“An investor?”

She nodded. “That’s when I bought the building I’m in and renovated. The investor claimed he only wanted a return on the money, not a piece of the business.”

Jed frowned. “Why?”

“I didn’t know at the time. I took the money and ran. There was only one catch.”

Jed put down the brush and crossed his arms over his chest. “There always is. You should know that, Lexi.”

“You’re right. But I wasn’t thinking. I thought I had a chance to show you what I could do. So I expanded quickly. While the new spa was successful, it wasn’t bringing in enough money for me to pay back the loan.”

“What’s the catch?”

“The loan was callable.”

“How much?”

“Two million dollars.”

Jed turned back to the horse. “He called the note. You should have been more careful.”

“You’re the one always saying that being careful means finishing last.”

“I play to win. Did you?”

She thought she had. She thought she was going to dazzle Jed with her success. “He called the note. My investor. Garth.”

The brush stopped moving for a second, then resumed. “Part of his so-called plan to destroy us?”

“It was the opening shot. There have been more.”

“You’re saying Garth set you up?”

“I’m saying he dangled the bait and I took it.”

“You need two million dollars.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.”

“I thought you were smarter than this, Lexi. I’m very disappointed.”

“I know.” She’d thought the words would rip her apart, but they weren’t even a surprise. “I understand this means I’m out of the running for Titan World.” She paused to let the feelings wash over her. The biggest was sadness, but not for the reasons she would have thought.

“And if I’m not, I want to be,” she said, half surprised at how right the words felt.

“That’s bullshit. Everybody wants what I have.”

“You’re wrong, Daddy. What I wanted and still want is a father who sees me for myself. Who cares about me because we’re family. Not because I’ve managed to earn his attention.”

Jed glared at her. “Are you questioning the way I raised you? Are you complaining?”

She raised her chin. “I’m saying that Titan World was never the goal. At least not for me. I wanted you to see me. To care about me.”

“All that emotional crap makes me tired.”

She felt a little of Pru’s despair, but fought it.

“You could have gone to Skye for the money,” Jed said. “She would have given it to you. You could have kept this from me.”

She’d already tried that once and it hadn’t worked. Besides, keeping it a secret wasn’t her goal anymore.

“This way is better.”

“Fine. I’ll have the check for you by noon. Use it well.”

“I will.”

Jed sighed. “I thought it was going to be you, Lexi. I thought you were going to convince me.”

“So did I.”

It was just like last night, she thought. Nothing about this conversation surprised her, but it was like being able to see for the first time. Her relationship with her father seemed more clear, in all its twisted ugliness. The sharp edges could have cut her, but she knew to pull back. To protect herself. To walk away.

Jed wouldn’t change and neither would she. They were at a crossroads. The difference was, she saw it and he didn’t. He would always be her father, but the fantasy of what could have been had faded.

He would only want what she could do for him and she would only ever want a father who loved her unconditionally. They were both destined to be disappointed.

“Goodbye, Daddy,” she said and left the barn.

When she was outside in the sunny morning, she paused to draw in a breath. The house loomed in front of her. Just a house, she told herself. Not home. Not anymore.

CRUZ ARRIVED BACK at his place in the late afternoon. He’d stayed away to give Lexi time to calm down and to give himself time to figure out what the hell he was going to say to her.

He’d been an ass. He knew that. There was no excuse for what he’d done. Worse, he’d hurt her and he hadn’t meant to do that. Not when he’d just decided he wanted them to make their arrangement permanent.

He pulled up in front of the house and walked inside. Two steps into the foyer, he knew she was gone. It was too still, an emptiness that told him she’d moved out.

He found the check on his desk in the study. It was made out to him in the amount of two million dollars. Next to it was the diamond engagement ring he’d given her.

Where had she gotten the money? From her sister? From Jed. The latter frightened him more because to admit the need to her father meant giving up on her dream. It meant he didn’t have a second chance.

She’d only been with him because of their deal. Without that, she would never come back.

IZZY PETTED C.C. “If we’re going to have regular meetings, we should find a caterer. I want snacks to go with our talks of doom and destruction. Planning someone’s ruin makes me hungry.”

Lexi curled up in a corner of her sofa, wishing they weren’t having this conversation. She hurt all over. Even though she knew leaving Cruz was the right thing to do, the act itself hadn’t been easy.

“Why are we here?” Skye asked. “What don’t you want Cruz to hear?”

“It’s not about Cruz not hearing,” Lexi said, checking to make sure the box of tissues was close by. Lately she seemed to cry more easily. Maybe it was hormones or maybe it was her life. Either way, she wanted to be prepared. “I’m not living there anymore.”

Both sisters stared at her left hand. She held it out so they could easily see she wasn’t wearing the engagement ring.

“We’re not together anymore.”

“Why?” Izzy demanded. “I liked Cruz better than any of the guys you’ve dated. He was cool and, I don’t know, strong.”

“What happened?” Skye asked. “You two were obviously crazy about each other.”

Had the show been that good? “Remember the loan I told you about before? Garth’s callable note for two million dollars?”

They nodded.

“I got the money from Cruz. I didn’t know where else to turn. Going to Jed meant walking away from Titan World. I couldn’t let him know I’d failed. So I went to Cruz.”

“Big whoop,” Izzy said. “You two were engaged. Of course he’d give you the money.”

Skye’s breath caught. “You weren’t engaged,” she said. “Was that the deal?”

Lexi nodded. “We would pretend to be engaged for six months. He’d give me two million dollars and I would introduce him to society.”

“Indecent Proposal meets Dallas.” Izzy’s eyes widened. “Lexi, I gotta tell you, I didn’t think you had it in you. Way to go, girlfriend.”

Lexi swallowed. “I’m not proud of what I did. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Because you couldn’t come to me for the money,” Skye said, sounding bitter. “You thought I’d tell Jed.”

“It could come up in conversation.”

“I’m your sister. You should trust me. When have I ever done anything to hurt you? When have I ever let you down? Lexi, I love you.”

The promised tears fell. Lexi reached for a tissue. “I know,” she said. “I’m sorry. I was so scared of losing that I couldn’t think. I reacted.”

“I hate him,” Izzy said angrily. “Jed is a complete jerk. Why does he do this?”

“I think I did this all on my own,” Lexi said.

“That’s bullshit. You were afraid if he found out about the loan, he’d take you out of the running for Titan World.”

Skye looked desperately sad. “Lexi, I wouldn’t have told him anything.”

“I know that in my head, but in my heart…I just wanted my dad to love me.”

“He does,” Skye said. “In his own way.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “One day you’re going to see him for who he is. One day you’re going to have to do what Lexi did and walk.”

Skye ignored that. “What are you doing now?”

Lexi managed a half smile. “What Izzy said. I walked. I went to Jed and told him what had happened. He gave me the two million, after explaining how disappointed he was with me. How he’d always expected better. I guess it’s yours to lose.”

Skye shifted in her seat. “I don’t want to think about that. I’ve never been interested in Titan World. I want Glory’s Gate.”

“In Jed’s mind, they’re one and the same.” Izzy scratched C.C. behind the ears. “Why did you go to him for the money? You had it from Cruz.”

“The deal wasn’t working out. I couldn’t stay.”

She remembered that moment at the party, when she’d seen him kissing Sabrina. It wasn’t that he’d been so into the kiss, it was that she’d finally understood that nothing they had together was real. It would never be real.

“Why?” Skye asked.

“Because I fell in love with him.”

Izzy grinned. “But that’s cool. Now it doesn’t have to be a deal. You can be together for real.”

Skye looked more cautious. “Why isn’t staying an option?”

“Because he doesn’t love me back. I’m not sure he can love anyone.”

“That’s it?” Izzy said. “So you’re gonna run because he doesn’t say it with flowers?”

“Have you ever been in love?” Skye snapped. “Have you ever had to think about anyone but yourself? It can be the most wonderful feeling in the world, but it can also rip you apart.”

“What’s with the attitude?” Izzy asked. “I’m not the bad guy.”

“Sorry,” Skye mumbled.

“It’s not about flowers,” Lexi said, fighting more tears and wishing she felt strong. “Cruz basically bought me and my influence for six months. He’s more consumed by the quest for wealth and privilege than love.”

“Ouch,” Izzy mumbled.

“It would be too hard to be with him, always wanting what I couldn’t have.”

“It would be the same as being Pru,” Skye whispered.

Lexi wished her sister hadn’t gone down that path. Skye had been the one to find the body. She’d been the one to scream night after night as that moment haunted her in her dreams.