Page 20 of Shine On Oklahoma

“It started as a favor for a friend whoseindie marketing biz grew faster than she could keep up with, andafter six months I was really good at it, and started my own littleoperation. It just…grew into…something.” She stopped talking,searched his face. “You don’t believe me, do you Dax?”

“I…no. I don’t. Sorry.”

“Yeah. I don’t blame you. God, I need acigarette.” She lowered her butt onto the windowsill. “So you’reseriously just gonna give away something worth millions?” sheasked.

“My mother owns forty-nine percent of thetrack, you know.”

Her eyebrows rose, and she did too, right offthe windowsill. She stood there blinking at him like she was a kidand he’d just told her Santa wasn’t real.

“No. I didn’t know that.”

She lowered her head. Her hair fell like apale silk curtain around her face. Then she ran her hand over herforehead, pushing all that hair up and catching it behind her head.“I’ve always liked Caroline.” She looked him in the eye, thenlooked away, shaking her head and letting go of her hair. It fellaround her shoulders, over her arms.

“She liked you, too.”

Kendra nodded, then seemed to shake herself.“Let’s go find something to eat. I’m starved.” She walked past himinto the hall and down the stairs.

He’d thought if he was honest with her, shemight be inclined to reciprocate. But she was still keeping thingsfrom him. And from that reaction, they were big things. The look onher face when he’d mentioned his mother—hell, this was looking bad.This was looking worse by the minute.

#

It could’ve been awkward, staying for dinnerand a movie with Kiley and Rob and Dax. Kendra had expected it tobe awkward. But it wasn’t. It was almost nostalgic, being back inthe house again. Even with all the updates and fresh paint andfurniture, it was still the place where she and Kiley had spenttheir childhood. She felt at home there. They ate in front of theTV and watched a DVD ofPlanes, Trains and Automobiles. Thefilm had cracked them up when they’d watched it every Thanksgivingas kids, and still did.

Afterwards, the guys cleaned up, leaving herand Kiley alone in the big living room. They were more or less outof earshot, due to running water, rattling dishes and deep malevoices. That was when Kiley finally said, “So how’s Dad?”

Kendra should’ve been ready for the question,but she wasn’t. It rocked, because she didn’t know how Jack was.She didn’t even know for sure he was still alive. “Oh, you knowJack,” she said at length. It was an answer without being alie.

“Yeah, I do. He’s always okay, isn’t he?”

“Somehow or other, he always is.”

Kiley was quiet for a long moment. Then,“Does he hate me?”

“Come, on, Kiley. Jack doesn’t hate. He’s aneasy-going charmer.” She shrugged. “Hewasgood and pissedonce he realized how you’d played him. Broke the cardinal rule ofscam.”

“Never play family.” Kiley quoted it in herfather’s exact inflections. “I know.”

“He got over it, though. By the time we’dmade it back to Jersey, he was saying you were just like Mom. Andhe loved her, so….”

Kiley nodded. “He always said I was more likeMom, and you were more like him.”

“It always made me crazy jealous, too,”Kendra admitted.

“I was jealous ofyou. You always madehim so proud, and I just always messed up.”

“Why can’t parents just let their kids be whothey are without feeling the need to comment and critique?” Kendraasked.

“I’m gonna do that with Diana.”

“That’s good, cause I’m gonna get her somethings from the boy side of the sexist toy store. That nurseryneeds a little…balance.”

Kiley blinked at her, then got the not sosubtle message and nodded. “You’re right. It’s pretty princessed-upin there, isn’t it?”

“A little bit,” Kendra said. “So what aboutyou?”

“Whataboutme?”

“You and Jack. Do you hate him?”

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