A Fool's Gold Novel

CHAPTER FOUR

TUCKER ADJUSTED THE bag of ice on his jaw. The bartender—Ethan had said her name was Jo—watched him warily.

“I said I’m not going to hit him back,” he said, knowing he’d deserved the punch and more.

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you,” she said, then turned her attention to Ethan. “You do that again and you’re banned from here.”

“I didn’t break anything.”

“You know how I feel about fights in my bar. Do you want me to talk to Liz?”

“No,” Ethan told her, quickly, looking a little panicked. “Don’t tell my wife. I won’t do it again.”

“You’d better not.” She walked away to serve a customer.

“Strange bar,” Tucker muttered as he felt along his jawline. It didn’t hurt too much. He was hoping the ice would keep down the swelling and bruising. Two crews were showing up in the next few days. He didn’t want to have to explain a bruise to any of them or listen to their speculation about why he’d been hit.

Next to him, Ethan clenched and unclenched his right hand. “Damn, that hurt.”

“You’re not getting any sympathy from me,” Tucker told him. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Want me to ask the same question?”

“No. If I had a sister, I would have done the same thing.”

“Damn straight you would have.” Ethan glared at him. “I expected you to protect her, not sleep with her.”

“You realize it happened ten years ago.”

“Do you think that matters?”

Tucker set the bag of ice on the bar. “Probably not. For what it’s worth, I didn’t mean for it to happen. I was drunk.”

Ethan’s gaze turned cold again. “You want to tell me the details?”

“Uh, no. You’re right.”

Ethan slugged him in the arm. “I trusted you.” “I know.”

“You let me down.”

Guilt crawled all over Tucker. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.” Bad enough that Ethan knew about that night. Worse if he knew the circumstances.

“My mom thinks it was her first time.”

Anyone who said words could cut like a knife was wrong. Words were a hammer to the gut. Tucker sucked in a breath as the potential truth of that statement hit him upside the head.

A virgin? No. She couldn’t have been. He groaned, knowing that would make what had happened a thousand times worse. Bad enough to take her while he was skunk drunk, but to have fumbled and called out Cat’s name to a virgin …

“Kill me now,” he muttered, putting his elbows on the bar and resting his head in his hands. “Wait.” He straightened. “Your mother knows?”

“She’s close to her daughters.”

“Apparently. Who else …” He shook his head. “Don’t tell me.”

Nevada a virgin? She’d been eighteen. It was possible. With his luck, it was likely.

He couldn’t remember much about that night except that it had been quick and pretty bad. How was he supposed to apologize for that? What was he supposed to say? He’d been caught up in the storm of loving Cat. Everything else had been a blur. Sure he’d learned his lesson—never be a fool for love. But that didn’t excuse anything, especially his behavior with Nevada.

Jo walked over and placed beers in front of both of them. “Better,” she said. “Looks like you two have made up. Are you eating?”

“Lunch is on me,” Tucker said weakly.

“You bet your ass it is,” Ethan told him, grabbing both beers. “We’ll get a table in the back. Burgers okay?”

Tucker nodded and followed his friend.

They left the main part of the bar and went into a space that reminded Tucker a whole lot more of the bars he was used to. TVs mounted on the walls were tuned to baseball games. There were round tables, chairs without padding and a big pool table in the center.

“Interesting place,” Tucker said as they sat across from each other.

“Home,” Ethan said simply. “Except for college, I’ve never lived anywhere else.” He passed Tucker one of the beers. “You must get tired of traveling all the time.”

Tucker grabbed the beer and took a swallow. “It’s all I know. Tell me why this is better.”

Ethan gave him a slow, satisfied smile, then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He passed over a picture. It showed Ethan with a beautiful redhead. She was looking at him the way every man fantasized about being looked at. A combination of love and pride and contentment.

“You don’t deserve her.”

Ethan chuckled. “Tell me about it. Liz is incredible. Sexy as hell, smart, a great mom. She loves with everything she has. I don’t know why she picked me, but she did and I’m not letting go.”

The simple words, honestly spoken, made Tucker feel uncomfortable. As if he’d accidentally walked in on something intimate, something he wasn’t supposed to see. He couldn’t imagine feelings like that. Loving someone and being loved in a way that was supportive and safe. In his world, love was a trap. A man could get lost in love, and sometimes getting away meant chewing off an arm.

“Then there’s these three.”

Ethan handed over a second picture. This one showed three kids—two girls and a boy. The girls were redheads, the older, maybe fourteen or fifteen, was probably already causing havoc at high school. The younger was an adorable carrottop with freckles. The boy, about the same age as the younger girl, was all Ethan.

“You’ve been busy,” Tucker said, passing back the picture. “Did I know you’ve been married that long?”

“Liz and I got married last summer. Tyler’s mine. Long story. The girls are her nieces. Their mom is dead and their dad’s in jail, so we have them now.” He put the pictures back into his wallet. “If you’d told me about taking in two kids a year ago, I would have said if they’re not yours you can’t love them as much, right?”

Ethan shook his head. “I couldn’t have been more wrong. Those girls keep me up nights just as much as Tyler does. Melissa wants to start dating. I want to lock her in her room until she’s forty.” He grinned. “We’re working on a compromise.”

“You sound like you’re happy.”

“I am.” Ethan picked up his beer. “It doesn’t get better than this.” He stared at Tucker. “You ever going to settle down?”

“I’m not the type. I move around too much.”

“When you take over the company, you’ll travel less.”

“Maybe. I’m not sure I want to change. I like living all over the world, seeing new things.” “Don’t you get lonely?”

Tucker leaned back in his chair. “There are beautiful women everywhere, or are you so married you’ve forgotten.”

“Just not interested. Why go looking when you have the best of everything waiting at home?”

The fervor of the freshly converted, Tucker thought. He’d seen it before. Guys who were newly in love wanted everyone else to have what they did. The problem was they didn’t see that love would turn them all into fools until it was too late. Cat had done it to him, and his dad’s women did it to him on a regular basis. Tucker had learned his lesson.

Except now, talking to Ethan, he felt a hint of something that might be envy. Roots could be good. A place to call home. Someone waiting.

No way, he reminded himself. He’d tried that once. Cat had nearly destroyed him. Not by anything she’d done, but his reaction to her. He’d allowed her to become everything. He’d been little more than her love slave. By the time he’d managed to escape, he barely recognized himself. No. Love was for idiots who didn’t know better.

“You’re going to be around here for, what? A year?” Ethan asked.

“About that. I won’t stay through completion, but I’ll want to make sure the major elements are in place.”

“Ever spent any quality time in a small town before?”

“No.”

Ethan laughed. “Brace yourself. It’s not what you think. Within a month, everyone will know who you are, what you do with your day and who with. You won’t be able to make a move without running into someone you know. Stay clear of the local women. They’ll eat you alive—and not in a good way.”

“Sounds worse than construction in a rain forest. Why do you stay?”

“Because there’s nowhere else I want to be. I grew up here. I belong. I want to know my neighbors, have them watching out for the kids and letting me know when a friend is in trouble. They have my back and I have theirs.”

“I can’t relate,” Tucker admitted.

“You’ll get a taste of it. Be sure to head into town every weekend. Fool’s Gold is known for its many festivals. They happen regularly. The food is always good. Come winter, we can head up the mountain and go skiing.”

“I’d like that. I haven’t skied in a couple of years.”

“Good. If you think you can handle it, we’ll have you over to dinner. Or is that too domestic?”

“I can survive a few hours.”

Ethan grinned. “We could even invite a couple of the local single ladies. Let them fight over you.”

“You said to steer clear of them.”

“Maybe you want the challenge. As long as it’s not my sister.”

Tucker thought about Nevada. “Hands off. You have my word.”

“I’d better.”

Tucker took a swallow of his beer. Thirty minutes ago, he would have considered Nevada a hell of a temptation. Now, not so much. While he still found her intriguing, he’d already crossed the line once. He wasn’t a jerk. He knew when to back off, and with her, that was now.

NEVADA WAS SO EXCITED that despite not having slept, she needed no coffee to be completely wired for her first day of work. She arrived on the job site nearly an hour before she was expected and hung out in the main trailer, opening and closing the empty drawers in her new desk and going over the schedule for the week.

The first order of business was to get equipment in place and start clearing. A part of that would include blasting a section of the east hillside. She flipped through the pile of paperwork required by the city, county and state. She saw that the Fool’s Gold Fire Department had to be notified of the blasting and have a representative on-site. At least that was something she could help with. She knew all the firefighters.

Once the land was cleared, the plumbing would be next. Water in, sewer out. Due to some seriously impressive long-term planning on the part of the city nearly fifty years ago, the resort would be able to tap into the city sewer and water system. That would be a huge savings in money and effort for Janack Construction. The downside was a lot more permits, but they were worth it.

She’d just started reading the environmental impact study when she heard footsteps on the trailer steps. Will Falk walked inside.

“Someone’s here bright and early,” he said before taking a long drink from the coffee carryout cup he held.

“It’s my first day. I couldn’t help it.”

“Enthusiasm is good. It makes me feel old, but it’s still good.” He held open the door. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to the guys you’ll be working with.”

She rose and grabbed her hard hat, then followed him outside.

While she’d been acquainting herself with the project, about a dozen guys had arrived for work. Pickups lined the small cleared area by the trailer.

The men stood together, dressed in jeans, work boots and T-shirts. It was still summer in Fool’s Gold and, even out here, the temperatures would climb to the low eighties.

As she and Will approached, the men grew silent, watching her. She kept her head up and her shoulders back. Project confidence, she told herself. No one had to know about the butterflies kickboxing in her stomach.

“Morning,” Will said. “I’d like you to meet our new construction manager, Nevada Hendrix. She’s local, so if you’re having any trouble in town, she’s the one you go to. If you’re making trouble in town, she’ll be the one kicking your butts.” He glanced at her. “You good with that?”

“I can kick butt,” she said firmly.

The guys ranged in age from early twenties to late forties. The veterans were the ones she had to win over first, she thought. They would be less concerned about her being a woman and more interested in her skill set. The younger guys would have more ego on the line.

Will made introductions. She shook hands with everyone and did her best to remember names. It would take a little longer to get to know personalities, but she had time.

The surveying team would arrive within the hour. Will suggested which guys would help with that. She agreed and put the others to work clearing. For a second, she stared enviously at the big equipment, but knew there would be plenty of time to have her way with the tracked excavator.

The morning flew by. Nevada surfaced long enough to head to the portable outhouses, only to find one had been draped in pink ribbon. She checked inside to make sure it was free of rodents and creepy-crawlies, then used it. After washing her hands at the portable sink, she went back into the office, made a sign that said Girls Only, taped it to the outhouse door, then went out to join the surveying team.

Will came by around noon to tell them to break for lunch. Nevada had planned to join the guys, but Will pulled her aside before she could settle in.

“Doing okay?” he asked, as they walked back to the trailer.

“Sure.”

“Like what you’ve done with the place.” He motioned to the porta potty as he spoke. “Thanks. I like the pink.”

He chuckled. They went into the trailer and got out their lunches from the small refrigerator. Will sat on the edge of his desk.

“What do you know about Jo Trellis?” he asked, as he removed a sandwich from a bag.

Nevada stared at him. “You get right to the point. I take it you’re interested?”

“Could be.”

Nevada thought about the question. Jo had arrived in Fool’s Gold several years ago and bought the bar. She was friendly, a regular participant in girls’ night out, always there when someone had a crisis. But in all the time Nevada had known her, she’d never seen Jo on a date or heard her talk about a guy.

“Jo’s my friend,” she began.

“I’m not interested in getting laid and moving on,” Will told her. “I’m too old for that. I’d like to get to know her. She’s resisting the process.”

Nevada smiled. “I’m not surprised. Jo keeps to herself. She’s a friend, but even I don’t know anything about her past. She never talks about it.”

“Any men?”

“No. There have been offers, but she always refuses.”

“Know why?”

Nevada shook her head. “There are dozens of theories. Everything from Jo being a Mafia princess on the run from her father to her escaping an abusive husband. I doubt either is true.”

Mayor Marsha probably knew all about Jo’s past, as the good mayor seemed to know everything about everyone. Nevada had never been able to figure out how she got her information. But even if the mayor did know the truth, Nevada knew she wouldn’t share it with Will.

“I don’t have any dating advice when it comes to Jo,” she admitted. “I guess you’re on your own. I will warn you not to hurt her. She’s one of us and we protect our own.” Will was a good guy and she liked him, but family came first.

He nodded slowly. “I’m glad she has friends looking out for her.”

“One of the advantages of a small town. Are you finding it enjoyable here, or are the walls closing in?”

“I like it. I heard there’s going to be a festival soon. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Don’t worry. If you miss this one, there will be another one in the next couple of weeks. We’re known for our festivals.”

She heard someone on the steps, then the trailer door opened. She expected one of the guys to walk in, but instead Tucker stepped through the doorway.

Will glanced at his watch. “Nearly noon. Going for a personal best?”

“I was filing paperwork at city hall. Fool’s Gold hasn’t embraced the digital age.” He looked at Nevada. “Sorry. I meant to be here on your first morning. Did Will get you settled?”

“Yes. I’m doing fine. Don’t worry about it.”

She managed to speak the words and act normal, but her gaze settled on the faint shadow of a bruise on his jaw.

News of Ethan hitting Tucker had spread quickly. Outside of her immediate family, no one knew the reason, which left people speculating.

Will excused himself to talk to the surveyor. For a second, Nevada thought about escaping with him, but knew she had to talk to Tucker eventually.

“I’m sorry about what happened with my brother,” she said as soon as the door closed behind Will.

Tucker rubbed his jaw. “He’s good. Nailed me one.”

She did her best to remind herself that there was no reason to get embarrassed. Her brother had been looking out for her and there was nothing bad in that. It was just the idea of them fighting in public that made her squirm. And everyone knowing why.

“He shouldn’t have hit you.”

“If the situation had been reversed, I would have done the same.”

She rolled her eyes. “Because you couldn’t simply have a conversation? I’m not sorry he defended me, but there were a lot better ways to do it.”

“I don’t agree with that, but okay.” He crossed to the small refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

“Ethan did say something interesting,” he told her, before pausing to drink.

Panic exploded, making her chest tighten. She waited, hoping it wasn’t anything hideous. Like, “Nevada never got over you,” or, “It’s kind of funny how she was so in love with you and you only had eyes for Cat.” Not that Ethan would know any of that, but still.

Tucker lowered the bottle and looked at her. “He said it was your first time.”

Involuntary reactions were a bitch, she thought grimly as she felt color flare on her cheeks. She ignored the sensation, grabbed her sandwich and held it up like a pitiful protective shield.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she hedged. “I had a boyfriend in high school.”

Tucker studied her for a second, relief battling with concern. “You sure?”

“It’s something I would remember.” She took a bite of her sandwich and forced herself to chew. After she swallowed, she managed a faint laugh. “Don’t sweat it. You were not my first time.”

“Good. Because that would have made a difference.”

“You were pretty drunk. I don’t think that kind of information would have helped.”

“Probably not.” He shook his head. “So we’re done talking about this?”

“You’re the one who brought it up. But, yes, we can be done.”

“Friends?”

“Of course. Always.”

She’d never thought of herself as Tucker’s friend. She was the girl he hadn’t noticed, despite her love for him.

He was the one who got away. But a friend? Maybe it was something to try. After all, they were going to be working together and she wasn’t stupid enough to fall for him a second time.

AFTER LUNCH NEVADA went outside and checked on the surveying team. A hundred acres was a lot to deal with, so they worked on a grid. Her attention kept drifting to where the guys were using the real equipment to clear.

A timber company had already been through to take out the biggest trees. The heaviest growth was being left intact. The walking path would weave through it.

One of the guys—she thought his name was Brad—walked up to her, holding one hand in the other.

“Cut myself,” he said. “Do you have any bandages in your truck?”

“Sure, but there’s a first-aid kit in the office.”

He shook his head. “Using that means filling out paperwork.”

She hesitated. The last thing anyone wanted was more paperwork, so if the cut was small, she would go along with his request. Later, she would talk to Will and find out if she’d made the right call, or if the guys were trying to get her in trouble. After all, she was new to the team, not to mention female.

She hurried to her truck and pulled open the passenger door. As she reached for the glove box, she saw something move on the bench seat.

A snake was coiled up on the driver’s seat.

Nevada managed to keep from jumping, more out of self-protection than bravery. She studied the dark brown color, the light stripes along the side and knew it was a garter snake. Harmless, and not too old, judging by the length.

Several facts clicked into place. The test wasn’t about breaking the rules, it was about cojones. She would bet money Brad hadn’t been cut at all. The guys had simply wanted to get her to open her truck door and see the snake.

The creatures weren’t her favorite, but she’d grown up with three brothers and, to borrow from the Texans, this wasn’t her first rodeo.

Drawing in a deep breath, she reached across the seat and grabbed the snake. From what she remembered, it would bite. It wasn’t considered poisonous to humans, but she grabbed it by the back of the neck to avoid getting punctured.

The poor thing practically whimpered as it recoiled and tried to squirm away. Its body wrapped around her arm, then let go as quickly. She straightened and stepped away from her truck. When she turned, she saw her whole team standing behind her.

“One of you missing your girlfriend?” she asked.

The guys exchanged glances, then started to laugh.

She walked to the edge of the thicker growth and let the snake go.

“How long did it take you to catch it?” she asked.

“Nearly all morning,” Brad told her. “We thought you’d scream.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

One of the older guys grinned. “We’re not disappointed at all.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, let’s get to work.”

FRIDAY AFTERNOON Nevada found herself walking through Fool’s Gold with Tucker. She’d gone with him to file more paperwork and now they were heading back to his truck to return to the job site.

“So when’s the next festival?” he asked. “I keep hearing about them.”

“Next weekend, although there’s plenty going on tomorrow. The Fool’s Gold cheerleaders are back from camp and will be showing off everything they’ve learned. That’s always fun.”

“The town has cheerleaders?”

“They’re from the high school. We do like to celebrate here, so any excuse will do.”

“I’ve heard that.”

They turned a corner and walked toward the parking lot.

“You enjoying yourself at work?”

She nodded, aware of him walking close to her. The days were still warm, so she was in a T-shirt. Every now and then her bare arm brushed against his. She told herself not to notice, that the whispers of heat had nothing to do with the man and everything to do with …

She sighed. She would have to come up with some handy excuses to trot out when she needed them.

Working with Tucker was both easier and harder than she’d thought it would be. He was a fair boss, who trusted his team to get the work done. That was the good part. He was also a hunky guy with whom she shared relatively close office space. In the trailer, as here on the narrow sidewalks, it was difficult not to be aware of him.

“I thought the guys might put a bigger snake in my truck, but I guess I passed the test.” She glanced at him. “Unless you told them to back off.”

“Nope. You want the job, you have to be able to handle yourself with the guys. I figured you’d hit me harder than Ethan if you found out I was going behind your back.”

“Good. Because that’s true.”

He grinned. “You’d have to catch me first.”

A group of teenage girls walked toward them. Both she and Tucker moved to the right, stepping into the doorway of a clothing boutique to let the girls pass. The space was small and she found herself crowded up against him, her butt pressing against his hip.

She told herself to ignore the heat and the way her hand bumped his.

“Hey, Nevada.”

It took her a second to realize one of the girls was Melissa. “Ah, hi. What’s going on?”

“We’re getting ice cream.” Melissa looked past her to Tucker and raised her eyebrows.

“This is my new boss. Tucker Janack, Melissa Sutton. She’s my niece.”

Melissa grinned. “Sort of. I guess explaining our relationship would be too complicated.” Melissa waved and hurried after her friends. “Nice to meet you.”

“That’s one of Ethan’s girls, right?” Tucker said as they started walking again.

“Yes.”

“I saw her picture when Ethan and I had lunch.” They’d reached the truck. He held open the passenger door for her.

“Explain that to me,” she said, not yet climbing in. “How can he punch you and then the two of you have lunch?”

“We’d worked through everything. Why not have lunch and catch up?” “Men are very strange.” He laughed.

She stepped into the truck, but her boot slipped on the metal by the door. She started to fall forward. Even as she put out a hand to brace herself, Tucker wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back.

For the second time in as many minutes, she found herself pressed against him in a tight space.

Her body enjoyed the moment, getting all tingly and aware. She knew this was potentially dangerous, not to mention foolish, so she told herself to act as if nothing had happened and everything was fine.

“I’m good,” she said.

“I don’t want my newest employee getting hurt on the job and suing the company,” he told her gruffly as he released her.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

She went to climb into the truck, only to find herself shifting toward him instead. She wasn’t sure if she was the one doing the turning, or if he was helping. Either way, she was suddenly facing him, their bodies still close, his dark eyes staring into hers.

Without wanting to, she found herself moving back through time. Instead of being in a Fool’s Gold parking lot, she was standing in the living room of a Hollywood Hills mansion.

She’d only gone to the party because it was a chance to spend time with Tucker again. Even if Cat was the one to ask her. She’d known the evening would be miserable, but she couldn’t help herself.