Susan Mallery Fool's Gold Series Volume One: Chasing Perfect\Almost Perfect\Sister of the Bride\Finding Perfect (24 page)

“Pinhead,” she muttered. “Stupid, egocentric pinhead.”

Funny how Josh had all the flash, but Robert turned out to be the man lacking in substance.

Yet as she left the conference room, she found herself wondering if she
was
blinded by Josh. She was her mother's daughter, after all, and Sandra had always been interested in handsome, superficial men.

Charity told herself she knew what she was doing. That Josh was more than he seemed. Still, it would be up to her to make sure she really was falling for the man rather than the persona.

* * *

“W
E HAVEN'T SEEN YOU
here in a long time,” Bella said as she combed Josh's hair.

“Uh huh,” he said, ignoring the not-so-subtle complaint inherent in her words.

“Your last haircut was terrible.”

He smiled. “You say that every time.”

Bella, a middle-aged woman with beautiful eyes and a will of iron, glared at him in the mirror. “I suppose
she
says the same thing when you go to her.”

“I'm not going to discuss that with you.”

Bella snorted. “You know I'm better.”

“Are those new earrings?” he asked. “They're pretty.”

She fingered the gold hoops at her ears. “You're trying to distract me.”

“Yes, and you're going to pretend I've succeeded.”

Her mouth twitched, as if she were trying not to smile.

Bella Gionni and her sister Julia were the two best hair stylists in town. Unfortunately, they'd been involved in a running feud for the past twenty-five years. They had competing shops on opposite sides of town. To pick one over the other was to get involved in the fight. The problem was no one but the sisters knew the cause of the argument.

The surest way to keep the peace, and the one Josh had chosen, was to alternate his business. Each of them complained about his time with the other.

Not going to either of them would be easier, he knew, but that wasn't an option. He owed the sisters. While he'd had most of his college paid for by scholarships, there hadn't been quite enough to cover everything. The town had come through with funding for both him and Ethan. He happened to know that Marsha had contributed the most, but the second-largest donors had been the Gionni sisters.

“I heard you're dating Charity,” Bella said as she began to cut his hair.

He winced. “I'm not going to talk about that.”

“Of course you are. She's nice. I heard she's thinking of getting highlights.” She smiled. “They're for you, I think. I know when a woman wants to look pretty for a man.” She winked.

He shifted uncomfortably in the padded chair. “Charity and I are, um, dating.”

“More than dating, eh? I hear things, Joshua. What the ladies say.”

He
so
didn't want to be having this conversation with a woman nearly old enough to be his mother. “There's a lot of talk. Most of it is just that.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Bella continued cutting. “It's been a long time since you went on a date.”

“A couple of years,” he admitted.

“Then it's time to get back on the horse.”

Just the visual that Josh needed.

* * *

P
IA WALKED INTO
C
HARITY'S
office and flopped down on a seat. “Have a minute?” she asked.

“Sure.” Charity studied her friend's sad expression. “What's wrong?”

“It's Crystal. The last round of chemo didn't do anything. They've run out of treatment options.” Pia sucked in a breath and seemed to fight tears. “She's deciding if she wants to stay home or go into a facility. Hospice care,” she added. “She said the doctor gave her two months. Maybe three.”

Charity swallowed. “I'm sorry. How awful.” She didn't know Crystal very well, but felt badly for all she'd gone through.

“It's been horrible. We'd really hoped that last round of chemo would do something. Anything. She's gotten so weak. I don't think she can be at home by herself. And she says she likes the idea of a hospice. She says they're actually really nice places.”

“Is it in town?” Charity asked.

“Uh-huh. I'll get to go see her and stuff, but I don't want her to die.” Pia wiped the tears off her cheek. “I hate this. There's nothing I can do to make a difference. I'm taking her cat, which is the only thing I can think of to do.”

“People worry about their pets. Taking her cat will be a big help.”

“I'm not really a pet person,” Pia admitted. “I don't know anything about cats. Crystal says he's quiet and clean. I guess I'll get a book or something. It's just so unfair.”

Charity nodded. There didn't seem to be any words.

“She's already lost her husband,” Pia continued. “All she ever wanted was to get married and be a mom. Now that's never going to happen. And I know she's worried about those embryos. There's no way she's going to donate them to research, but they can't stay frozen forever. Can you imagine being in her position—dying, and having to decide the fate of children you'll never have?”

“No,” Charity said truthfully. It was an impossible decision. One no woman should ever have to make. “Does she have any family? A sister or cousin who might want the embryos?”

“No. It's just her.” Pia looked at her. “Sorry. You were probably having a good day before I showed up.”

“I'm happy to listen.”

“Thanks.” She drew in a deep breath. “I'd better get back to work. I'm going to see Crystal tonight so I can get to know her cat a little better.”

“You'll be a good pet mom,” Charity told her. “You'll care and that's what matters.”

“I hope so.” She stood. “Thanks again for letting me vent.”

“Anytime. I mean that.”

Pia nodded and left.

Charity stared after her. Crystal's situation did seem bitterly unfair. The dilemma of the embryos was potentially heartbreaking. To have to lose everything like that.

She thought about her own life, about the second chance she'd been given to be a part of a family. It was more than a lucky break—it was a gift.

She rose and walked down the hall to Marsha's office. Her grandmother sat at her desk. She smiled when she saw Charity.

“How's it going?” Marsha asked.

Charity tried to smile, but couldn't. Tears she could usually hold back with ease filled her eyes.

Marsha stood. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Charity said, going to her and holding her close. “I'm so grateful you're my grandmother. I don't think I said that before, but I wanted you to know.”

Marsha hugged her back. A fierce hug full of love and promise. “I'm happy, too,” she said. “It's been a long time coming.”

Charity straightened. “I won't go away. I'm not like my mother.”

Marsha touched her cheek and smiled. “I know that. We'll both stay right here. Together.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T
HE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR
the special session city council meeting didn't come with an agenda, which Charity thought was odd. Usually there was an entire list of subjects to be covered. She didn't like not being able to prepare and as the announcement showed up in her e-mail a mere thirty minutes before the meeting itself, she didn't have time to ask around. So she was stunned to walk into the conference and find Josh sitting at the table. Why would he be at a city council meeting?

Gladys sat next to him, batting her false eyelashes. Charity sat across and down a couple of seats, concerned about being too close and giving away her body's predictable reaction whenever he was near. He gave her a quick grin as she took her seat. She smiled back, trying not to let anyone see she was baffled and a little annoyed. They were involved—shouldn't he have said
something?

When everyone had arrived, Marsha called the special session to order. Then she motioned to Josh.

“Thanks for coming today,” he began, then passed
out a blue folder to everyone. “I want to talk about starting a bike racing school in town.”

Charity stared at him. Since when?

“I've been approached by a few people in town over the years,” he continued. “I never considered the idea until a few weeks ago. Then I started doing some research. Not only is there a need in the area, but a successful school brings in big money to the local community. Not just the taxes paid by the business itself, but through visitors and races.”

“Gotta have those heads in beds,” Pia said. “We need the tax revenue.”

“I've also been talking to some potential corporate sponsors. They're very interested.”

Marsha didn't look surprised by any of this, so Charity had the feeling Josh had discussed it with her.

“What would you want?” Gladys asked.

“Land. I have a few sites picked out. I have a couple of acres I could donate and Marsha owns two more that neighbor mine. The last plot is owned by the city.”

He got up and dimmed the lights, then flicked on a projector that lit up the screen on the far wall.

An aerial view of the town showed the land in question. With the exception of the bit owned by the city, it was just outside the limits of Fool's Gold.

“We'd want to be annexed,” he said. “The taxes will be higher for us, but that will be offset by city services.” He clicked and another picture appeared. This was a rendering of a large building.

“We're thinking indoor and outdoor tracks. Weight rooms, simulators. There would be two or three small houses where students could live while they trained. Kids still in high school would be a problem. Tutors are an option but then there's a lack of socialization. If we could work something out with the board of education, they could attend local classes while they're training.”

He continued to talk, explaining his well-thought-out plan. Charity listened, impressed but still a little hurt for being left out of the loop. Apparently she thought they had more of a relationship than they actually did. But she didn't let that get in the way of her vote. She gave the idea a yes vote, as did everyone else.

When the meeting was over, she returned to her office. Josh walked in a few minutes later. He was grinning and obviously pleased with how things had gone.

“What did you think?” he asked.

“I was surprised. How are you going to have a training facility here and not ride?”

“I can't,” he admitted. “I'll have to be a part of things. One way or the other, I'll beat this.”

“By boxing yourself into a corner?”

“Whatever works.” He moved toward her desk. “Did you think the presentation was well done?”

She didn't understand the question. If he was anyone else, she would assume her opinion mattered.
That he wanted to hear she'd been blown away. But this was Josh. Everyone loved him. Why would her praise matter?

“I didn't want to say anything to you,” he continued. “Actually I did. I could have used your help. But I didn't want to take advantage of our relationship and put you in an awkward position. If you hated the idea, I didn't want you to feel you had to support it.”

He'd been thinking of her? Being considerate?

Her irritation faded, replaced by a reminder that it was always better to get all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

“You did fine on your own,” she told him, grateful she hadn't been snarky about any of it. “It's a great idea. And hey, it should bring in a lot of men, right? Gladys will be thrilled.”

“Pleasing her is what I live for.”

Charity laughed. “She'll be delighted to know that.” Her humor faded. “I'm not sure throwing yourself in the deep end is the best way to fix the problem, though.”

“Nothing else has worked. That's who I am. That guy who races to win. I don't intend to do it for the rest of my life, but I want to go out on my terms. If I'd been injured, then it would be one of those things. I could accept that. But there's nothing wrong with me. At least not on the outside.”

She could see his determination. “Okay. Appar
ently Fool's Gold is getting a riding school. Are we naming it after you?”

He grinned. “Of course. I was thinking of something like ‘The Golden Institute.'”

“Sounds like a place you go to get a tan.”

“Show a little respect or I'll tell Gladys you're not treating me right.”

“You're threatening me with a woman in her sixties?”

“She could take you.”

“I'm afraid she could.”

He walked around the desk, gave her a quick kiss on the mouth, then stepped back. “You have to work. Want to go out to dinner tonight?”

“Very much.”

“Seven?”

“I'll come to your place,” she said, anticipating the time they would spend together.

“I'll be the handsome guy. In case there's someone else in the room.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

Charity watched him leave, then sat down behind her desk. While she appreciated that Josh felt he had to fix the problem, she was worried there was more at stake. Were his actions about leaving the sport on his terms, as he claimed, or was this about becoming that famous guy again? The star.

Because a world-class athlete wouldn't be staying in Fool's Gold. He would be out in the world. Far, far away from her.

* * *

C
HARITY DRESSED FOR DINNER
, then left her room to walk the few steps to Josh's. But as she closed her door, she saw a pretty teenager knocking on his. The girl was eighteen or nineteen, wearing a frilly sun-dress, looking more defiant than happy.

He opened the door. “You're right on—” His look of pleasure faded. He glanced past the teen to Charity, who raised her eyebrows.

“Haven't got a clue,” he said, then returned his attention to the girl. “Yes?”