Summer Days (Fool's Gold #7)(63)

They carefully transferred the cheese from the molds to the trays, then Heidi and Rafe slowly added the twenty-three percent salt brine. She covered the trays with cloth and stripped off her gloves.

“That’s it?” he asked.

“Until tomorrow. Then I’ll put them into individual, airtight containers with the fourteen percent solution. From there, they go to the caves and do their thing.”

“And it’s cheese in sixty days?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Put me down for five containers,” he told her. “I’ll pay retail. I’m that kind of guy.”

She thought about teasing him, saying that each container would cost him twenty thousand dollars, but found herself unable to speak. Probably because she’d just figured out that either she or Rafe wouldn’t be here in sixty days. No doubt, by then the judge would have ruled and, regardless of the outcome, one of them would be gone.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“SO,       RAFE HAD THIS NEW BIKE that Mayor      Marsha had given him,” Shane was saying. “He rode it everywhere.”

The five of them sat at an old wooden table Rafe and Shane had      brought out from the barn. The trees around the house provided shade, and a      light breeze cooled the air. On the table were the remnants of their meal. The      ribs May had spent all afternoon slow cooking, homemade mac-and-cheese, salad      and ice-cold beer.

Worried about the paint and her plan to deceive the world,      Heidi would have sworn she couldn’t eat anything. But a single bite of May’s      dinner had been enough to make her ravenous, and she’d eaten her share of      everything. Now full and more relaxed than she’d been in days, she leaned back      and listened to the brothers trade stories about their past.

“I loved that bike,” Rafe said, narrowing his gaze. “You stole      it.”

“I traded it for horseback-riding lessons.”

“It wasn’t yours to trade.”

“I wanted to learn to ride a horse.”

“Things went downhill from there,” May admitted. “I found them      fighting in the barn. Rafe had a black eye and Shane’s nose was bloody.” She      glanced at her middle son. “You shouldn’t have taken his bike.”

“So you said at the time.”

“Did you get it back?” Heidi asked.

Rafe nodded.

“Obviously, you learned to ride a horse,” she said to      Shane.

“Yup. Never did do that well on a bike, but that’s okay.”

Everyone laughed. Heidi saw Glen reach for May’s hand. The      older couple was still together, and if she didn’t know her grandfather as well      as she did, she would have sworn they were in love. Glen had always done his      best to avoid any long-term entanglements, but with May, he was different. She      didn’t see any signs of him wanting to get away.

“Remember when Clay brought home that old dog?” May asked. She      laughed. “I’d never seen a dog so ugly. He insisted it was a fine-looking animal      and that we should keep it.” Her smile faded. “We couldn’t, of course. I could      barely feed my children. There wasn’t any extra for a pet. But it would have      been nice.”

“You have your animals now,” Glen reminded her.

“I do, and there’s plenty to eat.” She raised her glass. “To my      boys, who have made me proud.”

Heidi joined in the toast.

After dinner, everyone helped clear the table. Heidi shooed May      out of the kitchen, saying the other woman had done enough with dinner. She was      going to clean up. Glen and Shane drifted away, but Rafe stayed.

“I can do this,” she told him.

“I’ll help.”

They worked quickly together. She was aware of him standing      next to her, taking the rinsed dishes and putting them in the ancient      dishwasher. She wiped down the counters, then wondered how she was going to      escape without having to talk. Something that turned out not to be a problem,      she thought helplessly, as he waited until she’d rinsed and dried her hands      before putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him.

She’d thought he’d try to ask her what was wrong, or, being the      kind of man he was, demand that she tell him. Instead, he leaned in and lightly      kissed her.

She could have withstood a verbal assault, she thought, feeling      the soft brush of his mouth on hers. If he’d insisted, she would have had      righteous indignation on her side. But the gentle pressure was irresistible, as      was the warmth of his fingers. He straightened and reached up to tug on one of      her braids.