Only His

by Susan Mallery

  “I hope.”

  “Trust me.”

  WHEN A DAY OF MOVING lumber and walking the site that would be blasted didn’t make Nevada feel any better, she gladly accepted an invitation to join her friends at Jo’s Bar after work. Heidi had promised to call Annabelle and Charlie, and the other women were waiting when Nevada arrived—as was a very tall, very cold vodka tonic.

  “You read my mind,” she said, slipping into the seat they’d saved for her. “Thanks.” She took a sip. “How are things with everyone?”

  “Good,” Heidi said with a grin. “No recent goat escapes, which is working for me. And the feral cows are keeping their distance.”

  Annabelle laughed. “You’re the only person I know who’s frightened of cows.”

  “I’m not frightened. They’re a bad influence.”

  Annabelle shook her head. “Keep telling yourself that. I’m fine, too. Loving the library, loving the town. Did you all see the leaves over the weekend? Talk about beautiful.”

  “Leaves catch fire,” Charlie grumbled.

  “Ever the romantic,” Nevada teased.

  Charlie eyed her over her margarita. “Your sisters are getting married.”

  Nevada took another drink, then sighed. “That sounds more like an accusation than a question.”

  “I didn’t mean it to. I guess I’m surprised.”

  Nevada realized the other two women were looking at her with identical expressions of concern. “Uh-oh. You’ve been talking about this.”

  Heidi leaned toward her. “A little. Don’t be mad. We’re worried. You’re a triplet.”

  “I kind of knew that.”

  “What she means,” Annabelle said, “is you’ve always done things together and now they’re getting married. We’re worried.”

  Nevada felt a rush of affection for the three of them. “Thank you, but don’t be. I’m fine. I love my sisters and I’m okay with the wedding.”

  She paused, admitting to herself that she felt a little left out. “Maybe it’s a little strange, but I don’t want anything to change.”

  Heidi wrinkled her nose. “I know I’m new and I shouldn’t have an opinion.”

  “Don’t let that stop you,” Charlie told her.

  “I like your sisters,” Heidi continued. “But it seems kind of mean to have a double wedding, leaving you out. Shouldn’t they have gotten married separately?”

  “Yes,” Jo said, coming up to the table with a huge plate of nachos. “That would have made the most sense. But they’re in love and happy and people do crazy things when they’re in love. Dakota and Montana love their sister and would never want to hurt her. They really want to have a double wedding. There’s no way to reconcile the two.”

  “I’m not hurt,” Nevada said. “I mean that. Sure, I feel funny about it, but I want them to have the wedding of their dreams. I’ll be part of it and that’s what is important.”

  Jo put down a stack of napkins and four small plates. “You four are going to get drunk tonight, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe,” Charlie admitted.

  “Everyone walking?” Jo asked.

  When they all nodded, she said, “The next round is on the house, then.”

  “Someone’s in a good mood,” Nevada said, staring at the bartender.

  Jo gave a slight smile. “Maybe. But don’t press me on it or I’ll rescind the offer.”

  With that she strolled away.

  Nevada stared after her. “I guess things are going well with Will. He’s been a pretty happy guy. Everyone’s in love but me.”

  The second the words were out, she winced. “I said that aloud, didn’t I?”

  The other three nodded.

  “Crap. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Annabelle told her. “Love is great. Except for when it’s ripping out your heart and stomping on it.”

  “You, too?” Heidi asked.

  “Oh, I’m the poster girl for picking the wrong guy. Trust me, if there’s a selfish bastard within a fifty-mile radius, I’m all over him. Or I was. I’m in the process of retraining myself.”

  “How’s that going?” Charlie asked.

  “Slow. What about you?”

  “Guys find me intimidating.” Charlie shrugged. “Most days I like that.” She glanced around the table. “So Heidi is dealing with her fear of cows, Annabelle’s trying to get over falling for the wrong guy.”

  “Again and again,” Annabelle added. “Let’s be specific.”

  “Sure. I’ve given up on finding anyone because men are stupid.” She turned to Nevada. “It’s all up to you. You’re going to have to represent us all on the road to happily-ever-after.”

  Nevada had been swallowing as Charlie spoke and now she started to choke.

  “Me? No way. I’m not good at relationships.”

  “You’re seeing Tucker,” Heidi said. “Someone told me that at the grocery store, so it must be true. All the most accurate gossip comes from the grocery store.”

  Nevada felt a scream building up in her chest. “‘Seeing’ is a little strong.”

  “So, you’re just using him for sex.” Charlie touched her glass to Nevada’s. “I can respect that.”

  “Can we talk about something else?” Nevada asked weakly.

  Annabelle used her fork to slide several chips onto her plate. “Sure. That artist in town, Caterina Stoicasescu, came into the library this morning. She’s really interesting. Famous, but approachable. Do any of you know her?”

  Nevada told herself that banging her head against the table wouldn’t help. But this was a good reminder to be careful about what she wished for.

  TUCKER STARED at his calendar. “Why?” he asked, suddenly realizing his perfectly good day was going to spin slowly down the toilet.

  Nevada glanced up. “Why what?”

  “Our appointment with the mayor. Why?”

  “I have no idea. She didn’t send an agenda.”

  “Of course she didn’t. She wants to blindside us with something. That’s what city officials do.”

  “Not here,” Nevada told him. “She’s happy about the construction. She wants the resort and casino. Because of the treaty with the last of the indigenous Máa-zib tribe, the city gets to tax whatever is built here. It’s not a high percentage, but this is a huge project. Do you know what this is going to do for city revenues? I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  He wished he could be as confident. In his experience, local government officials could be a pain in his ass. Until recently his biggest concern had been avoiding Cat. But being around her wasn’t an issue now, which had set him free of the past. Things had been going great, and now this.

  “We’re up to date on the paperwork?” he asked.

  “Yes. I double-checked that when she asked to see us. I’ve known Mayor Marsha all my life, Tucker. She’s not out to get us.”

  He heard a car pull up outside. “I hope you’re right,” he said as he stood and crossed to the door. He stepped outside and walked down the two steps to greet the mayor.

  As always, Marsha Tilson was well-dressed in a suit and low heels. Her white hair was in that puffy style women of her age seemed to favor. She had her purse over one shoulder and a folder in her right hand. He eyed the folder, knowing in his gut it was going to mean trouble.

  “Good morning,” the mayor said cheerfully.

  “Mayor Tilson.” He crossed to her and held out his hand. “Nice to see you.”

  “Please, Tucker. I’ve asked you to call me Mayor Marsha.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, before he could stop himself.

  They shook, then she glanced around.

  “You’re making progress. The land is nearly cleared. I understand there is to be some blasting soon. If you would make sure you schedule it on a school day so we don’t have too many young bystanders, I would appreciate it.”

  “Of course.”

  “Excellent.” She motioned to the trailer. “Shall we?”

  He wasn’t
exactly sure how she’d gotten control of the conversation, but there she was, leading him inside his own trailer as if she were the hostess.

  He climbed the stairs and walked in to find her settling on the chair by Nevada’s desk.

  “Cramped quarters,” she said, taking the mug of coffee Nevada handed her. “I suppose you don’t want to waste the money on an expensive office. Very sensible.”

  “Thanks.”

  He pulled up a chair and sat across from her. Nevada sank into her own seat.

  The mayor set the folder on the desk. “The city council and I are very pleased with how things are progressing here. You’re ahead of schedule, which is wonderful. The team you’ve brought in is an excellent addition to the town. They’re well-mannered and eating out nearly every night.” She smiled. “Something our local businesses appreciate.”

  Nevada shot him a “See?” look. He relaxed a little. Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe there wasn’t a problem.

  “Mr. Janack, you’ve been a pleasure to work with.”

  “Tucker, please.”

  Mayor Marsha nodded. “Tucker.” She glanced at Nevada, then back at him. “Which is why it pains me to have to come here and talk about something less than pleasant.”

  He held in a groan. Here it comes, he thought, trying to figure out what could have the good mayor’s panties in a bunch.

  “What’s wrong?” Nevada asked. “All the permits are in order, we’re paying our fees, the plans have been approved.”

  The mayor reached across the desk and patted Nevada’s hand. “Not to worry. I have no complaints about the construction. I wish the rest of my city business ran as smoothly. What I have instead is a more delicate problem. One I need your help with.” She turned to Tucker. “You, especially.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that. “All right,” he said slowly. “What’s the problem?”

  “Caterina Stoicasescu.”

  “Cat?” Nevada asked. “What has she done?”

  “More important,” Tucker said. “What makes you think I can help?”

  Nevada glanced at him. “Give it up. Our mayor knows everything.”

  He didn’t know what to say about that.

  Mayor Marsha drew in a deep breath. “Returning to the topic at hand, this must be fixed. On the surface, Ms. Stoicasescu has been nothing but generous. When we invited her to our artist series, we never dreamed someone of her caliber would attend. She’s been delightful, giving interviews, speaking with students at the schools. She even taught a class at the college.”

  Tucker frowned. He didn’t know about any of this. When had Cat gotten so involved with Fool’s Gold? Nevada looked equally flummoxed.

  “I didn’t know,” Nevada murmured. “She’s making a place for herself here.”

  “I’m not sure about that. She doesn’t seem to be the type to settle anywhere, however, she obviously has taken to the town. She’s giving us a generous gift.”

  Tucker turned his attention back to Mayor Marsha. There was something about the way she said the words “generous gift.” Something that indicated it was anything but.

  “You’re not happy about the gift?” he asked.

  Marsha put on her reading glasses and opened her folder, then read from the paper inside. “Ms. Stoicasescu has been inspired by the positive female presence in Fool’s Gold. As a thank-you for taking her in and making her feel as if she truly belongs, she wishes to give the community a gift. A sculpture that will celebrate the spirit of the town and the female energy that has made it so unique.”

  “Not the most gracefully worded press release,” Nevada said, “but I’m missing the bad part. Is it the cost of the installation? We can hold a fundraiser. Cat’s name is huge. We’ll get donations from all over.”

  “I’m less concerned about the cost of the installation or insurance,” Marsha said, removing her glasses. “It’s the gift itself.”

  “I don’t get it,” Tucker admitted.

  The mayor turned to her. “Cat wishes to celebrate all things feminine. Those were her exact words.”

  The mayor’s expression tightened. If Tucker had to guess what she was feeling, he would say horror.

  “How?” he asked.

  “She’s giving us a giant vagina. From the preliminary sketches, I would say it’s going to be at least fifteen feet tall, and she would like us to place it in the center of town. Where the Thanksgiving diorama is now.”

  Nevada made a choking sound. Tucker found himself scrambling for words.

  “A giant…”

  “Yes.”

  What the hell was Cat thinking? A vagina? In the center of Fool’s Gold. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure what that would look like. Would there be ovaries, too, or was that part of the uterus? He wasn’t exactly an expert on female anatomy. He knew what he liked and what they liked and that had been the end of his exploration of the topic.

  Nevada opened her mouth and then closed it. “Oh, my.”

  “Exactly,” the mayor said. “We have tried to stop this by delaying the permitting process. However, Ms. Stoicasescu’s assistant went on and on about freedom of expression and threatened to expose us to the national press as a town that is an enemy of art. We have already had to deal with the national press and it’s not an experience I want to repeat.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Nevada asked.

  The mayor closed the folder, put away her reading glasses, then rose.

  “I want you to make it go away. All of it. Ms. Stoicasescu, her assistant and the vagina.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  TUCKER CROSSED THE CLEARED land toward the side of the mountain. The blasting would take out about forty feet, which didn’t sound like much. What he knew from having done this before was that the explosion would release tons of loose earth. Once that had been cleared, the side of the mountain would be stabilized and braced and the rest of the work could continue.

  Digging for the water and sewer systems had already started. Massive pipes were being delivered in a few weeks and would be put in place. Having city water and sewer would make things easier, as far as doing the work and reliability, but it meant more permits and oversight. A trade-off.

  He could see Nevada in the distance, talking to her team. The guys were nodding attentively, and one was taking notes. Tucker had to give her credit. She knew how to handle herself on the site.

  “Hey, boss.”

  Tucker nodded as Jerry approached. The fiftysomething supervisor had been with the company nearly thirty years and had worked with Tucker for the past ten.

  “The blasting crew is on their way. They’ll arrive tomorrow. They’ll go over everything, set up and be ready by Friday. Should be a good show.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  The sound of female laughter drifted toward them. Tucker glanced toward Nevada and saw her laughing with her men.

  “She’s doing good,” Jerry said. “A few of the guys weren’t sure about reporting to a woman, and a local at that. But she knows her stuff. She’s fair and easy to work for. Pretty, but what with you two being involved, no one’s giving her that kind of trouble.”

  Tucker swung his gaze to Jerry. “We’re not involved.”

  Jerry grinned. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that, boss. You’ll start to believe it. Not that I blame you. Like I said, if you hadn’t gotten there first, a lot of the guys would have made a play for her.” The grin broadened. “Her sisters are getting married. You could make it a triple wedding.”

  Jerry laughed at his own joke and slapped Tucker on the back. “Want me to start a pool? You could make a lot of money betting with the guys.”

  “No, thanks,” Tucker said, doing his best not to grit his teeth.

  Their fake relationship had worked too well. They hadn’t been dating but that didn’t matter. They were barely seeing each other. Sure, they’d slept together, but that had been more an accident than anything else. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed himself. He had. She was grea
t. He liked spending time with her. Not just for the sex, although that was life-changing, but for the conversation. They got each other. She was funny and smart. He wanted to see more of her, but they weren’t dating. Or involved.

  Jerry waved and walked toward the group around Nevada. Tucker watched him go, not sure what he was supposed to do now. He’d made it clear that he didn’t do relationships. He believed love made people into fools, and he wasn’t going there again. Nevada understood that. They were on the same page.

  At least he hoped they were. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure she did know the rules. What if she expected more of him?

  The question had barely formed in his mind before a thin sheen of cold sweat broke out on his back. The last thing he needed was for everyone around here to think he’d misled Nevada. Her team would turn on him, and who knew what that would mean in town. So, they had to talk about it—words designed to make any man run for the hills.

  But he had to make things clear. There wasn’t going to be a triple wedding. In a year or so, he would move on to the next project. Sure, he would miss Nevada when he went, but that didn’t mean he wanted to marry her. Or anyone.

  Settling down had never been something he’d considered. He supposed at some point he should think about having a family. Traditionally that meant getting married. But even as he considered the possibility, he remembered how it had been with Cat. How he’d been unable to think, let alone to be his own man. She’d controlled him and humiliated him and there was no way he would do that again.

  Determined to have it out with Nevada right that second, he started toward her. Before he’d taken more than a couple of steps, a police car came toward him. Fool’s Gold Police Department was painted on the sides.

  He waited while the officer behind the wheel parked, then got out.

  “Tucker Janack?” the woman asked.

  He nodded.

  She walked toward him. “I’m Police Chief Alice Barns. Nice to meet you.”

  “Why do I doubt that?” Tucker asked, eyeing her.

  She was of average height, in her forties and wearing a dark blue uniform. She looked more than capable of being in charge.