Chasing Perfect (Fool's Gold #1)(62)

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. Apparently 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.

CHARITY 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?”

The girl made an attempt to smile. “It’s me. Emily.”

“Okay.”

“Emily. We met a couple of months ago at Jo’s Bar. You bought me a drink. Well, more than one. Then we came back here…” Emily glanced at Charity. “Who are you?”