perilously close to her right ear. She was more a curling iron kind of girl, but hot rollers made the curls last longer.
“You’re such a baby,” Nevada told her, lounging on the bed, flipping through a magazine.
“So says the woman in jeans and a T-shirt.”
“I’m not the one going to a fancy fundraiser. I don’t have to dress up.” Nevada sounded smug.
Montana stood in the bathroom off her bedroom and checked her makeup. Dakota hovered behind her, worried about Montana’s hair.
She’d asked her sisters over to help her get ready so she wouldn’t be too much in her own head before her date with Simon. Wanting to be perfect for him was a whole lot more work than she’d thought, and she didn’t need the added stress of making herself crazy.
“You look amazing,” Dakota said. “Leave your makeup alone. Give your hair five more minutes, then I’ll take out the rollers and we’ll fluff.”
“And spray,” Nevada called. “Her hair is pretty long. Those curls are going to need help staying in.”
Montana studied her face. She’d done a decent job creating a smoky eye and had even applied her lipstick with an annoyingly tiny brush. Once her hair was done, she would put on the onyx and diamond earrings her grandmother had left her, and she’d be ready.
Her dress was simple—a sleeveless, black tank style with two-inch-wide straps. The whole thing was fitted and short, dipping just low enough in front to be intriguing. She’d smoothed on a lotion with a faint shimmer, giving her tanned legs a glow. Fancy, high-heeled black sandals waited by the front door, and Dakota had lent her a black satin clutch.
“I’ll give you this,” Nevada said, looking up from her magazine, “the curves are impressive.”
Montana laughed. “You have the same ones.”
“They look better on you.”
“Thanks. You should see what I have on underneath.”
“Shapewear?” Dakota asked.
“It’s practically bulletproof. I can’t breathe, but it makes a big difference.”
She walked barefoot into the bedroom. “Anybody talk to Mom in the past day or so?”
Her sisters exchanged a glance, then looked at her and shook their heads. She’d already told them what had happened when she’d brought up the subject of Max.
“We shouldn’t have let you do that yourself,” Dakota told her. “We should have spoken to her together. Strength in numbers, and all that. She couldn’t be mad at all of us.”
“I’m not so sure,” Montana told her. “She was pretty upset. The thing is, I don’t know why. We’re talking about something that happened over thirty-five years ago. No one cares about that.”
Nevada sat up. “She does. What we don’t know is why. Want us to all go talk to her?”
“No. I’m going to wait a little longer, then go see her myself. One of the things she told me was that she doesn’t want us talking about her and Max. So having us bring it up might make things worse.”
Dakota motioned for Montana to return to the bathroom. After the now-cool rollers were removed, Montana bent at the waist and finger-combed her hair. When it was fluffed sufficiently, Dakota sprayed.
Montana straightened, smoothed her hair in place, then covered her face with her hands for the second spraying.
“You look amazing,” Nevada said, sounding impressed. “Maybe I should grow my hair out.”
Montana fingered the long, curly hair that tumbled well past her shoulders. Going back to her natural blond color last year had been the right decision. “Thanks,” she said, hoping Simon would be blown away.
Dakota leaned against the counter. “You’re crazy about him, aren’t you?”
“I am. I should have been more careful, but I wasn’t and now every time we’re together, I wonder how much longer we’ll have before he leaves.”
“You’re sure he’s going?” Nevada asked.
“Yes. He’d already made plans to go to Peru. That’s next. He’s working on the assignment after that. It could be anywhere from Appalachia to Pakistan.”
“Have you talked to him about it?” Dakota asked.
“More than once.”
She wasn’t comfortable telling them that Simon believed that one of the prices of his gift was that he had to always be on the move. Especially since she didn’t think that came close to the heart of the matter. His wound went deeper. How could he trust—truly trust—after what he’d been through as a child? Distance was safe.
“I know he’s lonely and that he wants to belong. He just won’t let himself.”
“Given what happened to him when he was a kid, I’m not surprised,” Nevada said. “Rules help. They create boundaries. The last thing this guy wants is something out of his control. His mother got out of control and look what happened. Caring is messy and unpredictable. His way keeps him safe. Sure, he misses out on a lot, but even that discomfort doesn’t surprise him. He knows what to expect.”
Both Montana and Dakota turned to stare at her.
“What?” Nevada demanded.
“That was very insightful,” Dakota told her.
“I may not have a Ph.D. in psychology, but I’m not a complete idiot when it comes to relationships.”
“Apparently not,” Dakota said with a grin.
There was a knock on the door.
Montana’s stomach tightened. She walked to the front of the house, and pulled open the door.
She took in the well-tailored, dark suit, the blinding white shirt and the red power tie. But what really caught her attention was the look of admiration and lust on Simon’s face.
“Hi,” she said, stepping back to let him in. “I’m ready. I just have to get my bag.”
He grabbed her arm. “Montana,” he said, his voice husky. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.”
She returned to the bedroom and found her sisters standing in the doorway, listening.
“I was hoping for more,” Nevada said. “That he would be overwhelmed and have sex with you right there on the sofa.”
“Not with you two listening.”
“We would have let ourselves out the back.”
Montana pushed between them and grabbed her small clutch. “You still can.” She grinned. “Besides, you didn’t see the look on his face.”
Dakota laughed. “Point taken. Have fun. Call and tell us all the details.”
“I will,” Montana promised, and returned to the living room. “I’m ready.”
“Me, too,” Simon said with a sigh. “I’d prefer to stay here for a while, but if we’re too late, they’ll get suspicious.”
She thought about mentioning the fact that her sisters were standing in her bedroom, but then decided he didn’t need to know that. Besides, there was always later. “Rain check?”