Сьюзен Мэллери: Summer Days

“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.”