Summer Days

“I have lots of people.”

“Not someone special. You need to fall in love.”

“I’ve been in love.” It wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

He’d made what seemed like the intelligent choice—fallen for a young woman who should have been perfect. She’d been pretty, smart, caring and supportive. He’d been more interested in her than in anyone he’d ever met, and had been able to imagine growing old with her. If that wasn’t love, then

what was?

Their brief, two-year marriage had ended when she’d suggested a divorce, and he’d felt little more than a vague sense of dissatisfaction and failure.

“You weren’t in love,” his mother told him. “Love is powerful. Love sweeps you away. You were never swept away.”

“Fine. But I’m going to find someone now. So I’m happy.”

May wrinkled her nose. “You’re going to a matchmaker, Rafe. Who does that? What does this Nina person know about you, anyway? When the time is right, you’ll find the one. Just like I found your father.”

“Mom,” he began.

“No. You have to listen. I’m right about this. You need to find someone who you’re willing to risk it all for.”

As if that was going to happen. “I’ll find the right woman,” he promised. “We’ll get married and have children.”

If he hadn’t been so set on having kids, he would have never considered marrying again. But he was conventional enough to want a traditional family. Mother and father. He’d been unable to get it right himself, so he was hiring a professional. For him, hiring a matchmaker was no different than hiring a good travel agent or successful sales rep. When he wasn’t the best at something, he found someone who was. Nina had a nearly perfect track record.

“I would love grandchildren,” his mother told him, her smile returning. “Just think, I’ll have the ranch and you can bring your family to visit.”

There was a particular vision of hell, he thought grimly. “Ah, sure, Mom. That’ll be great.” He guided her back on topic. “You’re sure about the ranch? You want it?”

“Yes. I want to live there permanently. Maybe have a few animals and a garden. I could grow my own fruits and vegetables.”

“Not with the goats around.”

“Heidi and I will work something out.”

Rafe didn’t bother telling her that Heidi and her grandfather weren’t going to be an issue. Like Nina, Dante was the best at what he did. There was only going to be one winner at the end of the day, and it wasn’t going to be Heidi and her goats.

“Isn’t the ranch close to nearly a thousand acres?”

May shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know there’s a fair amount of land.”

Maybe he could figure out something to do with it, so his time here wasn’t a complete loss. Because the bottom line was—he wasn’t leaving. Not until May had what she’d come for.

He stood and pulled his mother to her feet, then hugged her and kissed her temple.

“Okay, then,” he said. “You want the ranch, I’ll get it for you.” No matter what it cost.

CHAPTER FOUR

HEIDI WAS PLEASED THAT her hand was steady as she poured coffee into four mugs on the table. May had made good on her promise of setting up a meeting. Now, barely twenty hours after the judge had dismissed them, they were in Heidi’s kitchen, about to make decisions that could potentially change her life forever. She wanted to tell herself not to be dramatic, but she had been unable to chase away the lingering sense of panic. Sure, the judge had given her a reprieve, but she could still lose the ranch, and then what? Where would she and Glen go?

Worries for another time, she reminded herself as she took her seat at the rickety table. For now, she was going to cooperate with May and figure out how to come up with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in, say, the next three weeks.

“Thank you so much for having us,” May said, smiling at Heidi.

“You’re more than welcome.” Heidi tried to smile back, all the while ignoring the challenging expression on Rafe’s face.

This was the first time she’d been in a relatively small room with the man, and she was annoyed to discover he took up too much space. He had broad shoulders that spilled past the back of the chair. She couldn’t seem to focus on anyone but him, which frustrated her and made her want to pretend he wasn’t there. An impossible task, with his dark eyes holding her captive.

“I’ve decided to stay in town,” May continued, apparently unaware of the undercurrents swirling.

That could have been because they were only swirling on Heidi’s end of things. Maybe Rafe was naturally surly and barely knew she was alive. Maybe—

Get a grip, she commanded herself, deliberately focusing on May.

“There’s so much I remember about the ranch,” the older woman continued. “I have so many happy memories here.”

“It’s a real family place,” Glen told her. “We appreciate your willingness to work things out.”

“Of course. Neither of us has to be disappointed by what happened. There’s a solution.”

Rafe muttered something Heidi couldn’t hear, but she knew it wasn’t friendly agreement.

May shot her son a warning look, then turned back to Heidi. “Do you think you could take us on a tour? I’d love to see the changes and understand a little about your business.”

“Um, sure.” Heidi would have preferred giving them directions back to San Francisco, but that wasn’t likely to be an option. “When were you thinking?”

“How about now?” May asked.

Glen popped to his feet. “There’s nothing I like better than spending time with a beautiful woman.”

Rafe rolled his eyes, but May only smiled.

“You’re a charmer,” she murmured.

Heidi found herself on Rafe’s side this time. Glen flirting with May wasn’t going to help their cause. She would have to talk to him later. After the tour.

She rose. “There’s not a whole lot to see,” she began. “There’s the goats and where they live, of course, and the barn.”

“Don’t forget the caves,” Glen told her. He pulled out May’s chair. “They’re thousands of years old. Probably used by the original indigenous tribes as a form of shelter. There might be treasure.”

Heidi sighed. “They’re not that interesting. I use them to age my cheese. The temperature is perfect, and I don’t have to worry about space. There’s plenty.”

Rafe stood. “Cheese and goats. Great.”

“You don’t have to come with us,” she said. “Perhaps you’d like to stay here and phone your office.”

One eyebrow rose, as if he were surprised she was willing to take him on. She lifted her chin slightly, not sure it would help, but even the tiniest psychological edge would be welcome. She had a feeling that Rafe not only brought a lot more resources to the battlefield, but that he was also used to winning at any price. Her idea of a good fight was facing down Athena when the goat escaped.

“I wouldn’t want to miss the treasure,” Rafe said, his mouth curving into a smile.

It was, she realized, the first time she’d seen him smile. For a second he looked approachable, appealing and unbelievably sexy. She wanted to smile back and then say something funny so he would smile again. Her toes curled in her athletic shoes, and she had an overwhelming urge to flip her hair, the fact that she was wearing her usual braids notwithstanding.

Get a grip! Rafe wasn’t some handsome guy hanging out so she could flirt with him. He was the enemy. He was dangerous. He was trying to steal her home. The fact that she could be undone by a smile simply proved how pathetic her love life had been for what felt like decades. And when all this was resolved, she would find someone nice and have a relationship. But for now she had to remember what was at stake and act accordingly.

They all went outside and walked to where she kept the goats. Heidi had picked a nice, large area for her small herd. Most of the fencing was still in place, which meant she’d been able to focus her money on what she referred to as the goat house. A solid structure she used for milking. There was room for the goats when the weather got cold or when one of them was giving birth. Large sliding doors allowed the goats to come and go as they pleased.

May leaned against the fence and studied the goats. “They’re not all the same.”

“No. I have three Alpines and five Nubians.” Heidi glanced at Rafe. “You met Athena the other day.”

“Yes. She was charming.”

Heidi was pretty sure he was being sarcastic, so she ignored his response. “Athena sort of runs things around here. Persephone and Hera are the ones who are pregnant.”

She thought about mentioning she would put the money she received for their kids toward the debt, but then decided it wasn’t going to be enough to impress anyone. What she needed was a steady market for her cheese. One that went beyond Fool’s Gold.

She’d contacted a few stores in Sacramento and San Francisco about carrying her cheese. While they’d been interested, getting samples to the stores meant leaving the ranch and her goats. What she needed was a sales rep who could do the legwork for her. Someone with experience. Finding such a person seemed impossible. Give her a restless crowd and a game of ringtoss and she could take control in about fifteen seconds. But the business world was out of her realm of expertise. Something that hadn’t concerned her until now.

“You named your goats after Greek goddesses?” Rafe asked.

“I thought it would be fun for them and for me.”

“They read the classics, do they?”

“Oh, Rafe.” May shook her head. “You’ll have to forgive my son. He doesn’t have much of a sense of humor.”

“I have a fine sense of humor.”

Heidi tilted her head. “Yes, and all those people who try out for American Idol think they can sing.”

Rafe turned toward her, his dark gaze settling on her face. His expression was unreadable, but she had a good idea of what he was thinking. Something along the lines of Who do you think you are, trying to take me on? Be prepared to be squashed, little bug.

She squared her shoulders. He might be richer and bigger and a whole lot scarier, but that didn’t mean she would go down without a fight.

“What do they eat?” May asked.

“Good-quality hay and alfalfa. They need lots of water. They love to be out eating grass and pretty much any kind of brush. I move them around to different parts of the ranch. We also get calls all summer from people wanting to borrow our goats to clear land.”

They left the goat area and went through the main barn, where most of the stalls were held together more by wishful thinking than actual wood. One section was still sound, and there Heidi boarded two horses, including her friend Charlie’s large gelding.

The more they toured, the more Heidi became aware of the broken fence line, the weeds and the sad condition of nearly every building on her property. She’d been making steady progress. The goats had been her main concern. Now that they had the hooved equivalent of a five-star hotel, she planned to focus on the house and the barn. Or she had, before Glen had put them both so deeply into debt.

Back in the house, Heidi served samples of her goat cheese.

“Very nice,” May said, nibbling on her pieces, then taking seconds. “Really delicious. Tell me about the soap.”

“I make it from goat milk. It’s mild and very moisturizing. The lower pH level can help with some skin conditions. I sell it to several mothers in town who have kids with eczema. It seems to help.”

“I’d love to try a bar.”

“Of course.” Heidi walked to the cupboard where she kept her inventory. She picked two scented with lavender and carried them back. She handed one each to May and Rafe.

“Thank you,” he said. “I enjoy smelling like flowers.”

“Maybe you should try it,” his mother told him. “Women might like it.” May turned to Heidi. “Rafe has a terrible time in relationships.”

“Mother.”

“You do. And now you’re dealing with that Nina person. A matchmaker. Can you believe it? That’s how bad he is at getting his own girl.”

Heidi could practically hear Rafe’s jaw grinding. Rafe might be a pain in the ass, but Heidi had a feeling she was going to like May just fine.

Keeping her expression as neutral as possible, she turned to Rafe. “There are a lot of single women in Fool’s Gold. Would you like me to ask my friends if they know anyone who would go out with you?”

“No. Thank you, but no.”

She had to press her lips together to keep from grinning. “You’re sure?”

“Very.”

May took another piece of cheese. “It’s all so beautiful here. My children grew up on this ranch.”

“I’d heard,” Heidi said.

Glen went over to the coffeemaker and started a pot. “One of these days I’m hoping Heidi gives me a great-grandchild. I’m still waiting.”

Now it was Heidi’s turn to squirm.

“You have three children?” Glen asked.

“Four,” May told him, wandering across the kitchen, toward him. “Three boys and a girl. Shane breeds horses, and Evangeline is a dancer. Clay—”

“Tell me about the goat manure,” Rafe said, interrupting.

Heidi blinked at him. “Excuse me?”

“You sell it?”

“Yes. It makes a great fertilizer. Do you need some?”

“No.”

It took her a second to realize he wasn’t interested in talking about the goats as much as he’d wanted to change the subject. Talk about subtle avoidance. She replayed in her mind what May had been saying and realized he’d been keeping his mother from talking about Clay.

“If you change your mind…” she murmured, wondering if there was bad blood in the family.

Glen collected clean mugs from the cupboard.

May smiled at him. “You know your way around the kitchen.”

“I’ve been on my own for a long time. A man does what he has to. This one—” he pointed to Heidi

“—showed up in my life when she was three. Cutest little thing ever, but her daddy was long grown, and I’d forgotten everything I’d known about raising kids. Not that I’d been around much for mine. I was the kind of man who’d taken off first chance he could. Not proud of that. Still, I muddled along with Heidi, and we became a family.”

May sighed. “What a wonderful story. So many men wouldn’t have bothered.”

Heidi held in a groan. While Glen had taken her in and raised her, she knew the story was more about impressing May than recounting the past. Her grandfather had always had a way with the ladies. Unfortunately, he didn’t exactly have much of a track record when it came to long-term romantic relationships. She was going to have to remind him that he’d already stolen two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from May. Breaking her heart on top of that wouldn’t be helpful.

He poured coffee. Heidi collected milk from the refrigerator and asked if anyone wanted sugar. Rafe, of course, drank his coffee black.

“Is it goat milk?” May asked, picking up the small pitcher and pouring.

“Yes.”

“I can’t wait to try it.” She took a sip and smiled. “Perfect. In fact, everything is perfect. From what I can tell, there’s no reason why we can’t work out some kind of compromise.”

“Mom,” Rafe began.

His mother waved him into silence. “I want this, Rafe. I want to be a part of the ranch, and I don’t think there’s any reason Heidi and Glen can’t be a part of it, too. There’s room for all of us.”

Heidi liked the sound of a compromise, but she would reserve judgment until she heard all the terms. Or had the money to pay May back. Although she had a feeling that the latter was going to take a little longer.

“What did you have in mind?” Heidi asked.

“I want to make a few improvements,” May said. “The barn needs to be fixed and the fence lines. This house…” She glanced at the aging appliances. “Those were old when I lived here. I hated that oven.”

“Me, too,” Heidi admitted. “One side doesn’t heat.”

“So you have to keep turning everything. I remember. There’s painting to be done and maybe new floors.”

“Slow down,” Rafe told her. “Let’s take things one at a time.”

May set her mouth. “I’m sorry, Rafe, but I’ve been waiting to get back to this ranch for twenty years. I’m here now. At my age, I can’t afford to slow down.”

“At your age.” Glen shook his head. “You’re barely out of your teens and too young for me. More’s the pity.”

May ducked her head. “I have four grown children.”

“Even looking at Rafe here, I can barely believe it.”

Rafe’s jaw twitched. “Maybe if you made a list.”

Everyone stared at him.

“Of what you’d like to do at the ranch,” he clarified.

“Good idea,” his mother said.

“Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn from time to time,” he muttered.

Heidi hid her grin behind her mug and thought maybe she’d been a bit hasty in judging Rafe’s sense of humor. As much as she liked May, she could see that the older woman wouldn’t be all that easy to deal with. The combination of sweetness and determination could be daunting. Not that Glen was any less complicated.

May put down her mug. “Rafe and I should be going. I want to get right on making that list. You know where we’re staying, right? At Ronan’s Lodge? Oh, let me give you my cell number, and I’ll take yours.”

“You’re staying in town, then?” Heidi asked.

Rafe answered. “Yes. Until this is settled, we’re not going anywhere.”

More threat than promise.

“Lucky us.” Glen took May’s hand in his. “I look forward to seeing you again, very soon.”

“Me, too,” May whispered back, her gaze locking with his.

Heidi didn’t know if she should leave the older couple alone or insist on being a chaperone. Either way, she was going to have a very long talk with her grandfather.

Even as she wondered how she was going to convince him to see reason, she saw Rafe studying Glen. Because they weren’t in enough trouble already, she thought grimly, confident he would continue to protect what was his. She could only hope his matchmaker person found someone fast. With Rafe distracted, she might have a prayer of surviving the disaster that was her life.

* * *

HEIDI WAITED UNTIL RAFE and his mother had driven away, then walked into the family room and stood in front of her grandfather. Glen had already settled into his favorite chair to watch TV.

“Not so fast,” she said, taking the remote from him. “We have to talk.”

“About what?”

He sounded so innocent, she thought grimly. “May Stryker. You have to stop it. I can see what you’re up to.”

“She’s a beautiful woman.”

“Yes, she is, and not someone you can get involved with.” She sank onto the ottoman in front of him. “Glen, I mean it. Don’t do this. Don’t mess with her. You know what will happen. You’ll sleep with her a few times, get her to fall in love with you and then you’ll lose interest.”

“Heidi, that’s harsh.”

“Maybe, but it’s true. This is important.”

“I know.” He leaned toward her. “I’m not playing around.”

“You’re flirting.”

“I like her.”

“You like all women.”

His expression turned serious. “No. I like her. This is different.”

She stared at his familiar face and wondered if she was strong enough to shake some sense into him. “There’s no way you’re going to get me to believe this would be more than a fling. All my life you’ve told me that love is only for the foolish and weak-minded. That if I felt myself falling in love, I should run in the other direction.”

“I know, I know.” He held up both hands. “You’ve got me dead to rights on that one. But I’m getting older, Heidi. Even I have to admit that. And growing old alone is starting to feel like an unnecessary mistake. What if there’s something to this ‘till death do you part’ thing—with the right woman.”

Heidi shook her head. “No. You don’t get to suddenly announce everything you believed in was wrong.”

“Why not? People once thought the world was flat. That’s not true. Like I said, maybe I was wrong. And May’s not like any other woman I’ve met. I can’t ignore that.”

Heidi covered her face in her hands. “Don’t do this to me.”

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You’re a good girl, Heidi. I love you. You know that, right?”

“Yes, Glen. I love you, too.”

“Then have a little faith.”

* * *

“MARGARITA WITH AN EXTRA shot,” Heidi said.

Jo, the owner and main bartender at Jo’s Bar, raised both eyebrows. “You’re not an extra shot kind of girl.”

“I am tonight.”

“You driving?”

Some people would find the question annoying or presumptuous. Heidi loved it. The concern, the meddling, were all vintage Fool’s Gold and only one of many reasons she and her grandfather had wanted to settle here.

“Glen dropped me off,” Heidi said. “He’ll be picking me up when I call.”

“Okay, then. An extra shot it is.”

Jo left. A few minutes later, Annabelle and Charlie walked in together. They scanned the place, saw Heidi had already claimed a booth and hurried toward her.

“You won’t believe the rumors,” Annabelle said, sliding in first. “Did the judge really order you to sleep with Rafe Stryker?”

Heidi choked. “No. Of course not.”

“Too bad,” the petite, redheaded librarian said with a sigh. “I saw him yesterday. He’s delicious.”

“Is that really the rumor? The sleeping part,” Heidi added. “Not him being delicious.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “No. Annabelle, I swear, you need a man. You’re getting desperate.”

“Tell me about it. I promised myself that I was done with relationships. The good guys never fall for me. I just didn’t think the sex thing through. Do you think the judge would order Rafe to have sex with me?” She brushed her long, wavy hair out of her face and turned to Charlie. “You know everyone in town. Could you ask her?”

Charlie groaned. “You probably shouldn’t have alcohol tonight. Lord knows what you’d do.”

“I’m a librarian,” Annabelle said with a sniff. “Haven’t you heard? We’re very prim.”

“I think that’s a story put out by the librarian council to distract people from the truth,” Charlie muttered. “You’re all a little wilder than you want people to know.”

Heidi chuckled. This was exactly what she needed. Time with her friends. People who cared about her and made her laugh. The perfect combination.

Nevada Janack joined them. “Am I late? Tucker’s in China, and we were talking and I lost track of time.”

“Spare me the annoyance of those who are in love,” Charlie said.

Heidi shifted to make room and Nevada slid in next to her.

“I won’t apologize for having the perfect husband,” she said, her eyes dancing with humor. “But I am sympathetic toward you for not having Tucker.”

“Too bad there’s only one of him,” Annabelle said with a sigh. “Or Rafe.”

Nevada turned to Heidi. “I’ve been hearing rumors.”

Jo returned to the table. “Margaritas all around? I’ll warn you, Heidi wants hers with an extra shot.”

Heidi held up both hands. “In a few minutes you’ll all know what’s been going on, and then you’ll be sympathetic.”

“Okay,” Charlie said. “I can’t wait for details. Margarita for me, no extra shot.”

The others agreed. They ordered their usual food—chips, salsa and guacamole, and a couple of plates of nachos. Not exactly nutritious, Heidi thought, her stomach growling, but still extra-right for the occasion.

She and Glen had only been in town a few months when she’d become friends with the other women at the table. Nevada, one of the Hendrix triplets, had married the previous New Year’s Eve, in a ceremony she’d shared with her two sisters. Although Nevada was as friendly as ever, there was a difference now. She had Tucker and they were madly in love. Heidi didn’t begrudge her any happiness, but sometimes it was hard to be around happy newlyweds. Every touch, every stolen glance, was a reminder of her own desperately single state. Not that she was looking for someone in the judicial system to order her to sleep with Rafe Stryker as a remedy.