Thrill Me by Susan Mallery Page B

older and not nearly that together. It’s intimidating.”
    â€œYou’re doing just fine,” Del told her.
    â€œI wish, but no. Did you see how they looked at each other?”
    â€œYeah. They’re in it for the long haul.”
    â€œSo in seventy-five years, they’ll be Elizabeth and Albert, out in the woods.”
    He grinned as he closed the truck gate. “I don’t see those two living out in the wilderness, but otherwise, they’ll be the same.”
    His gaze lingered on her and she wondered what he was thinking. That if they’d stayed together, they could have been the little old couple?
    She wanted to say yes, but she wasn’t sure. As a teenager, she hadn’t been willing to trust Del. Lessons learned early were difficult to overcome. Maya had grown up with the sense of being in the way. Of never being loved or even vaguely important to anyone. She’d vowed she would never wait to be rescued, that she would take care of herself. A promise that made it difficult to give her heart to a young man she’d known for two months.
    â€œThey’re going to be a great segment,” she said.
    â€œI agree.”
    He walked around to the passenger side of the truck and held open the door. When she went to step inside, he placed his hand on her arm.
    â€œIt’s okay that we didn’t make it.”
    The unexpected comment caught her by surprise. She felt a quick jab of pain. Or maybe just loss. “I never gave us a chance. We can’t know what would have happened, although I have to admit, I don’t think our odds were great.”
    â€œBecause you didn’t love me enough?”
    â€œNo. You were never the problem. It was me. Until I moved to Fool’s Gold, I’d never seen a successful marriage. Except for the ones on TV and those weren’t real.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
    Of course he would have questions, she thought. Because as a teenager, she’d never told anyone the truth. Being honest came at too high a price. So she’d glossed over the ugly details, mentioning only that her dad was gone and her mother enjoyed having a kid.
    â€œMy dad took off before I was born. My mom had a string of boyfriends, but none of them lasted. She didn’t have girlfriends she hung out with.” Her mouth twisted. “I had friends at school, but I wasn’t exactly the girl you invited home for a sleepover. I think I made the other parents nervous. So I didn’t get to see what normal was like until we moved here.”
    She squared her shoulders as she spoke, prepared to defend herself if necessary. Because you never knew.
    Instead of speaking, Del pulled her close for a brief hug. When he released her, he said lightly, “So you’re lucky I came along, huh? Learn from the best.”
    She groaned. “You have such an ego.”
    He winked. “Is that what we’re calling it? And thank you.”
    As quickly as that, equilibrium was restored.
An impressive gift
, she thought as she climbed into the passenger seat and he shut her door. Just one of many.
    * * *
    T WO DAYS LATER Maya sat at a big table at Jo’s Bar, enjoying lunch with the girls. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done anything like this. Sure, she and Phoebe ate lunch or dinner together. But that was just the two of them. In her world, Maya hadn’t had much in the way of group girlfriend plans.
    As she listened to the easy conversation going around the table, she wondered why that was. She supposed that a lot of her friends back in Los Angeles had also been competitors. No one had time for get-togethers. Or a willingness to get too friendly with someone who could steal your job. Or maybe it was a Fool’s Gold thing.
    There were seven of them around the table today. Madeline, a pretty blonde who was part-owner of Paper Moon—the local bridal gown boutique. Destiny,