Finding Perfect (Fool's Gold #3)(81)

“That’s interesting. Were you expecting elephants?”

RAOUL WALKED WITH PETER through the crowded park. Fool’s Gold was holding yet another of its many festivals. Knowing Pia was going to be working, he’d arranged to take Peter for the afternoon. The Folios didn’t seem to mind him spending time with the kid, which was good. While the couple seemed pleasant enough, Raoul was still concerned about their caretaking abilities.

He and Peter had already checked on Pia, who was being confined to a lawn chair until the top of the hour. She swore she wasn’t the least bit tired and that she’d never had so many assistants or done so little work at any festival.

“Want to get ice cream?” he asked, pointing to a stand.

“Sure!”

Peter led the way. They both got two scoops, then went over to a bench.

“This is so cool,” Peter said between licks. “I like how there are different festivals at different times of the year. It’s really fun. My parents used to bring me all the time.”

“You grew up in Fool’s Gold?”

“Sort of. My dad worked at one of the wineries and we lived out of town. But I went to school here.” His smile faded. “After they died, I was in a group home for a while. I didn’t like that. It was really hard because the other kids made fun of me when I cried.”

Raoul felt his pain. “It’s okay to feel stuff and be sad.”

“Boys don’t cry.”

“Plenty of boys cry.” Raoul hesitated, knowing there was a fine line between saying what was healthy and the reality of being tortured by peers. “Losing your parents is a big deal.”

“I know.” Peter licked his cone. “I still miss them.”

“That’s good. You loved them. You’re supposed to miss people you love.”

“Mrs. Dawson says they’re watching me from heaven, but I don’t know if that’s true.”

“Every time you remember them, you know how much they loved you. That’s what’s important.”

Peter took a few more licks, then held up his cast. “I get this off in a couple of weeks. The doctor says I’m healing really fast.”

The advantage of youth, Raoul thought, remembering feeling like roadkill the morning after his last few games. There was nothing like being trampled by a few three-hundred-pound guys to make a man feel humble.

“Wait until you see your arm,” Raoul told him. “It’s going to look weird from being in the cast.”

“Cool! I wish I could see it now.” He raised his arm and turned it back and forth, as if trying to see inside the cast. Then he turned to Raoul. “You know there’s a school carnival next week, right? We’re gonna have games and stuff. It won’t be as big as this, but it will still be fun.”

While the boy went on about the different events at the school, Raoul was aware of three women standing on the path a few feet away. He’d never seen them before, so he guessed they were tourists, in town for the festival, or possibly the influx of men. They were in their midthirties, talking to each other and pointing at him. The tall brunette raised her camera and took a picture.

When they realized he’d noticed them, the smaller blonde waved and walked over.

“You’re Raoul Moreno, aren’t you?” she said, her voice high and excited. “I recognized you right away. Oh my God! I can’t believe it. You are just as good-looking in person. This is really exciting. We came here when we heard about all the men. There was an auction and everything. Too bad you weren’t in it. You would have gotten a lot of money.”

Her friends joined her.

Raoul tossed his ice cream and rose. Normally this sort of thing didn’t bother him, but it had been months since anyone had approached him as a fan. Living in Fool’s Gold where everyone treated him normally had spoiled him for the real world. Right now he wanted to spend the day with Peter—not deal with three women who probably weren’t going to be satisfied with a picture.

“Is that your son?” the taller blonde asked.

“He doesn’t have children,” the brunette said scornfully. “Are you in one of those charity programs? Is he disadvantaged? Look at his poor broken arm.”

Raoul stepped between the women and Peter. “That’s enough. Take your pictures and then move on.”

The petite blonde stepped closer. “This is a free country. We don’t have to do anything. We can spend the whole day just following you around.”

“I don’t think so.”

The firm words came from behind him. He turned and saw Bella Gionni walking up. With her were Denise Hendrix and a few women he didn’t recognize. They looked serious.

“Morning, ladies,” Denise said pleasantly. “How can we help you?”

“You can’t,” the brunette said. “This is a private conversation.”

“You can say anything in front of us.” Bella moved between him and Peter. She put her hand on the boy’s shoulder, then slipped her arm around his. “We’re close.”

Her friends took up places around him and Peter.

The younger women looked at each other and frowned.

“What’s going on?” the taller blonde asked.

“You’re welcome to say hello to Raoul and even take his picture, but that’s as far as it goes. You don’t follow him or disturb him in any way. Nor do you get to talk to Peter.” She smiled at the boy. “Girls,” she said in a mock whisper.