Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold #11)(23)

“My point is, don’t fall for him.”

“If I spend time with him, I’m not sure I can control my emotions. I like being around him. I like anticipating seeing him, and I’m hoping we’ll have sex again. Doesn’t that, by definition, put me at risk of falling in love?”

Felicia knew her friend well enough to read the emotions moving across her face. Indecision joined worry, and she understood the cause for both.

“I want this,” Felicia admitted. “I want to know what it’s like to have butterflies in my stomach. I want to feel rather than think all the time. I’ve never been on a date, let alone fallen in love. If he hurts me, I’ll heal. People do.”

“It always sounds so easy,” Consuelo murmured. “Right before you get your heart ripped out. Fine. Go fall in love with Gideon and have great sex. Maybe it will all work out.”

Felicia grinned. “Maybe I won’t fall for him, although I do look forward to more sex.”

“It’s good to have a plan.” Consuelo slipped on her sunglasses and stood. “Come on, you. Show me this weird little town of yours. Tell me there are more than two stoplights.”

“There are. We also have California’s longest-serving mayor and festivals every month. At Christmas, there’s a Live Nativity. I heard last year there was an elephant.”

“At the nativity?”

Felicia nodded. “Her name’s Priscilla. She lives on a ranch with several goats and a pony. Want me to tell you about the Dog Days of Summer Fair?”

“Only if you promise to shoot me first.”

* * *

GIDEON ARRIVED FOR the meeting a few minutes early. As a business owner in town, there were events he was expected to attend. He did so just often enough that no one came calling to ask why he wasn’t involved. Easier to participate on his own terms, he thought, finding a seat in the back of the room.

After a couple of bad nights, he’d finally managed to get some sleep. He was always grateful when the dreams didn’t attack him.

He glanced around the room and nodded at a few people he knew. The mayor walked in with Charity Golden, the city planner. They moved to the front of the room. Mayor Marsha saw him and pointed to a seat up by the podium. He shook his head, and the older woman chuckled.

He watched the door, not sure if Felicia would be attending. While he wanted to see her, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. He still couldn’t believe he’d let her spend the night. The sex he understood. Four years ago Felicia had been exactly what he’d been looking for—a wild, uncomplicated ride. She’d rocked his world, and he’d been disappointed to have things end so quickly. Discovering her a second time had been an added bonus.

When a woman like her expressed sexual interest, it would take more self-control than he had to say no. Sex was relatively easy—but spending the night? He didn’t do that. Didn’t like it. Yet he’d slept with her as easily as he’d made love with her. An uncomfortable truth he’d yet to reconcile.

She walked into the conference room with several other women. He recognized the chick who wanted to open a Christmas store, and he was pretty sure the tall blonde was named Isabel. She owned the shoe store or the dress shop.

For this meeting there wasn’t a conference table. Rather, chairs had been set up in rows. Felicia glanced toward him and smiled. He felt the kick in his gut, along with a jolt of heat that moved lower. Damn, she was beautiful, he thought.

She spoke to her friends, then moved to join the mayor and Charity at the front of the room. Isabel and the Christmas store woman walked back several rows and settled a few seats in front of him.

“Do you think he’ll be here?” Isabel asked, her voice carrying just enough for him to hear.

Her friend sighed. “You’re going to have to pick. Either you want to see Ford or you don’t.”

“Why do I have to decide, Noelle? Why can’t my decision change with my mood? I don’t always wear the same shoes.”

“Because you spend half your time trying to figure out where he’s going to be in town and the rest of the time avoiding that exact spot. It’s exhausting. Also, you have a thousand pairs of shoes. I’m surprised you wear any of them more than two days in a row.”

Isabel glanced at the door. “Oh, God. It’s Justice. Ford might be with him. I have to hide.”

Gideon followed her gaze and saw Justice walking in with Patience. The two of them took seats together in the second row. Isabel writhed in her seat.

“Looks like he’s not coming,” Noelle said. “Good news or bad news?”

Isabel slumped back in her seat. “I can’t decide.”

Several more people walked into the conference room. Gideon recognized the Stryker contingent. Rafe and his business partner, Dante, who owned a large real estate development company. Shane Stryker had a horse ranch. His brother Clay had started a Haycation business on the Castle Ranch. Rafe’s wife, Heidi, sat with them. She sold goat cheese and soap.

“Is anyone sitting here?”

He looked to his right and saw a petite blonde standing there. She had big hazel eyes and looked like she was maybe twelve.

“This is a meeting for adults,” he said. “Did you mean to be somewhere else?”

She laughed and settled next to him. “I’m twenty-four. Want to see my ID?”