All Summer Long
Page 2

“That was wonderful,” she said. “I’m so proud. You did all that work. We should do it.” She turned to her other sons. “Don’t you boys agree?”
Shane and Rafe exchanged a look Clay couldn’t read. He kissed his mom on the cheek. “Thanks for the support.”
May sighed. “Yes, I know. I’m your mother. I love everything you do. All right. You boys work it out.” She turned to the older two. “No fighting.”
“Us?” Shane asked earnestly. “Mom, never.”
“Ha.”
She walked out of the living room. Clay settled in the chair by the screen and waited for his brothers to speak first.
Rafe nodded slowly. “Impressive. Who helped you put together the presentation?”
“I did it myself.”
Rafe’s eyebrows rose.
Clay relaxed into the chair, knowing he was going to enjoy this. “I have a degree in business with an emphasis on marketing. From New York University. I also completed an apprenticeship in farm management in Vermont a couple of years ago.” He shrugged. “There’s a lot of downtime in modeling. I didn’t waste mine.”
Diane, his late wife, had encouraged him to get his degree. The apprenticeship idea had come later, after she’d died. He’d needed to get away and hard physical labor had provided a way to heal.
Rafe blinked. “Seriously?” He turned to Shane. “Did you know about this?”
“Sure.”
Rafe returned his attention to Clay. “You didn’t want to tell me?”
“I tried a couple of times.”
Rafe shook his head. “Let me guess. I didn’t listen.”
Clay shrugged. “Growing a successful company takes a lot of time.”
He could have said more but in the past few months, Rafe had done some serious changing. The once-strident, meddling bottom-line-only mogul had become a person. Thanks to his new wife, Heidi. Love had a way of shifting a man’s priorities. Clay had learned that lesson a long time ago, and in the best way possible.
With Rafe, Shane and their mother all settling in Fool’s Gold, Clay had wanted to move close, as well. It was the perfect location for his Haycation. The strong sense of community was an added bonus. While his business was important to him, it wouldn’t take all his time. Leaving him with the opportunity to get involved with the town. He had a few ideas about that—one he would discuss with a certain firefighter the next time he saw her.
Rafe flipped through the hard copy of the presentation that Clay had printed out for both of them. “You have a lot of information here.”
“I did a lot of research.”
Shane looked over the crops list. “I like the idea of having a say in what’s grown.”
Shane bred and raised racehorses. After years of breeding Thoroughbreds, Shane had bought his first Arabian stallion.
“You think people on vacation will really do work?” Rafe asked.
“Who doesn’t want to ride a tractor?” Clay grinned. “If they don’t do enough, we can hire local teenagers and college students. There’s also a community of agricultural workers in the area. I spoke to them about hiring on if we need them.”
Shane looked at him. “Mom will come at you with a list of what she wants.”
May had been thrilled to be part owner of the ranch and she had immediately started collecting old and strange animals no one else bothered with. There were elderly sheep, a few llamas, and Priscilla, an aging Indian elephant.
“I’ve already done research on what Priscilla would most enjoy,” Clay said easily.
They talked numbers for a while longer, with Rafe digging into the details on what the vacation bungalows would rent for and what it would cost for the extras, like a swimming pool. They debated providing lunch as part of the deal—barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs or sandwiches. Finally Rafe rose.
“You did good, kid,” he told Clay. “I think we should go for it.”
Clay stood. Satisfaction and victory had been a long time coming. There was hard work ahead, but he was looking forward to all the sweat required.
“I’m in,” Shane said, joining them.
The three brothers shook hands.
“Everybody comfortable with Dante drawing up the paperwork?” Rafe asked. Dante was his business partner and a lawyer.
Clay put his hand on his oldest brother’s shoulder. “No problem. As long as you don’t mind me having my lawyer review every word.”
“You don’t trust me?” Rafe asked with a grin.
“Sure, but my mama didn’t raise no fool.”
CHAPTER TWO
CHARLIE CHECKED THE saddle one last time, then patted Mason’s side. “Ready?” she asked her horse.
He snorted, which she took to mean yes, then led him out of the barn.
The morning still had a touch of coolness, although it would climb to nearly ninety later in the afternoon. The sky was blue and she was going on a ride. It was already shaping up to be a good day in a pretty good life. She had a job she liked, friends she could depend on and a place where she belonged.
From the corner of her eye, she saw movement and turned. Clay Stryker strolled toward her.
“Heading out?” he asked with an easy smile. “Want company?”
The word that came to mind was no. She didn’t want company. She wanted to ride alone because she preferred it that way. But he was new in town and what with one of her best friends marrying one of his brothers, not to mention her other best friend getting engaged to another Stryker brother, she was going to be seeing a lot of him. It was simply the nature of living in Fool’s Gold.
She eyed his body-hugging jeans and idly wondered if they cost less or more than her monthly house payment. “You know how to ride?”
The smile turned into a grin. The flash of amusement in his dark eyes gave her the answer before he spoke. “I think I can figure out how to hang on. Give me five minutes.”
He turned toward the barn. She found herself staring at his butt, which was as spectacular as it had been the last time she’d seen him. Being physically perfect must be interesting, she thought, leaning against Mason and scratching behind his ears. Clay managed to get her attention, which was something of a trick. Maybe if she spent the afternoon with him, she would feel that flicker again. As her goal was to solve her “man” problem, having a source for flickers and maybe even tingles was a good thing. If he could get her fired up for normal guys, all the better. She would be healed and able to get on with her life.
He returned within the five minutes, a saddled horse walking behind him. She took in the long legs and perfect face. He sure was easy on the eyes.
“I recognize speculation in that look,” he said as he approached. “Should I be worried?”
“Not about me.”
She stuck her foot in the stirrup and swung up and over, landing lightly in the saddle. Clay slipped on sunglasses, then did the same. His graceful movements told her this wasn’t his first rodeo.
“Nice day,” he said as the horses fell into step with each other.
She settled her hat more firmly on her head. “You’re not going to talk the whole time, are you?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes.”
“You say what you think.”
“Not as often as I should. Like the other day. You weren’t helping.”
“I broke your fall.”
She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t have fallen if you hadn’t gotten in my way in the first place.”
“You’re welcome.”
She held in a groan. It had been three minutes and the man was already making her crazy. She told herself to ignore him and instead focus on the beauty around her. The Castle Ranch was west of town and south of the new casino–hotel being built. Maybe a thousand undeveloped acres with plenty of trees and shrubs. Years ago, old man Castle had run cattle on the land, but when he’d died, the place had been abandoned.
She and Mason had a route they usually followed. It skirted the fence line and took them past the property Clay’s brother Shane had bought for the racehorses he bred, around the back of the ranch and down by the main road.
As soon as they cleared the corrals, Mason picked up the pace. She touched him lightly with her heels and he started to trot. They moved together, familiar with each other’s expectations. He broke into a canter and then galloped full out for a quarter mile or so. She let him set the pace, waiting until he eased back into a steady walk.
Clay had kept up through it all and now moved his horse next to hers. “You two have been doing this for a while.”
“We have an understanding.” She took in his comfortable seat and the way he held the reins. “You’ve obviously spent some serious time on a horse. Be careful. Shane will put you to work exercising his.”
“There are worse ways to spend a day.” He turned his attention to the horizon. “I grew up here. We moved when I was still a kid, but I remember liking everything about this place.”
Charlie knew the story of the Stryker family. May, Clay’s mother, had worked as old man Castle’s housekeeper. The miserly bastard had paid her practically nothing, all the while promising he would leave her the ranch when he died. When he finally passed, May had discovered the ranch had gone to relatives back East. She’d taken her children and left.
A few months ago, unusual circumstances had brought May and her oldest son, Rafe, back to the ranch.
“Are those memories why you’re here now?” she asked.
“Some. I wanted to be close to family.” He glanced at her. “I’m starting a business. Haycations.”
She’d heard the term. “Families spend a week on a working farm. Living like it was 1899.”
He grinned. “I plan to offer indoor plumbing and internet access.”
“That will make their kids love you.” She thought about the vacation rentals Rafe was building and the riding horses Shane had recently bought. “Fool’s Gold is a tourist destination as it is. This is going to bring even more visitors. That will make you a popular guy with the city council.”
“I hope so. I meet with them Friday.”
“Haycations aren’t an intuitive leap for a male model.”
He shrugged. “I had to do something with my life. I’m thirty. Being a butt double is a young man’s game.”
She felt her mouth drop open. “I honest to God don’t know what to say to that.”
Clay chuckled. “Trust me. No one wants to see some old guy in his underwear.”
Charlie was sure that was true, but Clay was light-years from anyone calling him “an old guy.”
“You’re quitting before they ask you to leave?” she asked.
“Something like that.” He pointed to the stream that cut through the north end of the property. “Want to have a seat?”
“Sure.” She drew Mason to a stop, then slid to the ground.
They left the horses in the shade and walked to the bank of the stream. She was aware of Clay beside her. Taller, which was nice. Broader through the shoulders. They settled on the grass, next to each other, but not too close. He pulled a pack of gum out of his shirt pocket and offered her a piece.
She took it and slowly unfastened the wrapper. “You lived in New York before?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Fool’s Gold is going to be an adjustment.”
“I’m ready for the change.”
She glanced at his profile. He looked a lot like his brothers, but with the added patina of perfection. She knew almost nothing about his personal life, but would guess he didn’t lack for female attention. Too pretty for her tastes, she thought absently, sticking the gum in her mouth. A man that flawless would scare the hell out of her.
To be honest, nearly any man would scare the hell out of her if she thought he was interested in sex, but no one had to know that. Still, she was determined to conquer her lone, lingering weakness. Just as soon as she found the right guy.
“How long have you been a firefighter?” he asked.
“Nearly nine years.”
“All of them here?”
“No. I started out in Portland.” She smiled. “Oregon, not Maine. Stayed there about three years. I was on vacation when I found Fool’s Gold. I went by one of the stations while I was here and introduced myself. Three days later, they made me an offer.”
“The town seems to have more female firefighters than most places.”
“The town has more women in traditional male jobs than most places,” she said. “Until recently, there was something of a man shortage.”
The slow, sexy grin returned. “I hadn’t heard.”
“Yes, you had and I doubt you care.”
He leaned back on his elbows. “You’re assuming I always get the girl.”
“Don’t bother trying to convince me I’m wrong.”
“I wouldn’t try to convince you of anything.”
“How did you become a model?”
He moved his sunglasses up on top of his head. His dark gaze looked past her to the horizon. “I was discovered at a mall.” He glanced at her. “Swear to God.”
“I thought that only happened in the movies.”
“Me, too. There was a fashion show. I went because hey, pretty girls parading around in what I’d hoped were short dresses. One of the male models hadn’t shown up. They were frantic. I was his size. They shoved me in his clothes and told me to walk. I did. After the show, an agent came up to me and talked to me about becoming a model. I moved to New York a week later.”