With the couple of bucks he had left in his pocket, he bought himself cheap beer on tap and wondered what the hell had happened to his lucky streak.

He’d used his winnings with Amber to pay off the loan shark he owed. Marshall had found another game to make some cash, but without Amber, his luck had gone south.

Unlike King Bobby, Marshall didn’t have money to burn. He’d been stuck sleeping in the car he’d rented with a stolen credit card.

He glanced up at the television on top of the bar and nearly choked on his beer. There she was, Amber Rose, pretty as a picture, on Main Street in Stewart. Beneath the screen, the tag read LIVE!

He slapped a couple of bills onto the bar and walked out whistling. His luck was changing after all. Once he had Amber back by his side where she belonged, money would follow.

MIKE PARKED HIS CAR behind the diner and ran to find his family. The first person he asked sent him to Derek’s office. When he arrived, chaos ruled. But the only person he didn’t see was the one he most wanted to lay eyes on.

“Where’s Amber?”

No one answered.

Mike glanced at his father.

Edward paced the floor, muttering about curses. He seemed worse than before Mike had left.

“Dad, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. The curse doesn’t care about me right now. It’s them you should be asking about.” He pointed to Derek and Gabrielle on the other side of the room.

“Don’t you worry, I’m taking care of him,” Clara assured Mike.

“Thank you,” he said. Mike glanced around quickly. “Dad, where’s Amber?” Mike asked.

“Why do you care?” Edward didn’t look up as he answered. “The curse is going to get you two anyway,” he muttered, continuing his pacing.

Knowing a lost cause when he saw one, Mike stepped over to Clara who sat at Derek’s laptop, typing on the keyboard. “Clara, where’s Amber?” Mike asked.

“Just a minute, son. I think I’m onto something here. Do you know your father’s exhibiting signs of paranoia and bipolar disorder?”

Mike nodded. “We’re going to see a psychiatrist on Friday.” He just hadn’t told his father yet.

Edward stopped in his tracks. “The hell I am! There’s nothing wrong with me that won’t be cured by me staying away from people.”

“Dad, we’ll discuss this later,” Mike said, patting him on the shoulder. He’d planned to spring the psychiatrist appointment on him at the last minute, preferably in the car when Edward was already on his way there.

“No, we won’t,” he said, clearly angry. “And missy, if you want to protect your baby, you’ll listen to me,” he said to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle turned from where she sat in Derek’s big, comfortable chair behind his desk, gripping the old wood so hard her knuckles turned white. “Uncle Edward, I don’t want to hear another word about curses. Please!”

Derek shot Mike a look, silently warning him to get Edward to back off. Then Derek glanced at his wife. “How is your ankle? You know better than to wear those high heels when you’re pregnant! That reporter could have knocked you over,” he said, obviously concerned.

“Well, he didn’t, because Amber took care of things, didn’t she?” Gabrielle asked her husband. “I’m pregnant, not sick. Not an invalid. I can wear heels and-”

Mike stepped between them. “Speaking of Amber, where is she?” he asked again, hopefully for the last time.

“If you’d told me about the baby-” Derek interjected.

“You would have driven me crazy for an extra couple of days,” she said. “Can’t you just be happy?”

He stopped in front of her and knelt down. “I’m thrilled, sweetheart, you know I am.”

Mike had a lump in his throat watching them, knowing how much they loved one another, how they’d do anything to protect each other.

An unaccustomed feeling of envy welled up in his chest, along with thoughts of Amber.

“I hate to ruin the moment, but can someone please tell me where the hell Amber went?” Mike asked in a low, level, I mean business tone.

He just wanted to make sure she was okay. That was all. Really.

Finally, everyone turned to face him.

“She’s gone home, no thanks to you.” Gabrielle spoke first. “She said now that she was safe, it was time to leave, since according to you, there was no hope for anything lasting between you two.” Gabrielle’s voice held a wealth of accusation.

Mike didn’t blame her.

“Tell me you didn’t say that to her face,” Derek said to Mike.

“I may have led her to believe it was over.” He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“Is it?” Gabrielle asked.

“It needs to be.” And he wasn’t going to reiterate all the good reasons he’d been trying to convince himself of.

“Then there’s no need for you to go to the bus station,” Clara said. “She was taking a bus to Boston and then catching another one home to Las Vegas.”

“I can’t believe you’d let a woman like that go,” Derek said at last.

Mike’s cell phone rang and he answered on the first ring. “What?” he asked, glad for the distraction.

“Hey, there, Detective, it’s King Bobby. I got me some information you might want. Seems I was followed when I left the diner.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure you’ve made a few enemies in your day. Why is this of interest to me?”

The other man let out a booming laugh. “You got me all wrong. The King’s a lover, not a fighter. And this isn’t my fight. The man followin’ me is Marshall Banks, and I’m thinkin’ he’s not after me, but your woman.”

Mike’s stomach cramped. “Why would you think that?”

“’Cause I’m not blind, man. I’ve seen how he looks at her. I also have a hunch she was the brains behind the operation so he needs her. He’s not just going to let her go.”

Mike had seen the same thing in Marshall’s eyes back in Vegas. “How long has he been tailing you?”

“I realized it when I left the diner earlier.”

“And you’re just calling me now?” Mike asked, annoyed.

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I knew the little lady was with you, so she’d be safe.”

But she wasn’t with Mike now. She was alone. And he was to blame.

“Anyways, I’m just calling to ask you to keep an eye out. If you see Marshall, make sure you let me know so I can collect my money,” King Bobby said.

“Where are you now?” Mike asked the other man.

“I got myself a hotel room in the next town over. Why?”

Mike drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Meet me at the bus station in Stewart,” he instructed the Texan. “It’s on the far side of town.”

“Why?”

“If you want your money, just be there.” Mike disconnected the phone and faced his family. “I’m out of here,” Mike said.

“What’s wrong?” Gabrielle asked.

“That guy who was after Amber is in town.” Mike clenched his jaw, furious at himself for not seeing this coming.

Derek rose from behind the desk. “If you need backup, I’m there for you.”

Mike shot his cousin a grateful glance. “I can handle it, but thanks. You take care of your wife.”

Gabrielle stood. “You’d better call the minute you find Amber. I want to know she’s safe.”

“I will.”

“Goddess speed,” Clara called.

Mike looked at her curiously. Sometimes her words were so odd. “Thank you.”

“Dad?”

Edward paced, but didn’t answer.

“I’ve got him,” Clara promised.

Torn, Mike nodded and turned to leave. His father was in caring hands.

Mike didn’t know whether or not Amber was in trouble, but he wasn’t ignoring his gut. If Marshall was in town, Amber had to be his target. He already had his money. Who else would he be looking for?

And if her ex-partner had seen her meeting with King Bobby in the diner, he might assume Amber had betrayed him. Marshall hadn’t struck Mike as being the nonviolent type when they’d met in Vegas. He had to get to Amber and make certain she was safe.

BY THE TIME Amber had extricated herself and Gabrielle from the reporters, Derek had arrived in town to retrieve his wife. Along with Clara and Edward, they’d retreated to Derek’s office for privacy. Mike’s cousin was furious Gabrielle had kept him in the dark, ecstatic she was pregnant and worried that Edward would snap at any moment. His office was the nearest place to calm everyone down. Although they’d invited Amber to join them, she’d declined. She wasn’t family and never would be, something she needed to accept sooner rather than later.

But to do so, she needed to leave town and get away from Mike, his family and the memories she’d created in such a short time.

To let go, she needed to go.

So she’d walked down Main Street alone and finding it difficult to breathe, the pain of loss overwhelming. She didn’t have a plan, but she had ideas. Careerwise, she’d definitely go back to work for the Crown Chandler if they’d have her, preferably in Vegas near her father. She’d rent a small room instead of paying a mortgage or rent, and cut back on the luxuries. Anything to keep her father comfortable and still enable her to live her own life.

Without Mike.

She shook her head, caught her breath and continued to walk along the sidewalk, heading for the bus station. Since she was no longer trying to hide her whereabouts, she could use her credit card to go home, but flying was out of the question. She still needed to be frugal since she’d have to save as much as possible in order to keep her father in his current home. But she didn’t have to panic.

At this point, she had time, knowing her savings would keep him there for a few months more while she came up with a plan of action. Those savings were the cushion she hadn’t had when Sam had been diagnosed. The reason she’d contacted Marshall, which had set her on this painful course.

But she didn’t regret meeting and marrying Mike. This past week had been the best of her life. She knew now she could never settle for less than everything. She understood what it meant to care so much she’d come to think of his family as her own. And she discovered how her past could affect the future. Her choices would be made with greater care from this point on.

She strode into the Greyhound station and paid for a bus ticket to Boston. From there she’d travel home over the course of three transfers and three days.

Her bus didn’t leave for over an hour so she wandered outside. On the sidewalk outside the station, a few people milled around, but overall, the place was pretty empty.

A car honked, taking her off guard.

She turned. For a foolish moment, her heart tripped as she looked, hoping Mike had come after her. Instead, she saw Marshall pull up beside her in a burgundy rental car.

She narrowed her gaze, surprised he’d resurfaced.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Now. After she’d settled her problems with King Bobby and no longer needed him.

“That’s no greeting, baby. Get in so we can talk.”

She shook her head. “I have a bus to catch.”

“No problem, then I’ll get out.” He parked his car in front of the station in a No Parking zone. But then in Marshall’s mind, the rules never applied to him.

She started to walk toward the door, hoping to lead him inside where she felt safer.

But when Marshall joined her, he hooked his arm through hers and steered her straight along the sidewalk outside the bus station. “You’ve been a busy girl, running off on me, getting married, and then hiding out here in a small Podunk town. What’s going on with you?”

Amber stopped in her tracks. “Are you crazy?” She looked him over. In his jeans and mock short-sleeve turtleneck and leather jacket, he looked over-dressed for the heat, but every inch the slick Marshall she knew. “You know exactly what’s going on with me. You left me high and dry while that big Texan came after me for money you stole,” she said, her voice rising.

He shook his head and laughed. “Come on, that’s water under the bridge. I knew King Bobby wouldn’t hurt a woman. I was just waiting until the heat was off to come find you.”

“So you hid behind my skirts? That’s low, even for you,” she muttered.

He gripped her arm tight and she realized her mistake. She’d let his friendly veneer fool her into thinking she was safe.

“Drop the tough-guy routine, Marshall, it’s me. We can talk this through.” She hoped. “What is it you want?”

“You. Me. Things back the way they were.” His voice held a hint of desperation, but he released his grip, which told her he was sure he could reason with her.

He’d kidnapped her father and used him as leverage. Even if Amber hadn’t opted out of the life for her own reasons, there was no way in hell she’d trust Marshall on any level now. She may have once viewed him as her salvation, but now she saw him as he truly was-a shell of a man, a pathetic con artist, and nothing more. But she knew better than to let her true feelings slip again. Especially when she looked into the dark depths of Marshall’s eyes and saw nothing there.