contracted with her for use of the land, as they had with Maggie. However, they’d made it quite clear that they had no interest in partnering with Rick, Gunther, or Kiefer.
Tina couldn’t blame them for that.
As for Tina, she’d keep her LLC and her patents and serve as the overseer of the Goddess’s orchard division—not just for her orchards, but for Maggie’s as well. In exchange, she’d agree to give the Goddess non-exclusive rights to her products, which meant she could also rebuild her mill.
All she had to do was get her brothers to accept the Goddess’s offer ... without them knowing it was the Goddess.
The offer would come in not under the name of the Celtic Goddess franchise, but from one of the many subsidiaries owned by Aidan Harrison’s family. He believed that if Tina’s brothers knew the Goddess was interested, they’d get greedy and demand more.
Sadly, they were right about that, too. Gunther would see the Goddess name, get visions of grandeur, and then pull Rick and Kiefer into one of his schemes.
Tina’s only regret was, she wished she could have discussed the offer with Lottie and gotten her perspective before signing. Things had moved so quickly. However, Tina thought Lottie would approve. Her grandmother would be the first person she called once everything was official.
* * *
Tina and Doc made a quick stop at Maggie’s farm on the way back to Sumneyville. Maggie was thrilled; apparently, Lexi had already called her with the good news.
“I just hope I can pull it off,” Tina confessed.
“You can,” Maggie told her, her green eyes swirling hypnotically. “Everything is going to work out. I know it will.”
Tina wished she shared Maggie’s confidence, but she knew her brothers. Gunther, especially, had a nose for scheming.
“I took your advice and told Doc about my autoimmune issues,” Tina told Maggie as she accepted the bag of teas and herbs and pastes.
“And?”
“And he was every bit as supportive and accepting as you’d said he would be.”
“I knew it,” Maggie said with a wide smile. “Invite me to the wedding, okay?”
Tina laughed, but inside, her heart filled with joy at the thought. “If there is a wedding, you will definitely be invited.”
“Good. Listen, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but ... would you consider talking to Michael about your health issues?”
“Oh, I don’t know ...”
“I get it. I really do. But he’s not like other doctors, and I’m not just saying that because I’m sleeping with him. He’s a brilliant biochemist. He might be able to help.”
Maggie was so earnest that Tina was tempted to believe her. After all, Maggie had been right about everything else so far.
“I’ll think about it, okay?”
* * *
“You should go,” Tina told Doc after they arrived back at her cottage. “Aidan said he’d fax the offer over right after we left. Gunther must have received it by now.”
Doc’s mouth turned downward. “Maybe I should stick around, just in case.”
“That’s exactly what you shouldn’t do. Just seeing you will get their backs up. If my brothers think you’re influencing me in any way, it’ll just make them that much harder to deal with. Trust me, okay? I’ve got this.”
“I do trust you. It’s them I don’t trust.”
Tina stepped close and wrapped her arms around Doc’s neck. “I’ve got this. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“You’d better,” he grumbled.
“I will. And later tonight, after everything is said and done, I’ll thank you properly for being there for me today.”
“Thank me how?” he asked, the familiar heat lighting up his eyes, his big hands flexing just above her backside.
“How else? Sexual favors.”
Doc groaned and left reluctantly.
Tina had barely started unpacking Maggie’s bag of goodies before Kiefer showed up at her door.
“Rick wants you down at the office.”
Tina exhaled. She had to play her part. If she acquiesced too easily, her brothers would get suspicious. “Do we really have to do this right now?”
“Yes. Right now. He said to tell you the papers are getting signed tonight whether you’re there or not.”
“What’s he going to do? Forge my signature?”
Kiefer’s mouth twisted, suggesting that was exactly what he would do. Or more likely, Gunther would.
“Over my dead body. Let’s go.”
* * *
“Threatening me now, Rick? Really?” Tina asked, striding into the office with Kiefer in her wake.
Gunther was already there.
Rick shrugged unrepentantly. “It got you here, didn’t it? Did you finish reading the offer?”
Tina tossed the papers on his desk. “I did, and even I can see it’s a bad deal. They’re offering a fraction of