Page 37 of Shine On Oklahoma

“Oh, is that the hottie with the adorablelittle girl?” Miss Dolly asked.

“Are you trying to make me jealous, MissDolly?” Ned asked.

She lowered her head and giggled. “There’s noneed to be jealous. I prefer my hotties with a little moreexperience.”

“Good to know. Good to know.” He was smiling.Kendra didn’t think she’d seen crusty old Ned smile in the entireweek she’d been staying here.

She cleared her throat to break the flirtysmiles they were exchanging, and said, “Dax asked Joe to ask you todo this, didn’t he?”

“That is my understanding, yes. He’s a goodman, Dax is.” He turned and got the silver coffee pot off his tray,filled their cups, and set a fresh pitcher of cream on their table.“If there’s anything you need…” he began.

“I’ll call you,” Miss Dolly replied.

“I hope you do, pretty lady.” He dipped hishead, and then took the tray and returned to the kitchen.

Miss Dolly actually watched his backside ashe walked away, and when the kitchen door swung behind him, shookher head and went, “Mm, mm, mm.”

“Dolly!”

“What? I’m old, I’m not dead.” She flutteredher lashes. She had the kind of perfectly round, baby blue, heavilylashed eyes that always looked vaguely confused. And she used them.Let people think she was a few spots past dotty. Truth was, she wassharp as a tac. She said, “Now tell me what Vester Caine wants.”She glanced around. “Digest version. Quietly.”

Kendra leaned forward and spoke softly.“Dax’s father died and left him a racetrack in Aurora Springs, NewYork. Law says it has to go to either family or the State RacingAssociation. Dax doesn’t want it. But Caine’s been using it toclean money and he wants to keep that going. I’m supposed toconvince Dax to accept the inheritance and stay out of thebooks.”

“And what about the widow, Caroline?” shesaid with a sidelong look toward the dining room.

“Divorced. Half owner. Knows nothing aboutthe creative accounting.”

“She could do time,” Miss Dolly said. “She’dnever survive.”

“Even if Dax inherits, he’s gonna find outabout the books, eventually. And he’s too honest to let it goon.”

Dolly poured cream into her coffee, thenstirred thoughtfully. “That would be bad for both of them.”

“I agree. I think I’ve convinced Dax toaccept it and let me run it for him.”

Miss Dolly frowned. “Thatwould be badforyou.”

“I’m just trying to buy some time. I’llfigure out what to do about Vester CaineafterI get Jacksafe. Besides, I don’t really see another option.”

“Young people,” Dolly said with a roll of herbig eyes. “Do you really think if this got out among our own thatthere wouldn’t be hell for Caine to pay? What’s he got that makeshim so scary?”

“Gee, I don’t know. Automatic weapons and hitmen and millions of dollars. And someone in his deep pockets fromevery branch of government from the cops to the White House.What’vewegot?”

“Brains,” Miss Dolly said. She took a deepsip of her coffee, sighed in pleasure, and set the cup down again.“We’re smarter than he is. And that’s worth more than all the gunsin Guatemala, baby.” She winked. Then her expression returned towide-eyed wonder in absolute sync with the bell over the front doorjingling.

The upright women of Big Falls walked in.Sophie’s and Emily’s arms were loaded with gifts stacked up higherthan their heads and over-stuffed plastic bags dangling from theirwrists. Little Matilda Louise, Joey’s little girl, was carryingpresents too, and she was more adorable than Kendra could’veimagined, all goldilocks curls and chubby cheeks. They didn’t evennotice Kendra and Dolly there in the back corner of the saloon asthey all bumbled and stumbled across the bar into the dining room,laughing and talking all at the same time.

“Eat honey. I don’t want Ned to beinsulted.”

“He doesn’t have any money, Miss Dolly,”Kendra said. She didn’t know anything about Ned, so she was makingit up from whole cloth. He might be a secret billionaire for allshe knew.

“Maybe it’s not his money I’m wanting a pieceof,” Miss Dolly replied with an innocent smile.

#

Ned came out the back door from The LongBranch’s kitchen, and caught Dax’s eye. Dax was standing beside ahelium tank, inflating balloons for the party. Kendra said hersister would want lots of balloons. Some would float, while otherswould be filled with ordinary air so they could carpet thefloor.

When he spotted Ned trying to get hisattention, though, he handed the balloon in his hand off to JoeyMcIntyre, and headed across the lawn to where Ned stood a few yardsaway.

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