Only Yours (Fool's Gold #5)(47)

“I’m glad. I hope he’s locked up for a long time.”

“Me, too.”

“I guess you see a lot of awful things.”

“How the wounds happened is sometimes worse than the injury itself.”

“Can you ever forget it? Does the reality haunt you?”

“I’m used to it.”

She was sure that someone in his position would have to find a way to disconnect. To compartmentalize. Still, when he was alone, there must be ghosts.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this.” He sipped his latte, then looked at her over the lid. “You don’t need to know.”

Simon should have looked out of place in his suit slacks and shirt and tie. Instead he was as relaxed as he’d ever appeared. The only place she’d seen him completely comfortable before was the hospital.

“I’m not as innocent as you think,” she told him.

He smiled. “Sure you are. You’re the kind of girl who wants to fall in love.”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“No.”

Meaning not him. “You’ve never been in love?”

“Not even once.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Why? I’m content.”

“Don’t you want to be happy?”

“Happiness is elusive. My work is enough.”

She knew he was wrong, but didn’t think there was any point in telling him that.

“Why aren’t you married?” he asked.

She took a moment to adjust from interviewer to interviewee. “No one has ever asked. I’ve had a couple of serious boyfriends, but they both left. They weren’t in love with me. I wasn’t…” She shrugged. “I wasn’t enough for them. One cheated and one just broke it off. The last one kept saying I would be ‘perfect’ if I changed my clothing style, or hair cut, or makeup. It was starting to seem like a never ending list of how I could be better.”

She did her best to speak the words as if the truth didn’t hurt her.

“They were fools.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m not being polite, Montana. You are the kind of woman men dream about having.”

His statement left her breathless.

“Even you?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Especially me.” His gray-green eyes darkened. “If I was looking for something permanent.”

“Right.”

“And you’re the kind of woman who is looking for forever.”

She didn’t want to agree, but couldn’t seem to keep herself from nodding.

“I go to Peru in a few weeks. Then on to somewhere else.” He looked at his coffee, then at her. “I could come back, to visit.”

“But not to stay.”

“No,” he said with finality. “Not to stay.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

MONTANA DIDN’T USUALLY attend city council meetings. Her job had never been political. Before working for Max, she’d been a part-time librarian. But Mayor Marsha had asked, so here she was.

The agenda was much as she had expected. Information about road construction—in this case a project funded by the state. A few permit issues. An update on the Summer Festival, only two days away.

Gladys, the city treasurer, turned to Mayor Marsha. “I assume Montana is here to talk about the Dr. Bradley issue.”

“She is.” The mayor smiled at Montana. “How is our project going?”

Montana realized she shouldn’t have been surprised by the shift in topic. If she’d thought about it for even a second, she would have known why she’d been asked to attend. Unfortunately, she went completely blank.

“I, ah, I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Is he enjoying Fool’s Gold?” Marsha asked.

“Yes. Everyone has been very welcoming and I think he appreciates that. He’s not much of a joiner, though. I haven’t found that he has any hobbies.”

“He went golfing with Josh and Ethan,” another council member said. “Raoul Moreno joined them for the last nine holes.”

“Do you think he would be impressed by sports celebrities?” Marsha asked earnestly. “Should I suggest Josh and Raoul spend more time with him?”

Montana felt everyone staring at her. She did her best not to squirm. “Not really. He’s not that kind of man. He’s quiet and thoughtful. He only seems comfortable opening up to his patients.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve had sex yet?” Gladys asked.

Heat flared on Montana’s cheeks.

“That is not our business,” Marsha announced firmly. “I asked Montana to be his friend, to show him around town and talk about the benefits of living here. She’s not expected to give her, ahem, all for the sake of the town.”

“In my day we understood a good sacrifice,” Gladys mumbled.

Marsha ignored her. “Montana, do you feel you’re making progress?”

“I don’t know. I’m never sure what he’s thinking.”

The mayor nodded, then the meeting moved on to other topics. When it was over, Mayor Marsha asked her to stay behind.

“Do you know how he got his scars?” the older woman asked when it was just the two of them.