“Sometimes you have to be practical,” Liz told her. “Love can grow.”
Pia hadn’t thought of that. She wasn’t sure if she could make herself that vulnerable—especially with so much at stake. It would hurt too much if he didn’t return her feelings and, worse, it could make their arrangement awkward.
“Maybe he’ll fall madly in love with you,” Montana told her.
“I don’t think so,” Pia said firmly. “To date, all the men in my life have resisted the process…and me. Men who claim to want to be with me tend to leave. I’d rather have the truth up front. Raoul’s been honest and I appreciate that.”
“I guess.” Montana didn’t sound convinced. “It’s just not romantic, you know?”
“Romance can be painful,” Pia reminded her.
Liz sat back down. “So there’s no love allowed?”
“We haven’t discussed the rules,” Pia admitted. “But it’s understood.”
“Hmm. You’ll need to be careful, then. The heart is a tricky beast.”
“Trust me. I have big plans to stay emotionally whole.” She hesitated. “Could you two please not say anything about why we’re getting married? It’s okay to tell Charity, but no one else.”
“Of course we won’t talk,” Liz promised. “You don’t need that kind of speculation right now. But brace yourself. Everybody is going to find out about you and Raoul, not to mention the pregnancy. You’re going to be a star.”
“I can handle it.” Pia had been the center of attention in town once before and it had been awful. Now the reasons were different and she was sure everything would be fine.
Raoul had given his word and she chose to believe him. He would stay with her and the babies. Maybe they weren’t crazy in love, but that was okay. There were a lot of different ways to make a happy family and they would find theirs.
CHAPTER TWELVE
PIA AVOIDED GOING TO THE grocery store as long as she could. If there was one place in Fool’s Gold where she was likely to run into people wanting to talk about her upcoming marriage, it was somewhere between produce and the frozen-food aisle. But she’d used up the last of her milk that morning and there was absolutely nothing in her freezer, so it was time to grit her teeth and get through it.
Thinking that the store would be quieter midday rather than after work, she used her lunch hour to go there. The trip there was stressful enough with lots of men she didn’t recognize strolling through town. Some guy had even pulled out a grocery cart and handed it to her as she entered the store. Talk about strange.
She got through cleaning supplies, the meat counter and was halfway to the dairy case when Denise Hendrix spotted her.
“Pia!” the woman cried, abandoning her own cart and rushing over. “I heard. I’m so happy.”
Pia braced herself for a warm, enveloping hug. Denise was the matriarch of the Hendrix family. An attractive woman in her early fifties, she’d lost her husband about ten years before. She was an active member of the community and the mother of six, including her daughters who were identical triplets.
They embraced, then Denise stepped back.
“Look at you, having Crystal’s babies. That’s such a blessing.”
“Thanks. I’m still in denial, with a slight bend toward panic.”
“Of course you are, but you’re doing it anyway. I’m so proud of you.” She smiled. “I am available anytime for advice or conversation or to talk you down from the panic. A multiple birth is completely manageable. You just need to plan.”
“I’ve heard that.” Planning was important, Pia thought. Just as soon as the idea of having three babies at once became real to her, she would start. “I appreciate the offer to talk. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions. I just don’t know what they are right now.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. Let me know when you’re ready.” Denise raised her eyebrows. “I also heard that more congratulations are in order.” Her gaze dropped to Pia’s bare left hand. “Have you set a date?”
“Not yet.” She tucked her hand behind her back. She was still slightly stunned to find herself engaged.
“I imagine you’ll want a small, quiet wedding. You’re not going to have the energy to plan anything large. Unless you want to wait until after the babies are born. Then you could go all out.”
Marriage was one thing, Pia thought, feeling slightly uneasy. But a wedding? She hadn’t put those pieces together. “I, um. We haven’t decided which way we’re going,” she admitted. “Everything happened so fast.”
“I knew you’d find someone wonderful,” Denise told her. “You’ve always been such a lovely girl. After all you’ve been through with your parents.” She cleared her throat. “There’s no need to talk about that. Anyway, you’ve found your happy ending. From all I’ve heard, Raoul is very special. And handsome. He’s giving Josh a run for his money.”