Only His (Fool's Gold #6)(65)

Settling down had never been something he’d considered. He supposed at some point he should think about having a family. Traditionally that meant getting married. But even as he considered the possibility, he remembered how it had been with Cat. How he’d been unable to think, let alone to be his own man. She’d controlled him and humiliated him and there was no way he would do that again.

Determined to have it out with Nevada right that second, he started toward her. Before he’d taken more than a couple of steps, a police car came toward him. Fool’s Gold Police Department was painted on the sides.

He waited while the officer behind the wheel parked, then got out.

“Tucker Janack?” the woman asked.

He nodded.

She walked toward him. “I’m Police Chief Alice Barns. Nice to meet you.”

“Why do I doubt that?” Tucker asked, eyeing her.

She was of average height, in her forties and wearing a dark blue uniform. She looked more than capable of being in charge.

“I enjoy meeting folks,” the police chief told him. “I’m a people person.” She handed him a business-size envelope. “This is for you.”

“What is it?”

“A summons to appear before the Fool’s Gold City Council. They want Nevada there, too, just so you know.”

“An official summons? Can they do that?” He wouldn’t have thought a local body of government had that kind of power.

She smiled. “My being here says they can.”

“Good point.”

NEVADA HAD NEVER been called to the principal’s office while in school, but if she had, she would guess it felt like this. She’d never attended a city council meeting before, so she didn’t know how they usually went, but she assumed there was usually more than one agenda item.

She and Tucker sat at a large conference table with seven women sitting across from them. Mayor Marsha sat in the middle, flanked by her council. No one looked happy.

Nevada glanced down at the piece of paper that had been put in front of her. There was the date, the time of the meeting, the word “agenda,” followed by a colon and the phrase, “Vagina Issue.”

With the meeting called to order, the mayor drew in a breath.

“I’m the longest-serving mayor in California,” she said. “I’ve seen us survive earthquakes, snowstorms, grape blight and the recent catastrophic fire that nearly destroyed one of our schools. We’ve survived busloads of men and a reality show. The town and I will not be taken down by a giant vagina.”

Nevada swallowed. “You mentioned that when you visited the construction site yesterday, but I’m still not sure what you want us…”

“Fix it,” Mayor Marsha said sternly, interrupting. “You two knew Ms. Stoicasescu before. You’re the reason she’s here now. I’m holding both of you responsible.”

Nevada wanted to protest that it wasn’t her fault. That she had nothing to do with Cat or her gift choices. But the seven women staring at her didn’t look like they wanted to have a discussion.

“Yes, ma’am,” she said quietly, not sure what being responsible was going to mean, but aware that it wasn’t good news.

Tucker leaned toward them. “If I may, Nevada isn’t the one who had a relationship with Cat. This is my responsibility, not hers.”

“Nevada and Cat are friends,” the mayor said. “Nevada has shown Cat around town.”

Nevada winced. So much for doing the right thing, she thought. It had come back to bite her for sure.

The mayor sighed. “I appreciate you defending Nevada. That speaks very well of you. At this point I don’t care who fixes this, I just want it fixed and I want it on the record that we’ve had this discussion. There will be no giant vagina in my town. Do you understand?”

Nevada and Tucker both nodded.

“Good. Now you may go.”

They stood and quickly left the room. Once in the hallway of city hall, Nevada leaned against the wall.

“If I weren’t in the middle of this, it would be really funny.”

“Tell me about it.” He leaned against the wall opposite. “Now what?”

“We talk to her and explain the town doesn’t want her gift.” She wanted to say Tucker should do it, but Cat hadn’t spent any time with him since arriving in Fool’s Gold. “I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure? I can try.”

“No. You’re the ex. There’s too much emotional baggage. She’s my friend.” Sort of.

“What are you going to say?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

NEVADA WENT TO THE GOLD RUSH Ski Lodge and Resort to look for Cat. The tiny, strange man who was her assistant said that Cat was working and gave Nevada the address of an industrial center on the edge of town. Nevada drove there.

The huge building had been subdivided into a dozen or so smaller light-industrial sites. The one at the end was nearly double in height. Thinking about how much room it would take to build a giant vagina, Nevada chose that one and knocked on the door.

No one answered. She rang the bell, then finally opened the door. She was met with a blast of music. Black Eyed Peas, she would guess.

Scaffolding filled the center of the huge room, just as it had back in L.A. when Nevada had first met Cat. It rose up to the nearly twenty-foot ceiling. Massive sheets of metal stood in a rack, and she could see the basic structure of the piece had already been started. Poles were strapped together to form a giant V. A pulley system would raise the metal up to the level of the poles.