Fool's Gold Collection Volume 4: Halfway There / Just One Kiss / Two of a Kind / Three Little Words. Susan Mallery
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“Are you panicked about him being gone?” Fayrene asked.
“A little nervous,” Charity admitted. “But my grandmother is very capable, and it’s time to get him used to going other places. We were pretty much cocooned here for the past couple of months, so I’m excited about having a social life again.”
Fayrene started to pour wine into all four glasses. Charity stopped her.
“None for me. I’m still breast-feeding.”
Josh got up and went into the kitchen. When he returned he had a glass of sparking water with a fresh wedge of lime. “For you,” he said, handing it to his wife, then sitting beside her.
Ryan looked at Fayrene. “I checked in with Misty. She says hi.”
“Did she? How’s she doing?”
“Great. The kittens have their eyes open. You should see them before we leave.”
“I’d like that.”
“You can take a couple with you, if you want,” Josh offered.
Charity patted his arm. “He doesn’t mean that. He’s a little overwhelmed with a newborn and kittens in the house at the same time.”
“There’s a moratorium on pregnancies,” Josh muttered, reaching for another piece of bruschetta. He glanced at Fayrene. “What are your plans for the summer?”
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think I like that question.”
Josh looked confused while Fayrene and Charity laughed. Josh chuckled a second later.
“Sorry. I wasn’t linking those topics. I’ve been meaning to call you,” he told Fayrene. “There’s going to be a summer program at my cycling school again. There are more people interested than there were last year. I was swamped then, and I don’t know how I’m going to handle it this year.”
“So he’s made the decision not to,” Charity said.
“She’s right. I want to hire you to manage the whole program. Let’s set up a meeting to figure out what I need done and how many hours it will take. The workload is pretty heavy.”
“I can handle it,” Fayrene told him, doing her best to sound confident. “I’ll call you tomorrow and set up an appointment for us to talk.”
“Thanks.”
Talk turned to the rapidly approaching tourist season and how the number of festivals seemed to grow every year. Charity excused herself to check on dinner and Josh went with her.
Ryan touched Fayrene’s arm. “You still with us?”
She’d been thinking about work rather than participating in the conversation. “It was obvious I wasn’t listening?”
“Only to me. Was it the new job with Josh?”
She nodded and held on to his hand. “This is a big opportunity. Not just because it’s going to be a lot of work, but because Josh knows everyone in town. He’s really connected in the business community, so if he’s happy with my work it could be a real boost to my business.”
She thought about what she already had scheduled. “Wow—if he wants me more than fifteen hours a week, I’m going to have to hire someone part-time to help. That would be so great.”
“I’m dating a tycoon.”
“Not yet, but one day.”
* * *
FAYRENE SAT CROSS-legged on her sister’s sofa. Dellina stared toward the kitchen.
“She takes this too seriously. It’s lunch.” Dellina leaned back in her chair. “Why do you have to take this so seriously?” she yelled toward the kitchen.
“Because I’m talented and you’re not appreciative enough,” Ana Raquel yelled back.
Dellina cocked her head. “Really? So if I was more appreciative, you’d take this less seriously? You know that doesn’t make sense.”
An exasperated choking sound came from the kitchen. “You know what I meant,” Ana Raquel yelled.
“I do, but it’s not what you said.”
Fayrene laughed. Being with her sisters always made her feel better. Dellina had been their rock ever since their parents had died. It had been the three of them dealing with the tragedy. While they’d always been close, the accident had drawn them even more together.
Now they were living their separate lives. While Dellina was in town, they were both busy, and Fayrene rarely saw her. Ana Raquel only got back every few weeks.
“Okay,” her twin said, coming out with three plates balanced on her arm. “This is an experiment. I’ve made three different salads, and I want your honest opinion.”
She handed them each a plate with three scoops of what looked like some kind of chicken or turkey salad, some cut up fruit and slices of French bread.
Looking at Ana Raquel was almost like looking in the mirror, Fayrene thought. They were both blondes with hazel eyes. Dellina had taken more after their father. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She was also the tallest of the sisters. Not that five-five was extraordinarily tall.
Ana Raquel picked up her fork. “Turkey salad with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. I think I’m almost there with this one, but I’m going to try to make it more creamy.” She pointed to the second salad. “Curried chicken. It’s perfect. If you don’t like it, there’s something wrong with you. Then a second chicken salad. No curry. I’m thinking it’s the perfect picnic food.”
Dellina studied the plate. “You want our honest opinions?”
“Yes.”
Fayrene took a bite and felt her taste buds do the happy dance. “Delicious. You should really get serious about that trailer. Wouldn’t you rather be working for yourself instead of in a restaurant?”
“Yes, but a trailer is expensive. I don’t have enough of a credit history to get that much in financing, and I would still need money to remodel it.”
Dellina scooped turkey salad onto the bread. “Want some of the money from the trust fund?”
They each had money left over from their parents’ life insurance policies. It had paid for college and Ana Raquel’s culinary school with some left over. Dellina had invested it wisely, and they were all benefiting.
“Fayrene has a point. Wouldn’t you rather work for yourself? You could rent a small place here in town. Your share of the house lease could cover most of your living expenses.” Dellina studied her sister. “I’m not pushing, I’m offering.”
“Remember, I took a loan against the trust, and it’s really helped me,” Fayrene said. “I’m making a payment every month, paying back principal and interest.”
“I’ve thought about, but I’m not sure.” Ana Raquel sighed. “I have so many ideas. I love the idea of street food, but starting my own thing is scary.” She smiled at them. “Not that you two haven’t already done it.”
“Being your own boss is a trip,” Dellina said. “I was hired by Clay Stryker to plan his wedding, then fired by his bride-to-be, who informed me she doesn’t want a big wedding.”
Fayrene shook her head. “It’s been what? Nine months since they got together? They need a plan.”
“They’ll come up with one,” Dellina said. “But there are days I think a nice office job would be a whole lot easier.”
“Not many,” Fayrene told her.
Dellina grinned. “That’s true.”
Ana Raquel drew in a breath. “Let me get some numbers together. Maybe