Fool's Gold Collection Part 2. Susan Mallery
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Construction?”
Dakota frowned. “The name is familiar. Wasn’t there a guy in school named Tucker Janack? He was friends with Ethan and Josh. They went to a cycling camp together, way back when. I can’t recall all the details.”
“I remember,” Montana said. “Tucker’s father is super rich. Didn’t he send a helicopter to pick up Tucker?”
“Yes and yes,” Nevada said. “They’re one of the largest construction companies in the country. Apparently, Tucker’s father liked what he saw when he visited here all those years ago. He bought a couple hundred acres north of town.”
“How could he do that?” Dakota asked. “Isn’t that Indian land? They can’t buy that.”
“Tucker’s father is one sixteenth Máa-zib. That’s all you need to be. Apparently Tucker’s mom is also part Máa-zib.”
Dakota wondered how her sister knew so much about the Janack family. “Did you meet them sometime we don’t know about?”
“The parents? No, I’ve never met them.”
“What are they going to build there?” Montana asked. “Isn’t two hundred acres a lot of land?”
“I’ve heard it’s going to be an exclusive resort,” Nevada said. “Big hotel, spa, casino and a couple of golf courses. There’s some serious money going into the project. They’re going to hire a lot of people.”
“So you’d go work for them?” Dakota asked.
“I haven’t decided. I might apply and see what happens. At least then I could say I’ve been on a job interview.”
Dakota wondered if there was more going on than Nevada wanted to tell them. Was she not getting along with Ethan? Or was the situation exactly what she said—a need to prove herself?
“I haven’t heard anyone talking about this project,” Montana said. “I guess if they’re on Indian land, they don’t need City Council approval. But you’d think they’d at least talk to the mayor.”
“Maybe they have and Marsha simply hasn’t mentioned it to anyone,” Dakota said. “There’s plenty going on right now, what with the reality show and all the men still pouring into town.”
“When are you going to decide what to do?” Montana asked.
“Not for a while,” Nevada admitted. “They’re still in the design stage. That could take months or even a year. Once I know they’re actually moving forward with work, I’ll think about what I want to do.” She shifted on the blanket. “Please don’t say anything to Ethan. It’s not that I don’t like working with him. I just need to know that I could work somewhere else, too.”
“I’m not going to say anything,” Montana said. “I’ve been flaky for years. I totally understand the need to figure out what you want to do.”
“I won’t say anything, either,” Dakota promised. “If you need someone to listen, if you just want to bounce ideas off me, I’m always available.”
“I know that,” Nevada told her. “Thanks.”
“Has it occurred to any of you that none of us have been on a date in months?” Montana asked. “Maybe there is something to this stupid man shortage.”
“I’m dating,” Dakota said.
“No. You’re having sex with Finn. That’s not dating.”
“Did I know this?” Nevada asked. “When did you start sleeping with Finn?”
Dakota briefly explained her recent encounters with the twins’ brother. “It’s not serious,” she said. “When he figures out that his brothers are more than capable of taking care of themselves, he’ll go back to South Salmon. This isn’t a long-term relationship. And technically, as Montana said, it’s not really dating.”
“Point taken,” Nevada said with a grin. “So the question is, do you want a date or do you want to have sex?”
“Can’t I have both?” Montana asked. “Do I have to pick?”
“Find the right guy and you can have both,” Nevada told her.
“Is that what you want?” Dakota asked.
Nevada laughed. “I’ll take the sex, at least for now. Love is too complicated.”
“Sometimes sex is complicated, too,” Montana reminded her.
Nevada shook her head. “I’m willing to take my chances.” She looked at Dakota. “What about you? Is sex enough?”
There were things they didn’t know, Dakota thought. How she couldn’t have children and how knowing that had changed everything. She would tell them eventually, just not today. Not when they were having fun, enjoying such a beautiful day.
So she smiled at her sisters and said, “Is sex with Finn enough? Absolutely.”
FINN WAITED with Sasha in the lobby of the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort. The place was nice enough, he thought. If one was into attractive tourist hotels. He would rather be home.
Once Geoff found out what carting everyone to San Diego would cost, especially for the beachfront hotel he preferred, he’d decided to keep Sasha and Lani in town.
The pool area of the Lodge had been transformed into a tacky tropical paradise, with fake palm trees, twinkle lights and tiki torches. Unfortunately, the weather was anything but tropical. While it didn’t phase Finn, everyone else was running around wearing thick coats and shivering.
“What if I gave you ten thousand dollars?” he asked his brother. “To go home and finish college. Would you do it?”
Sasha grinned at him. “The show is paying twenty, bro.”
“Fine. Thirty. Go back to school and you’ll have a check that day.” His business was successful, and he didn’t have a lot of expenses. The house where he and his brothers had grown up was paid for.
“What did Stephen say when you offered it to him?” Sasha asked.
“To shove it up my ass.”
Sasha’s grin broadened. “He read my mind.”
“I figured,” Finn said glumly. “But I had to ask. What’s the plan for today?”
“It’s all going down tonight. We were going to have a city tour, but since we’re pretending we’re not in Fool’s Gold, I don’t see that happening.”
Finn glanced around at the fake greenery. “This is a crazy business.”
“I like it.”
He thought about pointing out that Sasha’s love of fame was tied to their parents’ death, but he and his brother had had that conversation a dozen times before. He suspected Sasha had to go through the process himself and learn the truth the hard way.
That was the part Finn objected to. Not the learning, but the inevitable pain that would follow. If only he could be sure that his brothers were ready to be on their own, that he’d done all he could to keep them safe. Then he could walk away. But how to know?
“You should chill,” Sasha told him. “You’re wound too tight. Relax.”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Hawaii girl.”
His brother laughed. “I like Hawaii girl. She’s fun.”
Finn was sure Sasha liked Lani well enough but suspected their relationship was far more a means to an end than anything romantic. Sasha’s idea of a steady relationship was a date that lasted two hours. On the other hand, Stephen had always preferred long-term relationships. Despite being identical twins, the brothers were fairly different.
“You should do something fun,”