Page 48 of Shine On Oklahoma

“She sure is.” He frowned, looking past her.“Kiley’s in the house, if you wanted to uh—”

“No. No, I’ll have to visit her later. Rightnow I’m just… I’m looking for Dax. He wasn’t home so I thought hemight be here.”

“He texted me earlier, said he’d be late.”Rob frowned. “Something wrong between you two?”

“Not as far as I know, but it’s weird he’snowhere to be found.”

“You call him?”

“I need to see him in person.”

She could see Rob wrestling with whether heought to ask why, so she said, “I’ll find him. No problem. I’llvisit Kiley another time. Bye.” She turned and trotted to the barn,ducked behind the door again and ran back through it to hercar.

She was a mile down the road when she saw himcoming toward her. Didn’t recognize the car at first. Dax’s Chargerwas usually spotless, but today it wore such a thick layer of dustand dirt that it didn’t even look orange anymore. More beige.

She pulled her car over onto the shoulder. Heswung his around, and pulled it up behind hers. She sat therestaring at him in the side mirror, her hands sweaty on the steeringwheel. He didn’t get out for a long moment.He knowsrangthrough her head, and then repeated in the deep tones of aGregorian chant. It was a death knell.He knows. He knows. Heknows. He knows.

The filthy door opened. Dax got out.

Taking a deep breath, Kendra opened her doorand got out, too. She started toward him. He came a few steps, thenstopped and just stood there, looking at her. The wind messed withhis hair, and the sun beamed, making the gold strands shimmer. Buthe wasn’t smiling. His face was still, as if all the muscles hadbeen paralyzed. As she got closer, she realized the pain onlyshowed in his eyes. It was so intense, her first thought was thatsomething must’ve happened to his mother. But right behind it camethe truth.Something happened tohim, dumb ass.YOU.

She moved closer, no longer doubting that heknew what she’d done. He’d probably seen the paper. She stoppedwith about a foot between his toes and hers, and looked him rightin his wounded blue eyes, and tried to think of something tosay.

“You leaked a lie to theAurora FreeTimes.”

“Yes, I did, but—”

“And they just took your word for it? Ran thestory without even calling me to verify it?”

She pressed her lips, looked at her feet.“The email was from you. I sent it from your phone last night.”

He just looked at her, his eyes moving allover her face, like he was trying to see the monster he knew shewas, trying to see the visible proof of it.

“Before or after I told you I didn’t want thedamn track?”

“After.”

“And after I told you seeing my name in thepaper beside his was more than I could bear to think about?”

She nodded, lowering her eyes to the road ather feet. It was like that made it ten times worse for him. Hetipped back his head, turned in a slow circle, and was blinking waytoo frequently when he faced her again. “Do you honestly think thisis gonna force me to accept the inheritance? And even if it did,that I’d still put you in charge?”

“No. I didn’t think any of that. I don’t needyou to accept the inheritance, Dax, I just need it to look like youdid for a day or two.”

He grimaced like he’d just caught a whiff ofripe limburger. “What?”

“Your father was laundering money through thetrack for Vester Caine—”

“Who the hell is Vester Caine?”

“He’s a business man who imports heroin withhis products. If the track goes to the SRA, a big spotlight shineson his deals and he’s got more trouble than you can evenimagine.”

“If the track goes to me, I’ll do the samething.”

“I know that and you know that, but Cainedoesn’t know that. He thinks he can buy anyone. And if he can’t buythem, he’ll threaten them or blackmail them or something.”

“And you were putting me in his sites? Not tomention my mother, Kendra?”

“I didn’t put you in his sites, Dax. You werealready there.”

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