A bet worth the risk...

Taking over the boutiques at her grandmother’s Reno casino is a lucky break for fashion buyer Kenzie Russell. But while she relishes the challenges at Casa de Mariposa, Kenzie longs to launch her own designer line. There’s also another distraction—Reed Watson, the supersmart, übersexy tech guru who’s generously offered to fix the casino’s software glitches.

Ever since he made his first fortune before the age of twenty-one, Reed has been surrounded by people more interested in his millions than in him. Not Kenzie. Her ambition and zest for life are exhilarating, and she wants success on her own terms. They’re opposites in so many ways, except when it comes to a powerful, mutual attraction. But with a secret adversary trying to bring chaos to the casino, everything is at stake—Kenzie’s job, her family’s future and their sizzling, once-in-a-lifetime connection...

As they rose higher, Kenzie said, “This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“You’re beautiful.” Reed kissed her. Not the delicate first kiss he’d given her, but a more searching one, more passionate and filled with promise.

She caressed his cheek, her thoughts in turmoil. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder, and let all her cares drip away. This one moment was filled with promise and she wanted to savor it.

They stood, arms around each other as the balloon started to descend. As they stepped out of the gondola, an unusual shyness crept over Kenzie. She didn’t know what to say or how to act. Reed studied her cautiously as though expecting to be rejected.

“I’m not quite sure how to tell you this...”

He stepped back, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him to her.

“I apologize. It was wrong of me to take advantage of the moment...”

“Stop.” She held up her hand. “Stop. This was the most wonderful moment in my life. I want more. I want more with you.”

Dear Reader,

Kenzie Russell is the last of the Russell clan to fall...in love. Reed Watson, the last man she ever expected to love, storms into her life and into her heart. He woos her with a romantic dinner on Lake Tahoe and a fun weekend at a comic book convention in San Francisco. True love has twists and turns, peaks and valleys. Join Kenzie and Reed as they negotiate the path to love with humor and determination to discover the journey is as sweet as the destination.

Jackie and I are sorry to see the end of the Russell family saga. Next up on our docket is the Torres family, Scott’s in-laws and Nina’s rambunctious siblings, as they venture off in search of their ultimate happy endings. The first story is set against the annual pageantry of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade featuring Daniel Torres and Greer Courtland. Don’t miss it.

Jackie and Miriam

J.M. Jeffries

Drawing Hearts

J.M. Jeffries

www.millsandboon.co.uk

JACKIE AND MIRIAM live in Southern California. When they aren’t writing, Jackie is trying to take a nap and Miriam plays with her grandchildren. Jackie thought she wanted to be a lawyer until she met Miriam and decided to be a writer instead. Miriam always wanted to be a writer from her earliest childhood when she taught herself to read at age four. Both are avid readers and can usually be found with their noses in a book, or, now that it’s the twenty-first century, their eReaders. Check out their blog at jmjeffries.com.

To Rhonda: thank you so much for the wonderful years of friendship. You’ve been one of the best friends ever and thank you for letting me borrow your wonderful daughter. To Nikki: I watched you grow into an incredible woman. You are an inspiration. All my love forever, Shar-Pei puppy love.

—Jackie

To Warrick Aurelian Pace: such a huge name for such a small baby. I know you will live up to it and be as amazing as your cousins, Kathryn and Frederik Stein.

To Erin Pace: thank you for my new grandbaby and letting me bounce ideas off you.

To Jeff Pace: thank you for being you.

To Miriam Pace Stein: you are such an amazing mother. I’m so proud of all of you.

—Miriam

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Shannon Criss

and the entire Harlequin staff.

They provide us with wisdom, knowledge and care.

A special thank-you to the Harlequin Art Department for the best covers ever.

All of you rock!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Copyright

Chapter 1

Kenzie Russell wanted to pound her laptop with her fists. The software she’d commissioned for the boutiques refused to work and Nina, perched on a stool with one leg crossed over the other, grinned at her frustration. The big flashy diamond on Nina’s left hand winked as the morning sun streamed through the open patio doors. Splashing and laughter drifted up from the pool far below.

“Explain to me how this software works,” Nina said, taking a sip of her iced tea.

Kenzie wasn’t certain how it worked, but she knew how she wanted it to work. “A customer enters the boutique and doesn’t find anything. This software will allow a clerk to take a photo of the customer, input the photo and the body measurements and then allow them to try on clothes in a virtual environment. The clothes would expand or contract depending on the body type. I’ve lined up a dozen designers who are ready to try this and I can’t make it work.” She tried not to give in to the urge to unleash her frustration out on the counter. She scowled at the screen.

“Sounds complicated.”

Her best friend wasn’t helping. “I’m sure the software engineer I dealt with understood my instructions.” She knew she’d been explicit enough; she’d even written down what she’d wanted so he wouldn’t misunderstand.

“I’m sure he did,” Nina replied.

Kenzie glared at her best friend. They’d been friends since college when they’d roomed together. “It has to work.”

“Maybe you need a hammer.”

“You’re not helping.” A hammer sounded good, but she didn’t think the laptop would survive. Kenzie turned back to the screen. “Let’s try again.”

Nina obediently stood and Kenzie activated the laptop’s photo function. She pushed a button and the photo embedded itself into the viewer with the background stripped out. She’d already added Nina’s dimensions. She tapped keys and once again the laptop froze. Kenzie ground her teeth in frustration. She’d thought her idea was brilliant, but the execution wasn’t turning out the way she’d envisioned it.

“I think it’s a great idea, but you have a few bugs to work out.” Nina hopped back on her stool and reached for a muffin.

“Bugs? I have pterodactyls to work out.”

“Why don’t you ask Reed?”

“Number one, we haven’t met. And how’s that going to sound? ‘Hi, I’m Kenzie, can you fix the bugs in my software?’” That sounded so crass. He’d just arrived in Reno after months of dealing with family issues and here she was demanding help.

Nina chuckled. “He’s very nice. I’m sure he’d be willing to help someone as lovely as you.”

Kenzie growled. “You’re responsible for this. You didn’t want to try on wedding dresses.”

“I’d love to try on wedding dresses, but I have no time.” Nina sipped her coffee, unconcerned.

“I thought virtual wedding dresses were the answer.” Kenzie had arranged with Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Claire Pettibone and Carolina Herrera to take photos of wedding dresses so Nina could try them on in the virtual environment Kenzie developed for her. And once the idea took hold, Kenzie thought, it would work for other women. But the reality was turning out far different than she thought.

“It’s a terrific idea,” Nina said, “and I could spin this into a huge campaign, making the Casa de Mariposa a wedding destination.”

“And you’re envisioning...”

“We could have them try on their virtual wedding gowns in their home and have the gown waiting for them when they arrive as part of the whole package. And we could do this with the groom and the bridesmaids and the groomsmen. And if the bride doesn’t want to buy a gown, we’ll rent it to her. There are so many variations on the idea that I can’t stop thinking about it.” Nina picked up her iPad and started typing.

“Give you a bit of rope and you become a cowgirl.”

“I’d rather have glass slippers and be Cinderella. You know how I feel about nature.” Nina licked muffin crumbs off her fingers and took a long sip of her iced tea.

“Your idea of camping is a suite at the Waldorf Astoria.”

Nina simply grinned, pointing at her face. “This is my, ‘Oh, I’m so ashamed’ look. Your brother had the audacity to suggest we honeymoon on the Alaskan tundra.”

“Doing what?” Kenzie asked curiously.

“Nature crap,” Nina replied with a rich laugh.

“I assume you set him straight.”

“I told him there would be no boom boom without a room. I would never be in the ‘mood’ in the outdoors.”

Kenzie burst out laughing. The last person in the world she would have expected her brother, Scott, to hook up with was Nina. Yet she was thrilled. Nina got to be her legit sister, and life didn’t get better than that.

Nina paused to admire the rock on her finger. Scott had terrific taste. The diamond was marquise-cut with emeralds along the sides.

Kenzie went back to her computer. She had Nina’s photo on the screen and the pictures of wedding gowns on the side bar. She chose a gown to drag over to Nina’s photo and then it happened. The screen pixelated and started to go wonky. Lines appeared, scrolling from side to side and Kenzie half screamed. “No. No. No. Stop. Stop. Stop.”

The screen went blank.

“You hurt it,” Nina said.

“I didn’t do anything. Really.” Kenzie frantically pushed keys, but the screen stayed stubbornly blank. She rubbed her forehead. This wasn’t happening. Not now, when she so needed it to work.

“Can we hit it with a hammer now?” Nina asked, curiously. She bit into her muffin and smiled.

Kenzie didn’t reply. If she’d had a hammer she would.

“Call Reed,” Nina suggested. “Tell him to send someone here right away to save us. You can pull the granddaughter card.” She slid off the stool and headed to the door with a wave. “Got to go. Catch you later.”

“All right,” Kenzie said, reaching for the in-house phone.

* * *

Reed Watson knocked on the door to the suite. From the other side of the door he could hear the menacing sound of someone muttering and snarling. That didn’t sound good.

The door opened and Kenzie Russell stood there in all her beauty, wearing a red wrap dress that hugged her slender body like a glove. She was tall with curves in all the right places. Her brown hair was short and sort of spikey. His heart started racing and a bolt of heat hit him in the gut. And when she smiled at him her whole face lit up and he couldn’t stop staring at her. She was that beautiful.

“Hi,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Kenzie, and you are...?”

“Reed Watson.”

“Oh, I’m so excited to meet you.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him into her suite.

He looked down at her elegant hand in his, liking the way her silky cinnamon-colored skin looked against his whiteness. Please don’t let my palm start sweating. He was reluctant to let her go. He took a deep breath to steady himself and inhaled the subtle scent of vanilla, spiced fig and orchid. She smelled delicious and exotic. He just wanted to bury his nose in her neck. A heated flush crept up his face and he forced himself to turn away and pretend to examine the decor.

The suite itself mirrored his with a living room, dining room and entry on one side and two bedrooms and a galley kitchen on the other, all opening to a balcony and a view of the mountains beyond. “I’m pleased to meet you, as well.”

“You’ve been so elusive I thought you were an urban legend.” She led him toward the dining table with paper scattered across the surface and her open laptop.

“My father has been ill and I needed to be with him.” Chemotherapy did that to a person, but the last test results had shown the cancer in remission and Reed was finally able to get to Reno.

“Miss E. said you had family issues. I’m glad you’re here now—I need your expertise.” She gestured at her laptop. “It just stopped working.”

He sat down at the table and tried to concentrate on the laptop with its blank screen. Anything to distract himself from her. “What’s the problem?”

“It’s broken.”

“Broken in what way?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re the expert.”

Okay, he thought. She was not a computer person. He glanced around and saw the disconnected power cord. He plugged it back into the computer, waited a few seconds and pressed the power button, and the laptop sprang back to life. It had just run out of battery power.

“How did you do that?” She stared at the flickering screen, one hand on her hip, the other pointing at the laptop.

“I have techno mojo.” Most computer problems were simple. “It helps to have the power supply hooked up. Your battery ran out of power.”

“That’s all,” she said.

He grinned. “That’s all.”

“So, you’re a computer wizard.” She leaned over his shoulder and slid her slender fingers over the mouse pad.

“I’m a god chained to Earth,” he ended with a chuckle. He pushed the power cord tightly into the laptop.

She laughed. “Well, then, can you use your godlike qualities to make my software work?”

He liked that she liked his humor. “You’re not a technophobe, are you?” he asked.

She frowned at him. “I know how to use my phone. I do everything on my phone.” She held up the newest, top-of-the line iPhone.

“Explain the problem.”

Leaning over his shoulder, she took the mouse and clicked on an icon. “I commissioned this program that will allow our boutique customers to try on clothes in a virtual environment, but the clothes won’t adjust to figures properly and my computer freezes every time I try to drag something over.”

For a moment he couldn’t force his thoughts away from the way her soft skin brushed against his hand. He gulped. No one had told him how beautiful and sexy Kenzie Russell was. The throaty quality of her voice started his heart hammering away. He fought to breathe. Never in his whole adult life had he reacted to a woman like this.

Beautiful women had been throwing themselves at him since he’d made his first ten million. They’d been more attracted to his money than they were to him. At first, he’d been flattered, but later he’d grown jaded. Kenzie didn’t seem to be looking at him in quite the same way. In fact, at the moment she wasn’t looking at him at all as she frowned at her laptop.

“What do you want your software to do?” he asked when he found his voice again.

“I wanted the software to take a photo of the customer. A salesperson would input measurements and search for appropriate styles depending on what the customer wants.” She waved a hand at the screen. “It seems so simple. Why can’t it be simple?” She frowned at the laptop again.

If software was simple, he might be living in his dad’s basement playing video games. “Who developed the software?”

“A friend of mine knew someone.” She pulled a chair over and sat down next to him.

“The concept sounds interesting.” He studied the laptop screen as she slid her fingers over the mouse pad and tried to show him. The laptop froze and she slapped her hand on the counter. He gently pushed her hand away and unfroze the screen.

“I know,” she said eagerly. “Can you make it work? Miss E. says you can write software in your sleep. She says you can do anything.”

“I don’t know about ‘anything.’” He laughed. “I like to work in my pajamas.”

“You do?” She cast a sidelong glance at him. “I like a man who can joke about wearing his pj’s to work. For me, half the fun of going to work is dressing up.”

“I know you’re all about fashion.” He opened the program again and began clicking through, trying to get a feel for it. From the way the program sputtered and lagged, he knew the code hadn’t been very well written.

“How did you get into computers?” she asked, her dark brown eyes studying him.

“My father took me to a computer show in LA when I was around ten and bought all the components he’d need to build his own, because he figured it would be easy. Except it wasn’t. After a couple hours of grunting and cursing, he started making dinner, and I put the computer together.” Everything had fit exactly the way Reed had envisioned it. His father had been fascinated by Reed’s intuitive understanding of the process.

“Pretty remarkable.”

“Thank you.” She sounded impressed. He liked that. Once he had that computer operating, he discovered what it could do and he’d decided to write his own game, which he’d distributed to his friends. And from there, he’d started his own company. In the years since, he’d worked in gaming, then moved to apps for smartphones, then into computer security, and his latest endeavor had been using computers to design prosthetic limbs. He’d immersed himself in his business until his father became ill. That was when he realized he was missing out on life.

“Have you fixed it yet?” Kenzie asked.

He chuckled. “This is going to take more than a few minutes.”

“How much time?” She glanced at her watch. “I’m meeting my niece, she’s teaching me to barrel-race.”

He sat back in surprise, looking her up and down at her very fashionable dress, stiletto shoes and chunky necklace. He was having a hard time seeing her on a horse, wearing jeans, plaid shirt and cowboy boots.

“I know.” She patted him on the hand.

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.

“I can tell from the look on your face you are trying to picture me on a horse wearing boots and a Stetson.”

“No...no... I wasn’t thinking that exactly.”

She laughed. “Sure you were. Just remember, I’m the girl with three older brothers. I may look like I stepped out of the pages of Vogue magazine every day, but at heart I’m pretty much a tomboy. Though I’m a tomboy with style.” She posed, one hand on her hip and a flirty look on her face.

He tried to imagine her on a horse, but the image failed to materialize.

She held up a hand. “Wait a moment. I’ll show you.” She walked to one of the bedrooms.

Lost in a cloud, unable to take his eyes away from her, he watched her body sway back and forth gracefully. The door closed with a click and he turned back to the laptop. If he was going to solve her problems, he was going to need his computer with him and her distracting beauty gone. The challenge excited him. He hadn’t felt excited in a while.

The bedroom door opened and Kenzie reappeared wearing jeans, a white shirt, red leather cowboy boots and a matching red hat. She posed for him like a runway model. For a moment he thought his heart would stutter to a stop. She walked back and forth, her hips swaying and he couldn’t catch his breath. She looked adorable, delectable and so sexy he wanted to kiss her.

“You certainly look the part.” What he really wanted to say was that she looked absolutely stunning, but they’d just met and that would be inappropriate.

“Of course I do. I don’t play at being a cowgirl. If I’m going to dress like this, I’m going to know how to flaunt it.”

She sported the look just fine in his estimation. He felt a huge thud in the area of his heart and for the first time in his life he was willing to fall into lust. Oh, hell, he was going to fall in lust with her.

No. No. He didn’t have time to be in...whatever. He still had his life to figure out and her software problem. He went back to contemplating how he would fix her software...or her.

He turned back to the computer. He felt her behind him, the heat of her body like a solar flare. “You’re hovering,” he said, half turning to glare at her.

“I’m fascinated by what you’re doing.”

“I’m just playing to see where the glitches are. I don’t have my applications here to start working on the fix. I’m going to need your laptop for a couple hours.”

“I’ll be gone for a couple hours. Take all the time you need.”

He nodded and closed the laptop, tucking it under his arm. “You know, I’ll have access to everything on your laptop. I’ll know all your deepest, darkest secrets.” He’d already figured out she had no password protection set up.

She laughed. “Yeah. You’re going to find out I play Warhammer.”

That surprised him. “So do I.” He’d never met a woman who liked adventure gaming.

She tilted her head at him. “We’ll have to team up some day. You, me and my brothers. They get pretty intense.”

He had the feeling she could best them all.

He walked to the door and she opened it to let him out. She leaned against the edge of the door and gave him a smile that practically melted his insides.

“You’re not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?” he asked.

“Horn-rimmed glasses, plaid shirt and socially awkward.”

His eyebrows rose. Ten years ago he’d been exactly that—horn-rimmed glasses, plaid shirt and socially awkward. Laser surgery corrected his vision, a stylist helped with his wardrobe and experience conquered his awkwardness. He knew he tended to be introspective, but having millions in the bank had made him a target for women who had been throwing themselves at him for years, and he’d become adept at recognizing and avoiding them. “I’m sorry I wasn’t what you imagined.”

“You’re better.” She grinned mischievously, a flirting sparkle in her eyes.

Again, he felt a tug on his heart. He didn’t know how to respond to that. He liked her directness, but unpredictability lurked behind her dark eyes. He held up the laptop. “Hopefully I’ll have this ready for you when you get back from your lesson.” Or not. He wondered how long he could drag out fixing her software just so he could be near her. He wanted to be near her.

* * *

Kenzie watched him walk down the hall toward his suite. She really had expected geek extraordinaire. The fact that Reed Watson was a very handsome man made her tingle. She wanted to run her hands through his shaggy blond hair and kiss him. She’d never been attracted so strongly to a man on a first meeting.

Not even Sam. He’d worked his way up through the executive ranks at Saks and eventually landed as the director of marketing. They’d had a lovely time over the years, but Sam wasn’t into commitment. He’d been quite emphatic about making sure she understood his feelings from the beginning.

Sam had warned her she’d hate Reno and he wasn’t giving up his job to follow her. How could she back away from her career for a backwater town when she’d been all over the world and seen the best fashion the world had to offer? He was wrong. In the time she’d been in Reno, she’d come to love it. The town wasn’t jaded or as self-important as Vegas. Reno knew what it was and reveled in its frontier-town mentality.

Anything was possible. Look at Miss E., Kenzie’s grandmother. She’d taken a classic hotel and casino and made it new again. She’d got her family back together, and no one was unhappy. Hunter and Lydia were having a baby. Nina and Scott would be getting married soon. Donovan and Hendrix were cooking up a storm. Even though she was the odd one out, she was used to being the only girl. Besides, she wasn’t ready to settle down.

Her cell phone rang and she went back into her suite to answer it. Rapid French overwhelmed her.

“Slow down, Monique. What is going on?” Monique Benoit designed her own line of casual wear that had grown very popular over the past few years. Kenzie had discovered her and suggested that Saks offer her a contract for her designs. She’d always been able to spot the up-and-coming designers and talk stores into showcasing their lines.

“That woman,” Monique snarled. “I hate her.”

“What woman?” Kenzie cradled the phone against her ear with her shoulder while she poured herself a glass of iced tea.

“That Anna. The one who replaced you. I cannot work with her. She is an...an imbecile.”

“She came highly recommended.” Sam had campaigned for the store to hire her, replacing Kenzie. “I’m sorry she’s not working out with you.”

“She is not you, Kenzie.”

“I’m sure she’ll work out if you give her some time.”

“I don’t know,” Monique said, her tone resigned. “I like working with you.”

“And I with you. Your clothes are selling well here.” Kenzie had opened a small store in the hotel spa for Monique’s line. “I know it’s not like having your lines in Saks, but Reno is growing. I think you should consider expanding your lines with your own stores.”

“I think on it, but I’m not ready yet. I have no...worries about you in Reno. It is this Anna I have uncertainties about.”

“She’ll work out, Monique,” Kenzie soothed. “Change requires a period of adjustment. Talk to Sam. I’m sure he’ll help.”

“Maybe.” Monique sounded dispirited.

Kenzie wondered just what Anna was doing that upset Monique so much.

“Come to Reno and play for a week,” Kenzie offered. “I’ll show you around and we’ll explore. There’s some great hiking here.”

Monique, like Kenzie, was a hiker. She would love the mountain trails, the hot springs in unexpected places and the beautiful vistas.

“I will think on that,” Monique said before she hung up.

Kenzie tried not to let her friend’s conversation bog her down. Everyone she’d worked with in New York would adjust to the new buyer. She was sure Anna would work out. She might not have Kenzie’s intuition about things, but she would learn.

Chapter 2

Maya sat on her horse as though born to the saddle. Kenzie knew how to ride. As a tween she’d been horse-mad and Miss E. had arranged for her to have riding lessons. For a while as a child, Kenzie had thought about being a cowgirl working on a ranch, but fashion won out.

Maya was turning into a little fashion plate all by herself. She wore black jeans, a pink shirt with red fringe and matching pink boots. A pink Stetson sat on her head. She’d wanted a pink saddle, but her mother, Lydia, had said no.

Kenzie watched Maya race her horse around the barrels. Hector Ibarra, her teacher, sat on the fence, his booted feet hooked around the bottom rail. Patti, Hector’s daughter and Maya’s best friend, sat on her own horse out of the way.

Kenzie wasn’t all that interested in barrel racing; she just wanted to bond with her niece.

“Good time,” Hector called when Maya finished the course. “You’re going to be competition racing in another couple months.”

Maya preened, grinning happily. Kenzie remembered being nine years old and loving the attention after doing something right.

Kenzie pulled up to the start line, and when Hector called time she kicked her horse into a gallop and raced around the barrels. Her time was terrible, but she enjoyed herself and knew she’d never be a pro.

After the lesson, Maya and Kenzie walked their horses back to Maya’s home.

“I can’t wait for my baby brother to be born,” Maya said.

“I’m sure your mother feels the same way,” Kenzie replied with a laugh. “She’s getting kind of tired being pregnant.”

“She told me once the baby is born the hard work starts.”

Kenzie had absolutely no experience with babies. “When they’re first born they just eat, sleep and poop.”

“Ick.” Maya turned into the driveway leading up to her house. Her dog, asleep on the front porch, came to her feet and trotted down the driveway to greet them.

Kenzie enjoyed Maya’s company. In fact, until Maya had come into her life Kenzie had never been around children.

They walked their horses to the barn and dismounted.

“I want Mom and Dad to name the baby Sylvester,” Maya said as she unsaddled her horse, draped the saddle over a saddle tree and reached for a brush to groom her horse.

“Sylvester! Sweetie, I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Kenzie unsaddled her horse and started to groom it. “Where did you get a name like Sylvester?”

“In a book. I like the name. I think it sounds noble.”

Kenzie shook her head as she groomed her horse. Dust billowed up with each stroke of her brush. The animal’s tail swept back and forth and its eyes closed as it relaxed.

“Sylvester is better than plain old Christian.” Maya lifted a front hoof and slid a pick under the shoe, cleaning the dirt and mud out. She had to learn to take care of her horse as part of the price of ownership.

“I think Christian sounds like a wonderful name.”

Maya simply frowned.

They put the horses away in their stalls, made sure they had plenty of fresh water and alfalfa hay in the manger, and headed to the house.

Lydia lay on the sofa in the family room while Hunter puttered about the kitchen grilling chicken. Seeing Hunter so domestic amused Kenzie no end. He’d always been the first one to dare everyone to climb a tree, to vault over a fence or to jump off the roof into the pool. Lydia had tamed him. Kenzie had never seen him so happy.

“Need some help?” she asked.

“Toss the salad,” he ordered, pointing at a bottle of dressing.

She did as instructed. He whistled as he brushed a final layer of flavoring on the chicken legs with the special marinade made from their chef brother Donovan’s secret recipe. The rising scents of the marinade and the cooked chicken made Kenzie’s mouth water. She’d eaten in five-star restaurants all over the world, but they didn’t even begin to compare with Donovan’s cooking. His fiancé, Hendrix, made such mouth-watering desserts that the hotel couldn’t keep anything in stock in the diner and the main restaurant.

“Any signs of a baby yet?” Kenzie put the salad on the dinner table.

Lydia pushed herself to her feet and waddled across the family room to the dining table. “I’m so ready. I don’t think I have another three weeks in me.”

Hunter laughed. Maya pulled out a chair for her mother. Lydia sat down heavily with a faint groan.

“I hear you met Reed Watson today.” Hunter set the platter of chicken in the center of the table and sat down. He forked a chicken leg onto Lydia’s plate and then another one onto his. He slid the platter closer to Maya who used her fingers to grab a leg. Lydia frowned, but said nothing.

“He’s going to do his magic on my laptop.” Kenzie reached for the grilled broccoli and a baked potato.

“He’s one of the foremost specialists on internet security in the country. I heard he was asked to lecture at the War College in Rhode Island.”

“Miss E. told me that. He’s kind of cute, too.” Kenzie filled her salad bowl. Heat curled up inside her at the memory of his warm hands and blue eyes. She’d so wanted to push the tangle of blond hair off his forehead she’d had to clasp her hands behind her back.

“And he’s single,” Lydia put in with an arch look at Kenzie.

“Just because you two lovebirds are still in the throes of marital bliss doesn’t mean I have to be, too. I don’t have time for the love mojo. Besides, Scott and Nina are next up in the marriage queue.” And then probably Donovan and Hendrix. That was enough marriage for her. She wasn’t looking for that special someone in her life. Not after Sam. He’d burned her. He’d hurt her in a way she didn’t like to think about. Though the image of Reed hunched over her laptop almost made her sigh.

“I know that face,” Hunter said.

“What face?” Kenzie worked to relax the frown.

“The ‘I hate dudes’ face.”

“I don’t hate men,” Kenzie said. “I just don’t like men who think a woman’s career is less important than theirs.” Or who took credit for ideas not their own. The first time Sam had stolen one of her ideas, he’d been so apologetic she’d forgiven him on the spot. She’d tried to tell herself she loved him and he loved her, but still it seemed that every time she came up with something interesting, somehow it would end up being his idea. Until their last fateful argument.

“You sound like someone hurt you,” Lydia said.

Kenzie had confided in Nina, but had not felt as if she’d known Lydia enough to tell her. Now that she’d learned Lydia was a kind, nurturing person who wanted others to be happy Kenzie wanted to unburden her soul, but not now with Maya in the room. Maybe later.

“I was. Now I’m just angry.” Kenzie finished her salad and sipped iced tea. She refused to dwell on Sam’s betrayal.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hunter asked curiously.

Kenzie shook her head. “Talking isn’t going to do anything.”

“It might make you feel a little better.”

Kenzie didn’t want to feel better. She wanted to feel angry. Anger motivated her. She would show Sam she would be okay.

Later, on her way out to her car, she received a text from Reed. Have some ideas I want to run past you. How about dinner?

She texted back, Just had dinner. How about a drink?

He responded. Eight in the bar.

She agreed. She would have time to shower and change into something else. She enjoyed being a cowgirl, but she didn’t want to look like one all the time. And the boots made her feet hot and sweaty. She drove back her thoughts on what she would wear that would made Reed Watson’s eyes shine with approval.

* * *

Reed waited in the bar, anxious for Kenzie to arrive. He noticed his palms were sweating. It had been a long time since a woman made him sweat. The feeling was exciting as well as disarming. A lot like Kenzie herself. A waitress appeared with a glass of wine. She set a napkin down on the table and then the glass on top of it. The stylized logo of the Casa de Mariposa decorated the center of the napkin. For a moment, he could only stare at it. He owned a casino. He wanted to pinch himself. How had this happened?

A glance around showed the bar was almost full. The chiming of the slot machines outside gave him a thrill. He owned slot machines, a roulette table, a bunch of blackjack tables, and God knew how odd that felt.

He’d met Miss E. when she’d taught a poker class in Las Vegas. He’d been fascinated by her lecture. He’d gone back several times trying to figure out the different odds of the game. Finally she’d started giving him private lessons. And when the poker tournament had come along, he’d been happy to sponsor her, certain she’d win the Casa de Mariposa. Even Lydia, who’d also sponsored her, had been surprised. And now the three of them were co-owners.

The journey from computer genius to casino owner amazed him. What was his next step going to be? He didn’t know. His whole train of thought disappeared when Kenzie walked into the bar. His breath caught in his throat. She looked stunning in dark maroon tailored pants and an ivory silk blouse. A gold chain looped around her neck and bounced against her throat as she walked. She’d swept her short hair back from her face. Her very presence lit up the whole bar. He found himself smiling and couldn’t seem to stop.

He stood as she slid into the booth. “Good evening.”

She smiled at him. “Hi, and good evening to you.” She paused as the waitress rushed to the table to take Kenzie’s order. She chose a key lime martini, which surprised him. He didn’t think she was a martini type of person. “You look like you have good news.”

Her statement dimmed his smile. “Not really.”

“What do you mean, not really?” She gave a little pout. “That doesn’t sound good.”

The way she looked at him made him want to slay dragons for her. “Where did you get this software?”

“I hired a company in Canada that came highly recommended.” The waitress brought her martini and she took an experimental sip, then nodded at the waitress, who smiled back.

“Well, fixing your program is going to mean pulling it apart down to the core and rebuilding it, module by module.”

“That’s not good news.”

He scrambled in his head trying to make the better news. “The good news is, it’s fixable. But it’s going to take time.”

She frowned at him. “How much time?”

An ache started in his chest. He wanted to be her hero and fix it yesterday. “A few weeks maybe. I won’t really know until I get started. I don’t know what I’ll be able to keep or what will need to be tossed.”

“We’ll work this out.” She took a sip of her martini. “My grandmother can’t say enough good things about you.”

“She’s made me feel like a part of your family.”

“Miss E. is good like that. Once you get the Miss E. Seal of Approval, you’re in for life with no escape.” She chuckled.

He laughed, pretty sure Miss E. wasn’t about to let him get away. “I don’t want to escape.”

“Why did you stake my grandmother for the poker game that resulted in all this?” She held up her hand in a sweeping gesture.

“Because I knew she’d win and...well...” He looked around. “Owning a casino is cooler than owning a yacht or an island. And the only thing cooler than a casino would be owning a hockey team.”

“I’m a football fan myself. Owning a casino is way cooler than anything.”

He nodded. “It’s so hedonistic. It’s about potential and luck and energy.” He leaned forward, looking her straight in the eye. “This may sound corny, but I like seeing people having fun.”

“You sound like you haven’t had much fun in your life.”

He’d been busy making money. “I’m working on that.” He was betting she could help him in that department.

She cupped her chin in her hand. “Having fun shouldn’t be work.”

He didn’t quite know how to respond. “When I started my first company, I had fun. I loved working with computers, I loved creating new software and seeing it fly out into the marketplace. The bigger my company grew, the less fun it became.”

She nodded. “So then what did you do?”

“I got out.” He’d sold his company for mucho millions and decided now was the time to have fun, only to have his father face cancer. “I devoted a lot of my life to my company and I needed to start devoting my life to me. What about you? Your grandmother is really proud of you and your brothers.”

“She’s thrilled we’re all back in the fold. If I didn’t know any better I’d think she’s been planning this for years.”

A shadow fell across them and Reed glanced up to Hendrix Beausolie with a plate in her hand. “Here.” She put the plate down midway between Reed and Kenzie and placed a smaller plate in front of Kenzie and another in front of Reed. “Try this.”

Hendrix had recently made headlines with her innovative approach to baking pastries. A glowing article in Reno Today magazine had brought her a new fan base. People flocked to the restaurant and diner just to have her brownies. Her recent engagement to Kenzie’s brother Donovan had made her a minor celebrity in the family.

“Why are you here so late at night?” Kenzie asked.

“The swing dance contest Donovan and I were going to was canceled, and I’ve been mulling this dessert over in my mind for days so I thought I’d try it while he’s working on his food orders for the week.” She shoved into the booth next to Kenzie. “Blueberry white chocolate cheesecake. Try some.” She slid a slice onto a small plate and pushed it at Kenzie. She filled a second for Reed and a third slice for herself.

Reed forked a bite into his mouth and let the dessert sit on his tongue for a moment. Hendrix was an amazing pastry chef. The subtle tastes of vanilla, white chocolate and blueberry were heavenly. He devoured the slice in less than a minute.

“Wow,” Kenzie said, admiration in her tone. “This is to die for.” She forked another bite into her mouth and chewed, a dazed look filling her eyes.

“Yeah.” Hendrix grinned. “Scott and Nina decided they didn’t want champagne cake for their wedding. So I decided to try this. What do you think?”

“I can’t give you an honest opinion until I eat another slice.” Kenzie grinned at Hendrix.

Hendrix laughed. “I figured you would.” She slid another slice onto Kenzie’s plate.

Reed tried to eat healthy, but was willing to overlook his health for the decadence of Hendrix’s dessert. He finished the second slice. “I approve.”

“You only approve,” Hendrix said.

“Right now, I really want to marry you.”

She held up her left hand and flashed a brilliant yellow diamond ring. “Taken.”

He laughed. “Multimillionaire.”

Hendrix tilted her head. “Money means nothing to me.”

“That’s why I’d marry a woman like you.”

“You get me in the next life.” She stood up and slid out of the booth.

“Fair enough.” He was so comfortable with this family. As an only child, he’d missed having siblings.

Hendrix waved as she headed back toward the kitchen.

“Are you okay?” Kenzie said quietly.

“I’m an only child and I always wanted to have brothers and sisters,” he said, a wistful tone in his voice.

“Until one of them decapitates your dolls.”

Reed stared at her, shocked. “Your brothers decapitated your dolls?”

“Scott always wanted to play soldier with his G.I. Joes and I wanted to play fashion Barbie. He found a bunch of old G.I. Joes somewhere and exchanged their heads for the Barbie heads and wouldn’t tell me where he hid them. He came close to losing his life over that.” She burst out laughing. “Though now I do think it was pretty funny. I can’t imagine being an only child,” Kenzie said.

“I always felt like I was on the outside looking in,” Reed confessed. “I wonder how my life would have been different if I’d had siblings.”

“You’d probably have Barbie heads on all your G.I. Joes. Having siblings means you never got the last biscuit because one brother would lick it to keep it for himself and no one would eat it after that.”

“I like your brothers. I don’t want to know which one did it.”

“All of them,” she said with a smile. Her face had gone dreamy with her memories. “Learning to share wasn’t a bad skill, but sometimes I wish I could have had just a little bit more time with Miss E. before someone came in with a scraped knee. Though I’ll admit, having siblings taught me that life wasn’t always about me.”

Whatever her memories were, they were happy memories because she kept right on grinning.

“Having your parents’ undivided attention has its drawbacks. Someone was always watching. I couldn’t get away with anything.”

“Your parents kept you honest.”

He narrowed his eyes and she squirmed. “What did you do?”

She shrugged. “Nothing big. I stole a pack of gum when I was seven or eight. And I was so consumed with guilt I put it back. I’ve never told anyone what I did.”

A woman with a bit of larceny in her soul—she was damn near perfect. “No one?”

“No one.” She pointed her fork at him. “And you’re going to keep it that way.”

He held up his hand in surrender, but he wondered what he could get to keep her secret. “I promise to keep your secret.”

She burst out laughing. “And you?”

Should he tell her? They were sharing. “Once upon a time, I thought I wanted to be an activist. I broke into the school computer when I was at MIT. For a student there, this was a rite of passage. I didn’t want to do any real damage, but I did change one grade where I was only getting a B+ and I know I deserved an A. So I gave myself an A.”

“That’s your worst!”

What he was going to talk about today. “I know it’s not as serious as bubblegum.”

“Touché.” She sipped her wine for a moment. “You sound like you’ve had a too-serious life. What do you do for fun?”

He didn’t answer right away. Should he tell her? Most people thought his hobby way too frivolous and he seldom shared it with anyone but his trusted friends. Finally, he decided to take the plunge. He wanted this woman to like him and if she accepted his hobby without judging, then he would like her even more. “I collect comic books and graphic novels.” He waited, trying not to flinch.

She looked interested and not a bit scornful. “Really? Who’s your favorite? I always wanted to be Storm, from the X-Men.”

He narrowed his eyes, picturing her as Storm with white hair and eyes. “I’ve always to be the Flash.”

“I can see that. He’s a bit of a nerd. Although I tend to respect the born heroes rather than the made ones.”

“You’re not laughing at me.” He was astonished. Every other woman he’d told about his hobby had put it down. Comic books were for kids, not grown men. He’d finally learned to keep his hobby hidden. “That’s cool.”

“I’m cool. I like to hike.”

“Is hiking your hobby?” He’d give nature a go if he could spend more time with her.

“I just like to be outside. My real hobby is creating and sewing fashion wardrobes for dolls. Did you know the earliest fashion doll was created in the 1300s for an English Queen who wanted French fashions for her court? She sent a note to Paris asking for fashion dolls to be sent to her so she could choose a new wardrobe.”

For a second, Reed was amazed. His only acquaintance with dolls were the ones found in every retail store. “It must have been great to be the queen.”

“That story got me started collecting fashion dolls from eighteenth and nineteenth century France.”

“Do you play with your dolls?”

She shook her head. “These are antique dolls. Usually, I display them, but they are still packed away because I haven’t time to unpack them. Right now, I’m sewing a whole wardrobe for Maya’s Barbie doll as a Christmas present. She wants a bridal gown with bridesmaids’ dresses.”

“You design clothes, too?”

“I originally planned to go into design, but ended up in the business end. I can make pretty things, but nothing innovative.”

He doubted that. “I think you’re selling yourself short.”

She sat back studying him. “I’ve spent a lot of time around designers, established ones and new ones. I’ve spent a lot of time around clothes and what American women want to wear. I know my limitations. What I am good at is picking out the hot new trends.”

He didn’t believe her. She’d already shown her imagination to be boundless. That was incredibly sexy. “I admire that in you.”

“Fashion is very personal. Women tend to be judged by what they wear. Women who walk into Walmart in stained, dirty clothes are treated a lot differently than women who walk into Walmart looking like a million bucks. Image is everything.”

Her talent was just as important as anyone else’s. He understood about image. Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day. Bill Gates still looked like a geek but more fashionable. And for himself...

“What are you thinking so intensely?” Kenzie asked.

“I’m thinking about image. Women aren’t the only ones who consider how they look. Albert Einstein had a wardrobe that consisted of two weeks of the same style pants, shirt and sweater because he didn’t want to think about clothes. Stephen Hawking dresses in Armani. Angelina Jolie wears a lot of black because she doesn’t want to have to think about matching clothes. Even I had to think about my image. I tended to stay out of the public eye, but once my company reached the Fortune 500 list, I was scrutinized for everything. I couldn’t go to work anymore with holes in my jeans. I didn’t understand for a long time that image was just as important as my product.”

“For you, your image is about power,” Kenzie replied. “And success and control. If you looked like a slob, analysts would see your company as ill-run and sloppy, that you didn’t care about profit and the bottom line. Steve Jobs may have worn the same thing every day, but it was neat, clean and looked like he meant business.”

His father had been a naval officer; he cared about projecting power and confidence. Which he did with his pristine uniforms and commanding presence. He always felt he should have been accepted for what he accomplished, not for how he looked.

“You’re thinking hard again.” She shook her head.

“How do you know?”

She rubbed the space between her perfectly plucked eyebrows. “You get this little crinkly line between your eyes.”

Reed shook his head. “When I asked to talk to you about your software program and the problems, I never expected our conversation to veer into such personal territory.”

Kenzie reached across the table to take his hand and patted it. “How well do you know Miss E.? Because she would have had all this information about you thirty seconds after she met you. She could get information from a stone.”

“No kidding. After five minutes I was ready to show her my report card from first grade.” He remembered feeling as if he was under a microscope with the older woman and it made him uncomfortable, but with Kenzie he wanted to tell her things about himself. This was getting stranger by the second. “You are good.”

Kenzie grinned. “I learned at the feet of the master.”

“Is every conversation with you going to end up being so personal?”

She gave him a sly smile. “If we’re going to talk about the weather, we don’t need to personalize it. But we weren’t talking about the weather.”

He felt his blood race through his body. She was sexy and scary. Revealing so much about himself so easily wasn’t in his nature. He’d always been a little reserved. Once he became wealthy people were always at him. They wanted money. They wanted advice, endorsements or to be seen with him. And he just wanted to be normal. He didn’t own any real estate except for a small condo in Seattle and his father’s home in San Diego. He drove a Lexus, his only vanity, because he liked nice cars. He gave 20 percent of his yearly income to charity. He voted in every election, but stayed away from politics. He didn’t want to be a mover or shaker in the world; he simply wanted to be left alone to pursue his own interests.

Kenzie patted his hand. “Stop thinking. What happens happens in its own time. Just stay in the moment. I had a friend who used to say life is what it is, stop tormenting yourself about what life isn’t.”

Her skin was soft on his and he stopped himself from groaning as his pulse sped up and he suddenly wanted more than just a touch from her. “Easy to say, but not so easy to do,” he admitted. “So teach me how to stay in the moment.”

“Stop thinking about the past. Stop thinking about every little thing as it happens. Every day is a do-over. Make it count. Do something unexpected.”

Do something unexpected. For the first time in his life he gave in to an impulse. He half stood, leaned over the table and kissed her on the mouth. Her lips were soft and silky and her breath tasted of the martini she’d drunk. For a moment, her lips opened under his and then she suddenly drew back and pushed him away, her eyes wide in surprise. As he sat down again, she pressed her fingers to her mouth.

“Is that unexpected enough?”

She slid out of the booth. “I have to go.” She turned and half ran out of the bar.

Reed was stunned at his boldness and even more surprised at her response. Was she rejecting him? Of course she was. But there was something about that kiss that stayed with him.

Chapter 3

“And he kissed me,” Kenzie said as she bent over the dining table, scissors in hand, cutting out the last piece of the bridal gown she’d designed for Maya’s present. The other pieces were stacked in a pile near her elbow. Scattered scraps of lace dotted the table along with satin ribbon, spools of white thread and what she called her super-duper, extra-magical sewing machine.

“You did tell him to do something unexpected.” Nina had to be the reasonable one. Her knitting needles clicked. A pair of booties in a silvery white took shape beneath her fingers. Knitting had always been Nina’s hobby and she was having a field day knitting for Lydia. She’d already knitted a sweater and hat for baby Russell and had a blanket next on her list.

“I didn’t mean right then. Later, after I was long gone.”

“He could have kissed any other woman,” Nina pointed out calmly, “but he kissed you.”

Kenzie was as flustered as she was turned on. His kiss had curled her toes and sent a stab of desire through her so strong she’d been unable to catch her breath for an hour afterward. “He’s my grandmother’s partner. He co-owns the hotel and casino with her and Lydia.”

“So what?” Nina said with a chuckle. “He’s still a man and you’re a beautiful woman.”

Kenzie wanted to stamp her feet and scream. Her best friend wasn’t reacting the way Kenzie thought she would. She’d expected Nina to understand her confusion.

“Did you kiss him back?” Nina’s voice sounded sly and amused.

“No! Of course not!” She carefully snipped the last bit of fabric and placed the final piece of the gown’s skirt with the others.

“Why not?”

Because she’d still be there kissing him if she had. “It’s too weird. If I get involved with him, my grandmother will be all up in my business.”

“That would distract her from being all up in my business,” Nina said ruefully.

“You just want me to throw myself on the ‘I’m-your-friend’ sword. Not doing it.” Kenzie sat on a stool next to Nina. “The real problem is, I liked the kiss.” She wanted to kiss him again and again and again while running her hands through his tousled blond hair. She wanted more than just a kiss. Her breasts grew taut and a hunger grew deep in the pit of her stomach.

The real problem was that Reno was her new home and she didn’t want complications while she figured out her place. Reed was a complication. She had too many things to do.

Her phone rang, and she answered it, glad for the distraction from Reed.

The boutique manager sounded harried. “We’re having a problem with the computer. Again.”

“Did you call tech support?”

“Not yet. I will after I hang up.”

“I’ll be right down.” She glanced at Nina, who grinned at her. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“I have to go.”

“This conversation isn’t over.” Nina wrapped her knitting around the needles and slipped it in her tote.

“Yippee,” Kenzie said as she headed toward the door.

* * *

“The computer just went haywire,” Bianca Cranston said.

Bianca was a small, round woman with pale brown hair surrounding a heart-shaped face. Though a little on the plump side, she dressed with a flair for showing her curves rather than attempting to hide them. Today she wore a rose-colored blouse over a gray pleated skirt. She’d wound a Hermès scarf around her throat, making the outfit look expensive and chic. Kenzie maintained that even the plainest outfit could be made to look regal with the addition of an expensive silk scarf. She allowed her employees to wear the scarves in the store so customers could see how easily one scarf could add character.

A few seconds after Kenzie arrived, Reed strode into the store. When Kenzie spotted him, her cheeks flamed with heat and her heart skipped a beat. He looked so handsome in black jeans and a black knit polo shirt with his ragged hair curling around his ears. He almost looked like a pirate. All he needed was a gold hoop earring to complete the image.

“What’s the problem?” Reed asked, setting a briefcase down on the counter.

Bianca held her hands up. “I was in the middle of a transaction when the computer shut down and the screen went blank. I checked next door at the ski shop and their computer is fine.”

“Let me see what I can figure out.” He bent over the computer without even the briefest glance at Kenzie.

Kenzie backed away, feeling a little miffed. He acted as though nothing had happened between them. First she wanted to slap him. Then she wanted to kiss him. Don’t go there, she scolded herself. He’d only been doing what she’d suggested, something unexpected. Why did she think his kiss meant anything more?

Men. Can’t live with them. Can’t live without them. They’re all idiots.

She stayed out of his way. He opened his briefcase to show rows of tools and a box of CDs. “Do you have something you can use while I’m fixing this?”

“We can use the computer next door to ring up purchases,” Kenzie said with a nod at Bianca.

Reed pulled a couple of tools out of the briefcase and opened the side of the computer. In seconds he had parts strewn across the counter. Kenzie found a stool and sat down to watch him.

“Done anything unexpected today?” he asked, a playful tone in his voice.

Kenzie tilted her head. “No. But the day is relatively young yet.”

He pinned her with a sexy stare. “Do you want to do something unexpected with me?”

Did she? Yes, but she wasn’t going to admit it. “I believe you already did that.”

He grinned. “I had something else in mind.”

“Such as what?”

“Have you ever gone bowling?”

Not a day in her life. “Bowling?”

“How about tomorrow?”

She took out her phone. “I need to check my schedule.”

He took the phone away from her and placed it on the counter. “Don’t. Remember, unexpected. Yes or no?”

She studied him for a moment, her mind whirling. He was taking her advice a little too much to heart, but excitement surged through her. “Yes.” She could rearrange her schedule easily enough. That came out of her mouth way too easy.

“Good. Meet me tomorrow evening at four thirty by the concierge. I’ll even throw in dinner.”

“Is this a date?”

He paused as though considering her question. “Maybe this is just me taking your advice.”

“Okay.” She found she couldn’t stop grinning as he went back to fixing the computer. “How long do you think you need to fix this?”

“Not long.” He glanced at his watch.

She saw a customer wander into the store and went over to assist her.

* * *

Reed watched her go. The computer was actually an easy fix. A memory stick was loose in its housing. All it took was a screwdriver to pry it out and reset it firmly. He rebooted the computer and nodded at Kenzie who gave him a brief smile before turning back to the customer.

He wanted to linger to watch her work, but he had a meeting with Miss E., Lydia and the chief financial officer.

He found his way through the maze of corridors and offices behind the administration area to the conference room. He sat down at the end of the table.

“Glad you’re here, Reed,” Miss E. said. For such a tiny woman she had a presence that filled the room.

Lydia looked uncomfortable as she squirmed trying to find a position that wouldn’t put a strain on the baby or her back. Her face was drawn and tired. She looked ready to burst, but Reed knew she had another week or two before the baby’s birth.

Martin deWitt had been CFO for Jasper Biggins, the original owner of the Mariposa. He was a tall, slim, impeccably dressed man with black hair threaded with gray. A small mustache over his lips gave him an air of sophistication as he spread open file folders and tapped his laptop, bringing the screen to life.

“We have a problem,” Martin deWitt said.

Miss E. nodded intently. Reed simply waited. The winning of the hotel and casino had been so unexpected and new he didn’t feel like an owner yet.

“Explain the problem,” Miss E. urged.

“As you know, to expedite gambling in the casino, customers purchase cash cards, like debit cards or pre-paid credit cards, for a certain amount of money that can be used with the slot machines. The cards keep track of their winnings and any perks they win. A customer buys ten dollars, which is put on the plastic card and entered into the slot machine, and an amount, say a quarter, is deducted from the balance on the card each time the customer places a bet and loses.”

Reed nodded. He understood the logistics of slot machines.

Mr. deWitt looked around the conference table. “The system works well enough, but there have been a few complaints over the years. Yesterday, a big complaint was made when a customer purchased a card in the amount of ten thousand dollars and when she went to use it, it was short five hundred dollars.”

“Did someone make a mistake?” Lydia asked.

Martin looked troubled. “I think it’s more than just a mistake. Most complaints are handled by the floor managers, but this one came to me. Five hundred dollars is a lot of money to lose on a mistake.”

“How did we handle it?” Miss E. asked.

“To make up the difference, we gave him a card for five hundred dollars and it came up short twenty-five. ”

Which shouldn’t have happened. This was a big problem. “What do you think is going on?” Reed turned over the problem in his mind. This could simply be a computer fix, or was the problem something bigger?

“I’m not sure, but I’ve tried a small experiment. I loaded different amounts onto twenty-four cards and they all came up five percent short. Which means that every time a customer loads money onto a card, it’s five percent short. The house is getting the money, but the customer isn’t getting what they paid for.”

“I don’t like this at all,” Miss E. said. “The reputation of this hotel could be irreparably damaged.”

Reed studied Martin, his mind working furiously. “Do you know how long this has been going on?”

“I’ve just started looking into it, but after talking to some of the cashiers, I found there have been complaints going on for a couple years, at least. The problem is that no one in the casino, except for several of the croupiers, has been with the hotel longer than a couple years.” Martin opened a file and glanced through it. “Most customers only put ten, twenty-five or fifty dollars on a card and probably never notice that the cards are short by five percent. For those who do discover they’ve been shorted, a complimentary meal takes care of the difference. But five hundred dollars is a whole different matter.”

“How do we fix it?” Lydia clenched her hands tightly in front of her, looking worried.

“It could just be a simple glitch in the software,” Reed offered, “which can be fixed. The problem would be taking the whole system off-line, which could hurt our bottom line.”

“How long do you think it will take?” Miss E. asked.

Reed shook his head. “I could find the error immediately, or it could be weeks. There’s a lot of code to go through.” Though he could probably write a program that would help him narrow it down.

“We could have some unhappy customers,” Lydia said.

Miss E. waved her hand. “We’ll give them Hendrix’s brownies for free. They’ll be fine.”

Lydia smiled. “And maybe a free drink. Or a discount coupon for a dinner.”

Martin seemed to relax. Reed could tell he’d expected a very different response.

“I’ll fix the glitch,” Reed said. “There’s no need for anyone to panic.”

Miss E. stood up. “Then we’ll leave this in your very capable hands, Reed.”

Not until later, when Reed had returned to his office in the IT department, did he have a thought. If the casino was taking in the full amount, but the cards were short, where was the missing money going? He would need to talk to Martin deWitt again.

* * *

The bowling alley was noisy with the sound of bowling balls rolling down the alleys and the thunder of falling pins. In the background Lady Gaga belted out a song. Kenzie had never been in a bowling alley before. All the lanes except for a few at one end were occupied with what appeared to be teams.

“Why bowling?” she asked as she tied the laces of the bowling shoes Reed rented for her.

“I used to hold bowling parties with my employees.”

How interesting. He didn’t seem like a bowler, but she was learning that there was as much predictable about him as was unpredictable. He was a hot, sexy mystery. One she was longing to get to the bottom of. “Why?”

“So we could bond and work better as a team.” He hefted a bowling ball out of its bag. His ball was a fancy dark red with veins of black and white threaded across the surface. It was so highly polished she could see her reflection in it before he dropped it in the ball stand to the left of their lane.

“Are you bonding with me?”

He jiggled his eyebrows. “We’re here to have fun.”

How he was able to look goofy and seductive at the same time was beyond her. “I thought we would do something that took us out of our comfort zones.”

“You’ve never seen me bowl.”

He helped her choose a black ball for herself that fit her grip and she carried it back to their lane. The group next to them erupted into cheers. Kenzie eyed them curiously. They all wore matching shirts with some logo on the front pocket. Bowling shirts did not make much of a fashion statement.

“She bowled a strike,” Reed explained.

“A strike?”

“Knocked all the pins down.”

Kenzie just nodded. She hitched up her boyfriend jeans and tugged her red tank top into place. If she could ride a camel to the pyramids in Egypt, she could throw a ball down the lane and knock down the pins.

“Stand here,” Reed ordered, pointing at a mark on the slick floor. He positioned her hands around the bowling ball. “Now, you’re going to swing the ball back like this and take three steps forward. On the last one you’re going to slide, like this, and stoop a little.” He demonstrated for her. “Then throw the ball when you reach this mark.”

She did so, and the ball ended up in the gutter. The ball was much heavier than it looked. Eventually it reached the back of the lane and disappeared. A moment later it reappeared in the ball return, clinking into Reed’s ball.

“You get two tries.” Reed helped her position her feet again.

She paced forward and threw the ball. It sort of stayed in the middle of the lane and eventually reached the pins, knocking down three. “I’m a bowling rock star,” she cried, raising her arms in victory.

Reed laughed. He sat at the scoring console and entered her score. Then he stood and picked up his ball. She studied the way he stood, his feet together, the ball poised in front of him. He stepped forward and threw the ball in an oddly graceful set of motions. His ball slammed down the lane and smacked into the pins. Several fell down.

“You knocked some down,” she said, feeling a small thrill of excitement. She was enjoying herself. Who knew bowling could be so much fun. She wanted to knock all the balls down.

His ball came back through the return. He picked the ball up and swung it again. It rolled down the alley and knocked the rest of the pins down.

“That’s a spare.”

“I think I’m going to enjoy this.” She picked up her ball.

They bowled a few frames and while she waited for her ball to return after her last gutter ball, Reed announced, “It’s time for beer and nachos.”

She shook her head in surprise. “I haven’t had beer and nachos since college.”

“Life can’t be all salad and smoothies.” He walked over to the bar to put in his order.

She tried not to think about the calories. Oh, well, she’d work it off tossing that ball around and maybe hitting a few pins.

“You don’t strike me as a bowler,” she said after a couple more frames.

“I had to find a way to connect with my employees besides work. Downtime was important. And stress was a big part of the day.”

“How did you get into artificial limbs?” Miss E. had told Kenzie about his business.

He lifted a nacho to his lips, cheese dripping on his fingers. He wiped the cheese off with a napkin. “Five years ago Dad lost his leg below the knee in a training exercise and decided to retire from the navy. I’d moved away from writing phone apps to internet security at the time. I remember what he went through, getting his prosthesis to fit correctly. He wanted a leg that looked like a real leg. Later, I started experimenting myself and ended up developing software that took all the measurements needed and crafted a realistic-looking leg that matched the real leg. Watching my dad walk, you’d never know he had a prosthetic leg. And from that I developed other applications for the medical field.”

“That’s really impressive.” He’d made a huge contribution to making people’s lives easier. All she’d ever done was try to make women look pretty.

“I did it because I love my dad.” For a second he looked sort of sad.

Kenzie wanted to comfort him to take the look away. She realized he’d never said anything about his mother. “Where are your parents?”

“My dad lives in San Diego and my mom was killed in an auto accident seven years ago.”

“That sucks,” she said. “I didn’t mean to say that quite that way.”

“You’re right. Losing my mom sucks.”

Cheers sounded at the other end of the alley. She glanced around. A woman jumped up and down, throwing her hands in the air and whooping. “I did it. I did it,” she cried. Her companions clapped and she bowed.

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