Willow Smoke (57 page)

Gasping,
Daisy
clamped
a
hand
over
her
mouth.
She couldn’t stop her heart from
racing
or her ears from hearing. She closed her eyes. It couldn’t be. Not yet. He
wouldn’t
force
the
issue
yet.
They
hadn’t
had
enough
time
together.
She
wasn’t
ready to lose him—not yet. There was no
escaping
Angie.
She
sat
three
feet
away
waiting
for
some
kind
of
response.
She’d
have
to
tough
it
out.

“I
think
you’re
wrong.”
She
hoped
she
was
right.
“Nick
knows
we’re
from
two
different
worlds.
He’s
infatuated
with
being the
prince
to
a
Cinderella.
But
in
his
heart,
he
knows
the
slipper
doesn’t
fit.”

“You’re
full
of
shit,
if
you
believe
that.”
Angie’s
voice
turned
accusing.
“And
another
thing.
My
brother
won’t
be
easily
dumped.”

“But it wouldn’t work.
Not marriage. He
doesn’t
know
who
I
am.”
Daisy
squeezed
back tears. “I don’t want him to ever know.”

Angie
leaned
back
in
her
chair
and
brushed
unruly curls from her
forehead. “So
you’ve
got
a
skeleton
or
two
in
your
closet.
Who
doesn’t?”

“Some
of
my
skeletons
are
very
much
alive,
and
if
they
knew
about
Nick
being
at
all
serious
about
me,
they’d
do
everything
in
their power to drain him of his money.
These
aren’t
society
types,
Angie.
They’re
scumbags.
But
they’re
family.
The
only
family I’ve got.”

“So
you’re
trying
to
protect
Nick
while
you
explore
this
relationship?”

“Sort of.” Daisy nodded.
“I guess so.”

“I’d bet he’d feel more
protected
if
you
leveled
with
him.”

“I can’t. He’d never
understand my
sister
and
her
husband.
And
they’d
have
him
for breakfast.”

“Somehow
I
think
you’re
underestimating
Nick—and yourself, for that matter.”

“I’m not. I’m quite sure
Reggie, my
brother-in-law,
has
mob
connections.”

“Oh.”
Angie’s
shoulders
slumped.
“I
think
I’ll
go
back
to
worrying
about
both
of
you.”

- o -

“This
is
a
pretty
heady
game,”
Nick
announced,
hoisting
his
Margarita
in
salute.
Clint,
Cassie
and
Daisy
responded
in
kind.
The
dim
lighting
of
the
bar
at
the
top
of
the
Manfried
Hotel
did
nothing
to
conceal
Nick’s
glee.

“You
mean
it’s
not
every
day
you
plunk down
three
hundred
thousand
for
a
hope
and
a
dream?”
Cassie’s
eyes
were
sparkling.

“Damn right. And I didn’t
know if that fat guy
in
the
rumpled
suit
was
going
to
give
up or press the bid. Don’t know if I
could
have
stopped
at
our
three
hundred
fifty
thousand
dollar
limit.”

Clint
nodded
knowingly.
“Sometimes
we
get caught
up
in
the
bidding
war
and
wind
up
paying
more
than
a
yearling
or
a
two-year-old
is
worth.
You
see
that
happen
in
the
sales
pavilion
every
day.
I’d
say
you
have
a
pretty
good
stomach
for
this
sort
of
thing.”

“Yeah, I think this is
more my niche
than
the
claiming
game.
Here,
everything
happens
in
front
of
you.
Daisy
has
more
patience
for
claiming
horses
than
I
do.
What
do
you
think,
Daisy?
Is
this
my
niche?”

“As
long
as
you
have
enough
money
to
throw
around
and
lose,
there’s
no
problem.”
Her
fingers
tightened
around
her
drink.
“I’d prefer to take a horse
somebody
else
has
given
up
on
and
give
him
a
jumpstart
on
his
career.
Or
better
yet, raise a contender from a foal.
Maybe
RainbowBlaze
will
produce
a
stakes
winner.”

“Won’t you enjoy
training Hip
sixty-four—the
yearling
we
just
bought?”
Nick
failed
to
hide
the
censure
in
his
tone.

“Of course I will,”
Daisy protested.
“He’s
a
beautiful
chestnut
colt,
exudes
class
and
has
an
impeccable
pedigree.
Why
wouldn’t
I?”

“Thought
maybe
he
was
tainted
because
of
his
price
tag.”

Daisy
frowned,
paused
and
pushed
her
chair
away
from the table. “I didn’t mean
it
that way. I’ve got to go to the
ladies
room,”
she
whispered,
before
grabbing
her
purse
and
rushing
down
the
hallway.

Nick
watched
her
leave
and
then
directed
his
scowl
at
his
drink.
“Guess
that
didn’t
come
out
quite
right.”
He
balled
a
napkin
in
his
hand
trying
to
ignore
the
telltale
looks
cast
between
Cassie
and
Clint.

Shortly,
Clint
excused
himself
in
order
to
talk
to
a
fellow
sitting
at
the
bar
about
a
horse
that
would
be
in
the
sales
ring
in
the
morning.

Nick
pursed
his
lips
and
said
nothing,
wishing
he
was
somewhere
else.
He’d
expected
Cassie
to
follow
Daisy,
but
he
wasn’t
that
lucky.
Instead
the
redhead
cleared
her
throat
to
speak.
She
had
the
look
of
an
inquisitor.

“So
you
both
are
sensitive
about
money.”

Nick
gave
Cassie
a
fake
smile
and
then
let
it
fade
before
responding.
“Suppose
you’re right about that. Money spooks the woman.”

“Maybe it’s your comfort
with money that
spooks
her
most.
She’s
never
really
been
around
much
money.
Even
when
she
stayed
with
us
at
the
farm.
Clint
and
I
are
doing
all
right,
but,”
she
smiled
sweetly—too
sweetly
to
Nick’s
liking—”you’re
in
a
different league from us. We’re better at
spending
other
people’s
money
than
our
own.”