Was there anything better than a happy kid laughing? Scarlett didn’t think so. Aiden’s giggles, while Gavin pushed him on the swing, were almost enough to calm the brewing storm inside her. Almost, but not quite.

How could she be so deliriously happy and totally miserable at the same time?

Her mother’s words…it was only a coincidence. Wasn’t it? She kept telling herself it was. But deep down she was afraid it wasn’t.

She’d nearly gotten into a fight last night. Fire-hot rage still charred her senses when she thought of that woman’s hands on her husband. She did not do things like that. She taught Sunday school for heaven’s sake. And yanking a woman bald-headed in a jealous fit didn’t seem very Christian.

The wild child had broken her tethers and taken over. If she was honest, that girl had been running the show for a while now. If that little monster was in the driver’s seat, it could only mean trouble for her and anyone she loved.

“Scaaawret.” The sing-songy voice cut through her misery.

“Yes, Aiden.”

“Come pway.”

“Yeah. Scarlett, come play.” The growl in Gavin’s voice latched onto her ovaries and caused gooseflesh to bloom up her arm. That coupled with his sexy smiles was all the convincing she needed.

“Okay.” Lord, she was easy.

She got behind Aiden’s swing since Gavin was in front of him. It was a beautiful day, unseasonably cool for a Nevada spring day. Luckily, they had the whole park to themselves. After last night, she couldn’t be trusted if any other woman ogled her husband, and she’d hate to whip a bunch of soccer moms.

“Boy?” Aiden addressed Gavin. It was what he’d been calling him ever since they met, and it was adorable.

“Yes?”

“I wike you.”

Gavin stopped the swing. His Adam’s apple bobbed several times. “You do, huh? Well, I like you too, Aiden.”

“Slide, now?”

“Sure.” The word came forced through Gavin’s beautiful lips.

Her husband needed a moment, so she lifted Aiden from the swing and set him on the ground. “Run, be free, little boy.” She chased him for a second until he ran to the safety of the slide.

Gavin’s muscles were tight as she looped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Pretty awesome, huh?”

“I never thought…” He untangled his arm from her embrace, then slipped it over her shoulder.

Her arms went around his waist. Love saturated every cell of her being, and she snuggled into his side. “I know.”

Aiden poked his head over the plastic wall of the slide and made a face, which made them laugh.

His grip on her shoulder tightened. “I was wondering. How would you feel about making this relationship between us more permanent?”

What? Had he really said that? She examined his rugged profile and saw the muscle ticking in his jaw. “More permanent than marriage?”

“Yeah.” He looked at her then, sober intent latched onto her like a tracker beam. The thrill of it curled her toes. Warm fingers brushed a hair that had gotten stuck in her lip gloss.

“We’re good together, really good. And I know you already love Aiden.”

Two choices lay before her—the carefully controlled life she’d dedicated herself to, safe but lonely, or the riotous chaotic life with him, so full of color, drama, and love. Did she dare?

A flash of light over Gavin’s shoulder caught her attention. A guy in a hat and sunglasses stood across the playground with a camera pointed at Aiden.

She felt every ounce of blood drain from her face.

“What is it?”

“Paparazzi. Get Aiden.” She shoved him toward where the boy was still playing. The tiny pebbles of the playground crunched under her feet as she ran to where the reporter stood snapping pictures of her boy. The mama bear rose in her and with a cry, she launched herself at the guy.

“Hey. Get off me,” the coward squealed.

Distantly, she heard Gavin calling her name and Aiden crying, but she was way past reason. “Give me that camera, you cock-sucker.”

“I’m calling the cops.” He shoved at her, but he was scrawny, and she had righteous indignation on her side. No contest, really.

She yanked the camera from around his neck and rolled to her feet. Gavin reached her side and took the camera from her, while the reporter scrambled to pull his phone from his pocket.

Scarlett seized it and chucked it as far as she could. “Oh, no you don’t.”

“What the hell? You crazy bitch.”

Gavin got in the guy’s face, but never touched him. “Be quiet.”

“I sure as hell won’t.”

The death stare Gavin gave the guy shut him up fast. “Yes. You will.”

“Scarlett,” Gavin said without taking his eyes from the man. “Go to the car. Aiden is there in his car seat.”

“But—”

“Go. Please. I’ll handle this.” There wasn’t any anger in his appearance when he looked at her, but there was steel in his voice.

“Okay.”

He turned back to the paparazzi. “What will it take to make the photos and this situation go away?”

The guy’s answer was lost in the wind. Who cared anyway. The damage had been done and done by her. By the time she got to the car, Aiden had fallen asleep in his seat.

Her erratic pants mixing with Aiden’s sweet baby snores sounded obscene. Her vulgarity and his innocence should never be in the same place at the same time. This was where she’d never wanted to find herself.

She stared out the window and grasped for the reins of her out-of-control life. It was useless. They were gone. Flapping in the wind along with her self-respect.

The man at the center of her whole chaotic life pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed the reporter a wad of cash. The two men shook hands, so civilized. Who would’ve guessed The Delinquent would be the voice of reason in this situation. If that wasn’t a sad commentary on the state of her life, she didn’t know what was.

She’d acted like an insane person, in front of his kid no less, and now he had to clean up the mess.

All the times her father had apologized for her mother’s behavior, or carried her home drunk and crying, clicked through Scarlett’s brain like a warped slide show. Her stomach danced out of time with her spasming throat. Tears brimmed and hung like dead fruit on her lashes, then dropped lifelessly to her cheek.

She flipped down the visor mirror to wipe them away and clean up any damage from the brawl. Her worst fears had come to life. The mantra that got her through the days and nights of her life was no longer true. The awful proof stared her in the face.

She was her mother.

* * *

The cool air-conditioned air blew over Scarlett’s sweaty skin as she waited in the car while Gavin took Aiden back to Kristy. She’d chosen to hide in the car rather than face the retelling of the story, or Aiden’s over-protective aunt’s reaction. Plus, they probably wanted to discuss what effect the incident would have on their child.

She was the outsider and an unstable one at that. Loneliness fell over her like a heavy, wet blanket. She grabbed her phone and dialed the only person who would understand her despair.

Luanne answered on the first ring. “Hey, it’s about time you called me.”

Scarlett could hear Luanne moving around, opening and closing drawers. “What are you doing?”

“My father called and wants to have dinner tonight, and I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Please, your closet looks like the petite section at Neiman’s. Wear the bronze sleeveless dress with the high collar. It makes your eyes and shoulders look amazing.”

“Mmmm, do you think so? He likes brighter colors on me. I don’t know.”

She hated the hesitancy in her friend’s voice. The strongest woman she’d ever known was reduced to a crumbling mess of insecurity and indecision whenever her father could be bothered to give her some attention. Luanne could stand toe-to-toe with anyone and tell them to go to hell without blinking an eye…everyone except her father.

“So what’s up?”

For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to tell the story. “Nothing.” She swallowed the tears clogging her throat. “I wanted to check in.”

“How’s L.A.?”

“Gavin and I are in Las Vegas.”

“What? Why?”

“I’ll tell ya later. It’s a long story.”

“Okay. Well, if you’re not in L.A. you don’t have to endure that asshat, Jack. That’s got to make you happy. Kill me now if I have to spend more than a few minutes in his company again.”

She laughed. “I think you protest too much, Ms. Price. He’s a handsome guy.”

“I don’t date anyone who spends more on hair care products than me.”

“Words to live by.”

“Exactly. Oh, hang on, someone rang the doorbell.”

Scarlett adjusted the air vent.

“What the hell?” Luanne said.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s a manila envelope on my doorstep.”

“Who’s it from?”

“Poppy Sims.”

Ice coated Scarlett’s arteries. “What’s in it?” She knew. She just knew.

“Give me a minute. I’m gonna put you on speaker.” The crackle of paper being ripped open filled the line. “Oh, no, Scarlett.” The shock in her friend’s voice was almost her undoing.

“They’re the pictures, right?”

“Yes.” Paper rustled through the phone. “Wait, there’s a note. I thought your BFF might need legal representation when I release these to the public. Poppy.” There’s a smiley face at the end.”

“Apparently, it’s her thing.”

“Sick.”

“Yes.”

Scarlett chewed on her nail. This was bad. Poppy was seriously going to release those pictures. She’d hoped that she’d been bluffing, but she wasn’t. And combined with everything else…

“What are you going to do?”

She glanced at the three people who’d just emerged from Kristy’s house. Gavin leaned in to kiss Aiden on the head. The thought of humiliating either of them was a knife shot to the kidneys. “I don’t know. I can’t betray my father and ask him to sell to her. So I’ll have to deal with the fallout of the pictures being made public.”

Obviously misunderstanding Scarlett’s meaning, Luanne said, “About time you learn to deal with the ignorant people of Zachsville. Tell ’em to stick it up their collective ass.”

“Hang on, got a text.” Scarlett checked her phone and knew the end was near.

I’ve been patient. I’ve been kind. But I still don’t have my property. Remember, you brought this on yourself. 24 hours and counting.

“Shit, damn, hell.” She hit the door with the side of her fist to punctuate each word.

“Scarlett? What’s happened?”

“She’s going to do it, the text said twenty-four hours and counting.” Angry tears blurred her vision and obscured her view of the two people who’d become everything to her. “I’ve got to go.”

“Wait, I’m coming out there. Let me deal with my dad, I’ll get the first flight out tomorrow. I’m waiting on some information that could make this all go away. Scarlett, did you hear me?”

She didn’t even respond. She couldn’t. What do you say when the last straw drops?