The Gamble (Colorado Mountain #1)(142)

“That’s good,” I told her and turned to Max who was studying me, his eyes intense but his expression was blank. “Can you take care of Bitsy?”

“Yeah,” he replied and his eyes went to the door before going to Barb. “Someone’s here.”

Barb turned back to the door and I took off my coat. Moving into the house, I dropped it on the couch and I went in what I hoped was the direction of the kitchen. Luckily, my hopes came to fruition.

Max followed several moments later.

“It’s your Mom and Steve,” he told me as I searched the cupboards for coffee.

“Good.”

“Nina, you know what you’re doin’?”

I found the coffee, took down the canister and yanked out the pot from the coffeemaker.

“Not really,” I replied.

Max got close as I filled the pot. “Don’t know ‘bout this shit but I’m guessin’ now’s a sensitive time.”

I pressed my lips together and turned off the faucet.

Yesterday, according to Max, I had this. Yesterday, he trusted everything I did with Mindy. Yesterday, he let me take care of everything.

Today, or, I should say now, after whatever happened, he wasn’t so sure.

“I figure what I have planned might not help but it won’t hurt,” I told the coffeemaker as I poured the water in.

“Nina, look at –” Max started, not calling me “babe”, “honey”, “darlin’”, “baby” or “Duchess” but “Nina”.

He didn’t finish because my Mom was there.

“Max, sweetie, there’s a lady in a wheelchair outside who needs your assistance.”

I was measuring coffee into the filter but I felt Max’s hesitation like it was physical then I felt him leaving the same way.

Mom got close. “Did you learn what’s going on?”

I had told her my plan for Mindy over the phone and I’d also filled her in a bit about the reading. I hadn’t explained that Max couldn’t afford to keep the land he was given just that he was given it. I had told her about the letters but, as I didn’t know what was in them, I couldn’t give her that knowledge.

“No,” I answered.

“He’s not himself,” Mom observed with what had to be her keen mother’s sense since she’d been in his presence approximately twenty seconds and she’d known him less than two days.

Still, she could say that again.

“Hey,” we both heard as I flipped the switch to the coffee and we both turned to see Mindy in the doorway.

She looked a little pale, she definitely looked listless but other than that, she looked like Mindy.

“Hi there, my lovely,” I said to her, moved across the room, took her in my arms, gave her tight hug and, I was pleased to note, she hugged me back.

I pulled away slightly, gave her a smile and told her, “It’s already afternoon and I’ve not witnessed any brawls. Slow day.”

Her head tilted to the side and her lips twitched before she said, “Well, I gotta be with you. I don’t see any brawls either unless you’re there.”

My hands gave her upper arms a squeeze as my heart was processing her lip twitch hopefully. “Yes, I forgot about that.”

“Max had a showdown with Nina’s ex-fiancé in the hotel restaurant this morning, though, alas, no punches were thrown,” Mom informed Mindy, pushing into my space, giving her a hug and kissing her cheek before pulling back.

Mindy looked from Mom to me and asked, “No joke? You’re fiancé’s here?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” I answered.

“Ex,” Mom put in firmly, “ex-fiancé.”

Mindy gave Mom another lip twitch before looking at me and asking, “Why’s he here?”

“Because he’s a jerk, like my Dad, who’s also a jerk.”

“I thought you said he was –” Mindy started.

“I was wrong,” I told her. “During the showdown he exposed his true self and let’s just say I won’t be tearing up over pizza the next time we go out,” I explained.

“Bitsy’s here,” Barb called from the doorway before Mindy could reply and I looked at Mom then at Mindy.

“Bitsy?” Mindy asked, now looking confused.

“Mindy, can you trust me for about fifteen minutes?” I enquired and watched her body lock, panic filled her face and I thought for a second she would flee.

Then, seeming to struggle to push it back, she nodded and whispered, “I trust you all the time, Neens.”

I pressed my lips together and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat as my eyes slid to my Mom who was smiling a gentle smile at me. This smile from Mom, as it always did my whole life, gave me strength. This was good. I needed it because I was scared to death my plan was going to go south.

Then I took Mindy’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Let’s go into the living room.”

I led her by the hand into the living room, Mom and Barb following. Bitsy was sitting in her chair by the couch and she looked run through the mill but when her eyes hit Mindy, her torso straightened and her gaze grew alert.

“What’s up?” she asked me but didn’t look away from Mindy. “You said on the message you needed me here but you didn’t say why. Is everything okay?”