Читать книгу Fool's Gold Collection Volume 3 - Susan Mallery, Susan Mallery - Страница 25
ОглавлениеRAFE HEARD HEIDI HEADING DOWN the stairs. He didn’t have to glance at the clock to know it was still early. The pale light at the edge of the curtains warned him that most people were still sound asleep. He waited until he heard the back door close, then got up and quickly dressed.
It had been three days since he’d kissed her. Three days of her carefully avoiding him, and his mother watching, as if aware there was a problem. He hadn’t mentioned the kiss to May, and he would bet money Heidi hadn’t said anything to her grandfather, either. But still, May had guessed something had happened. He made it a point to avoid talking about his personal life with his mother, so he had a problem. The only way he could see to fix it was to get things back to normal with Heidi.
He walked down the stairs, through the living room and kitchen, and out back. Heidi was already in the goat house. As he crossed the yard, he saw three cats scampering in front of him. They slipped through the partially open door, and he followed.
Heidi was already milking Athena when he arrived. The three cats were sitting, watching her.
“When did you get cats?” he asked.
Heidi didn’t look up from the rhythmic movements of her hands. Milk flowed steadily into the gleaming metal bucket.
“They’re not mine. They show up when I milk. I don’t know how they know.”
He studied her movements, wondering if he could master the art of goat milking. Not a lot of call for that skill in his world.
“Can I help?”
She snorted. “I don’t think so.”
He counted the goats obviously waiting for their turns. There were only six. “You’re not milking all of them?”
“Two are pregnant. No milking then.”
“How often do they get pregnant?”
“Generally once a year.”
He knew this meant there was a fair amount of nonmilking time with each goat. “That cuts into your cheese making.”
“I know. I need to expand the herd a little more, but not so much that it’s unmanageable.”
He wanted to ask if she’d thought about their conversation, the advice he’d given her. He might not know much about goats, but he did know business, and the principles of selling were universal.
“Will you keep any of the kids?” he asked.
“Probably not. I’d rather expand the bloodline. I know a few breeders. I might be able to work a trade.”
She finished with Athena. The goat stepped away. The next took her place. Heidi carefully washed the udders before starting to milk again.
“If you still have the name of that guy, I’m willing to sell the steers,” she said, concentrating on her work.
“I’ll call him. He was available to come by this week.”
“Good.”
Heidi worked efficiently, neither of them speaking. What had happened before—the kiss—hung between them.
He wasn’t sure why he’d done it. He wanted to say it was because she’d been there and he hadn’t had anything better to do. But he knew that was a lie. He’d wanted to kiss Heidi. He’d wanted to know what she felt like in his arms. He’d wanted to touch her and taste her. Now that he’d kissed her, he wanted more. Which was why he’d called Nina back and confirmed his date. Because Heidi wasn’t part of his plan, and he doubted she was the type to have sex because it felt good. She would want more, and he’d given up on more a long time ago.
“About the other night…” he began.
Her hands slowed, then picked up speed.
“I didn’t mean to make things awkward between us.”
“Too bad,” she said, still not looking at him. “Because if that had been your goal, you could be happy now.”
“You’re pissed.”
“No. I’m confused. Tell me about Nina, the matchmaker. Did you really hire someone to find you a wife? Do you know what century we’re living in?”
“I hire the best. She’s the best.”
She turned to him. “You can’t get your own girl?”
“I tried that once. It didn’t work.”
She returned her attention to the milking, finishing with the second goat. The third took her place.
“I was married before,” he admitted. “We were young and in love and we got married. I thought everything was fine. Then one day, she said she didn’t love me anymore, and left. I kept waiting to feel devastated or humiliated. All I felt was relief that we hadn’t had kids. So that was the end, and I was left thinking there should be more to it. But I guess there isn’t.”
Love was an illusion—an excuse for people to get into relationships. Something he didn’t need.
“So why get married again?”
“I want kids. I’m traditional enough to believe that, in a perfect world, there are two parents.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “You want Nina to find you the right sort of woman. Educated, probably with a career, but not one that takes up too much of her time. You’re willing to let her work, but you’d prefer it if she would stay home with the kids. Smart, but not too smart. Pretty, but you’re not interested in beautiful. She should be entertaining and talk about current events. Someone who won’t stray. You plan on being faithful, but you don’t expect her to touch your heart. You’re saving what’s left of it for your children. Oh, you’ll settle for two, but you’d really like three. And a dog.”
Rafe stayed where he was, which took a whole lot more effort than it should have. He felt as if she had cut him open and laid him bare for everyone to see. She’d managed to reduce the sum of him and his wants to a mockable list. How had she guessed? He’d always been told he was tough to read. Was he showing his cards, or did she have some kind of insight? Even his mother hadn’t been able to guess all of that.
“You don’t approve.”
“I don’t have an opinion,” she told him. “I guess the part I don’t understand is wanting to spend your life with someone you’re not in love with.”
“Love is an illusion.”
“You’re wrong about that. Love is very real and it’s dangerous. People do crazy things in the name of love. Bad things. Love is powerful and shouldn’t be played with. So, when do you get to meet the first of your candidates?”
“In a couple of days.”
Heidi glanced at him. “She’s coming to Fool’s Gold? For a date?”
He shrugged. “I tried to put Nina off, but she said it wasn’t a problem.”
“That’s because you’re quite the catch, Rafe.”
She wasn’t exactly laughing, but he saw the humor in her eyes. When they’d first met, he’d been in control of everything going on around him. Somehow that had shifted. He felt as if he were walking on floating logs, and in danger of slipping and falling. It wasn’t a sensation he enjoyed.
“Will we get to meet her?” she asked.
“No.”
With that he stalked out of the goat house and headed back for the kitchen. He had a fence line to finish and a company to run. As for Heidi, he’d been wrong to think he’d offended her by kissing her. She was a lot less fragile than he’d thought. In fact, she was a formidable opponent. He was done playing nice. After all, he was in Fool’s Gold for only one reason, and that was to win.
* * *
HEIDI CARRIED THE MILK into the kitchen. She’d already seen Rafe heading out to work, so she knew she was safe. Thank goodness. She wasn’t sure she could stomach another encounter with him today. The last one had nearly done her in.
Everything about their relationship was unfair. How tall he was, how sexy, the way his smile made her feel weak in the knees. And that had been with her sitting down. Imagine if she’d been standing.
It was the kiss, she thought, as she poured the milk into containers and then put them in the second refrigerator in the mudroom. The way he’d touched her and made her feel. Now she knew the possibilities, and she couldn’t make herself forget them. While he was busy looking for his perfect wife, she was left wanting more kisses followed by long, languid nights in his bed.
She had a feeling she’d guessed right about the kind of woman he was looking for. Coming up with the list had been easy. She’d simply imagined everything she wasn’t.
She told herself it didn’t matter. That when she and Glen won their case, May and Rafe would return to San Francisco. She would forget all about this interruption of her regularly scheduled life, and all would be well.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and walked through to the living room. She’d barely swallowed her first sip when she was brought to a halt by the sound of soft laughter. Soft, intimate laughter. She heard Glen’s voice coming from his room. Seconds later, May answered. Also in his room.
No, no, no, she thought, freezing in place, like a mouse caught out in the open. Not already. They couldn’t be… She’d warned May, had talked to her grandfather. They were old enough to know better.
She backed into the kitchen and sank into a chair by the table. Now what? If Glen broke May’s heart, then they were in serious trouble. An angry May could have a fair amount of sway with the judge. Heidi was going to have to have a serious talk with him again, and then go look for someone else who would be on her side. Even if that meant having to deal with the one person she most wanted to avoid.
* * *
IT TOOK HEIDI TWENTY-FOUR hours to find the courage to speak with Rafe. He hadn’t come to dinner the previous night. May had mentioned something about him meeting friends in town. Heidi wasn’t sure if she believed that.
Regardless, he’d been gone, so she’d been unable to force herself to talk to him when he finally got home. Now she knew she couldn’t wait much longer. Glen was the kind of man who knew how to seduce a woman. While it wasn’t something she wanted to think about, protecting May was paramount.
She’d heard a couple of big trucks arrive and had assumed they were delivering more supplies for the fence line or barn. But when she stepped outside, what she found instead was a handful of men she didn’t know, her feral cows being herded into corrals and Rafe on a horse.
The sun was high in the bright, clear sky, the temperature still in the fifties. Despite the coolness, she found herself oddly warm as she looked at the man riding Mason.
He had a cowboy hat on his head and a rope in his hands. Worn jeans hugged powerful thighs. His jaw was chiseled, his eyes narrowed. She stumbled to a stop, caught up in the moment. One of the other men yelled something she couldn’t hear. Rafe’s mouth, the mouth she couldn’t stop thinking about, curved into a smile. She knew right then she was in more trouble than she’d realized.
As she watched, he urged Mason forward, then swung the rope in a lazy circle and dropped it around the neck of a cow. Mason sat back on his heels, bringing the cow to a quick stop.
Heidi wasn’t sure who had surprised her more—Rafe or the horse. For a man who looked as good as he did in a suit, he seemed to know his way around the ranch. She supposed the lessons learned as a child weren’t easily forgotten.
She returned to the house, where she made calls and answered emails. For all the danger Rafe presented to her personally, he’d made some great suggestions about her business. She’d already contacted several small stores in San Francisco and Los Angeles about carrying her cheese, and was asking around to see if she could hire a sales rep, at least part-time. With the money the cattle would bring, she could afford to take the risk and still put the majority of the funds aside in her Pay Back May account.
Glen strolled into her small office, close to lunchtime. “They’re nearly done loading cattle,” he said.
“I’m glad to hear it.” She glanced at him. “I thought we had a deal.”
Her grandfather, the person she loved most in the world, didn’t bother looking the least bit chagrined. “Now, Heidi, I’m a grown man. You don’t get to dictate my love life.”
“Isn’t it enough you stole two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from May? Now you’re going to break her heart?”
“Don’t say that. She’s a fine woman. Maybe she’s the one.”
“There’s never been a ‘one’ with you, Glen. I thought
you might slow down as you got older, but you haven’t at all. You slept with your attorney.”
“That was when we first arrived. She wasn’t my attorney then.” He walked over and patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. It’ll all work out.”
“I’m not worried about you,” Heidi said, exasperated. “I’m worried about May. And you don’t know that it’s going to work out. If you hurt her, she’ll go to the judge, and we’ll lose everything. Have you thought about that?”
Glen’s humor faded. “Heidi, you can’t dictate love. If there’s anything I’ve taught you, it’s that matters of the heart are unpredictable. May is unexpected. And maybe unexpected is what I’ve needed all along.”
“I agree, but whatever pretty words you put on it, you don’t fall in love. You don’t believe in love. You’ve said it a thousand times. You have fun and then you move on. May’s been a widow for years. She’s not the type to understand. You’re risking our home.”
“I’m not. I promise you that. She gets to me, and I can’t let her go. I don’t want to lose her, Heidi. And I won’t. Trust me. Just trust me, little girl.”
With that, he left.
She watched him leave, knowing he was asking for too much. She loved him, but she didn’t trust him.
She worked a couple more hours, then heard footsteps in the mudroom. She logged off her computer and went into the kitchen. Rafe stood by the sink, drinking water. He’d dropped his hat onto a chair by the table and rolled up his sleeves. Sweat darkened his shirt and dust stained his jeans. He looked like an ad for something manly and vaguely sexy.
He finished the glass, then refilled it from a pitcher he’d pulled out of the refrigerator. As he poured, he glanced at her.
“They’re gone. You can roam your land in peace, without fear of being attacked by feral cattle.”
“Thanks for arranging that.”
“No problem.” He quickly drank the second glass of water, then turned to her. “What?”
“I’m worried about your mother.”
“Because?”
“She’s getting involved with Glen. Trust me, no good will come of that.”
Rafe chuckled. “He’s in his seventies. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Don’t dismiss him because he’s over sixty-five. Glen has been charming women for decades. They find him irresistible. He’s not into long-term relationships, which means your mom could be hurt.”
The chuckle turned into laughter.
She folded her arms across her chest. “You’re not taking me seriously.”
“I can’t. Glen and my mom?”
“She was in his room. I heard her laughing.”
“She was probably delivering laundry.”
“They were having sex.”
The humor faded. “No way.”
“I’ve talked to Glen, but he won’t listen. You need to talk to your mom. Glen isn’t the kind of guy who settles down. If that’s what she’s expecting, it’s not going to happen.”
“I’m not discussing my mother’s personal life with her.”
“You’d rather deal with her broken heart after the fact?”
“She and Glen aren’t involved.”
“You know this how?”
“I just do.”
She groaned. “So this is what you do. If you don’t like something, you pretend it’s not real?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“What about Clay? He’s your brother and you don’t talk about him.”
Rafe’s gaze hardened. “He’s not your business.”
“You act like he’s a criminal. He’s an underwear model. He probably makes more money than you. What’s the big deal?”
“He could have done something with his life.”
“He is.”
“Nothing to be proud of.”
Heidi dropped her hands to her hips. “You’re a prude. You’re embarrassed by what Clay does, so you don’t talk about it.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re embarrassed to talk to your mom, too. Is it sex?”
“I don’t have a problem with sex,” he growled.
“You have a problem with something.”
“Right now, mostly you.” He set down the water and faced her. “I worked my ass off when I was a kid, taking care of my family. I went hungry, did a man’s job, and I was ten years old. So I have the right to say whether or not my brother is wasting his life. The same with my sister.”
That confused her. “I thought she was a dancer.”
“God only knows. She walked away from…” He shook his head. “I’m not talking about her.”
“You’re the one who brought her up.”
She thought about all she’d learned about him and his past. About how hard that time must have been for him. He’d managed to go to college on a scholarship and create a business empire. But how much of that small, frightened, hungry boy remained?
“Just because Clay became a model doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate what you did.”
“Don’t try to get inside my head. It won’t happen.”
“I’m saying maybe you need to give him a break.”
“This advice comes from all the experience you have with a big family?”
She raised her chin. “I grew up with plenty of family. Maybe not the traditional kind, but I know exactly what it’s like to live with a lot of people in a small space.” She held up both hands. “Fine. We’ll let the Clay thing go. But please talk to your mother about Glen.”
“No.”
“For a man who was married before, you really don’t know much about women. No wonder you need to use a matchmaker. Fine. Don’t talk to May. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
* * *
HEIDI PUSHED HER EMPTY GLASS to the edge of the table. She looked across the room to the bar and waited until Jo looked up. When the bartender raised her eyebrows, Heidi tapped her glass and nodded.
Yes, thank you very much, she would like another margarita and maybe even one after that.
“I’m budgeting a hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars,” Annabelle was saying. “I’m hoping to get it for around eighty or ninety, and have the rest for refurbishing and stocking.”
“A bookmobile?” Charlie asked.
Annabelle nodded. “We have a lot of people in our community who can’t get to the library. The last big fundraiser completed the media center, which is great. Plus, if I could get a couple of laptops and a mobile hotspot, we could take the internet to people who’ve never experienced it before.”
Charlie grimaced. “I find you annoying when you’re this earnest. It confuses me.”
“I know. I’m more natural being sarcastic, but I really care about the bookmobile. I’ve been thinking about a festival fundraiser. I need to talk to Pia.”
Pia was responsible for the dozens of festivals in Fool’s Gold. She worked miracles out of a tiny office. Due to her extraordinary planning, decorative flags went up on time, vendors arrived and Porta Potties were delivered.
“We’ll help,” Heidi said. “Just tell us what you want to do.”
Charlie shook her head. “I’m not volunteering.”
“Yes, you are,” Heidi told her. “You know you are.”
Charlie sighed. “Fine. I’ll be there.”
“I’m still in the planning stage, but I’ll let you know when that changes to action.”
Jo delivered Heidi’s margarita. She promised their burgers would be out shortly, then went to check on other customers. Heidi reached for her glass only to realize her friends were staring at her.
“What?”
“That’s your second,” Charlie said.
“I know.”
“You usually don’t get a second drink until the food arrives. Sometimes not at all.”
“I’m having a bad day.” Heidi slumped back in the booth. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
Annabelle patted her arm. “Jump in wherever you want. We’ll catch up.”
“Glen is sleeping with May. At least I think he is. She was in his room and they were laughing, and it sounded very intimate. I’m worried about her, about Glen breaking her heart. That’s what he does. He’s not a one-woman kind of guy. But when I tried to talk to Rafe, he wouldn’t listen. He thinks Glen is too old to have sex. Stupid man. And all my life, Glen told me love wasn’t real, and if it was, it was for suckers. Now suddenly he’s saying May is the one, and his feelings are real. That he was wrong about love, and I should forget everything he told me before.”
She paused to draw in a breath. “And Rafe has a matchmaker, if you can believe it, and he’s on a date tonight. Because if you had a chance to land someone like him, what’s a three-hour drive to Fool’s Gold, right? And the cows are gone, which is good, because I need the money, and I’m hiring a sales rep for my cheese, which is scary. It was Rafe’s idea, so he’s helping me and trying to take my home from me at the same time.” She drew in another breath. “There’s a lot going on.”
She reached for her margarita and took a long drink.
Annabelle and Charlie exchanged a look.
“That’s quite a list,” Annabelle said.
“Most of it was about Rafe, and she’s drinking more than usual,” Charlie added. “You know what that means.”
“Trouble.” Annabelle shook her head. “Big trouble.”
“Man trouble.”
“There’s no man trouble,” Heidi announced. “None. Zero. Zip. I’m not attracted to Rafe.”
“But you’ve kissed him,” Annabelle said smoothly.
“Yes, but it was—” Heidi slapped her hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to mention the kiss. She dropped her arm to her side. “It’s not what you think.”
“Was there tongue?” Charlie asked.
Prepared now, Heidi pressed her lips together and didn’t speak.
“That’s a yes,” Annabelle said with a sigh. “I miss tongue. Or any kind of kissing. I miss sex and men and orgasms.” She sighed again. “I’m sorry. What was the question?”
“Tongue is exactly what I think,” Charlie said.
Jo brought their burgers. When she left, Heidi grabbed a fry from her plate.
“No, it was an accident. Or meaningless, or both. He has a matchmaker. Who does that? I don’t know why he can’t get his own girl. The man is rich and good-looking. And when he rides Mason… Oh!” She turned to Charlie. “Did you know your horse knows how to rope a steer? Well, the horse part of it. He’s not the one throwing the rope.”
Charlie picked up her burger. “Seeing as I bought Mason, yes, I knew. So Rafe is sexy on a horse?”
“More than should be legal. With those shoulders and in that hat?”
“Oh, no. You have it bad.” Annabelle stared at her. “I thought you were going to sleep with him to keep him from getting the ranch. Not fall for him.”
Heidi took a bite of her burger and chewed. She swallowed, then flicked her fingers at both of them. “I’m not falling for him. He’s not my type. He’s a townie. I know better.”
“Townie?” Charlie mouthed. “I can figure that out in context, but it’s not like you’re still in the carnival. You live in a town. You’re a townie now.”
“Not in my heart.” Heidi drank more of her margarita.
The tequila went down smoothly. If her brain was a little fuzzy, that was a good thing. Soon she wouldn’t have to think about Rafe on a date. With some San Francisco-based bimbo.
“Stupid man,” she muttered. “Who does he think he is, looking that good on a horse? It’s not like I started the kissing, either. He kissed me.”
“Was it amazing?” Annabelle asked wistfully.
“Yes. But it’s not like he wanted to have sex with me.”
“Not that you’re bitter,” Charlie murmured.
“I’m not. Stupid man.”
“You said that already,” Annabelle told her.
Heidi gulped the rest of her margarita and signaled for another.
“You really don’t want that,” Charlie told her. “You’re plenty drunk as it is.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” Heidi announced.
“It’s too late,” Annabelle said. “There’s nothing we can do.”
“You’re going to be hating life, come morning.”
Maybe Charlie was right, but at this moment, Heidi didn’t care.
