I decide to wander the house a bit and learn where everything is. I find the kitchen. As I enter, I see Vin sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. He turns towards me.

“Did you need something?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m fine. I’m just going to walk around a little.”

“Okay, are you all right?”

“Yes, Vin, I’m fine.”

I walk out the kitchen and head for the back doors to go onto the veranda, which is as beautiful as the rest of the house. It’s set up like a living area, with a huge fireplace and an outside kitchen. As I take in my surroundings, I notice a beautiful lagoon-shaped swimming pool. It is like something you would see at a fancy hotel. It has a waterfall on one side, and there is a bar set into the pool. Lounge chairs surround the area, and another bar is set off to the outside part of the pool. Further, in the distance, I can see a smaller house, which I figure to be the pool house. I continue to walk. I can see at the back of the property; there is a barn with horses. As I get closer, I see the horses roaming around off to the side. They are magnificent creatures. Everything is beautiful; the house, the pool, and the land it settles on.

As I continue to walk, I start wondering if it’s possible for me to do this without falling for Gabriel. I knew I could do it without love, but I don’t think I could be with Gabriel without loving him, and love has done nothing for me but cause pain. Can I risk being hurt again? I don’t know, but I know I can’t return to where I came from. I have grown too much ever to go back to the old me. I will just have to find a way to keep my heart at arm’s length.

Three days pass without a word from Gabriel; not even a word from Catherine about him. On the fourth day, Catherine informs me Frederick will be picking us up to go to the Fairgrounds, to see a simple quarter horse race. Unsurprisingly in my room, a dress was laid out for me with a matching hat and accessories.

When I’m dressed and ready to go, Catherine comes into my room.

She explains, “Fallon, I loved the way you handled Frederick and got him interested in my business adventure. I was proud of you. Now I need you to keep him entertained throughout the race. He must be kept happy today. It is important to have someone of his stature intertwined in this deal for it to succeed. It will be our second casino and our first out of the country, and having him as an ally is crucial. Remember all I taught you, use your skills to get him to do what we want. Don’t fail me, Fallon; I will not be happy. Now, I do have a little warning: it might get tricky. I have a feeling Gabriel will be at the race. Don’t let him deter you from our goal. If you play your cards right, you just might have them both right where you want them.”

“How can you say that? How am I to play Frederick and not put Gabriel off?”

She smiles and says, “I have never known a man who couldn’t use a little competition. Are you ready, dear?”

As I make it down the staircase, I see Frederick already waiting for us. He really is a dashing man. Middle-aged, with a sprinkle of gray. He would be pleasant to be married to, I’m sure. I wonder if Gabriel decided he didn’t want me. Could I get Frederick to fall in love with me? Well, I guess time will tell.

“Frederick, it’s so lovely to see you again. I have been telling Catherine how excited I am to attend the races with you.”

“Ms. Fallon, no need to flatter me. I’m the one who has been looking for any kind of excuse to see you again. Remember, it was a little blackmail I used to get you to attend; it’s not something I’m beneath. By the way, you are looking gorgeous, and you also, Catherine. I will be the envy of every man with a beautiful woman on both arms. Shall we go?”

Outside, Frederick opens the door to his limo for us to enter. Inside, he pours us each a glass of champagne. On the drive, I talk to him about England and his family legacy. It seems Catherine didn’t find it necessary to tell me Frederick has a title of Lord. I learn his parents are deceased and he has two sisters he has taken as his charge. Even though they’re now grown women, he still sees it fit to take responsibility for them. The more I learn about him, the more I like him. There are no butterflies or sparks, but he is someone I could admire.

Once at the Fairgrounds, we are escorted to a private box to watch the races. Frederick starts to explain the bidding procedure to me. I look into a pamphlet that holds the names of all the horses, their descriptions, and rankings. I finally decide on a horse I would like to place a bet on. The horse's name is Brandy. It makes me think of Gabriel’s smooth voice. Frederick tries to convince me my horse's odds are not good, but I don’t change my decision. Catherine had given me an allowance for things I might need, so I decide to use it to place my bet. All while discussing the race and stats, Catherine sits quietly, like she’s my chaperone, watching every move we make.

Once all betting is finished, I become beyond excited. I’ve never been to a race. It’s a complete rush, but sitting up in the box did not allow me the thrill of the other people’s excitement. So, I beg Frederick to allow us to watch the race from the stands. I tell him I want to be closer, to feed off the thrill of the audience.

When he doesn’t look like it is something he wants to do, I run my hand over the lapel of his jacket, and say, “Please, Frederick, let’s live a little wild. It’ll be fun, I promise!”’

Catherine informs us we can go, but she will stay where she is. Well that works, because next thing I know he is practically racing to get us to the stands; not the bottom stands, but the more private upper class stands. It is just like I thought, the excitement is rolling off everyone around us. Frederick eventually loosens up a little. He starts to transform into a more youthful man, and we are enjoying it all. We start talking to strangers in the stands and comparing our bets. We’re having so much fun. We find ourselves laughing at jokes the couple on the side of us tell, while we wait for the race to begin. At one point, I catch myself looking up to the box where I know Catherine is; I didn’t expect to see Gabriel looking down back at me. There he is, looking straight at me. I turn around, giving Frederick my full attention. The race begins, and I am jumping up and down, hollering right along with everyone else. I can’t believe the thrill of it all. My horse doesn’t win, but he does place third. I jump into Frederick’s arms, and as he looks down at me with admiration, I catch another stare from Gabriel, still standing there watching.

All week, I purposely stayed away from Fallon and Angelle, needing my space to think and work, but my thoughts never allowed me to get Fallon off my mind. I put Zander in charge of almost all dealings with the casino this week and told Angelle I had no time to deal with her.

I knew today was the day of the races, and Fallon would be here with Frederick. I can no longer stay away. I have to see her, and see how she interacts with him. I came to my mother’s box at the Fairgrounds but find only my mother. She says Fallon had the wonderful idea of mingling with the other spectators. As I look down, I immediately see her. She’s stunning. The baby blue dress she wears gives her an elegance that makes her stand out from the crowd. I can’t take my eyes off her as she laughs and jumps with joy. She’s completely intoxicating. Then she jumps into Frederick’s arms, and a fury ignites within me. I see her look up at me and smile, but I can’t return the gesture. I’m fucking pissed beyond control. All I can do is stand here, lost in my frustration, until my mother gets my attention.

“Gabriel, why are you so tense, son? You look like you’re about to explode.” Standing up from her chair, she casually walks over to me to see what has my attention. “Now I see,” she says.

“See what, Mother?”

“Gabriel, I saw how you looked at Fallon the other night, and now as she’s hugging Frederick. You look like you want to kill him for touching her.”

“No, Mother, you're wrong. Not him, but maybe her.”

“Really, Gabriel? Is that how you act towards something you want?”

I tilt to my side, glancing at my mother as I ask, “Who says I want her?”

“Come on, Gabriel. I might be older now, but I recognize that look; it’s a look I used to receive myself. You, my boy, are enraptured with her.”

“Maybe it’s simply a look of lust, Mother.” I try to surprise her with my answer, but of course, she is not phased.

“Maybe, but if it was only lust...well, isn’t that something you can take care of with Angelle or your latest arm candy? Leave Fallon alone!”

“Now you’re trying to forbid me from her?”

“No, Gabriel, I am trying to save poor Fallon from your wrath, and maybe, son, I’m trying to save you, too. A woman like Fallon deserves better, and if lust is all you are interested in, then look elsewhere.”

I laugh out loud. “That is so rich coming from you, the woman who uses people and then throws them away, even your husband.”

She slaps me hard across my face.

“You know nothing of your father and I.”

“I know enough, Mother. I know you used him till he had nothing left to give.”

Just as I am about to go on, the door swings open to a laughing Fallon, followed by Frederick. Once Fallon sees me, she turns and looks toward my mother. She starts to tell her how much fun she has had.

I, in turn, call out, “Frederick, I see luck must have come your way.”

He shakes my hand and says, “Gabriel, no, actually I lost, but luck was definitely on my side in the form of Fallon. Her horse placed third, and I’m telling you, the way she jumped in my arms, I would let her bet on every horse just to make sure she would win again.”

“Yes, I guess I can understand that. I saw you two down there. It looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

“I was, thanks to Fallon. I’ve never experienced the races quite like that before.”

Fallon comes forth and says, “It was so much fun. I would love to do it again sometime, Frederick. I think I’ll go down to see the horses and meet some of the jockeys, if you will all excuse me. Oh, Frederick, I do hope you and Catherine get a chance to handle some business while I’m gone, but don’t take too long. I would love to experience the rest of the day with you.”

As she excuses herself, my mother tells her, “Fallon, I’ve called Vin. He will follow you wherever you’d like to go.”

Fallon responds, “I didn’t know Vin was here.”

“Well, of course he’s here, Fallon. I had to make sure Frederick stayed on his best behavior with you.”

They all laugh at that while Frederick explains he would never have thought of being anything other than a gentleman. I just want to punch him in his fucking face!

Once Fallon has left, I think about how she left with barely paying me any attention. A few minutes later, I kiss my mother’s cheek and shake Frederick’s hand again. I tell them it’s time for me to return to work.

As I’m walking out to leave, I run into patrons of the casino. I shake a lot of hands and smile at a lot of assholes; you know, all the smooshing bullshit. That’s when it hits me. Fallon wasn’t flirting with Frederick, she was handling him, and like a fucking pro. Why hadn’t I seen it earlier? I know, because my rage of jealousy blinded me. With my realization, I smile and decide I need to find her.

I contact Vin; he says they’re down by the stables. As I walk and get closer, I spot her petting a horse, looking playful. I nod to Vin to let him know to fall back, then stand quietly behind Fallon. I just want a few minutes to watch her.

Without turning, she says, “Are you going to say hello, Gabriel, or are you just going to continue to stare at me?”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Not sure, but somehow I felt you.”

“Well, that's –”

I don’t get to finish, because she answers for me, “Eerie?”

“I was going to say interesting.”

She continues to pet the horse as I watch on and wonder what she meant by feeling me there.

“Is there something you wanted, Gabriel?”

“I was wondering how you learned to handle Frederick so well.”

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

“Well, at first I thought you were flirting with him, then I realized I had seen that scenario before. You were handling him. You had him eating out the palm of your hand. My mother either taught you very well, or you were born with that talent. You almost had me fooled, but then I recognized the way you played him.”

She lets out a small laugh and says, “I happen to like Frederick. He’s a very nice man, and very fascinating. I had a lot of fun with him today.”

“I’m sure you did, but I also know Frederick and my mother are talking business upstairs right now.”

“What does that have to do with me? I’m sure Catherine talks business with a lot of men.”

“Don’t play coy, Fallon. She’s my mother, she’s getting older, and I’m not saying she is any less beautiful; she just doesn’t get the reactions like she used to. Many still fear her, but she no longer holds quite the same charm as she once did.”

“So, tell me, Fallon, why are you really here?”

She laughs again, turns, and starts to walk, and just like a puppy I follow her.

“I’m not here for any particular reason. As far as Frederick is concerned, I genuinely like spending time with him, and if that helped your mother out with a business deal, then I’m happy to be helpful to her. And to you, since it is your family business.”

“I never asked for your help, Fallon, but you’re right, it does help our business if he invests. More to the point, what game are you and my mother playing? Why did she bring you here?”

Fallon continues to walk, saying, “What makes you think we are playing a game? She brought me here to entertain her. She told me how lonely she gets now that you and your brothers have your own lives. I don’t want anything from her, other than her company. If I handled Frederick as you say I did, then maybe it was just payback for the kindness your mother has shown me.”

Now I laugh. “Kindness from Catherine? Oh, Fallon, my mother is not kind. I sure hope you know what you’re doing, because Mother is a lot of things, but never kind. If she wants something from you, you best deliver. Be careful. I love my mother, and she was the best mother she could be to me and my brothers, but we are her children. The Catherine everyone else knows is not the same woman.”

“Tell me about that Catherine, Gabriel. The mothering side of her.”

I think on it and say, “Growing up with her was intense. She would be gone for a couple of days here and there, but she always called us to tell us goodnight and say how much she loved us. Most nights, she was home, and those nights were the best. She would send all the nannies home, take us on herself, and trust me, four boys was not an easy job. She even cooked and baked for us all the nights she was home. Can you imagine Catherine as a baker? I remember her covered in flour, baking for hours so we could have the right batch of cookies. She tried to make our home as normal as possible. There was never a time we didn’t feel her love, almost to the point of suffocating.”

Fallon scrunches her face. “Suffocating how? She sounds like an amazing mother.”

“Like I said, growing up with Catherine was intense. She instilled the power of family over and over. She taught us how to be strong men and leaders. I’m sure other moms didn’t teach most of the things she taught us. She didn’t teach us how to be good, honest men. She taught us how to be ruthless and deceitful. She even had our bodyguards teach us how not only to defend ourselves, but take a man down, beat the shit out of him, and even kill. As we got older, we saw all the looks she got and the way she played men to her advantage. She was so beautiful; still is. Back then, she could turn any head she wanted and did so effortlessly. When I was a child, I asked her once why she liked getting so much attention from other men. She said it was all for us, that she would do anything for us. I knew she was telling the truth, and it scared me. Even with all her beauty, she couldn’t fool me; I saw the unhappiness in her eyes. I didn’t want my mother to suffer for me, but she did. I know she did. Now that we’re grown, she is having a hard time letting go. Sometimes it’s suffocating, but I feel like we owe her something – but what, what price do you pay for Catherine’s love?”

“Gabriel, you mentioned four boys are you referring to Vin?”

“Yes, he came to live with us when we were younger. My mother raised him like he was one of hers and we never questioned it. He is my brother just as much as Zander or Liam are.

Fallon looks off and says, “To answer your question about what price you pay for Catherine’s love. I think she would want what every mother wants. For her children to be happy and loved. To continue to grow the family business and maybe her joy would come in the form of grandchildren. You know, to build on her legacy.”

“Is that why you’re here, Fallon?”

“Maybe. Would you want that, Gabriel?”

I grab her wrist and make her look at me to make sure she understands.

“Don’t play with me, Fallon. I am not a man to be played with. Your flirtations will get you nowhere with me. I’m in control of my destiny, not my mother, and I don’t plan on settling down anytime soon.”

“Then why are you here, Gabriel? Why do you care so much about me?”

Her question throws me completely off. Why am I here? Why do I care to find out all about her?

“Don’t worry, Gabriel; I know you have Angelle, and she is more than likely your future. Besides, don’t flatter yourself. If I were here for the future of the Stern family, what makes you think it would be you, and not one of your brothers?”

What the fuck? She can’t be serious! I throw her wrist down with a growl and storm away from her. I can’t even think about her being with one of my brothers. What the fuck is wrong with me? In an instant, I’m pissed, and all I want is to grab and throw her to the ground, so I can show her what the fuck I can do to her. If my mother did send her here for us, I would show her who the fuck I truly am. She will leave soon enough. I will decide when and if I ever choose a woman. It will be my choice, not hers. No woman will control me. Not Catherine, and not Fallon. Fuck them!