We liked working here, Grandda, Kieran said.
But you all had your own dreams. Dermot, I remember you wanted to be a veterinarian. And, Cam, you wanted to be an archaeologist.
Paleontologist, Cameron corrected.
Martin nodded. Right. And Kieran, you wanted to be a Well, I dont recall, but
A cowboy, Kieran said. Or a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman.
Their grandfather nodded. And, Ronan, I think all you ever wanted was to have your parents back again. The point is, I never gave you the chance to follow those dreams. And now that I have to decide whether to leave this business to you or sell and make all of us extremely wealthy, I realize that you might not be prepared to make a decision about your future. I dont want any of you to tie yourself to a business that isnt part of your own dreams.
Kieran shook his head. Grandda, we would never
Let me finish. He folded his hands on his desk and looked at them individually. I came to this country with one hundred dollars in my pocket and the intention of making something of my life so that I could support my son. I made my own life, something you boys havent had the chance to do.
We love working for you, Cameron said. Its a family business and family sticks together.
Thats a lovely sentiment, Martin replied. But it doesnt make my decision any easier. So, I have a plan. Im going to give each of you boys one hundred dollars cash, a company credit card and a bus ticket. I want you to go out there and spend some time in the real world. Find a job. Meet new people. See what life is like all alone in the world. Believe me, without all the comforts of home, youll have time to figure out what you really want out of life.
Dermot opened his mouth to protest, but his grandfather held up his hand. Give yourself six weeks. If youre still interested in running the Yachtworks after that, Ill be satisfied.
Cameron gasped. Youre kidding, right? You just expect us to take six weeks away from work? I have projects going.
Although wed all like to think were indispensable, Martin said, if one of us fell off the planet tomorrow, the company would go on. He stood and handed each of them an envelope.
You have tonight to pay your bills and put your affairs in order, Martin said. You leave tomorrow morning. Go out and imagine a different life for yourselves, boys. And when you come back, come back with a decision.
Vulture Creek, New Mexico? Cameron asked.
Dermot opened his envelope and withdrew his bus ticket. Mapleton, Wisconsin. What the hell is in Mapleton, Wisconsin?
Bitney, Kentucky, Kieran muttered. Great.
Sibleyville, Maine. Jaysus, Ronan said. Ill be on the bus for a week.
The brothers looked at each other, shaking their heads.
Martin smiled. Good luck. And Ill see you in six weeks.
RACHEL HOWE grabbed the fifty-pound bag of feed, wrapping her arms around it and lugging it to the back of the pickup truck.
You need some help with that, little lady?
She glanced over at the two old men watching her from their spot on the front porch of the local feed store. Nope, she said, forcing a smile as the bag began to slip through her arms. Ive got it.
Wincing, she took a deep breath and heaved the sack toward the tailgate of the truck. But at the last second, it fell out of her arms and dropped onto her foot. Rachel cursed, then kicked the sack. How would she ever make this work? She couldnt even load a pallet of feed bags onto the truck, much less run a farm with absolutely no help beyond her eighty-year-old uncle.
She was virtually alone in this, with nothing but her determination to keep her company. Her father had maintained the dairy until the day hed died and he hadnt had help. If a seventy-five-year-old man had managed, certainly his twenty-five-year-old daughter could.
Though shed put a help-wanted notice in the grocery store and in the feed store, hoping to find a high school boy to relieve her of the heavy lifting, there hadnt been any takers. Her fathers bachelor brother, Eddie, was still able to help with the milking but the heavy work was beyond his capabilities.
Maybe all the potential workers knew what everyone else in Mapleton knewthat without help, Rachels time as a dairy-goat farmer was going to be short-lived at best. Maybe they were right. Maybe she ought to just sell and get on with her own life. A surge of temper caused her face to flush and she reached for the sack again, determined not to fail in front of two more doubtersHarley Verhulst and Sam Robson.
Are you sure we cant give you a hand? Harley asked.
No, Rachel snapped. Its just going to take me a while to work up my strength.
A little girl like you shouldnt be running that farm all by your lonesome, Sam commented. You need to find yourself a husband.
Preferably one with very big muscles, Harley added.
A husband? Right now shed be satisfied with one reasonably handsome, completely naked man to tend to her sexual needs once a week. She was quite willing to work out some kind of barter, maybe do his laundry or iron his shirts. It could be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Rachel gritted her teeth and grabbed the feed sack again, this time using her sexual frustration for extra strength. When she got it up on the tailgate of the pickup, she smiled to herself. But when she looked over at the pallet, she cursed.
From now on, shed get the feed mill to deliver her supplies, eliminating the need to pretend she knew what she was doing. Though it might be tough to work into the budget, shed find a way. Rachel wasnt ready to concede defeat. Not yet.
She glanced over at the two men and sent them a withering look. Do you two plan to stand there pestering me or do you have work to do? Your wives will be happy to know youve taken such an interest in my dilemma. Ill be sure to tell them how helpful you were the next time I see them at the grocery store.
Chastened, the two farmers wandered back inside the co-op, leaving Rachel to tend to her business in solitude. She turned her attention back to the pallet of feed sacks, knowing that it might not be possible for her to load them all onto the truck by herselfat least by sundown. But she was going to die trying. Just think about sex, she muttered to herself. And how little of it youve had in the past year.
Can I give you a hand?
Rachel spun around, ready to decline the offer with a curt dismissal. But the man standing behind her smiled and her breath caught in her throat. She felt a bit light-headed, then realized it was time to draw another breath.
He was dressed in a comfortable shirt and jeans, clothes that hugged a slender, but muscular body. In his right hand, he carried an expensive leather duffel. She glanced at his shoes and noted that they were expensive, too. Not the kind of wardrobe usually found outside the feed store.
Are you all right? he asked.
Gosh, he was handsome, she mused as she looked back into his pale blue eyes. Dark hair that was just long enough to make him look a bit dangerous. A perfectly straight nose and a smile that sent a flood of warmth racing through her bloodstream.
Sex, she thought to herself. As if shed wished it and it had just appeared. Rachel had long ago come to the conclusion that there werent any interesting men in all of Walworth County. But obviously one had managed to sneak over the border from Illinois and was now standing directly in front of her.
Sex, she thought to herself. As if shed wished it and it had just appeared. Rachel had long ago come to the conclusion that there werent any interesting men in all of Walworth County. But obviously one had managed to sneak over the border from Illinois and was now standing directly in front of her.
Oh, my. Rachel swallowed hard, then reached down to pick up the next bag of feed. Shed be just fine once he stopped staring at her. Youre obviously lost, she said, shaking her head. Or youre just a figment of my imagination.
What?
Rachel glanced over her shoulder. Men that look like you dont live in places like this. She straightened. If you just take this road right here out to Highway 39 then stay on 39, it will take you to the interstate. Youll be back in Chicago in a few hours.
Why do you think Im from Chicago?
You have big city written all over you, she said. Mostly its the shoes. And the duffel. She bent again to grab a feed sack, but he stopped her.
Allow me, he said, dropping his duffel in the dusty parking lot. He picked up the sack, then easily tossed it onto the bed of the truck. Another?
Yes, she said, the word coming out on a rush of air. Thank you. She pointed in the direction of the pallet. All of them have to go. Here, let me give you a hand.
No problem, he said. You must have some hungry cows.
Goats. I raise goats.
Interesting, he said. Ive never met a goat farmer before. Then again, I dont know any cow farmers either.
A laugh burst from Rachels lips. Sorry. I know youre trying to be polite. Its just that some days goat farming is far from interesting. She stepped back as she watched him hoist another sack into the truck. I run a small dairy. It belonged to my familymy grandparents first, and then my father. Andand now it belongs to me.
Are you Rachel, then? he asked.
She blinked in surprise. Did she know him? Was he some forgotten classmate from high school? An older brother of one of her friends? A friend of one of her older siblings? I am.
I saw your note posted over at the grocery store. One of the checkers told me she saw you pass by and thought you might be headed here. Youre looking for a ranch hand?
Farm, she said. Its a farm, not a ranch.
I thought you said it was a dairy.
A dairy farm. She cleared her throat nervously. Was this man really answering her ad?
So, do you need a hand? Because I need a job and somewhere to stay.
You want to work for me? At first, Rachel couldnt believe her good fortune. But then, as she began to consider his offer, she was forced to contemplate why a man as handsome as this one was willing to take a low-paying job without any chance for advancement and virtually no benefits besides all the free goats milk he could drink. You dont look like a guy whos spent much time on a farm.
And you look nothing like a goat farmer, he said, a teasing smile curling the corners of his mouth. Im going to be in Mapleton for six weeks. I need a job to occupy my time. And I need a place to stay, somewhere cheap. Im willing to work hard if youll give me room and board and a decent wage.
How decent? she asked.
I dont know. What were you looking to pay?
Full-time, I should offer you two hundred a week, plus meals and lodging, she said. I can afford a hundred a week. Cash. Plus room and board.
A hundred sounds good to me. As long as the meals are decent. He moved to grab another sack and loaded it into the back of the truck. All of these?
She nodded as she studied him shrewdly. No, this couldnt possibly be happening to her. Men like this didnt just drop into her life. There must be something more to his story, maybe something criminal? Whats your name?
Dermot, he said. Dermot Quinn.
Where are you from?
Seattle. He straightened, rubbing his hands on the front of his jeans. Is this an interview now? As you can see, Im strong. Im pretty smart and handy around the house. Ill do what Im told, unless I dont agree with it, and then Ill tell you.
Youre good at home repairs?
He nodded. I can build you just about anything youd like if youve got tools and materials. Hell, I could build you a boat.
I dont need a boat, she said. Rachel looked at him intently. Is there anything that I should know about you before I offer you this job?
His eyebrow slowly rose as he gave her a quizzical look. I prefer beer to wine. I dont like cooked vegetables. Im not very good at doing my laundry. And I sleep in the buff. Is that what youre getting at?
An image of him, naked, his limbs twisted in her bedsheets, flashed in Rachels mind. Actually, I was going to ask if you have a criminal record, she said. But I guess the rest is good to know. She couldnt help but smile at the confusion on his face.
No! he said. Of course not. Ive never even had a speeding ticket.
If you dont have a criminal record, why arent you looking for a real job? A guy with your talents?
Is this an imaginary job youre offering?
No. But I mean a job that pays more than slave wages and doesnt involve cleaning gutters and shoveling goat poop. A job where your pretty face might get you more than three dollars an hour.
Its a long story, he said. If you hire me, I promise, Ill explain it all to you.
Though Rachel wasnt sure she ought to believe him, there was something about this man that intrigued her. Yet, for all she knew, he could be a consummate liar or a con man or maybe a serial killer. Hang on, she said.
Rachel ran up the steps of the feed store and poked her head inside. Harley, Sam, come out here. I need you.
Finally giving up on those feed bags? Harley asked.
No. I need you to be a witness. The two men followed her back outside. Rachel pointed to the man standing behind her truck. Tell them your name, she called.
Dermot Quinn.
Frowning, she turned back to Harley and Sam. See this guy? Hes coming to work on my farm. If I turn up the victim of some horrible crime, this is the guy to look for. She glanced back at Dermot. Where are you from again?
Seattle, he said.
Do you have any identification with you? Harley asked.
Dermot pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took out his drivers license, then handed it to Rachel. Its all there. I can give you references if you like. People wholl vouch for my character. He withdrew a business card and held it out to her. Here. You can call my office.
Harley looked over Rachels shoulder at the identification. Looks legit to me. But Id make him sleep in the barn.
He looks trustworthy to me, Sam said. And hes a nice lookin guy, if you dont mind me sayin. He wagged his finger at Dermot. Behave yourself, mister, and we wont have a problem. Get out of hand and old Eddie is likely to shoot you in the ass.
Dermot smiled. Ill be the model of propriety.
I dont know what that means, Harley muttered, but anyone who can use big words like that is probably no one to worry about.