She clutched the phone with both hands as panic made it impossible to breathe.
“Slow down,” Gideon said. “What do you need?”
“I don’t know. Everything. The festival is ruined.”
“Can’t ruin what hasn’t started. Figure out what you need and call me. I’ll head to the station and put the word out. We have three days. In Fool’s Gold time, that’s a month. We’ll get it done.”
“I hope you’re right,” she whispered and disconnected the call.
Her office, she thought. She had to get to her office.
She turned to head that way and found all her friends standing on the sidewalk.
“You were eating lunch,” she said, confused to see them there.
Charlie waved her burger. “You can get food to go. Jo grumbles, but she’ll do it.”
Patience touched Felicia’s arm. “You’re in trouble. We want to help.”
Isabel smiled. “We heard what you said on the phone. We’re going with you to your office, and we’ll split the to-do list. Gideon can put out a request for help on the radio and you’ll have plenty of volunteers.”
“That’s what he said,” Felicia murmured, still unable to grasp what would happen. “You can’t help me. You’re all busy.”
Noelle shook her head. “Nothing that can’t wait. You need us. Later, you’ll return the favor. No big deal.”
“Let’s call Dellina,” Isabel said. “We all saw what she did with Charlie’s wedding. The girl has mad skills.”
“Thank you,” Felicia said fervently. “I’m so confused, I don’t know where to begin.”
“Admitting there’s a problem is always the first step,” Patience said, putting an arm around her. “Now, let’s go to your office and get this festival going.”
* * *
AT SIX, FELICIA made her way through the corridors of city hall. She’d phoned ahead and had an appointment with the mayor. She’d already printed out and signed her letter of resignation, which she couldn’t bring herself to think about. Every time she did, her stomach hurt and she thought she might throw up.
She loved Fool’s Gold more than any place she’d ever lived, and she’d let down the town. She’d messed up her job, and she was only in month two. She honestly wasn’t sure which was more surprising—her shock at forgetting or how devastated she felt for having forgotten. She hadn’t known she was capable of feeling so much guilt and remorse.
The mayor’s door stood open. There was no one sitting out front, so Felicia knocked on the door frame and stepped inside.
Mayor Marsha sat at a large desk. Behind her were a U.S.A. flag, a state flag and a city flag. Big windows framed a view of the town. Mayor Marsha looked up and smiled.
“There you are, Felicia. Have a seat.”
Felicia moved to the offered chair and sat down. She put the folder on the desk and pushed it toward the other woman.
“What is this?” the mayor asked, reaching for the folder.
“My letter of resignation. I’m sorry I didn’t get it to you sooner.”
Mayor Marsha picked up the folder, turned in her chair, bent over and started a machine. Felicia heard a whirring sound, followed by the grind of shredding paper.
“I don’t think so,” the mayor said as she straightened. “You’re not getting away from us so easily.”
Felicia shook her head. “You don’t have to be nice to me. I messed up. I forgot the festival. I got caught up in my personal life and I forgot. I have no excuse other than carelessness. I deserve to be fired.”
“I doubt that. Besides, the more important question is what the town deserves. I believe we should have the very best, and that, my dear, is you.”
For the second time in less than a week Felicia was fighting tears. “You don’t understand,” she said, blinking rapidly. “I was wrong.”
“You were human.”
“I wasn’t thinking about work.”
“Bravo.”
“Wh-what?”
“There has been too much work in your life. You copublished your first scientific article when you were eleven. Growing up in that university, you worked in the lab seven days a week. Did you ever take off even a day? Go on vacation?”
Felicia considered the question. “A professor and her family took me to see Mount Rushmore once.”
“How lovely. But a child needs more. We need you, Felicia. We need your intelligence and organizational skills, but we also need your heart. I’ve seen you with Carter. I’ve heard how much he cares about you. You’re building a family, and that’s something to be very proud of.”
Felicia twisted her hands together. “Please don’t be nice to me. I did a terrible thing.”
The mayor smiled. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to punish you. I learned many, many years ago that harsh words can never be unspoken, and they have consequences. Since then I have vowed to weigh what I say first. You need to learn to accept your flaws and forgive yourself. A wise man I know has told me the same thing, and I suspect he’s right.” She smiled. “Sensible words from a handsome man. What is the world coming to?”
Felicia had no idea what she was talking about. “The festival,” she began.
The mayor cut her off with a shake of her head. “Come here.”
Felicia rose and followed her to the window. They could see down Fourth Street to Frank Lane. Everywhere she looked people were hanging banners and putting out pots of flowers. As she watched, a truck pulled up. Two men started unloading dog water stations.
“In two days, the booths will be put up and the vendors will start to arrive. The dog costume parade will begin on time, as will all the demonstrations and lectures. Most of the festival was already put in place. You forgot a few window dressings.”
“But it’s my job and I screwed up.”
“I see. What have you learned from this experience?”
“That I’m not infallible. That I can be distracted, which I never knew. I learned I need to check my calendar before I take a day off and...” She paused, aware the mayor was staring at her expectantly. As if none of these answers had been correct.
She thought about how she’d felt when she’d realized what she’d done. Sick to her stomach. But Gideon had been there for her, as had her friends.
“I learned it’s okay to ask for help,” she murmured.
The mayor put her hand on Felicia’s shoulder. “Exactly. You’re one of us now, child. And we take care of our own.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s late. You should get home to your family.”
* * *
THURSDAY AFTERNOON FELICIA checked her diagram against the construction being done in the park. Part of the Dog Days festival included a show ring. The local “best dog” contests would be judged here, and there would be demonstrations by different canine groups. A rancher from Stockton was bringing his herding dogs, and a local agility club would show off their dogs. Montana Hendrix-Bradley would give a lecture on service dogs.
“There you are!”
Felicia turned and saw Pia walking toward her. The other woman, finally showing her pregnancy, grinned as she approached.
“You screwed up,” Pia said, hugging her. “I’m so happy.”
Felicia stood still, not sure what to say.
Pia continued to smile. “Thank God. All I’ve been hearing is how amazing you are, how much better the festivals have been since you took over. I was getting a complex. Now I discover you’re really human, so I can like you again.” She linked arms with Felicia. “Okay, show me what you’re doing so I can coo over it.”
It was a quick emotional roller coaster, but still impressive for all its brevity. Felicia pressed her free hand to her chest. “You’re going to need to give me a minute to catch up.”
“Pshaw. You’re doing great.” They started toward the park. “I have to say this is one of my favorite festivals. You know it’s not just dogs, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“People bring all kinds
of pets. They dress them up, too. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve seen a pair of tuxedo cats dressed like a bride and groom.”
“Why would someone do that to pets they supposedly love?” She shook her head. “Never mind. As a culture we want to anthropomorphize everything from cars to animals. I’ve never been able to figure out if it’s because we think we’re the best species or if we enjoy communication so much, we want to pretend everything around us can talk. I wonder if anyone has done a study on that. It would make a very interesting dissertation for a variety of fields of study.”
She realized they’d come to a stop and Pia was staring at her.
“You are so weird,” the other woman said. “But I still like you. I’ll admit, I was reluctant to hand over my festivals to anyone, but you’re the perfect fit.”
“You’re only saying that because I messed up.”
Pia laughed. “In part. When I realized I couldn’t do the job anymore, I went to Mayor Marsha. We each made a list of the five people we thought would do the job best. You were number one on both our lists.”
“But you didn’t know me.”
“I’d heard about you. I asked around.” She started walking again. “Okay, show me where the iguana display is going to be.”
Felicia blinked. “There’s supposed to be an iguana display?”
Pia grinned. “Kidding. You’re so easy. But I happen to know the funnel cake guy is all set up. Let’s go there and I’ll buy you a funnel cake.”
* * *
GIDEON AND CARTER strolled through the center of town. The sidewalks were crowded as people waited for the costume parade.
Carter looked around at all the people with their pets. “I thought it was the ‘Dog Days’ of summer,” he said quietly, pointing. “That lady’s holding a rabbit.”
“It’s kind of a town thing.” Gideon figured in Fool’s Gold people wouldn’t want to restrict themselves to simply celebrating dogs.
“I’ve never been anywhere like this before,” Carter told him. “It’s strange, but still nice. Felicia was saying that in the next festival some guy gets his heart cut out.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s symbolic and not genuine.”
“You mean there won’t be any blood?”
“Sorry. They don’t even use a real knife.”
“Bummer.” Carter grinned at him. “It would be a great threat to use all year.”
“Take out the garbage or I’ll sign you up to get your heart cut out?”
“Sure.”
“I didn’t know you were so bloodthirsty.”
They were still snickering when Eddie joined them. Today her tracksuit was apple-green. She hurried over, her expression determined.
“We’re getting our bowling shirts next week,” she announced. “I saw a sample, and they’re going to look wonderful. They’re fuchsia.”
Gideon stared at her. “Wasn’t I supposed to approve the sample?”
She waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal. “They’re fine. You’ll love them.” Her smile turned sly. “I took the liberty of ordering a couple of extras. One for you and one for Carter.”
“Cool,” Carter told her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She looked at Gideon. “He’s a very nice young man. You should get him a dog.”
With that, she left.
Carter stared up at him. “A dog?”
“No.”
“But a boy needs a dog.”
“Did you two plan this?”
“No. I’ve never met that lady before in my life.”
“You’ll have to make do with a bowling shirt. By the way, they’re pink.”
“She said they’re fuchsia.”
“Do you know what color fuchsia is?” Gideon asked.
“No.”
“It’s pink.”
“About that dog,” Carter began.
Fortunately, they turned the corner and Gideon saw Ford up ahead. He waved to his friend, who headed toward them.
“Have you seen my mother?” Ford asked, looking over his shoulder.
“No. Carter, this is Ford Hendrix. Ford, my son, Carter.”
“Hey,” Ford said, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He looked around. “She’s here.”
“Who?”
“My mother. She wants to find me a wife.”
Gideon remembered talk of the booth at the Fourth of July festival. “That’s right. She’s taking applications. How’s that working out for you?”
Ford glared at him. “If there wasn’t a young man standing here, I would tell you exactly how it’s working out for me.”
“I don’t mind if you swear,” Carter told him. “I’ve heard it all. Why don’t you want to get married?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Are you in love with someone else? Because if you’re not, Felicia’s awesome. She’s totally hot and she can cook and she’s very organized.”
Now it was Gideon’s turn to glare, but at his son rather than his friend. “What are you doing?”
Carter shrugged. “Felicia wants a family. She told me. If you haven’t made your move yet, Dad, you need to step out of the way and let some other guy have a shot at her. She’s a babe. Not to me, because she’s like a stepmom, but Reese thinks she’s all that.”
Ford patted Gideon on the shoulder. “All right, bro. You have bigger problems than me. I find that comforting. Good luck.” He started to walk away, then turned back. “You should get that kid a dog.”
Carter beamed.
Gideon found himself wanting to pummel his friend and ground Carter for the next year. “Felicia can get her own guy.”
“She won’t go out with anyone else while she’s still with you. Unless you’re in love with her. You don’t have to tell me, of course,” he added. “I’m just a kid.”
He started to say he wasn’t in love with Felicia, that he was never going to love anyone. He couldn’t. To love was to be weak. But Carter wouldn’t understand that.
“You guys are great together,” Carter added. “If you’re worried I’ll be upset because you didn’t marry my mom, I won’t be. I promise.”
“Good to know.”
* * *
SUNDAY AFTERNOON CARTER and Reese lay on the grass in Reese’s front yard.
“I’m not getting anywhere,” Carter admitted, staring up at the blue sky. “Gideon won’t make his move.” Reese already knew about the fight the previous week. Although it hadn’t been part of his plan, afterward he’d realized they’d had to pull together to deal with him. He’d waited for days, hoping for a sign that things had progressed.
“You’re sure he didn’t say he loved her?” Reese asked.
“I’m sure. I practically asked and he didn’t answer.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about his feelings. My dad never does.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple. He wasn’t happy when I suggested Ford go out with her, but he also didn’t say no.” Carter needed Gideon and Felicia to get together. He needed them to be a family, and he was running out of ways to make that happen.
Reese sat up. “Okay, I have one more idea, but it’s risky. And we could both get in a lot of trouble.”
“Trouble isn’t always bad if it brings Felicia and Gideon together. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
* * *
FELICIA COULDN’T REMEMBER being this tired before, except maybe after the last festival. She had spent the past three days running from around six in the morning until midnight. Now it was close to ten Sunday evening and she could barely keep her eyes open.
“Thanks for picking me up,” she said, trying not to yawn.
“I know how long the days are,” Gideon told her as he drove up the mountain. “We’ll get your car in the morning.”
She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. “I’m not worried. No one is going to steal it.”
“Succumbing to small-town charm?”
“Uh-huh.”
>
She could feel herself starting to drift off. The sound of the car was soothing, and being around Gideon always made her feel safe. Sleep, she thought drowsily. She needed sleep.
“You know Ford Hendrix, right?”
“What?” She opened her eyes. “Sure. For a long time. He’s friends with Justice. A SEAL, but we don’t hold that against him.”
“You ever date him?”
“No. Ford falls into the brother category. Not as much as Justice, but close. His mother’s trying to find him a wife. I don’t think he’s excited about the prospect.”
“So if he wanted to go out with you, you wouldn’t be interested?”
Surprise added to alertness. “No. What a strange question. Ford and I are friends.” The only man she could imagine herself being with was Gideon. The thought of trying to be intimate with someone else made her uncomfortable.
Pair bonding, she thought. She’d bonded. She wasn’t sure that was the same as love, but it was a step on the road. Another sign of normal, she thought happily. If only she could figure out his feelings for her.
“Do you think we should get Carter a dog? A couple of people mentioned it today.”
“There are many reasons to have a dog in the family. They teach responsibility and demonstrate loyalty. Does Carter want a dog?”
“He said he did.”
“Do you?”
“I’m not sure.”
They arrived at the house. He parked in front. She climbed out of her side and started toward the house.
The night was dark and still. In the distance, she heard the soft hoot of an owl.
“There aren’t any lights on in the house,” she said as Gideon unlocked the door. “What time was Kent dropping off Carter?”
“Around nine. That’s what Carter said. Maybe he went to bed already.”
“He never has before. He always waits up.”
But he wasn’t in the living room. Felicia found herself coming completely awake as irrational panic swept through her.
“Carter?” she called as she hurried to his bedroom.
“He’s not in the media room,” Gideon yelled from downstairs.
He wasn’t in his bedroom, either, but he’d left a note on his desk.
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