He followed her down the short hallway into an old-fashioned bathroom decorated in various and unappealing shades of green.

Gracie dug around in the cabinet, then straightened and held out a tube of something. “I don’t think this will hurt too much, but we’ve got to get something on those scratches. Should we wash them first?”

“I think the pool took care of that. It was cold as hell, but I could smell the chlorine.”

She glanced down at his soaked and dripping trousers. “So those will be ruined.”

He figured his clothes were the least of his concern. He didn’t much care about the marks on his chest either-what had his full attention was the man taking pictures. Gracie’s life hardly supported the idea of her having a lot of angry enemies trying to ruin her, which left only one alternative. Someone was setting him up.

But for what reason? Was someone unhappy about him running the bank? He figured that was possible, but not likely. Which left Franklin Yardley, mayor of Los Lobos-a man determined not to lose his election.

“Deep breath,” Gracie said as she opened the tube of ointment.

“I promise not to scream like a woman,” he said dryly.

“Good to know.”

As she smoothed on the medication, he considered possibilities. The only way the asshole photographer could have been there at the right moment was if he’d been hanging around, watching. So he was following Riley. Or someone had tipped him off.

He looked at Gracie as she worked. Of everyone in town, she knew the most about his comings and goings. She’d hesitated before coming to the door. Could she have made a phone call?

Even as he considered the question, he wanted to dismiss it. There was no way Gracie would set him up.

His refusal to seriously consider her as a suspect told him two things-first, that he was in more trouble where she was concerned than he’d first realized. And second, that she was probably guilty as hell.

GRACIE STOOD in the center of her driveway and told herself to keep breathing. It had been one of those nights, where the churning in her stomach had kept her up past midnight and her whirling thoughts had taken care of the rest of the hours. She felt sluggish and crabby and completely and totally furious.

There was a huge “above the fold” picture of Riley on the front page of the local paper. He had a towel over his head, as if trying to hide from the camera, when she knew darned well he’d just been drying off his hair. Worse, there were scratches on his chest. In the picture, they didn’t look as fresh and angry as they had in person. Instead they looked as if they could have been caused by a night of wild sex.

The headline didn’t help: Mayoral Candidate’s Secret Life.

Gracie wanted to stomp her foot and scream. She did neither, mostly because it was very early and she was barefoot.

So now what? Where could she go to complain? A letter to the editor? A banner across Main Street? Could she just find Mayor Yardley and smack him upside the head?

She squinted at the picture again, then groaned. She was there. In the background, but still clearly visible, looking shocked and more than a little disheveled.

Gracie crumpled the paper in her hands and slowly made her way back to the rental. She did not need this in her life. She had cakes to bake and a meeting at lunchtime at her mother’s to discuss a wedding that may or may not still be on and…“I need a vacation,” she mumbled as she stepped back into the house and slammed the door behind her.

GRACIE HOVERED on the front porch of her mother’s house. She didn’t want to be here. After what had happened just a few days ago, she never wanted to walk inside again.

To be honest, she wasn’t sure how she’d found herself agreeing to yet another planning meeting. Alexis had called and insisted and somehow Gracie had said yes.

“Talk about stupid,” she muttered, then stepped up to the front door and knocked.

The door opened instantly. Alexis smiled. “Good. You made it. Come in.”

Gracie followed her inside. Her sister moved into the living room where Vivian sat by the window.

“Where’s Mom?” Gracie asked.

“She’s not coming,” Alexis said, turning toward her and folding her arms across her chest. “She doesn’t know about this.”

Gracie didn’t like the sound of that. “Want to explain yourself?”

Vivian stood and smoothed the front of her flower print dress. “You really hurt her feelings the last time you were here. She wouldn’t tell us what you two fought about, but she’s still upset. You can’t do this, Gracie. You can’t make everything about yourself.”

“You’re right,” Gracie said, unable to believe they’d set her up to attack her. “That’s your job.”

Vivian’s mouth dropped open. “That is so not true. Alexis, can you believe she said that? Make her apologize.”

Gracie shook her head. “I’m out of here.”

“No.” Alexis grabbed her arm. “Gracie, wait. We have to talk about this. Please. We’re worried about you.”

Which sounded great, Gracie through grimly, but she’d learned enough about her sisters in the past couple of weeks to be wary of just about everything her family had to say.

Gracie pulled free of Alexis and walked to the sofa where she perched on the edge of a cushion. She had a bad feeling she knew what was coming. Vivian sat across from her, while Alexis took the other end of the sofa.

“We’re worried about you and Riley,” Alexis said.

“I knew it.” Gracie wanted to spring to her feet and run screaming from the room. “I knew that was exactly what you were going to want to talk about.” She glared at her sister. “I’ll accept it from my mother, because of who she is, but there is no way I’m going to take it from you. Need I remind you that you are the reason I had to deal with him in the first place. You’re the one who had me sneaking around his house and taking pictures.”

“I understand that I had some small part in it,” Alexis said primly.

“Some small part?” Gracie had the sense of being in an alternate universe where logic no longer existed. She turned her attention to Vivian. “Are you here to lecture me about Riley, too, or do you have something else?”

“No. It’s Riley.”

“Great. Then let’s get one thing straight. I don’t care what you think or say. I’m going to do what I want. But for the record, we are not involved. There is absolutely nothing between us. We’re-”

Sleeping together. Oh, yeah. In her outrage, she’d forgotten that one simple fact.

“Then explain this,” Alexis said, pulling the newspaper out from under the coffee table and slapping it on the surface. “What exactly were you two doing?”

“My neighbor’s dog fell in the pool. She came over in a complete panic. Riley went in after her dog, despite the fact that the water was freezing cold. Unfortunately Muffin didn’t understand the whole rescue concept and scratched him. I can get you her phone number if you’d like. She’ll confirm everything.”

Alexis didn’t look convinced. “Why was he at your house in the first place?”

Interesting question, Gracie thought. She realized she had no clue what had made him stop by.

“Why does that matter? You don’t get to tell me who my friends are.”

“Are you friends?” Vivian asked. “Or is it just the illusion of friendship?” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Gracie, honey, we’re so worried. You’re in a really fragile state right now.”

“I’m fragile?”

Vivian nodded. “I feel your pain. Despite the fact that we should really be talking about me and my wedding, I have enough compassion to know what you’re going through. I’m sorry you never fit in.”

Gracie narrowed her gaze. “What are you talking about?”

“In high school. I know you were unpopular and a misfit. You’ve never had any friends. No one liked you and now you’re back here, reliving your youthful crush on Riley.”

Gracie stood. “Okay, that’s it. I’m tired of being used and insulted.”

Vivian rose. “I’m trying to help.”

“I don’t think so, but if this is your idea of help, I don’t want it or need it. You don’t know anything about my life. How dare you make judgments? For your information, I did fine in high school. I got good grades, I had friends, I was a cheerleader and gosh, I was elected to the Homecoming court. Oh, my boyfriend even expected me to sleep with him after prom. Sounds pretty traditional to me, but then I didn’t grow up here. I don’t know what your expectations are.”

Alexis sighed. “Vivian, you’re not helping. Sit down and shut up.”

“What do you mean I’m not helping? I’m trying to make her understand.”

“What do you want me to understand?” Gracie asked. “What exactly is your point?”

Vivian’s eyes filled with tears. “This is all about you and Riley. What about me? What about my wedding?”

“Is the wedding back on this week? Wow. Color me surprised.”

Vivian glared at her. “So you’re not just pathetic, you’re also a bitch.”

Gracie looked at the two women. “Fine. You guys win. Think what you want. If your opinion of me is that I’m a bitch obsessed with the man from my youth, I can live with that.”

She turned to leave.

Alexis jumped to her feet. “Gracie, don’t. We have to work this out. We’re family.”

Were they? She thought about her aunt and uncle. She’d barely known them when she’d moved in with them, but they’d loved her and cared about her. They’d always been supportive and loving. When they’d been killed in that car accident, she thought she would never recover.

“Don’t bother,” Vivian said as she wiped her face. “She’s just mad because I didn’t ask her to be in the wedding. And I’m glad, Gracie. You hear me? I’m really, really glad.”

Gracie walked to the door, then glanced back. “Me, too,” she said softly and left.