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“What does it do?” she asked
“Clears land It’ll dig up anything in its path Fro soet ’erinned “As soon as they stop fighting about who gets their turn first”
“Soht?”
“That’s his job” He
Charlie shook her head “I guess an instruction manual is out of the question”
The delivery guy chuckled “You got that right”
He headed back to his truck Charlie watched Shane and Clay finally settle in the driver’s seat and the one next to it Clay was behind the wheel The ht a word here and there, but knew this was soine because it was her job She enjoyed it but more for what it could do for the people in her town than because it was big and powerful
Clay was such a guy, she thought indulgently as she walked back to the barn A good guy as taking extraordinary care of her After their first session together, she was opti to noret back to their lives He would becohter and start his Haycations, while she would figure out the best way to bring children into her world
She hoped they would always stay friends In a town like Fool’s Gold, they would run into each other often He was going above and beyond with her and she wanted toto remember, she told herself as she went to collect her horse
She s him At least now she could enjoy her ride in peace After all, she was ainstfarm equipment
CLAY MOVED THE résu which one was on the left, then discarding a couple Two remained and he still didn’t knohat he was supposed to do
He got up from the small desk in his bedroom at the ranch house and walked downstairs Coffee wouldn’ta cup was a distraction
He went into the kitchen and found Dante Jefferson standing by the , staring out at the view Dante was Rafe’s business partner A lawyer by trade and temperament, he hadn’t been happy when Rafe had wanted to move the business from San Francisco to Fool’s Gold
Rafe had taken off on his delayed honeyo Dante had driven in to take care of things in tohile Rafe was gone
“Settling in all right?” Clay asked as he collected aand moved to the always-full carafe
“I brought one suitcase,” Dante told hi”
“What about the rest of your stuff?”
“I’”
“Refusing to pack in protest?”
Dante grinned “So like that” He looked out the“I miss the bay”
“It’s warmer here than in San Francisco”
“It’s warmer in hell, too Doesn’t mean I want to be there”
“You could have told Rafe you wouldn’t agree to move the business”
Dante nodded “I know, but he was so da”
“Ad to a moment of actual emotion?”
Dante turned and glared at hiet it”
Dante was about Clay’s height, with blond hair and dark blue eyes He wore suits instead of jeans Even now he had on a tie Clay suspected it wouldn’t be long until the toorked its ic and Dante fit in just like everyone else
Clay poured his coffee, then turned back to Dante “I have a business question”
“Need me to fly somewhere and file a brief? Because I’m happy to do it New York? New York would be perfect”
Clay grinned “Sorry, no” He thought about the résumés on his desk “Rafe tell you about my Haycations idea?”
Dante nodded “I did so market for that kind of travel Families like the chance to reconnect with each other and a siet here, which people like What’s the problem?”
“I need to hire a far, but not much in the way of practical experience Based on that, I decided to get someone in for the first couple of years”
“Smart,” Dante told him “Hands-on education is best for a business like this”
Clay nodded, then drew in a breath “I can’t decide on the guy I’er or an accountant This is different I’ve narrowed it down to two guys”
“What are they like?”
“Nate is close to forty, experienced He’s worked on plenty of farton State start a vineyard He kno to get o”
“And the other guy?”
“Ty is younger and less experienced” Clay hesitated “I like Ty better He see But he’s never done what I want to do and while he grew up on a farm, he has a lot less experience on his own”
“What does your gut say?”
“Ty,” Clay ad NateHe has good references I checked theets positive reports from his previous employers”
The decision was important and Clay didn’t want toto prove Ironically it wasn’t to his brothers or even the town This ti to prove to himself
Dante shrugged “You’re going to have to pick one If you o back and correct it”
“Is that what you do?”
Dante chuckled “I don’t make mistakes Didn’t Rafe tell you?”
“No He forgot to mention that”
“Sounds like hilory” Dante walked over and patted Clay on the shoulder “Trust your instincts They’re usually right”
He walked out of the kitchen Clay watched hiuys he’d hired to clear the land would be done by the first part of next week He needed to make a decision by then
He went back upstairs and stared at the résuo with Ty, he knew he needed the experience Nate had to offer He picked up his cell, then dialed Nate’s number
DOMINIQUE STEPPED OUT of her car onto a very dusty driveway She glanced down at her pale gray suede pumps and wondered if they would ever be the same