LITMIR.BIZ

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cheese?

      Julia sat back from her plate and took a deep breath, and then another. Her mother was hardly farm wife material. She didn’t even like to garden. She’d have to fit her farm chores in between trips to the nail salon and pocketbook parties. As far as Julia knew, they didn’t sell any outfits on QVC suitable for mucking out a barn.

      Julia stared at Lester, wondering if he was kidding. But she could tell he was perfectly sincere.

      “Well…these are big plans. You didn’t tell me any of this, Mom,” Julia said cautiously.

      Lucy shrugged. “Lester’s very organized. He’s taken classes. And the recipe has been in his family for generations. There’s a big demand for goat cheese these days. It’s very gourmet.”

      “Yes…you mentioned that.” Julia’s voice was flat.

      “Restaurants use a ton of the stuff. I think he can do very well.”

      Sam spoke up between bites. He met her gaze, his dark eyes issuing a faint challenge.

      Julia countered with a withering look.

      So, his true colors were finally showing. She could see where Mr. Handsome stood on this cheese question. Looked like three against one. She was alone in the battle to slow down this runaway train engagement and bring her mother to her senses about her fiancé’s goat farm scheme.

      Did Lucy really believe she could spend her golden years surrounded by a herd of nasty, smelly, braying…goats? Julia knew Lucy wouldn’t last a week.

      Obviously Lester had talked her into all of it. Her mother was so sweet and gullible. Especially when it came to men. A smooth-talking man who knew how to compliment her legs and her cooking could sell her the Brooklyn Bridge.

      She’d bet anything the couple planned to finance the farm with Lucy’s savings. Lester’s contribution would the secret family recipe.

      Lester might appear to be just an affable old guy. But there was more going on in the bald dome than first impressions let on.

      Miss America indeed. More like Miss Cash Cow.

      Hopefully, this whole thing hadn’t gone too far. It was hard to tell. All she knew was that Lester had a recipe and two goats.

      Before she could ask any more questions, Sam changed the subject. “So, how did you two meet anyway? I don’t think I ever got the whole story.”

      Lucy and Lester launched into a colorful narrative of their first meeting. Julia found her guess had been right. Lester did stay for lunch when he returned with the missing part for the garbage disposal. And Lucy had served stuffed tomato.

      After some more family stories from her mother Julia had heard a million times before, dessert and coffee were finally served. Her mother brought in the towering chocolate cake, which was a big hit. Even Sam seemed impressed.

      The look of sensual bliss on his face, eyes half-closed as he savored his first taste, gave Julia a fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach. She quickly looked away, glad he hadn’t caught her staring.

      She accepted a larger than usual slice and ate every crumb. The decadent treat lifted her mood a bit. But not nearly enough.

      Julia listened and waited but couldn’t find an appropriate moment to ask more questions about the goat farm. She decided to corner her mother later, after father and son had left.

      She had to find out how far things had gone.

      And talk her mother out of it.

      Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m., Julia marched down Main Street with two large coffees, a bran muffin for herself and a cranberry scone for Rachel. Rachel’s shop, Pretty Baby, was at the very end of the street from the bakery, but Julia’s long-legged stride reached her destination in no time.

      The building had been in shambles when Rachel had bought it, but with Julia’s help, she’d gotten a good deal. She’d renovated and restored it to being a showplace. Fearful of being overlooked at the end of the shopping route, Rachel had had the building painted in a fanciful, eye-catching combination of colors, a real painted lady, with a huge colorful garden that filled the front yard in the spring and summer. The garden was filled with the last of winter’s snow now, a white backdrop for Rachel’s hand-painted sign that read Pretty Baby Children’s Boutique—Clothes, toys & furnishings. Made with a loving touch.

      A small sign in the window said Sorry, Closed. But Julia knew the store was never closed to her. She didn’t even need to knock before Rachel ran to let her in, her long, brown, curly hair bouncing around her shoulders as she opened the door.

      “Are you okay?” Rachel’s dark blue gaze took her in with a concerned look. “Your phone message sounded…”

      “Insane? Stark-raving mad? Totally berserk?”

      “How about all of the above. What’s going on?”

      “Lester Baxter. That’s what’s going on.”

      Rachel looked puzzled. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you ever mentioning him. Was he an awful date or an awful client?”

      “My mother’s new boyfriend. Her new fiancé, in fact. Lester proposed last night, in the kitchen, while they were supposed to be fetching the appetizers.”

      “So, Lucy’s at it again.” She shook her head. “You were right. You said you had a funny feeling. What’s he like? Did you like him at least? Is he nice?”

      Julia shrugged and sighed. “He’s nice enough, I suppose. Seems enchanted with Lucy. But they all do, at first. He seems to have patience, which is more than I can say for most.” She flipped the lid from her coffee, then looked up at her friend. “I thought he was so sincere at first. I was actually afraid about Lucy disappointing him. Now, I’m not sure. I’ve started to suspect his paunchy, puppy-dog devotion might be an act. Try to tell my mother that. She’ll never buy it.”

      “Why should she? Why would the man pretend to be in love with her and propose?”

      “Lucy is quite comfortable. I ought to know, I manage her finances. Goodness knows, if she had to handle them herself, she’d probably have to move in with me. And rent a warehouse to store the shoe and handbag collection.”

      Rachel smiled. “She does like to shop.”

      “Lester’s only known her a short time, but it’s easy to get Lucy to tell all.”

      “So, he wants to marry her for her money? Is that what you think?”

      “Lester’s postretirement dream is to buy a farm, where they will raise goats and make gourmet cheese. From a secret family recipe.”

      Julia stared at Rachel over her coffee cup. “He and my mother have it all worked out. Except the part about wearing sling-back pumps in the manure pile.”

      “Your mother goes along with this?”

      Julia nodded. “Uh-huh. He must have hypnotized her or something. I tried to talk to her privately about it, after they had left, but she wouldn’t hear any objection. She’s buying it, whole hog. Or rather, whole goat, I guess you’d have to say.”

      “Oh, dear…that is a nightmare. Poor Lucy. She’s really gone off the deep end this time.” Rachel paused and took a sip of her coffee. “How about Lester? Does he have any children?”

      Julia wasn’t sure if she should mention Sam Baxter, even to her very best friend in the world. Of course, if she started, she’d have to tell her everything.

      “Lester’s son, Sam, tagged along. He’s visiting from Boston.”

      “Really? What’s he like?”

      Julia took a breath. “Well, let’s see…. He’s tall. Great body. Dark hair, sort of thick with a slight wave. A great face with these huge brown eyes. Oh…and dimples,” she surmised in a flat objective tone. “Maybe the

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