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Dax felt as if she’d taken a knife and jammed it right into his heart. She was after the track. He fell onto his back, and all the air rushed out of him. Damn, damn, damn.

“Look,” she said, pulling his shirt on around her, and springing to her feet. “I keep seeing what Kiley and Rob have done with the ranch. My God, it’s fantastic. And they get along. It hasn’t come between them in any way.” She moved around grabbing all their clothes, tossing his to him and pulling hers on.

He frowned and looked toward her, just as his jeans came flying his way. He sat up and caught them. “It’s brought them closer, Rob says.”

“Well, sure it has. And look how well it’s doing. You know there’s a lot in common between flimflam and marketing. I had never thought of it before, but I’m good at selling, Rob. Really good. I think I might be a promotional genius.”

He put on his shorts, then his jeans. It was damn chilly out here now that she wasn’t snuggled up beside him. She kept on talking, excited now that she’d got started. “I mean, you were willing to just give it away to the SRA,” she said.

“Or to my mother,” he said.

“But does she really want it?”

He shrugged. “She never got involved with the running of the business. Just let Dad do what he wanted, and he sent her a check every quarter.”

She was quiet for a moment. He waited. “If she was full owner, that would have to change though,” she said at length. “Wouldn’t she rather be traveling around the world with whoever she’s dating right now?”

“She’s not dating anyone!”

She met his eyes again, a smile in hers. “Uh yeah, she is.”

 “What are you talking about? When’s the last time you saw her?”

“I don’t need to see her. She’s young and she’s gorgeous, and she’s funny and smart and entirely self-sufficient. If she isn’t dating someone, then there are no sane men left on the planet.”

“She would’ve told me.”

“Right, ‘cause moms always tell their sons about their sex lives.”

He winced on the word sex. “Jeeze, Kendra!”

She laughed very softly. He was standing there in his jeans and unbuttoned shirt, and she came right over to him. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

He closed his eyes, shook his head, started buttoning up.

“You can pay me a salary. Whatever you think is fair. Split the rest with your mom, or, if it makes you happy, give her all the profits. And believe me, there will be profits. She won’t have to lift a finger.” She bent to pick up the blanket, rolled it into a bundle and tucked it under her arm.

He looked at her, standing there, the waterfall her backdrop, sunshine gleaming on her lemon yellow hair, a rainbow arching right over her head like a sign from above. “You really want to go straight?”

“I’m already there. I mean, I didn’t think of it as going straight, but effectively, I’ve ben making an honest living for almost a year now. I wasn’t lying to you about that.”

He shook his head slow. She wanted to go straight like he wanted to rob a bank. She didn’t even know what straight was. She was running a game right now. How could he believe anything she said?

But he couldn’t say no. He still didn’t know what the hell she was up to.

“I’ll um…I’ll have to think about it.”

“That’s all I can ask,” she said. And then she smiled, and he kissed her again.

“Kendra? It’s me.”

“Jack!” She was so relieved to hear his voice on the other end of the phone that she almost shouted it. “Did you get away? Where are you? Are you all right?”

“Easy, easy, I’m still here, under armed guard. I’m not getting out of here anytime soon, but I’m safe. We’re building a rapport here.”

Of course they were. Her father could charm the scales off a snake.

“I’ll be all right, as long as you get them what they want.”

“Damn straight,” another man said from somewhere near her father.

“Good.” She paced a few steps, relief temporarily making her neck let her head fall forward. “Can they hear me or just you?”

“Just me, why?”

“What’s Dax gonna find in those books, Jack?”

“Did you ever do the laundry like I asked?”

So Vester Caine was laundering money through Aurora Downs. If the track went to the SRA, that would be exposed.

Maybe not, though. A fat wad of cash here, a compromising picture there…

She told her inner sharpie to STFU.

“Anyway, I convinced Bruno and The Beast to let me talk to you myself.”

“Watch it, Jack,” a deep voice rumbled.

First-name basis. Nice work, Dad.

“I told Dax he should accept his inheritance and hire me to run the track for him.”

“And he bought that? What, has he got amnesia?”

 Where she was concerned, she thought, Dax had something way worse than amnesia. She wasn’t going to say that, though. “Not yet he hasn’t. I mean, he knows me. But credit where it’s due, Kiley making good gives him reason to think it’s possible for me, too.”

 He was quiet for a second. Then, “How is she?” And his tone was almost heartbroken, and then he had to ruin it. “The backstabbing, disloyal little shit.”

“She was in love, Dad. Being in love is a form of temporary insanity. You have to let people off the hook for the crap they do while they’ve got it.” It was, word for word, a Jack Kellogg quote. Part of the unwritten code among grifters.

“And you never game your family,” he said. “Never.”

“Maybe the code needs an edit, since it contradicts itself.”

He laughed and it did her heart good to hear it. She took a big breath. Her father could die. She had to tell him. “Kiley’s gonna have a baby, Dad.”

“Holy fu—mackerel!”

It made her smile. He used to say “Holy fuck” all the time, and as little girls, she and Kiley had called him on it. So they each made up something to say instead. Kiley’s was “Holy smokes!” and Kendra’s was “Holy guacamole!” because she always had to step it up. Jack, had gone with mackerel.

“When?” he croaked into the phone.

“Before Thanksgiving. It’s a girl, and she’s gonna call her Diana.”

“Jeeze, you want to make me cry in front of these guys, show my belly?”

She smiled. She loved her POS father. So did everyone who knew him. At least for a little while. “This has to go off without a hitch, Kendra. We can’t let it touch…” He didn’t finish.

“If I’d known, I’d have hooked up with Dax somewhere else. I could’ve figured a way. Believe me, I’m painfully aware that we brought a flaming pile of manure right to my sister’s happy front door.” She sighed.

“Jack, time’s up,” that other voice said. “Come on, the boss’ll have us digging our own holes if he finds out we let you talk to her at all.”

“Caine’s not with you?” Kendra asked.

“Not at the moment. Busy guy.”

“Jack, come on!”

“Coming, Ace. I’ve gotta go,” he said. “This time tomorrow?”

“If you can talk ‘em into it again,” she said.

“Who you think you’re talkin’ to, girl?”

She smiled. He was right. “This time tomorrow. Listen, I um…” She cleared her throat. “…love you.”

She could almost see the dimple in her father’s cheek appear, see his smile, and the sparkle in his blue blue eyes that could make women forget their own names. “Me, too.”

She disconnected, leaned back in a chair, and released all her breath in a heavy, heavy sigh, as she prepared to sit and contemplate everything he’d said, and everything she had, and try to figure a way out of this mess.

But then there was a heavy knock on her door, and Dax called, “Kendra?” and he sounded off. Just…off.

She got up and opened the door. He stood there, looking like someone had just kicked his puppy, if he had one.

Dax frowned and said, “Mendoza. She says his name is Mendoza.”

“Whose name is Mendoza?”

“The guy my mother’s been seeing. They’re driving in from the airport right now.” He paced the room and dropped heavily into the easy chair where she’d been sitting. “I can’t believe it. It’s been going on for like a year. How could she not tell me?”

Kendra’s heart filled with something that felt like warm honey. She moved over in front of him, knelt, and clasped his big hands in hers. “Is she happy?”

He frowned at her. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. You know your mother better than anyone else on the planet. What did her voice sound like when she told you about this Mendoza?”

She watched him stop the runaway train in his head. She saw him searching his memory, and she saw the moment when he found it, because his gaze softened, and his mouth relaxed into an almost smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I think she’s pretty happy.”

“She’ll probably be even happier if you tell her you’re okay with it.”

“What if I’m not okay with it?”

“Dax, come on. You don’t honestly think you get to have an opinion on this, do you?”

 He lowered his head. “You’re right.” Then he finally looked up again. “I’m gonna need you to keep reminding me over and over again, though.”

“What’s he do, this Mendosa?”

“He’s a retired cop.” He sighed. “Also, we’re having dinner with them.”

Look at that handsome sonofabitch.

That’s how well Dax’s control of his own thoughts was working when he greeted his mother’s boyfriend outside The Long Branch, where they’d gathered for dinner. He’d told himself to look for things to like about Luis Mendoza. He’d told himself his mother was happy and in love and so the guy had to be all right. But his self wasn’t listening.

He must be ten years younger than she is. What the hell is he after?

“Good to meet you, Dax,” he said, extending a hand.

Dax shook, and Luis clasped with both hands, looked him right in the eyes and said, “I’ve been waitin’ a long time to meet you.” His accent was smooth Tennessee whiskey. And he had skin the color of burnt gold, and brown eyes surrounded by thick black lashes.

At least he’s short.

“Luis wanted me to tell you about us from the start,” his mother said. “I just… I don’t know. First I was waiting to be sure it would last.” She put a hand on Luis’s shoulder and they exchanged a lingering look. “It just seemed too good to be true.”

When Luis looked at her, his eyes went soft, like their chocolate brown was melting.

“I was sure way before now, of course,” she went on. “But by then I was comfortable keeping it to myself and worried about what my only son would think.”

“Kendra keeps reminding me, all that matters is what you think,” he said.

“That would be me,” Kendra said. “Nice to meet you, Luis. It’s good to see you again, Caroline.”

Dax noticed that her tone lacked its usual confidence and her stance had no swagger.

His mother opened her arms, hugged her, and whispered something into her ear. Then she stepped back, clapped her hands and said, “Let’s get this show on the road. I’m starving.”

“Ned will be happy to hear that,” Dax said. “He’s the chef, but I don’t know that the term wizard isn’t more appropriate. What that man can do with a steak’ll make you weep.”

So they all went inside, two by two. Kendra led the way with Dax’s mother right beside her, so he and Luis had to walk together. He knew it was deliberate, he just wasn’t sure if it was Kendra’s fault or Caroline’s. He searched for a topic of conversation.

“This used to be a feed store,” he said at last, just as Joe McIntyre came out from behind the bar to greet them. “Bobby Joe McIntyre changed it into this place, ran it with his sons for the first year or so. Now the youngest owns it, lock, stock and barrel. Joe McIntyre, meet my mother Caroline and her …. um …. ”

“I never know how to fill that part in either,” Luis said easily. “I’m Luis. Good to meet you, Joe. This is a beautiful place.” He shook hard while looking around, nodding in appreciation. Then his eyes fell on the player piano and widened. “Is that original Virtuolo?”

“It is!” Joe replied, sounding delighted. “I’ll give you a closer look. Let’s just get you seated first.” He led them through the saloon, past that glorious curved staircase that fanned out at the bottom, through heavy red velvet curtains tied back with gold ropes, and into the dining room. He stood aside as they passed, and once they were in, he undid the tie-backs and the curtains cascaded together. The noise from the barroom was instantly dulled. A few diners were around, but it was early yet.

“McIntyre,” Caroline said as Joe held her chair for her. “So then Rob, the one Dax works with, is…”

“My brother,” Joey said. “And he’s married to Kendra’s sister.”

“Yes, Kiley, right?”

Everyone nodded, and Joe asked, “How long are you staying in town, Caroline?”

“At least until Kiley’s shower. I’m invited.” She said it as if bragging, and with a grateful look at Kendra.

Joe frowned. “That’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving. You might as well stay through the holiday. We do it up right around here.”

“I bet you do.”

He took their drink orders and got them menus, and told them how great the food was, describing several of the dishes right off the top of his head. Dax and Luis got steak. Kendra got a chicken and biscuit meal that looked to die for and his mom ordered quesadillas. And then Joe left them alone and Dax wondered, awkwardly, what the heck they were supposed to talk about.

They sat at a round table, boy-girl, boy-girl, and Kendra automatically tried to read each person present. Force of habit.

Caroline Russell didn’t trust her. She wanted to, though. She was friendly and kind, and would give her the benefit of the doubt if Kendra gave her any reason at all. She’d make a great mark with a heart that soft.

It wasn’t fair that her dead ex had left her with such a mess. As half-owner of Aurora Downs, she could be implicated in every crime Nealand Russell and Vester Caine had committed. Maybe it was good that Kendra had been dragged into this. Maybe she could find a way to keep the fallout from landing on Dax’s mother.

Caroline loved her son way more than she trusted Kendra. So she was watching for slips, and trying to read her expressions and looking deep into her eyes every time they made contact. But she was looking for reasons to believe in her, not the opposite. Caroline wanted to like her. She wanted to like everyone.

Dax hadn’t fallen far from the tree. He really was trying to make himself okay with Luis Mendoza, but he wasn’t okay with him. So he was doing to Luis pretty much what Caroline was doing to her, trying to be nice while on the lookout for lies and ulterior motives. Only Caroline was hoping not to find any, while Dax might be leaning the other way.

Mendoza was genuinely besotted with Dax’s mother. One of Jack’s gems of wisdom, was, “The one thing you can never hide is being in love. The eyes give it away every time.” Mendoza’s eyes gave it away every time they fell on Caroline.

It made her heart go soft and squishy.

 “So Luis, tell us about yourself,” Dax said. He tried to sound casual and interested instead of about-to-begin-the-interrogation.

Luis smiled and nodded. “I have a ranch and practice tracks in Tennessee. We train thoroughbreds for their owners.” He pulled out a wallet, extracted a biz card, handed it across the table. “Here. So you can Google me later.” He grinned. “I want you to, Dax. I’m an open book.”

 “His place is amazing,” Caroline said. “The first time I saw it, I couldn’t believe it. It’s exactly the kind of place you used to talk about owning someday, Dax.” She gazed happily at Kendra. “From thirteen to eighteen, that’s all he talked about. Buying a spread, building a practice track and training thoroughbreds.”

 “He did?” she asked, glancing sideways at Dax.

“I am training thoroughbreds. Quarter horses too.”

“But not on your own place,” his mother said. “Not yet. You will in time. You’re meant to. Mothers know these things.”

Wow. If that’s what he wanted, his dream would be shattered by inheriting his father’s racetrack and all its inherent problems—not the least of which was that the biggest heroin importer on the east coast laundered money through it.

“Anything you want to know about me or my business, just ask,” Luis went on.

“How old are you?” Dax blurted.

“Dax!” Caroline punched his shoulder. “Shame on you.”

“Out of bounds,” Kendra muttered, leaning near him and masking it with a cough.

Luis just laughed. “Eleven years younger on paper and a hundred years older in spirit.”

Dax seemed to take a moment to digest that. Then he said, “Been married before?”

“Ohforheaven’s sakes!” His mother extended her hands and tipped her head up, as if invoking help from above.

Kendra rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, looking down.

Luis said, “Seems the ladies are gonna spit roast you no matter how logical your questions, Dax. How ‘bout I give you the basics instead of making you ask?”

Dax gave him the palms-up nod to tell him to take it away.

“I was born and raised in Tennessee, always around horses, but nothing big. My father was a jockey. I’m the tallest in my family,” he said with a smile at Dax. “So we have that in common. Both big guys.”

Luis was 5’9’ in boots.

Dax laughed. It was genuine. Kendra saw him try to hold it back and fail.

“I was married for twenty years, to a wonderful woman who died way too young. Breast cancer. Been ten years alone, and then I met your mother at your dad’s track on one of my many visits there. It felt like the sun had come out after a decade in the dark. She’s my light.”

“Holy crap, it must be amazing to be loved like that,” Kendra said.

Everyone looked at her and she had a distinct, did-I-say-that-out-loud moment. Then she smirked and added, “If you’re into that sort of thing.”

Dax glanced her way, his face odd, but then he was back to the third degree. “I’m sorry you lost your wife. Did you have any kids together?”

“No, we tried, but…. Wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”

And then the food came, and they all stopped talking and dug in. It was too good to allow for much conversation aside from oohs and ahhs and other meal-related exclamations.

It seemed to Kendra that the tension melted away a little bit. Dax relaxed more, his mother did too. 

Joe McIntyre came to personally offer them dessert on the house, special dessert menus in hand. Kendra was expecting Dax to say a polite no thanks and end her torture, but instead he said, “Thanks Joe. We’ll take you up on that. And we’ll have a pot of coffee, too.”

“Make mine decaf or I’ll never sleep.” Caroline was smiling, relieved.

Kendra didn’t blame her. If Dax wasn’t in a hurry to end the evening, it had to be a good sign as far as his mother was concerned. Kendra was pretty sure it was, unless he’d just thought of a half dozen more questions for the poor guy. But he wasn’t like that, her Dax. He was as kind-hearted as they came. Soon he started asking questions that were based on shared interest instead of suspicion, questions about Luis’s place, and his training methods, and which owners he’d worked for. Before long, the two of them were trading horse stories. Their frequent rounds of deep, male laughter filled the whole dining room. The other diners around them were smiling, because that sort of thing was contagious.  Everybody in the place was just delighted right off their freaking chairs.

Everybody but Kendra.

She was antsy and nervous. There were too many variables at play. If Dax’s mother kept reminding him what he really wanted in life, and that it wasn’t a racetrack in eastern New York, she was going to have a much harder time convincing him to inherit it.

She’d never known of his dream of owning a training track. It felt like she ought to be nudging him toward that dream instead of trying to get him to turn his back on it. And yet her father could die if she didn’t.

Caroline was at considerable risk herself, and that was a new weight on Kendra’s shoulders. Dax’s mother couldn’t possibly know about the money laundering. She wasn’t a crook. But that wasn’t a legal defense. And she was dating an ex-cop!

She tried to count things that were working in her favor, instead of the opposite, to calm herself down. The lawyers would arrive tomorrow morning, and the meeting was set for tomorrow afternoon. Nothing was likely to happen between now and then that would knock things off course. Dax was leaning toward taking her up on her plan, accepting his inheritance and putting her in as manager. And the first thing she would do was drum up some excuse to fire that outside pencil pusher he had going over the books to placate Caine until she could come up with a more permanent solution.

The very second her father was safe, she was going to tell Dax the truth and find a way to make up for lying to him.

Again.

She couldn’t entertain the notion that he might never forgive her for this, because that possibility was too real, and too big, and too inexplicably painful. He had to forgive her. She didn’t have a choice here.

Everything would be fine. She just had to get through one more day.

Dax’s phone chirped. He pulled it out, read a text message, shook his head, and smiled across at his mother. “Looks like you might be here for Thanksgiving whether you like it or not, Mom.” And he looked truly delighted by the notion. “One of the estate lawyers had a family emergency and wants to postpone the meeting until the Monday after the holiday.”

Kendra’s heart sank into her shoes.

She was doomed.