TWENTY-FOUR HOURS later Lexi was still reeling. She couldn’t get her mind around the information Cruz had brought her. How could Garth be Jed’s son? Why wouldn’t her father have acknowledged him? These weren’t the eighteen-hundreds. The social stigma of having a child before getting married was long gone.

Which led her to another thought. Why hadn’t Jed married Garth’s mother?

She paced the living room in Cruz’s house, waiting for her sisters. She’d called Skye and Izzy last night and asked them to come by. Fortunately Izzy was on an extended break from her work. One of the advantages of long days on an oil rig. When they finally let you off, you weren’t due back anytime soon.

As she passed the coffee table, she saw the slim folder. There wasn’t much in there. A letter to a lawyer from Jed, setting up a trust fund for his illegitimate son. Lexi wasn’t going to ask how Cruz got ahold of it.

A few minutes later her sisters arrived. Izzy strolled in, looking wild and elegant at the same time in white gauze drawstring pants and a tank top. Her long hair was loose and curly, reminding Lexi of Kendra. A quick glance at the clock reminded her the teen would be home from school shortly.

Skye was her usual put-together self in a casual suit and heels. The sisters looked around the living room. Izzy whistled.

“Some nice place,” she said. “One of these days I have to settle down with a rich guy.”

“As long as he’s not stable,” Skye muttered. “God forbid you should find someone who will be there the next day or be willing to take care of you.”

“I don’t need anyone to take care of me, Skye. I’m not looking for Daddy.”

Lexi stared at them. “Why are you two fighting?”

“I slept with some guy and Skye’s upset.”

“She had sex with a junior associate at the law firm I use and they were discovered in the men’s bathroom.”

Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Tell me you were standing up, because otherwise…eww.”

Izzy grinned. “Of course. I wouldn’t get near that floor.” She glanced at Skye. “You’re the one who took me to lunch with your lawyer and his cute work friends.”

“They’re not work friends, they’re employees, and I took you because you said you might be interested in joining me at the foundation.”

Izzy dropped onto the sofa and stretched out. “I was in the mood to play handsome lawyer and escaped female felon. It was fun.”

“You’re not a felon. You’re spoiled and irresponsible. Not that there’s much of a difference in how you behave.”

Izzy didn’t look the least bit repentant. “Isn’t it amazing how she can speak so clearly with her teeth clenched like that?”

Under normal circumstances Lexi would have joined in the ribbing. Today, it was a little less interesting.

“This isn’t why I asked you two to stop by,” she said. “I have something important to discuss.”

“That sounds official,” Izzy said, straightening. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Skye sank down on the other end of the sofa. “What is it, Lexi? What’s wrong?”

“I have to tell you two something. I’m sorry I kept it from you. I probably shouldn’t have, except I was afraid…” She pressed her lips together. “I knew if Dad found out, everything would be…different.” She meant “at risk” but didn’t want to say that.

She sank onto the ottoman she’d pulled up in front of the sofa, then crossed her arms over her chest. “A couple of years ago my banker approached me with an offer from an investor. The investor wanted to sink a lot of money into my company. He said he believed in me and wanted to see me grow. The terms were easy-no ownership. Just a straight payback on the loan with a very reasonable interest rate. It allowed me to buy the building and expand.”

Izzy leaned toward her. “So you got a loan. It’s okay, Lexi. That’s hardly breaking the law.”

“I know. There was one catch. The loan was callable, at any time. I would have twenty-one days to get the money together. I didn’t worry about it because my banker had worked with the lender before and, to be honest, the rate was too good to turn down. After all, why set me up only to destroy me? Oh, wait. There was a second catch. The investor wanted to remain anonymous.”

Skye looked worried. “He did call the note, didn’t he? Do you need money? How much?”

Because Skye had her own money, inherited from her mother. Pru had left it all to her oldest daughter. No one knew if she’d deliberately left Izzy out of the will or if she’d simply never gotten around to updating it. Skye had put half the money in a trust for Izzy and used the rest to set up her foundation. In addition, she’d inherited a fair amount from her late husband. He’d left the bulk of his fortune to his children from a previous marriage, but Skye would never have to work again if she didn’t want to.

“I don’t need any, but it was touch and go for a while. I got a loan.” She’d already decided not to go into details about her deal with Cruz. There was no reason to complicate things with that bit of information. “I’m okay. This isn’t about that.”

She drew in a breath. “I was really upset when the loan was called. It felt…personal, as if someone had set me up only to hurt me. I asked Cruz to help me find out who had done that to me.”

Izzy and Skye exchanged glances.

“Was it Dad?” Skye asked.

“No. It was Garth Duncan.”

Izzy looked confused. “That rich guy? I didn’t think you knew him. Why would he do that?”

Skye stared at Lexi. “You knew it was him when you asked me if I knew him, didn’t you?”

Lexi nodded.

“Do you know why he did this?”

“Not exactly.” Lexi wished there was an easier way to say this. “He’s Jed’s son. I have a copy of a letter setting up a trust fund. The deal is Jed coughed up the money without publicly acknowledging paternity.” She pointed to the folder on the coffee table. “It’s not exactly a DNA test, but it’s close enough. Jed wouldn’t give anyone a dime if he didn’t have to. Garth is his son.”

Izzy sprang to her feet. “Well, this is just stupid. Who cares if he had a kid? It was years ago. Garth is what, in his early thirties?”

“Yes,” Lexi said.

“So it was before he married your mom. What’s the big deal? And why does Garth have a burr up his butt about you?”

“I don’t know, but he’s obviously angry about something. And I’m not sure it’s just me.”

Skye looked at her. “You think he’s doing this on purpose?”

“I’m guessing, but yes, that’s what I think. There have been a lot of strange incidents lately. Not just the loan, but with Dad. Those doped horses. He doesn’t allow that and he would fire anyone who even tried.”

“The insider trading charges,” Izzy whispered, her hands on her hips. “What a weasel. Why doesn’t he just come out and say what he wants? Why sneak around?”

Lexi didn’t have an answer, although she was sure Garth had a master plan. Was it to take them all down?

Skye cleared her throat. “I’ve been having some problems, too. At the foundation. I’ve had a few quiet inquiries. There’s some concern about money laundering.”

“What?” Izzy shrieked.

Lexi was equally outraged. “Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I didn’t think it was anything until now. We feed hungry children. That’s the entire focus of the foundation. Who wouldn’t support that?”

“Garth Duncan,” Izzy muttered. “Okay, we need a plan. I say we go and confront him. Maybe bring along a little muscle and scare the shit out of him.”

“You have got to stop watching so much television,” Lexi told her. “Beating up Garth won’t accomplish anything and it’s illegal.”

Izzy brushed off that concern with the flick of her wrist. “He plays dirty, we play dirty.”

“No,” Skye said slowly. “We need more information. I don’t want us to play our hand too early. He doesn’t know that we know who he is and that gives us the advantage.”

“I agree,” Lexi told her. “Cruz is going to keep investigating him. The more we have on him, the better.”

Skye nodded. “I’ll ask around, as well. Discreetly, of course.”

“What am I going to do?” Izzy asked. “I want to do something.”

“Stay out of trouble.”

Izzy groaned. “You’re always leaving me out of things. I’m not the baby anymore. I’m an adult.”

“You pierced your belly button,” Skye said.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s not exactly mature.”

“Sure it is. I can handle pain. You’re just jealous.”

Skye grinned. “Not even a little.”

“Lexi has a tattoo,” Izzy announced.

Lexi raised her eyebrows. “I do not.”

“I know, but Skye needed a distraction.”

“What are we going to do with her?” Skye asked.

“Hope she grows up soon.”

“I’m all grown up. And very mature.” She stuck out her tongue.

Izzy had managed to lighten the mood, which Lexi appreciated. The timing couldn’t have been better, as the front door opened and Kendra walked inside.

She saw them and paused. “I didn’t know my dad was into the group thing. And speaking as the kid, it’s kinda yucky to think about.”

Lexi stood. She motioned to the teen. “This is Kendra. Cruz’s daughter.”

“The one he forgot to mention,” Kendra said in a mock whisper. “I was quite the shock.”

Izzy and Skye looked at each other, then at Lexi. Lexi did her best to smile.

“She was, but in a good way.”

“That’s me. A little ray of sunshine.”

Lexi walked over to Kendra. “These are my sisters. Skye and Izzy.”

“Sisters?” Kendra looked intrigued. “Huh. I’ve always wanted a sister. Mom says that’s not going to happen. She doesn’t want to get fat.”

Not exactly the most loving reason to avoid a second child, Lexi thought, then wondered what Kendra’s mother’s story was. Had she remarried? Did she want another child but found it too difficult as a single mom? Cruz got to simply write a check and walk away, leaving someone else with the responsibility.

Just like Jed with Garth, she thought, then pushed away the thought.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Skye said, approaching the teen. “I have a daughter. Erin. She’s only seven.”

Kendra looked at her hair. “Is that color real? Red is hard to make look natural, but whoever does your color knows her stuff.”

Skye smiled serenely. “It’s natural. I used to hate it, but now I like it a lot.”

“You could use some highlights.”

“Really?”

Kendra looked at Izzy, who had folded her arms across her chest.

“So that’s your game plan?” Izzy asked. “Insult everyone first? I know it throws them off balance, which gives you the advantage, but it doesn’t make you very likeable. Just an FYI.”

Kendra’s gaze narrowed. “Whatever,” she muttered.

Skye shot Izzy a warning look. “Be nice,” she said.

“What did I do? I’m not the brat around here.”

“You’re also not the child.”

Izzy shook her head. “Fine. I’m outta here.”

“Wait,” Lexi said. “We’re agreed, then. We’ll find out more information, then talk again.”

“Right,” Skye said.

“You’re wimps, but fine,” Izzy muttered. “I don’t have anything to lose, so this is really about you two.”

Izzy waved and left.

Lexi thought her sister might be right. Izzy didn’t have a business or a foundation, so she was less of a target for Garth. Something Lexi found comforting.

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what that was about?” Kendra asked. “Fine. Have your little coded conversations. I’m going to get something to eat.”

“Would you like to go riding?” Skye asked unexpectedly.

Kendra stared at her. “Excuse me. Riding? Like on a…”

“Horse,” Lexi said. “We have horses.”

For a second Kendra looked more like a kid than a hooker-wannabe. “I don’t know how, so no.”

“It’s not hard,” Skye told her. “Erin can show you.”

“Instructions from a seven year old. I can’t wait.”

Lexi wondered if getting out of Cruz’s house and onto a horse just might help her connect better with Kendra. At least it would be different.

“Saturday morning?” Lexi asked.

“Perfect.” Skye smiled.

“And if I refuse to go?” Kendra asked.

Lexi laughed. “We’ll arm wrestle for it.”

“I DON’T WANT TO do this,” Kendra grumbled. “I hate horses.”

“When have you seen one up close?”

“Lots of times. Riding is stupid.”

“You said you were excited about going last night.”

“I was lying to be polite.”

“Since when?”

Kendra huffed, then leaned back in her seat. “You can’t make me.”

“This isn’t punishment. We’re going to have fun.”

“You’re going to have fun. I’m going to hate every minute of it.”

“Probably,” Lexi said, determined to sound cheerful. “We’re nearly there. In case you were wondering.”