The knocks fell hard on the door, pulling Kat out of the bedroom, nerves alight, skin tingling. She grabbed the baseball bat. “Who is it?”

“The Fields family,” Austin said, voice low and muffled by the door. She took a minute to think about it. If they meant me any harm, it wouldn’t be them but some hired thugs. Heart pounding, she set down the bat and opened the door.

Kat stepped back as Austin, Meadow, Houston, and AJ all stepped into the little apartment living room. It suddenly seemed a lot smaller and even shabbier than when Tia McBride had been in it.

“Sorry to come by…unannounced,” Austin said, visibly disgusted by the cramped but clean conditions. “But we were so…charmed by meeting you, and we could tell what a strong bond you have with our Carter; we all felt it was important, even vital, that we have another little chat.”

Meadow added, “We were terribly rude to you on Other People’s Money, and we really do regret it.”

Kat took in their insincerity, their fake smiles, and overpriced clothing and jewelry. No wonder Carter can’t stand these people, she thought to herself. Still, I don’t like being here alone with them, those twin putzes leering the way they’re doing, as if they’re just waiting to pounce.

Still, the only thing for Kat to say was, “It’s good of you to say that. I feel that, um, I might have been rude myself, though I didn’t mean to be.”

“Of course not,” Austin said with a smile. “Glad we’ve cleared that up. And really, we think you’re a fine young woman.”

Houston said, “A lot better than the others.”

And the one called AJ added, “All of them…and we mean all of them.”

“Oh yeah,” Houston responded with a hearty nod, “and there have been, what, hundreds of them?”

“At least,” Meadow said with a shake of her head. “And almost all of them are still accounted for.”

But Kat wasn’t fooled by this, not in the least. It seemed like such a clumsy approach, such a lame ruse; she wasn’t sure how to approach it. But she’d faced this clan down before, and she was ready to do it again, even to enjoy it all the more than the last time.

She responded with a cool demeanor, “I’m sorry, is there anything I can offer you? I’ve got a Brita filter.” But the idea of refrigerated tap water was about as appealing to them as Kat expected it would be.

Austin said, “The reason we’re here, actually, was to discuss what it was that we might offer you.” In the absence of any response, the obvious nature of his offer echoed in that small, crowded room.

Kat said, “You’re trying to buy me out of Carter’s life?”

“One-hundred-thousand dollars cash,” Austin said, “and a one-way ticket out of New York. We’ll pay when you leave the gate.”

She wasn’t sure how to react, out of shock or anger or a nice, frothy combination of them both. But she’d learned from Carter, about control and about strength and about playing a role for all it was worth, and she wasn’t about to misspend the fruits of that juicy labor.

“One-hundred-thousand,” was all Kat said, and all she had to say.

Meadow said, “I told you she’d never settle for that. Just give her the fiver and let’s get the hell out of this dump.”

Austin turned to Kat. “It’s a good offer, Miss Le Fleur. May I remind you that, as much as you’re getting along now, Carter could just as easily cast you off in some foreign port somewhere with no income, no security at all. Once he’s through with his new little pet, he’ll just flush you down the toilet.”

AJ added, “But half a rock, that’ll last a long time…as long as you don’t hang around New York, that is.”

“Of course,” Houston said. “You can’t just stick around here…not on that kinda money.”

“Especially with your legal worries,” Meadow said with a little grin. “Losing your company to your former partner…if word gets out and you can’t find work? It’s just not sensible.”

“Right,” Austin said, “it’s impractical. But our offer, a whole new life back in Tucson—”

Kat repeated, “Tucson? Did you people look me up, check out my background?”

Austin’s mouth was bent in an exaggerated frown, one born of consideration more than sorrow. “Not really. Kathleen Le Fleur, daughter of Adrienne and the late Maurice Le Fleur…so sad about what happened to him. Well, we all have to go sometime, eh?”

Meadow leaned forward a bit with a fake smile on her face. “It’s great news about your sister though. A little niece or nephew—how fun!”

Kat knew the threat beneath the offer, and she knew that it wasn’t to her alone. But something within her boiled beneath the surface, the same pluck and determination that brought her to New York in the first place: her late father’s strength and quiet resolve. She wasn’t about to let him down, and this was the time to make him proud.

“You could make it five million or fifteen,” she said confidently standing her ground, “my answer would be the same.” She crossed to the door and pulled it open, standing proud if not as tall as the others. “I’ll bid you good day then.”

They stared at her, a four-headed dragon of great power and wealth. They looked at each other, silent glances telling Kat that they had other options which they’d now be considering.

* * *

Carter pulled her close, strong arms around her. “I’m so sorry, baby. How dare they come and intimidate you like that?”

“I-I really didn’t know what to say.”

Carter pulled back from their embrace just a touch to look her deep in the eyes. “Sounds like you knew exactly what to say. I’m so proud of you, hun, so impressed. How many women would turn down that kind of money?”

“I-I don’t know,” was all she could say, a question she’d never pondered or thought to ponder before. “I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Carter put one strong hand on each of her supple cheeks, their eyes locked, lips nearing. “No, no it doesn’t.” They kissed, a silent and gentle promise, a communion of their union, like two hands joining, fingers intertwining, two becoming one.

“So we’re agreed,” Carter said, “let’s pack up all your stuff, and mine, throw it into storage and blow this burg.” Kat’s smile stretched across her face, glee she couldn’t hide. “We’ll finish the season in Nova Scotia, hang with the Trailer Park Boys, then Christmas in Vancouver.”

“The Trailer What Who?”

Carter chuckled to himself. “It’s not exactly Johnathan Swift, I’ll give you that.”

“You’re a Swift man? I had no idea.”

“Oh sure, Gulliver especially.”

Now it was Kat’s turn to look him up and down, as others were constantly doing to her. “Yeah, I can see that. I remember a line from that book…well, I guess I don’t remember it, but it was about prejudice and politeness? I remember it really hit home.”

Carter turned to look out over the horizon of his memory. “The want of which knowledge will ever produce many prejudices, and a certain narrowness of thinking.”

Warmth blossomed in Kat’s belly and below even more. “Yeah, I-I guess that’s the one.” But that narrowness was beneath them both, and she knew she had Carter to thank for her new, elevated perspective, among many other things.

A confidence that she’d have the rest of her life.