Page 49 of Shine On Oklahoma

“Bullshit. So how much?”

She shook her head, her explanation keptforming and dissipating inside her mind, but she’d better saysomething fast, or it would be too late. “How much what?”

“How much did he pay you to come down hereand slide your sweet, sharp, deadly blade between my ribs?Again.”

She stared into his eyes and knew she’d hurthim more than she had even realized. “My father’s life.”

He blinked.

“He’s got Jack. If you don’t inherit and calloff the accountant, they’re going to kill him.”

He just stood there, staring at her like hewanted to be able to see through her. “Did you just make that up,just now? Cause that’s pretty good.”

“I recorded the conversations,” she said,diving into her shoulder bag for her phone. “I saved everytext.”

“Or you made them up, you and some of yourscam-artist pals. A little play acting for the idiot mark. Whatwere you gonna do, take the job running Aurora Downs while secretlyworking for Caine? Or just rob the place dry and disappear? Maybefake a second death and leave me thinking I’d lost the love of mylife again?”

“Dax, no—”

“I need you to go,” he said. “Get out of BigFalls.”

“I can’t.” She held his gaze hard and shookher head harder. “I need to be here for my sister.”

“Then I’ll go.”

“You can’t. Rob needs you. The horses needyou.”

“His sister-in-law’s a vet.”

“He relies on you, Dax. He’s your bestfriend. You can’t just walk away. Who else is gonna pick up theslack once the baby comes? Who else will take care of things so hecan stay with Kiley while it happens, and right after? There’s noone else who knows horses like you do, no one else he’d trust withthem.”

He lowered his head. “I don’t know why we’rehaving this conversation. I don’t need to explain my plans orreasons for making them to you. I’m done, Kendra.”

“Dax, they threatened to kill my father.That’s the truth.”

“If that was ever a real risk, it’s notanymore. Not if your con works, and let’s face it, they alwaysdo.”

He turned and started back for his car, butshe ran around in front of him and stood there blocking his path.“I didn’t have a choice.”

“That sentence is never true. Youalwayshave a choice.” He moved to walk around her.

She moved, too, her hands going to hisshoulders in a knee-jerk movement fueled by panic. It flooded herwith ice cold adrenaline and she couldn’t think rationally. Shejust couldn’t let him leave. The thought of him leaving this spotand then leaving town and just being gone from her life wasabsolute disaster to her.

“Please Dax. You don’t have to inherit thedamn thing. By the time the lawyers get here and you have yourmeeting, all this will be over with and you can tell them you don’twant it, just like you planned to do. You didn’t even need to knowabout this newspaper gag. Nothing’s changed.”

He looked down at her face and shook hishead. “You still think this is about the track?” Then he sighed,long and heavy. “But I guess that’s all it was ever about, isn’tit? Good bye, Kendra.”

He stepped around her again, turning her ashe did, then opening his car door.

“Dax, I love you!” she shouted at hisback.

He froze as he was about to get in. “Damn. Ididn’t think even you would stoop that low.” Then he got in, pulledthe door closed, backed around into the road, all without evenlooking at her again. And then he laid rubber and was gone

Kendra was dizzy and shaking and her heartwas pounding so fast it was like the hooves of one of Rob’s horses.She hadn’t realized it until she’d said the words—words Daxobviously thought were lies. Maybe she’d thought they were, too,when they’d exploded from her chest without permission.

“I love you.” She whispered them again andthey felt just as shocking, just as impossible, and just astrue.

She opened her mouth to try to catch herbreath and couldn’t, which made her breathe faster and press herhands to her chest. It felt all fluttery and stuttery and it hurt.It was a heart attack, she was sure of it.

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