“I won’t get into the whole ‘we really appreciate what you did’ thing,” she said. “Mom will thank you for all of us. I would guess at some point the thanks get tedious.”
“Not tedious,” he corrected. “Uncomfortable.”
She smiled. “Not into the gushing thing?”
“No.”
The curve of her mouth, the flash of teeth, was nearly identical to Montana’s. Yet his reaction could not have been more different. He wasn’t the least bit interested in Nevada. She was nice enough and pretty enough, but nothing like her sister. Quite the trick, considering they were identical triplets.
“Montana tells me you’re in town for a temporary assignment. You go from place to place doing surgery and then leave?”
He nodded. “I don’t usually go to large cities unless there is a special case. Every couple of years I spend a few months in other countries. I’m going to Peru as soon as I’m done here.”
“Doctors Without Borders?” Montana asked.
“I’ve worked with them and with other organizations. There is a massive need for surgeons in the Third World.”
“But you mostly work with burn patients, right?” Nevada asked. “Don’t they require long-term care?”
“Yes. I do the preliminary surgeries and their local doctors follow up with long-term care. Sometimes I go back a few years later.” If the case was difficult enough.
“Aren’t you kind of young to be doing what you do?” Nevada asked. “You’re what? In your early thirties?”
“I started college early and got through quickly. I knew what I wanted to do and was motivated.”
Montana enjoyed listening to the exchange. She didn’t know very much about Simon and having her sister grill him would make it easier for her to make some headway with Mayor Marsha’s request.
Although from what she could tell all he did was move around. While that sounded exciting, didn’t he eventually want a home?
As he and Nevada discussed the rigors of his education, Montana studied his face. She wasn’t surprised that he had seated her on his “good” side. But when he turned to her sister, she could see some of the scars. They were thick and angry, tugging at his skin. They went down the side of his neck. She wasn’t sure where they ended. At his shoulder? Did they go all the way down his back, his chest?
What had happened to him, all those years ago? How had he been hurt and how had he recovered? “Who was Simon Bradley?” she asked herself somewhat dramatically.
Before she could figure out how to ask, Kent and Reese walked up, Fluffy bounding beside the boy. There were bandages on the side of her nephew’s face and he had a couple of bruises. He was still kind of foggy from the accident and the surgery. At both his father’s and grandmother’s insistence, he was spending the afternoon in a lounge chair, while his cousins played around him. She had a feeling that come tomorrow he would be running around with the rest of them.
“How are you feeling?” Simon asked the boy.
“Okay. My face hurts a little. I’m kind of tired. Dad says you’re the doctor who operated on me.”
Simon nodded. “You were my easiest case of the day.”
Reese leaned against the table. He had the same dark hair that all the Hendrix men possessed. Montana could see a lot of her brother in his son.
“Doesn’t all that blood bother you?” Reese asked.
“I’m used to it.”
“It’s pretty sweet, the way you help people and all. But I’d worry about throwing up with all that blood.”
Kent looked surprised. “Are you thinking you want to be a doctor?”
Reese grinned. “Dad, I’m ten. I kind of want to be everything. But I think what Dr. Bradley can do is special. You know, fixing people.”
Montana watched her brother struggle. She knew him well enough to guess that he wanted to point out his profession was interesting, too, although she wasn’t sure how many ten-year-olds dreamed of being a math teacher.
“A doctor would be good,” Kent said. “You have to go to school a lot.”
“He has plenty of time to decide,” Simon said easily, then smiled at Reese. “You won’t be so tired tomorrow. And your face will stop hurting.”
“Sweet.”
Kent excused them both and went back to the house. Fluffy trailed along with them.
“I should go help Mom,” Nevada said, rising.
Montana started to stand but her sister waved her into place.
“Entertain our company,” Nevada said with a knowing smile. “I’ll take care of setting out the food.”
Montana sighed, then glanced at Simon to see if he’d noticed the not very subtle “pay attention to the cute guy” reference. Fortunately, he seemed intent on watching Fluffy.
Through the open sliding door, they could see Reese had plopped down on the sectional sofa. Instead of staying outside with the other kids, Fluffy settled at his feet.
“She’s protecting him,” Montana pointed out. “She didn’t have the personality to be a therapy dog, but she had the heart.”
“Disappointed it wasn’t enough?”
She studied her nephew. “I think a dog will be good for him, so no. Still, it would have been nice to add Fluffy to the team. Big dogs work well in a lot of situations.”
“Such as?”
“If we’re visiting a large group, like a nursing home. The bigger dogs can easily go around and be patted. They’re also easier for residents with walkers and wheelchairs. No little paws getting underfoot. The bigger dogs seem better suited for the reading program, too. You’d think a large dog would scare a little kid, but they don’t. Plus they can lean on them or cuddle, which takes away some of the stress. Not to dismiss the work of the small dogs. You saw what Cece did for Kalinda. It’s hard to get an eighty-pound Lab onto a bed with a sick kid.”
She shook her head. “Sorry. I can get carried away.”
“I like hearing about your work.”
“It’s nothing when compared with what you do.”
His gray-green gaze was steady. “I disagree. The ability to read is just as important for a child as fitting into our societal norms, physically speaking.”
He had a point, but still. “You save lives.”
“When you bring a dog to visit someone who is lonely, aren’t you saving their life, too?”
“In the moment.”
“Isn’t life about moments?”
This was a side of him she hadn’t expected to see. “I thought all surgeons had huge egos.”
“I have my moments, too.” One corner of his mouth twitched. “Plus, that stick up my butt takes a lot of room.”
She winced. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I can be too focused. I need that skill for my work, but after a while I forget to turn it off.”
He flashed her a smile and she felt her stomach clench. There was something about this man, she thought. She wanted to ask about his scars—how he’d gotten them and why he hadn’t entirely fixed them. Maybe they couldn’t be fixed. And while she was wondering things, what about his personal life? From what he’d said, he went from place to place, with no real roots. Didn’t that get lonely?
Usually conversation was easy for her, but with Simon she felt she had to tread more carefully. Strange, considering the man had had his tongue in her mouth. After that intimacy, he shouldn’t be so intimidating. But it wasn’t that she was nervous around him. Rather, she didn’t want to scare him off. Talk about confusing.
“I’m guessing that means you didn’t have a dog when you were growing up,” she said, wondering if she could get him to talk about his past.
“No.” The humor left his eyes as he spoke and his mouth straightened. “No dog. It was just me and my mother. Until I went into the hospital.”
With the burns, she thought, eager to find out what had happened. But before she could figure out what to ask, he spoke.
“You and your sisters are the you
ngest?”
“Yes. Mom wanted one girl and instead got three. That can’t have been easy. The multiple birth thing. My friend Pia is pregnant with twins. She’s due any minute. I can’t imagine what that’s like—especially since they’re not hers. Not biologically.”
“Someone donated the eggs?”
“Our mutual friend Crystal had frozen embryos. Crystal died and left them to Pia, who freaked out.” Montana smiled at the memory. “She wasn’t exactly prepared to be a mother. But she couldn’t say no and then she met Raoul and now they’re a family.” She sighed. “It’s wonderful. Don’t you love a happy ending?”
“You believe in that?”
“Of course. Fool’s Gold is the Land of Happy Endings. Don’t you believe in them?”
“Sometimes.”
The air was warm and the scent of her mother’s flowers drifted by. She could hear the sound of the kids playing, talking and laughter coming from the house. Still, all that faded until there was only Simon.
“Only sometimes? Because other times they don’t make it,” she whispered, understanding that for him, not saving someone, even if he knew there wasn’t a way to make that happen, must be terrible.
“I’ve accepted it.”
“You don’t mean that.”
He stared at her. “I don’t mean it,” he admitted. “I’m supposed to be able to save them all.” He put his hands on the table. “It’s here. In these, and in my head. I’m good at what I do—one of the best. I always knew that I had a special talent, and that if I dedicated everything to becoming the best, I could save lives.”
That wasn’t ego, she thought, although she wasn’t sure how she knew. It was something else. Something more profound and integral to who he was.
“You’re complicated,” she told him.
“No. I’m fairly simple. You’re the complicated one.”
She laughed. “I don’t think so. My life is very normal. Boring, even.”
“Not boring.”
She wished he was telling the truth. “I always wanted to be exotic. Different. Instead I’m one of six kids with parents who loved each other. I guess being a triplet was unusual, but in a way it only added to the sameness. It’s hard to be an individual when you’re one of three.” She shook her head. “I’m not making sense, am I? The thing is, I love my family and my sisters so much. But they always knew what they wanted and, until recently, I didn’t.”
“Hence your concern about Fluffy’s destiny?”
She laughed. “There’s that word again. Hence. You and your fancy education.”
“That’s me. Fancy.”
“I’m glad you came today,” she said impulsively, touching her hand to his.
His skin was warm and made her remember being in his arms. Talk about a place that felt good.
Simon studied her intensely. “I am, too. I don’t spend a lot of time with families.”
By choice, she thought suddenly, thinking of his travels. He could have chosen to settle in one place, to raise money and have the patients come to him. But he hadn’t. He’d done this deliberately, which left the question of why.
Ethan strolled over. “All right, Simon, I’ve come to give you a break. Kent and I are going to grab a beer and watch the game. Want to join us?”
Montana would have preferred to keep him to herself, but wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.
“Go ahead,” she told him. “I’ll help Mom in the kitchen.”
They went into the house. Ethan grabbed them each a beer, then the guys settled in front of the big TV in the family room. The space was large, with comfortable sofas. Although it opened onto the kitchen, the guys were so far away that the sound from the TV barely made it to the kitchen.
The kids were out back, playing. Nevada and Dakota were with Denise, finishing up the last prep work for dinner. Baby Hannah sat in her playpen, happily digging into a quilted bag filled with fabric animals.
“Let me guess,” her mother said as Montana entered. “They’re going to watch the game.”
“Of course.”
“Men and sports. I’ll never understand it.” Denise leaned against the counter. “How your father loved baseball.”
“And football,” Nevada added. “Remember that Thanksgiving when the game went into overtime and the turkey was done?”
Dad had been desperate to see the end of the game, but had taken one look at his wife’s face and turned off the TV. Denise had been so impressed, she’d had Ethan and Ford drag the TV into the dining room while Ralph was carving the turkey in the kitchen.
“He would have missed the end of that game for you,” Montana reminded her mother. “He loved you so much.”
“He did. He was a good man.” Denise looked at her, then at Nevada. “I want you two to find a man like him.”
“I’m not opposed to it,” Montana said, doing her best not to look toward the family room or even think about Simon. First of all, she barely knew the man. Fabulous kissing did not a relationship make. Second, he wasn’t the kind who stayed, and she wasn’t the kind who left.
“I’m not convinced what you and Dad had still exists,” Nevada grumbled. “There aren’t that many good guys around.”
“Sure there are,” Dakota told her.
“Thanks. Rub in the fact you found the last one.”
“Maybe not,” Denise said, eyeing Simon. “Any sparks?”
“Mom!” Montana waved her hands. “Shh. What if he hears you?”
“They’re at the other end of the room with the TV on. He can’t hear me.” Still she lowered her voice. “I saw you two talking outside. Anything?”
Montana didn’t know what to say. Simon was smart and good-looking and kissed in a way that left her breathless. But…
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “We don’t have that much in common.”
“How much do you need?” Nevada asked.
“I’m not sure. He’s very solitary. I can’t figure out how much of that is by circumstance and how much is by design.”
“You mean, is he mysterious, or is there something wrong with him?” Dakota asked.
Montana grinned. “Exactly.”
“You could find out,” her mother reminded her.
“I could.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
DENISE TIGHTENED THE BELT on her cotton robe as she waited for the coffee to brew. Although she’d grown used to having the big house to herself, it felt good to have some of her family back home with her, even if it was only temporary. She’d been a widow for more than ten years—she’d long since gotten used to the silence. But having people in the house was better—especially when those people included any of her grandchildren.
Kent walked into the kitchen. He’d already showered and shaved. She studied his dark slacks, light blue shirt and patterned tie.
“Nervous?” she asked as she poured them each a mug of coffee.
“A little. I really want to get the job.”
Kent was back for a final interview at Fool’s Gold High School. He would be coming in with the possibility of running the department when the current head retired in a couple of years.
“Not that I’m not thrilled to have you moving back to town,” she began, staring at her son. “But I want you to be sure.”
Kent gave her a smile that was so much like his father’s it made her chest hurt. “Mom, we’ve talked about this already.”
“As if that matters. I want you running toward something, not running away.”
He held up his hand. “Don’t hold back, Mom. Tell me what you really think.”
“You know what I mean. You and Reese have gone through so much in the past couple of years. I want you to be sure.”
“I am.” He set down his coffee and leaned against the counter. “Lorraine isn’t coming back. I know that. Staying in that same house is hard on both Reese and me. Too many ghosts. I want to start over—it’ll be good for both of us. Where better than here? The town is great. Reese already has frien
ds here from all our visits. We have family. I want to be here, Mom.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
She took another sip. “I’m sorry about Lorraine.”
“No, you’re not.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry you’re hurt.”
“That I’ll believe.”
Denise had hated being one of those mothers-in-law who never approved of the woman their son married, but she’d been unable to help disliking Lorraine from the second she’d met her. Clichéd or not, the woman wasn’t good enough for her son. She was beautiful but cold. Denise remembered wondering why someone so ambitious and determined had married a guy who wanted to be a math teacher.
Their marriage had been tumultuous from the first day, with Lorraine walking out several times. Eighteen months ago she’d announced she wanted a divorce. She’d left again, but that time she hadn’t come back.
While Denise felt terrible for Kent, the person she most ached for was Reese. Lorraine rarely saw her son and had missed his birthday a few months before. Talk about a selfish…
“You sure you don’t mind me staying here?” Kent interrupted her line of thinking.
“It’s a big house. I’ll enjoy having the company. I’m more worried about you.”
He grinned. “A guy in his thirties, living with his mother? I’ll be a chick magnet.”
“I think you will be. When you’re ready.”
The smile faded. “I’m not. I thought I’d found what you and Dad had. I thought she was the one. Maybe for me she was, but it doesn’t really matter. She’s gone.”
Denise wanted to tell him not to give up. That he was too young and there was too much life to be lived. But she learned a long time ago that it was better to hint and nudge than outright direct her children’s lives.
“All that can wait,” she said, while thinking that once he was here and settled, she would find a way to introduce him to a few women around his age. There were plenty in town. “First you have your final interview.”
“Speaking of which, I’d better get going.” He crossed the kitchen and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”
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