Finding Perfect

by Susan Mallery

  Pia allowed herself to relax a little. “So they’re going to be fine?”

  “Sometimes babies don’t make it, Pia, and we can’t know why. Nature has her own way of solving problems. Although they check the embryos before implantation, science is not perfect. But there is no reason to think you’ll have a difficult time from here on. Have you resumed your regular life?”

  “Except for stairs. They scare me.”

  “They are exercise and exercise is good. I’m not saying this is the time to take up a new sport, but do what you did before. Walk, talk, laugh, take the stairs.”

  Pia drew in a deep breath. “All right. I will.”

  “Good. Keep stress to a minimum, as much as you can. Get plenty of rest and enjoy that handsome man of yours.” Dr. Galloway’s expression turned stern. “Are you having sex with him?”

  “What?” Pia felt herself blush. “No. Of course not.”

  “Probably best for the first few days, but now, it’s fine.”

  Pia couldn’t imagine ever doing that again. “Even with the babies in there?”

  “It’s not like they know what’s happening. Nor can they see what you’re doing. For them, it’s a gentle ride and when Mom has an orgasm, then it’s even more fun.”

  Babies and sex didn’t go together in Pia’s mind. Besides, she was confused about her feelings for Raoul. Making love at this point would only complicate an already difficult situation.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said.

  “I want more than thinking,” the doctor told her with a grin. “I want doing.” She rose. “Be happy, Pia. All is well.”

  “Thank you.”

  She waited until Dr. Galloway left before standing and reaching for her clothes.

  The babies were okay. That was the main thing. Knowing that, she would try to relax. To, as Dr. Galloway had said, live her life.

  One month down and only eight to go, she thought, wishing there was a way to hurry along the pregnancy. Or maybe not, she told herself, remembering the eighty-to-a-hundred-diapers-a-week statistic. Maybe it was better to let things happen in their own time.

  “IT’S MY JOB,” PIA SAID, wondering if she hit Raoul with something really, really hard, she could make him understand. Or knock him unconscious, which would allow her to do her job. At this point, either worked for her.

  “You can’t spend the day on your feet.”

  “I won’t. I have chairs set up all over the park, and several people who are going to make sure I sit.” Despite Dr. Galloway’s all clear, she wasn’t willing to take any risks. “I’ll be fine.”

  He moved close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I worry about you.”

  “I worry about me, too, but I have a job that I love and I need to get to it.”

  He held her a second longer, his dark eyes gazing into hers.

  In truth, she didn’t want to move just yet. She loved being in his arms, feeling his body against hers. There was something so right about them being together. But there was a time and place for the mushy stuff, and this wasn’t it.

  She stepped back. “I have to get going.”

  “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Yes, you will.”

  She grabbed her purse and left. On the way to the park, she found herself thinking about Raoul instead of the impending event. Not a good thing. Thinking about him was dangerous to her heart. Work was safe.

  She walked the few blocks to the park and found the setup had been completed in the early hours of the morning. Booths lined the walkway and vendors were already putting out their goods. The smell of barbecue mingled with the sweet scent of melting caramel.

  The Fall Festival was one of her favorites. Sure the days were getting shorter and the first snow was right around the corner, but she loved the changing colors, the promised quiet of winter, the scent of a wood fire.

  Each festival had its own personality. This one was going to be a little different because of all the men in town. She’d added extra games to keep them happy and a second beer vendor. To counteract the latter, there were also extra police on patrol.

  A heavyset man in a Fool’s Gold safety vest walked up to her. “Pia, we’re five portable toilets short. The guy’s lost.”

  “Not for long,” Pia said. “Have someone get his cell number, then call him and talk him in. We need the extra bathrooms.”

  An electrician needed to be dispatched to fix a faulty outlet, the shift in the wind meant smoke from the meat smoker was choking the jewelry vendors and someone had forgotten to put up the no-parking cones to reserve spots for the fire truck.

  Pia handled each crisis quickly and easily, as she had for years. She turned to take a quick tour, only to find Denise Hendrix walking toward her, a folding chair under one arm.

  “I have the first shift,” Denise said cheerfully. “It is now eight-thirty. You are to sit until nine.”

  “But I have to go check on the setup.”

  “No, you don’t. And you’re not going to.” Denise batted her eyelashes. “Don’t make me use my bad-mom voice, because you won’t like it.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Pia said meekly and sank onto the chair.

  Denise saw Montana and waved her over.

  “Hi, Mom,” Montana said, then grinned at Pia. “I have the eleven-thirty-to-twelve shift and then I’m on again this afternoon. Bossing you around is fun.”

  “Gee, thanks.” She was being forced to sit for thirty minutes of every hour. “Can you go talk to the vendors and make sure they have everything they need? Also, there’s water for them in the back of Jo’s pickup. Find her and make sure it’s put somewhere the vendors can find. And if you see a guy driving around with portable toilets on the back of a truck, let me know.”

  Montana stared at her. “You expect me to do all that?”

  Pia flashed her clipboard. “That’s not even all of page one.”

  “Jeez, I wouldn’t want your job,” Montana grumbled. “Mom, if you see Nevada, tell her to come help me.”

  “Of course, dear.”

  Montana left.

  “Impressive,” Denise told Pia. “You’re resting and getting your work done.”

  “I’m an expert multitasker.”

  Denise stared after her daughter. “Montana seems excited about her new job.”

  “She does. I admire her—she gives her all to whatever she does.”

  “I know she’s worried about finding the right kind of work. Not that she won’t but that it’s taking too long. I keep telling her that everyone finds his or her own path in his or her own time, but she won’t listen. One of the thrills of being a mother.” Denise smiled. “Wait until your little ones are teenagers.”

  “At this point I simply want them to be bigger than a rice grain.”

  “That will happen, too.”

  The sound of a large truck caused them both to turn. Denise shaded her eyes with her hand, then turned to Pia.

  “That’s interesting. Were you expecting elephants?”

  RAOUL WALKED WITH PETER through the crowded park. Fool’s Gold was holding yet another of its many festivals. Knowing Pia was going to be working, he’d arranged to take Peter for the afternoon. The Folios didn’t seem to mind him spending time with the kid, which was good. While the couple seemed pleasant enough, Raoul was still concerned about their caretaking abilities.

  He and Peter had already checked on Pia, who was being confined to a lawn chair until the top of the hour. She swore she wasn’t the least bit tired and that she’d never had so many assistants or done so little work at any festival.

  “Want to get ice cream?” he asked, pointing to a stand.

  “Sure!”

  Peter led the way. They both got two scoops, then went over to a bench.

  “This is so cool,” Peter said between licks. “I like how there are different festivals at different times of the year. It’s really fun. My parents used to bring me all the time.”

  “You grew up in Fool’s Gold?�
�

  “Sort of. My dad worked at one of the wineries and we lived out of town. But I went to school here.” His smile faded. “After they died, I was in a group home for a while. I didn’t like that. It was really hard because the other kids made fun of me when I cried.”

  Raoul felt his pain. “It’s okay to feel stuff and be sad.”

  “Boys don’t cry.”

  “Plenty of boys cry.” Raoul hesitated, knowing there was a fine line between saying what was healthy and the reality of being tortured by peers. “Losing your parents is a big deal.”

  “I know.” Peter licked his cone. “I still miss them.”

  “That’s good. You loved them. You’re supposed to miss people you love.”

  “Mrs. Dawson says they’re watching me from heaven, but I don’t know if that’s true.”

  “Every time you remember them, you know how much they loved you. That’s what’s important.”

  Peter took a few more licks, then held up his cast. “I get this off in a couple of weeks. The doctor says I’m healing really fast.”

  The advantage of youth, Raoul thought, remembering feeling like roadkill the morning after his last few games. There was nothing like being trampled by a few three-hundred-pound guys to make a man feel humble.

  “Wait until you see your arm,” Raoul told him. “It’s going to look weird from being in the cast.”

  “Cool! I wish I could see it now.” He raised his arm and turned it back and forth, as if trying to see inside the cast. Then he turned to Raoul. “You know there’s a school carnival next week, right? We’re gonna have games and stuff. It won’t be as big as this, but it will still be fun.”

  While the boy went on about the different events at the school, Raoul was aware of three women standing on the path a few feet away. He’d never seen them before, so he guessed they were tourists, in town for the festival, or possibly the influx of men. They were in their midthirties, talking to each other and pointing at him. The tall brunette raised her camera and took a picture.

  When they realized he’d noticed them, the smaller blonde waved and walked over.

  “You’re Raoul Moreno, aren’t you?” she said, her voice high and excited. “I recognized you right away. Oh my God! I can’t believe it. You are just as good-looking in person. This is really exciting. We came here when we heard about all the men. There was an auction and everything. Too bad you weren’t in it. You would have gotten a lot of money.”

  Her friends joined her.

  Raoul tossed his ice cream and rose. Normally this sort of thing didn’t bother him, but it had been months since anyone had approached him as a fan. Living in Fool’s Gold where everyone treated him normally had spoiled him for the real world. Right now he wanted to spend the day with Peter—not deal with three women who probably weren’t going to be satisfied with a picture.

  “Is that your son?” the taller blonde asked.

  “He doesn’t have children,” the brunette said scornfully. “Are you in one of those charity programs? Is he disadvantaged? Look at his poor broken arm.”

  Raoul stepped between the women and Peter. “That’s enough. Take your pictures and then move on.”

  The petite blonde stepped closer. “This is a free country. We don’t have to do anything. We can spend the whole day just following you around.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  The firm words came from behind him. He turned and saw Bella Gionni walking up. With her were Denise Hendrix and a few women he didn’t recognize. They looked serious.

  “Morning, ladies,” Denise said pleasantly. “How can we help you?”

  “You can’t,” the brunette said. “This is a private conversation.”

  “You can say anything in front of us.” Bella moved between him and Peter. She put her hand on the boy’s shoulder, then slipped her arm around his. “We’re close.”

  Her friends took up places around him and Peter.

  The younger women looked at each other and frowned.

  “What’s going on?” the taller blonde asked.

  “You’re welcome to say hello to Raoul and even take his picture, but that’s as far as it goes. You don’t follow him or disturb him in any way. Nor do you get to talk to Peter.” She smiled at the boy. “Girls,” she said in a mock whisper.

  He was wide-eyed, more interested than scared. “I know,” he whispered back.

  Raoul was as startled by the rescue as by the potential stalkers. While he appreciated the concern, his pride didn’t welcome the idea of being protected by a half dozen women in their forties and fifties.

  Not that he was willing to take them on either. Ego be damned—for now he was keeping his mouth shut.

  The three women turned their attention to him. “Are you serious? You’re going to let them tell us what to do?”

  He gave them his best grin. The one he wore in all his publicity pictures. “Absolutely.”

  “This town is stupid,” the petite blonde said. “We should leave. I don’t know why we thought we could have a good time here.”

  “Us, either,” Bella told her. “Drive safe, ladies.”

  The brunette flipped her off.

  Bella only smiled. “Looks like you need a manicure, missy. Chipped polish is so cheap. Just like you.”

  The three stomped off.

  Raoul watched them go, then looked at his posse. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Bella told him. “I’m sure you could have dealt with them yourself, but why waste time on trash?”

  “If I was ten years older,” he began.

  Bella patted his shoulder. “Sorry, but no. If you were ten years older, I’d wear you out and then you’d die of a heart attack. So let’s not go there.”

  Denise moved up to him and kissed his cheek. “Admit it. You’re secretly humiliated.”

  “Some.”

  “Then our work here is complete.” She glanced at Peter. “Do you mind if I borrow this handsome young man? There are bumper cars set up across the park and I do love a good bumper car. My kids are all too old. I’ll return him right after that.”

  “Sure. If it’s okay with you, Peter.”

  “Sure.”

  Peter took Denise’s outstretched hand and went off, still licking his ice cream. Raoul thanked the other women, then waited until they’d left before making his way to where Pia held court from her lawn chair.

  “Talk to the peanut guy,” she was saying. “He always packs up early. Like he’s going to beat the traffic. Tell him if he does that this time, he’s not coming back. Remind him I can get fifty peanut vendors to replace him with just a phone call.”

  She smiled at Raoul. “Hi. Where’s Peter?”

  “Riding bumper cars with Denise.” He sank down on the grass next to her chair. “I was just rescued by middle-aged women.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  He told her about the women who had stopped by and how Bella, Denise and their friends had taken care of the situation.

  “That’s sweet,” she said, amusement dancing in her eyes. “The big bad football player rescued by older women.”

  He winced. “This isn’t good. I’m capable of taking care of myself. But I just stood there and let them do all the talking.”

  “Did you think they would allow it to happen any other way? You’re one of us now. We take care of our own. It’s just like the food everyone brought over after I lost the baby.”

  “It’s nothing like that.”

  “Don’t freak. It’s adorable.”

  He wasn’t amused. “You can’t tell my friends.”

  “What will you give me if I don’t?”

  “Anything.”

  She laughed.

  He enjoyed the sound, and looking at her. She was lovely, with her large eyes and laughing mouth. Her tumbling curls bright in the sun. She was the perfect combination of attitude and kindness.

  It wasn’t just her, he thought, glancing around at the crowd enjoying the F
all Festival. It was the town. He’d lived in a lot of different places and while he’d always enjoyed the cities, he’d never felt connected to the community. Not like here. A few people recognized him, but the most they wanted was an autograph.

  While he wasn’t happy that he’d been rescued by a bunch of women, he knew the significance went beyond their gender and age. It was that they’d seen the problem and acted. They’d stepped in—as if he were their responsibility. He’d moved to Fool’s Gold to find a place to settle, and what he’d found instead was home.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  NORMALLY, AFTER A DAYLONG EVENT, like the Fall Festival, Pia would be exhausted. But as she’d spent exactly half her day just sitting, she felt rested and ready to party at the town’s dinner-dance. Well, in a very quiet, protect-the-babies kind of way.

  She finished applying mascara and leaned back to check her makeup in the mirror. She’d taken Dr. Galloway’s advice about stairs and taken the two flights to come back to her place to get ready. All her clothes were here, along with her serious makeup. Raoul was going to pick her up and take her to the dance, then back to his place.

  She fluffed her hair, then tightened her robe around her waist. The big question was what to wear.

  Sometime in the last day or so, she’d gotten a case of serious bloat. Her pants were tight and no matter how much lemon water she drank, she couldn’t get her belly to go down. There were a couple of dresses she knew wouldn’t fit. But she had one that had an empire waist. The style was forgiving and—

  She stopped in the doorway to her bedroom. Her mind replayed her last thoughts, then she started to laugh. She wasn’t bloated, she realized. She was pregnant. Talk about an idiot.

  She touched her stomach. “I’m hoping you two weren’t thinking your mom would be a rocket scientist, because that’s simply not going to happen. Pregnant. You’d think I would have grasped that by now.”

  She crossed to the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door, then opened her robe. When she turned sideways, she saw the rounding she’d thought was too much water.