Lisa’s eyes went wide, and her mouth formed an O. “No way.”

“Exactly,” Abigail told her firmly. “No way.”

“You are planning a two-night stand.”

“I’m not. No. Definitely not.”

“You do realize you’re protesting way too much.”

“I’m protesting exactly the right amount because you’re dead wrong.” Dead wrong. The very last thing in the world Abigail was about to do was sleep with Zach again.

“Ladies,” Seth’s voice preceded him. He strode forward, offering each of them a crystal goblet of merlot.

“Thanks,” Abigail managed to say, scanning his expression to gauge if he’d overhead anything.

“You’re a very good mayor,” Lisa told him approvingly as she accepted the other glass of wine.

“You might want to remember that,” Seth retorted.

“How could I forget? It’s in every other speech. Now go away.” She shooed him with the back of her hand. “We’re having girl talk.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He backed off with good humor.

Lisa returned her attention to Abigail. “You’ve got me worried here. You’re acting weird.”

Abigail heaved a sigh. If she was acting weird, she couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t any good at this cloak-and-dagger stuff.

“Fine.” She took a bracing drink of her wine. “I am meeting someone tonight. But it’s not what you think.”

Lisa leaned in. “A man someone?”

“Yes, a man. But it’s not like that. I’m helping him-” She stopped herself, searching for the right words. “It’s a research project.”

“A research project? At night? What is this, freshman year?”

“It really is a research project.”

“Uh-huh.” Lisa slipped off her flats and curled one leg beneath her simple, sky-blue dress. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’m envious of your private life.”

“You really ought to focus on your own,” Abigail advised.

“It’s not the same. There’s nothing going on in mine.”

“I don’t believe you,” Abigail challenged, seizing on the opportunity to change the topic from herself to Lisa.

But Lisa wasn’t so easily swayed. “You’re the one with the hot guys on speed dial.”

“Nobody’s on speed dial.”

“Then how’re you contacting him?”

“He’s not a hot guy.”

“You’re blushing again.”

“Okay, he is a hot guy.” Abigail regretted admitting there was a guy involved. “But it’s not about sex.”

Lisa chuckled. “It’s always about sex.”

“Do tell.” Abigail raised her brows meaningfully, trying again to switch the focus to Lisa.

“I wish,” Lisa scoffed.

“There must be somebody. You’ve been in Lyndon for three months now.”

“I’ve been busy. Working hard. As you well know.”

“What about the guys on the campaign?” Abigail glanced at Luis and Harlan. She caught Seth looking at Lisa, a funny expression on his face.

Lisa’s earlier challenging and teasing of Seth came rushing back.

“What about Seth?” she blurted out.

Lisa’s jaw dropped, and her cheeks flamed.

“Ah-ha!” said Abigail. “I knew there was something-”

“Not Seth.” Lisa adamantly shook her head.

“Hey, I know he’s your boss, but-”

“Not Seth,” Lisa repeated, the flush turning to pallor as her gaze flicked across the room.

Abigail reached out. “What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“What’s going on?”

Lisa mutely shook her head.

Abigail couldn’t help another glance to her brother. His brow furrowed as he watched their exchange. She pasted a smile on her face and rose to her feet, reaching for Lisa’s arm. “Let’s step outside.”

Obviously upset, Lisa complied, and the two moved through an open set of French doors to a wide veranda that overlooked the mansion’s extensive gardens. The scent of roses permeated the air, and crickets chirped over the backdrop of the light traffic on the distant interstate.

They stopped beside the far railing.

“Dish,” Abigail ordered.

Lisa pushed back her blond hair and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I won’t give you up,” Abigail promised in a quieter tone, knowing Lisa had to have fallen for Seth. “You’re not the only one who can keep a secret.”

Lisa blinked open her blue eyes. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

Lisa downed her remaining wine. “Oh, man. I can’t-” She closed her eyes for another long second. “Okay. Fine. It’s better than you thinking I’ve got the hots for Seth.”

“Okay…” Abigail waited, not exactly sure what would be so terrible about being attracted to Seth.

Lisa looked directly into Abigail’s eyes. “You know about Nicole, right?”

“Who’s Nicole?”

“Nicole Aldrich. Your mother’s younger sister.”

Abigail drew back in surprise. She hadn’t heard that name in years. “I know she died young,” Abigail allowed. “I never met her, of course. And nobody really talks about her.”

“She died at eighteen, right after I was born.”

Abigail stilled. Then a tingle rushed over her skin. Her heart expanded in her chest. Could Lisa be saying…? “And…?” Abigail prompted impatiently.

“And I’m definitely not attracted to Seth,” Lisa stated with a toss of her head. “As it happens, I’m his cousin.”

Abigail gave a muted squeal, every muscle in her body contracting in delight. “And my cousin. Our cousin.” She wrapped Lisa in a tight hug. “Why on earth wouldn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t know how you’d feel.”

Abigail drew back. “I feel great. How could you not know we’d be thrilled?”

Lisa gave a self-conscious laugh. “Because I didn’t know you. That first day, I was just going to check you out. And you all assumed I was a campaign volunteer, and it seemed easier to go along with that. And then I found out about your dad, and that your mom was away. And then Seth hired me, and I loved the job, and I started to get scared that if he knew…”

“You thought Seth might fire you for being our cousin?”

“I thought he might fire me for secretly spying on him.”

Seth’s dry voice interrupted. “He might fire you for lying to him.”

Lisa jerked back, her attention shifting to where Seth had silently appeared on the deck. “I never lied.”

“You never told the truth.”

“I was working up to it.”

Seth crossed his arms over his chest. “And you pumped me for information.”

“I did,” Lisa admitted. “Your mother wasn’t around, and you were the only one old enough to remember Nicole.”

“I was six when she ran away.”

Abigail glanced from one to the other. “I don’t understand. When she died, why didn’t they bring you to us?”

“About a week before the car accident, she left me with the Sisters of Charity-anonymously.”

“You were abandoned? Raised by nuns?” Abigail couldn’t help asking, her brain scrambling about a hundred miles an hour as she cataloged the revelations.

Lisa shook her head. “I was adopted by a wonderful family. It was only two years ago when I started looking for you. Records were sketchy, so it took a while-”

“And you’re positive it’s us?” Seth challenged.

Abigail socked her brother in the arm. “This is good news, Seth.”

“I’m not after your money,” Lisa protested.

“But you were after a job.”

“Go away, Seth,” Abigail ordered tartly, grasping Lisa’s hand. “If you can’t play nice with our new cousin, you can go do something else.”

“I’m not going away.”

“I’m sorry,” Lisa offered to Seth. “I was scared.”

Seth’s expression seemed to soften. But there was a moment of meaningful silence before he spoke. “I do get it.” Then he sighed and his arms dropped back to his sides, while the corners of his mouth turned up. “I knew there was something I liked about you.”

A tremulous smile grew on Lisa’s face, and she blinked rapidly. “Yeah?”

“It must be the stellar genes.”

“It must be.”

Seth’s hand went to his chin. “I’m not sure how I feel about Travis and me being outnumbered four to two.”

Abigail laughed in relief. “I can’t wait to tell my sisters Mandy and Katrina.”

Just then, the puppy scampered out the open door, skidding on the deck as it clumsily rounded the corner.

“So, you’re heading back to the ranch tomorrow?” Seth asked Abigail.

“Yes.” Abigail’s own complex life came back to her in a rush. She hoped it was true. She hoped she could map something out for Zach in one night, catch a nap at Rose Cottages then head home. If not, well, she’d have to make up a new excuse for tomorrow night.

“Good,” said Seth, reaching down to scoop the gawky puppy up in one hand. “Take this guy with you, will you?” He rubbed his chin on the top of the puppy’s head. “He’s the last of the litter, and they were going to put him down. He has a gimpy leg, blind in one eye, and he’s got one ear up and one ear down. Nobody wanted him.”

“Uh…” Abigail didn’t know how to refuse. What the heck was she going to do with the puppy between now and when she went back to the ranch?

But Seth dropped the puppy into her arms. “Butch and Zulu will make a man out of him.”

“He is a bit skittish,” Lisa put in as she reached out to pet the pup.

Abigail tried to protest. “I’m not sure I can-”

“We named him Ozzy,” said Seth.

“Now, that’s just mean.” Abigail felt a sudden rush of protectiveness for the pathetic puppy.

“No, I like it,” Lisa interjected. “It’s not like we could name him Spike or Killer.”

“I guess not,” Abigail slowly agreed. She had to admit, Ozzy would probably be happy at the ranch. As long as he learned to stay away from the horses and the cattle, it was pretty much doggie heaven. And Butch and Zulu were good with smaller animals. They didn’t even bother the cats.

But she wasn’t going back there for at least twenty-four hours. “Can I pick him up tomorrow?”

Lisa gave her a curious look, and she could see the wheels turning inside her newly discovered cousin’s head. The last thing Abigail wanted to do was reprise their conversation about her plans.