In less time than he would have thought possible, the camp had been transformed. There were desks and chairs, playground equipment, books, papers and people prepping lunch.
Dakota joined him, a clipboard in hand.
“This is great,” she said. “Like the first day of school, only better.”
“The kids would have probably enjoyed more time off.”
She laughed. “You’re right, but education is important.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Everyone thinks you’re amazing for giving the town this place. Such a nice guy.”
“There are worse things to be.”
She looked surprised. “Most guys don’t want to be nice. It keeps them from getting the girl.”
He’d never had much trouble getting the girl. “A nice guy changed my life. Being like him would make me a happy man.”
Hawk wasn’t a pushover. He was a tough guy who did the right thing. Raoul doubted his old friend would have been fooled by Caro. The irony was Raoul had done his best to make sure he was choosing the right person. But he’d still managed to screw up.
“I need to check with a couple of teachers,” Dakota said and excused herself.
Three more cars pulled up and parked. Pia climbed out of one and waved in his direction.
She wore a dark skirt and boots. Her sweater was the color of her eyes. Not only did he notice, he found himself wanting to walk toward her. Meet her halfway. That image morphed into his mouth on hers, hands everywhere and a whole lot less clothing.
Not a good idea, he reminded himself. Pia was headed in a whole different direction. Besides, he had rules about small towns and the female residents. Pia might tempt him, but making her an exception would be a disaster…for both of them.
“Isn’t this the best?” she asked as she approached. “There was actual traffic coming up the mountain. I love it when a plan comes together.”
A bus pulled up. When the door opened, kids spilled out. One boy, skinny with bright red hair, ran over to Pia.
Raoul recognized him as the kid who had flinched when he’d tried to help the boy out of the smoky classroom. As he watched, Pia and the kid greeted each other with a complicated handshake.
“You remembered!” the boy crowed. “I knew you would.”
“It’s our thing,” Pia told him with a laugh. “You’d better get to class. Have fun.”
“I will.”
He turned and ran off.
“You know him?” Raoul asked.
“Peter?” Pia shook her head. “We met Saturday at the park. He was there with his friends. Why?”
He thought about the smoke-filled classroom. Maybe Peter had been scared of the fire instead of him. Maybe he’d imagined the whole thing.
Even as his gut told him he hadn’t, he knew he wasn’t going to say anything. Not until he had more information.
“I think he was in the class where I was speaking,” he said. “When the fire started.”
“Oh. Maybe. He’s the right age.” She shifted her handbag onto her other shoulder. “What’s your calendar like over the next couple of days? Technically I still owe you a meeting.”
“How about today?”
“What time?”
“Noon. We’ll have lunch.”
She hesitated. “You don’t have to buy me lunch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I was going to let you pay.”
She laughed. “Oh, well, in that case, sure. We’ll go to the Fox and Hound. They make a mean salad, and you look like a guy who enjoys lettuce.”
“I might surprise you.”
Something flickered in her eyes. As quickly as it appeared, it faded. She nodded.
“You might at that.”
CHAPTER FIVE
PIA LOOKED AT THE HANDSOME man sitting across from her in the restaurant and told herself to focus on business. She was here in a purely professional capacity—not to enjoy the view. Though Raoul was pretty enough to dazzle anyone.
They’d already placed their orders and their drinks had been delivered. Pia had chosen diet soda, with the passing thought that if she went ahead with the pregnancy, she could kiss her artificial-sweetener habit goodbye, at least for nine months.
“You grew up in Seattle, right?” she asked, thinking a little chitchat was in order. She was allowed to be friendly.
“Until college,” he told her.
“I’ve never been, but I’m guessing it’s nothing like Fool’s Gold.”
“It’s a lot bigger and there’s a lot more rain. Seattle has mountains, only they’re not as close.”
“Why didn’t you move back there?”
He flashed her a grin that made her pulse do a little cheer. “Too much rain for me. It’s gray a lot. I like to see the sun.” He picked up his iced tea.
“Is that why you abandoned them during college? You could have gone to the University of Washington.”
“The other offers were better and Coach thought I should get out of the state and see the rest of the country. Except for him and his wife, and my girlfriend, I didn’t have all that much I was leaving behind.”
“What about your family?”
He shook his head. “I never knew my dad. One of my brothers died when I was a kid. He was shot. My mom—” He shrugged. “I spent a lot of years in foster care.”
There was something about the way he said the words. Bad things had happened, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what. “I spent a year in the system,” she admitted. “Here.”
“You?”
“My senior year of high school. My dad died and my mom left to live with her sister in Florida. She said it would be better for me to stay here so I could graduate with my friends, but the truth was she didn’t want to be bothered.” Pia frowned. “I haven’t seen her since. She didn’t come back for my graduation and she made it clear I wasn’t welcome there. So I stayed. Went to community college for a couple of years before transferring to a four-year university. Got a job with the city when I came back.”
She forced a smile. “They tried to offer me a football scholarship, but those uniforms don’t really suit me.”
“This is your home,” he said, his dark eyes serious. “Where you belong.”
“You’re right. Every couple of years I think I should go somewhere else. L.A. or San Francisco. Phoenix, even. But I won’t leave. Which probably seems pretty boring to you.”
“No. It’s what I want, too. I thought I’d settle in Dallas. The fans are great and I enjoyed the city. I came here because of what Keith had said about his hometown. He made it sound like something out of a movie. When I got here for the golf tournament, I found out he’d been right. I liked everything about Fool’s Gold. So I came back and then I decided to move here.”
She wondered if he was running to something or from something. Not exactly a casual question.
“So this is your first small town,” she said. “Then you need to know the rules.”
“Didn’t I get them in my welcome packet?” The corner of his mouth twitched as he spoke.
She did her best not to smile in return. “No. But they’re very important. You mess up even a little and your life will be hell.”
He leaned toward her. “What are the rules?”
“There are the expected things—keep the living room and kitchen picked up. You never know when you’re going to have company. Don’t mess with a married woman.” She paused. “Or man, depending on your preferences.”
“Thanks for the news flash.”
“Don’t favor any one business over another. Spread the wealth. For example, the best places for hair are owned by two sisters. Bella and Julia Gionni. But you can’t go to just one. Trust me. Just alternate. When you’re at Bella’s, she’ll trash Julia and vice versa. It’s kind of like dinner theater, with highlights.”
He looked more wary than amused. “Maybe I should go out of town for my haircuts.”
“Coward.”
“I know my limitations.”
“You’re the one who bought the camp here. Now you’re stuck.”
His face was handsome, in a rugged man’s man sort of way. She liked the stubborn set of his jaw and the way his dark hair fell across his forehead.
“Can I get those rules in writing?” he asked.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Their server arrived with their meals. Pia had chosen the barbecue chicken salad, while Raoul had picked a burger.
“How did you find the camp?” Pia asked, reaching for her fork. “I’ve lived here all my life and I barely remember knowing about it.”
“I went for a drive,” he told her. “I followed some old signs and found it. I’d had this idea about doing something with kids, but I wasn’t sure what. When I saw the camp, I knew it was what I’d been looking for.”
He held his burger but didn’t take a bite. “The summer program is where we’re starting, but I’m hoping we can do more. Be year-round. Bring kids in for intensive two-and three-week sessions where we focus on one or two subjects. Mostly science and math. Not enough kids are excited about those subjects.”
“You’d have to coordinate with school districts,” she said. “To complement their current curriculum.”
“That’s what Dakota’s working on. We’re thinking middle-school-aged kids. Get them excited before high school.”
He had plenty of passion about the subject, she thought, taking a bite of her salad. What was he like when he was with a woman? Was the same passion there?
An interesting topic, she thought, but not one she would pursue. Even without the potential pregnancy in her future, she knew better than to get involved with a high-powered guy like him. Or any guy. For some reason, men made it a habit of leaving her. If they hadn’t wanted to stick around before, what luck would she have getting them to stay when she had three kids?
Three kids? Her head started to swim. She forced herself to think about something less frightening.
“Having the school use the facility is an interesting way to work out any problems,” she said. “And here everyone thought you were just being nice.”
He chuckled. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
“Even if it wasn’t, the camp is a great idea. I know a lot of the kids in town appreciated being able to head up there every day this past summer. Or should I say their moms appreciated it. Summer can be a very long three months.”
PIA’S HAZEL EYES DANCED with amusement. Raoul found himself watching her rather than eating. He liked her, which was a good start. He wanted to get to know her better, yet even if he ignored the foolishness of getting involved so close to home, there was the issue of the embryos.
“Why did you want to work with kids?” she asked. “Because of the coach who helped you?”
“How’d you know?”
“The way you talk about him.”
“Yeah, it was him. He saw something in me I couldn’t see in myself. His wife, too, although they weren’t married at the time.” He smiled at the memory. “My senior year of high school I was one of the football captains.”
“Of course you were,” she muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing. Go on.”
“Each captain was supposed to bring doughnuts to practice. Once we started two-a-days, I had to quit my summer job. I was living in an abandoned building and didn’t have any money.”
“Time-out. You were homeless?”
“It wasn’t so bad.” It had been a whole lot better than dealing with his foster father. The man had never met a kid he hadn’t wanted to hit. One day Raoul had hit him back. Hard. Then he’d left.
“It can’t have been good,” she said, sounding worried.
“I’m fine.”
“But you weren’t.”
“I got by. My point is, I tried to steal them.”
“The doughnuts? You stole doughnuts?”
“I didn’t get away with it. The lady who owned the bakery caught me and she was pissed.” She’d also toppled him with a crutch, a fact he still found humiliating.
“I ended up working for her, then eventually I went to live with her. Nicole Keyes. She liked to think she was tough, but she wasn’t.”
“You loved her,” Pia said softly.
“A lot. If I’d been ten years older, I would have given Hawk a run for his money.” He chuckled. “Maybe not. I had a girlfriend at the time and she would have objected.” He glanced at Pia. “My girlfriend was Hawk’s daughter.”
“You’re making that up.”
“It’s true.” They’d had a lot of plans, he remembered. Marriage. A dozen kids. “We lasted through my first year of college. Then she dumped me. I got over it.”
“Are you still friends with Hawk and Nicole?”
“Sure. They got married and are really happy together. I even keep in touch with Brittany.”
“Does he know about your crush?”
“Probably.”
“Interesting. I can’t begin to bond with a story of my own.”
“Your best friend left you three embryos. You’d win.” He picked up his burger again. “Hawk and Nicole taught me to do the right thing. What’s that phrase? They’re the voice in my head, telling me what to do next. I don’t want to let them down.”
“They’re your family,” Pia said wistfully. “That’s nice.”
He remembered she didn’t have much of a family. A dead father and a mother with the nurturing skills of an insect. If she had the kids, she would belong, he thought. But he would bet she hadn’t considered that. Pia would choose to carry the embryos because it was the right thing to do. She didn’t need an example—she just knew.
She pushed aside her salad and drew a folder out of her large bag. “Go ahead and eat,” she told him. “I’ll tell you what I’ve come up with and you can think of reasons to tell me I’m brilliant while you chew.”
“I like a woman with a plan.”
PIA GLANCED AT HER WATCH and was stunned to see it was already after two. “Yikes. I have a three o’clock I need to get to,” she said, opening her wallet and pulling out a couple of bills.
“You’re not buying me lunch,” Raoul told her, picking up the check.
“But you said—”
“I was kidding.”
“Too macho to let a woman pay for your food?”
“Something like that.”
He tossed money onto the bill, then stood. When she rose as well, he moved close and placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked out.
She was aware of every millimeter of contact. Her faux-cashmere sweater only amplified the sensation of heat and pressure.
When they reached the sidewalk, she turned to face him. “I’ll get back to you with a schedule of deadlines,” she said. “I think coordinating with a few of the festivals will work out well for the camp.”
She found herself wanting to babble, even if she avoided looking directly at him. What was wrong with her? This wasn’t a date. They weren’t at her door and she wasn’t debating whether to invite him in. This had been a business meeting.
“Thanks for your help,” he said.
She drew in a breath, squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “You’re welcome. You know Robert, our former treasurer, was the kind of man everyone thought was nice, and he ended up stealing millions.”
“You’re saying I’m a thief?” He sounded more amused than insulted.
“Not exactly. But how much do we really know about you? People should ask questions.”
“You think too much,” he told her.
“I know, but that’s because there aren’t enough distractions in my life.”
“How about this one?” he asked, right before he leaned in and kissed her.
The contact was light enough—barely a brush of lip against lip. Hardly worth mentioning.
Except every cell in her body froze from the shock. The fingers holding her bag tightened into a death grip on the handle. Before she could figure out what
she was supposed to do, he straightened.
“Thanks for lunch,” he said, then turned and walked away.
Leaving her gasping and alone. And very, very confused.
RAOUL ANGLED AWAY FROM the mirror as he slowly raised and lowered the weight in his hand. He’d been working out long enough that he rarely needed to check his form or speed. The movements were automatic. Unlike some guys, he didn’t get a kick out of staring at himself.
Next to him, Josh Golden worked his triceps. Both men were dripping sweat and breathing hard. It had been a hell of a workout.
“In case you were wondering,” Josh said as he lowered the weight to the bench in front of him, “I’m the only hero in this town.”
Raoul grinned. “Worried, old man? Or should I say, threatened?”
“I’ve been here a whole lot longer than you. The town adores me. You’re some newcomer. The question is, can you last through the long term?”
“I can outlast you.”
Josh grinned. “In your dreams.” He grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face. “Everyone appreciates that you offered the camp. Without that place, there wouldn’t have been a school.”
“I’m happy to help.”
“Good. That’s what we do around here. Those who have more, give more. Life in a small town.”
More rules, Raoul thought, remembering the ones Pia had listed. Something about where he was supposed to get his hair cut. Or not. He hadn’t really been listening. He enjoyed listening to her speak, watching the emotions chase across her face. Her eyes were expressive. Her mouth…tempting.
“Earth to Raoul.” Josh waved his hand. “Who are you thinking about?”
“A friend.”
Josh picked up the weight again. Raoul set his down.
“You had lunch with Pia the other day,” Josh said flatly.
Raoul raised his left eyebrow. “You’re married.”
“I’m not interested in keeping her to myself,” Josh said firmly. “I’ve known Pia for years. She’s like a sister. I’m watching out for her.”
Raoul was glad someone was. From what he could see, Pia was pretty much on her own. “We’re working together. Some of the festivals tie in with the work we’re doing up at the camp.”
Finding Perfect Page 7