Only His (Fool's Gold #6)(38)

Nevada winced. “Please don’t say ‘do it,’ I beg you. Let’s call it armadillo. You’ll lock the doors when you armadillo and then no one will surprise you. How’s that?”

Her mother laughed, then hugged her. “I can’t wait for you to have children of your own.”

“I don’t see that happening in the near future, but, sure.”

“Are we okay?”

Nevada nodded. “We’re fine.”

“Good. Now, come meet Max.” Her mother drew her toward the man. “You’re really going to like him. He’s great.”

“I’m sure he is. And, hey, what a butt.”

Denise started to laugh. Nevada joined in and decided that maybe it was going to be all right after all.

AFTER DINNER, Nevada drove home, but found herself too restless to stay inside. She changed into jeans and tennis shoes, then grabbed her keys and a hoodie and went outside. It was nearly ten and the sky was clear. She could practically touch the stars as she walked. There was a bit of nip in the air, so she shrugged into the hoodie, but didn’t bother zipping it.

They were nearing the end of September. One morning she would wake up and the leaves would all be changed. Then winter would come and the mountains would be blanketed in white. For the most part Fool’s Gold only got a small portion of the snow that was dumped higher up, but there could be enough to slow construction. She made a mental note to go over the schedule to make sure there were contingencies and allowances for bad weather.

Once she reached the center of town, she paused, not sure which way to go. Jo’s Bar was always an option, but on Friday and Saturday night it was more a date place than a girl hangout. Good for Jo’s business, but not so fun for single women who were restless.

“How was dinner?”

She turned and saw Tucker walking toward her. “Hi. It was good. I got through it without shrieking.”

He grinned. “I’m sure that pleased everyone. You and your mom okay?”

“We were always fine. I wasn’t mad at her, I was just freaked a little. And don’t tell me to get over it. Would you want to walk in on your dad having sex with some woman?”

“It depends on the woman.”

She shoved his arm. “You’re lying. It would send you screaming into the night just as much as it did me.”

He raised both eyebrows. “You saw my dad having sex? When?”

“Stop it. You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. Come on. Let’s go back to my hotel. I’ll buy you a drink and you can tell me all about it.”

“The sex or the dinner?” she asked.

“The dinner.”

She nodded her agreement, even as a voice in her head warned her against the plan. Hanging out with Tucker socially was trouble. They couldn’t seem to be alone together without some kind of physical reaction, at least on her part. Did she really want to take the chance?

Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her along, and she found herself going because backing out would make too big a deal out of it—and maybe, just maybe, she wanted something to happen, because he was Tucker and she’d never completely gotten him out of her system.

She drew in a deep breath, grateful one could think long thoughts without getting winded.

“What did you do tonight?” she asked.

“Got an early dinner, then saw a movie.”

“Still liking the town?”

“Sure. Everyone is friendly. They all know who I am, which is a little scary, but I’m dealing.”

She grinned. “Any more encounters with the ladies?”

“No. You are excellent protection. Which is why I’m paying for the drinks.”

The bar at Ronan’s Folly was only about half-full. Tucker led them to a small booth in the back corner. They both ordered cognac and leaned back against the leather bench seats.

“Did everyone like Max?” he asked.

She nodded. “He’s Montana’s boss, so it’s not as if he was a stranger. He’s basically a good guy. From what I can figure out, he knew my mom when she was a teenager and it was a pretty hot romance. Then she met my dad and she knew he was the one. So Max left town.”

“He didn’t fight for the girl?”

“I guess he knew he was going to lose. Dakota’s talked to Mom about it. She said Max knew he wasn’t ready to settle down. And Mom wanted a husband and a family.”

“It’s been a long time since your dad died. I’m glad she’s found someone.”

“Me, too. As long as I don’t have to be a witness to the hot monkey sex.”

The cognac arrived. She took a sip and felt the liquid burn its way down her throat.

“Come upstairs with me.”

The words and the request both caught her off guard. She looked at Tucker, but couldn’t figure out what to say. Her hands started shaking, so she tucked them under the table.

“Tucker, I…”

She pressed her lips together, mostly to keep herself from blurting out an agreement. She knew what going upstairs meant. That they would touch and give and take and make love. That she would feel his hard body against hers, his hands pleasing her. She wanted to know what he would be like inside of her, this time, when she was ready and hungry.

His dark eyes were bright with passion. She was sure hers were the same.