Just One Kiss (Fool's Gold #10)

He stared at the older woman. She was talking about relationships that had played out fifteen years ago. While the events had been important to him, he couldn’t imagine a woman in her fifties paying attention to the lives of a group of teenagers.

Her smile widened. “I can see my observations are startling. I confess I was intrigued by you from the very beginning. Your guardians did an excellent job of fitting in, but there were inconsistencies in their story. When you first arrived, it was obvious you’d suffered some kind of trauma.”

“You knew I was being protected?”

“No. I never figured that out. I thought maybe the man who claimed to be your uncle wasn’t a relative and that you didn’t want anyone to know. There could be many reasons for the subterfuge. So I watched to make sure you weren’t being abused, and when you began to settle in and make friends, I knew all would be well.”

He shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the idea that she’d been watching out for him. “I was fine.”

“Until you had to leave so mysteriously. We were all worried. Patience especially. Under the circumstances, you had to go. We see that now. But at the time, we were concerned.”

Obviously the mayor knew the story of what had happened. He shouldn’t be surprised. News traveled fast in a town this small.

“Now you’re here to open a business. Some kind of bodyguard school, I hear?”

He chuckled. “Is that what they’re saying?”

She laughed. “It is, although I’ll admit I had my doubts about that. What’s the real story?”

“The business will provide advanced security training of all kinds.”

“Not for your average mall cop?”

“No. We’re interested in the security forces who travel to the dangerous parts of the world. We’ll cover basic evasion techniques, hand-to-hand combat, along with weapons expertise. In addition, we’ll train security forces to understand the safest way to travel to and through the trouble spots. Most of that is about planning.”

They were also going to be offering workshops on dealing with local terrorists and hostage negotiations, but he doubted the mayor wanted to know the details about that.

“We’ll also be providing corporate retreats,” he added. “A facility where they can practice their team building.”

She nodded. “A nice steady source of income.” She paused. “Has Ford decided if he’s willing to move back to Fool’s Gold?”

Justice stared at her. How in hell did she know what Ford was thinking? “Not yet.”

She nodded. “He’s been gone a long time. The transition to civilian life is bound to be difficult for any soldier. But with what Ford has seen...” She sighed. “He has family here, which he probably considers both a blessing and a curse. I can’t help thinking he’ll need their support. There are other considerations, as well. What about Mr. Whittaker?”

“You know about Angel?”

“I’ve heard a few things. We haven’t yet met, although I’m looking forward to that.”

She moved toward the doorway. He found himself following, although he couldn’t say why.

“You’ll have some kind of physical-fitness facility?” she asked.

“Yes. And an outdoor obstacle course.”

“You’re very close to Josh Golden’s cycling school.” She handed him a business card. “You might want to speak to him about using the facilities. Cycling provides overall conditioning.”

He took the card. “You came prepared.”

“I’m always prepared, Justice. This is my town and I take care of my citizens.”

He got the message and braced himself for the warning. He told himself she was just an old lady who made smart guesses, but he didn’t believe it. She knew things and that meant she could easily have figured out his issues. She was going to warn him off, and he couldn’t blame her for that.

“You’ll find the city is very supportive of your venture. If you need anything, contact me directly and I’ll get you in touch with the right person. You belong here, Justice—I have a feeling about that.”

He’d been captured once. On a mission. Held and beaten for a few hours. He’d barely begun to prepare himself for the ordeal when his team had broken in and rescued him. He’d been as shocked by their arrival then as he was by the mayor’s words now.

“You’ll want to provide some community outreach,” she continued. “Maybe self-defense classes, something for children. You’ll be welcome in the community regardless, but it’s nice to give back. You’ll feel better about yourself, and the transition will be easier for all your staff.”

She smiled again. “I doubt your employees are just regular folks, are they?”

“Not really.”

“I thought not. They’ll need to find their footing, as well. Some of them will believe that’s not possible. You and I know otherwise. It’s up to us to show them what Fool’s Gold has to offer.”

“I hadn’t thought of classes for the community,” he admitted.