Three Little Words

“She didn’t know. My mom raised six kids. She does guilt the way other people breathe.” He put his arm around her. “Come on. We’ll talk this out and you’ll feel better.”

She stepped out of his embrace. “Being charming isn’t going to help.”

“It might.” He was good at charm. “Look, Isabel, I’m doing the best I can. You think I like this? I agree—everything would be a whole lot simpler if I could just fall in love. But I can’t.”

She didn’t look convinced. “Have you tried?”

“Yes. I come from a long line of happy marriages. I don’t have any serious emotional trauma in my past. I like women. I don’t know what’s wrong with me and I’m sorry for putting you in this position.”

Her gaze held his for a long time before she nodded. “Fine,” she said with a sigh and popped the top on her can of soda. “I know you’re not torturing me on purpose. It was just icky.”

“I know. I owe you.”

“More than you know. Your mother invited us over to a big family dinner.”

“I’ll delay as long as I can.”

“You’d better.” Her mouth twisted.

Oddly, her discomfort made him like her more. She was an honest person and it troubled her to be deceptive. This situation was his fault.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised.

“Yeah? I’m thinking the only way that’s going to happen is if you learn how to iron a wedding gown.”

* * *

“WHY DO I FEEL guilty?” Noelle asked, glancing uneasily over her shoulder.

“Because Jo has us all trained.” Charlie squared her shoulders, as if determined not to give in to the pressure. “We aren’t required to go to her bar for lunch every time. It’s good to support all the businesses in Fool’s Gold.”

Isabel grinned. “Keep saying that, and maybe it will be true one day.”

They were all in line by a gleaming silver trailer that had been converted to a rolling kitchen. Delicious smells wafted from the windows, and the chalkboard hanging by the open front door offered many tempting choices.

Ana Raquel, Dellina’s younger sister, ran the “street cart,” as it was known. She planned the menus and did all the cooking in her small trailer. Today she’d parked by Pyrite Park, opened all the windows and the door and fired up her stove. The amazing smells had drawn a crowd of hungry customers.

“You’re helping a friend,” Dellina said firmly. “My sister needs the support. If Jo asks, that’s what you tell her.”

“If you say so,” Noelle murmured, still sounding doubtful.

Isabel was less afraid of Jo than the others. Maybe because her time in Fool’s Gold was temporary and she didn’t have to worry about being cut off from one of the town’s best locales. She looked at the hand-printed lettering on the chalkboard and felt her mouth starting to water.

There were sandwiches and burgers, but with ingredients like fresh basil and goat cheese, or watermelon-and-jalapeno puree. The red wine with summer vegetables risotto had a star by it, indicating a more “special” special. Caprese Pasta Salad with Balsamic Chicken. And the dessert of the day was Picnic S’Mores Bars and Fun Apple Fritters with Caramel Dipping Sauce.

“I’m gaining five pounds just looking at the menu,” Patience said. “I can’t decide between the grilled cheese, pear-and-prosciutto sandwich and the fajita quesadilla.”

“I’m getting a burger and the S’Mores Bars,” Charlie said flatly. “Don’t try to talk me out of it and don’t expect to share.”

Felicia glanced at her. “Possessiveness about food is an unusual characteristic for you,” she observed. “Do you think it’s caused by your cycle or some other hormonal imbalance?”

Charlie turned slowly and glared at her. “You did not just ask about my period.”

Felicia held her ground. “Was that inappropriate? I wasn’t trying to pry.”

Charlie relented with a sigh. “I know. Sorry. I just have a thing for S’Mores. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I understand,” Felicia told her kindly. “Many of our unhealthy obsessions with food can be traced back to early childhood.”

Isabel grabbed Felicia and pulled her away from Charlie. “Time to change the subject,” she murmured.

Felicia gave her a quick smile. “I can’t help it. I love bugging Charlie.”

“You were doing it on purpose?”

“Maybe a little.”

Isabel chuckled. She had to say that one of the best parts of coming home was the friends she’d made. While she’d enjoyed herself in New York and had had several girlfriends, it wasn’t the same. Here getting together happened more often, because of close proximity. It was easy to grab lunch or a drink after work. She always ran into people she knew at the festivals or the grocery store or Morgan’s Books.

They both placed orders, then paid and collected their lunch. Dellina and Charlie both had blankets in their cars. Those were spread out and everyone took a seat.

Except for Charlie’s burger, the food was evenly split between quesadillas and sandwiches, and there were three servings of S’Mores Bars and two orders of the apple fritters in the center of the blanket. Isabel noticed Charlie kept eyeing the S’More Bar closest to her, as if prepared to pounce on anyone who tried to take it.

“Great idea,” Patience said when she’d chewed and swallowed her first bite. “I love the food and getting outdoors. What’s Ana Raquel’s plan for her trailer?”

“She’s going to be in different spots on different days. The menu is seasonal.”

“I’m glad she came back,” Patience said.

Isabel nodded in agreement, doing her best not to moan as she ate her sandwich. The cheese was creamy, the pears barely crisp, the flavors a perfect blend.

Ana Raquel had spent the early part of the summer in San Francisco. Her “street food” had been very successful. But she’d missed home and had returned a couple of weeks ago. Based on this experience, Isabel was ready for her to stay.

“Fayrene has her own business, too,” Charlie said. “She’s a great temp. We had her at the fire station for a couple of weeks. I tried to get her to take the job permanently, but she wasn’t interested.”

“Fayrene’s into change,” Dellina said.

Noelle leaned close to Isabel. “So Dellina and her sisters aren’t new to town?”

“No, they were all born here. Ana Raquel and Fayrene are twins and a few years younger. Their parents were killed while Dellina was still in school. Dellina has taken care of them since she turned eighteen.”

Noelle’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”

“It is and they’ve done great. You can taste how talented Ana Raquel is. Fayrene has her own business, too, and so does Dellina. She plans parties and does interior design.” Isabel mentioned the clothes she’d brought into the store.

“All I did was open a Christmas store,” Noelle said with a sigh. “I feel like a slacker.”

“We love your store.”

“I do, too, but wow.”

Charlie pushed her fries toward the middle of the blankets. “You guys can have some if you want.”

Dellina grinned. “Right. Just don’t touch the S’Mores. We got it.”

Charlie’s eyes narrowed. “Really? You, too?”

Felicia chuckled. “Charlie, we love you. That’s why it’s fun to tease you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Where’s Webster?”

“Safely sleeping in my office. If I brought him here, he would be attacking all of you. He’s still in the chew, eat, sleep, poop stage of puppy life.” Her gaze softened. “But he’s wonderful and I love him. Once he’s a little more mature, I’m going to talk to Gideon about us having a baby.”

Isabel felt her mouth drop open. “Just like that?” she asked.

“Of course.” Felicia looked surprised. “I love Gideon and he loves me. Why wouldn’t I talk about what I want? I would expect him to do the same. We’re very supportive of our dreams and goals, and the happiness of the primary couple ensures the happiness of the family unit.”

“I think the startling part is how mature you’re being,” Dellina said. “I have trouble asking for what I want, especially when it comes to men.”

“If you don’t ask for what you want, how do you get it?” Felicia asked. “If you’re relying on him guessing, you’re sabotaging your own happiness.”

“Which probably explains my single state,” Dellina admitted. “You’re brave and take-charge. It’s impressive.”

Felicia smiled. “Thank you for the compliment. I’m also too direct and socially awkward. Thanks to my friends in town, I’m better than I was.”

“We love you,” Patience said, then turned to Charlie. “You would fall under the category of saying what you want.”

“Pretty much. I’m better at saying what I don’t want, though. Clay’s really good at picking up cues.”

“I’m not brave,” Patience admitted.

“Me, either,” Isabel said.

Noelle smiled sympathetically. “Yeah, I’m not good at talking around what’s bothering me. But I’m very good at ignoring it.”

“You’re our leader,” Patience told Felicia.

“At least she’ll get us where we need to go,” Noelle joked. “Using GPS, a compass, the stars and astral projection.”

“I’ve never been successful at astral projection,” Felicia said. “I suspect it requires a level of faith I can’t accommodate. It’s difficult to turn my brain off and simply believe.”

Isabel did her best not to stare. “But you’ve tried it?”

“Of course. Haven’t you?”

“Not recently. The closest I’ve come to an out-of-body experience was facing down Ford’s mother when she flat-out asked me if I was dating him.”

Charlie winced. “I love Denise, but she can be fierce when it comes to her kids. What happened?”

“I lied and said yes. It was horrible. I don’t know if she believed me or not. Either way I had to agree to a family dinner.”

“Ford seriously owes you,” Noelle said.

“That’s what I told him.” Isabel put down her plate of risotto.

“I’m sure the sex will be worth it,” Patience said, her expression serene.

Isabel nearly scrambled to her feet. “What? We haven’t had sex.”

“But you’re going to.”

It wasn’t a question, but Isabel still considered the words. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “We’ve kissed and that was hot, but...”

She hesitated, not sure how to explain her confusion on the subject of sex. A week ago she would have said thanks, but no, thanks. Why bother? But after that kiss, she couldn’t help wondering if the rest of it would be just as good.

“Things with Eric were complicated,” she said at last.

“Are you worried you’re still in love with him?” Noelle asked.

“Not exactly.” Isabel drew in a breath. “We were friends more than anything else. Good friends. I... He...” What the hell? If she didn’t trust these women, who could she trust?

“Eric and I split up because he realized he was gay.”

Her friends stared at her with identical expressions of shock. She braced herself for what was to follow—pity and an uncomfortable silence. Maybe some recrimination for not confessing sooner. Instead Noelle gave her a hug and Charlie grunted in disgust.

“He couldn’t have had his moment of inner clarity before the wedding ceremony?” she demanded.

“That was really selfish,” Patience added. “He must have hurt you. You know you’re not responsible, right?”

Felicia nodded. “There is more and more scientific evidence that gender preference is determined long before birth. There were some fascinating studies done in Britain after the Second World War. One theory is that the stress of the blitz in London...” She cleared her throat. “A discussion for another time.”

“I wanted to say something earlier,” Isabel began.

“No,” Noelle said firmly. “Don’t apologize. That’s huge and there are things a person needs to keep to herself until she’s ready for everyone to know.”

She spoke with emphasis, which made Isabel wonder what secrets Noelle was hiding. But as her friend had just said—she would tell them when she was ready.

“Thanks, everyone,” she told them. “For listening and for being my friends.”

“You’re welcome,” Patience told her.

Felicia reached out for one of the S’Mores. Apparently it was the wrong one. Charlie grabbed it away from her and glared. “Don’t even think about it.”

CHAPTER NINE

CONSUELO PARKED IN FRONT of the one-story ranch house not all that far from the rental she and Angel shared. The roof was new and there was a pretty garden in front. A bike leaned against the front porch. Reese’s, she thought.

She picked up the bottle of wine she’d brought, along with a plate of cookies she’d purchased at the bakery. She walked toward the front door and told herself there was no reason to be nervous. She’d been in much more dangerous situations than this one. No one was going to try to kill her, and national security secrets weren’t on the line. She could relax.