Finding Perfect (Fool's Gold #3)(80)

“Thank you.”

She waited until Dr. Galloway left before standing and reaching for her clothes.

The babies were okay. That was the main thing. Knowing that, she would try to relax. To, as Dr. Galloway had said, live her life.

One month down and only eight to go, she thought, wishing there was a way to hurry along the pregnancy. Or maybe not, she told herself, remembering the eighty-to-a-hundred-diapers-a-week statistic. Maybe it was better to let things happen in their own time.

“IT’S MY JOB,” PIA SAID, wondering if she hit Raoul with something really, really hard, she could make him understand. Or knock him unconscious, which would allow her to do her job. At this point, either worked for her.

“You can’t spend the day on your feet.”

“I won’t. I have chairs set up all over the park, and several people who are going to make sure I sit.” Despite Dr. Galloway’s all clear, she wasn’t willing to take any risks. “I’ll be fine.”

He moved close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I worry about you.”

“I worry about me, too, but I have a job that I love and I need to get to it.”

He held her a second longer, his dark eyes gazing into hers.

In truth, she didn’t want to move just yet. She loved being in his arms, feeling his body against hers. There was something so right about them being together. But there was a time and place for the mushy stuff, and this wasn’t it.

She stepped back. “I have to get going.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yes, you will.”

She grabbed her purse and left. On the way to the park, she found herself thinking about Raoul instead of the impending event. Not a good thing. Thinking about him was dangerous to her heart. Work was safe.

She walked the few blocks to the park and found the setup had been completed in the early hours of the morning. Booths lined the walkway and vendors were already putting out their goods. The smell of barbecue mingled with the sweet scent of melting caramel.

The Fall Festival was one of her favorites. Sure the days were getting shorter and the first snow was right around the corner, but she loved the changing colors, the promised quiet of winter, the scent of a wood fire.

Each festival had its own personality. This one was going to be a little different because of all the men in town. She’d added extra games to keep them happy and a second beer vendor. To counteract the latter, there were also extra police on patrol.

A heavyset man in a Fool’s Gold safety vest walked up to her. “Pia, we’re five portable toilets short. The guy’s lost.”

“Not for long,” Pia said. “Have someone get his cell number, then call him and talk him in. We need the extra bathrooms.”

An electrician needed to be dispatched to fix a faulty outlet, the shift in the wind meant smoke from the meat smoker was choking the jewelry vendors and someone had forgotten to put up the no-parking cones to reserve spots for the fire truck.

Pia handled each crisis quickly and easily, as she had for years. She turned to take a quick tour, only to find Denise Hendrix walking toward her, a folding chair under one arm.

“I have the first shift,” Denise said cheerfully. “It is now eight-thirty. You are to sit until nine.”

“But I have to go check on the setup.”

“No, you don’t. And you’re not going to.” Denise batted her eyelashes. “Don’t make me use my bad-mom voice, because you won’t like it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Pia said meekly and sank onto the chair.

Denise saw Montana and waved her over.

“Hi, Mom,” Montana said, then grinned at Pia. “I have the eleven-thirty-to-twelve shift and then I’m on again this afternoon. Bossing you around is fun.”

“Gee, thanks.” She was being forced to sit for thirty minutes of every hour. “Can you go talk to the vendors and make sure they have everything they need? Also, there’s water for them in the back of Jo’s pickup. Find her and make sure it’s put somewhere the vendors can find. And if you see a guy driving around with portable toilets on the back of a truck, let me know.”

Montana stared at her. “You expect me to do all that?”

Pia flashed her clipboard. “That’s not even all of page one.”

“Jeez, I wouldn’t want your job,” Montana grumbled. “Mom, if you see Nevada, tell her to come help me.”

“Of course, dear.”

Montana left.

“Impressive,” Denise told Pia. “You’re resting and getting your work done.”

“I’m an expert multitasker.”

Denise stared after her daughter. “Montana seems excited about her new job.”

“She does. I admire her—she gives her all to whatever she does.”

“I know she’s worried about finding the right kind of work. Not that she won’t but that it’s taking too long. I keep telling her that everyone finds his or her own path in his or her own time, but she won’t listen. One of the thrills of being a mother.” Denise smiled. “Wait until your little ones are teenagers.”

“At this point I simply want them to be bigger than a rice grain.”

“That will happen, too.”

The sound of a large truck caused them both to turn. Denise shaded her eyes with her hand, then turned to Pia.