Fool's Gold Collection Part 1: Chasing Perfect / Almost Perfect / Sister of the Bride / Finding Perfect
did you think?” he asked.
“I was surprised. How are you going to have a training facility here and not ride?”
“I can’t,” he admitted. “I’ll have to be a part of things. One way or the other, I’ll beat this.”
“By boxing yourself into a corner?”
“Whatever works.” He moved toward her desk. “Did you think the presentation was well done?”
She didn’t understand the question. If he was anyone else, she would assume her opinion mattered. That he wanted to hear she’d been blown away. But this was Josh. Everyone loved him. Why would her praise matter?
“I didn’t want to say anything to you,” he continued. “Actually I did. I could have used your help. But I didn’t want to take advantage of our relationship and put you in an awkward position. If you hated the idea, I didn’t want you to feel you had to support it.”
He’d been thinking of her? Being considerate?
Her irritation faded, replaced by a reminder that it was always better to get all the facts before jumping to conclusions.
“You did fine on your own,” she told him, grateful she hadn’t been snarky about any of it. “It’s a great idea. And hey, it should bring in a lot of men, right? Gladys will be thrilled.”
“Pleasing her is what I live for.”
Charity laughed. “She’ll be delighted to know that.” Her humor faded. “I’m not sure throwing yourself in the deep end is the best way to fix the problem, though.”
“Nothing else has worked. That’s who I am. That guy who races to win. I don’t intend to do it for the rest of my life, but I want to go out on my terms. If I’d been injured, then it would be one of those things. I could accept that. But there’s nothing wrong with me. At least not on the outside.”
She could see his determination. “Okay. Apparently Fool’s Gold is getting a riding school. Are we naming it after you?”
He grinned. “Of course. I was thinking of something like ‘The Golden Institute.’”
“Sounds like a place you go to get a tan.”
“Show a little respect or I’ll tell Gladys you’re not treating me right.”
“You’re threatening me with a woman in her sixties?”
“She could take you.”
“I’m afraid she could.”
He walked around the desk, gave her a quick kiss on the mouth, then stepped back. “You have to work. Want to go out to dinner tonight?”
“Very much.”
“Seven?”
“I’ll come to your place,” she said, anticipating the time they would spend together.
“I’ll be the handsome guy. In case there’s someone else in the room.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
Charity watched him leave, then sat down behind her desk. While she appreciated that Josh felt he had to fix the problem, she was worried there was more at stake. Were his actions about leaving the sport on his terms, as he claimed, or was this about becoming that famous guy again? The star.
Because a world-class athlete wouldn’t be staying in Fool’s Gold. He would be out in the world. Far, far away from her.
CHARITY DRESSED FOR DINNER, then left her room to walk the few steps to Josh’s. But as she closed her door, she saw a pretty teenager knocking on his. The girl was eighteen or nineteen, wearing a frilly sundress, looking more defiant than happy.
He opened the door. “You’re right on—” His look of pleasure faded. He glanced past the teen to Charity, who raised her eyebrows.
“Haven’t got a clue,” he said, then returned his attention to the girl. “Yes?”
The girl made an attempt to smile. “It’s me. Emily.”
“Okay.”
“Emily. We met a couple of months ago at Jo’s Bar. You bought me a drink. Well, more than one. Then we came back here…” Emily glanced at Charity. “Who are you?”
“His date.”
Emily looked startled for a second, then squared her shoulders. “Whatever. This is private. Maybe you should come back later.”
“Not a chance,” Josh said, sounding certain.
Charity did her best to keep from racing to the worst conclusion.
“Why don’t you both come in?” Josh said.
Emily pushed past him and entered the suite. Charity hesitated.
He held out his hand, his gaze steady. “It’s not what you think.”
She was remembering him telling her how long it had been since he’d been intimate with anyone. At the time, she’d believed him. Did she now? Did she go with the evidence, or trust her gut? Because right now her gut was saying that Josh was someone special. Someone she wanted to get to know better.
She put her hand in his. He pulled her close.
“Thank you,” he murmured in her ear, then led her into the suite.
Emily stood behind the sofa. She looked less certain and a whole lot younger. Her hair fell in dark curls. Her eyes were wide and carefully made-up.
“Are you sure you want her here?” Emily asked, looking only at Josh.
“Yes.”
“You’ll be sorry.”
“A risk I’m willing to take.”
Emily drew in a breath and tossed her head. “I’m pregnant.”
Charity pulled back her hand. Josh didn’t let it go.
Her mind whirled and spun. Pregnant? Meaning she really had had sex with Josh?
“I’ve never slept with you,” Josh said calmly.
“You were drunk but I didn’t think you were that drunk.” Emily’s large eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you don’t remember. You do it with everyone. I know that. But that night meant something to me and now I’m pregnant.”
The tears began to fall in earnest. “I was supposed to go to college in the fall. How can that happen now? This is your baby. You need to take responsibility for it.”
Charity felt sick to her stomach. She jerked her hand free and was grateful Emily had shown up before dinner. If she’d eaten a big meal, she would be throwing up right about now.
“How far along are you?” he asked.
“S-seven weeks.”
“Do you remember the date we had our special night together?”
There was a hint of annoyance in his voice. Not concern or worry. He obviously didn’t believe Emily. Josh was a lot of things, but he wasn’t irresponsible. She knew that much. So if he was certain the baby wasn’t his, then she would guess he hadn’t been with Emily at all.
She drew in a breath and reminded herself she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“It was a Tuesday,” Emily said, still crying.
Josh folded his arms across his chest. “Here’s what we’re going to do. The three of us will walk downstairs to the gift shop where we’ll buy a pregnancy test. Then you and Charity are going to come back here where you’ll pee on the stick.” He narrowed his gaze. “With Charity watching.”
“What?” Emily demanded.
“I want