Only Mine

by Susan Mallery

  “Houses,” Montana said. “Everyone needs somewhere to live.”

  “I don’t design houses. I work on remodels or I tweak existing designs.”

  Dakota looked at her sister. Nevada had always wanted to be an engineer. Was she regretting that decision now? “Don’t you like working for Ethan?”

  “I don’t dislike it. It’s just…” Nevada drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Do you know I’ve never applied for a job? Sure, I had part-time jobs in high school and college, but I mean a real job. Once I chose engineering, everyone assumed I’d go to work for Ethan. I graduated and showed up at his office the next day. I didn’t have to prove myself.”

  “Just because it was nepotistic, doesn’t mean you aren’t doing a good job,” Dakota told her. “Ethan wouldn’t keep you around if he didn’t want you working there.”

  Nevada shook her head. “You really think Mom would let him fire me?”

  Montana pulled Charlie onto her lap. “She has a point. Ethan can’t fire her.”

  “Do you want him to?” Dakota asked.

  “No. I work hard for him. I know he’s happy with my work, but that’s not the point. I went to work in the family business. I never thought about doing anything else. I just want to know if I’m in the right place. Doing the right thing.”

  “Is this a triplet curse?” Montana asked. “For so long I didn’t know what I was doing. Now I’m finally happy and you’re confused?”

  “There’s no curse,” Dakota told her.

  “I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Nevada admitted. “The thing is, I don’t want to leave Fool’s Gold. I like it here. It’s my home. But it’s not like there are a lot of other opportunities. I’m not comfortable working for another contracting firm. I don’t want to be in competition with Ethan.”

  “So what’s the solution?” Dakota asked.

  Nevada straightened her legs and picked at a blade of grass. “Have either of you heard about Janack Construction?”

  Dakota frowned. “The name is familiar. Wasn’t there a guy in school named Tucker Janack? He was friends with Ethan and Josh. They went to a cycling camp together, way back when. I can’t recall all the details.”

  “I remember,” Montana said. “Tucker’s father is super rich. Didn’t he send a helicopter to pick up Tucker?”

  “Yes and yes,” Nevada said. “They’re one of the largest construction companies in the country. Apparently, Tucker’s father liked what he saw when he visited here all those years ago. He bought a couple hundred acres north of town.”

  “How could he do that?” Dakota asked. “Isn’t that Indian land? They can’t buy that.”

  “Tucker’s father is one sixteenth Máa-zib. That’s all you need to be. Apparently Tucker’s mom is also part Máa-zib.”

  Dakota wondered how her sister knew so much about the Janack family. “Did you meet them sometime we don’t know about?”

  “The parents? No, I’ve never met them.”

  “What are they going to build there?” Montana asked. “Isn’t two hundred acres a lot of land?”

  “I’ve heard it’s going to be an exclusive resort,” Nevada said. “Big hotel, spa, casino and a couple of golf courses. There’s some serious money going into the project. They’re going to hire a lot of people.”

  “So you’d go work for them?” Dakota asked.

  “I haven’t decided. I might apply and see what happens. At least then I could say I’ve been on a job interview.”

  Dakota wondered if there was more going on than Nevada wanted to tell them. Was she not getting along with Ethan? Or was the situation exactly what she said—a need to prove herself?

  “I haven’t heard anyone talking about this project,” Montana said. “I guess if they’re on Indian land, they don’t need City Council approval. But you’d think they’d at least talk to the mayor.”

  “Maybe they have and Marsha simply hasn’t mentioned it to anyone,” Dakota said. “There’s plenty going on right now, what with the reality show and all the men still pouring into town.”

  “When are you going to decide what to do?” Montana asked.

  “Not for a while,” Nevada admitted. “They’re still in the design stage. That could take months or even a year. Once I know they’re actually moving forward with work, I’ll think about what I want to do.” She shifted on the blanket. “Please don’t say anything to Ethan. It’s not that I don’t like working with him. I just need to know that I could work somewhere else, too.”

  “I’m not going to say anything,” Montana said. “I’ve been flaky for years. I totally understand the need to figure out what you want to do.”

  “I won’t say anything, either,” Dakota promised. “If you need someone to listen, if you just want to bounce ideas off me, I’m always available.”

  “I know that,” Nevada told her. “Thanks.”

  “Has it occurred to any of you that none of us have been on a date in months?” Montana asked. “Maybe there is something to this stupid man shortage.”

  “I’m dating,” Dakota said.

  “No. You’re having sex with Finn. That’s not dating.”

  “Did I know this?” Nevada asked. “When did you start sleeping with Finn?”

  Dakota briefly explained her recent encounters with the twins’ brother. “It’s not serious,” she said. “When he figures out that his brothers are more than capable of taking care of themselves, he’ll go back to South Salmon. This isn’t a long-term relationship. And technically, as Montana said, it’s not really dating.”

  “Point taken,” Nevada said with a grin. “So the question is, do you want a date or do you want to have sex?”

  “Can’t I have both?” Montana asked. “Do I have to pick?”

  “Find the right guy and you can have both,” Nevada told her.

  “Is that what you want?” Dakota asked.

  Nevada laughed. “I’ll take the sex, at least for now. Love is too complicated.”

  “Sometimes sex is complicated, too,” Montana reminded her.

  Nevada shook her head. “I’m willing to take my chances.” She looked at Dakota. “What about you? Is sex enough?”

  There were things they didn’t know, Dakota thought. How she couldn’t have children and how knowing that had changed everything. She would tell them eventually, just not today. Not when they were having fun, enjoying such a beautiful day.

  So she smiled at her sisters and said, “Is sex with Finn enough? Absolutely.”

  FINN WAITED with Sasha in the lobby of the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort. The place was nice enough, he thought. If one was into attractive tourist hotels. He would rather be home.

  Once Geoff found out what carting everyone to San Diego would cost, especially for the beachfront hotel he preferred, he’d decided to keep Sasha and Lani in town.

  The pool area of the Lodge had been transformed into a tacky tropical paradise, with fake palm trees, twinkle lights and tiki torches. Unfortunately, the weather was anything but tropical. While it didn’t phase Finn, everyone else was running around wearing thick coats and shivering.

  “What if I gave you ten thousand dollars?” he asked his brother. “To go home and finish college. Would you do it?”

  Sasha grinned at him. “The show is paying twenty, bro.”

  “Fine. Thirty. Go back to school and you’ll have a check that day.” His business was successful, and he didn’t have a lot of expenses. The house where he and his brothers had grown up was paid for.

  “What did Stephen say when you offered it to him?” Sasha asked.

  “To shove it up my ass.”

  Sasha’s grin broadened. “He read my mind.”

  “I figured,” Finn said glumly. “But I had to ask. What’s the plan for today?”

  “It’s all going down tonight. We were going to have a city tour, but since we’re pretending we’re not in Fool’s Gold, I don’t see that happening.”

  Finn
glanced around at the fake greenery. “This is a crazy business.”

  “I like it.”

  He thought about pointing out that Sasha’s love of fame was tied to their parents’ death, but he and his brother had had that conversation a dozen times before. He suspected Sasha had to go through the process himself and learn the truth the hard way.

  That was the part Finn objected to. Not the learning, but the inevitable pain that would follow. If only he could be sure that his brothers were ready to be on their own, that he’d done all he could to keep them safe. Then he could walk away. But how to know?

  “You should chill,” Sasha told him. “You’re wound too tight. Relax.”

  “You’ve been spending too much time with Hawaii girl.”

  His brother laughed. “I like Hawaii girl. She’s fun.”

  Finn was sure Sasha liked Lani well enough but suspected their relationship was far more a means to an end than anything romantic. Sasha’s idea of a steady relationship was a date that lasted two hours. On the other hand, Stephen had always preferred long-term relationships. Despite being identical twins, the brothers were fairly different.

  “You should do something fun,” Sasha told him. “Think of this as a vacation.”

  “Except it’s not. I’ll ‘chill’ or ‘relax’ or whatever you want when you and Stephen get back to Alaska and finish college.”

  Sasha sighed. “Sorry. No can do. I wish you could let it go.”

  Before Finn could say anything, one of the production assistants called for Sasha to get ready for a lighting check. His brother waved at him and followed the girl toward the hotel.

  Finn checked his watch. He had a group of tourists to take on a flight in a couple of hours. They would be the second ones this week. The previous group had been a family, including a thirteen-year-old boy who’d been fascinated by the idea of flying a plane. Finn had talked to him about taking lessons.

  “You’re looking serious about something.”

  He glanced up and saw Dakota walking toward him. She carried a clipboard in her hands and stopped in front of him.

  “For once, not the usual,” he told her.

  “Your brothers?”

  “Work stuff.”

  “Everything okay back in South Salmon?”

  “As far as I know.”

  She stood there, as if waiting for him to explain more.

  “I was thinking about the tour I have later and the one I had a few days ago,” he said slowly. “There was this kid. He was really into flying. Sometimes I think about opening a flight school, focusing on kids.” He shrugged. “Who knows if it would work.”

  “Don’t you have to be a certain age to get your pilot’s license?”

  “You can solo at sixteen, but training could start before that. Teaching a kid to fly gives him, or her, the ability to sense possibilities. You need math skills to do some of the calculations. There would have to be a way for them to raise money to pay for the lessons, or grants or something.” He shook his head. “It’s just something I play around with.”

  She tilted her head. “You should talk to Raoul. My boss. His whole thing is helping kids. His camp focused on bringing inner-city kids here to the mountains to get them out of their environment. He might have some ideas about how to get started.”

  “I will. Thanks.” It beat worrying about the twins.

  She gave him the contact information. “I’ll let him know to expect your call.”

  He wondered if what he’d thought about doing was possible. There weren’t a lot of inner-city kids in South Salmon. Of course, his cargo business was there.

  But the thought of doing something a little different excited him. Cargo was paying the bills, but taking tours around was a lot more interesting. And doing something useful with kids appealed to him, as well. While he worried about his brothers, there was also a sense of satisfaction, of knowing he’d been the one to shape them into grown-ups. Of course, he had no idea yet if he’d done a decent job.

  Dakota glanced around at the decorated pool area. “San Diego would have been a lot warmer. It’s eighty there. I could have lain by the pool, ordered little drinks with umbrellas.” She sighed.

  “I thought you loved Fool’s Gold,” he teased.

  “I do, but I love it more when it’s warmer. It’s spring. There should be plenty of heat.” She shivered in her coat. “I had to dig out warmer clothes.”

  “It seems fine to me.”

  “You’re from Alaska. Your opinion doesn’t count.”

  He chuckled. “Come on. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

  “At Starbucks? A mocha latte would really help me feel better.”

  He took the hand that wasn’t holding the clipboard. “You can even have whipped cream on it, if you want.”

  She leaned against him. “My hero.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  A SHARP, INSISTENT RINGING called Dakota out of a dream that involved a panda, a raft and ice cream. She rolled over in the bed and picked up the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Dakota? It’s Karen.”

  Dakota glanced toward the clock, wondering why the production assistant was calling her. “It’s one in the morning.”

  “I know.” Karen’s voice was muffled, as if she were trying to be quiet. “I’m out by the pool at the lodge. There’s a Tahitian dancing team here. Or maybe it’s not a team. I don’t know what they’re called.”

  Dakota flopped back on the bed and closed her eyes. “I appreciate the news flash, but I’m really tired. I can catch the dancers tomorrow.” Which was technically later today, she thought.

  “I don’t want you to see them. Sasha is here and so is Lani. I think she knows some of the dancers. Geoff’s filming the whole thing.”

  “Then I can see it on the show broadcast. I’m sure Sasha and Lani are great dancers. Thanks for telling me, Karen.”

  “Don’t hang up. I called to talk to Finn.”

  That got Dakota’s attention. She sat straight up and clutched the phone tighter. “Why would you think he was with me?”

  “Oh, please. Do you know how small Fool’s Gold is? Everybody knows you’re sleeping with him. Which isn’t the point. I need to talk with him. I’m afraid this is gonna get out of hand. Sasha is dancing with Fire Poi.”

  Dakota wanted to go back to the “everybody knows you’re sleeping with him” remark, but the words “Fire Poi” got her attention.

  “Fire, as in flames?”

  “They’re lighting them right now. Geoff thinks it will be great for the show. I’m scared Sasha will get hurt.”

  Dakota was already getting out of bed. “Finn’s at his hotel. Do you have his cell number?”

  “No.”

  Dakota gave it to her. “Tell him I’ll meet him at the hotel.”

  “I will. Hurry,” Karen said.

  There might have been more, but Dakota didn’t bother to listen. She shoved the phone back on the base and turned on the light. Seconds later, she’d pulled on jeans and shoved her feet into athletic shoes. After grabbing her car keys and her cell phone, she was out the door and heading for her car.

  DAKOTA DROVE AS FAST as she could up the mountain and pulled into the parking lot. A car jerked to a stop next to her, and Finn got out of his rental. He was already swearing.

  “I’m going to kill him,” he growled, taking off toward the back of the hotel, where the pool was located.

  Dakota raced after him. “They’re filming. Just so you know.”

  Finn scowled as he grabbed her hand. “Meaning Sasha will resist any attempts to help him.” He swore under his breath. “I want to blame Geoff for this, but my brother is the real idiot.” He looked at her. “They don’t call it Fire Poi because it only looks like fire, do they?”

  “Karen said there were actual flames.”

  Finn picked up the pace. By the time they got to the pool, he was almost at a dead run. She had no way to keep up with him and arrived a few seconds later, barely a
ble to breathe.

  Note to self, she thought as she gasped for air. In the morning, she was really going to have to consider some kind of exercise program.

  Any other thoughts on the exercise issue disappeared the second she stepped onto the patio area by the pool. About a half dozen Tahitian dancers stood by the water. Two of the guys were spinning balls of fire at dizzying speed. Sasha held a single ball of fire, connected to a chain. As she watched in horror, he raised his arm level with his shoulder and began to turn the fire.

  What should have been darkness was illuminated by the lights from the two cameras. All that was missing was an insistent jungle drumbeat. That, and someone who knew what he was doing.

  Urged on by the other dancers and Lani, Sasha spun the chain faster and faster. The fire created eerie circles of light. Dakota thought of Geoff lurking by the bushes. If Finn got a hold of him, there would be hell to pay. Normally she didn’t condone any kind of violence, but Geoff made it clear that all he cared about was the show. The fact that Sasha could be seriously hurt was of no interest to him.

  Finn stalked toward the dancers. Dakota followed, not sure if she was going to interfere or not. While she strongly believed Finn should let his brothers live their own lives, this was different.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Finn asked as he approached. “Do you want to get killed? Put that down.”

  Sasha turned toward his brother. It seemed as if, just for a moment, he forgot he was holding a chain with a ball of fire on the end. He stopped turning the chain and the ball swung toward the ground. The arc of movement swept perilously close to Sasha’s side.

  She wasn’t the only one who noticed. Even as Finn dove toward his brother, Lani screamed and one of the dancers yelled out a warning.

  But it was too late. Sasha’s T-shirt caught fire. He instantly dropped the chain and yelled. In the time it took Dakota to register the horror, Finn barreled into his brother, and they both tumbled into the pool.

  “I’M GOING TO KILL HIM,” Finn said as he paced the length of Dakota’s living room. He’d showered and dried off, but hadn’t cooled down.

  “I don’t care about the consequences. I’ll plead guilty. I’ll face the judge. Do you think there is any judge in this country who wouldn’t understand why I have to kill my brother? And Geoff. What the hell. If I’m going to jail for murder, what difference does the second one make? Doesn’t everyone like a two-for-one sale?”