Page 32 of Shine On Oklahoma

“Luis wanted me to tell you about us from thestart,” his mother said. “I just… I don’t know. First I was waitingto be sure it would last.” She put a hand on Luis’s shoulder andthey exchanged a lingering look. “It just seemed too good to betrue.”

When Luis looked at her, his eyes went soft,like their chocolate brown was melting.

“I was sure way before now, of course,” shewent on. “But by then I was comfortable keeping it to myself andworried about what my only son would think.”

“Kendra keeps reminding me, all that mattersis whatyouthink,” he said.

“That would be me,” Kendra said. “Nice tomeet you, Luis. It’s good to see you again, Caroline.”

Dax noticed that her tone lacked its usualconfidence and her stance had no swagger.

His mother opened her arms, hugged her, andwhispered something into her ear. Then she stepped back, clappedher hands and said, “Let’s get this show on the road. I’mstarving.”

“Ned will be happy to hear that,” Dax said.“He’s the chef, but I don’t know that the term wizard isn’t moreappropriate. What that man can do with a steak’ll make youweep.”

So they all went inside, two by two. Kendraled the way with Dax’s mother right beside her, so he and Luis hadto walk together. He knew it was deliberate, he just wasn’t sure ifit was Kendra’s fault or Caroline’s. He searched for a topic ofconversation.

“This used to be a feed store,” he said atlast, just as Joe McIntyre came out from behind the bar to greetthem. “Bobby Joe McIntyre changed it into this place, ran it withhis sons for the first year or so. Now the youngest owns it, lock,stock and barrel. Joe McIntyre, meet my mother Caroline and her ….um …. ”

“I never know how to fill that part ineither,” Luis said easily. “I’m Luis. Good to meet you, Joe. Thisis a beautiful place.” He shook hard while looking around, noddingin appreciation. Then his eyes fell on the player piano andwidened. “Is that original Virtuolo?”

“It is!” Joe replied, sounding delighted.“I’ll give you a closer look. Let’s just get you seated first.” Heled them through the saloon, past that glorious curved staircasethat fanned out at the bottom, through heavy red velvet curtainstied back with gold ropes, and into the dining room. He stood asideas they passed, and once they were in, he undid the tie-backs andthe curtains cascaded together. The noise from the barroom wasinstantly dulled. A few diners were around, but it was earlyyet.

“McIntyre,” Caroline said as Joe held herchair for her. “So then Rob, the one Dax works with, is…”

“My brother,” Joey said. “And he’s married toKendra’s sister.”

“Yes, Kiley, right?”

Everyone nodded, and Joe asked, “How long areyou staying in town, Caroline?”

“At least until Kiley’s shower. I’m invited.”She said it as if bragging, and with a grateful look at Kendra.

Joe frowned. “That’s the Sunday beforeThanksgiving. You might as well stay through the holiday. We do itup right around here.”

“I bet you do.”

He took their drink orders and got themmenus, and told them how great the food was, describing several ofthe dishes right off the top of his head. Dax and Luis got steak.Kendra got a chicken and biscuit meal that looked to die for andhis mom ordered quesadillas. And then Joe left them alone and Daxwondered, awkwardly, what the heck they were supposed to talkabout.

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They sat at a round table, boy-girl,boy-girl, and Kendra automatically tried to read each personpresent. Force of habit.

Caroline Russell didn’t trust her. She wantedto, though. She was friendly and kind, and would give her thebenefit of the doubt if Kendra gave her any reason at all. She’dmake a great mark with a heart that soft.

It wasn’t fair that her dead ex had left herwith such a mess. As half-owner of Aurora Downs, she could beimplicated in every crime Nealand Russell and Vester Caine hadcommitted. Maybe it was good that Kendra had been dragged intothis. Maybe she could find a way to keep the fallout from landingon Dax’s mother.

Caroline loved her son way more than shetrusted Kendra. So she was watching for slips, and trying to readher expressions and looking deep into her eyes every time they madecontact. But she was looking for reasons to believe in her, not theopposite. Caroline wanted to like her. She wanted to likeeveryone.

Dax hadn’t fallen far from the tree. Hereally was trying to make himself okay with Luis Mendoza, but hewasn’tokay with him. So he was doing to Luis pretty muchwhat Caroline was doing to her, trying to be nice while on thelookout for lies and ulterior motives. Only Caroline was hopingnotto find any, while Dax might be leaning the otherway.

Mendoza was genuinely besotted with Dax’smother. One of Jack’s gems of wisdom, was, “The one thing you cannever hide is being in love. The eyes give it away every time.”Mendoza’s eyes gave it away every time they fell on Caroline.

It made her heart go soft and squishy.

“So Luis, tell us about yourself,” Dax said.He tried to sound casual and interested instead ofabout-to-begin-the-interrogation.

Luis smiled and nodded. “I have a ranch andpractice tracks in Tennessee. We train thoroughbreds for theirowners.” He pulled out a wallet, extracted a biz card, handed itacross the table. “Here. So you can Google me later.” He grinned.“I want you to, Dax. I’m an open book.”

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