A Fool's Gold Wedding - Susan Mallery Page 0,7
the fact that he’d noticed it—and her. When it came to women, he was rarely a detail kind of man.
But there was something about her, he thought. Something about her energy. He was a big believer in people having a life force that defined who they were. A strong life force could make the difference in a touch-and-go surgery. He knew the patients who had something to live for were more likely to defy the odds. Abby was full of zest and radiated a happy, positive attitude that drew him in and, oddly enough, relaxed him.
“During the Mayan civilization, a group of women broke free and headed north. They called themselves the Máa-zib, which roughly translates to ‘little man.’” She grinned at him. “Little as in few. Not small. No one’s casting aspersions.”
“Then I won’t feel judged.”
She laughed. “They headed north and settled here. Back in the day, men were brought in to, ah, get the tribe members pregnant, then sent on their way.”
“Women have been using men for sex for generations,” he said with a sigh. “We endure as best we can.”
“Oh, please. Anyway, that went on for a few hundred years, but eventually the women started letting the men stay.”
“Lucky us.”
“Anyone would have been lucky to live with the Máa-zib. Anyway, something happened. No one knows if they went somewhere else, or died out or just allowed other people in, but the tribe disappeared. By the time of the gold rush, the area was unsettled. Fool’s Gold was reborn a gold-mining town and it’s been around ever since.”
She stopped and turned back to face the hotel. “Ronan’s Lodge was originally a house, built by a man for his one true love. At the time it was called Ronan’s Folly.” They continued walking again. “There’s an old abandoned gold mine outside of town. Don’t go there. It’s really dangerous. Otherwise, we’re very welcoming. We have mountains and vineyards and lots of interesting businesses.”
She was easy to be with, he thought as she chattered on about the town. Normally he struggled with what he was supposed to say to people. Work was fine, but anything social left him feeling awkward and uncomfortable. But with Abby, he seemed to know what to say next. An unexpected phenomenon. Perhaps it wasn’t her at all—perhaps it was simply the strangeness of the place or his hope for his mission. Regardless, he was grateful not to feel awkward and tongue-tied.
“A lot of the businesses in town are owned or run by women. It’s kind of fun. There’s a PR firm called Score. There are four owners. Three of them are former football players, but the one really in charge is Taryn Whittaker. They could all snap her like a twig, and yet she keeps them in line. We’re going there.”
She pointed across the street toward the fire station on the corner.
He followed her past large, gleaming fire trucks parked facing out, ready to go at a moment’s notice. Abby greeted all the firefighters as she walked inside and headed for a small office.
Joaquin trailed after her, nodding as he went. He appreciated that she didn’t bother introducing him to everyone. He was unlikely to see these people again, so why make the effort. Plus, small talk was always so fraught. He inevitably said the wrong thing or asked the wrong question. People were unbelievably sensitive about that sort of thing and the end result was he retreated so as not to be a bother.
The woman behind the desk was tall and broad-shouldered. Capable, Joaquin thought, relaxing in the presence of someone who knew what she was doing.
“Hey, Charlie.”
Charlie smiled. “I’ve been waiting for you to stop by. I’m glad to get this off my desk. I’ve felt as if I had a homework assignment.”
“You did.” Abby grinned. “I was prepared to use my stern voice if you weren’t done.” She turned to Joaquin. “Charlie, this is Joaquin Kincaid. He’s Davis’s brother.”
Charlie rose and shook hands. “The mysterious, missing brother. Good to meet you.”
He nodded, rather than speak. He was many things but mysterious was not one of them.
“Joaquin’s in town for a few weeks before the wedding. I’m going to make him help me with all sorts of last-minute projects.”
Charlie looked at her. “You know if you need help, you only have to ask. We could get a work party together in a couple of hours.”
“Thank you but I have it all under control.” She flashed a smile. “Actually, Melissa and my mom do.