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Right Because Charity could sio online and order a hospital She drew in a breath She needed a little e? She’d never heard of anything like that in her life Not that she could bla the interview process Talk about an easy way to terrify candidates

"Over the next couple of days, as you get to know your way around town, I want you to do a mental head count You’ll see for yourself that est fear is that ill get out so stories on the town"

"Wouldn’t the attention help?"

"This town is special to all of us We’re not interested in being considered an oddity We just need to balance our population"

Charity thought of Josh Golden He was shiny enough for three men Mayor Marsha should le woht spot in all this," Marsha told her with a wink "As you’re the one et first pick of any of the rateful the waitress reappeared and interrupted the to share the details of her social life, or lack thereof, with her new boss And there was no reason to explain that she had been totally unsuccessful in theher ood start, it didn’t guarantee a happy ending So far Charity was practically the poster girl for ro their orders, a curly-haired well-dressed woman walked up to the table She was a little taller than Charity, and exuded style and sex appeal

"So you’re the new girl," the twenty-so woman said cheerfully "Hi I’m Pia O’Brian, Fool’s Gold’s own party planner"

Marsha shook her head "Event coordinator It sounds better"

"Maybe to you I like the party aspect of rinned at Charity "It’s nice to meet you"

"You, too"

"I don’t actually plan parties," Pia ad Festival, the Summer Festival, the Fourth of July fireworks"

"And the Fall Festival?" Charity asked

Pia laughed "Yes, but that comes after the End of Summer Festival and focuses on books We’re a party crowd here"

"Apparently" The closest Charity had ever coe "I look forward to going to the events"

"If only that were all that was involved," Pia said dra to have to talk I’ll call and set up an appointh

"No It’ll be fine Enjoy your lunch," she called over her shoulder as she sailed toward the door

"She’s nice," Charity said And close to her age Maybe Pia was a potential friend

"Just so you know, Pia’s a lotbad" Marsha shook her head "Oh, Charity, you’re being thrown in the deep end I hope that’s all right"

"I was looking for a challenge," Charity told her Not to mention a job that was far away from her old one She’d wanted a fresh start and the job in Fool’s Gold had offered exactly that

"Good I don’t want to scare you away on your first day Maybe on your second"

Charity laughed "I don’t scare so easy In fact, this weekend I’hborhoods in town"

"Thinking of buying a house?"

"Not right away, but in a couple ofa permanent address and ties to a community had always been her fantasy

"There are so to town, you le Maybe you’ll ht"

"Uh-huh," Charity said and sipped her coffee Mayor Marsha was very nice, but not thefor perfect She just wanted a nice guy who loved her as le, honest and faithful Characteristics depressingly hard to find on the dating scene--at least in her experience

"If anyone around town catches your eye," Marsha said as their food was delivered "Just ask ain Charity’s brain flashed to Josh Fifteen kinds of physically arinore the weird way her body reacted when he was in the roonore him And she would Even in a town as small as Fool’s Gold, it couldn’t be hard

"YOU MAKE ME crazy You know that, right?"

Josh continued to study his coood at It came from years of practice

Unfortunately Eddie wasn’t the type to take the hint "I’ to you, Josh"

"I knew that" He turned his attention fro assistant who stood with her hands on her hips

Eddie Carberry wore her white hair in short curls She liked heavy makeup and velour track suits She had one for every day of the week If it was Monday, she earing violet

"They’re getting on ? I know you’re not sleeping with the nice, either You kno I hate that" Eddie glared at him as she spoke

He knew better than to take her temper seriously, just as he knew the "they" in question were the three college-aged girls that were supposed to be helping her in the office

"You said you wanted to cut back on your responsibilities," he hedged "You said you wanted a staff"

Eddie rolled her eyes "I said I wanted to look like De about that They’re not staff, they’re blonde and every cliché that goes with the hair color All they want to talk about is you" She raised her voice "Josh is just so handso to ask ravelly tone

"I thought you’d explained everything when you hired the to have to do it again"

Apparently