Free Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery Page B

me, which is dumb, right? He obviously adores her. I was just a way station in the feline road of life. She’s a destination. I just…”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI keep thinking if I can’t make a cat happy, what chance do I have with kids?”
    His expression sharpened. “You’re going to have them?”
    â€œYes. No. I’m not sure.” She sighed. “Maybe. I knowthat’s what Crystal wanted. And no matter how many times I tell myself they’re not my responsibility, I feel they are. I’m female. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume I have all the working equipment.”
    She could do more than assume, she reminded herself. She knew for sure.
    Don’t go there, she told herself. Not today. Not now. Wasn’t there enough going on without a side trip to Guilt Land?
    â€œYou’ll have someone else’s children and then raise them?” he asked.
    â€œIt’s not like I’m going to have them and give them away.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    She stared at him. “Excuse me?”
    â€œWhy wouldn’t you give them away? There are hundreds of couples who are longing for children of their own. Infants are easy to place, aren’t they? You could handpick the couple yourself, be sure the babies are going to be well taken care of.”
    That had never occurred to her. Give Crystal and Keith’s babies away? Despite the warm afternoon, a shiver raced through her.
    â€œNo,” she said firmly. “If that was what she wanted, she would have mentioned it in the will. Crystal took the trouble to pay for three years of storage. She wanted to give me time.”
    â€œShe didn’t warn you about what she was going to do.”
    â€œI know and that confuses me, but it doesn’t change reality. If I have the babies, I’ll keep them. And raise them.” No matter how the thought of it made her stomach flip over and over.
    He stared into her eyes as if searching for something. “I don’t know many women who would be willing to take that on.”
    â€œReally? Because I don’t know many who would refuse.”
    â€œYou can’t believe that.”
    She thought about her friends—how they looked out for each other. “I’m fairly sure.”
    â€œAs sure as Crystal was of you? You’re the one she picked.”
    â€œWhich raises the question why,” she said with a laugh that was almost real. “Okay—enough personal stuff for today. I have to compulsively check on things, and you need to stand in the sun so your shirt can dry.”
    She took off before he could do something really dangerous, like put his arm around her. That would probably get her to babbling like a starstruck fan.
    It was the strangest thing. Usually people made her nervous when she first met them. Over time, the feeling went away. With Raoul, it was the complete opposite. She was more tense every time she saw him. At this rate, in a month, just seeing him would send her into catatonic shock. And wouldn’t that give Fool’s Gold something to talk about?
    Â 
    R AOUL STOOD BY THE main building and watched the kids arrive for their first day of school at his camp. The parking lot was organized chaos as teachers sorted the children into classes.
    In less time than he would have thought possible, the camp had been transformed. There were desks andchairs, playground equipment, books, papers and people prepping lunch.
    Dakota joined him, a clipboard in hand.
    â€œThis is great,” she said. “Like the first day of school, only better.”
    â€œThe kids would have probably enjoyed more time off.”
    She laughed. “You’re right, but education is important.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Everyone thinks you’re amazing for giving the town this place. Such a nice guy.”
    â€œThere are worse things to be.”
    She looked surprised. “Most guys