Page 26 of Country Mist

Haylee squeezed his fingers. “I wish I could have met her.”

He smiled then released her fingers to pick up his fork. “Henry Goldman is fond of you.”

“I’ve known him since I was a kid.” Haylee wrapped her fingers around her glass. “How about you?”

“I’ve provided cattle for Henry’s jerky products.” Tyson stabbed a tomato with his fork. “He’s selling his company, and I’m considering buying it.”

“You’ll become a jerky tycoon.” Haylee laughed. “That could be a great investment.”

He nodded. “I’ve got my lawyers looking into his company’s financials. If I’m happy with what they come back with, I might go forward with the purchase.”

Haylee sipped her tea and set the glass down on the table. “It’s a great product. I love the seasonings on his spicy version. How big is his business—is it nationwide?”

Tyson shook his head. “It’s a regional small-batch company that specializes in providing products for wholesale outlets.”

“Does he have beef suppliers other than you?” she asked.

“Henry’s ranch provides most of the beef,” Tyson said. “As part of the buyout, I would take over his ranch. I’m concerned about stretching myself too thin. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew.”

“I get that.” Haylee tipped her head to the side. “I have a competitor who offered a good price to take over her business. I decided not to because I have other goals for the future.”

“Your art.” Tyson studied her. “You have the talent needed to be successful at it full-time.”

“Thank you.” She smiled. “It’s been a lifelong dream. After the successful showing at the gallery in Scottsdale, I feel like the ability to focus on painting is closer to being within reach.”

“It’ll happen.” He spoke as if it was as good as done.

“Henry must have named his company after the Lost Dutchman Mine legend,” Haylee said.

Tyson looked amused. “Are you familiar with his slogan, ‘You can’t find gold in the mountains, but you can find it in every bite?’”

“No.” Haylee laughed. “Can you imagine finding the Dutchman’s gold in the Superstition Mountains?”

“A hell of a lot of people have tried since the late 1800s,” Tyson said. “Have you heard the legend of the lost gold in the Huachuca Mountains in southeastern Arizona?”

Haylee shook her head. “How did that one go?”

“In the 1940s, an Army private named Jones was out for a walk with a buddy and fell thirty feet into a manmade chamber. He later returned to the same location, found gold bars in a tunnel, broke off a piece, and sold it to an assayer in Mexico.”

“Interesting,” Haylee said. “What happened after that?”

“According to reports, Jones didn’t return for the gold until years later.” Tyson looked thoughtful as he recalled the story. “When he finally did, he got permission from the Army to dig for the gold and was even provided with some heavy equipment, but they didn’t find the cache. He tried again and again over the years, but no luck. Others have tried to find it, but the most that’s been located with some electronic gear is a shaft and caves filled with silt.”

“Where did the gold come from to begin with?” she asked.

“Some say it was stolen from Mexico, and others believe it was brought here by Spaniards in the 1800s.”

Haylee’s adventurous spirit had her palms itching. “Wouldn’t it be a kick to go looking for the gold?”

The corner of Tyson’s mouth tipped. “Would you like to make a weekend of it? I’ve hiked in the Huachuca Mountains and stayed at a nice little bed-and-breakfast in Ramsey Canyon.”

“Oooh.” Haylee loved spontaneous activities, and this would be something new. “That sounds like a fun way to spend a weekend.”

“Let’s do it.” Tyson drew his phone from his back pocket and looked at his calendar. “I’m free in a couple of weeks. We can go down on Saturday morning and return Sunday evening.” He gave her the date and met her gaze. “Say the word, and I’ll make a reservation at the B & B.”

“Hold on.” Haylee consulted her phone. “Yep. That date works for me.”

“I’ll reserve two rooms.” Tyson smiled at her. “And I’ll take care of the details.”

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