He heard a truck in the driveway. “They’re here,” he yelled and went out to greet their guests.

He winked at Charlie but walked around to the passenger side where he opened the door.

“Hello, Dominique,” he said, holding out his hand and helping her to the ground.

“Clay.” She reached back inside and passed him two pastry boxes. “I brought pie.”

“We love pie.”

“Make sure you keep working out after you eat pie. My daughter deserves a handsome boyfriend.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, taking the boxes from her. “Mom’s in the kitchen.”

“I can find my way.”

Dominique started for the house. Charlie came around the side of the truck and winced. “That was a little heavy-handed,” she said. “Sorry. The parental thing is new to her and she’s still figuring it all out.”

He grinned. “You do deserve a handsome boyfriend.”

“You’re in no danger of falling short.”

“I might get fat.”

“Not if you want to make it as a volunteer firefighter, big guy. We’ll test your physical prowess every year.”

He leaned in and kissed her. “On or off the field?”

She leaned in, her mouth hungry against his. “I’ll come up with some very special qualifying activities.”

“I look forward to that.”

He shifted the pies to his right hand and cupped his left behind her neck. Her mouth was insistent on his. He nipped her lower lip, then slipped his tongue inside. Heat burned through him, making him want more. She grabbed onto his biceps, as if in danger of falling.

“How do you do that?” she asked with a whisper. “Make me want you with just a look or a touch?”

“Magic.”

She rested her forehead on his and tried to control her breathing. “I’m thinking that might be it.”

He straightened, then stroked her face. “We have good chemistry and you’re...” He hesitated, wanting to say it right.

“Highly sexed?” she asked in a low voice. “Am I normal? Should I want you all the time?”

“Hell, yes.”

She gave a strangled laugh. “I’m being serious.”

“So am I. You’re young and healthy. Enjoying sex is natural. From my perspective, you’re smart, funny and you have a killer body. Should I be sad that you want to make love with me on a regular basis?”

“When you put it like that,” she said, glancing toward the house, then back at him. “Do you think it’s because I went without for so long?”

“Maybe, but you should have calmed down by now if it were just that. You have an active sex drive.” He looped his arm around her shoulders and sighed. “I’m taking my vitamins. We should be okay. You know CPR, right?”

“I could so sock you in the stomach.”

“You could. Or you could punish me later.”

Her blue eyes brightened with the idea. “I like that. A little torture. You all na**d and having to stay perfectly still while I lick you into submission.”

Suddenly he wasn’t laughing. The image stopped him in midstride and he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to take a breath anytime soon.

Charlie raised her eyebrows. “Wow. The power of suggestion.”

“You’re irresistible.”

She turned to face him. “You are, too.”

He dropped his hand to hers and squeezed her fingers, then led her inside. They still had the game to get through, but later he would remind her of her promised “torture.” It was exactly how he wanted to end his day.

* * *

AN HOUR LATER they were ready for the kickoff. The L.A. Stallions were favored to win against the Bears. Clay sat on the floor, in front of Charlie. He leaned against the sofa, her long legs next to him, her bare feet pressing against his hips. Clay glanced around the room and realized, except for Dominique, the whole family was going two-by-two.

The teams lined up, prepared to start the game. The Stallions had elected to receive. The players got into position and the ball was kicked into the air. It went up and up, then came down, close to the sideline. Too close. Players surged forward and the L.A. Stallion cheerleading squad scattered to get out of the way.

One of the young women didn’t move fast enough and she was mowed down by a Stallion player. Instead of following the action, the camera stayed on the cheerleader, who lay on the ground, her leg at an awkward angle, her eyes closed.

“That had to hurt,” Charlie said. “I hope she’s okay.”

No one else spoke. The camera moved in closer and the cheerleader’s face filled the screen. Rafe swore, Shane jumped to his feet and May clutched her throat. Clay stared, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“What is it?” Dominique asked. “Is this part of the game?”

“No,” May said, her voice a whisper. “No, it’s not.”

“Do you know that woman lying there?”

“She’s my daughter.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EVERYONE WAS TALKING at once. For Dominique, the press of bodies, the frantic conversation reminded her of the few minutes backstage before a performance. She was oddly comforted by the frenetic energy, but knew enough to keep that thought to herself. Instead she hovered by May, wanting to help but not sure how.

She spotted Charlie talking to Clay. Clay shook his head and walked to May. Dominique hurried toward her daughter.

“This is all very upsetting,” she said. “For the family,” she added. “I didn’t know her.”

“Me, either,” Charlie admitted, watching Clay speak with his mother who waited on hold on the phone. She turned back to Dominique and lowered her voice. “Evie, Evangeline, is the youngest by several years. She’s not exactly close to her mom.”

Dominique swung around to stare at May. “Now that you mention it, I don’t remember her mentioning a daughter. But that’s not possible. May is the perfect mother.” She frowned.

Charlie surprised her by putting her arm around her. “Not with Evie. I don’t know very much except she moved out when she was still a teenager and hasn’t been back. I know Clay and Shane have kept in touch with her, but even they didn’t know she was a cheerleader.”

Dominique took that in. If someone as good and understanding as May could make mistakes, there was hope for everyone else.

May seemed to collapse a little. Glen held her close while Rafe took the phone from her and pressed it to his ear.

From what Dominique had seen, Evie had been put on a stretcher and carried off the field. She hadn’t opened her eyes or even moved. The hit had been a hard one. Anything could have happened.

“Los Angeles isn’t that far,” Dominique said. “Someone could get a flight out of Sacramento and be there in a couple of hours.”

“I’m sure that’s what will happen,” Charlie said.

May excused herself and left the kitchen. Dominique hesitated a second, then followed. She followed May into the guest room on the main floor.

“I’m sorry,” she said, coming up to her friend. “You must feel awful.”

May nodded, her arms wrapped around her midsection. “I can’t believe what happened. I don’t think she was moving. Did you see her move?”

Dominique stepped closer and held May tight. “Let’s find out what the doctor has to say before you assume the worst. I’ve seen hundreds of injuries in my day, let me tell you. Modern medicine is a miracle. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

May drew in a breath. Her whole body was shaking. “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I didn’t know what my own daughter was doing. I haven’t spoken to her in years. Sometimes I let myself forget about her because when I remember, I know I was wrong. And I don’t know how to fix that.”

Tears filled May’s eyes. “That’s why I wanted to help you with Charlie. One of us should get it right.”

“You can still get it right with Evie,” Dominique said, enjoying being the one offering comfort rather than taking it. “She’s going to need you now more than ever.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s been hurt. She needs her family.”

Dominique remembered an idiot stumbling into her while she was leaping into a grand jeté, knocking her off balance. She had crashed to the ground, feeling as if several bones had snapped. All she’d been able to think was how much she’d wanted Dan. He, of course, had been with Charlie. Dominique had been on tour, in London, painfully far from home. She’d recovered. She’d only missed three performances. But the sense of vulnerability had stayed with her. If Evie was seriously injured, she would want to be with those who loved her.

“You think I should go to her?” May asked.

“Of course.”

May shook her head and took a step back. “No. She doesn’t want me. I’ll send her brothers. She likes them.”

“You’re her mother.”

“You don’t know what I did. I can never take it back.”

“Whatever it was, I did much worse and Charlie has forgiven me. She needs you, May. This is your chance to be there for her.”

Clay walked into the room. “I just got off the phone with the local air-charter company. Finn can fly us to L.A. right now. We’re meeting him at the Fool’s Gold airport in fifteen minutes. The flight will take just over an hour. Annabelle and Heidi are going to work the phones and get in touch with Finn’s office. They’ll radio him when we find out where Evie is and we’ll land as close as we can.” Clay’s eyes narrowed. “You coming, Mom?”

“Of course she is,” Dominique said, giving her friend a little push toward the door. “Go on. The rest of us will take care of things here at the house. Make sure one of you calls us and lets us know how she is.”

May glanced between them. “All right. Yes, I’ll go, too. You’re right. I need to be there.”

She stepped into the hallway. Dominique expected Clay to follow, but he surprised her by walking over and hugging her. “I see a lot of potential in you, Mrs. Dixon,” he said, then kissed her on the cheek.

Five minutes later, May and her sons were gone. Glen had driven them to the airport. Heidi and Annabelle were working two cell phones, trying to find out where Evie was. Charlie walked over to her mother.

“That was unexpected,” she said. “I hope Evie’s okay.”

“Me, too.” Dominique looked at her daughter. “I quite like your young man.”

Charlie smiled. “Me, too.”

* * *

“I WOULDN’T do that if I were you,” Shane said.

Clay paused in the hallway. “You scared of a girl?”

“She’s not a girl. She’s our sister, and, yes.” Shane glanced back toward the downstairs guest-bedroom door. “You think you can do better? Go ahead.”

Evie had been in the house two days. In the end, Rafe, May and Shane had been the ones to fly out to get Evie. Clay had stayed behind to get the room ready and order any medical equipment she might need for her recovery. May and Shane had delivered her while Rafe had stayed behind in Los Angeles to take care of loose ends.

Evie had spent the first twenty-four hours in a somewhat drugged sleep. The doctor had said that was the best thing for her. Now she was awake and had Shane running for the hills.

“You’re kind of an embarrassment,” Clay told his brother as he pushed past him.

“We’ll see how long that cocky attitude lasts,” Shane called after him. “She’s going to eat you for breakfast, little brother.”

“It’s two in the afternoon.”

Clay knocked once on the partially closed door, then stepped inside.

Evie lay on the hospital bed he’d rented, her leg elevated. A cast covered her right leg from ankle to midthigh. She was pale and thin. Her long honey-blond hair was spread across the pillow. She didn’t bother to look at him when he entered but he knew when she did, her eyes would be green. Different from her brothers and her mother—a reminder of the mysterious man who was her father.

“You scared Shane,” he said by way of greeting. “Impressive.”

“Go away.”

“Sorry, no. I’m the entertainment portion of your visit.”

The guest room got plenty of sun. Big windows let in light that sparkled on the hardwood floor. The regular bed had been moved out to make room for the one he’d rented. There was also one of those hospital-style tables on wheels. Crutches leaned against the wall, although as far as he knew, Evie was doing her best to avoid getting up. That included eating and drinking. Her untouched lunch was still on the tray.

He sat in the chair by her bed and took her hand in his. She had long fingers. She was built like a dancer—small boned, lean and elegant. But since he’d last seen her, she’d gone from fashionably trim to bony.

“Are you eating at all?” he asked.

“Not today.”

Not recently from the looks of things. “Evie, hey. It’s me. What’s going on?”

She turned her head so she could look at him. The complete lack of emotion in her eyes cut him way more than anger. “Go to hell.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Do I need to be in pain not to want to be here?” She deliberately pulled her hand free of his hold and turned away again.

“You know you were hurt, right?” he asked, wanting to make sure she understood what had happened.