Halfway There

by Susan Mallery

  “I hope to,” she told him. “I want the usual things. A husband, a couple of kids.”

  “Interesting, because I have no interest in a husband.”

  She laughed and leaned against him. “You know what I mean. I like the idea of being part of a family.”

  “Renting rabbit suits for the parade?”

  “That would be fun. What about you?”

  “The same. Except maybe for the rabbit suits. If I’m not in Fool’s Gold, people will be confused.” He put his arm around her. “My mom bugs me regularly for grandchildren. We have a lot of extended family up where they are. I spent summers with my grandparents pretty much until high school. She’s already talking about when she has grandkids to spoil over the Fourth of July.”

  “That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “I can handle it. Plus I’m the youngest, so she’s really focusing on my older brothers. Jeff is married, but Neil isn’t and is he going to be in trouble if he hits thirty without a bride.”

  He paused and kissed the top of her head. “Does it bother you to hear me talk about this?”

  She looked up. “Because of my parents? No. It’s nice. I think I’d like your mom.”

  “She’s the one who holds us all together. My dad isn’t much of a talker, so Mom was always the one who checked on us and made sure we were okay.” He smiled as memories vied for his attention.

  “When I was fifteen, I borrowed the farm truck and promptly plowed into a tree. My mom was hysterical, alternating between making sure I was going to be okay and trying to come up with ways to punish me. My dad told her he would handle it and led me to the barn.”

  Fayrene winced. “Did he hit you?”

  “Not him. That would have been too easy. Instead he led me to where all the farm equipment was stored. It was dirty from the last hay harvest that had ended a few days before. He told me I had to clean all of it. By myself. And while I was doing it, there wasn’t to be any music. I was to work in silence and think about what I’d done.”

  He remembered that discussion. “At the time I was furious. I thought my dad was being unfair. But by the time I was done, I’d learned my lesson. Both the punishment and the thinking had been good for me. I guess my dad thought so, too, because he came out the last couple of days and helped me.”

  She smiled at him. “Okay, I think I’d like your dad, too.”

  “He’d like you. He’s always had a thing for blondes. And he is a big believer in schedules and organization.”

  She angled toward him so that their knees touched. “Why do you want to be away from them?”

  “I don’t. But you can’t do what I do from Colville. I have some ideas for wind turbine design. I want to make them more efficient. I want to experiment with different blades. Small changes can make a big difference. For that I need a company—or at least their money.”

  “You’re an artist rather than an entrepreneur,” she said.

  “An artist?” While he liked the sound of that, it wasn’t exactly true. “I’m more a geek than an artist.”

  Her hazel eyes widened slightly. “I wouldn’t say you’re geeky.”

  “Thanks. You’re right about the rest of it. I have no drive to open my own business. I don’t like all the logistics that go with it. The day-to-day details aren’t interesting. I’d rather spend my time with the design work or out in the field doing the testing.”

  “Not me,” she told him. “I like all of it. I even like paying my bills. I use a computer program that keeps track of income and expenses. I can compare my monthly billing to my projects and see how much I’m growing. It’s exciting.”

  She obviously meant what she said. Her eyes were bright, her pupils dilated. Desire grew, but he ignored the sensation of heat and hunger.

  “You’re strange,” he told her.

  She laughed. “I accept my failings.”

  “It’s not a failing. It’s kind of cute.”

  “You’re kind of cute, too.”

  Her gaze promised while her mouth called. But they were surrounded by families, and the library steps were getting more crowded by the second.

  He leaned close. “You’re tempting, Fayrene. I’ll give you that.”

  “I don’t mean to be.”

  He tightened his hold on her hand. “Yes, you do.”

  She smiled. “Okay. Maybe just a little.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “HE’S CUTE,” CHARITY GOLDEN said as she arranged the bruschetta on a plate. “Is it serious?”

  Fayrene picked up the bottle of red wine and two of the three glasses. “Yes, he’s cute, and no, it’s not serious.”

  Charity, a pretty woman with curly brown hair and a quick smile, laughed. “Okay, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry. It’s just you’re an adorable couple.”

  As a thank-you for looking after Misty during the birthing process, Charity had invited Fayrene over to dinner and told her to bring a date. Fayrene had invited Ryan to join her. Now she was wondering if maybe that had been a mistake. Not that Ryan wasn’t handsome, and he was great company. It’s just now there were going to be lots and lots of questions.

  “His stay in town is temporary,” she said, because that made more sense to most people than her saying she was the one driving the “this is going nowhere” bus. Not that Ryan had said he wanted more. It was too soon for anyone to want more, and for all she knew he was into the fling idea as much as she.

  “Enough said,” Charity told her. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to leave Fool’s Gold. I’m glad we’re not going to lose you.”

  Charity had moved to town a few years ago. She was Mayor Marsha’s long-lost granddaughter. Charity had been hired as the city planner. Within a few months, she’d fallen in love with Josh and gotten pregnant. Now they were a happy family. Josh was a famous, now-retired cyclist. The town adored him for his easygoing ways as much as his athletic exploits. He also owned several businesses and made it a point to always give back.

  Fayrene would never admit it to the man, but Josh had been a role model for her. She doubted she would ever have his net worth, but she admired and wanted to emulate his business practices.

  Charity took the other wineglass along with the tray of bruschetta and led the way into the spacious living room. The guys were already seated on the sofa, arguing about whether the San Francisco Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers would have the better season.

  The second Josh saw his wife, he stood and took the tray and glasses from her. He shifted on the large sectional so there was room for her next to him, and then set the tray on the oversize coffee table.

  For a few seconds he looked at her as if there wasn’t anyone else in the room. They’d been together three years, and they were still at the “in love” stage of their relationship. Fayrene felt her chest tighten a little. Because that’s what she wanted—when she finally had the chance to settle down and start a family, she wanted it to be with a man she could be “in love” with for the rest of her life.

  She took the chair next to the sofa and smiled at Ryan. “There’s a pretty big divide in town between the Giants and the Dodgers. They’re rivals, and people here are evenly split. While you’re here, you’re going to have to decide which camp you fall into.”

  “Hey, I’m from Washington State. I’m a Mariners fan.”

  Charity wrinkled her nose. “No way. If you insist on saying that, you’re going to have to drink your wine on the porch.”

  Ryan chuckled. “This is a tough crowd.”

  “You have no idea,” Josh told him.

  Fayrene poured the wine while Charity passed around the plate of bruschetta.

  “Where are the kids?” Fayrene asked, then turned to Ryan. “The Goldens have a son and a daughter.”

  “I’m a good breeder,” Charit
y joked. “They’re with my grandmother. Marsha loves her time with the kids. I swear, she’d take them every night if we asked.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Josh told her. “We need those kids around.” His expression filled with pride. “This is Hunter’s first night away from us since being born last month.”

  “Are you panicked about him being gone?” Fayrene asked.

  “A little nervous,” Charity admitted. “But my grandmother is very capable, and it’s time to get him used to going other places. We were pretty much cocooned here for the past couple of months, so I’m excited about having a social life again.”

  Fayrene started to pour wine into all four glasses. Charity stopped her.

  “None for me. I’m still breast-feeding.”

  Josh got up and went into the kitchen. When he returned he had a glass of sparking water with a fresh wedge of lime. “For you,” he said, handing it to his wife, then sitting beside her.

  Ryan looked at Fayrene. “I checked in with Misty. She says hi.”

  “Did she? How’s she doing?”

  “Great. The kittens have their eyes open. You should see them before we leave.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “You can take a couple with you, if you want,” Josh offered.

  Charity patted his arm. “He doesn’t mean that. He’s a little overwhelmed with a newborn and kittens in the house at the same time.”

  “There’s a moratorium on pregnancies,” Josh muttered, reaching for another piece of bruschetta. He glanced at Fayrene. “What are your plans for the summer?”

  Ryan raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think I like that question.”

  Josh looked confused while Fayrene and Charity laughed. Josh chuckled a second later.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t linking those topics. I’ve been meaning to call you,” he told Fayrene. “There’s going to be a summer program at my cycling school again. There are more people interested than there were last year. I was swamped then, and I don’t know how I’m going to handle it this year.”

  “So he’s made the decision not to,” Charity said.

  “She’s right. I want to hire you to manage the whole program. Let’s set up a meeting to figure out what I need done and how many hours it will take. The workload is pretty heavy.”

  “I can handle it,” Fayrene told him, doing her best to sound confident. “I’ll call you tomorrow and set up an appointment for us to talk.”

  “Thanks.”

  Talk turned to the rapidly approaching tourist season and how the number of festivals seemed to grow every year. Charity excused herself to check on dinner and Josh went with her.

  Ryan touched Fayrene’s arm. “You still with us?”

  She’d been thinking about work rather than participating in the conversation. “It was obvious I wasn’t listening?”

  “Only to me. Was it the new job with Josh?”

  She nodded and held on to his hand. “This is a big opportunity. Not just because it’s going to be a lot of work, but because Josh knows everyone in town. He’s really connected in the business community, so if he’s happy with my work it could be a real boost to my business.”

  She thought about what she already had scheduled. “Wow—if he wants me more than fifteen hours a week, I’m going to have to hire someone part-time to help. That would be so great.”

  “I’m dating a tycoon.”

  “Not yet, but one day.”

  * * *

  FAYRENE SAT CROSS-legged on her sister’s sofa. Dellina stared toward the kitchen.

  “She takes this too seriously. It’s lunch.” Dellina leaned back in her chair. “Why do you have to take this so seriously?” she yelled toward the kitchen.

  “Because I’m talented and you’re not appreciative enough,” Ana Raquel yelled back.

  Dellina cocked her head. “Really? So if I was more appreciative, you’d take this less seriously? You know that doesn’t make sense.”

  An exasperated choking sound came from the kitchen. “You know what I meant,” Ana Raquel yelled.

  “I do, but it’s not what you said.”

  Fayrene laughed. Being with her sisters always made her feel better. Dellina had been their rock ever since their parents had died. It had been the three of them dealing with the tragedy. While they’d always been close, the accident had drawn them even more together.

  Now they were living their separate lives. While Dellina was in town, they were both busy, and Fayrene rarely saw her. Ana Raquel only got back every few weeks.

  “Okay,” her twin said, coming out with three plates balanced on her arm. “This is an experiment. I’ve made three different salads, and I want your honest opinion.”

  She handed them each a plate with three scoops of what looked like some kind of chicken or turkey salad, some cut up fruit and slices of French bread.

  Looking at Ana Raquel was almost like looking in the mirror, Fayrene thought. They were both blondes with hazel eyes. Dellina had taken more after their father. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was also the tallest of the sisters. Not that five-five was extraordinarily tall.

  Ana Raquel picked up her fork. “Turkey salad with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. I think I’m almost there with this one, but I’m going to try to make it more creamy.” She pointed to the second salad. “Curried chicken. It’s perfect. If you don’t like it, there’s something wrong with you. Then a second chicken salad. No curry. I’m thinking it’s the perfect picnic food.”

  Dellina studied the plate. “You want our honest opinions?”

  “Yes.”

  Fayrene took a bite and felt her taste buds do the happy dance. “Delicious. You should really get serious about that trailer. Wouldn’t you rather be working for yourself instead of in a restaurant?”

  “Yes, but a trailer is expensive. I don’t have enough of a credit history to get that much in financing, and I would still need money to remodel it.”

  Dellina scooped turkey salad onto the bread. “Want some of the money from the trust fund?”

  They each had money left over from their parents’ life insurance policies. It had paid for college and Ana Raquel’s culinary school with some left over. Dellina had invested it wisely, and they were all benefiting.

  “Fayrene has a point. Wouldn’t you rather work for yourself? You could rent a small place here in town. Your share of the house lease could cover most of your living expenses.” Dellina studied her sister. “I’m not pushing, I’m offering.”

  “Remember, I took a loan against the trust, and it’s really helped me,” Fayrene said. “I’m making a payment every month, paying back principal and interest.”

  “I’ve thought about, but I’m not sure.” Ana Raquel sighed. “I have so many ideas. I love the idea of street food, but starting my own thing is scary.” She smiled at them. “Not that you two haven’t already done it.”

  “Being your own boss is a trip,” Dellina said. “I was hired by Clay Stryker to plan his wedding, then fired by his bride-to-be, who informed me she doesn’t want a big wedding.”

  Fayrene shook her head. “It’s been what? Nine months since they got together? They need a plan.”

  “They’ll come up with one,” Dellina said. “But there are days I think a nice office job would be a whole lot easier.”

  “Not many,” Fayrene told her.

  Dellina grinned. “That’s true.”

  Ana Raquel drew in a breath. “Let me get some numbers together. Maybe I could get a loan and use some of the trust fund money. That way I still have some put away for an emergency.”

  Because they’d all learned that life was nothing if not uncertain.

  Fayrene took a bite of the curried chicken and moaned. “I love this.”

  “See?�
� Ana Raquel’s expression turned smug. “Now imagine that in a very soft crustless bread at high tea. Delicious.”

  “You don’t get to have a trailer and a teahouse,” Dellina told her. “You have to pick.”

  “You mean it’s time to settle down?” Ana Raquel asked, then turned to Fayrene. “So who’s the guy I keep hearing about?”

  Fayrene speared a strawberry and did her best not to blush. “You’ve been back in town fifteen minutes. How do you know about any guy?”

  “I have sources. As long as it’s not Greg Clary.”

  Dellina rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Are you still obsessing about him?”

  “I don’t obsess. The man is annoying. He’s been annoying since the second grade.”

  “Ignore her,” Fayrene said, having listened to literally years of her sibling’s complaints about Greg. “She’s secretly in love with him, and one day when she’s mature enough, she’ll admit it.”

  “I totally agree,” Dellina said.

  Ana Raquel shook her head. “I’m can’t hear either of you.” She turned to her twin. “And don’t think I didn’t notice how you changed the subject when I asked about your guy.”

  “I didn’t mean to.” Fayrene thought about Ryan.

  “Oooh, did you see that?” Ana Raquel asked. “There was definite glowing.”

  “I saw it,” Dellina dug her fork into the turkey salad. “I thought you weren’t getting serious about anyone for years? You have a plan.”

  “We’re not serious, and I do have a plan. We’re just having fun. He’s not staying in town permanently, so nothing is going to happen.”

  Although when he kissed her, she felt a lot of potential.

  “It’s a fling,” she added. “Temporary and fun.”

  “Sounds dangerous to me,” Ana Raquel said. “What starts out as something simple can get complicated really quickly.”

  “She would know,” Dellina teased. “She’s been in a long-term relationship since the second grade.”