“APPARENTLY MARSHA GAVE him one of her famous talks,” Charity said, as she and Pia sat at the Fox and Hound having lunch. “She wouldn’t give me details, but I’m sure she got inside his head and messed with him.”
Pia felt awful. Not only was she still hurting from missing Raoul, she felt terrible about Peter’s situation. While she agreed that Raoul had given the boy the impression he would be there for him, she knew the man she loved would never deliberately hurt anyone. It seemed there were no winners in this situation.
“Did she say how he looked?”
“No.” Charity studied her. “You really do love him, don’t you?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I thought this would disillusion you.”
“No. He has a good heart and he’s a good guy. None of this is easy for him.”
She thought about his past, how Caro had betrayed him. How he was afraid to trust.
“Everyone needs to give him a break,” she said firmly.
Charity hesitated. “Marsha thinks he might be leaving town.”
Pia’s breath caught. “Leaving? Why? He’s settled here. He has the camp, which is what brought him here. There are plans for special classes and intensive learning. He would never give that up.” The camp represented his future.
She looked at her friend. “There’s no way he would make the decision on his own. What happened? Did Marsha run him out of town?”
“No, but she made it clear she was disappointed. How will he handle that?”
“I don’t know,” Pia admitted. Would he leave? If he didn’t feel comfortable in town, he might. She hated the thought of Fool’s Gold without him.
“I’m sorry,” Charity told her.
“Me, too,” Pia said. “I want him here. I want him to stay. While I’m at it, I want him to love me back.”
“You don’t get to decide any of that,” her friend reminded her.
If only things could be different, Pia thought sadly. But they weren’t.
RAOUL’S PLAN TO WAIT until dark lasted about an hour. He paced in his office, tried working, then had to fight the need to throw the damn computer across the room.
He was furious and ashamed and disappointed—all with himself.
He’d come here with big ideas for finding the right place, the right way to give back. Being like Hawk, changing lives, had driven him. Everything about Fool’s Gold had appealed to him. The friendly small town had made him feel welcome. Then what had he done? Blown it.
Years ago, in college, he’d screwed up big-time. Hawk had been the one to get him back on track. Since then, Raoul had managed to find his way on his own. Until now.
He couldn’t figure out where it had all gone wrong. With Pia, he supposed it had been when he’d offered to marry her so he could have everything he wanted without putting any part of himself on the line. He’d taken the easy, safe way out, and it had all gone to hell.
He should have known he couldn’t have it all for free. That was like making a deal with the devil. If it looked too good to be true, it was.
As for Peter, he’d simply stepped in it with the kid. His motivations had all been aboveboard, but somewhere along the way, he’d forgotten he was dealing with a ten-year-old boy’s heart. He’d befriended Peter, wanting only to save the kid. Instead he’d hurt him again.
Unable to stand the confines of his office, he stalked to the door and opened it. He half expected an angry mob with pitchforks waiting for him, but the town looked as it always had. The turning leaves fluttered in a light breeze. The sky was blue, the sun a little lower in the horizon than it had been a month ago. Winter was coming.
He’d wanted to see the town in snow, to experience the changing seasons. He’d wanted to ski at the resort, to lie with Pia by a fire, to watch her grow heavy with their two babies. It didn’t take much effort to add Peter to the mix. He could see the boy playing by the fire, or laughing as he and Raoul played video games.
As he stepped out into the afternoon, he realized the solution was obvious and simple. He could have them both, if he was willing to hand over all he was. What had Josh said? Heart, soul and balls. Without Pia, he had no use for them anyway. As for Peter, the kid probably deserved better, but Raoul hoped he was willing to accept what was offered.
He half expected the heavens to open and angels to sing. He got it. He really got it. After all this time and running to avoid the only thing he wanted, he understood the point.
It wasn’t about giving money or loaning a camp to a school. It was about giving all he had, all he was. It was about risking his heart.
Pia, he thought frantically. He had to get to Pia.
He turned toward her office, only to nearly run into a half dozen middle-aged women. They were staring at him purposefully, which wasn’t a good thing.
“Hi,” the one in front said. “I’m Denise Hendrix. Dakota’s mother? We met at the Fall Festival.”
He held in a groan. “Yes. Nice to see you again.” He nodded at the other women. “Ladies.”