He couldn’t avoid Nina Blanchard forever, he thought. After all, he was the one who had hired her. But there was no way he could take advantage of her services while he was in Fool’s Gold. She was going to have to wait until he’d solved the problem that was his mother.

* * *

AFTER LEAVING FOOL’S GOLD, Rafe had been determined to experience what the world had to offer. He’d gone to Harvard on a scholarship, had toured Europe and made friends with the rich and powerful. But he’d never been to jail before.

While he was sure they all looked somewhat similar, he had a feeling the Fool’s Gold jail was considered one of the better places to be incarcerated.

For one thing, instead of industrial colors, the walls were a warm yellow, trimmed in cream. Bright posters advertised the festivals his assistant so adored. Rather than inhaling the scent of cleaning supplies or something less pleasant, Rafe smelled chili and fresh-baked bread. The woman who signed them in to visit Glen was young and friendly, not the grim-faced officer usually found in the movies.

“We’ve been busy tonight,” Officer Rodriguez said. Her shiny, dark hair was pulled back into a bouncy ponytail.

Rafe studied the hairstyle. Weren’t ponytails a bad idea in law enforcement? Didn’t they give criminals something to grab on to, thereby giving them physical control of the situation? Or was Fool’s Gold so close to nirvana that they didn’t deal with serious crime here?

“Glen Simpson is a very popular man.” Officer Rodriquez grinned. “The town’s averages are getting better, but there’s still a shortage for our ladies of a certain age, and Glen’s a charmer.”

May signed the clipboard. “What averages?”

“We had a man shortage. The news about that all came out last year, and it was a mess. The media came crawling in, and there was a reality show here and everything.”

“I think I remember that,” his mother said thoughtfully. “True Love or Fool’s Gold. It went off the air before it was finished.”

“No one was watching, which is too bad. I thought it was good. Anyway, since word got out about our man shortage, we’ve been getting plenty of them moving in. Which has made my life more interesting.” Her brown eyes sparkled. “But most of them have been younger. So when Glen came, he was considered hot stuff. He’s only been in jail a few hours, and we’ve already had six…” She glanced at the clipboard.

“…make that seven visitors for him.”

May looked uneasy. “I assure you, I’m not here on any romantic mission. I wanted to make sure Glen, ah, Mr. Simpson, was all right.” She leaned toward the officer and lowered her voice. “My son’s the one who put him in jail.”

“Way to be supportive, Mom.”

“We could have worked things out.”

“Not if you planned to get your money back.”

May’s expression tightened, a sure sign she was getting her stubborn on. He held up both hands. “You’re right. We’ll check on him. It’s the right thing to do.”

He resisted glancing at his watch, confident they would be back at the hotel long before the bar closed.

Officer Rodriguez led them down a long, brightly lit hallway, then through a set of double doors. The delicious smells grew more intense, reminding Rafe he hadn’t had lunch and it was closing in on dinner time.

“Here we are,” the officer said, pulling open another door and motioning for them to enter. “Glen, you have more visitors.”

Rafe’s only experience with jail came from what he’d seen on TV and in the movies. So he wasn’t sure where Fool’s Gold stood on the “grim” spectrum. But nothing had prepared him for Glen’s current living conditions.

The old man lay stretched out in his cell. There was the requisite cot, although this one was covered with a beautiful quilt, and there were at least a dozen pillows propped up on the bed. A brightly colored rug covered most of the floor. Flowers spilled from vases, and TV trays served as tables.

Just outside the barred front, a large, flat-screen TV sat on a stand. The sound of an action movie spilled into the space. A long shelf to the side of the television served as a kind of buffet. Nearly a dozen covered dishes and Crock-Pots stood waiting to serve. There were pies, cakes and cookies.

“You!”

Rafe turned and saw the police chief marching toward him. “Ma’am?”

“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me,” she growled, grabbing his arm in a steely grip and dragging him back into the hallway.

“This is your fault,” she snapped, when they were alone. “Don’t think you’re not in trouble.”

Police Chief Barns might only come up to his shoulder, but there was something about her stance that warned him she wasn’t going to take any lip.

“What are you talking about?”

“That man.” She pointed back at the door leading to the jail cells.

“If he’s a problem,” he began, only to have her glare at him. It was a good glare—better than his assistant’s.

“Oh, there’s a problem, but it’s not coming from him. It’s those women. Do you know how many have visited here?”

“Six?” he asked, remembering there had been seven according to Officer Rodriguez, and he assumed his mother was in that count.

“Six,” the police chief confirmed. “They’re showing up here with their food and blankets. One brought that damn television. Another dragged in a foam mattress cover. We wouldn’t want our detainees to feel uncomfortable while they sleep, would we?”

“I’m not sure how this is my fault.”

“You made me arrest him.” She poked him in the chest. “Make it go away, or I swear I’ll make your life a living hell.”

“We’re going to court in the morning.”

“Good. The last thing I want is a bunch of civilians treating my jail like a church social. When the judge asks if you mind if Glen is released on his own recognizance, you better say no. You hear me?”

Rafe thought about pointing out that she was breaking more than a few laws with this conversation. That he had the right to request Glen be held until trial. But where was the win? Until the situation was resolved, he was stuck in town. His mother wanted to make her home here, on that damned ranch. Having the police chief as an enemy wouldn’t help either of their causes.

“I’ll have a word with my attorney,” he told her.

“That’s all I ask.” She drew in a breath, then released it slowly. “I swear, if someone else shows up with a Crock-Pot, there’s going to be blood.”

CHAPTER THREE

HEIDI SAT UNEASILY in the courtroom, Glen’s friend Harvey next to her. She’d never been to court before—had never even received a parking ticket. She found herself wanting to fidget or run. The judge, a tall, thin woman draped in black robes, intimidated her more than she wanted to admit. The bailiff was equally authoritarian in her uniform. There was an air of hushed expectation, with excited murmurs from those watching.

Her gaze slid from where Glen and Trisha Wynn were having a quiet conversation to the other table. Rafe Stryker sat next to an equally powerful-looking man. They were both dressed in navy suits, with white shirts and red ties, but the similarities ended there. Rafe was all dark—dark hair, dark eyes and a dark scowl. He surveyed the room unhappily, as if annoyed he had to be bothered with something as insignificant as this. Although, according to Glen’s lawyer, May Stryker had “bought” the ranch with her son, which meant Rafe was an equal party in the complaint.

The other man had blond hair and killer blue eyes. He was pretty enough to make even Heidi notice, despite her distraction over the proceedings. When she looked at Rafe, she felt a clenching in the pit of her stomach—something that didn’t happen when she glanced at his lawyer.

Trisha turned and motioned for Heidi to lean forward.

“Dante Jefferson,” she whispered, pointing to Rafe’s friend. “I know him by reputation, although I wouldn’t mind getting to know him in other ways.”

Heidi blinked in surprise. Dante was young enough to be Trisha’s son. Not that she was going to judge, she told herself. Trisha was working the case for free.

“Is he good?”

Trisha’s amused expression tightened. “The best. He’s not just Rafe’s lawyer. They’re also business partners. Successful business partners. Between them, they’ve made enough money to rival the GDP of a midsize country.”

Heidi pressed her hand to her churning stomach. “Is Glen going to prison?”

“Not if I can help it. It will depend on the judge.” She turned her attention to Harvey. “You ready?”

The old man nodded. “I’m here for Glen, just like he was there for me.” He gave a wink.

“Good. The judge will want to speak to you,” Trisha told him. “Be honest. Just say what happened.”

“I will.”

Heidi could only hope it was enough.

She glanced around the court as Trisha returned her attention to Glen. May Stryker caught Heidi’s eye. Rafe’s mother gave her a little wave and a smile. Heidi wasn’t sure what to make of that. May was the reason Glen was in trouble.

No, Heidi reminded herself. Glen was the reason he was in trouble. He’d knowingly swindled May out of a lot of money. Only he’d done it to help Harvey, which complicated everything.

She wanted to be furious with her grandfather, but she couldn’t get past the fear pressing down on her. In the next few minutes, they could lose everything. The home she’d been so desperate to have, her precious goats and every cent they had. Then what? Where would they go? She’d only ever wanted to belong somewhere, and now that might be taken from her.

Judge Loomis took off her reading glasses. “I’ve reviewed the material. Ms. Wynn, you’re representing Mr. Simpson pro bono?”

Glen’s lawyer rose. “Yes, Your Honor. I was so moved by his case, I had to help.”

“So noted.”

The fear of losing everything forced Heidi to her feet. “Your Honor?”

The judge looked at her disapprovingly. Trisha groaned.

“I’m Heidi Simpson,” Heidi said quickly. “May I speak?”

The judge glanced at the paperwork in front of her, then turned back to Heidi. “As this is your ranch we’re talking about, all right. What do you have to say, Ms. Simpson?”

Heidi looked at Trisha, who rolled her eyes. Heidi was aware of everyone looking at her.

She was used to drawing a crowd. She’d grown up with her grandfather traveling with the carnival, working various games and helping out with the animals. She knew how to entice people to play the ring toss or gather around while she performed various card tricks. But that was expected attention. She planned for it, knew what to say. This was different—mostly because so much was at stake.

Heidi ignored the shaking that began in her thighs and radiated out. She willed herself to be strong, to rise to the occasion and find the words to impress the judge.

“I’m not happy to be here,” Heidi admitted, meeting the judge’s neutral gaze. “But I’m glad Harvey is alive.” She glanced at her grandfather’s friend and smiled. “I’ve known Harvey since I was a little girl. He’s a part of my extended family. When he came to Glen, he was dying. Now he’s healthy, and my grandfather made that possible. As much as I love my home, I can’t value it above a person’s life.”

Rafe snorted. His lawyer hushed him.

Heidi found herself staring at the ruthless businessman. “Not everything can be reduced to a dollar value,” she said. “My grandfather was wrong to try to sell Mrs. Stryker the ranch and wrong to take the money. But he didn’t do it lightly or without a really good reason. He was helping someone who is like a brother to him.”

Heidi shifted her gaze back to the judge, but was unable to figure out what she was thinking.

Heidi continued. “The ranch is everything I’ve ever wanted in a home. I raise goats, Your Honor. I have a small herd of eight. I use the milk to produce cheese and soap. I also sell the goat milk to a few people in town. It’s not a big business. It supports me and my grandfather. He took me in when my parents died. He took care of me and loved me, and now I want to be here for him. I’m taking responsibility for what my grandfather did. We’re willing to work out some kind of payment plan with Mrs. Stryker.”

“You’ll put everything on the line for your grandfather,” the judge said slowly. “I see. But you don’t have the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

“No.”

“The property is mortgaged?”

Trisha rose. “Permission to approach the bench, Your Honor. I have the paperwork for the mortgage right here.”

The judge nodded.

Trisha took the folder to her, then returned to her seat next to Glen. Heidi waited anxiously while the judge flipped through the pages, scanning them quickly. When she was done, she looked up, over her reading glasses.

“In today’s financial climate, it’s unlikely you could get much of a second mortgage. By my calculations, it would cover less than twenty percent of what your grandfather took from Mrs. Stryker.”

Heidi stared at the judge, not knowing what to say. Another mortgage? Where was she supposed to come up with the money for that?

“How much of the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars do you have now?” the judge asked. “In cash?”

Heidi thought of her savings account and swallowed. “Two thousand, five hundred dollars.”