“How was Australia?” Annabelle asked.
“Wonderful. We’re going back. The flight is long, but worth it. Do you know it’s their winter now? We loved that. And the toilets really do flush the other way.”
“As long as you spent your time on the important things,” Charlie teased.
May laughed. “We saw the sights. I’ll bore everyone with pictures later. But first we have a wedding to plan and I need to be caught up with everything that happened while we were gone.”
“Just the usual,” Heidi said. “There hasn’t been any hot gossip.”
May smiled, her dark eyes similar to her sons’. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
Heidi touched her hand. “I promise I’m not.”
Theirs was not a traditional household, Annabelle thought, watching the exchange. Most brides-to-be didn’t live with future mothers-in-law. But last spring May and Rafe had moved in with Heidi and her grandfather. First Glen and May had fallen in love, then Rafe and Heidi. The older couple were having a small house built at the edge of the property and would be moving out as soon as it was finished.
Now Shane was living in the house, which made for crowded conditions. But Heidi seemed to be thriving with her new family. In truth, Annabelle felt a bit of envy. Her parents had split up when she’d been very young and they’d both made it clear neither of them wanted to be “stuck” with her. She’d been an only child and the house had been lonely. Having a lot of caring people around seemed pretty perfect to her. The sense of community that existed in Fool’s Gold had been the main selling point for her.
“I hear Shane is teaching you to ride,” May said.
Annabelle nodded. “It’s going well.”
“On Khatar?”
“He likes me.”
“It’s more than like,” Charlie said with a grin. “She’s his one true love. Shane can’t figure out how to keep him contained when she’s around.”
May frowned. “He’s a dangerous horse. Be careful.”
“I will, but actually he’s very sweet. So affectionate.”
“It’s true,” Heidi told May. “You’re going to have to trust us on that. Khatar wants to cuddle when he’s around Annabelle.”
“If you say so.” May looked doubtful.
“There’s more,” Heidi said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Little girls have been showing up to learn how to ride. They want Shane to teach them because he’s a real cowboy.”
Annabelle sighed. “That’s my fault. I didn’t realize all his horses were so valuable. I mentioned the lessons to a few of the girls who come to the library and it quickly got out of hand. Shane’s being great about it,” she added quickly. “He’s talking about renting some horses.”
“Renting? There’s no need for that.” May rose. “You girls go on with your planning. I’ll be right back.”
Heidi watched her go. “Uh-oh. I have a feeling a few more old animals are going to be showing up in the next day or so. Poor Shane. He’s being thrown in the deep end of the ocean for sure. Talk about getting involved.”
Annabelle winced, realizing that Shane’s worry about his mother hadn’t been in vain. Not that she was going to be the one to tell him. She reached for her iced tea and was about to take a sip when she realized Charlie was staring at her. “What?”
“Speaking of involvement,” her friend said slowly. “Were you trying to set me up with Shane?”
Annabelle shrank back. “No. Yes. Maybe. I’m sorry.”
“What did I miss?” Heidi asked. “Something fun?”
“Annabelle thinks I need to get out more,” Charlie said, never taking her gaze from Annabelle. “Start dating.”
“Does she…” Heidi pressed her lips together.
Charlie finally looked away. “Yes, I told her about my past.”
“I thought it would be a good idea to start with someone nice,” Annabelle said weakly. “Shane’s nice.”
“Not my type and way too into you.”
She sat up a little straighter. “Really? You think he likes me?”
Heidi looked at Charlie. “Looks like Khatar isn’t the only one with a crush.”
“I don’t have a crush on Shane,” Annabelle protested. “I said he was nice. There’s a difference.”
“Not when you’re blushing,” Heidi teased.
“You offered me to a guy you’re interested in?” Charlie asked, sounding outraged.
Annabelle pressed her lips together. “I wasn’t sure and you said you wanted to be fixed.”
“Now you’re making me sound like a stray dog. Look, I appreciate the effort, but I can handle this myself. I’ll figure out a way to get over my mistrust of men or not. I don’t need a man to have a family, right?”
“Well, you kind of do,” Annabelle said gently.
“She’s right.” Heidi nodded her head as she spoke. “But this is all good. You’re facing the problem. I’m glad. I’m also a little surprised. I didn’t think you liked kids.”
“I grumble about them, but I like them okay. I always thought one day…” She shrugged. “Who am I kidding?”
“Don’t,” Annabelle told her. “You can’t give up before you even start.”
“I know. It’s just you’re both so normal and I have this horrible mother.”
Annabelle knew her parents hadn’t exactly been what anyone could call loving, but that wasn’t the point. “She’s still alive?”
“Last time I checked. She’s famous. Or she used to be.” She seemed to brace herself. “My mother was a ballet dancer. World-renowned. Dominique Guérin.”
Annabelle frowned. “I think I’ve heard that name. Maybe seen a few of her DVDs. She’s beautiful and very talented.”
Charlie grunted. “She would be devastated to know your life doesn’t revolve around her greatness. And I’m not saying that to be funny.”
“Not the type to bake cookies?” Heidi asked.
“She has the maternal instincts of a rock.”
Annabelle thought about the petite graceful dancer she’d watched as a kid and compared that image to the woman sitting in front of her. Charlie was tall—maybe five-nine or -ten, with broad shoulders and lots of muscle. She drove an engine for the Fool’s Gold fire department, handled training of the volunteer force. She was competent, smart, loyal and a great friend. But she couldn’t imagine a woman like Dominique having a daughter like Charlie. And based on the little Charlie had said, theirs hadn’t been a loving relationship.
“Because of her, I never thought I should have kids,” Charlie admitted. “I was afraid I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“Is that changing?” Annabelle asked.
“Sort of. Maybe. I don’t know. Let’s not talk about me anymore.”
Heidi leaned toward her. “I was scared of love, too,” Heidi said. “Of losing control, of being hurt. I wasn’t even sure love was real. But now, with Rafe, I know it’s worth it. What we have is so much stronger than the fear. I can give my heart and trust him completely. I never thought I would be able to say that about anyone.”
Annabelle ignored the twinge of jealousy. Although she’d been married, she’d never experienced what Heidi described. With Lewis, she’d been flattered and grateful he’d even noticed her. Later, when he’d suggested they get married, she told herself what she felt was love, but she knew now her feelings had been nothing more than a desperate attempt to prove that someone, somewhere could love her. Only she’d been wrong. Lewis had only cared about himself.
She wanted the kind of passion she saw with Heidi and Rafe. Wanted to be with someone who loved her for her and whom she could love with all her heart. She wanted the dream.
Charlie’s cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the screen, before answering. “Now?” she asked, then paused to listen. “I’m at the ranch, with Heidi and Annabelle. Uh-huh. Yes, I have my list. I’ll make the calls on the way. We’ll be right there.”
She hung up and looked at them. “Montana is having her baby. It’s time to go to the hospital.”
* * *
“CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS?” Shane asked his brother in a low voice.
“No. One second I was at the ranch, minding my own business and now I’m here.”
“Tell me about it. You know, it’s gotta be something with the town.”
Not anything mystical. Just a force more powerful than either of them were used to. Nothing else explained why they were in the Fool’s Gold hospital maternity waiting room. The most confusing part was neither of them knew the mother-to-be or her husband.
“We should go with it,” Rafe said in a low voice. “It’ll make Heidi happy.”
“Something that matters more to you than me,” Shane grumbled.
His brother grinned. “You got that right.”
Shane shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and glanced around. The large waiting area was crowded with plenty of people he recognized and a few he didn’t. From what he remembered, Montana was an identical triplet. Back when he’d been a kid, he’d known her brothers, but hadn’t had much time for the younger Hendrix siblings. He spotted two other women who looked alike and figured they were the sisters.
From where he was standing, he overheard one saying to the other, “Sasha’s pilot was picked up for a midseason replacement. It’s a police ensemble with him playing the new rookie. He’s going to be a national heartthrob about two days after it first airs.”
“Finn will be so proud,” the sister with short hair said, then laughed.
“Are you Shane?”
He turned and saw a tall brunette with curly hair standing next to him. She held a child in her arms. A little girl maybe a year old.
“Hi. I’m Pia Moreno. I coordinate the festivals in town and I understand you’re helping Annabelle with her horse dance.”
“I’m teaching her to ride,” he admitted. So far they hadn’t gotten to the dancing.
“Good. Now there’s a parade route of about a mile. The horse will just be walking for that. The actual performance comes at the end.”
He felt that strong need to bang his head against a wall starting up at the base of his neck and spreading. “Parade route?”
“Didn’t Annabelle mention that?”
“No, she didn’t.”
As Khatar had appointed himself Annabelle’s love puppy, Shane had figured he might as well use him in the ceremony. But a mile-long parade route meant getting him used to riding around people.
“I’ll get you a copy of the route,” Pia told him. “It’s very straightforward. A couple of streets and you’re there. We’re going to have a raised platform so everyone can see the sacrifice.”
“Sure. You wouldn’t want anyone to miss some poor guy getting his heart cut out.”
Pia laughed. “It’s going to be the highlight of my day.” She fished a business card out of her jeans back pocket and handed it over. “Call me if you have any questions. I’ll get you the parade route in the next week or so. Don’t worry about permits. We’re very parade friendly in this town and we’re folding in the ceremony with an existing festival.”
“Lucky us,” he murmured.
He watched her walk away, then felt his gaze slide just a little to the left. From where he was standing, he had a perfect view of Annabelle. Not that he wanted to watch her. He just couldn’t seem to help himself. Like his stallion, he’d found himself in the unfortunate position of desperately wanting the feisty librarian.
He turned away before anyone caught him ogling and nearly ran into an older woman with white hair and a tailored suit. Something about her was familiar. Before he could figure it out, she stopped in front of him and supplied the answer.
“Mayor Marsha Tilson,” the woman said. “You’re Shane Stryker.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Had he been wearing a hat, he would have removed it immediately.
“I’ve been wanting to get over to the ranch to meet you, but town business is especially distracting these days. Please excuse my tardiness, Shane. I hope you’re settling into life here in Fool’s Gold.”
“I am.”
“Good. I understand you’ve closed escrow on the land you bought and will be building a stable and a house. Excellent.” She smiled. “The town thanks you for your future tax contributions. And the employment of our local contractors. Jocelyn is one of the best. She’s been in the Sacramento area for the past couple of years, working on a large subdivision. Thankfully she’s returned home and plans to stay. You’ll be pleased with her work.”
Shane wasn’t sure if the mayor was making conversation or giving him instructions.
The mayor pulled a small piece of paper out of her jacket pocket and handed it to him. “This is the name and number of a friend of mine. Your mother mentioned you were looking for some horses suitable for riding.”
Shane didn’t even glance at the paper. “I’m not buying any horses right now.”
Mayor Marsha’s blue gaze remained steady. “I understand you have your breeding program, Shane. These horses are for the children. You’re giving riding lessons, aren’t you?”