Page 30 of Shine On Oklahoma

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

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

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

“Good.” She paced a few steps, relieftemporarily making her neck let her head fall forward. “Can theyhear me or just you?”

“Just me, why?”

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

“Did you ever do thelaundrylike Iasked?”

So Vester Caine was laundering money throughAurora Downs. If the track went to the SRA, that would beexposed.

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

She told her inner sharpie to STFU.

“Anyway, I convinced Bruno and The Beast tolet 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 inheritanceand hire me to run the track for him.”

“And he bought that? What, has he gotamnesia?”

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

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

“She was in love, Dad. Being in love is aform of temporary insanity. You have to let people off the hook forthe crap they do while they’ve got it.” It was, word for word, aJack 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 itcontradicts itself.”

He laughed and it did her heart good to hearit. She took a big breath. Her father could die. She had to tellhim. “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 onit. So they each made up something to say instead. Kiley’s was“Holy smokes!” and Kendra’s was “Holy guacamole!” because shealways had to step it up. Jack, had gone with mackerel.

“When?” he croaked into the phone.

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

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

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

“If I’d known, I’d have hooked up with Daxsomewhere else. I could’ve figured a way. Believe me, I’m painfullyaware that we brought a flaming pile of manure right to my sister’shappy 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 outwe let you talk to her at all.”

“Caine’s not with you?” Kendra asked.

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