Summer Days

She stood. “Thanks for stopping by.”

“Wait,” he said, coming to his feet. “Please.”

She stared at him. “Please? Can you say that word without turning to dust? I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”

He felt her anger and understood it, but what bothered him more was the sadness lurking underneath. The profound sense that she was completely alone in the world.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Please stay for a few more minutes.”

She reluctantly sank back into the chair. He settled across from her.

“I’m sorry,” he began slowly. “I was wrong to walk away from you. I was wrong not to listen or try to understand. You were a kid, and I turned my back on you.”

“So did Mom.”

He nodded. “So did Mom.”

He’d always thought about his sister in terms of the trouble she caused, and how her dancing consumed her. He’d never considered what it must have been like from her point of view. Growing up an obvious afterthought, the result of a single night spent with a stranger. He and his brothers had been born to a couple very much in love. They’d been the family Evangeline had talked about. But she was a constant reminder of the pain they’d felt after their father had died. Odd man out.

May had been uncomfortable with Evangeline from the beginning. The woman who loved her children unrepentantly had kept her only daughter at a distance. Rafe had been too busy being the man of the house to worry about a little girl. It had fallen on Shane and Clay to parent her, and they’d only been kids themselves.

“It was your birthday a few weeks ago,” he said. “I thought of you then.”

“Did you? You thought of me?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, Rafe, that makes everything so much better. Knowing you took the trouble to think of me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Dammit, Evie.”

She stood again. “Go to hell. I don’t want you around, and I sure don’t need you. Maybe I did once. But you weren’t there. Not you or Mom. I had to figure it out on my own.” She narrowed her gaze. “Whatever you want, you’re too late. I’m not interested.”

“I don’t want anything.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I was wrong before. Because I want us to be a family again.”

“We were never a family.”

“Then let’s be one now.”

She turned to leave.

He stood. “I need you.”

She stopped, but didn’t look at him.

He circled around the small table and stepped in front of her. “I need you,” he repeated. “I was such a jerk. I never asked why you left school. I never asked what went so wrong. I never bothered to find out where you went or what you did. Hell, I didn’t even teach you to ride a bike.”

“Shane did,” she whispered.

“I’m glad. Please. You’re right. I do want something. I want to get to know you. Just give me your phone number and take mine. We’ll talk every couple of weeks. I’ll come back, and we’ll go to dinner. We’ll start slow.”

“I don’t trust you,” she admitted.

“Fair enough. I wouldn’t trust me, either.”

She stared at him for a long time. Her gaze seemed to see inside of him, down to his soul. He hoped she would be generous in her assessment, because he doubted he would earn many points based on merit.

She turned back to the table and sat down. “I’ll take your number. You can’t have mine.”

He chuckled. “Okay.”

“You can’t date Opal.”

“Who’s Opal?”

“My roommate.”

He thought about the busty blonde and held up both hands as he sat across from his sister. “Not a problem. I have no interest in Opal.”

“Also, no questions. I’ll tell you what I want you to know. You don’t get to dig around in my life or pass judgments.”

“Forget it,” he told her, picking up his latte. “I’ll ask all the questions I want.”

One corner of her mouth turned up, even as she was careful to look bored. “I won’t answer them.”

“Fine. You always were stubborn.”

“You don’t know enough about me to say what I was.”

He ignored that. “So, Evangeline, what are you doing these days?”

“I’m a neurosurgeon. In my free time, I fly fighter jets and solve crimes.”

“Ambitious. I like that. Is there a guy in your life?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. What about you, Rafe? Still married? Any little mini-tycoons running around?”

“I’m not married.”

Her distancing facade fell as she leaned toward him. “What went wrong?”

He saw the moment she remembered she wasn’t supposed to care. The slightly bored mask slipped back in place.

He took advantage of her interest and told her the truth. “We got divorced years ago. But now there’s this woman. She’s making me crazy.”

“I like her already.”

“You would like her. She raises goats and makes cheese, and when she smiles, it’s like the sun has come out.”

His sister stared at him. “You’re in serious trouble.”

“I’m starting to figure that out.”

* * *

HEIDI RETURNED TO THE MUDROOM with the fresh milk to find May waiting for her. Heidi had done her best to avoid the other woman for days, slinking in and out of the ranch, dumping some of the milk so she didn’t have to face May. But orders were piling up and she had cheese to make, so she’d braved the house, only to come face-to-face with Rafe’s mother.

“Good morning,” she said, setting the milk on the long table.

May put her hands on her hips. “You’ll finish there and come into the kitchen. You’re not leaving this ranch without talking to me. Is that clear?”

Glen had been a loving grandparent. He’d preferred to leave the discipline to others. Even so, Heidi recognized the steely tone, the promise that she didn’t want to know the consequences of disobeying.

“Yes, ma’am,” she murmured before she could stop herself.

“Good.”

May disappeared back into the kitchen.

Heidi poured the milk into bottles and stuck them in the refrigerator, then washed out her buckets and the funnel. Sanitizing could wait, she told herself. Better to get the conversation over with.

She already had a plan. Although she’d been unable to bring herself to sign the lease on the rental, she vowed she would take care of that as soon as she was done here. The kitchen was big enough for her to work in, and the second bedroom would be a perfect office and shipping area.

The rental payments were so much less than the mortgage on the ranch that she would be able to save a fair amount each month. In two, maybe three years, depending on how her business went, she could buy another piece of land. Start over.

She paused at the door to the kitchen. Rafe was gone. She didn’t have to brace herself to see him. And although it would be difficult to face May, once that was done, she could move on. Start healing. Rita had been right—she was strong. Unlike Melinda, taking her life wasn’t anything she would consider. However much it hurt to be in love with Rafe and know that he didn’t want to love her back, she got through the day. In time, she would heal.

She stepped into the familiar kitchen.

“I’m done,” she said.

“Good.” May motioned for her to join her at the table. There were several stacks of papers there.

Heidi supposed she had things to sign. The judge’s decision had meant May would now be responsible for the mortgage and everything else that went along with the ranch.

She took a seat. “I want to say I’m sorry for what I did. Faking the paintings and artifacts. I should have come to talk to you, May.”

The older woman sighed. “I’m sorry, too. I was so busy falling in love with your grandfather that I didn’t stop to think about anyone else. Here you were, having your own crisis right under my nose. I feel horrible about that.”

“Falling in love takes a lot out of a person.”

May’s dark eyes were knowing. “You’ve been dealing with that yourself, haven’t you?”

Heidi really didn’t want to talk about that, but couldn’t figure out a good way to distract May. Pointing out the window and saying, “Oh, look. An elephant,” probably wouldn’t work.

That left her in the less-than-mature place of ignoring the obvious.

“I told Glen that he would be an idiot to lose you over this,” Heidi said. “I hope you’re going to tell me he listened.”

May smiled, then held out her left hand. A small diamond sparkled from a simple band. “He proposed and I said yes. I’m thrilled.”

Heidi was stunned. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you.” Surprised, but still happy. “I guess Glen’s been waiting for you for a long time.”

“That’s what he said. Oh, Heidi, I’m so happy. I loved my first husband, and when I lost him, I vowed I would never love that way again. For years, I didn’t. What a fool I was. Love is a treasure, a gift. And I’m talking like a greeting card because I’m incredibly happy.”

Heidi squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you, too. When’s the big day?”

“We’re going to elope. Probably just drive up to Lake Tahoe and get married there. I don’t want anything fancy.” She patted the stacks of paper. “But that’s not why I wanted to talk to you. We need to discuss the ranch.”

“There’s not much to discuss.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. There’s plenty.” May handed Heidi a very long, densely written document. “We’ll need to go to a notary later, to get all this finalized.”

“What is it?”

May smiled. “As you know, Rafe has cosigned every document for the past couple of years. Which means he owns half this ranch.” She tapped the form she’d handed Heidi. “This gives his share to you.”

Heidi was glad she was sitting, because she felt a distinct shift in her equilibrium. “I don’t understand.”

“He wants you to have his half of the ranch, and so do I.” Happy tears filled May’s eyes. “Wait until you see.”

The other woman reached for more papers and spread them across the table. “There’s so much to be done.” She smoothed out a drawing of the ranch, including boundaries and the roads that surrounded the land.

“The vacation rentals will go here.”

Heidi leaned forward and saw the small, neat drawings.

“You’re still doing that?” she asked.

May nodded. “Winter homes for the carnival workers and rental housing for summer. I’ve worked up some preliminary numbers, and the income stream is impressive. Rafe will front the building cost of the houses as a loan to us, and we’ll pay him back with the proceeds.” She beamed. “It helps to have an in with a rich man.”

“Apparently,” Heidi murmured.

May laughed, then returned her attention to the map. “Here’s where my animals will go. Here’s where Shane is buying adjoining land for his horses. Glen and I will build a small house here, because I think we’re going to be one of those annoying, cheerful couples, and who needs to see that first thing in the morning?”

She looked at Heidi. “Which means this house is yours, my dear. Along with the rest of the ranch. Plenty of room for your goats. I do hope you’ll let me use the barn. I’ve heard the cold can be challenging for zebras. Obviously, we’ll have to build a special enclosure for sweet Priscilla.”

Heidi sat in her chair, too hopeful to even draw breath. To have what had been hers returned was unbelievable, but to have it come from Rafe? She desperately wanted to think it was because he cared, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Glen and I are planning a series of cruises starting in the fall,” May continued. “Through Europe, mostly. Did you know your grandfather is the most divine dancer? I can’t wait to get him out on the dance floor. We’ll cha-cha the night away. We’ll miss most of the construction on our new place, but I’m hoping that, until it’s done, you’ll let us stay here when we’re in town.”

“Ah, sure.” Her head spun, and she couldn’t read the words on the contract she held. Everything blurred. “May, why are you doing this? You could have had it all.”

“I never wanted it all, Heidi. I wanted a home. Coming back here has been wonderful. I’ve found so much more than I had ever hoped. As for giving you his half of the ranch, that was Rafe’s idea.”

Rafe, who had never been what he seemed, she realized. Underneath that exterior of cool confidence, lay a warm and giving heart.

“Is he back in San Francisco?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m not sure when he plans to return, though.”

May’s tone was concerned, as if she were worried about Heidi being upset by the news.

“Can you tell me where his office is?” she asked.

“Yes. Of course. You’re going to see him?”

Heidi nodded.

Like May, she’d been given her heart’s desire. Fear and the need to protect herself had nearly robbed her of the perfect ending. But everything was clear now.

She and Rafe were so much alike. They both took care of the people around them. They urged others to do better, to achieve. But under all the words was fear. Fear of losing. Fear of being rejected. Fear of being hurt.