Hunter’s Landing would be up.
He hadn’t tried to contact her since she’d left the lodge three days ago and, as much as she hated to admit it, it hurt that he hadn’t. She could only suppose that now that he knew she was clued in to his game, he’d moved on to other amusements.
Three days ago, when she’d come back down the stairs at the lodge after freshening up, she’d encountered Brenda in the foyer.
Not wanting another confrontation with Ryan, she’d asked sharply, “Ready?”
“Aren’t you going to kiss Ryan goodbye?” Brenda had responded, a gleam in her eye.
“We’ll be seeing each other again soon, I’m sure,” she’d hedged. “He’ll understand.”
“Take it from me, tootsie,” Brenda had advised. “If you want to keep a man, never leave without saying goodbye.”
Thinking about Brenda’s words now, Kelly sighed. The advice said it all about her relationship with her mother.
She glanced toward her bedroom doorway as Brenda appeared, as if on cue.
“I’m heading out,” Brenda announced.
“What?”
Brenda had gotten back so late last night, Kelly hadn’t seen her—she’d already been asleep.
She glanced down now at the carry-on bag at her mother’s side. “Where are you going?”
Brenda laughed. “Home. You didn’t think I was staying forever, did you?”
Clayburn was home again to Brenda these days, though her mother led such a peripatetic existence, Kelly wondered how long the current state of affairs would last.
She finished buttoning the jacket of her green pantsuit. “I’m just surprised, that’s all. You said nothing about leaving yesterday.”
Her mother waved a hand negligently. “You know I prefer living life in the moment. It makes things so much more interesting.”
Kelly helped her mother take her luggage outside, then paused beside Brenda’s car.
“You never told me how much you needed,” she said, remembering suddenly Brenda’s request when she’d shown up at the lodge earlier in the week.
“How much I needed for what?”
Kelly sighed. “When you arrived, you mentioned you needed a small loan.”
Brenda gave a throaty laugh and waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, that. It’s not necessary anymore.”
Kelly frowned. “What do you mean it’s not necessary? Did you win at the slot machines?”
Brenda laughed again. “Well … I suppose that’s what I should say.”
“Should?”
Brenda leaned in and lowered her voice, though no one else was around. “Your boyfriend asked me to keep this quiet, but what the hell? You should know.” She seemed to pause for dramatic effect, her eyes alight. “He gave me the money.”
“Ryan?”
Brenda straightened, a satisfied look on her face, and she patted Kelly’s cheek. “You have that man eating out of the palm of your hand. I always knew you were a smart girl.”
“How much did he give you?” she blurted.
Part of her didn’t want to know—dreaded knowing, actually—but the other part knew she had to find out.
Brenda hesitated. “Five thousand.”
“Dollars?”
Brenda laughed again. “What else is there? I knew he could afford more, but I also knew asking for more might make him suspicious. After all, I did say I needed a small loan from you.”
“How could you?” she asked, the question coming out like a wail. “How could you take money from him?”
Brenda sighed impatiently. “Why should I have turned him down?”
“Didn’t you think you might be creating … obligations for me?”
“Well, considering you’re already sleeping with him,” Brenda replied tartly, “I don’t see how that could be the case.”
Kelly opened and shut her mouth. It was useless. Arguing with Brenda was like banging her head against a brick wall. They came at things from two different sets of assumptions—two different world-views. She should have learned that by now.
“How did he get the money to you?” she demanded. “Not even someone as rich as Ryan carries around that much cash.”
“He had his people wire some money to me.”
“No wonder you had to stay in the area for a few days!”
“Listen, tootsie,” Brenda replied dismissively, “I’ve really got to go.” She checked her watch. “I have someone waiting for me at the casino.”
As Brenda gave her a quick kiss, Kelly thought that without a doubt the someone
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