Finding Perfect (14 page)

“I have a ring,” she began. “The design is unique but classic. Let me go get it.”

She disappeared into the back for a few minutes, then returned with three rings on a lavender velvet display tray.

“This is the engagement ring,” she said, holding out a diamond ring. “The center stone is two carats. It's surrounded by a bead-set diamond border.” She turned it upright. “See how the stone is set up to catch the light, but the border not only protects it, it makes it less likely to catch on anything. Like a sweater.”

Or hurt a baby, he thought.

The woman turned the diamond ring again, to show the profile. “These are channel-set square diamonds on the side. As you can see, I have two matching bands of the square diamonds. They would slide in on either side, completing the look.”

“They're the wedding bands?”

She nodded. “They can be worn alone, if Pia prefers.”

He picked up the ring. It glittered in the overhead lights. There was something right about it. Something that told him Pia would like it.

“Let me show you a few other things,” the woman said. “For comparison.”

They went through the cases. He asked to see a couple
of things, then shook his head. “The first one,” he told her. “That's it.”

“I think so, too. Are you going to faint when I tell you the price?”

“No.”

“It's a high-quality diamond and a custom setting.”

“That's okay.”

Fifteen minutes later, he had all three rings in boxes tucked into his jacket pocket. He'd refused the shopping bag, not wanting anyone in town to see him carrying it. He was starting to get a handle on Fool's Gold. He knew how word would spread.

Now that he had a ring, it was time to go see a man about a house.

 

P
IA STOOD IN FRONT OF
her dry-erase and corkboard calendar, checking the events against her master list. Some of the festivals only required minimal prep work, but others took weeks of planning. If decorations were required, they had to be pulled out of storage and installed. The city maintenance workers appreciated plenty of lead time, and she knew better than to annoy the muscle portion of her operation.

With Halloween coming soon she would need to get the decorative flags changed and put out the scarecrows and hay bales, which reminded her that she needed to order fresh hay. The stuff they'd used last year had looked a little ragged.

She crossed to her desk and had started to pick up her phone when her office door burst open and Liz Sutton and Montana surged into the room.

“I can't believe it!” Montana shrieked. “We sat right here talking about my boring life when you had news
like that? How could you keep it to yourself? I may never forgive you.”

Pia might have been worried except she had no idea what her friend was talking about, and the fact that Montana and Liz were both grinning like fools meant that it wasn't bad news.

Liz reached her first and hugged her. “Congratulations. He seems really sweet. And hunky, which is always a nice plus. I know I get a little shiver every time I see Ethan. Especially when he's naked.”

Montana winced. “Hello, that's my brother we're talking about. Don't share details.”

“Sorry,” Liz said with a laugh, then turned back to Pia. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

Montana and Liz grabbed each other's arms and actually jumped up and down. It was a little bit scary, Pia thought, taking a step back.

“You're marrying Raoul!” they shrieked together.

“I'm going to forgive you for not telling me if you promise to spill all the details,” Montana said. “Start at the beginning and talk slow. You said hi and he said?”

Oh, no. Pia sank into her chair and groaned. This wasn't good at all. It had been a matter of—she checked her watch—four hours. How could word already be spreading?

The truth was she'd barely accepted that he'd proposed to her, let alone the fact that she'd accepted. The impossible situation had left her too confused to do much more than pretend it hadn't happened. It had been the only way to get work done.

“Pia?” Liz asked, her smile fading. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. Just confused. How did you hear?”

Montana and Liz exchanged glances.

“Raoul went to see Josh,” Liz said. “Ethan was there and heard the whole thing. Raoul said he wanted to buy a bigger house. One with a lot of bedrooms. Josh wanted to know why and Raoul said the two of you were getting married but not to tell anyone. Josh and Ethan swore they wouldn't, then Ethan called me.”

Pia winced. It wasn't his fault—he probably thought the information was safe with his close friends. He wasn't a small-town guy and would have no idea how this sort of news fed on itself. In a matter of hours, it would be everywhere.

“I ran into Montana on my way over here and told her,” Liz continued. “But you don't look very happy. What's wrong?”

They each pulled up a chair and sat close, looking concerned. Pia wanted to bolt, but these women were her friends. If she couldn't explain the situation to them, how could she possibly go through with it? Not that she was having second thoughts—she wasn't. It was just that everything was complicated.

She drew in a breath. “Crystal left me her embryos,” she began, then explained how she'd made the decision to have the babies.

“At first Raoul offered to be my pregnancy buddy,” she continued. “He said he would help out while I carried the babies.”

“That's so sweet,” Montana said with a sigh.

But Liz was more like Pia—less of an overt romantic. Her gaze narrowed. “Why?”

“That was my question.” She hesitated. “It turns out he knew Keith. Raoul went over to Iraq with some football guys and Keith was part of their escort team. They became friends. Keith told him about Fool's Gold and Crystal. Raoul was there when he died.”

“I didn't know any of this,” Montana said, her eyes wide. “Is that why he came here?”

Pia nodded. “Normally he wouldn't have paid extra attention to our invitation to the pro-am golf tournament, but he recognized the name of the town and wanted to check it out. He liked what he saw and decided to move here.”

“Did he talk to Crystal?” Liz asked.

“No. He didn't know what to say. So he didn't know she was dying or about the embryos until I found out she'd left them to me and had a bit of a breakdown in front of him. Everything sort of spiraled from there.”

“And now he wants to marry you,” Montana said with a sigh. “It's so romantic.”

It was more practical than romantic, but why state the obvious?

Pia shrugged. “He really wants to be a part of things. And I sort of liked the idea of not being so alone.”

“You're not alone,” Montana told her. “You have us.”

“I know and that's great.” She hesitated.

Liz got it right away. “But having friends with lives isn't the same as having someone who is always there for you. When I was pregnant with Tyler, I was scared and confused. You're having triplets.”

Pia nodded. “I try not to think about the actual number. Anyway, Raoul's been with me as I made every decision. He's been a rock. Today, after the ultrasound
confirmed all three embryos have implanted, he asked me to marry him.”

“You're having Crystal's babies,” Liz said, her eyes filling with tears. “That's such a blessing for both of you. She would be thrilled.”

Pia was still in the confused camp, but she smiled anyway. “I'm committed now.”

“Babies,” Montana said. “And a proposal. Was it wonderful? Did he get down on one knee?”

Pia hesitated. “Montana, we're not in love. Raoul wants to marry me and be a part of the babies' lives. He wants to be their father. When I asked him why, he pointed out that I'm not their biological mother and no one is questioning my commitment. I'm willing to have them for a friend, because it's the right thing to do. He wants to be their father, and me to be his wife, because of Keith and because it's the right thing to do.”

Just saying the words was tough. Believing them would take some time.

“I wasn't sure whether to say yes at first,” she admitted. “But he can be really convincing. We like and respect each other. He's a good man and I trust him. I haven't been able to say that about a guy before.”

Liz hugged her. “I have a good feeling about this,” she said. “Arranged marriages have worked for generations.”

“But you're not in love,” Montana said, looking crushed. “Don't you want to be in love?”

“Sometimes you have to be practical,” Liz told her. “Love can grow.”

Pia hadn't thought of that. She wasn't sure if she could make herself that vulnerable—especially with so much at stake. It would hurt too much if he didn't return
her feelings and, worse, it could make their arrangement awkward.

“Maybe he'll fall madly in love with you,” Montana told her.

“I don't think so,” Pia said firmly. “To date, all the men in my life have resisted the process…and me. Men who claim to want to be with me tend to leave. I'd rather have the truth up front. Raoul's been honest and I appreciate that.”

“I guess.” Montana didn't sound convinced. “It's just not romantic, you know?”

“Romance can be painful,” Pia reminded her.

Liz sat back down. “So there's no love allowed?”

“We haven't discussed the rules,” Pia admitted. “But it's understood.”

“Hmm. You'll need to be careful, then. The heart is a tricky beast.”

“Trust me. I have big plans to stay emotionally whole.” She hesitated. “Could you two please not say anything about why we're getting married? It's okay to tell Charity, but no one else.”

“Of course we won't talk,” Liz promised. “You don't need that kind of speculation right now. But brace yourself. Everybody is going to find out about you and Raoul, not to mention the pregnancy. You're going to be a star.”

“I can handle it.” Pia had been the center of attention in town once before and it had been awful. Now the reasons were different and she was sure everything would be fine.

Raoul had given his word and she chose to believe him. He would stay with her and the babies. Maybe they
weren't crazy in love, but that was okay. There were a lot of different ways to make a happy family and they would find theirs.

P
IA AVOIDED GOING TO THE
grocery store as long as she could. If there was one place in Fool's Gold where she was likely to run into people wanting to talk about her upcoming marriage, it was somewhere between produce and the frozen-food aisle. But she'd used up the last of her milk that morning and there was absolutely nothing in her freezer, so it was time to grit her teeth and get through it.

Thinking that the store would be quieter midday rather than after work, she used her lunch hour to go there. The trip there was stressful enough with lots of men she didn't recognize strolling through town. Some guy had even pulled out a grocery cart and handed it to her as she entered the store. Talk about strange.

She got through cleaning supplies, the meat counter and was halfway to the dairy case when Denise Hendrix spotted her.

“Pia!” the woman cried, abandoning her own cart and rushing over. “I heard. I'm so happy.”

Pia braced herself for a warm, enveloping hug. Denise was the matriarch of the Hendrix family. An attractive woman in her early fifties, she'd lost her husband about ten years before. She was an active member of the community and the mother of six, including her daughters who were identical triplets.

They embraced, then Denise stepped back.

“Look at you, having Crystal's babies. That's such a blessing.”

“Thanks. I'm still in denial, with a slight bend toward panic.”

“Of course you are, but you're doing it anyway. I'm so proud of you.” She smiled. “I am available anytime for advice or conversation or to talk you down from the panic. A multiple birth is completely manageable. You just need to plan.”

“I've heard that.” Planning was important, Pia thought. Just as soon as the idea of having three babies at once became real to her, she would start. “I appreciate the offer to talk. I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions. I just don't know what they are right now.”

“Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. Let me know when you're ready.” Denise raised her eyebrows. “I also heard that more congratulations are in order.” Her gaze dropped to Pia's bare left hand. “Have you set a date?”

“Not yet.” She tucked her hand behind her back. She was still slightly stunned to find herself engaged.

“I imagine you'll want a small, quiet wedding. You're not going to have the energy to plan anything large. Unless you want to wait until after the babies are born. Then you could go all out.”

Marriage was one thing, Pia thought, feeling slightly uneasy. But a wedding? She hadn't put those pieces together. “I, um. We haven't decided which way we're going,” she admitted. “Everything happened so fast.”

“I knew you'd find someone wonderful,” Denise told her. “You've always been such a lovely girl. After all you've been through with your parents.” She cleared
her throat. “There's no need to talk about that. Anyway, you've found your happy ending. From all I've heard, Raoul is very special. And handsome. He's giving Josh a run for his money.”

Pia laughed. “I don't think there's a competition.”

“Then you haven't had your hair done at Julia's place lately. There was a very heated discussion about the two of them just last week.”

Pia thought about the talk at the city council meeting—the argument about who had the better butt. “We need more to think about in this town.”

“There are those men coming to town,” Denise said. “There's a subject. Have you noticed they're everywhere? Just yesterday two men whistled at me.” She sounded both outraged and faintly pleased.

“I have no idea what we're going to do with them.”

“I thought there were already several events planned.”

“A few, but what are they going to do the rest of the time? Troll the streets, looking for easy conquests?”

Denise laughed. “I'm old enough to be your mother, so it's not right that I'm the one to point out that no one says ‘easy conquests' anymore.”

“Okay, you're right, but still.”

Denise still looked amused. “I'm sorry you're not excited about the influx of men, but that's because you've already found someone wonderful. I wonder if any of the men will be older.”

Pia had been caught up in the fact that everyone assumed she and Raoul had fallen madly in love and wondering if they should say anything. But she found herself distracted by Denise's last comment.

“You're interested in a man?” Pia asked.

“Interested is too strong a word,” Denise said with a shrug. “I'm…curious. Ralph has been gone a long time. My kids are old enough to deal with me dating. I like my life, but sometimes I think it would be nice to have someone else around.”

“Way to go,” Pia told her. “I think that's great. I have no idea about the ages of the men arriving, but I can let you know if I see any good ones.” She grinned. “What about someone younger?”

Denise sniffed. “I'm not a cougar.”

“You could be.”

Denise was pretty, with her short dark hair and bright eyes. She had a body that someone fifteen years younger would envy.

“I'd prefer someone around my age,” the other woman said. “Then there's less I have to explain. Do you really think anyone who wasn't there could understand the thrill of hearing ‘Rhinestone Cowboy' on the radio?”

“Probably not,” Pia admitted. “Point taken. We'll find you a nice man who remembers the seventies.”

Denise looked worried. “You're not taking me on as a project, are you?”

“No. And I won't mention anything to your daughters. I'll let you tell them you're on the prowl.”

Denise laughed and held up her hands. “No prowl. I'm thinking. There's a difference. Enough about me. Remember, I'm here if you have any questions. Also, when you get ready to register for your shower gifts, we should talk. Some things you really will need three of, but others you won't.”

“Okay.”

Shower gifts? As in baby shower? Pia wasn't prepared for that. Of course, as she'd already figured out,
there was moving and getting married to contend with, as well. Compared with that, a baby shower should be easy.

“All right, my dear,” Denise said, hugging her again. “I'm delighted. You deserve every happiness.”

“Thanks.”

Denise waved and pushed her cart toward the front of the store. Pia completed her own shopping, then took everything home and put it away. When she left her apartment again, she headed for Raoul's office, rather than her own.

Ten minutes later, she found him alone in the big, empty space.

“You really need to get some more furniture,” she told him as she walked to his desk, her heels clicking on the cement floor. “Maybe a few employees.”

“I have Dakota. She's at lunch.” He rose and smiled at her. “This is a nice surprise.”

“We need to talk.”

He settled on the corner of his desk. “Should I be worried?”

“No. Nothing's wrong.” She drew in a breath. “You do realize that word is spreading. Everyone in town is going to know we're getting married.”

“I figured that out. Josh violated the guy code.”

“Did you tell him not to mention the engagement?”

“Yes, but it didn't do any good.”

“This isn't like Dallas or Seattle. Everybody knows everyone else's business.”

He stood and pulled her close. “Is that a problem?”

“It's not something that can be changed.”

“I meant are you upset people know we're getting married?”

Standing there, feeling the heat of his body against hers, wrapped in his strong arms, it was tough to be upset about anything.

“I'm not upset, I just thought we'd have more time to get used to it ourselves.”

He touched her cheek with his fingers. “Meaning people are coming up to you and saying stuff.” She nodded.

“Want to change your mind?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good. Me, either.” He lowered his head and brushed his mouth against hers. “I meant what I said, Pia. I'm all in.”

Until he said those words again, she hadn't realized there was a knot in her chest. It loosened and suddenly it was easier to breathe.

“Thanks,” she whispered. “Me, too.”

“Good.”

He kissed her again, lingering this time, making her body heat up from the inside.

“Want to come over for dinner?” he asked. “I'll cook.”

“You know how?”

He shrugged. “I'll barbecue. Fire good.”

She laughed. “It's cold outside.”

“It's in the forties at night. I'll survive the time it takes me to grill a couple of steaks.” He pressed his mouth against her ear. “There's this new thing called a jacket. I have one.”

“You're so cutting-edge.”

“Tell me about it.” He straightened. “Was that a yes?”

“I'll be there.”

“Great. I'm heading up to the school now, but when I'm done there, I'll go get steaks and some salads. Does six work?”

“Sure.”

He kissed her one more time before she left and headed back to her own office. As she walked, she felt a faint tingle on her lips—the lingering effect of his mouth on hers. The man could sure get to her.

She liked him. Considering they were getting married, that was a good thing. But Liz was right—she had to be careful. Liking him too much would leave her vulnerable. She'd already been hurt enough in her life. She didn't need to go looking for trouble. Most of the time, it seemed to find her without any help.

 

R
AOUL ARRIVED AT THE CAMP
just as the kids were let out for afternoon recess. It was cool but clear, with blue skies visible between the breaks in the trees. He found himself in the middle of a rush of children wanting to make the most of their twenty minutes of playtime.

“Hey, Raoul,” Peter called as he ran past. “Come play.”

He'd seen the boy a few times since they'd had lunch together. Peter was smart, friendly and interested in sports. There hadn't been a hint of any kind of abuse. Maybe Raoul had imagined Peter flinching that first day during the fire. Or maybe the fire itself had made the boy nervous.

He followed the kids onto the playground. The noise level grew as the play began. There were shrieks and calls, along with plenty of laughter.

Looking around, he was pleased at what the camp had become. This was right, he thought as several girls
tried to coax him into turning one end of a jump rope. Finally he agreed.

They lined up to be the next one to jump.

“Faster,” a little girl with curly hair demanded. “I jump really good.”

He and the teacher holding the other end obliged, spinning the rope more quickly. The girl kept up easily, laughing as she jumped.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several boys on the jungle gym. A flash of red caught his attention. He turned and saw Peter climb to the top. In a moment that was like something out of the movies, Raoul saw what was going to happen, even as he knew he was too far away to stop it.

Peter started to lower himself down. His hand slipped. Raoul took off running, the boy grabbed for the bar, slipped again, screamed and tumbled to the ground. Despite all the noise around him, Raoul would have sworn he heard the thunk of the fall. Peter landed on his arm, and Raoul knew before he reached him that it was going to be bad.

“Stay still,” he instructed as he reached the kid's side.

Peter looked more stunned than hurt. He started to get up, then his face went pale and he gasped. Raoul saw the awkward angle of Peter's forearm.

The boy's face screwed up. “It hurts,” he said and began to cry.

“I know. It's your arm. Do you hurt anywhere else?”

Peter shook his head. Tears spilled down his cheeks.

He helped the boy shift his arm against his chest.
Peter screamed once, then continued crying. Raoul gathered him up in his arms and stood.

A bunch of students had gathered around. Teachers came running.

“He's broken his arm,” Raoul said as he walked. “I don't know if he's hurt anywhere else. I'm taking him to the hospital. It'll be faster than waiting for an ambulance. Call the hospital and let them know we're coming. Call the police and see if they can meet me at the bottom of the mountain to escort us to the hospital, then find his foster parents.”

Peter weighed practically nothing, Raoul thought, hurrying out to the parking lot. One of the teachers had come with them and fished his keys out of his jacket pocket. She opened the door. He crouched down and carefully slid the boy onto the seat.

Mrs. Miller appeared on his left. “I'm coming, too. I'll drive my own car and follow you down.” She bent down and smoothed her hand over Peter's face. “You're going to be fine. We'll take care of you.”

The boy continued to cry.

Raoul fastened the boy's seat belt. Mrs. Miller stepped back and he closed the door.

“You know where the hospital is?” she asked as Raoul hurried to the driver's side.

“Yes.”

“I'll meet you there.”

 

N
EARLY TWO HOURS LATER
, Raoul sat in the emergency waiting room. Peter had been seen almost at once. X-rays showed a clean break that should heal quickly. He was off getting a cast on, while Mrs. Miller waited to talk
to the social worker who had been called. So far Peter's foster parents hadn't shown up.

“Mr. Moreno?”

He looked up and a saw a tall, blonde nurse with a chart. “Yes,” he said as he rose.

“Hi. I'm Heidi. Peter's going to be just fine. They're finishing up now. I wondered if I could talk to you for a minute.”

“Sure.”

He followed her into an empty examination room.

“How do you know Peter?” she asked.

“Through the school. He goes to the one that burned down, so all the kids are up at my camp. I've played ball with him and his friends a few times. Why?”