Summer Days

Thank goodness for Charlie and Annabelle. They were all in the same position, and that reality had only enhanced their friendship.

Conversation flowed around her. For a second, Heidi let herself remember another friendship—one that had been nearly as good as the camaraderie she shared with these women today. Melinda, her best friend for years, would have been turning twenty-eight now. But Melinda had died six years ago. A senseless and tragic loss.

“You okay?” Annabelle asked.

Heidi nodded and pushed the memories away. She would mourn later—when she was alone. For now, she would appreciate the time with her friends.

Jo returned with their drinks and promised the food would be delivered shortly. When she’d walked back to the bar, Annabelle leaned toward Heidi.

“Start at the beginning and tell us everything. What did the judge really say?”

Heidi sipped her margarita. “Basically that we have to share and play nice until she decides what to do about the problem.” She went over the details of the temporary plan, including the fact that “improvements,” as May called them, were allowed.

“I don’t get it,” Charlie said. “Why would May Stryker want to pay for stuff at a ranch she might not own?”

“I think she’s pretty confident in the outcome,” Heidi admitted, trying not to wince as she thought about losing her home. “I tell myself the good news is May is a sweetie, and at least Glen isn’t in jail.”

“Why is she so hot for the ranch?” Annabelle asked. “Why not buy something somewhere else?”

“They used to live here,” Nevada told them. “It was a long time ago. I was a kid, and I don’t think any of the Stryker boys were in my class. I think the youngest boy, Clay, was a year older.” She wrinkled her forehead in thought. “There’s a baby sister, too. I don’t remember much about her. What I do remember is that the family was dirt poor. I mean going-without-food poor. My mom wanted to send over clothes my brothers had worn, but by the time they’d worked their way through all three of them, there wasn’t much left in them. She did take over food, though. And toys. The town kind of adopted the family.”

Heidi couldn’t imagine the very proud Rafe accepting charity from anyone. “That must have been difficult for all of them. In court, they said that the old man who owned the ranch promised it to May when he died. But he left it to distant relatives instead. Now she’s been cheated out of the place twice.”

Nevada gave Heidi a quick hug. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Glen did. I know he was trying to help a friend, but now you’ve put yourself on the line for him. You’ll get through this and we’ll be right here with you. Tell us how we can help.”

Heidi appreciated the assumption that they would simply do what had to be done and the problem would be fixed. It was one of the many reasons she loved Fool’s Gold and why she would fight for her home. The fact that Rafe and his mother had more resources wasn’t going to matter. She had heart on her side.

“My attorney wants me to sleep with him,” she admitted, then downed her extra shot. The tequila burned a pleasant path to her stomach. When she swallowed, she saw all three women staring at her.

“Did she say why?” Charlie asked.

“She thought it would soften him up toward me.”

Charlie raised her eyebrows. “If you’re softening him up, you’re doing it wrong.”

The four women looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

When she’d caught her breath, Annabelle sagged back in her seat. “You must be really good. I can’t see anyone paying two hundred fifty thousand dollars to have sex with me.”

“Do you have a price you’re comfortable with?” Charlie asked Annabelle.

“I don’t know. Maybe a couple of thousand. Of course, if you started an affair, and added up the number of times you did it…” She stopped talking. “What?”

Nevada cleared her throat. “I think Heidi’s attorney was speaking in more metaphorical terms. That if Heidi slept with Rafe, he might forgive the debt. I doubt she was suggesting a sexual installment plan.”

“Oh.” Annabelle flushed. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine,” Heidi said, grinning. “But Charlie’s right. You have it bad. You need to find a man.”

“Show me a good one who’s interested and I’m so there. Or not. It probably wouldn’t go well. But back to the issue at hand. Maybe we should find Rafe a woman. Distract him. He would be so busy falling in love that he would forget to be mean to Heidi.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Charlie murmured.

Jo returned with plates of food. Heidi was already feeling a pleasant buzz. But she knew the danger of drinking on an empty stomach, so she picked up a chip and dug it into the guacamole.

“Who are you thinking of sacrificing?” Nevada asked, reaching for the nachos.

“You make the most sense,” Charlie said.

Heidi paused in the act of dipping a second chip into salsa, then realized Charlie was looking at her. In fact, they all were.

“What? No. Not me.”

“You’re there,” Nevada pointed out. “The two of you will be spending time together on the ranch.”

“He hates me. He looks at me with contempt. He’s some big-city rich guy. I loathe that type. He thinks he’s better than everyone else.”

“Maybe on the surface,” Annabelle said, “but if he grew up poor, it may just be a facade. Maybe you could find out about the real man lurking beneath.”

“You make him sound like a sea monster.”

Annabelle grinned. “I’m saying it’s worth a shot. What have you got to lose? The guy is hot.”

“Okay, sure. Ruggedly handsome with broad shoulders,” Heidi said.

“Don’t forget his ass,” Charlie told her. “I’ve seen him walking around town. Very nice.”

“It would be for a good cause,” Nevada added.

“Sleeping with the enemy? Wasn’t that a movie and didn’t it end badly?” Heidi asked.

Annabelle grinned. “Only for the guy. He’ll be overwhelmed by your charms.”

“I don’t have any charms. If I did, they got lost in the move. Rafe isn’t going to fall for me. I’m not his type. He’s certainly not mine. I just need to get through this transition without making things worse. And coming on to him would definitely be worse.”

She also needed to figure out how to earn two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to pay May back, but that wasn’t anything she was going to discuss with her friends. Comfort was one thing, pity was another.

“You really could seduce him if you wanted,” Annabelle said. Nevada and Charlie both nodded in agreement.

Heidi clutched her margarita in both hands and laughed. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, however misplaced.” She raised her glass. “To the best friends ever.”

* * *

THANKS TO SEVERAL GLASSES of water, aspirin and her grandfather’s secret remedy, Heidi woke the next morning feeling perfectly fine. No headache, no upset stomach. Maybe she should forget about goat cheese and sell his formula instead.

After working her way through her usual chores, she headed for the barn. Last night, Charlie had mentioned she wouldn’t be able to make it to the ranch for a couple of days. That meant Mason, Charlie’s big gelding, would need to be exercised. Hardly a chore, Heidi thought, anticipating a ride in the cool but sunny April day. She could take Mason out for a couple of hours and still be home in time for lunch. Later, she would take Kermit, their other boarder, on his ride.

“Hard work but someone has to do it,” she murmured happily to herself as she pulled on riding boots. She slathered on sunscreen, picked up a cowboy hat, then headed for the front door. As she stepped onto the porch, a familiar Mercedes pulled up by the house. Instantly, her good mood vanished.

May Stryker bounced out of the passenger seat, waving and smiling. “Hello! I hope I’m not being a bother. I just can’t stay away.”

“You’re not a bother,” Heidi assured her. In May’s case, she was telling the truth. The older woman was lovely, and if she was the only Stryker involved, Heidi believed they could easily come to terms.

The bigger issue—all six-plus feet of him—climbed out of the car more slowly. Rafe stared at her over the roof of his vehicle.

“Morning.”

The single word, spoken in a low voice, caused an odd sort of quivering in her stomach.

This was her friends’ fault, Heidi realized. All that talk last night about sleeping with Rafe had somehow latched onto a synapse in her brain. Yesterday he’d just been an evil corporate guy bent on her destruction. Now he was someone with a great butt she should try to seduce in a pitiful effort to save her home.

“Go away.”

She only thought the words, rather than spoke them, but that didn’t lessen the intensity of her wish. Why him? Why couldn’t May have had a nice son who understood that people made mistakes?

“I was, um, going for a ride,” she said. “To exercise the horses we’re boarding.”

May walked toward her. “That sounds like fun. How many horses are there?”

“The two you saw on the tour.”

“Oh, perfect. Rafe, why don’t you help Heidi? If you ride one of the horses, she can be done in half the time.”

Or they could go into town and each get a root canal. That would be fun, too.

Heidi did her best to keep her expression neutral. “It’s not necessary. I’m fine. Besides, I doubt if Rafe would enjoy riding.” Or know how. Although, she had to admit, the thought of him flopping around in a saddle was kind of nice. Maybe he would fall off, hit his head and get amnesia. Then she could pretend he wasn’t furious with her, and her problems would be solved. If only…

Rafe raised one eyebrow. “Think I’m not up to the challenge?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” He reached into the car and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, then motioned to the barn. “After you.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE to do this,” Heidi protested as they walked into the barn.

“I know my way around a horse.”

“You’re a guy who probably wears a five-thousand-dollar suit.”

“You’re forgetting, I grew up here. Besides, I want to check out my mother’s land.”

He walked toward the corral where Mason and Kermit were lounging in the sun. Rafe gave a piercing whistle that had both horses turning toward him.

Heidi told herself not to be impressed. Except the horses moved toward him, as if drawn by a force she couldn’t see. Rafe stepped into the corral.

“Where do you want them?”

“In the barn.”

He guided the horses easily. She let him lead the way, her gaze lingering on the butt Charlie had mentioned. She had to admit it was nice. Athletic rather than flat. Okay, sure, Rafe was a good-looking guy, but a coral snake was beautiful and still deadly.

Once inside, they set to work. Rafe might have a job in San Francisco in a high-rise, yet he hadn’t forgotten how to saddle a horse. After using a brush to clean off Mason’s back, he set the pad in place with practiced ease. She worked on Kermit, the smaller of the two horses, huffing only a little as she gently set the saddle on Kermit’s back.

Bridles were next. Both Mason and Kermit were calm horses, taking the bit without trying to spit it out. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rafe making one last check to make sure everything was fastened securely, but not too tight, and that there weren’t any wrinkles or spots that would rub. They led the horses outside.

There was a mounting block on the far side of the barn. As both Mason and Kermit were good-size horses, she turned in that direction, but Rafe stopped her.

“I’ll give you a hand up.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t.”

He draped Mason’s reins over a post, then walked toward her. He waited until she’d taken the reins in her left hand and grabbed the saddle. Then he laced his fingers together.

She stepped onto his hand. Despite the fact that they weren’t touching anywhere, the act felt oddly intimate. She told herself he was just being polite. That his mother had trained him well. Still, she felt flustered as he counted to three, then lifted her toward the saddle.

She swung her leg over Kermit and settled lightly into place.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He continued to look at her. “You’re a little touchy.”

“You’ve threatened me and my home more than once. I think being cautious shows wisdom.”

“I’m protecting what’s mine.”

“So am I.” Which meant what? That they had something in common? “This would be a lot easier if we could get along.”

His mouth curved into a slow, sexy smile. “I don’t do easy.”

“I’m not surprised.”

He chuckled, then walked over to Mason. Rafe settled in the saddle, and they moved away from the barn.

“You have a route you usually take?” he asked.

She adjusted her hat, trying not to notice that, for a guy who drove a Mercedes, Rafe looked pretty comfortable on his horse.

“Uh-huh. It’s a big circle that takes us over most of the land.”

“Good.”

Right. Because he wanted to claim what he considered his. “You’re not going to start peeing on trees to mark everything, are you?”

He laughed. “Maybe when we know each other better.”

He was joking. Unfortunately, his words made her remember her friends’ suggestion from the previous evening. That seducing Rafe was the answer to her problems.

She glanced at him, taking in the straight back and broad shoulders. Was he the kind of lover who took his time and made sure everyone enjoyed the event, or was he selfish in bed? She’d known both kinds of guys, more of the latter than the former.

Not that it mattered, she reminded herself. Sleeping with Rafe would be stupid.

“Is the fence line like this everywhere?” he asked, pointing to the broken or missing posts, the downed line.

“Some of it is in better shape, but only for small sections. What was it like when you lived here before?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Things were in better shape. Old man Castle might have paid his employees shit, but he cared about the ranch.”

She heard a trace of bitterness in his voice, and knew he had cause to resent what his family had gone through. But she still had trouble reconciling the vision of a hungry little boy with the successful man riding next to her.

“He kept a lot of cattle,” she said, watching the dark, moving shapes in the distance. “They’re everywhere and very wild.”

Rafe glanced at her. “Wild?”

“You know. Feral.”

He laughed again. “Been attacked by a few feral cows, have you?”

“No, but I stay clear of them. They make trouble with the goats. I swear, they come in the night and show Athena how to break out.”

“You’re giving them way more credit than they deserve.”

“I don’t think so.” While he was in such a good mood, even if it was at her expense, she risked a potentially dangerous question. “What does your mom want to do with the ranch?”

“I have no idea. I’d say restore it to its former glory, but it never had much of any. She has an emotional connection to this place. She wants to make it…better. She’s talking about fence lines and fixing up the barn.”

“Does she want to run cattle?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You could ask.”

“Then I’d know, and with my mother, that’s not always a good thing.”

“Not knowing is the reason you’re here now. How come you signed the contract?”

He shook his head. “A few years ago, one of my mom’s friends died unexpectedly. Her affairs weren’t in order and that made a mess for her kids. My mother decided that wasn’t going to happen and made sure she was fully prepared for her eventual passing.”

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.