happens to him if he doesn’t make it into the program?” Nevada asked.
“He’s given up for adoption. Max’s dogs are bred to be family friendly, so there’s always a waiting list. Charlie will find a good home. I’d just hate to see him go. He would have been the first dog I trained from birth. Well, six weeks. They can’t do much when their eyes are still closed.”
The three sisters lay stretched out on blankets in Montana’s backyard. It was a warm Saturday afternoon. Un-seasonable for this time of year and they were going to be back in the fifties tomorrow. Two other dogs played in the yard. An apricot-colored toy poodle named Cece and a labradoodle named Buddy sniffed in the grass and chased butterflies.
“I don’t get the poodle,” Nevada said. “Isn’t she kind of small?”
“Cece is very well trained,” Montana told her. “She works with really sick kids. Because she’s so small, she can sit on their beds. A lot of times the kids aren’t even strong enough to pet her. She sits close or curls up next to them. Having her there makes them feel better. Being a poodle, she doesn’t shed like other dogs. She gets bathed before going to the hospital and carried in so she doesn’t pick up germs on her feet. That means she can go into some of the special wards.”
Dakota sat up. “Is that what you do with your day? Take dogs to visit sick children?”
“Sometimes. There are dogs that visit nursing homes. I take them there. And I spend part of the day training. The older dogs don’t need much instruction, but the younger ones get regular reinforcement. The puppies take a lot of time. And I’m working on the reading program.”
When Montana had said she was going to start working with therapy dogs, Dakota hadn’t realized how much was involved. “You’re very dedicated to your work.”
Montana rolled onto her back, supporting herself on her elbows. “I think I’ve found what I’m supposed to be doing. You two have known for a long time, which is great for you but left me feeling inadequate. I’ll never get rich doing this, but that’s okay. I love the dogs, I love working with people. When you’re lonely, having someone love you is really important. Even if that someone is just a dog.”
Nevada sat up. “Now I feel like a slacker. All I do is design things.”
“Houses,” Montana said. “Everyone needs somewhere to live.”
“I don’t design houses. I work on remodels or I tweak existing designs.”
Dakota looked at her sister. Nevada had always wanted to be an engineer. Was she regretting that decision now? “Don’t you like working for Ethan?”
“I don’t dislike it. It’s just…” Nevada drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Do you know I’ve never applied for a job? Sure, I had part-time jobs in high school and college, but I mean a real job. Once I chose engineering, everyone assumed I’d go to work for Ethan. I graduated and showed up at his office the next day. I didn’t have to prove myself.”
“Just because it was nepotistic, doesn’t mean you aren’t doing a good job,” Dakota told her. “Ethan wouldn’t keep you around if he didn’t want you working there.”
Nevada shook her head. “You really think Mom would let him fire me?”
Montana pulled Charlie onto her lap. “She has a point. Ethan can’t fire her.”
“Do you want him to?” Dakota asked.
“No. I work hard for him. I know he’s happy with my work, but that’s not the point. I went to work in the family business. I never thought about doing anything else. I just want to know if I’m in the right place. Doing the right thing.”
“Is this a triplet curse?” Montana asked. “For so long I didn’t know what I was doing. Now I’m finally happy and you’re confused?”
“There’s no curse,” Dakota told her.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” Nevada admitted. “The thing is, I don’t want to leave Fool’s Gold. I like it here. It’s my home. But it’s not like there are a lot of other opportunities. I’m not comfortable working for another contracting firm. I don’t want to be in competition with Ethan.”
“So what’s the solution?” Dakota asked.
Nevada straightened her legs and picked at a blade of grass. “Have either of you heard about Janack Construction?”
Dakota frowned. “The name is familiar. Wasn’t there a guy in school named Tucker Janack? He was friends with Ethan and Josh. They went to a cycling camp together, way back when. I can’t recall all the details.”
“I remember,” Montana said. “Tucker’s father is super rich. Didn’t he send a helicopter to pick up Tucker?”
“Yes and yes,” Nevada said. “They’re one of the largest construction companies in the country. Apparently, Tucker’s father liked what he saw when he visited here all those years ago. He bought a couple hundred acres north of town.”
“How could he do that?” Dakota asked. “Isn’t that Indian land? They can’t buy that.”
“Tucker’s father is one sixteenth Máa-zib. That’s all you need to be. Apparently Tucker’s mom is also part Máa-zib.”
Dakota wondered how her sister knew so much about the Janack family. “Did you meet them sometime we don’t know about?”
“The parents? No, I’ve never met them.”
“What are they going to build there?” Montana asked. “Isn’t two hundred acres a lot of land?”
“I’ve heard it’s going to be an exclusive resort,” Nevada said. “Big hotel, spa, casino and a couple of golf courses. There’s some serious money going into the project. They’re going to hire a lot of people.”
“So you’d go work for them?” Dakota asked.
“I haven’t decided. I might apply and see what happens. At least then I could say I’ve been on a job interview.”
Dakota wondered if there was more going on than Nevada wanted to tell them. Was she not getting along with Ethan? Or was the situation exactly what she said—a need to prove herself?
“I haven’t heard anyone talking about this project,” Montana said. “I guess if they’re on Indian land, they don’t need City Council approval. But you’d think they’d at least talk to the mayor.”
“Maybe they have and Marsha simply hasn’t mentioned it to anyone,” Dakota said. “There’s plenty going on right now, what with the reality show and all the men still pouring into town.”
“When are you going to decide what to do?” Montana asked.
“Not for a while,” Nevada admitted. “They’re still in the design stage. That could take months or even a year. Once I know they’re actually moving forward with work, I’ll think about what I want to do.” She shifted on the blanket. “Please don’t say anything to Ethan. It’s not that I don’t like working with him. I just need to know
