Summer Days (Fool's Gold #7)(80)

May nodded. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

Glen stood. “I promised Heidi I’d move her goats. Athena’s looking feisty these days, so it may take a while. I’ll be back.” He kissed May on the cheek, nodded at Rafe and left.

When he was gone, May turned to Rafe. “You hate it.”

“I don’t. I’m surprised. I didn’t think about vacation rentals, but sure. Why not?” Now that she’d thought of it, he doubted his mother would be willing to give up the idea. Better to work with her than against her.

May sagged in her chair. “You think I’m a terrible mother.”

“What?”

Tears filled her eyes. “It’s because I am. Do you know what today is?”

It took him a second to figure that out. “You’re not a terrible mother.”

“I haven’t called her. I should. But I never know what to say. She’s so distant, and I know that’s my fault.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“She’s my daughter. We should be close. You and I are close.”

“That’s because you won’t let me escape.”

He’d hoped to make her smile, but instead, the tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks.

He stood and circled the table, then pulled May to her feet and hugged her.

“Call her,” he said. “Wish her happy birthday.”

“Shouldn’t I want to talk to Evangeline? Shouldn’t I miss her? No, that’s wrong. I do miss her, but I’m also confused. Does she hate us? You never talk to her, either.”

“If I do, I’ll yell at her.”

His sister was a disappointment. She’d had so much potential. A brilliant dancer, Evangeline had been accepted to Juilliard and had dropped out her second year. Seven years ago, his business had been growing and he’d plowed every penny back into it. The fifty thousand a year in tuition had been a stretch, but he’d been determined she wouldn’t have to worry about money. So he’d paid it all, and had given her a generous allowance, so she could hang out with her friends and buy whatever it was eighteen-year-old girls needed.

She’d walked away from it and had never said a word as to why. He’d only found out when the school had returned his tuition money, telling him Evangeline was no longer a student there.

“She’s all alone,” May whispered. “It’s her birthday and she’s all alone.”

He held his mother while she cried, and didn’t know what to do to fix the problem. If Shane were here, his brother would probably tell him it was all his fault. Maybe it was. Maybe he expected too much from his family. But, dammit all to hell, Evangeline could have gone all the way. However, like Clay, she’d chosen what was easy. She’d walked away from her dreams, and he couldn’t forgive that.

“You should call her,” he repeated. “You’ll feel better, and she probably will, too.”

She drew back and wiped her face. Her eyes were still sad, though, and she sighed. “We have that in common, you and I. We don’t fight for what’s important to us. Our pride is easily bruised, and when someone walks away, we let them.”

He wasn’t comfortable with the assessment. “I don’t do that.”

“You did with Evangeline and with Clay. Maybe your first wife. I don’t know enough about the details to be sure. One day you’re going to have to stand up and fight for what you want. I am, too. First, I just have to figure out what that is.”

She left the kitchen. Rafe stared after her, not sure what she had meant. He knew how to fight. His business was proof of that. He’d started with nothing and was now worth millions.

But in his gut, he understood his mother didn’t mean anything financial. She was talking about risking his heart. Clay had disappointed him, as had Evangeline, and he’d cut both of them out of his life. He’d been disappointed by love and refused to risk his heart again. He wasn’t a man who forgave easily.

He’d always thought that was a strength, but maybe he’d been wrong.

* * *

HEIDI POINTED TO THE CAVE paintings. Rita held her flashlight high and then burst into laughter.

“They’re wonderful. You did a perfect job. I would be completely fooled.”

Heidi sighed. “Unfortunately, we don’t have to convince you. The experts have already arrived and seen everything. I don’t know how long we can string them along.”

Rita studied her. “You’re not happy about this.”

“I know. I made a mistake. I was having second thoughts, and then I was hurt and mad and said we should do it. It’s like rolling a rock downhill. Once you give it a push, there’s no pulling it back.”

She touched the cool, uneven wall of the cave. “I should have talked to Rafe. I should have tried to work things out. Instead, I’m scamming the whole town. When they find out, they may never forgive me.”

“I think you’re being a little hard on yourself.”

“I was wrong.”

Rita leaned in and kissed Heidi’s forehead. “My sweet girl. You’ve always had character.”

“Not enough, or I would have found another way.”

“Deep breaths. It’s done now, and you simply have to ride out the storm. It might not be as bad as you think.”