Only Mine (Fool's Gold #4)(75)

“Yes. But do it every day. That’s what makes it powerful.” She sighed. “I imagined myself on a reality show. I should have been more specific. I can’t get anyone to tell me ratings numbers. Have you heard anything?”

“What are you talking about?”

She groaned. “How is the show doing? Are the advertisers happy with the number of viewers? That kind of information is important. We want the show to be successful.”

“What does it matter if it isn’t? We’ll be gone.”

“It’s important because if we’re going to put it on a resume somebody has to have heard about it. There is no point in claiming stardom on a show no one saw.” She stared at him. “You make me crazy, and not in a good way.”

“Part of my charm,” he told her and grinned.

“You are not all that.” She looked past him. “For all we know, one of the camera guys followed us. We should probably make out for a little bit just in case.”

While there wasn’t any chemistry between them, kissing a pretty girl was never bad. But instead of thinking that he wanted her, he found himself remembering her lesson on visualization. He would get started on that right away. The first thing he was going to visualize was his big brother flying back to Alaska and leaving him the hell alone.

FINN PICKED UP his two bags and left the grocery store. He barely made it onto the sidewalk when a tall older woman stopped him.

“You’re that man,” she said, peering at him. “The one dating Dakota.”

He wasn’t sure if she was telling him or asking a question. Either way it wasn’t her business. Except this was Fool’s Gold and he’d learned that people got involved whether you wanted them to or not.

“I know Dakota,” he admitted.

“How is she doing? Her baby is just so precious. Hannah—that’s her name, right?”

“Um, yes.” Finn wanted to hurry her along to ask her why they were having this conversation, but he knew better. This stranger would get to her point when she was good and ready. His job was to wait and listen.

“Do you know if she still has a lot of food in the freezer?” the woman asked. “I always prefer to wait before bringing over a casserole. In the beginning of any family crisis, everyone rushes in with food and it all has to be frozen. It’s never as good when it’s thawed and heated. I think we should make a schedule. People could sign up and bring food on an ongoing basis. But no one listens. So I do it myself. I wait a couple of weeks and then bring by food. So do you know if she has enough?”

“Olivia.”

Finn turned and saw Denise, Dakota’s mother, approaching. Her smile looked amused rather than friendly, as if she knew he were trapped and she was trying to decide if she was going to help him escape. As he had been practically naked in her daughter’s house, he understood her need to make him squirm. He could only hope that in the end she helped set him free.

“Hello, Denise,” the older woman said. “I was just talking to Dakota’s young man here to find out if I should bring over a casserole.”

“Olivia is known for her casseroles,” Denise told Finn.

“She’s a member of another of the founding families here in Fool’s Gold. Olivia, this is Finn.”

“We’ve met,” Olivia announced. “He doesn’t say much, does he? I can respect that. I, too, enjoyed a quiet man. I assume he has other attributes that recommend him.”

Finn couldn’t remember the last time he’d worried about blushing. He figured he had to have been in his teens. But here he was, standing on the streets of Fool’s Gold, trying not to turn red.

Denise’s brown eyes danced with amusement. “I’m sure he does. Not that Dakota discusses them with me. Perhaps if you ask one of her sisters.”

Finn nearly choked and started to inch away. Denise grabbed him by the arm to hold him in place.

“Perhaps I will,” Olivia said. “In the meantime, if you think she would enjoy something to eat, I’ll take Dakota a casserole.”

“I wish you would,” Denise said. “I know you’ll enjoy meeting Hannah. She’s wonderful. An adorable little baby girl. She was small for her age when Dakota got her, but she’s growing fast. She’s starting to eat solid food.”

“I remember what a mess that was,” Olivia said with a smile. “All right. Thank you for the information. If you see Dakota, please let her know I’ll be by later today.”

“I will,” Denise promised. She waited until the older woman had walked away, then turned to Finn. “I wasn’t sure you were going to make it,” she said.

“I respect your need to torture me.”

“A mother’s prerogative. But it really wasn’t that bad. Most everyone in town is nice, if a bit inquisitive.” The dancing humor was back in her eyes.

He found himself smiling. “People don’t go through many things alone around here.”

She took one of the bags from him, and they started walking toward his rented room.

“We don’t believe in self-sufficiency,” she told him. “But you grew up in a small town, so you under stand.”

“We were always ready to help a neighbor, but we were expected to manage pretty much on our own.”