Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)

Fayrene frowned. “On time? I didn’t have an appointment.”


“I know, but Mayor Marsha said you’d be in this morning.”

Okay, that was weird, Fayrene thought as she walked through the open double doors.

Mayor Marsha stood when they entered and smiled. “Fayrene. Thank you for stopping by. I trust you didn’t have any trouble with Caramel.”

“No. She was wonderful. Ryan and I adore her.”

Fayrene waited for the little dog to dash forward to greet her owner, the way she did whenever Fayrene returned from an errand. She would bark and spin and dance on her hind legs. But instead she stayed calmly at Fayrene’s side. Her tail wagged, as if she were interested in Mayor Marsha, but there was no real excitement.

The mayor motioned to a sofa and chairs in the corner. “Shall we?” she asked.

Fayrene followed her over and settled on the sofa. Caramel sat on her lap, as she often did, again showing little or no interest in Mayor Marsha.

“Um, how was New Zealand?” she asked, feeling awkward.

“As beautiful as everyone says. I had a lovely time, but I’m very ready to be back home.” The older woman smiled. “I hear you’ve had some excitement in your life.”

“Me? Not really.”

“Didn’t Montana’s water break while she and Simon were visiting? That can’t have been comfortable.”

“It was strange,” Fayrene admitted. “Have you seen their new baby?”

“I have. I was at the hospital the very night Henry was born. Such a handsome boy.”

“But that was a few days ago,” Fayrene said before she could stop herself.

“Yes, I’ve been home about a week now.”

Fayrene instinctively drew Caramel close. “You left your dog with me all that time?”

The mayor’s expression softened. “Oh, child, I thought you knew what was happening. Caramel isn’t mine. I took care of her for a few weeks while I figured out where she belonged. She’s in her forever home now. With you and Ryan.”

Fayrene opened her mouth, then closed it. “You’re giving her to me?”

“I think of it more as Caramel making her choice. Unless you want me to take her back. I can find her another home.”

“No!” Fayrene closed her arms around the little dog. “No, she doesn’t need to go anywhere else. I’m happy to take her.” More than happy. Relieved not to have to give up her little girl. “But why didn’t you say that before?”

Mayor Marsha smiled. “Because you would have told me all the reasons you couldn’t have a dog. And in your head, they would have made sense. I’ve known you all your life, child. You and your sisters faced terrible tragedy at a young age. You got through it and now you’re thriving. But you’ve always been a little stubborn. You see things a certain way and nothing else will do. A trait that is both admirable and sad. By ignoring the possibilities in favor of what you’ve already decided, you can miss out on some of life’s greatest pleasures.”

Like Ryan, Fayrene thought, her mind barely able to keep up with what the mayor had told her. She needed him to propose a certain way because that was what she saw in her head. Nothing else would do.

“I... Thank you,” she said as she stood. She tucked Caramel under her arm. “Yes, of course we want her. And you’re right. About all of it.”

She turned and hurried out of the office.

By the time she got to the sidewalk, she was shaking. A thousand thoughts crashed in on her. She saw clearly how much she’d risked with her rigid rules and expectations. Sam had been right. Dellina had been right. Everyone had been right and she’d been too stubborn to listen.

Once outside, she put down Caramel. The little dog seemed to understand her urgency and hurried along beside her. Ryan would be at work, Fayrene thought as she went up to Fifth Street, then turned. She could only hope he was in the offices and not out at the manufacturing facility.

She practically ran through town. As she waited at a light, she picked up Caramel. The little dog was panting from running to keep up. Still holding her new pet, she hurried across the street.

When she reached Hendrix Construction, she paused long enough to catch her breath, then went inside. The receptionist wasn’t at the front desk, so Fayrene went through the swinging half door and back toward Ryan’s office.

He was there! She paused in the doorway, studying him, taking in the familiar, handsome lines of his face. He hadn’t seen her yet—he had his back to the door. As he talked about tolerances and adjustments, he picked up a photo of the two of them and lightly ran his thumb alongside her face.

“Sure, Joe,” he said. “Get the information and give me a call back. I’ll be here all day.”

He hung up, then saw her. He smiled and rose. “This is a nice surprise, Fayrene. What are you—” The smile faded as he moved toward her. “Honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”