In addition, CDS would provide classes for the community. Self-defense mainly with a few gun safety lectures and some hands-on training.

Felicia had been offered any job she wanted with the company, but knew she needed something different. She was ready to be as close to normal as she could get. She wanted to be part of a community, to fall in love, get married and have kids. A common dream, she thought, but one that seemed especially difficult for her to accomplish.

The job Mayor Marsha had offered was a big step in that direction. If only Felicia was brave enough to accept it.

She pulled her own laptop from her backpack and walked over to the desk. She pulled up a second chair and sat opposite Justice. Once the machine booted, she logged on to the internet and began typing.

“The equipment Ford and Angel ordered for the obstacle course will be delivered by the end of the week. The cherry picker is coming next Monday to help with installation of the suspension bridge.”

Justice glanced at her, his eyes bright with excitement. “Can’t wait to try it.”

“It’s high, it’s a bridge, what’s the big deal?”

He grinned.

She knew he was really looking forward to having one of his friends on the bridge and trying to shake the other guy off. The three business partners looked all tough and burly but in their hearts, they were still boys who liked to play practical jokes.

At least they were smart about them, she thought. They were all keenly aware that each of them was trained to be a deadly killer. It would be easy for any situation to get out of hand and they made sure that didn’t happen.

The main door opened, and Angel and Ford walked in together. Wearing jeans and T-shirts, they should have looked like a couple of regular Joes. But they didn’t. After her years in the military, Felicia was an expert at spotting men with special training, and these two had all the characteristics.

There was a confidence in the way they walked. Anyone looking at them would know they could handle themselves, regardless of the situation. Ford was a couple of inches taller and maybe twenty pounds heavier. He had dark hair and dark eyes, and an easy laugh. On the surface, he was the most fun-loving of the group. But Felicia knew that was a facade. Underneath, he was as emotionally distant as any man who’d spent his career viewing life through a sniper rifle.

Angel might have gotten out of the military sooner than any of them, but he’d moved into the type of private security that was just as dangerous as black ops. He had pale gray eyes that had seen too much and an intriguing scar across his neck, as if someone had tried to cut his throat.

Felicia had started to ask him about it once, and he’d stared her down. As she wasn’t usually intimidated by the men she worked with, she considered that a testament to his mental powers. She knew Angel had been married before, and that his wife and son had been killed in a car accident. How sad to have everything and then lose it, she thought.

Justice, Ford and Angel would be the partners in the company. There would be several permanent employees, including her friend Consuelo, who was due to arrive shortly. Felicia knew the team wondered if they could fit into life in a small town, and they worried about blending in. She had only been in Fool’s Gold a couple of months, but she was pretty sure that in a test of wills, the town would win. Justice had already changed; it was just a matter of time until the others found themselves behaving in ways they would have sworn wasn’t possible.

There was little scientific data to back up her assertion, but she was willing to stake her reputation on her supposition all the same.

“Is my gym ready?” Angel asked. “I’ve been using the one in town, and there are too many people there.”

Felicia smiled. “You mean women, don’t you?”

Angel turned to her. “Look, dollface, you don’t know what it’s like.”

“It’s Eddie,” Ford said, snickering. “She came up to him yesterday and asked about his scar. Then she wanted to touch his biceps.”

Angel’s face took on a pained expression. “The woman is what? A hundred? What the hell was she doing in a gym?”

“Mostly checking out cute guys,” Felicia said cheerfully. “From what I hear, she and her friend Gladys do it all the time. I don’t think she’s much past her seventies, by the way. In case, you know, that makes a difference.”

Angel glared at her. Justice and Ford laughed.

Felicia grinned in return, pleased to have made a joke. “The gym equipment is coming this week,” she told him by way of a peace offering. “It will be installed and ready to go before the weekend.”

Ford pulled up a chair and sat by the desk. “Didn’t we say we were going to let people in town work out here if they wanted? Should we send Angel’s new friend an invite?”

Cool, gray eyes turned glacier. “You really want to take me on?” Angel asked.

“Any day, old man.”

Felicia glanced at Justice, who shook his head. This was familiar territory with Angel and Ford. They exchanged banter and insults, staged ridiculous competitions and generally drove each other crazy.

As Angel was probably forty or forty-one, the “old man” comment was simply part of their fun.

“Can we get on with the meeting?” Justice asked. “If you two can hold off on your playtime for a few minutes. Felicia, bring them up to date.”

They spent the next two hours talking about the business. Ford had a few leads on potential corporate clients, and Angel had some interesting ideas for team-building exercises. When the meeting finished, Ford and Angel went off to wrestle or race or something that required one to win and the other to lose. Felicia shut down her computer, then looked at Justice.

“I’ve seen Gideon.”

Justice studied her. “Okay.”

She thought about mentioning they’d had sex but didn’t think her friend wanted that level of detail. “I might continue to see him.” Hopefully with and without clothes, she thought. She wanted to get to know him better. Perhaps not the traditional sequence for a relationship, but she hadn’t found any traditional path that worked for her.

“I know you want to protect me,” she continued, “but you can’t. It’s important that I learn in my own way. Make my own mistakes and suffer the consequences.”

“As long as you’re admitting Gideon is a mistake.”

She sighed. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. Look. I’ll admit I don’t like the guy very much.”

“You don’t know him.”

“I know what he did to you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I picked him up in a bar. I practically begged him to have sex with me, and he complied. He did nothing wrong.”

Justice winced. “Could we not talk about that part of it?”

“Why not? It’s the reason you’re upset. Justice, I was twenty-four. It’s not unexpected I would have sexual relations with someone by that age. I wasn’t irresponsible. You had no right to barge in back then, and you’re not invited to do the same now. I love you. You’re my family. But I’m twenty-eight years old and you don’t get to tell me what to do with my personal life.”

Justice opened his mouth, then closed it. “Fine.”

She waited.

“I mean it,” he grumbled. “I won’t say anything about Gideon. You can see him if you want.”

She resisted pointing out she’d just told him she didn’t want his opinion or involvement. “Thank you.”

“Just wait to have sex with him this time, okay? Get to know him a little.”

She did her best not to smile. “You’re probably right.”

“I am.”

* * *

LIKE MANY THINGS in Fool’s Gold, Jo’s Bar defied expectation. Instead of catering to men and their love of sports, Jo’s served mostly women. The lighting was flattering, the decor feminine and the large screens were tuned to shopping shows and reality TV. Men were welcome, as long as they retreated to the back room where there was a pool table and plenty of TVs showing sports. If they insisted on staying in the front of the house, they were expected to keep quiet about the signs counting down the days until the new season of Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders—Making the Team.

Felicia liked the bar. When she came here, it was to meet her friends. Because in the few months she’d been in town, she’d made friends. Women who didn’t seem to mind that she was socially awkward and often said the wrong thing.

She sat at a table with Isabel, Patience and Noelle. They’d already put in their orders and each had a soda or iced tea.

“I’m thinking Labor Day,” Noelle said, stirring her diet soda with her straw. She laughed. “A traditional Christmas holiday.”

Noelle planned to open a new store in town. The Christmas Attic would celebrate the season. Like Felicia, Noelle was new to Fool’s Gold. The tall, willowy blonde was friendly and funny, but there was something about her eyes. Felicia would guess secrets but had no idea what they were.

Isabel, also a blonde but a little curvier, had grown up in the area. She was back in town for a few months helping her family with Paper Moon—a wedding gown boutique. Isabel was irreverent and self-deprecating. She was the one who teased first and laughed the longest. Felicia secretly admired Isabel’s sense of style and easy grace.

Patience had made Felicia the most nervous at first. The pretty brunette was the single mother of a ten-year-old girl and engaged to Justice. When Felicia had first arrived, Patience thought there was more to her and Justice’s relationship than friendship, but their siblinglike connection had become apparent. Since then, Patience had welcomed Felicia to her world and had made her feel welcome.

“There will be lots of tourists,” Isabel was saying. “We fill up for all the major holidays, and Labor Day is when people want that last rush of summer. Which is why it’s called the End of Summer Festival. I think you’d get a big crowd in the store.”

Noelle sighed. “I hope you’re right. Maybe it’s too early for people to be thinking about Christmas.”

“I know what you mean,” Patience said. “I’m going to have to figure out when to start decorating for the various holidays. It’s not anything I had to worry about before.”

Felicia often helped Patience out at Brew-haha, picking up a shift a few times a week. The work wasn’t very challenging, but she enjoyed the chance to work on her people skills in a low-key setting. She was also able to eavesdrop on people’s conversations and try to learn from them.

“I think the abundance of tourists would outweigh any concern that you’re asking them to think about Christmas too early,” Felicia told Noelle.

“She has a point,” Isabel said. “The day after Labor Day is the traditional start of the fall season. And then comes Santa.”

“You’re right.” Noelle nodded slowly. “If I can pull it all together by then, I’ll open over Labor Day.”

Patience leaned toward Isabel. “Justice and I are talking dates. How long do I need to order a wedding dress?”

Isabel grinned. “I can’t wait for you to come in and try on dresses. As for timing, it depends on the manufacturer.”

“I want something simple. It’s a second marriage for me.”

Felicia didn’t know the details of Patience’s past, but she’d heard that her ex had disappeared shortly after Lillie had been born and he’d never come back.

“It’s a first marriage for Justice,” Isabel reminded her. “He’ll want you to be a princess. You are perfect princess material. There are some great dresses you’ll love.”

Patience blushed. “Maybe. We’ll see. I’ll come in and try a few things on this week.” She waved her hand. “Okay, enough about me. Someone else talk, please. One of you must have news.”

Felicia thought about her job offer, then hesitated. She wanted to accept, but still wasn’t sure she was the right person.

“Wow, I saw that,” Isabel said, staring at her. “Okay, you have to tell us.”

“I’m not sure I...” Felicia hesitated, then decided to plunge ahead. “Pia Moreno is going to step down from her position running the festivals. Mayor Marsha asked me to take her place.”

All three women stared at her.

“That’s great,” Patience said. “You’ll be perfect for the job. It’s all about staying organized, and you’re really good at that.”

Isabel nodded. “I don’t know how Pia managed with three kids, and now she’s pregnant with her fourth. The town is lucky she lasted as long as she did.”

Noelle patted Felicia’s arm. “I know nothing about the festivals, but I can’t imagine you not being brilliant at anything, so well done you.”

“Thanks.” Felicia hated the insecurity welling up inside her. “I wasn’t sure what people would think. I’m new in town. Maybe someone who has been here longer would understand the nuances of what goes on better.”

Patience shook her head. “No, no and no. Noelle’s right. You’ll be great. As for being new, I’m sorry, but you’re already one of us.” She sighed heavily. “I suppose this means you won’t be filling in at Brew-haha anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ll have the time.”

“Don’t worry. I need to hire more full-time people. I’m blessed with many customers.” She raised her glass. “To festivals and whipping them into shape.”

Everyone drank.

Isabel leaned toward her. “Okay, so what’s the scoop on some fighter chick coming to town? I’ve been hearing rumors that we’re getting our own girl soldier. Is that true?”