Summer Days (Fool's Gold #7)(24)
“How can I help you?” the man asked.
“I need about ten miles of fence line and to repair an old barn.” He pulled out of his shirt pocket a list of supplies he’d made and handed it over. Since learning about the Lucky Lady, he was more enthused about his mother’s projects. “You know anybody looking for a few days’ work?”
Frank scanned the list, then gave a low whistle. “You’re serious. Okay, then, let’s get your supplies ordered. As for guys to help, the best place to get them is through Ethan Hendrix. He owns the biggest home construction firm in town. Also the most reliable and experienced. Hendrix Construction. I have a card up front.”
Rafe followed the man, ducking around a teenager with two-by-fours on his shoulder. Interesting that Ethan Hendrix had been recommended. Rafe remembered the name and the kid who’d gone with it. Rafe and Ethan had been friends, along with another kid. Josh Golden. He knew that the latter, the former professional cyclist and Tour de France winner had settled in Fool’s Gold, but he hadn’t realized that Ethan was still here.
Frank took him out into the lumber yard and pointed out the various options for the fencing. Rafe made his decision, then picked lumber for the barn. Frank showed him the small selection of roofing material they kept on hand, and made sure they had plenty of what Rafe needed. Just as they were wrapping up their conversation, two massive construction trucks backed into the yard, sending men scattering.
“Those guys mean business,” Rafe said once he and Frank were inside. Big trucks meant big projects. “Are they here for the casino and hotel construction?”
“You’ve heard about that?”
“Yes.”
Frank grinned. “Lucky for us, the contractor believes in buying local. They’re employing lots of people, too. You looking for a job?”
Rafe shook his head. “No. Just curious.”
He paid for the lumber and other supplies and arranged for them to be delivered in two days. When he returned to his car, he pulled out his cell and made a quick check of his email. There was a note from Nina Blanchard. He scanned it, then dialed her number.
He was put through immediately.
“Rafe,” Nina purred.
Purred was not a word that would come to his mind under most circumstances, but there was no other way to think of the smooth tone of her voice.
“Nina.”
“You’re being elusive. Can you guess it’s not my favorite characteristic in a client? All your rather formidable assistant would say was that you were out of town.”
“She’s right. I’m in Fool’s Gold. Do you know it?”
“I’ve been a few times. They have charming festivals.”
“So I’ve been told. I’m here on a family matter, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back in San Francisco. We’ll have to table our plans until then.”
“Don’t be silly. If you can’t come to the ladies, then they’ll come to you.”
He glanced at the lumber yard. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? You’ll be in neutral territory. If they won’t make the drive, they’re not worth the trouble, right? You’ve hired me to find you the perfect wife. I take that responsibility very seriously.”
“Fine. If one of the candidates wants to come here, I’ll meet her.”
“Thank you. Now, let me get you some names and we’ll take it from there.”
“Sure.”
He hung up, knowing he should probably be more enthused than he was about the whole idea of getting married. Honestly, if he didn’t want kids, he wouldn’t bother with a permanent relationship. But he couldn’t seem to shake the traditional idea of a mother and a father when it came to children. He’d watched his mother struggle after his dad had died.
He had a feeling that his idea of perfect and Nina’s might not be the same. He’d done his best to explain he wasn’t looking for love. He’d tried that once and it had blown up in his face. This time, he was going to be realistic. Find someone he could be friends with, someone he would enjoy sleeping with, and with whom he could imagine raising children. Nothing else was
required. Love was a myth, and he was too old to
believe in fairy tales.
* * *
HEIDI RELEASED ATHENA back into the goat corral, then stripped off her gloves. Three very fat, very sassy cats gazed at her expectantly.
“Where did you come from?” she asked, even as she poured fresh, still-warm goat milk into an old pie pan and set it on the wooden floor of the goat house.
The first of the cats had shown up about a month after the goats had arrived. Heidi had been milking, minding her own business, only to be startled by a very demanding meow. Foolishly she’d given the black-and-white cat a taste of goat milk. From then on, the cat had shown up exactly at milking time, every day. Eventually it had been joined by a tabby and an all-gray cat with a pushed-in kind of face.
The cats waited until she put the pie dish on the floor, then began lapping the milk.
Their coats were in great shape and they were obviously well fed. They must live around here, but where? And how had they learned to tell time? She only milked once a day, and the cats always arrived a few minutes early, then waited patiently until she was finished.
She supposed she could simply stop giving them milk. After all, she wasn’t much of a cat person. But there was something compelling about the way they stared at her, as if their feline minds should have the ability to direct her actions.