Summer Days (13 page)

“It’s a concern.”

Probably a realistic one, she thought. “Maybe you should have your matchmaker play down your fortune. So you can find someone who loves you for who you are.”

“I’m not in it for love. I want a partnership.”

“That’s romantic.”

“I tried the romantic route. It didn’t go well.”

Heidi had a feeling that if Rafe and his ex-wife had walked away from their marriage with no regrets, then they’d never been in love. Her experience with the emotion was entirely different. Love could hold you in its grip and never let go. She thought of Melinda and knew people died in the name of love.

“Where did you take her?” she asked.

“Who?”

“Your date.”

“To the hotel restaurant.”

She sighed. “That’s your problem. You need to do something more special.”

“A moonlit horseback ride?”

“Not if you don’t warn her to dress right. Fool’s Gold is a great town. There are lots of little restaurants that have more ambience than the one at the hotel. Or take her up to the Gold Rush Ski Lodge and Resort. At least you could ride the gondola to the top of the mountain. That’s romantic.”

“It’s cold.”

She rolled her eyes. “You could put your arm around her and keep her warm. Jeez. No wonder you’re forced to use a matchmaker. You’re not very good at the whole dating thing.”

“I’m very good at it. The problem isn’t me, it’s the town. Being here. Being back.”

“Too many memories?”

“Yeah.”

She thought about what May had told her about Rafe and how difficult things had been back then. “You’re not that kid anymore. You can take care of your family.”

He drew in a breath and picked up one of the wrapped packages of soap. “They brought us baskets every holiday. There was plenty of food. Not leftovers that someone dug out of the back of his pantry, but real food. Turkeys and hams, big roasts. All the fixings. Pies and cakes. There would be movies for us kids and books for my mom.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It wasn’t. I always knew when they were coming. I answered the door and I could see the pity in their eyes.”

As he spoke, Heidi knew he wasn’t the Rafe Stryker she’d met, but instead, a ten-year-old boy who couldn’t provide for those he loved. The one who had been left with an impossible task—providing for his family.

“It wasn’t your job to take care of everyone,” she murmured.

“Someone had to.”

“Your mom was doing it.”

“She was overwhelmed. There was too much work and no help.”

“So you did what you could.”

“It wasn’t enough.”

She understood why he was so concerned about May. Back then, he’d been unable to protect her. Now he could protect them all. Yet that attention came at a price. When one of his siblings didn’t measure up, Rafe was unforgiving.

“Tell me about your sister.”

He stared at her. “What do you want to know?”

“What is she like?”

“Younger. I was nine when she was born.”

“I thought your dad died when you were eight.”

“He did.”

“Oh.” Heidi couldn’t make the math work.

“It was a few months after. Mom was having a tough time coping.” He put the soap back on her desk. “Shane brought some guy home. A cowboy here for the rodeo. I guess my mom spent the night with him. He left before we were up, and we never saw him again. A few months later, she told us she was having a baby. Then Evangeline was born.”

“That can’t have been easy,” Heidi said.

“Mom is strong.”

“I meant for your sister. To know she doesn’t completely fit in with the family. That she’s a constant reminder of what your mom did.”

“It’s not like that. Not for either of them.” He hesitated. “I don’t know. Maybe it is. Evie’s never around. Shane and Clay come by to see Mom every few months, but not Evie.”

Heidi guessed that Rafe was much more clear on the problem than he wanted to let on. But admitting it would mean dealing with it. As long as he didn’t see there was an issue, he could ignore the situation. “Where’s your sister now?”

“She’s a dancer. She went to Juilliard. She’s very gifted.”

Heidi waited, but Rafe didn’t say any more.

“You never said what she’s like?”

“I don’t spend much time with her. When she was a kid, she was always dancing.”

“Was she always the outsider?”

He stood. “Is this another of your townie things? For someone who embraces the idea of community, you like to put people into groups. Us versus them.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Maybe not, but it’s accurate. Evangeline is my sister. I love her. Sure, I don’t know every detail of her life, but if she was ever in trouble, if she ever needed anything, I would be there for her. We all would. We’re a family.”

He stalked out of the room. Heidi watched him go, wondering if Evangeline would agree. May had decorated the living room with pictures of her sons, but there was only one of her daughter. She had a feeling Rafe hadn’t spoken to his sister in months. Maybe longer. She supposed every family had secrets, even from each other. The trick was loving your family, despite the secrets…or maybe because of them.

* * *

M
AY
SMOOTHED
THE
PAPER
on the kitchen table. “What do you think?” she asked anxiously.

Heidi studied the drawing. She saw the outline of the barn as it existed today, and then how it would nearly double in size if May had her way. There were plenty of stalls for horses, storage areas for feed and other supplies, wide doors and an open second story for hay.

“It’s wonderful.” And expensive, and would only add to her bill should she win the case.

“Good. I was hoping you’d say that,” May told her. “I’ve spoken to Shane and mentioned the ranch to him. I’m hoping he’ll want to come here.”

“Shane?” Heidi pulled out a chair and sat down. “Here?”

She didn’t think she could survive a second Stryker brother. She was having enough trouble with Rafe.

“You’ll like Shane. He’s much more easygoing than Rafe. I’m sure that comes with not being the oldest.”

Heidi traced the drawing and knew there was no way to say no. The last thing she needed was May upset with her. But if she wasn’t careful, the Strykers would weave their way into every part of her world. If that happened, there would be no win—for any of them.

CHAPTER TEN

R
AFE
WATCHED
YET
MORE
lumber being unloaded. Thanks to his mother’s grand plans for the barn, what had started out as a simple repair job had turned into major renovation. When she’d shown him her drawing the previous day, he’d made a few minor changes and promised to look into getting it done. This morning she’d informed him she’d spoken with Ethan, had hired his men for the remainder of the summer and had already ordered the necessary supplies. Now Rafe figured he would be lucky to ever get back to his office in San Francisco.

He should be annoyed and itching to return to the city, but somehow, he found himself not minding too much. He spent his mornings working with Ethan’s guys. After lunch, he dealt with his company, giving instructions to Ms. Jennings and talking to Dante about what was going on in the office. Around three, he went back out to join the guys and finished before dinner. Evenings were spent on his computer. Sometimes he and Heidi watched a baseball game or went for a walk.

Not exactly the life of a sought-after bachelor, he thought, pulling on gloves. No dinners out, no evenings at the theater. Pretty much the only thing he missed about his old life was hanging out with Dante and his season tickets at the Giants’ stadium.

He had thought he would be bored here. Restless. So far, he was enjoying himself more than he had expected. There were calluses on his hands and a pleasant ache after a day of physical labor. He and Mason took long rides together, to the point where Charlie had noticed that her horse had never been in better shape.

There was an honesty to the land, he thought, then chuckled. He’d better be careful, or he’d turn into the cowboy his mother had always wanted him to be.

The truck driver walked over with a clipboard and paperwork. “You keep goats here?” he asked as he handed Rafe a pen.

“Sure. Why?”

“I would swear I saw some goats walking down the road when I was driving here. You might want to make sure yours didn’t get out.”

Rafe scrawled his signature on the paperwork, then turned toward the house. He didn’t know where Heidi had taken the goats that morning. Before he’d taken more than a couple of steps, the back door opened and Heidi hurried out.

“The goats?” he asked.

She nodded. “My friend Nevada just called. Athena led three of them to the casino construction site. She did this last year and apparently remembered the way.”

“How do you get them back?” he asked, following her to the goat house.

Heidi ducked inside, then stepped back out with several ropes. “I catch them and walk them home. I don’t have a truck big enough to transport them. What I want to know is how she gets the gates open.”

He fell into step with her. “Think of it as forced exercise.”

“I’m worried about Persephone. She’s pregnant. I’m not sure that much walking is good for her.”

“Don’t goats travel in the wild?”

“Yes, but they eat as they go. When Athena gets a burr up her butt, it’s more a forced march. I’ll call the vet when I get back.”

He took the ropes from her. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“I hope so. This is only her second pregnancy.”

“Why isn’t Athena pregnant?”

“Alpine goats breed in the fall. That’s one of the reasons I have both Nubians and Alpines—to stagger their pregnancies, so I never go without fresh goat milk. It’s less of an issue with the cheese. With the aging process, I always have cheese at various stages. But the fresh milk is important to several of the families in the area.”

“Today’s milk will be aerated by the walk.”

She smiled. “I’m not sure it works that way. I swear, Athena needs a hobby.”

“Too bad you can’t teach her to read.”

“I’d worry if she learned, she would take over the world.”

“You should put the goats with the llamas. If they really will protect the herd, then the llamas can keep the goats from getting out. Or at least alert you if Athena makes a run for it.”

“I could try. I haven’t wanted to put them together in case they get attached.”

Because one way or another, this arrangement was only temporary, and Heidi wouldn’t want her goats hurt by missing a friend.

Dante would say she was taking her goat responsibilities too seriously. A few weeks ago, Rafe would have agreed. Now he knew that Heidi was sensitive to those she considered to be on the outside. Those who didn’t belong.

They walked down the main road. About three miles from the ranch, a path cut through the trees. The branches overhead were thick enough to block direct sunlight. The temperature was a good ten or fifteen degrees cooler, and leaves and pine needles crunched underfoot.

Just when Rafe was sure she was lost, they stepped into a clearing and a whole other world.

The sound of large construction equipment echoed off the trees and the side of the mountain. From where he stood, at the west end of the site, he would guess about eighty or ninety acres had been cleared. The main building was massive—right now just poured foundation and steel beams—but he could see what it would be. Several stories, with a view of the mountains.

When he’d heard about the casino, he’d had Dante pull information and had studied it on his computer. Still, the renderings hadn’t prepared him for the sheer size of the project.

“Impressive, don’t you think?” She pointed to the far end. “That’s one of the parking lots. There will be a multilevel structure on the other side. The big building is the casino and resort. I’m not sure how many hotel rooms they’re talking about. At least a couple hundred, maybe more.”

She kept talking, explaining the layout and how the design had kept old-growth trees to line a walking path. That there would be a spa and several restaurants.

A pretty blonde woman with short hair and a ready smile joined them.

“You and your bad goats,” she said with a laugh. “What’s up with Athena?”

“I know.” Heidi gave her a quick hug. “She’d ride a motorcycle if she could get a license. Nevada, this is Rafe Stryker. Rafe, Nevada Janack.”

He shook hands with the woman, then glanced at the signs on the sides of the construction trailers. “Any relation?”

“I married into the family. Tucker’s around here somewhere. Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

Rafe went willingly. He wanted to know a lot more about the project. He and Dante hadn’t talked about what was going on here since Rafe had first discovered the casino. Now that he saw the scope of the project, he was reminded of the possibilities.

* * *

R
AFE
HELD
THE
PHONE
to his ear with his left hand and made notes with his right. “I need to see everything you’ve pulled on the casino project. Not just the plans, which you sent me.”

He waited while Dante typed in his computer. “Got it,” his friend said.

“The guy in charge, Tucker Janack, says there will be over three hundred hotel rooms. There’s a casino, spa, golf course. There’s also going to be an outlet mall, but another company is developing that.”

“Too small for Janack?” Dante asked.

“Probably. Depending on time of year, staffing and events. They could have upward of five hundred employees there. No way Fool’s Gold has that kind of labor force just sitting around. Which means bringing people in. Lots of people.”

“They’re going to have to live somewhere.”

“Exactly.” Rafe pressed a few keys on his computer. “You have it?”

“Right in front of me.”

Rafe stared at the outline of the Castle Ranch. Done to scale, it showed the main house, the barn and the fence line. The main road was to the south, and several smaller roads provided natural boundaries.

Assuming a standard lot size of five thousand square feet, a modest three-bedroom house with attached garage, keeping a few acres around the ranch buildings for his mother and her animals, there was more than enough room for a hundred homes. With plenty left over for future development.

“You doing the math?” Rafe asked.

“It’s a sweet, sweet number. Considering how cheap the land is, I’m a happy guy. You’re talking serious profit levels.”

“Tell me about it. We wouldn’t have to do anything fancy. We’ll add the most popular upgrades. Some landscaping.”

“With employees coming to work for the casino, they’ll be desperate to buy. That means motivated buyers.”

Rafe wrote frantically. “We can arrange our own financing. Give people a break for going with our lender and make more money on the mortgage. We’ll have to get the town to agree.”

“I’ve done some preliminary research. The town is business-friendly. The mayor has a reputation for being easy to work with. No crazy zoning requirements. As long as we’re building up to their standards and not playing fast and loose with the rules, they’ll make it go smoothly for us.”

“Good.” Rafe wasn’t interested in building crap, he just didn’t want to waste profit when he didn’t have to. “To think this all started because my mother wanted to buy back this damned old ranch. Now this could be one of our biggest projects of the year.”

“As long as the judge rules in our favor.”

“She will. Heidi won’t be able to come up with the money.”

“Plus, we can show that our plan helps the community,” Dante added. “Your goat girl is going to find herself out on the street.”

Dante chuckled, but Rafe didn’t join in. While he still wanted to win, he found it difficult to imagine the Castle Ranch without Heidi and her goats. Where would she go?

He told himself it wasn’t his problem, but wasn’t sure he believed the words. Not anymore.

“We could give her a couple of acres. For the goats.”

Dante laughed. “Good one, Rafe. Like you’ve ever given anyone anything.”

His partner was still laughing when he hung up. Rafe set down his phone and stared out the window. Profit over anything—he’d long believed that. Money was the only way out, the only way up. He’d been poor, and it sucked.

In high school, his English teacher had made them all read
Gone with the Wind
and then watch the movie. In class, his friends had laughed when Scarlett O’Hara had held up the wizened turnips, declaring that, as God was her witness, she would never be hungry again. He hadn’t found the words funny. He’d lived them.

He’d taken the charity baskets the town had given, vowing that when he grew up, he would be the richest man he knew. That no one would ever take advantage of him. That he would always win.

Dante was right. Giving away a few acres for Heidi and her goats made no sense. When the judge ruled and he got the ranch, she would be out, and he would have it all.

* * *

H
EIDI
WAITED
ANXIOUSLY
while Cameron McKenzie listened to Persephone’s heartbeat. He’d already examined the goat, checking her legs and hooves, feeling her pregnant tummy. He removed the stethoscope from his ears.

“She’s fine.”

Heidi released the breath she’d been holding. “You’re sure? I can’t believe how far she walked today. All the way to the construction site and back.”

“Goats walk. They like it. She’s a healthy girl.” Cameron stood and petted the goat. Persephone nuzzled his hand.

“Now, if only we could figure out how to keep Athena contained,” May said from her place by the door of the goat house.

“She’s a smart girl,” Cameron said, packing up his bag. “You’re going to need a more secure lock on the gate.”

“This is my third attempt to find a lock she can’t open,” Heidi said. “It’s tough having a goat who’s smarter than me.”

“We should put Rafe onto the problem,” May told Heidi. “He’s good at that sort of thing.”

Heidi wasn’t sure there was anything Rafe wasn’t good at, which made him dangerous. She couldn’t seem to stop thinking about him, wondering what he was doing and when she would see him next. When he smiled, she felt all gooey inside. The man was trouble, and she already had enough problems.

The three of them walked out of the goat house. Cameron looked past the barn, to the corral where the three llamas grazed.

“You’re doing wonders for my large-animal practice,” he told May. “I’ve handled a few alpacas, not so many llamas. I’ll read up on them.”

“There are sheep, too,” May told him.

“Sheep are easy,” he said. “Any others on the way?”

May smiled. “I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

Uh-oh. “Does Rafe know?” Heidi asked.

“Of course not. He would tell me I’m being silly. You’ll have to wait and see, like everyone else.”

Heidi held up both her hands. “I’m okay with that.” She glanced toward the house, where Rafe was on his cell phone, pacing back and forth on the porch, obviously in an intense conversation with someone.

“I look forward to whatever else you bring to the ranch,” Cameron said. “Nice to meet you, May.”

“You, as well.”

They shook hands. Cameron turned to Heidi. “You okay now?”

“Yes. Thanks for coming. I guess I’m an overly concerned goat parent.”

“I like that in my clients. You know how to get in touch with me.”

He walked to his truck and climbed in.

“What a nice young man,” May said, as Cameron started the engine, then waved before turning his truck around and driving away. “Very handsome.”

Heidi thought about Cameron’s dark hair and green eyes. “I guess. I don’t think of him that way.”

“Is he married?”

“Yes. Cameron got married a couple of months ago. But it wouldn’t matter if he was single. He’s not my type.”

“No chemistry?”

“None.”

“I see.” May glanced toward the porch. “It’s hard to predict which way the heart will fall.”

Heidi opened her mouth, then closed it. Talk about a minefield. She was going to stay safely out of that conversation, she thought. If she was smart, she would also stay away from Rafe, but she didn’t seem to be very bright when it came to him.

Fine—she would risk her feelings, but she would stay out of his bed. Because to cross that line would be to gamble with everything she had.

* * *

T
HE
F
OOL
’
S
G
OLD
S
PRING
Festival always fell on Mother’s
Day weekend. Many a father had taken advantage of that fact, bringing his wife to the event and letting her choose her own gift. Sunday morning, the food vendors served brunch fare, and the jewelry designers did an especially brisk business.