Only Yours (Fool's Gold #5)(67)

“I’m not sure I want him to be,” she admitted. “It’s weird to think at one time she loved a man enough to get his name tattooed on her body and then she met Dad.”

Bentley scrambled into her lap. She patted him absently.

“But you said Max was nice,” Nevada pressed.

“He is. I like him a lot. I wouldn’t mind if he and Mom got together. I just hate thinking she loved someone else. You know, before.”

“Because Dad should be her one true love?”

“Yes.”

“Why would knowing who Max is change that?”

“Maybe it doesn’t.” Her mother was allowed to have a past. Everyone did. “You know what—if they’re the same Max, then this could be really interesting, right?”

Nevada sighed. “Sorry. Why didn’t I see it before?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You. There’s something wrong. Is it Simon? Did something happen?”

“No. Nothing happened. That’s the problem.”

“I thought you’d slept together.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sex doesn’t solve problems, it starts them.”

“Which means something happened.”

“I knew he was leaving. I’ve known from the beginning. Despite Mayor Marsha’s request that I convince him to stay, we all know that’s not going to happen.” She cuddled a sleepy Bentley. “But I was okay with that. I haven’t been attracted to someone in a while. I liked being with him and how I felt around him. So the leaving part was simply something I had to deal with.”

“What changed?”

Montana looked at her sister. “I thought he cared about me, too. I thought I was important to him. It turns out I was just a convenience. A way to get laid.”

“Are you sure?”

“That big fundraiser for the hospital? He’s the guest of honor or something like that. He didn’t ask me.”

Nevada didn’t look as shocked as Montana would have liked.

“And you’re sure that’s about you?” her sister asked.

“Who else could it be about?”

“Him. From everything you’ve said, Simon isn’t interested in being the center of attention. So why would he bring you to an event like that, where everyone will notice? Maybe this is more about protecting you than avoiding you.”

“You can’t know that,” Montana snapped, annoyed Nevada wasn’t taking her side.

“You can’t be sure you’re right, either. Not until you ask.” Her sister drew in a breath. “You tend to blame yourself when things go wrong.”

“This time I’m blaming Simon.”

“I don’t think so. Your description of the relationship is all about how you assumed things and you were wrong. What if you’re not wrong? What if instead of being a jerk, he’s trying to be nice? It’s not wrong to want to be with someone. It’s not wrong to think the regular rules of love, or like, or whatever apply.”

“I hate it when you’re rational,” Montana grumbled, even as she thought maybe Nevada was right.

“I’m just saying talk to him. Find out why he didn’t invite you to go with him. If he says it’s because he doesn’t care about you or wouldn’t be caught dead with you in public, then kick him in the balls and leave.”

“He’s been seen in public with me before.”

“Ask.”

“Fine.”

Nevada rubbed the puppies she held. “You know you’re falling in love with him, right? That’s the real problem.”

Words Montana really, really didn’t want to hear. “I’m not in love with him yet.”

Her identical-triplet sister shook her head. “Yes, Montana. You are.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“THIS IS STUPID,” Daniel told Montana as he stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at her. “I don’t want to be here. I want to be out with my friends.”

Montana put down the book she’d been holding and glared right back.

“Wow. Talk about a news flash, because it’s the same thing you said last week and the week before that and the week before that. If you’re really sick of it, why do you keep showing up? What’s the point? Why don’t you forget it? After all, it’s just reading. You don’t need to go to high school and maybe play football. You could drop out and get a job. Oh, wait. You need to read to get a job.”

She reached down to pet Buddy, who’d come over to check on her.

“I’m tired of people not trying and then complaining when things are too hard. I’m tired of people not making an effort. Did it ever occur to you that Buddy here would rather be outside playing with his friends? But he’s not. He’s here to help. Because that’s just the kind of dog he is. And I’m here, too. Do you appreciate that? Do you thank us? Of course not. Because it’s hard. You know what? Sometimes life is hard. You have to learn to shoot a basketball in the hoop before you can be any good at the sport. At first you don’t get it through the basket very often, or even at all. But one day you do and then it gets easier. But only because you put in the work.”

She grabbed the book again. “Here’s the thing, Daniel. I’m not giving up and Buddy’s not giving up and there’s no way you’re giving up, either.”