Chapter Seven

Under trees lit up with miniature white lights, Ethan danced with Samantha Reinhart in the backyard of her father’s Denver mansion.

“Claudia’s giving me the evil eye and so are half the women here. You probably should have danced with someone else this time.” Sam smiled up at him, her platinum-blonde hair brushing against his chin as they swayed to the cover band’s rendition of Jeff Healey’s “Angel Eyes.”

“Too bad. You’re the only one I want to dance with.”

The amusement left her eyes, a vulnerable expression crossing her delicate heart-shaped face. “Don’t say something you don’t mean, Ethan. You broke my heart five years ago. It took me months to get over you. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you this week, but I didn’t fool myself that we could be anything more than friends. But tonight it seems—”

“I never meant to hurt you, you know.” He’d been dating Sam for several months when he’d gotten the call that changed his life. No one knew about the conversation he’d had with his father only hours before Deacon O’Connor suffered a fatal heart attack. Not his mother. Not even his best friend. A month after his father’s death, devastated and guilt-ridden, Ethan had left Sam, his job, and Denver to try and fill his father’s shoes. He’d spent the last five years trying to make amends to a man he’d loved and admired more than anyone else. “It was a tough time.”

“I know it was. I’m not blaming you. You never made me any promises.” Her arms tightened around him. “Your dad would be so proud of you. Do you remember the night we went for dinner at Racine’s?” She laughed. “All he talked about was you running for the state senate. He used up all the napkins on the table mapping out your campaign strategy.”

“Yeah, I remember,” he said quietly, struggling to keep the emotion from his voice.

A flash went off. Sam glanced to her right and sighed. “Look at him. I’ll bet that picture ends up in the newspaper tomorrow morning.”

“Your dad’s not very subtle, is he?” Ethan said with a laugh, relieved to change the subject. “What is it with our parents playing matchmaker? My mother is as bad as your father.”

“They want us to be happy. They’ve had great marriages. They want us to have the same. But you’re lucky my mother hasn’t jumped on the bandwagon. She’d have the church booked.”

“Still hasn’t forgiven me, has she?”

“No, but don’t feel bad. She’s hasn’t forgiven the boy who broke up with me in second grade, either. And she has her sights on someone else.”

“Tall, dark, and broody, who’s shooting me death glares?”

She laughed. “That would be him.”

“Does he have a chance?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. He’s an investigator for the district attorney’s office. You’ll be meeting him shortly. He has some information for you on that blogger, and he had me do a profile. He’s good at what he does, but we didn’t exactly get off to a great start. We went out a couple of times a few months ago, and he went all alpha male on me. He came close to putting one of my clients in the hospital.”

Sam was a psychiatrist and dealt with some unsavory characters. Ethan had prosecuted a couple of them. “He must have had good reason to, Sam.”

“I suppose he did. Not that I’d tell him that. He’s arrogant enough as it is.”

Ethan saw something in Sam’s eyes when she talked about the man. “You should give him a second chance. You deserve to be happy.”

“So do you. You’re not involved with Claudia, are you?”

“No, despite how hard my mother’s working to make it appear that I am.” It was as if Sam’s dad and Ethan’s mother were playing dueling matchmakers in the press. One day a photo of him with Sam would appear. The next day, one with him and Claudia. Ethan had had more coverage in the last ten days than he’d had from the start of his campaign. He couldn’t complain, though. Up until a couple of days ago, he’d had a positive uptick in the polls. Then Envirochick’s latest blog post went viral. He was anxious to hear what Jordan’s investigator had to say.

“I’m glad you’re not involved with Claudia. She’s too much like you. You need someone who doesn’t take life so seriously. Someone who will make you laugh and challenge you.”

She could have been describing Skye. But the night he’d run into her at Walgreens, Ethan had finally realized that while he wanted more than a one-night stand, she didn’t. Any woman who bought boxes of condoms in various sizes wasn’t looking for a relationship. She was too wild, too outspoken, and too free-spirited for him. “Is that your professional opinion?”

“Yes, it most definitely is,” she said at the same moment the lead singer crooned “Angel eyes” one last time.

And instead of the words invoking thoughts of the pretty blue eyes looking up at him, Ethan pictured caramel eyes lit up with laughter, and his response came out more terse than he intended. “Then I’m afraid I’d have to disagree, Dr. Reinhart.”

She gave him a surprised look, but her father called them over before she could respond. They joined him beside the kidney-shaped pool that was lit up with red spotlights. Sam’s would-be suitor pushed off the wall and ambled to her father’s side. Tall with a military bearing, his dark eyes were trained on Sam. “Ethan, this is Adam Blackwell. He does investigative work for me,” Jordan said.

“Nice to meet you.” Ethan shook Blackwell’s hand. “Sam was just talking about you.”

“Is that right?” the other man said in a gravelly voice. The corner of his mouth quirked, indicating he got Ethan’s message.

So did Sam, and she gave Ethan a you’re-so-dead look. He grinned in response. Her father didn’t miss the byplay, and he gave Ethan a brief, disappointed look before saying, “I asked Adam to look into that blog for you.”

When the blogger Envirochick took aim at Ethan’s relationship with Albright Energy, his recent gains in the polls began a downward slide.

“Hang on, I’ll get my iPad.” Adam lifted his chin at Sam. “You can fill him in on your profile,” he said, then headed for the French doors leading into the kitchen.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Jordan Reinhart said. Ethan’s former boss, a distinguished man with a thick head of silver hair, gestured to the white wrought-iron table as Claudia joined them.

Ethan held out a chair for her. “Sam’s got some insights to share on the blogger.”

“Thank you,” Claudia said, smoothing her black dress as she took a seat. “I’m glad someone is taking her seriously. She has it out for Ethan. I think we should put her on a watch list and increase his security.”

“I’m not increasing my security, Claudia,” Ethan said, loosening his tie. They’d had the same discussion repeatedly over the past few days. “She may be having a negative impact on my numbers at the moment, but she’s not a danger to me personally.”

“Ethan’s right, Claudia,” Sam said. “Although I do agree the latest attacks have become somewhat more personal. What you’re dealing with, I believe, is a twentysomething woman who is an independent thinker, bright, and with a strong sense of what is right and wrong. She champions the underdog and gives voice to those she identifies as marginalized in society. So I don’t feel Ethan’s personal safety is in any way at risk. As for his numbers, if her focus remains on Ethan, she does pose a significant problem for you. She has an engaging voice and is very accessible and relatable. I suspect her following and influence will continue to grow in the weeks leading up to the election.”

Ethan heard the admiration in her voice. “You like her, don’t you?”

“Well, yes I do. And in the interest of full disclosure, I probably should tell you I’m following her now. I’m still voting for you, though.” She gave him an impish grin.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Claudia said in a horrified tone of voice.

“I can assure you, she isn’t,” Jordan said. “But really, Sam, that was not well done of you. What if someone in the press discovers you’re following this woman?”

“No one will know who I am. I have…” she began, then trailed off when Adam pulled up a chair beside her.

Adam leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“How did you know that?” she asked, her face flushed.

The man winked. “I’m real good at my job, Doc.” He straightened and redirected his attention to the rest of them. “And in case you’re wondering, I agree with Sam’s risk assessment. The woman isn’t dangerous, but it is possible that one or two of her followers are. I’ll continue to monitor the situation from my end. Up until a couple of months ago, she didn’t have any paid advertisers. Now that she does, her followers have almost doubled. Ten days ago, Tom Green, a man I’m sure you’re all familiar with, signed on as an advertiser and is backing her not only financially, but he’s also using his extensive connections to get the word out. He’s the reason her latest post went viral.”

This was not the news Ethan hoped to hear. Tom Green was a multimillionaire whose attack ads in the last election were attributed to the incumbent Republican senator’s failure to retain his seat. “Who the hell is she?”

“Here’s where it gets interesting. It usually takes me an hour at most to uncover a blogger’s identity. This one took me two days. She’s either incredibly tech savvy or has someone working for her who is.” He turned his screen. “Her—”

“Oh. My. God. It’s Kendall,” Claudia gasped at the same time Ethan said, “Skye.”

“You know her?” Sam asked, leaning forward to get a look at the screen.

“Yeah, I know her.” And I’m going to kill her, he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sam watched him, a smile spreading across her face. “Ethan, in my professional opinion, she’s exactly what the doctor ordered. She’s perfect.”

“If you think that, you’re as crazy as your patients,” he muttered.

“You have to do something, Ethan. Maybe you can talk to her friend Madison. And while her father doesn’t have any influence over her, mine does. I’ll call him.” Claudia pulled out her BlackBerry. “This couldn’t be worse. Tom Green worried me, but Kendall has as much money as he does. Together—”

“I can alleviate your worries on one count,” Adam said. “Skylar Davis is broke.”

* * *

“Hey,” Skye said to Vivi as she took the stairs to the apartment two at a time. “You better not be calling to cancel.” Vivi had promised she would be there for Maddie’s shower two days from now.

“No. And you’re on FaceTime, so all I can see is the inner workings of your ear. Which I have to tell you is kind of scary.”

“Ha-ha.” Skye held the phone in front of her as she opened the door. “Better?”

“I’m not sure. Why are you all sweaty and flushed?”

“Just back from a run. We’ll go for one when you’re here. You have to see these trails; they’re amazing. The trees are changing colors, and the scenery’s gorgeous. Don’t you just love this time of year?” These days, Skye was pretty much in love with life. Her life specifically. Tom Green’s check had just gone through, and her bank account was in the black, like Texas-crude black, for the first time in months. And the night two weeks ago when she’d pulled her terrified self off the bathroom floor seemed a distant memory.

She’d done exactly what she’d told herself to do. She’d sucked it up. She’d started running again, doing her daily yoga routine, and sticking to a strict vegan diet. Instinctively her hand went to her still-flat stomach. And now that she felt better and had a steady income stream, she was feeling more confident about her ability to raise baby Apple on her own. And she was more determined than ever to keep the knowledge of her precious child’s existence from the sperm donor who appeared to be sleeping his way through Denver.

Since his mother had stopped by the bakery the other day to talk to Grace about engagement cakes, it appeared Claudia didn’t mind his hound-dog ways as long as she ended up with a ring on her finger. As if Skye would saddle an innocent child with a father and stepmother like that.

“Give me a gym over your pretty trails any day. I hope you’re being careful. There’s bears and wolves in that area, not to mention mountain lions. I know you think you’re an animal whisperer, but you’re not.”

“You’re such a city girl,” Skye said as she opened the fridge and took out a protein shake. “So what time are you getting in tomorrow? We still have a few things to do for the shower.”

“I’m actually boarding in twenty minutes,” Vivi said, showing Skye the view from the airport. “I’ll be in around eight tonight.”

“Really? That’s fantastic. I’m so excited to see you. I didn’t think you could get away from work early.”

“Um, can you do me a favor and sit down?”

Skye laughed. “Sorry, am I giving you motion sickness?”

“No, but when I tell you what I have to, you might just toss your cookies.”

“Oh no, what’s wrong? Are you sick? Did you lose your job? It’s okay, sweetie. Whatever it is, we’ll handle it. I can take care of you. You can come live with me in Christmas. And you don’t have to worry about Hot Bod. I haven’t seen him since I’ve been in town,” she said, referring to Gage’s older brother, Chance.

Last year, during a Skype conference call, the man had walked behind Vivi bare-chested with a cowboy hat covering his face, earning him the title of Hot Bod. Because he really did have an impressive physique. But at the time, that was all Skye and Maddie knew about him. Vivi hadn’t known much more. It wasn’t until they were in Christmas last December that they’d learned who he was and what he’d been doing in New York. His great-aunt Nell had sent him to investigate Maddie, and he’d ended up investigating Vivi instead, breaking her heart in the process.

“Oh my God, dial it back a notch. You’re giving me a headache.” Vivi rubbed her temples. “Skye, it’s not me you need to worry about it. It’s you.”

She couldn’t believe it. Somehow Vivi had found out that she was pregnant. She’d been so careful… “How did you know?” Skye asked as she flopped onto the couch. “I haven’t told anyone. Not even Maddie. I didn’t think I was showing. Is it my boobs? Did my—”

“Because it’s all over social…” Vivi began, then her eyes narrowed. “Hold it. What did you just say?”

Skye closed her eyes and squinched up her nose. She didn’t plan on telling anyone just yet but she’d obviously misunderstood her friend. “No, you go first. What were you going to say?” And hopefully she’d forget what Skye had inadvertently blurted out.

“Skylar Davis, are you pregnant?” Vivi asked in a fierce, raspy voice.

“Um, yeah. Maybe. Just a little.”

“For God’s sake, you can’t be a little pregnant. How pregnant are you?”

“Eighteen weeks, I think.”

“You think… you think. Have you not seen a doctor?”

“Well, no, I don’t have insurance. And would you stop yelling at me? This hasn’t exactly been an easy time for me, you know.”

“Okay… okay. Just give me a minute to think.” Vivi rubbed her forehead and took a couple deep breaths. “All right, who’s the father?”

“I prefer to think of him as a sperm donor, so a name isn’t necessary.”

“And I prefer to know what we’re dealing with, so spill.”

She chewed on her fingernail and reluctantly admitted, “Ethan O’Connor.”

“This just gets better and better.” Vivi rubbed her face. “Okay, so from your sperm-donor comment, you’ve obviously made up your mind not to tell him. I’m not sure I agree with that, but for now I’ll support your decision. We’re going to have to go apartment hunting when you come home. My place is too small for the three of us.” Of course, as soon as Maddie had found out Skye was broke, she’d called Vivi.

Skye blinked back tears. Her emotions were all over the place, but even if they weren’t, her best friend’s offer to move in with her would make her cry. “I love you. And Apple and I would love to move in with you, but we can’t.”

“Who the hell is Apple?”

“My baby. I thought I’d name her Apple, what do you think?”

“Yeah, sure. But why can’t you move in with me?”

Skye took a deep breath, preparing herself for Vivi’s reaction. She would not be happy about this piece of news. But if anyone knew how Skye should deal with Scary Guy, it would be Vivi. And Skye had to know she’d be safe if she planned to head to New York when she started showing. “Well, there’s a small problem I haven’t mentioned. Have you heard of Jimmy Moriarty?”

“Jimmy ‘the Knife’ Moriarty, sure. How do you know that lowlife?” Skye forgot they were on FaceTime and grimaced. “Oh no, you can’t be. Do not tell me you’re the woman he put a hit on?”

Skye jerked upright and spilled her protein shake in her lap. “He put a hit on me? He attacked me. All I did was defend myself.” She grabbed tissues to mop up the green mess in her lap.

“You ruptured his balls and dislocated his jaw.”

“Really? Wow. But how do you know all this?”

“I’m a crime reporter. He’s a criminal. I’m supposed to know these things.”

“Right. I forgot.” Vivi had left her old job with the online Daily News and a couple of months ago took a job as an investigative reporter for the Daily Spectator.

“There’s a rumor going around that the woman was a paid escort. Please tell me you weren’t that desperate. I still can’t believe you kept your financial situation from Maddie and me.”

“I’ve apologized… like a hundred times. I was embarrassed. But you know me better than to think I’d do something like become an escort. Geez, that’s just… gross. You remember Gina Ricci, don’t you?” The three of them had met Gina their last year of college.

“Yeah, she’s connected, Skye.”

“Connected?”

“To the mob. An uncle on her mother’s side. Forget about it. Tell me the rest.”

“Oh, I… Okay, well, Gina called me and said she had a friend who needed a date and would I please do her a huge favor and go out with him. She sounded desperate, so I agreed. The guy was nice enough. He didn’t make a move on me or anything, but I kinda felt uncomfortable. So when she called a week later, I said I was busy, but she gave me a sob story about Jimmy being her cousin and how he’d recently divorced and was going through a hard time… yada yada yada. And I agreed.” She looked into her best friend’s violet eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt him, Vivi. But he really scared me.”

“I know you didn’t, but with the rumors circulating about the guy, it’s probably a good thing you did.” Vivi held her gaze. “Gina skipped town before Jimmy got out of the hospital. She was using you, Skye. She ran a high-end escort service. Does he know who you are?”

Skye bowed her head. Why… why did she have to be so gullible? She couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized what Gina was up to. Skye tried to see the best in people. She had to start being more like Vivi and see the worst. Vivi didn’t trust anyone. “No, Gina told me his ex was stalking him and to use a fake name… Tawny Brown. But he took a picture of us at the restaurant.”

“At least she tried to protect you, and I have a feeling she still is. But if I get my hands on her, I’m going to kick her ass. Let’s just hope Jimmy doesn’t find her first. There’s a guy I’ve worked with on a couple of stories. I’m going to contact him. He’s good. Like scary good. He got me out of a few tight spots.”

Skye frowned. Her best friend’s voice took on an amused softness when she talked about the guy, and her face had gotten kind of glowy. “Who is he? Where and when did you meet him?” After Vivi’s breakup with Hot Bod, Skye was extra protective when it came to Vivi and men. She didn’t want to see her hurt again.

“We haven’t exactly met. He contacted me when I first started working at the Spectator. Gave me a lead. He’s been working with me ever since.”

“What’s his name? Have you checked him out?” Skye asked.

“He calls himself Superman,” Vivi said with a hint of a smile on her face. “I tried to check him out once. He shut me down pretty fast. But it doesn’t matter. All I care about is the information he gives me.” She cocked her head. “I’ve gotta go. They’re calling my flight. I’ll see you in a few hours. Oh, and, Skye, don’t look at your Facebook or Twitter accounts until I’m there.”

“Why? What’s going on? I’m going to look right now if you don’t tell me.”

Vivi sighed as she hefted a bag over her shoulder. “Everyone knows you’re broke. I traced the leak to Claudia. And Skye, somehow they found out you’re Envirochick. They’re using the fact that you lost millions of dollars to counter your influence. They’re making…” She made a face. “They’re making you out to be a spoiled socialite who never had to work a day in her life and that your blog is just a scheme to make money.”

“I can’t believe Ethan would do that to me,” she whispered, her heart hammering against her rib cage.

“Your blog did some damage, Skye. You had to know they’d go after you.”

“But not like this, Vivi. I didn’t attack him personally.”

“Candidates don’t always control the message their team puts out. Don’t panic. Call Tom. He’ll know what to do. And I’ll start working on damage control.”

Maybe Vivi was right. This had Claudia’s fingerprints all over it. But Ethan could have stopped her if he wanted to. “Okay. I’ll be at the airport at eight.” And she’d make a stop at Bob Bennett’s Denver campaign office and sign up as a volunteer. If Ethan thought she’d go down without a fight, he didn’t know her very well.