New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns with a new Fool’s Gold trilogy featuring three rugged cowboys who will find love in the unlikeliest of places....

Locked in an unexpected land dispute, Rafe Stryker is trapped in the one place he vowed never to return to—the Castle Ranch in Fool’s Gold, California. He made millions facing ruthless adversaries in the boardroom, but nothing could’ve prepared him to go head-to-head against stubborn, beautiful Heidi Simpson. No one is more surprised than Rafe to discover that he’s finding Heidi—and life as a cowboy—much more compelling than he wants to admit.

For Heidi, the Castle Ranch is the home she’s always wanted. After a life on the road, the vivacious blonde has finally put down roots. She won’t give that up without a fight, not even for a man whose late-night kisses make her yearn to be a little less…wholesome.

As the two turn from passionate adversaries to passionate, period, they’ll discover that summer love can last a lifetime.

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

“If you want a story that will both tug on

your heartstrings and tickle your funny bone, Mallery is the author for you!”

—RT Book Reviews on Only His

“When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.”

—RT Book Reviews on Only Yours

“An adorable, outspoken heroine and an intense hero...set the sparks flying in Mallery’s latest lively, comic, and touching family-centered story.”

—Library Journal on Only Yours

“Mallery...excels at creating varied, well-developed characters and an emotion-packed story gently infused with her trademark wit and humor.” One of the Top 10 Romances of 2011!

—Booklist on Only Mine

“Mallery’s prose is luscious and provocative.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Susan Mallery’s gift for writing humor and tenderness make all her books true gems.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.”

—Booklist

Summer Days

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is for Kristi.

Here’s what she asked that the dedication say:

I’d like to dedicate this to my mother, Doris, for teaching me the fun and value of reading and always having a good book for me. To my dear friend, Ann, who exchanges books with me and can laugh with me for no good reason and then do it again! To my husband, Kevin, you are the love of my life, keep me laughing and never keep me from a good read. Then to my dear daughter, Julie, who inspires me and I am so proud of you. I love you all, thank you for all the fun and laughter and the love of a good hat. oxox Kristi

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER ONE

ONLY IN FOOL’S GOLD would a Mercedes be brought to a stop by a goat. Rafe Stryker turned off the engine of the powerful sedan and climbed out. The goat in the middle of the road surveyed him with a confident gleam in her dark eyes. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn she was telling him this was her road and if anyone was going to back down in this battle of wills, it would be him.

“Damn goats,” he muttered, looking around for whomever owned the wayward animal. Instead, he saw a few trees, a broken fence line and, beyond all that, mountains soaring up to the heavens. Some would describe this as God’s country. Rafe knew that God, being smart and all knowing, would have nothing to do with Fool’s Gold.

Hard to believe that a three hour drive west would return Rafe to San Francisco—land of fine dining, high-rise buildings and beautiful women. It was where he belonged. Not here, on the outskirts of some town he’d promised himself he would never set foot in again. And yet he had returned, drawn by the one person he could never turn his back on—his mother.

Swearing under his breath, he eyed the goat. He would guess she weighed about a hundred and twenty pounds, give or take. While he’d spent the past eighteen years doing his best to forget his time in Fool’s Gold, the lessons he’d learned on the Castle Ranch lived on. He figured if he’d been able to wrestle an adult steer as a scrawny fourteen-year-old, he should be able to take a goat now. Or at the very least, pick her up and move her to the side of the road.

He lowered his gaze to her hooves, wondering how sharp they would be and what they would do to his suit. He rested his elbow on the roof of his car and pinched the bridge of his nose. If his mother hadn’t sounded so broken on the phone, he would turn around and go back home. In San Francisco he had a staff, minions even. People who would take care of things like goats in the road.

He chuckled, imagining his starchy assistant facing down a goat. Ms. Jennings, a fifty-something powerhouse with an innate ability to make the most successful of executives feel incompetent, would most likely stare the goat into submission.

“You found her!”

Rafe turned toward the voice and saw a woman jogging toward him. She had a rope in one hand and what looked like lettuce in the other.

“I was so worried. Athena lives to get into trouble. I can’t find a gate lock that will keep her contained. She’s smart. Aren’t you, baby girl?”

The woman approached the goat and patted her on the back. The goat moved toward her, like a dog seeking affection. She took the lettuce and the rope around her neck with equal acceptance.

The woman glanced back at him. “Hi. I’m Heidi Simpson.”

She was maybe five-nine, with blond hair she wore in braided pigtails. A cotton shirt tucked into jeans showed him she was leggy and curvy, a combination that normally appealed. Just not today. Not when he still had to deal with his mother and a town he despised.

“Rafe Stryker,” he said.

The woman—Heidi—stared at him, her green eyes widening as she took a single step back. Her full mouth trembled slightly and she lost her smile.

“Stryker,” she whispered and swallowed. “May is your—”

“Mother. How do you know her?”

Heidi took another step back. “She’s, ah, at the ranch right now. Talking to my grandfather. There seems to be a mix-up.”

“Mix-up?” He used what Ms. Jennings referred to as his scary, serial-killer voice. “Is that how you’d describe what happened? I was thinking more along the lines of fraud and theft. Felony theft.”

* * *

THIS WAS BAD, HEIDI THOUGHT, wishing she could simply run for it. Not that she wasn’t one to face her problems. But in this case, she would feel a lot better facing them around other people, rather than on a deserted road. She eyed Athena, wondering if the goat would protect her, then decided probably not. Athena would be more interested in getting a taste of Rafe Stryker’s well-cut, obviously expensive suit.

The man standing in front of her looked seriously pissed. Pissed enough to plow her over with his big car and keep going. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes, and right now he looked angry enough to crush her with his bare hands. She had a feeling he was strong enough to do it, too.

She drew in a breath. Okay, maybe he wouldn’t crush her, but he wanted to do something. She could read that in his brown-black eyes.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she began.

“I doubt that.”

His voice was low, silky and made her feel unsettled. As though she couldn’t predict what was going to happen next and, whatever it was, it was going to be bad.

“My grandfather overstepped his bounds,” she began, thinking it wasn’t the first time Glen had given in to his “ask forgiveness rather than permission” philosophy of life. “He didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

“He stole from my mother.”

Heidi winced. “You’re close to her?” She shook her head. “Never mind. Stupid question.” If Rafe didn’t take care of his mother, he wouldn’t be here now. Not that she was surprised. From what she could tell, May was a lovely woman who had been very understanding about the mistake. Although not understanding enough to keep her son out of it.

“Glen, my grandfather, has a close friend who was diagnosed with cancer. Harvey needed treatment, didn’t have insurance, and Glen wanted to help.” Heidi did her best to smile, but her lips didn’t feel as if they were cooperating. “So, um, he got the idea of selling part of the ranch. To your mother.”

“The ranch that belongs to you.”

“Technically.” Her name was the one on the bank loan. She hadn’t done the math, but she would guess she had in the neighborhood of seventy thousand dollars in equity. The rest of the ranch was tied up in her mortgage.

“He took two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from my mother, and in return she owns nothing.”

“Kind of.”

“Your grandfather has no way to pay her back.”

“He gets social security and we have some savings.”

Rafe’s gaze moved from her to Athena and back. “How much in savings?”

Defeat made her shoulders sag. “Twenty-five hundred dollars.”

“Please move the goat. I’m going to the ranch.”

Heidi stiffened her spine. “What are you going to do?”

“Have your grandfather arrested.”

“You can’t!” Glen was the only family she had. “He’s an old man.”

“I’m sure the judge will take that into account when setting bail.”

“He didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

Rafe was unmoved by her plea. “My family grew up here, Ms. Simpson. My mother was the housekeeper. The old man who owned the ranch paid her next to nothing. At times there wasn’t enough money for her to feed her four children. But she hung on because he promised to leave her the ranch when he died.”

Heidi didn’t like this story. She just knew it had a bad ending.

“Like your grandfather, he lied. When he finally died, the ranch went to distant relatives back east.” His dark eyes turned into lasers that seemed to bore into her, promising untold punishment. “No one is going to screw my mother out of this ranch twice.”

Oh, no! It was worse than she’d imagined. Much worse. “You have to understand. My grandfather would never hurt anyone. He’s a great guy.”

“He’s the man who stole two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from my mother, Ms. Simpson. The rest is simply window dressing. Now, move your…goat.”

Unable to think of what else to say, Heidi stepped to the side of the road. Athena trotted along with her. Rafe got in his car and drove away. The only thing missing from his angry departure was a cloud of dust. However, the road was paved and well maintained by the city. One of the advantages of living in Fool’s Gold.

She waited until he’d gone past, then turned toward the ranch and started to run. Athena kept up easily, for once not insisting on extending her time of freedom.

“Did you hear that?” Heidi asked, her athletic shoes pounding on the pavement. “That man is really mad at us.”

Athena trotted along, apparently unconcerned about Glen’s fate.

“You’ll be sorry if we have to sell you to pay back May Stryker,” Heidi muttered, then wished she hadn’t.

All her life she’d only wanted one thing. A home. A real home with a roof and a foundation, hooked up to sewer and water and electricity. Something most people took for granted. But she’d grown up moving from town to town, the rhythm of her days defined by the carnival where her grandfather worked.

When she’d found the Castle Ranch, she’d fallen instantly and madly in love. With the land, the old house and especially the nearby town of Fool’s Gold. She had a herd of eight goats, uncounted feral cows and nearly a thousand acres of land. She’d started a business making goat cheese and goat-milk soap. She sold goat milk and goat fertilizer. There were natural caves where she could age her cheese. This was her home and she wasn’t giving it up for anything.

But she might have to give it up for somebody. Glen. Who’d sold a part of what he didn’t own to a woman with a very angry son.

* * *

RAFE PULLED IN NEXT TO HIS mother’s car and parked. The ranch looked worse than he’d remembered—the fence lines more theory than substance, the house sagging and in need of paint. He could think of a thousand places he would rather be than here. Leaving wasn’t an option. Not until he got this mess cleaned up.

He climbed out of his car and looked around. The sky was blue—typical for California. That impossible color movie makers loved and songwriters sang about. In the distance, the Sierra Nevada mountains rose toward heaven. When he was a kid, he’d stared at those mountains, willing himself to be on the other side. Anywhere that wasn’t here would have been better. At fifteen, he’d been trapped. Funny how all these years later he was back and just as stuck.

The front door to the house opened and his mother stepped out. May Stryker might have been in her mid-fifties, but she was still beautiful, with shiny black hair that fell to her shoulders and a tall, lithe build. Rafe had inherited his height and coloring from her, although, according to his mother, his personality came from his father. May was a softhearted nurturer who wanted to take care of the world. Rafe would rest a lot easier when he’d conquered it.

“You came,” May said, crossing to him and smiling. “I knew you would. Oh, Rafe, isn’t it wonderful to be back?”

Sure, he thought grimly. Maybe later they could stop by hell for a marshmallow roast. “Mom, what’s going on? You weren’t very clear in your message.” What he meant was she hadn’t explained how she’d gotten in this situation in the first place.

All she’d said was that she’d bought a ranch, and that the man was now telling her she couldn’t have it. Mostly because he didn’t own it. Fraud before noon. Or grand theft. Either way, it was going to be a long day.

“Everything is fine,” his mother said, moving toward him. “Glen and I have been talking and…”

“Glen?”

The smile widened. “The man who sold me the ranch.” She gave a little laugh. “Apparently he had a friend who was sick and—”

“I’ve heard this part,” he said, interrupting.

“From who?”

“Heidi.”

“Oh, you met her. Isn’t she wonderful? She raises goats here on the ranch. They’ve been here nearly a year, and they’re just wonderful people. Glen is Heidi’s

grandfather. She lost her parents when she was little and he raised her.” May sighed. “They’re a wonderful family.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “Mother,” he began.

She shook her head. “I’m not one of your unruly clients, Rafe. You can’t intimidate me. I’m sorry I called you and asked you to come all the way out here, but I have everything under control.”

“I doubt that.”

Both eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”

“You’re not the only one involved. I signed the paperwork, too. Remember?”

“You can unsign it. I’ll take care of this. Now, go back to San Francisco.”

Before he could explain there was no “unsigning” a legal document, the front door opened again and an older man stepped out. He was taller than May, with white hair and sparkling blue eyes. He winked at May, gave Rafe a charming smile and hurried forward.

“There you are,” the man said, holding out his hand as he approached. “Glen Simpson. Nice to meet you. I understand there’s been a mix-up with your lovely mother here, but I want to assure you, we’re going to work it all out.”

Rafe doubted that. “You have the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars you stole from her?”

“Rafe!”

He ignored his mother and continued to stare at Glen.

“Ah, not exactly,” the older man admitted. “But we’ll get it. Or work out something with May. There’s no reason for any of this to be difficult, don’t you agree?”

“No.” Rafe drew his phone out of his shirt pocket and turned away from his mother and Glen. Before pushing the number, he loosened his tie. Then he hit speed dial.

“I told you not to go there,” a familiar voice said by way of greeting.

“I pay you for legal counsel,” Rafe muttered. “Not to say, ‘I told you so.’”

Dante Jefferson, his lawyer and business partner, chuckled. “You get the ‘I told you so’ for free.”

“Lucky me.”

“How bad is it?”

Rafe looked around at the familiar acres of land. He’d grown up here, at least until he was fifteen. He’d worked his ass off here, had gone hungry here.

“It’s bad. I need you to drive over,” Rafe said. He’d filled Dante in on what he knew before he’d left town that morning. “There’s no money to pay her back and, from what I can tell, the old man isn’t the owner of the ranch.”

Dante snorted. “Did he think she wouldn’t notice she wasn’t getting a ranch after paying two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and agreeing to a schedule to pay the rest?”

“Apparently.”

“I’ve never been to Fool’s Gold,” Dante said.

“Everyone’s luck goes bad eventually.”

Dante chuckled. “Your mother loves the town.”

“My mother also believes there are space aliens in Area 51.”

“That’s why I like her so much. Did I tell you signing documents without reading them would get you into trouble? Did you listen?”

Rafe tightened his grip on the phone. “This is you helping?”

“In my own way. I’ll call the local police and have…” There was the sound of rustling papers.

“…Glen Simpson picked up. He’ll be in custody before I hit town. I should be there by six. Between now and then, don’t do anything I’ll regret.”

Not a promise Rafe was willing to make, he thought as he hung up. He turned, only to find his mother rushing toward him.

“Rafe! You’re not arresting Glen.”

The old guy looked less charming and more pale. As Rafe watched, he swallowed and started backing toward the house.

“Mom, this guy took money from you by making you think you were buying a ranch. He doesn’t own the ranch, so he stole your money and he has no way to pay it back.”

May’s mouth twisted. “If you’re going to make it sound like that—”

He cut her off. “It is like that.”

“I don’t understand why you have to be this way.”

He glanced back at the house, expecting to see Glen slinking inside. But the old guy had only made it as far as the porch. Maybe he was going to try and bluff his way out. Rafe didn’t mind a good fight, but he preferred a more formidable opponent.

His gaze moved from the building to the yard. There were flowers—different from the ones his mother had planted, but just as colorful. A big sign offered goat milk, goat cheese and goat manure for sale. He fleetingly hoped they were kept in separate containers and on different parts of the property.

Speaking of goats, he could see a couple beyond the fence by the house. There was a big horse by the barn. No steers, he thought, remembering having to deal with them when he was a kid.

There had been good times here, he admitted to himself. Moments when he’d had fun with his brothers and sister. While his father had taught him and Shane to ride, Rafe had been the one to teach Clay and later Evangeline. Rafe had stepped into his father’s shoes after the man had died. Or he’d tried—after all, he’d been only eight. He could still remember how long it had taken to realize his daddy was never coming home again and that it was now all up to him.

The woman—Heidi—jogged up to the house, the goat trotting at her side like a well-trained dog.

“Glen, are you all right?” she asked, slightly out of breath. “What’s going on?”

“It’s going to be fine,” Glen told her, looking calm for a man about to go to jail.

“It’s not fine,” May said firmly. “My son is being difficult.”

“Not much of a surprise,” Heidi muttered, turning to him. “I know you’re angry, but we can come to terms. If you’d just listen and be reasonable.”

“Good luck,” May said with a sigh. “Rafe doesn’t believe in being reasonable.”

He shrugged. “Everyone has a flaw.”

“You think this is funny?” Heidi demanded, her green eyes snapping with outrage and fear. “We’re talking about my family.”

“And mine.”

A car pulled in behind his. Rafe saw the city seal for Fool’s Gold and a sign, Fool’s Gold Police.

A woman in her forties got out. She wore a uniform and sunglasses. The name tag read Police Chief Barns. Rafe was impressed. Dante hadn’t just made calls, he’d gone to the top.

Still clutching the goat, Heidi moved toward the woman. Heidi smiled, although her lips trembled, and despite his annoyance at her and the situation, he acknowledged she looked as innocent as a milkmaid. He glanced at the goat. Make that a goat maid.

“Police Chief Barns, I’m Heidi Simpson.”

“I know who you are.” The police chief pulled a smartphone out of her pocket and scrolled through the screen. “I’m looking for Rafe Stryker.”

“That’s me.” Rafe moved toward her. “Thank you for coming out here personally.”

“Your lawyer insisted.” The police chief didn’t sound pleased about the fact. “So, what’s going on?”

“Glen Simpson claimed to be selling the Castle Ranch to my mother for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He took her money and gave her fraudulent documents to sign. He doesn’t have ownership of the land, never opened escrow and has spent the money. Despite his claims of wanting to work things out, he has no way of paying her back.”

May made a soft, distressed sound in the back of her throat. “My son is clear on the facts, but he’s leaving out an important point.”

“Which is?” Chief Barns asked.

“That there’s no need for this to involve you and the law.”

“I’d like to agree with you, ma’am, but your son here has filed an official complaint. I don’t suppose you can tell me that he has no legal claim on any of this? Am I getting my hopes up here for nothing?”

“I signed the documents, as well,” Rafe told her. Which was his own damn fault. “My mother may believe in Mr. Simpson’s innate goodness, but I do not.”

“He’s not a bad man,” Heidi insisted.

The police chief turned to Glen. “You have anything to say about this?”

Glen looked up at the sky for a moment and back at Chief Barns. “Nope.”

“Then I’m going to have to take you in.”

“You can’t.” Heidi physically moved between the chief and her grandfather, the goat still at her side. “Please don’t. My grandfather isn’t a young man. It’s jail. He could die in there.”

“It’s not Alcatraz,” Rafe told her. “It’s a city jail in a small town. Not exactly hard time.”

“You know this from personal experience?” Heidi asked.

“No.”

“Then stay out of it.” Heidi’s eyes filled with tears as she returned her attention to the police chief. “There has to be something you can do.”

“You’ll need to talk to the judge,” Chief Barns said, her voice surprisingly kind. “Your friend here is right. It’s not a bad jail. He’ll be fine.”

“I’m not her friend.”

“He’s not my friend.”

Heidi and Rafe looked at each other.

“Can I kick him?” Heidi asked the police chief. “Just once, but really hard?”

“Maybe later.”

Rafe knew better than to protest. The way the two women were glaring at him, getting off with a single kick would be a light sentence.

He wanted to point out that he hadn’t done anything wrong here, that Glen was the bad guy. But this wasn’t a time for logic. He knew his mother well enough to guess that, and he doubted Heidi was all that much different.

Glen didn’t put up a fight. He was quickly handcuffed and put in the back of the car.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Heidi said. “To bail you out.”

“We won’t be able to set bail until the morning,” Chief Barns told her. “But you’re welcome to visit. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”

The chief got in her car and drove away. Heidi led the goat away, and May turned on her son.

“How could you arrest him?”

Rafe thought about pointing out that he hadn’t arrested Glen—he’d only arranged to have it done. A detail she wouldn’t appreciate.

“He stole from you, Mom. You lost this ranch once. I’m not going to watch you lose it again.”

Her anger visibly faded. “Oh, Rafe. You’ve always been so good to me. But I can take care of myself.”

“You just got swindled out of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

May crossed to him. “If you’re going to bring that up.”

He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Despite her height, he was still a good half foot taller.

“You know you make me crazy, right?” he asked.

She hugged him back. “Yes, but I don’t do it on purpose.”

“I know.”

She looked up at him. “Now what?”

“Now we get your ranch.”

CHAPTER TWO

HEIDI STOOD IN THE MIDDLE of Fool’s Gold, not sure what to do first. Glen needed her help, and she needed a lawyer. Not that she had any money to pay one, but that was a problem for another time. Right now, the pressing issue was getting her grandfather out of jail.

She turned in a slow circle, seeing the sign for Morgan’s Books and the Starbucks where she hung out with her friends. There was Jo’s Bar, but no large banner proclaiming “excellent and free legal advice here!”

Pulling out her phone, she scrolled until she found Charlie’s number, then sent a quick text: Urgent. Can we talk?

Seconds later, came the reply: Sure. At the station.

“The station” being the city fire station. Heidi left her truck where it was and walked the short three blocks to the firehouse.

The firehouse was in the oldest part of town. It was a two-story brick-and-wood structure with big garage doors facing the street. They stood open in the warm April afternoon. Charlie Dixon was waiting by the red fire engine she drove.

“What’s up?” she asked as Heidi hurried forward.

“There’s a problem with Glen.”

Charlie, a tall, competent woman who had never met a man she couldn’t beat at anything, put her strong hands on her narrow hips and raised her eyebrows.

“He’s your grandfather. How much trouble could he be in?”

“You have no idea.”

Heidi quickly brought her friend up to date on Glen, the perky widow he’d swindled, the mysterious and ruthless Rafe Stryker, and the fact that Glen was now sitting in the Fool’s Gold jail.

Charlie swore. “It’s so like a man to make all this mess,” she grumbled. “Glen seriously sold someone your ranch?”

Heidi sighed. “There was paperwork and everything.”

This wasn’t the first time her grandfather had flirted with the wrong side of the law, but generally he kept his scams smaller and avoided the felony category. For the past few years, all she’d had to worry about was his propensity to have a woman in every city. For a guy in his seventies, he got a lot of action.

“I need to get him out of there,” Heidi said. “He’s the only family I have.”

“I know. Okay, stay calm. I mean that. Fool’s Gold jail isn’t exactly grim. He’ll be fine there. As to getting him out—” She looked at Heidi. “Don’t take this wrong, but do you have any money?”

Heidi winced as she thought about the sad little balance in her checking account. “I’ve put everything I have into my goats.”

“There’s a mortgage on the ranch?”

“A big one.”

Charlie gave her a quick hug. “Living the American dream.”

“I was,” Heidi told her, appreciating the physical support. “Until this happened.”

She didn’t mind making the monthly payments to the bank. They were a sign of stability, proof she had a home, something she would one day own outright.

“I know a lawyer,” Charlie said. “She takes on pro bono cases from time to time. Let me call and talk to her, then I’ll send you over.”

“You think she’ll help me?”

Charlie grinned. “She adores me. I used to date her son. When we broke up, he got involved with some bimbo, got her pregnant and had to get married. While he’s wildly in love with his new bride and family, Trisha thinks of me as the one who got away.”

Charlie was the least feminine woman Heidi knew. She wore her hair short, dressed for comfort rather than fashion and would deck anyone who came at her with mascara. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t attractive, in a low-maintenance kind of way. Heidi had seen guys around town watching Charlie. As if they suspected she was the kind of woman who was hard to tame, but once loyal, would be a wild ride for life.

“His loss,” Heidi told her.

“You’re a good friend.”

“So are you. I didn’t know who else to talk to about Glen.”

She had other friends, but she’d known instinctively that Charlie would cut to the heart of the problem, help sort it out and then move on without making a fuss.

“We’ll get this fixed.”

Heidi hung on to that promise. Her parents had died when she was a toddler. She didn’t remember them. Glen had stepped in to raise her. From that moment on, they’d been a team. No matter what he’d done, Heidi would stand by her grandfather. Even if that meant taking on the likes of Rafe Stryker.

* * *

ACCORDING TO CHARLIE, TRISHA Wynn should be in her sixties, but she looked forty and dressed as if she were twenty-five. Her dress—a pink-and-gold wrap with a plunging neckline—clung to impressive curves. Her heels were high, her makeup heavy and her earrings jangled.

“Any friend of Charlie’s,” Trisha said by way of greeting, waving Heidi into her small but comfortable office. “So Glen got himself into some trouble. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Heidi sank into the comfortable leather visitor’s chair. “You know my grandfather?”

Trisha winked. “We had a long weekend together last fall up at the resort. A suite with a fireplace, plenty of room service. I generally avoid older men, but for Glen I made an exception. It was worth it.”

Heidi did her best to smile and nod, when she

really wanted to stick her fingers into her ears and start humming. She never wanted to hear the details about her grandfather’s personal life, and right now it was especially unwelcome.

“Yes, well, I’m glad you were, ah, pleased,” she began.

Trisha’s smile widened. “That’s one way to describe it. So, what has Glen done now?”

For the second time in an hour, Heidi explained about Glen, May Stryker and her son. Trisha listened, taking notes as Heidi spoke.

“You don’t have the money to pay May back.”

Trisha made a statement rather than asking a question, but Heidi answered it, anyway. “I don’t have any money, to speak of. I have twenty-five hundred dollars in my savings account, and that’s it.”

Trisha flinched. “Word to the wise. Don’t ever tell a lawyer that.”

“Oh. Charlie said—well, implied—that you might take this on pro bono.”

Trisha steepled her bright fuchsia fingernails. “I do take on a few cases like that. Mostly because they interest me or because I’m guilted into it. My fourth husband, may he rest in peace, left me very well off. So it’s not like I need the money. Still, it’s nice to be paid.”

Heidi wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she kept her mouth shut.

Trisha leaned back in her chair. “Here are the major problems as I see them. First, taking two hundred and fifty thousand dollars isn’t something any judge is going to find amusing. We’re so far into felony territory that Glen could be put away for years. If you’re as broke as you say, paying back the money right away isn’t going to happen.”

Heidi nodded. “If I could make payments…”

“That’s going to be one part of our defense. That you want to make good on the money. Come up with a payment plan. What is it you do?”

“I raise goats. I use their milk for cheese and soap. Two of my goats are pregnant. I’ll be able to sell the kids.”

Trisha raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Just once I’d like to work with someone doing an internet start-up. But do you bring me that?” She returned her attention to Heidi. “Goats. Okay, well that ties you to the community. This Harvey guy—the source of the trouble. Get him here. The judge needs to see the reason Glen took the money. How’s Harvey doing?”

“He’s great. His cancer treatments worked, and the doctors expect him to die in his sleep in about twenty years.”

“Good. Have Harvey bring medical records.”

Trisha continued to detail their strategy. When she was done, she said, “What was the son’s name?”

“Rafe Stryker.”

Trisha typed the information into her laptop. Her perfect lips twisted. “You picked the wrong man to mess with, missy. He would scare a shark.” There was more typing, followed by a groan. “Is he good-looking?”

Heidi thought about the tall, slightly frightening stranger who wanted to destroy her world. “Yes.”

“If I were you, I’d think about getting him into bed. Sex might be the only way to win this one.”

Heidi felt her mouth drop open. She consciously closed it. “Is there a plan B?”

* * *

RAFE DROVE SLOWLY THROUGH Fool’s Gold, his mother’s car a half block behind his. He hadn’t been in the town in years and he could easily, not to mention happily, go a lifetime without returning again.

It wasn’t that the town wasn’t attractive—if one was into pretty, small towns and local color. Storefronts were clean, sidewalks wide. Windows advertised sales and festivals. Despite the fact that it was a weekday, plenty of people were out walking around. From a business perspective, Fool’s Gold seemed to be thriving. But for him, this would always be the place he’d been trapped as a kid, taking on more than he could manage.

Everything was smaller than he remembered. Probably the perspective of being an adult, he told himself. He recognized the park where he’d met his friends on a rare afternoon away from chores and family. The road up to the school was the same, and he saw three boys on bikes riding in that direction.

He’d had a bike, he recalled. A bike one of the women in town had given to him. He’d been ten or eleven and desperate to be like his friends. But the bike was charity and his pride had battled with practicality.

He couldn’t complain—the town had been plenty kind. Every August there had been new clothes for school, new shoes and backpacks filled with the necessary supplies. On the holidays, baskets of food had appeared. At Christmas, toys had been left. His lunch at school had been free, something that had humiliated him, even though the cafeteria workers never drew attention to the fact. Once when he was walking home from school, a woman had pulled over, opened her car door and handed him a jacket. Just like that.

The jacket had been new and thick and warm. In the pockets, he’d found gloves and five dollars. Back then, it was all the money in the world. He’d been grateful and furious at the same time.

While he’d appreciated the gestures and the care, he’d hated that either had been necessary. Several nights a week, he’d been forced to lie to his mother and say he wasn’t hungry for dinner so his brothers and sister could have enough to eat. He’d gone to bed, determined to ignore the burning emptiness gnawing at him.

He’d never understood the vicious old man his mother had worked for—a man who had made sure there was plenty for himself, but not enough for a hardworking housekeeper to feed her children. The only bright spot in coming back was that, while the old caretaker’s house still stood, the place where

the old man had lived was gone.

None of which was the town’s fault, he told himself. Still, the memories were there. Things he’d tried to forget, to grow past. He was a powerful man, wealthy. He could pick up the phone and be put through to a senator or diplomat. He knew the CEOs of nearly half the Fortune 500 companies. But, driving through Fool’s Gold, he was once again the too-thin kid who’d longed to know what it would be like to feel safe and secure. To have a full belly and toys and a mother who didn’t hide worry behind a loving smile.

He turned into the courtyard in front of Ronan’s Lodge, the main hotel in town. The Gold Rush Ski Resort was too far out of town to be practical, so the lodge would do.

Ronan’s Lodge, or as the locals called it, Ronan’s Folly, had been built during the gold rush. The large, three-story building was a testament to fine craftsmanship from a time when detail work was done by hand. As a valet hurried toward his car, Rafe took in the carved double doors that led to the lobby.

Years ago, when he’d been small, he’d never imagined he would ever be able to stay in a place like this. Now he got out of his car and took the ticket the valet offered, as if he showed up at places like this every day. Which he did—but it never got old.

He collected the small leather duffel he’d packed and went back to help his mother. May was staring at the hotel and smiling.

“I remember this place,” she told him, her eyes bright with delight. “It’s so beautiful. Are we really going to stay here?”

“It’s convenient.”

“You need a little more romance in your soul.”

“Now you have a project.”

She laughed and touched his cheek. “Oh, Rafe, isn’t it wonderful to be back? Driving through town like that, I didn’t know where to look first. Don’t you love everything about this town? I’m sorry we had to leave. We were so happy here.”

He supposed in some ways they had been, but getting out of Fool’s Gold had been a goal that consumed him. Which wasn’t a conversation he was going to have with his mother, he reminded himself.

“You can be happy again, once you have your ranch,” he told her, taking her suitcase and escorting her into the hotel.

The lobby was large and three stories tall. There were carved panels on the wall and a chandelier made of imported Irish crystal. He wasn’t sure where that small fact had come from or why he’d remembered it, but there it was.

Even as May paused to press both hands to her chest and gaze around in wonder, Rafe walked to the reception desk and gave his last name.

“There should be two rooms,” he said, knowing his ever-efficient assistant would have handled things.

“Yes, Mr. Stryker. Of course. We have you and your mother each in a suite on our third floor.” The young woman in a blue suit gave him paperwork to sign, then told him about the restaurant hours and that room service was available around the clock.

He was more interested in getting a drink. Make that several. After glancing briefly toward the bar, he collected his mother and herded her toward the elevator.

“I only need a very small room,” she said as they rode to the third floor.

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out with Glen and Heidi, and then I won’t be in the hotel at all.”

He stopped in front of the first door and inserted a key card. “Mom, even when you own the ranch, do you really think you’ll want to live there? You’ll be out in the middle of nowhere.” While his mother was only in her fifties, he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with her being alone on a ranch. “The house is old and I doubt it’s been updated.” He thought about the roof and the fading paint, and felt the beginnings of a headache.

May patted his arm. “You’re sweet to worry, Rafe, but I’ll be fine. I’ve wanted to return to the ranch ever since we lost it nearly twenty years ago. I belong there. Seeing it was magical. I want to make it into a home. Everything is going to work out. You’ll see.”

He didn’t doubt he would win in court. Dante would see to that. But there was a long, dusty road between winning and everything working out. His mother had a way of complicating a situation.

“I want to go visit Glen in jail,” she announced as he took her suitcase into the suite’s bedroom.

“Exhibit A,” he murmured, watching the first of the complications manifest.

“I feel badly that he’s there.” Her warm gaze cooled. “You didn’t have to call the police.”

“He was breaking the law.”

“I know and I appreciate that you were also looking out for me, but I think we should find another way.”

With luck, his room would have a minibar, he thought grimly. Then he wouldn’t even have to go downstairs.

“Glen is fine.”

“You don’t know that. I’m going to see him.”

He recognized stubborn, mostly because he’d inherited it from her. “Give me a half hour to check in with the office and I’ll come get you. We’ll go together.”

The smile returned. “Thank you.”

Sure, now that she was getting her way she smiled. He promised to be back in thirty minutes, then escaped to his own room at the end of the hall.

He used the card key and stepped into the quiet, mother-free space. The room faced the mountains, and the drapes were parted enough for him to see the Sierra Nevada peaks aiming for the heavens.

He walked into the bedroom, tossed his duffel on the king-size bed, then returned to the living room of the suite and removed his tie. Instead of searching for the minibar, he grabbed his cell phone and called his office.

“Mr. Stryker’s office,” his businesslike assistant answered on the first ring.

“Hello, Ms. Jennings.”

“Mr. Stryker. You’re in Fool’s Gold with your mother?”

“Yes, and it looks like I’m going to be here awhile.”

“I gathered that when Mr. Jefferson mentioned he would be joining you. It’s a lovely town.”

Rafe felt his eyebrows rise. Ms. Jennings never mentioned anything personal. He wasn’t sure if the woman was married, a grandmother or living with a rock band.

“You’ve visited?”

“Several times. They have wonderful festivals.”

There was no accounting for taste, he thought. “I’ll have to check them out.”

“I can send you a schedule. It’s on the city’s website, www.FoolsGoldCA.com.”

“Uh, not right now, but thanks for the offer. I’m going to need you to rearrange my calendar. Cancel what isn’t important and reschedule everything else.”

There was a pause when Rafe knew she was taking notes.

“Not a problem,” she told him. “I’m checking the next two weeks now, and it’s all things I can handle. Except for your meeting with Nina Blanchard.”

Rafe sank onto the sofa and held in a curse. “I’ll call her myself.”

“Of course.”

They finished the rest of their business, then hung up. Rafe returned to the bedroom, quickly changed out of his suit, into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, then shrugged on his leather jacket.

He couldn’t avoid Nina Blanchard forever, he thought. After all, he was the one who had hired her. But there was no way he could take advantage of her services while he was in Fool’s Gold. She was going to have to wait until he’d solved the problem that was his mother.

* * *

AFTER LEAVING FOOL’S GOLD, Rafe had been determined to experience what the world had to offer. He’d gone to Harvard on a scholarship, had toured Europe and made friends with the rich and powerful. But he’d never been to jail before.

While he was sure they all looked somewhat similar, he had a feeling the Fool’s Gold jail was considered one of the better places to be incarcerated.

For one thing, instead of industrial colors, the walls were a warm yellow, trimmed in cream. Bright posters advertised the festivals his assistant so adored. Rather than inhaling the scent of cleaning supplies or something less pleasant, Rafe smelled chili and fresh-baked bread. The woman who signed them in to visit Glen was young and friendly, not the grim-faced officer usually found in the movies.

“We’ve been busy tonight,” Officer Rodriguez said. Her shiny, dark hair was pulled back into a bouncy ponytail.

Rafe studied the hairstyle. Weren’t ponytails a bad idea in law enforcement? Didn’t they give criminals something to grab on to, thereby giving them physical control of the situation? Or was Fool’s Gold so close to nirvana that they didn’t deal with serious crime here?

“Glen Simpson is a very popular man.” Officer Rodriquez grinned. “The town’s averages are getting better, but there’s still a shortage for our ladies of a certain age, and Glen’s a charmer.”

May signed the clipboard. “What averages?”

“We had a man shortage. The news about that all came out last year, and it was a mess. The media came crawling in, and there was a reality show here and everything.”

“I think I remember that,” his mother said thoughtfully. “True Love or Fool’s Gold. It went off the air before it was finished.”

“No one was watching, which is too bad. I thought it was good. Anyway, since word got out about our man shortage, we’ve been getting plenty of them moving in. Which has made my life more interesting.” Her brown eyes sparkled. “But most of them have been younger. So when Glen came, he was considered hot stuff. He’s only been in jail a few hours, and we’ve already had six…” She glanced at the clipboard.

“…make that seven visitors for him.”

May looked uneasy. “I assure you, I’m not here on any romantic mission. I wanted to make sure Glen, ah, Mr. Simpson, was all right.” She leaned toward the officer and lowered her voice. “My son’s the one who put him in jail.”

“Way to be supportive, Mom.”

“We could have worked things out.”

“Not if you planned to get your money back.”

May’s expression tightened, a sure sign she was getting her stubborn on. He held up both hands. “You’re right. We’ll check on him. It’s the right thing to do.”

He resisted glancing at his watch, confident they would be back at the hotel long before the bar closed.

Officer Rodriguez led them down a long, brightly lit hallway, then through a set of double doors. The delicious smells grew more intense, reminding Rafe he hadn’t had lunch and it was closing in on dinner time.

“Here we are,” the officer said, pulling open another door and motioning for them to enter. “Glen, you have more visitors.”

Rafe’s only experience with jail came from what he’d seen on TV and in the movies. So he wasn’t sure where Fool’s Gold stood on the “grim” spectrum. But nothing had prepared him for Glen’s current living conditions.

The old man lay stretched out in his cell. There was the requisite cot, although this one was covered with a beautiful quilt, and there were at least a dozen pillows propped up on the bed. A brightly colored rug covered most of the floor. Flowers spilled from vases, and TV trays served as tables.

Just outside the barred front, a large, flat-screen TV sat on a stand. The sound of an action movie spilled into the space. A long shelf to the side of the television served as a kind of buffet. Nearly a dozen covered dishes and Crock-Pots stood waiting to serve. There were pies, cakes and cookies.

“You!”

Rafe turned and saw the police chief marching toward him. “Ma’am?”

“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me,” she growled, grabbing his arm in a steely grip and dragging him back into the hallway.

“This is your fault,” she snapped, when they were alone. “Don’t think you’re not in trouble.”

Police Chief Barns might only come up to his shoulder, but there was something about her stance that warned him she wasn’t going to take any lip.

“What are you talking about?”

“That man.” She pointed back at the door leading to the jail cells.

“If he’s a problem,” he began, only to have her glare at him. It was a good glare—better than his assistant’s.

“Oh, there’s a problem, but it’s not coming from him. It’s those women. Do you know how many have visited here?”

“Six?” he asked, remembering there had been seven according to Officer Rodriguez, and he assumed his mother was in that count.

“Six,” the police chief confirmed. “They’re showing up here with their food and blankets. One brought that damn television. Another dragged in a foam mattress cover. We wouldn’t want our detainees to feel uncomfortable while they sleep, would we?”

“I’m not sure how this is my fault.”

“You made me arrest him.” She poked him in the chest. “Make it go away, or I swear I’ll make your life a living hell.”

“We’re going to court in the morning.”

“Good. The last thing I want is a bunch of civilians treating my jail like a church social. When the judge asks if you mind if Glen is released on his own recognizance, you better say no. You hear me?”

Rafe thought about pointing out that she was breaking more than a few laws with this conversation. That he had the right to request Glen be held until trial. But where was the win? Until the situation was resolved, he was stuck in town. His mother wanted to make her home here, on that damned ranch. Having the police chief as an enemy wouldn’t help either of their causes.

“I’ll have a word with my attorney,” he told her.

“That’s all I ask.” She drew in a breath, then released it slowly. “I swear, if someone else shows up with a Crock-Pot, there’s going to be blood.”

CHAPTER THREE

HEIDI SAT UNEASILY in the courtroom, Glen’s friend Harvey next to her. She’d never been to court before—had never even received a parking ticket. She found herself wanting to fidget or run. The judge, a tall, thin woman draped in black robes, intimidated her more than she wanted to admit. The bailiff was equally authoritarian in her uniform. There was an air of hushed expectation, with excited murmurs from those watching.

Her gaze slid from where Glen and Trisha Wynn were having a quiet conversation to the other table. Rafe Stryker sat next to an equally powerful-looking man. They were both dressed in navy suits, with white shirts and red ties, but the similarities ended there. Rafe was all dark—dark hair, dark eyes and a dark scowl. He surveyed the room unhappily, as if annoyed he had to be bothered with something as insignificant as this. Although, according to Glen’s lawyer, May Stryker had “bought” the ranch with her son, which meant Rafe was an equal party in the complaint.

The other man had blond hair and killer blue eyes. He was pretty enough to make even Heidi notice, despite her distraction over the proceedings. When she looked at Rafe, she felt a clenching in the pit of her stomach—something that didn’t happen when she glanced at his lawyer.

Trisha turned and motioned for Heidi to lean forward.

“Dante Jefferson,” she whispered, pointing to Rafe’s friend. “I know him by reputation, although I wouldn’t mind getting to know him in other ways.”

Heidi blinked in surprise. Dante was young enough to be Trisha’s son. Not that she was going to judge, she told herself. Trisha was working the case for free.

“Is he good?”

Trisha’s amused expression tightened. “The best. He’s not just Rafe’s lawyer. They’re also business partners. Successful business partners. Between them, they’ve made enough money to rival the GDP of a midsize country.”

Heidi pressed her hand to her churning stomach. “Is Glen going to prison?”

“Not if I can help it. It will depend on the judge.” She turned her attention to Harvey. “You ready?”

The old man nodded. “I’m here for Glen, just like he was there for me.” He gave a wink.

“Good. The judge will want to speak to you,” Trisha told him. “Be honest. Just say what happened.”

“I will.”

Heidi could only hope it was enough.

She glanced around the court as Trisha returned her attention to Glen. May Stryker caught Heidi’s eye. Rafe’s mother gave her a little wave and a smile. Heidi wasn’t sure what to make of that. May was the reason Glen was in trouble.

No, Heidi reminded herself. Glen was the reason he was in trouble. He’d knowingly swindled May out of a lot of money. Only he’d done it to help Harvey, which complicated everything.

She wanted to be furious with her grandfather, but she couldn’t get past the fear pressing down on her. In the next few minutes, they could lose everything. The home she’d been so desperate to have, her precious goats and every cent they had. Then what? Where would they go? She’d only ever wanted to belong somewhere, and now that might be taken from her.

Judge Loomis took off her reading glasses. “I’ve reviewed the material. Ms. Wynn, you’re representing Mr. Simpson pro bono?”

Glen’s lawyer rose. “Yes, Your Honor. I was so moved by his case, I had to help.”

“So noted.”

The fear of losing everything forced Heidi to her feet. “Your Honor?”

The judge looked at her disapprovingly. Trisha groaned.

“I’m Heidi Simpson,” Heidi said quickly. “May I speak?”

The judge glanced at the paperwork in front of her, then turned back to Heidi. “As this is your ranch we’re talking about, all right. What do you have to say, Ms. Simpson?”

Heidi looked at Trisha, who rolled her eyes. Heidi was aware of everyone looking at her.

She was used to drawing a crowd. She’d grown up with her grandfather traveling with the carnival, working various games and helping out with the animals. She knew how to entice people to play the ring toss or gather around while she performed various card tricks. But that was expected attention. She planned for it, knew what to say. This was different—mostly because so much was at stake.

Heidi ignored the shaking that began in her thighs and radiated out. She willed herself to be strong, to rise to the occasion and find the words to impress the judge.

“I’m not happy to be here,” Heidi admitted, meeting the judge’s neutral gaze. “But I’m glad Harvey is alive.” She glanced at her grandfather’s friend and smiled. “I’ve known Harvey since I was a little girl. He’s a part of my extended family. When he came to Glen, he was dying. Now he’s healthy, and my grandfather made that possible. As much as I love my home, I can’t value it above a person’s life.”

Rafe snorted. His lawyer hushed him.

Heidi found herself staring at the ruthless businessman. “Not everything can be reduced to a dollar value,” she said. “My grandfather was wrong to try to sell Mrs. Stryker the ranch and wrong to take the money. But he didn’t do it lightly or without a really good reason. He was helping someone who is like a brother to him.”

Heidi shifted her gaze back to the judge, but was unable to figure out what she was thinking.

Heidi continued. “The ranch is everything I’ve ever wanted in a home. I raise goats, Your Honor. I have a small herd of eight. I use the milk to produce cheese and soap. I also sell the goat milk to a few people in town. It’s not a big business. It supports me and my grandfather. He took me in when my parents died. He took care of me and loved me, and now I want to be here for him. I’m taking responsibility for what my grandfather did. We’re willing to work out some kind of payment plan with Mrs. Stryker.”

“You’ll put everything on the line for your grandfather,” the judge said slowly. “I see. But you don’t have the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

“No.”

“The property is mortgaged?”

Trisha rose. “Permission to approach the bench, Your Honor. I have the paperwork for the mortgage right here.”

The judge nodded.

Trisha took the folder to her, then returned to her seat next to Glen. Heidi waited anxiously while the judge flipped through the pages, scanning them quickly. When she was done, she looked up, over her reading glasses.

“In today’s financial climate, it’s unlikely you could get much of a second mortgage. By my calculations, it would cover less than twenty percent of what your grandfather took from Mrs. Stryker.”

Heidi stared at the judge, not knowing what to say. Another mortgage? Where was she supposed to come up with the money for that?

“How much of the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars do you have now?” the judge asked. “In cash?”

Heidi thought of her savings account and swallowed. “Two thousand, five hundred dollars.”

Several people watching whispered. Heidi felt herself flush.

Rafe’s lawyer stood. “Your Honor, we’re all clear on how wonderfully virtuous it is that Ms. Simpson loves her grandfather, and of course she wants to pay back the money. But Glen Simpson stole from my clients. He took advantage of May Stryker’s advanced years and business inexperience to swindle her out of a significant amount of money.”

“Advanced years?” May said, loud enough for several people to hear. “I’m not in my dotage.”

“Sit down, Mr. Jefferson,” the judge told him. “You’ll get your turn.”

“Yes, Your Honor.” The lawyer returned to his seat, but he looked more pleased than offended by the request.

Heidi wished Rafe and his friend were a lot more worried.

The judge glanced down at her notes, then back at Heidi. “You may be seated, Ms. Simpson. Am I correct in assuming the man next to you is Harvey, your grandfather’s friend?”

She nodded.

The judge asked Harvey to stand and listened while he detailed how he’d learned of his cancer and the fairly straightforward treatment that would give him many more years of life. But as he wasn’t old enough to qualify for Medicare and had never made enough to afford insurance, he was helpless to pay for the cure. Glen had been the one to come through with the money, and now Harvey was cancer-free.

Glen was questioned next. He spoke a little about his history and his intentions. To Heidi, he sounded like an itinerant gambler with a heart of gold. Which wasn’t far from the truth. Her grandfather had always made decisions without thinking about the consequences—he’d just as easily invited Heidi into his life, and his love had certainly outweighed his occasional irresponsibility. Finally, Rafe’s lawyer rose.

He turned to Harvey. “I’m glad you’re better,” he said. “Good health is a blessing.”

Harvey nodded.

Dante faced the judge. “Your Honor, it appears much of this case is about what home means. For Ms. Simpson and her grandfather, the ranch is a dream come true. But it’s also that for Mrs. Stryker. Thirty years ago, she and her husband came to Fool’s Gold to work at the Castle Ranch. Her husband was to manage the ranch, while May took care of Mr. Castle and raised their children. A few years later, May’s husband was killed, leaving her alone with three small boys.”

Heidi knew what was coming and realized it was nearly as sympathy-inducing as Harvey’s recovery. Not good news for her.

“May continued to work as the housekeeper, but, without her husband’s salary, money was tight. Mr. Castle was not a generous man, and the working conditions were difficult, but May hung on. You see, Mr. Castle had promised to will her the ranch when he died. But he lied, and when he passed, the ranch went to distant relatives back east. Crushed, May took her young family to Los Angeles and found work there. But she never forgot the Castle Ranch. When she learned it was for sale, she was finally going to reclaim what had been denied her. But once again, the ranch was snatched from her. This time by a thief.”

Dante paused to point to Glen. Heidi was more concerned by his words than his theatrical gestures. Even though she had no part in the past or Glen’s actions, she still felt horrible and guilty, as if she’d done something wrong.

“Dante, stop it!” May rose. “Your Honor, can I say something?”

The judge threw up her hands. “Well, everyone else has had a chance to speak today. Go ahead, Mrs. Stryker.”

Rafe stood. “Mom, this isn’t the time.”

“It is exactly the time. I know you’re a successful businessman and winning is everything to you, but I don’t like any of this. Yes, of course, there’s the money, but I don’t want Heidi and her grandfather turned out. I know exactly what it feels like to lose a home. We need to work something out. All of us. A compromise.”

May turned to Heidi. “We could share it. I’m not sure exactly how, but you seem reasonable, and I want this to work.”

“Me, too,” Heidi murmured.

“Good.” May faced the judge. “Heidi has the most lovely goats. She needs a place to run her business.”

“You do realize Glen Simpson stole two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from you,” the judge said.

“Of course, but Heidi mentioned a payment plan. I’m open to that.”

“She doesn’t have the means,” Dante said. “Your Honor, she admitted she has twenty-five hundred dollars. My client isn’t interested in a payment plan that takes us into the next millennium. As he signed the documents, as well, he should have an equal say in what happens.”

The judge nodded slowly. “Yes, I see, Mr. Jefferson. But I’m surprised that a successful businessman such as your client didn’t realize the deal was a sham before he signed.”

Dante muttered something under his breath. “He was busy, Your Honor.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Are you saying your client didn’t read the documents in question?”

“No, he did not.”

“Caveat emptor, Mr. Jefferson,” the judge said.

Trisha turned and whispered, “Let the buyer beware. It’s Latin.”

Heidi wanted to believe that the judge was on their side, but she had a feeling that she was reading too much into the exchange. With so much on the line, hope seemed painfully naive.

Judge Loomis leaned back in her large leather chair and removed her reading glasses.

“Mr. Stryker, despite your legal claim, am I correct in assuming this is truly your mother’s property?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

The judge nodded slowly. She glanced at May, who stood with her hands clasped.

“You’ve given me a lot to think about,” the judge said at last. “While Mr. Simpson took a significantly large sum of money, I believe it was with good intentions. Not an excuse, Mr. Simpson,” she added sternly.

Glen lowered his chin. “You are so right, ma’am.”

“Ms. Simpson, your willingness to help your grandfather is admirable but, twenty-five hundred dollars isn’t going to cut it.”

Heidi swallowed. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“Mr. Stryker, you’re a businessman who signed a contract without reading it. You deserve what you get.”

Heidi saw Rafe’s jaw muscle clench, but he didn’t speak.

“Mrs. Stryker, you seem the most injured party here, yet you’re the one who counsels forgiveness and compromise. You have given my somewhat cynical spirit a good dose of hope. I admire you and will therefore consider the merits of this case from your point of view.”

Heidi wasn’t sure what that meant, but wondered if it was possible they weren’t going to lose everything.

“The easiest answer is to put Mr. Simpson in jail, order him to stand trial, or plead out and be done with it. For you, Mrs. Stryker, I’m willing to consider other options. I would like to do some research on precedence for a case like this. Unfortunately, my schedule is fully booked right now, and my law clerk is getting married next week and then going on her honeymoon. So she isn’t available, either.”

The judge considered for a moment. “There is also the matter of the bank loan. Would they be willing to transfer the note to Mrs. Stryker and her son? While I doubt that would be a problem, they do need to be consulted. As you are all aware, banks can be notoriously slow in responding to this kind of thing.”

She paused, then smiled slightly. “All right, Mrs. Stryker, you shall have your compromise. You and your son will share the property with Ms. Simpson and her grandfather. You will in essence co-own it, at least for now. We will continue to work from our end, speaking with the bank and researching the case. In the meantime, Ms. Simpson, I suggest you do all you can to raise the money owed Mrs. Stryker. Legally, of course.”

Heidi felt as if she’d just fallen through a rabbit hole. Share the ranch? The four of them? It was better than losing everything, but how was it supposed to work?

She was aware of May beaming at Glen, and of Rafe, who whispered furiously to his attorney.

“Your Honor?” May raised her hand.

“Yes?”

“If Heidi and I agree, is it all right to make improvements to the property? The barn needs fixing and the fences are in terrible shape.”

“I remind you, I have not reached a final decision. It is possible you could lose the ranch completely, Mrs. Stryker. Please remember that. But if you and Ms. Simpson agree to the improvement, and you accept there will be no compensation should you lose this proceeding, then go ahead. I will call the concerned parties back when I’m ready to rule. Brace yourself, people. It could be a while.”

Heidi was still reeling from the sudden, if temporary, reprieve. She stood, as instructed, then swayed slightly, feeling as if she’d just avoided being smashed by a speeding train.

“This is good, right?” she asked Trisha.

“It’s better than Glen standing trial.” She smiled at the older man. “Not that I don’t adore you, hon, but your bony ass would so be going to prison. Two hundred and fifty grand is miles into felony territory.” She turned to Heidi. “Make it work with May. Figure out a compromise, be nice and, for heaven’s sake, start putting away money. If you can’t come up with a solution on your own, then showing you’ve made significant progress in paying back the money will help.”

“Okay,” Heidi murmured, aware that Rafe continued to have a heated conversation with his lawyer. He shot several angry glances in her general direction. May, she decided, wasn’t going to be a problem. If only the same could said about her son.

Trisha leaned close. “Remember what I told you yesterday,” she whispered. “Sex can fix a lot of sticky situations.”

Heidi took in Rafe’s well-tailored suit and expensive shoes. Even if she ignored them, there was still the man himself. Everything about him screamed stubborn and arrogant. Sure he was handsome, and it would be easy to get lost in his dark eyes, but she had a feeling falling under his spell would be a lot like a rabbit getting mesmerized by a cobra. It all seemed like great fun until the fangs sank in.

“Rafe Stryker isn’t the type to be seduced into anything.”

“All men are the type. Trust me.”

“Then I’m not the type,” Heidi admitted. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Sex wasn’t supposed to be about power; it was supposed to be about love. Or at least caring and attraction.

“Just think about it,” Trisha advised her. “The right woman can bring down an empire.”

Which sounded great, but wasn’t what Heidi was interested in doing. She only wanted to keep her grandfather out of jail while hanging on to her home and her goats. Modest dreams that wouldn’t impress anyone but were the world to her.

Still, desperate times and all that. She looked at Rafe, taking in the broad shoulders and surprisingly sensual mouth. Could she do it? Could she seduce a man like him? Make him forget that he was supposed to destroy her?

She imagined herself in something slinky, with heels, and her hair loose and curly, blowing back from the wind of an invisible fan. Like in the movies, she thought. Only instead of making a smooth entrance, she would probably get her feet tangled up in the hem of her outfit and sprawl face first onto the floor. Oh, yeah. Talk about impressive.

The picture was so clear that she grinned, then happened to look toward the man in question. Only he didn’t look amused. There was determination in his dark gaze. A steely set to his body, which warned her that he wasn’t playing and if she really thought she could get between him and what he wanted, she was going to regret it. The room seemed to get a little chilly and she folded her arms across her chest.

“Heidi?”

May had approached. “I meant what I said,” the other woman told her. “About us working it out. I know Glen wasn’t trying to hurt me. He wanted to help a friend.”

Heidi wondered if she had it in her to be as generous, were their situations reversed.

“I appreciate that. He’s not a bad man. A little impulsive sometimes.”

May smiled, her dark eyes bright with humor. “Sometimes an excellent quality.”

“As long as you don’t need a lawyer at the end of the day.”

“Exactly.”

May was a pretty woman with lines around her eyes. She was about Heidi’s height, rounder and with quality clothes that flattered her curves. Heidi tugged at the sleeves of the only “nice” dress she owned. A sedate knee-length, three-quarter-sleeved navy knit that could be worn to business meetings or a funeral with equal ease. She’d found it in a thrift store in Albuquerque about five years ago, along with matching conservative pumps.

“We’ll set up a meeting,” May said, pulling out her cell phone. “Let me get your number and I’ll be in touch.”

* * *

“THAT WAS NICE,” MAY SAID as Rafe escorted her to her hotel room.

Nice? They’d spent the morning in front of a judge, who’d put their case on hold indefinitely. They were in limbo, neither winning nor losing. Rafe had been chastised for not reading a contract, which had been humiliating. All he wanted was to get out of Fool’s Gold and never come back. Nothing good ever happened here.

He opened his mother’s suite door and followed her inside. As much as he wanted to drive back to San Francisco that second, he couldn’t. Not until he knew her plans.

“You know nothing has been resolved,” he told his mother.

She set down her purse on the table by the front door and led the way into the bright, well-decorated living room.

“I know, and I’m fine with that. I thought the judge was very fair. I have so many plans for the ranch.”

“You don’t own the ranch. Not yet.”

“But the judge said I can make improvements if Heidi agrees.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait until this is settled? We could go back to—”

“I’m not leaving.” His mother sat on the sofa, her spine straight, her expression defiant. “This is where we were happy as a family. You saw the state of the house and the land. I want to fix it. Even if I don’t get to keep the ranch, I want to leave a part of myself there. I want it to be better for what I’ve done.”

He dropped into the club chair on the other side of the large coffee table and held in a groan. “Which means what?”

Determination softened as her gaze seemed to shift to something beyond him.

“I want to make a home here. Oh, Rafe, we had so many wonderful years here in Fool’s Gold. I know money was tight and we didn’t always have the newest of everything, but we were a family.”

He ignored the fact that his memories of the past and hers had very little in common. “Buying the ranch isn’t going to give you a do-over, Mom. Your children aren’t going to be small again.”

“I know, but I’ve been dreaming about the Castle Ranch since we had to leave, all those years ago.” She shifted her gaze to him and tears filled her eyes. “I know things were difficult for you here. I let you take care of me and of everyone else. You were just a little boy and you never got a chance to be a child.”

“I was fine. You were a great parent.”

“I hope so, but I’m not blind to my faults. You worried for me and about me. Maybe that’s why you can’t be happy today.”

He thought longingly of a good legal battle with another corporation, or winning a contract against impossible odds. All things he enjoyed. Nearly anything would be better than talking about his feelings with his mother.

“I’m plenty happy.”

“No, you’re not. All you do is work. You don’t have anyone in your life.”

“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.

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.”

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