Only His (24 page)

“Sorry. I can't help you.”

“You can, but you won't.” She crossed to him and put her hands on his chest. “How can you resist me?”

“Easily,” he said without thinking, knowing it was the truth.

The truth slammed into him like a professionally thrown fastball. It hit his gut going ninety-seven miles an hour and knocked the wind out of him.

“I love her,” he said.

Cat's big green eyes narrowed to angry slits. “What did you say?”

He pushed her hands off his chest and stared into space. “I love her. I have for a while. I didn't love you at all. Being with you was like being a junkie waiting for my next fix. I could never match the previous high but I was sure the lows were going to kill me. Nevada isn't like that. Every time I'm with her, I feel better and stronger. She gives everything.”

He turned in a slow circle, not sure where to go or what to do. “She told me she loved me and I left. What
the hell was I thinking?” He grabbed Cat's upper arms. “She said she loved me. What am I doing here with you?”

His car keys were on the small table by the drawer, where he always tossed them. So was his cell phone. He picked up both as he headed out the door.

He was halfway down to the parking garage when he realized he probably should have packed something, or closed the door to his condo. Whatever, he thought with a shrug. Cat would shut the door behind her. Or maybe not. Either way, he didn't care. This wasn't his home—he didn't belong here. He belonged with his woman and, by God, he was going back to her.

 

N
EVADA THOUGHT
maybe she should get a pet of some kind. While the self-sufficiency of a cat was appealing, maybe a dog would be better. Some kind of mixed-breed rescue dog who could come with her to the job site. She logged into the Fool's Gold Animal Shelter website with the idea of looking at pictures. Maybe staring into big, brown dog eyes would make her feel better. Eventually something would have to.

She missed Tucker. She wanted to be strong and brave and say that she was over him. That he'd been an idiot to leave, and if that was how he treated her declaration of love, then she was better off without him. It was possible that one day she would actually believe that, but today wasn't that day. Today, or rather, tonight, she ached. The hole where her heart used to be endlessly reminded her of what she'd lost.

She clicked on the dog pictures, then just as quickly left the site. It wasn't responsible to get a dog now—
while she was grieving. She had to figure out how to deal with her loss. Then, when she felt better, she would decide if she was ready to take on the responsibility of a pet.

Very rational and mature, she told herself. Her mother would be so proud.

The phone rang.

She glanced at the clock and saw it was after ten. Had something happened to someone in her family?

She glanced at the caller-ID screen and her throat went dry when she read Fool's Gold Police Department. She pushed the talk button.

“Hello?”

“Nevada, this is Chief Barns. No one is dead.”

She drew in a breath. “Good to know.”

“That said, I have a problem. I need you to come to the town square right away. No one's hurt. Don't worry about that, but there's…a situation.”

“What does that mean?”

“It'll be a whole lot easier to show you.”

With that, the line went dead.

Nevada had no idea what the police chief was talking about, but she wasn't going to get any answers just waiting. She got up and pulled on boots, then shrugged on a heavy coat and gloves. It was barely above freezing this late at night.

She jogged through the quiet residential streets, grateful it wasn't windy or wet out. As it was, her ears were freezing by the time she rounded the last corner and could see into the square.

Streetlights illuminated the benches, the bushes that were mostly naked this time of year and the police car
parked just to the left. The floodlights that had been installed for the giant vagina shone up on the weird sculpture. They also showed a ladder, a man on that ladder and the sparks of a blowtorch.

Chief Barns stepped out of the shadows and walked toward her.

“I don't understand,” Nevada said, confused by what she was seeing. “Is he—”

The man moved then and she recognized him. Tucker. Tucker? What was he doing here? Was he back?

“Seems to me some vandal is dismantling that eye-sore,” Chief Barns said cheerfully. “The good news is Cat believes in simplicity of assembly. It went together quickly and should come apart just as easily. In the morning, one of my officers is going to find that it's missing. What a shame. There's going to be a lot of paperwork with this one.”

Nevada could only stare at the man on the ladder. “You're not going to stop him?”

“Why? I don't see anything.”

“What will happen to the piece?”

The police chief shrugged. “Rumor has it the whole thing is going to a sculpture garden in San Francisco. I'm sure they'll appreciate it more than we do here.”

The chief slapped her gloved hands together. “I need to get home. One of my boys is studying for a history test tomorrow and I need to ride herd. You have a good night.”

With that, she got in her police car and drove away.

Nevada walked slowly toward the statue. Sparks were flying, then one side of the giant vagina fell to the ground. She instinctively braced herself for the sound
of metal crashing into concrete, only to realize there was padding in place to protect the pieces.

“Tucker,” she yelled.

He turned and looked at her, then turned off the blowtorch. He hung it over the rung and started down.

She stood there waiting. Her heart thudded rapidly as she battled hope and fear and a twisting kind of nausea in her stomach.

When he reached the ground, he tore off his protective gear and swept her into his arms.

His mouth was hot and hard and claimed her in a kiss that made her toes curl. She hugged him back, holding on as if she would never let go.

“I'm sorry,” he said, pulling back enough to speak. “I was an idiot. Worse, I was the jerk who hurt you. I'm sorry, Nevada. I shouldn't have left, except I had to. It was the only way for me to figure it out. But I'm back now and I'm never leaving. I talked to my dad on the way out and I'm moving the business here. I want to be here with you, in this town.”

He stepped back and took her hand in his. “I love you, Nevada. I have for a while. You were right—what I had with Cat wasn't love. It wasn't anything good. But I couldn't see that and I never wanted to go there again. Because of that, I nearly lost you. I hope you'll give me another chance. We belong together. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Say yes.”

She was floating. Honestly, she could feel her feet leaving the ground. This couldn't be happening, only it was. He loved her. Tucker Janack loved her.

Warmth and promise and happiness filled her. She stared into his dark eyes and knew that they would al
ways have each other. That their future was going to be more wonderful than she could imagine.

She smiled. “You haven't asked me anything,” she said, her voice teasing. “What am I supposed to answer?”

“What? Oh. Right.” He dropped to one knee. “Nevada Hendrix, will you marry me?”

Right there, in the night, with the stars as witness, in front of a giant vagina. Only in Fool's Gold, she thought happily, pulling him to his feet.

“I love you,” she whispered, before kissing him. “Of course I'll marry you.”

He picked her up and swung her around, then set her down slowly and kissed her.

This was perfect, she thought, kissing him back. They held each other close, before he turned back to the statue.

“I need to get this finished.”

“I'll help,” she said. “It'll go faster that way and then we can go home.”

5:45 p.m. New Year's Eve
Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort

A
LIGHT SNOW
had been falling all day. Just after sunset, it had taken a turn for the serious. White carpeted the parking lot and roads. The valets checked the guest list one more time to confirm that everyone had arrived. As all the guests would be spending the night at the hotel, getting the roads plowed could wait.

In the smaller of the two ballrooms, chairs had been set in neat rows, dividing the space into sides for the bride and groom. Make that brides and grooms. A few folks from South Salmon, Alaska, who knew Finn Andersson mingled with former patients of Dr. Simon Bradley. Elliot Janack, Tucker's father, introduced himself to Sasha and Stephen, Finn's twin brothers.

Max Thurman settled on the brides' side, Dakota's adopted daughter, Hannah, in his arms. While Max wore a dark suit, the baby was dressed in a pale pink dress with lace shoes and a crown of tiny pink roses in her hair.

The Hendrix brothers, except Ford, who'd been unable to get leave, were in attendance. Ethan sat next to his wife, Liz, their three children next to her. Kent and
his son would sit beside them after escorting Denise to her seat.

The townspeople settled on both sides of the aisle, to make sure the numbers were even. With the Hendrix triplets finally settling down, there was no point in upsetting anyone. Better for the men to feel they were a part of Fool's Gold.

The Gionni sisters, still feuding, sat across from each other. Eddie Carberry and Gladys Smith settled next to each other. Mayor Marsha walked in with her granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Charity and Josh Golden, their beautiful daughter in Josh's arms.

Pia and Raoul Moreno each had a twin daughter. Morgan, the man who owned the bookstore, sat next to them and reached for one of the girls. He was still waiting for his daughter to give him a grandchild. The McCormick family took up an entire row. Janis and her husband, Mike, still looked at each other like they were on their honeymoon, despite having been married more than thirty years. Daughter Katie and her husband, Jackson, were expecting their first child in the spring.

Jo and Will slipped in a side door.

“Is my hair okay?” Jo asked anxiously.

Will kissed her. “You look amazing.”

She smiled at him and leaned close. “Thanks, but do I look like I just had sex? I think people would find that tacky.”

“No. They'd be jealous.”

As she sat next to him, the diamond ring on her left hand winked in the light. Neither of them were interested in a big wedding like this. Sometime in the next
few weeks, they would take off for Las Vegas and make it all legal.

Charlie, Annabelle and Heidi walked in together.

“Nice,” Charlie said. “A little fussy for me, but nice.”

“It's beautiful,” Annabelle said with a sigh. “It almost makes me wish I was more romantic.”

Beside them, Heidi nodded. “I've sworn off men, but I could almost go for this.”

They walked up the aisle and found seats behind Mayor Marsha, Charity and Josh.

Denise Hendrix sighed with contentment, watching the guests settle. Despite the speed with which everything had been arranged, the whole wedding had turned out perfectly.

The fragrance of roses and lilies mingled with the scent from tall, tapered candles. Romantic music drifted from the small orchestra in the corner. She was willing to admit that might have been an extravagance, but it wasn't every day a mother saw three of her daughters marry.

She stepped into a side hallway and went to check on the larger ballroom, where the dinner would be held.

Controlled chaos reigned. The cake decorator was setting out the last of the cupcakes. Rather than have three cakes, the girls had decided on different cupcakes for each of them. The colors of the frosting ranged from pale pink to deep red. The flavors—chocolate, spice, coconut and vanilla—reflected in the decorations on each cupcake.

A bar was set up in each of the corners. With no one having to drive, champagne and cocktails would flow. She watched ice being delivered and glasses unloaded.

Appetizers would circulate for the first hour, then dinner would be served, followed by dessert and chocolate-covered strawberries. There was a dance floor by the orchestra and a net filled with balloons that would be released at midnight.

Denise pressed her hand against her stomach, telling herself not to be nervous. Everything would go perfectly. She smiled to herself, then returned to the smaller ballroom. Once the girls were ready to begin, she would be seated next to Max—the one place in the world she most wanted to be.

 

“I'
M WEARING A TIARA
,” Nevada said, studying herself in the mirror. “I can't believe it. I work in construction. How did this happen?”

Dakota leaned forward and adjusted the headpiece. “It belonged to Tucker's grandmother and he wanted you to wear it. Were you going to say no?”

“Obviously not.”

“I think you look beautiful,” Montana told her.

“We all look beautiful,” Nevada said, knowing it was true. Somehow they'd managed to pull off a triple wedding that reflected all their styles.

Nevada's dress was simple. Strapless, with a plain, fitted bodice and a slim skirt. Her romantic indulgence was the bow in back that flared out into an elegant train.

Dakota had chosen beaded chiffon—an empire style with a deep V that highlighted her suddenly impressive cleavage while concealing her baby bump. Montana's dress was feminine, with tiers of cascading silk and lace.

Nevada had on Tucker's grandmother's tiara. Dakota wore a simple veil, and Montana had a loose, almost Edwardian updo decorated with tiny flowers.

The door to the brides' room opened and Denise walked in. “Everyone ready?” she asked, before pausing, her fingers covering her mouth. “Oh, you're so beautiful. My daughters.”

Each of them rushed to her and she hugged them tightly.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Don't cry, we'll smear.”

“I can't believe we're doing this!”

They posed for the last few pictures, then Denise passed out their bouquets.

“Everyone is here,” she said. “Dinner is going to be lovely. I'm just so happy.” She drew in a breath. “I wish your father was here to see you three.”

“He is, Mom,” Montana told her.

Denise brushed a tear away. “I suppose you're right.”

They all went out into the hallway. While Denise was escorted to her seat next to Max and Hannah, the sisters waited together.

They had already decided the order in which they would walk down the aisle. Dakota had gotten engaged first, so she would lead, Montana would follow and Nevada would bring up the rear.

The music changed to the “Wedding March.” The guests rose.

Dakota started walking as slowly as they'd practiced. Everyone she knew and loved was here tonight. She met Finn's gaze and smiled at him. He smiled back.

A wave caught her eye and she saw their daughter grinning at her. Baby Hannah. Life had blessed her in every way possible.

Montana went next, loving how her dress rustled with each step. She felt like a fairy princess in a castle, and waiting for her was her very own handsome prince. Simon watched her, as serious as always. His love reached across the few yards separating them and drew her closer.

Later tonight, when they were alone in their suite, she would tell him what she'd learned that morning after peeing on a stick. Until then, she would do her best to convince him she was drinking champagne when she really wasn't.

A baby, she thought happily. Maybe she would have twins!

Nevada waited until Montana reached the end of the aisle before starting her walk. Tucker's gaze never left hers.

Cat had sent her regrets, something that had secretly relieved Nevada. Who knew what the beautiful but temperamental artist could have done at an event like this. She'd sent a gift, something she'd made herself. It was upstairs, still wrapped. Nevada and Tucker had decided they were going to need a whole lot of champagne before finding the courage to open that present.

Nevada was still several feet away from her sisters when Tucker broke ranks. He came toward her, causing several of the guests to chuckle. He took her hand and led her the rest of the way.

“Just so you don't change your mind,” he whispered.

“I won't. Not ever.”

He looked around and smiled. “I guess that makes six of us.”

When all three brides and all three grooms were in place, the minister began. “Dearly beloved…”

“I'm going to cry,” Heidi whispered.

“Me, too,” Annabelle said softly.

“I don't believe in crying,” Charlie told them, even as she sniffed. “This is the worst. It's making me feel all soft and romantic.”

“Me, too.” Annabelle sighed. “I want to find somebody.”

“Oh, yeah.” Heidi drew in a breath. “Me, too. But I think all the good ones are taken.”

The mayor was sitting in front of them. She turned and smiled.

“Next year, ladies. I have a feeling. Just you wait and see.”