The cards are dealt. Now let the game of passion begin…

Architect Hunter Russell’s grandmother just won a Reno casino in a high-stakes poker game! And she wants Hunter to help renovate it. It’s a crazy idea, and he is just about to tell her so—until he meets the stunning young woman who is his grandmother’s new business partner. Suddenly Hunter is tempted to say yes.

Lydia Montgomery has lived the life of a trophy wife. Now she’s a trophy widow, with a young daughter to support, longing for independence and purpose. The last thing she needs is another strong-willed man in her life. But Hunter’s surprisingly sensual touch, an intoxicating mix of desire and tenderness, is making her reconsider.

Can a man who has always been alone, and a woman who has never stood on her own, take the biggest gamble of all…together?

“Your parents were pretty controlling from what you’ve said. Miss E is just another form of control.”

That was a fair statement. “I thought we were just going to be friends. I had no idea we were going to be business partners, and I’ll be honest, this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” She splashed at the water with her feet, too aware of the warmth of his body next to her.

“Miss E is like that, helping you come to the right conclusion, which is right in line with hers.”

“You’re being kind of harsh about your grandmother.”

“I’ve known her longer than you have,” he said with a grin.

They fell into silence. A cool wind blew in down the side of the mountain, and Lydia shivered. He put an arm around her and she found herself leaning into his warmth. She wasn’t expecting him to kiss her, but his lips on hers were warm and inviting. She’d kissed so few men before that she had wondered what it would be like to kiss him, and now she knew.

She pushed him away and scrambled to her feet and fled to the hotel without a look backward.

J.M. JEFFRIES

is the collaboration between two women who are lifelong romance-aholics. Jacqueline Hamilton grew up believing that life should always have a happy ending. Being a military brat, she has lived in some of the most romantic places in the world. An almost lawyer, Jackie decided to chuck it all, live her dream and become a writer. Miriam Pace grew up believing in fairy tales. She found her prince charming and has been married to him for thirty-seven years. Now a granny, Miriam reads fairy tales to her grandchildren and is looking forward to baby Pace, who is due soon.

Love Takes All

J.M. Jeffries

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

Life’s a gamble. You have to know when to play the hand dealt you or throw it in and start over. You need to know when to take action and when to stand back. On the turn of a card, you can win a casino or lose a fortune. Reno, Nevada, may lack the luster of Vegas, but at heart it’s still a rip-roaring frontier town.

Lydia Montgomery has spent her life bending to the will of others and now she has a chance to start over. As part owner in the Mariposa Hotel and Casino, she is hungrily looking toward her future. Hunter Russell is reluctant to take risks, but when his grandmother needs him, he puts aside everything and joins her in Reno.

Join Lydia and Hunter as they deal the cards and win at the game of love.

Much love,

Jackie and Miriam

J.M. Jeffries

Jeff and Erin, Miriam and Peter, you make beautiful grandbabies. Thank you for all the riches and love you bring to me. Mom.

To my wonderful family: Thank you for your love, support and patience. Love, Jackie.

To the next generation: Frederik, Kathryn and baby Pace (about to arrive in the world), may you each find your heart’s desire.

Contents

Prologue

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

Prologue

Lydia Montgomery sat in the darkened gallery leaning slightly forward to peer through the clear glass at the poker table below. Lydia was just one of a few people left watching the private poker game.

She clutched the arm of her chair, trying to stay calm. Miss Eleanor Russell, looking cool and collected as always, sat at the poker table. Her back was ramrod straight. Her beautiful gray hair was in a lovely upswept style that gave her such elegant air Lydia was almost jealous. Lydia had been trained from an early age to be elegant. For her it was sometimes a challenge, but for Miss Eleanor it was effortless.

Lydia smoothed the cool silk fabric of her black pants and tugged at her Arctic white turtleneck. The room was cold, kept icy so the poker players stayed alert. Only one other person remained at the poker table, besides Miss E. and the dealer. Only one person stood between Lydia and her new life. She wanted to send the evil mojo toward him like nobody’s business, but since she had been raised to be a lady, she could only think about doing it.

The other player sat slumped over his cards, his face hidden behind large sunglasses. He kept his cards face down on the table while the dealer dealt another card.

“Are you watching him?” Jasper Biggins leaned over to whisper to Lydia. He was in his mid-sixties with iron gray hair and strong hands. His blue eyes held a twinkle. He told her he’d lived in Reno his whole life.

Miss E. had told Lydia he owned this beautiful casino with a twelve-story hotel rising overhead. Why Jasper wanted to be rid of the Casa de Mariposa was a mystery to Lydia, though Miss E. probably knew. Miss E. knew everything. And she wasn’t telling.

“What am I looking for?” She studied man, hoping she would see his tell. Behind him, at the opposite end of the gallery, a woman sat watching the game with the same level of concentrated interest as Lydia. She vaguely remembered being told the woman was Jasper’s daughter. She was a slender, brittle-looking woman with a hard face and angry eyes.

The pile of chips in front of the man at the poker table was considerably smaller than it had been at the beginning of the game, when the last seven players out of the original seventy-seven sat down to try their luck in winning the casino, the final prize of the game.

“Watch his hands.” Jasper pointed a bony finger, directing her gaze to the player below.

Lydia leaned forward and realized the man sitting across from Miss E. clutched his fingers tightly. A few minutes earlier they had been more relaxed.

“That’s his tell,” Jasper said. “I don’t think he even realizes what he’s doing.”

Most professional players thought their eyes and facial expressions gave them away, hence the oversized sunglasses to hide what he thought must be his tell. Jasper had been educating Lydia, giving her a running commentary on the game as it progressed. Lydia had a rudimentary knowledge of the game learned at Miss E.’s poker school when Lydia had first attended. But Jasper brought a deeper, more profound knowledge of the game and Lydia was happy to listen.

Miss Eleanor tapped the table, her long graceful fingers holding her cards almost daintily. She wore clear reading glasses, her own face impassive. If she had a tell, Lydia hadn’t spotted it yet. Miss E. looked completely unassuming and harmless, yet Lydia knew a tigress lurked beneath that tranquil, serene exterior.

The dealer slid a card toward Miss E. and she smiled at him and said thank-you. She was always gracious, always mannerly while the other player tended to be surly. The man shoved all the stacks of chips in front of him to the center of the table. Eleanor matched it.

Lydia believed Miss E. had her opponent on the run, but Lydia had been taking poker lessons for only the past few months, so she wasn’t quite sure what was going on. Miss Eleanor had taught Lydia the mechanics of poker, but the more subtle details of the game eluded her.

Miss Eleanor’s opponent said something. Miss Eleanor raised a delicate eyebrow. Slowly she turned over the cards in front of her, not even looking at them. With an angry twist to his lips, the man threw his cards at her and stood up. Miss Eleanor smiled and scooped up all the chips and the deed for the casino that had been the final prize. Miss Eleanor had won.

Lydia tilted her head at Miss Eleanor. “Lydia,” she said in a clear voice, “you, Reed and I are now the proud owners of the Casa de Mariposa.”

Lydia wet her lips. “I knew you wouldn’t lose.” Her nervousness drained away, replaced by elation. She had set out to do something different with her life, and here she was a former upper crust hostess of New Orleans society and now the new owner of a casino.

Miss. E. leaned close to the window, her voice carried into the gallery by a microphone. “You can take a breath now, sweetie.”

Lydia did. She jumped to her feet. She couldn’t wait to tell Maya.

“Let’s go enjoy our victory.” Jasper held out a hand to her.

Across the gallery Jasper’s daughter watched them, her mouth tight with anger. She glared at her father, then turned on her heel and left the gallery.

“Of course.” Lydia gathered up her purse and jacket and headed toward the gallery door, Jasper following on her heels.

In the hall outside the poker room, Miss Eleanor handed the signed deed to Lydia. “I’m going to call Reed. I wish he could have been here. He’ll be ecstatic.”

Lydia had yet to meet Reed. He’d been called home to deal with a family emergency.

She stared at the deed, excited, scared and hopeful. She could hardly wait to go back to her suite to tell her daughter. Their new life in Reno, Nevada, had just begun.

Chapter 1

Hunter Russell woke and tried to figure out what was ringing. Darkness outside the windows of his apartment told him it was still night. A quick glance at the clock told him it was just after three a.m. A few sleepy moments passed before he realized the ringing sound was his phone. He grabbed the device, feeling a surge of worry when he saw his grandmother’s number on the display. His heart started racing as panic engulfed him.

“Miss E,” he said, “what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Dire thoughts rushed through him.

She laughed. “I’m fine, Hunter. Just fine. Nothing is wrong.”

In his experience, phone calls at three a.m. were never good. “Then why are you calling?” He sat up, struggling to push sleep away. If nothing was wrong, why was his seventy-eight-year-old grandmother calling at three in the morning?

“Pack your bags, Hunter, I need you in Reno. Immediately.”

Lingering drowsiness finally cleared. “Are you sure you’re okay? Are you sure you’re not ill?”

“Trust me. Everything is fabulous,” she said, still laughing. “I just won a casino in a poker game.”

“You what?”

She repeated her statement, pausing between each word. “I...just...won...a...casino. In a poker game.”

He shook his head. Had he heard her right? “Did you just say you won a casino?”

“Twice, Hunter. Wake up.”

That wasn’t what he expected to hear. “Miss E., are you insane? Are you drunk?”

“Grandson,” she said sharply, “do you think I can’t reach through this phone and slap you upside the head?”

Hunter tried not to flinch. He did think that. His grandmother was capable of anything. “I’m sorry, Miss E. Just start from the beginning and talk really slow.”

She sighed. “I had an opportunity to win a casino in a poker game. Lydia Montgomery and Reed Watson staked me and I won that baby on an inside straight that no one saw coming because I’m an old lady.” She giggled.

When he’d been a child, she tried to keep what she did on the down low. Hunter and his siblings all knew she’d send them off to school in the morning and be home again when they returned. In between she played poker—cutthroat poker. They all knew she supported them by playing cards at various casinos in Las Vegas, but no one really talked about it. After all, she’d inherited four boisterous children when their parents had died in an automobile accident and she had to be respectable.

“I’ll be there in four or maybe five hours,” he said, unable to stop himself from talking. He just had to know how she had the nerve to bet her life savings for a shot at winning a casino.

“See you soon. I’ll be at the Casa de Mariposa. It’s easy to find.” She disconnected.

Hunter set his phone down on the nightstand, his head spinning. What had his grandmother gotten into now? The first thing he did was call the airport, but since he couldn’t get a flight until morning, he might as well drive. The arrival time would be the same. Next, he called his two brothers and sister to put them on standby. After a quick shower, he packed for a week and walked out the door of his South Beach apartment while sending text messages to his personal assistant to reschedule his appointments. Later he would let her know how far ahead she needed to reschedule.

He opened the door to the underground garage and walked to his Mercedes. A few moments later he pulled out into the thick, foggy morning air of San Francisco and headed toward the freeway.

* * *

Hunter couldn’t believe his eyes. He stood in the parking lot, staring up at the elegant stately hotel that rose twelve stories up. Morning sun had already chased the desert night chill away, replacing it with rising heat. A temperature gauge on a bank across the street flashed an eighty-eight in between showing the time.

“What do you think?” Miss E. stood next to him on the sidewalk as he studied the rows of balconies that studded the side of the hotel with his inner architect eye.

The Spanish architecture was beautifully done. Painted in a glowing golden pink, the stucco façade was fancifully decorated with brightly colored mosaic trim around the doors and window, with elaborate gothic arches over the entrance to the hotel. The architectural style was a bit of a mishmash of Spanish Colonial, Moorish influence and a touch of Gothic, yet it was still pleasantly attractive and easy on the eyes.

Though he was in awe, he couldn’t stop himself from scolding his grandmother. Actually, he wanted to shake her, but he was afraid she’d hurt him, so he let that notion go. “What were you thinking? Gambling your entire life savings away on a chance, a small, miniscule chance of winning a casino?” Hunter asked.

Her lips turned down in that disapproving smile that had haunted his childhood, but amusement lurked in her eyes. “I told you retirement just isn’t for me. I’ve never been so bored in my whole life.”

He leaned back on his heels, studying the façade. The hotel was on his left and the casino, contained in a three-story building, was to his right. The parking lot flanked the structure and wound around the sides. “What do you want me to do with it?” Other than some cosmetic needs, the structure looked good, though he would know better after a look at the blueprints and a more careful, detailed inspection.

Miss E. grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her eye level. “You don’t need to do anything with this part. What I want you to do is design and oversee the building of a spa. Hot springs on the rear of the property are just going to waste. Jasper Biggins, he’s the original owner, planned to build a spa, but never quite got around to it. I need you to do it.”

The front doors opened at their approach and a blast of cold air flooded over them. Hunter glanced around the reception area with a knowledgeable eye.

“You need some work done in here, too.” Though he had to admit the hotel was in pretty good shape. He guessed it had been built in the mid-seventies. “Just a little touch-up, a good cleaning and some professional restoration work. That’s just my first impression. I have to see blueprints, do a thorough inspection, but I can find you someone good who can do that.”

“I don’t want someone good.” Miss E. shook her head. “I want you.”

They walked through the reception area after a quick glance at the casino and out the back to the pool sparkling in the morning sun. The pool was roughly L-shaped. Lounge chairs bordered the edges. A small cabana showed stacks of white towels. Already half the chairs were filled with lounging customers smearing tanning lotion on their skin. Children played in the shallow end.

The hotel curved to his right around the pool and the casino curved to the left. Beyond that, he saw nothing but desert rising into hills.

His gaze traveled up over the balconies jutting out over the pool. A couple kids stood on one, looking down. If his brother Donovan had been there, he would have already calculated the distance from the balcony to the pool and considered trying a swan dive. Donovan had always been the daredevil. Hard to believe he was now a chef in Paris. His brother Scott had always been Donovan’s co-conspirator, leaving Hunter to partner with their only sister, Kenzie. If only Kenzie were here. She’d always been able to handle Miss E., unlike Hunter and his brothers, who always seemed to be in conflict with her.

“I have a business in San Francisco.” The hotel/casino was a grand old dame, just like his grandmother.

“And you have a partner who can take up the slack. I want you,” Miss E. repeated more forcefully.

Hunter gulped. “Yes, ma’am.” No one argued with Miss E. He’d always been a tall man. Even at ten, when he first came to live with his grandmother, he’d been taller than her. He’d used his size to intimidate his two brothers and sister. The one time he’d tried to intimidate his grandmother, he’d learned the hard way that no one crossed her and lived to tell about it. He was thirty-two years old and his grandmother could still make him feel as if he was ten. Miss E. played poker with a lot of unsavory people and didn’t intimidate easily.

“Who’s financing this?” Hunter wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead. “You don’t have that kind of money.” But then again she could, and no one would ever know about it unless she wanted them to.

His grandmother waved at the top floor of the hotel. “You’ll meet Miss Montgomery later. She’s getting settled in one of the penthouse suites. And Reed will be along when his family emergency is taken care of.”

Another thought occurred to him. Private poker games like the one his grandmother participated had a high buy-in. “How did you manage the entry fee for the game?”

“Reed and Lydia put up the buy-in money and I brought the expertise. We each own a third.”

Hunter stepped back and looked up. From what he could see the structure, the bones seemed solid, though he’d know more when he started crawling around inside. They walked back into the reception area.

“This place looks frozen in time.” Hunter watched a middle-aged couple step through the front doors and out into the dry July heat.

The interior was dark, heavy with wood furniture despite the most beautiful mosaic floor he’d ever seen. The long check-in counter was painted a dull brown and a woman standing behind it wore a dark brown business suit with the logo of the hotel embroidered on the pocket of her blazer. She glanced up and smiled at Miss E., then went back to whatever task she’d been doing.

The check-in area opened onto a large airy courtyard, with a pond that meandered toward the casino. The pond was a nice touch. About six feet wide and made to look like a stream, the pond bisected the approach to the casino. Small footbridges crossed over it. On one bridge a young woman stood looking down. A flash of fish caught his eye and he bent over the edge of the pond to see koi the size of his foot.

Women dressed in short flamenco skirts and ruffled blouses along with men dressed as matadors wandered the casino floor with trays, balanced on their hands, filled with various sized drinks.

The casino was really old school with slot machines that chimed out the winners along with the dings of coins into the collection bowls. The more modern casinos switched everything to digital, which were quieter and took prepaid cards instead of money.

“The hotel has four hundred twelve rooms,” Miss E. said as they walked through the check-in area. “There are two restaurants, one café and a lounge. There’s a small stage in the lounge for live entertainment, a couple of novelty shops at the other end of the casino and a small amphitheater for the big name acts.”

Hunter sighed. “Where does the spa fit in?”

“Behind the pool is the hot springs. To take advantage of the hot springs, I think the spa needs to go there.”

He would have to take a look at the area. Miss E. led him toward the bar at the edge of the casino area.

“Good morning, Miss E.,” the bartender called cheerfully.

Miss E. waved at him, a happy smile on her face. “That’s Roy. He’s been here for years and knows where all the bodies are buried.”

Hunter shook his head, still trying to process the fact his grandmother owned a casino. He wondered if his grandmother had gone insane to risk everything she had for this. “One question.”

“Only one?”

He had about a million, but they’d have to wait. “What do you know about running a hotel and casino?”

She shrugged her elegant shoulders. “I know how to play poker.”

So did he, because she’d taught him to play the game. “That does not make for experience in hotel management.”

“I have Jasper,” she said.

As if that gave him any reassurance that this wasn’t a still a crazy idea. “And he is?”

“He’s the previous owner and I’ve hired him to stay on as a consultant. I know what you’re thinking, Hunter.”

“No, you don’t.” Hunter hated when she told him exactly what he was thinking. Why couldn’t she have been a bank clerk? Bank clerks didn’t need to read people.

“You’re wondering if I’ve lost my mind.”

Damn, he thought. “Okay, you do know what I’m thinking. Have you lost your mind?”

She punched him on the arm. “Stop thinking that.”

“What am I supposed to think?”

“That this is an incredible opportunity too good to pass up” she replied tartly.

“An incredible opportunity for what?” Poverty, starvation or homelessness?

“To be a financially independent woman, a chance to call the shots,” she said.

“I’m already financially independent, and if you’re worried about money, I’ll take care of you.”

“I don’t want nor do I need you taking care of me. I can take of myself,” she said, a glimmer of anger in the set line of her mouth. “I’ve been doing it for a few years now.”

“Then why did I need to rush over here?” Hunter ran a hand over his face. He never did win an argument with her.

“Because I want my grandchildren to be a part of this.”

A restaurant opened off the casino and Hunter glanced inside. “So what do you want me to do to be a part of this?” Hunter asked. Maybe what he needed to do was to treat her like a client instead of his grandmother.

“Old world elegance brought into the twenty-first century.”

“It could use a bit of toning down but without losing the elegance or class.”

“Lydia will handle that.” She patted him on the hand. “I just need you to come up with ideas for the spa that compliments what we’re going to do on the inside.”

They passed through the casino, back into the lobby and to a bank of elevators. The stream-like pond stopped thirty feet from the elevators and Hunter was surprised to see two white swans floating majestically on the water. The former owner had really understood how to create a mood. Who didn’t like swans? He could have a lot of fun playing here.

An elevator opened and Miss E. led the way inside, where they were lifted steadily upward, albeit a bit slow. The inside of the elevator was more functional than elegant. Boring, Hunter thought. Whoever the previous designer had been hadn’t considered how the elevators should look.

The elevator stopped on the top floor and the doors slid smoothly open. Miss E. stepped out and led the way down the hall. Only six doors opened to the hall, three on either side. They had reached the penthouse floor.

“The previous owner lived in the hotel,” Miss E. explained as she stopped in front of one of the doors. “This floor has what he said were family suites.” She knocked on the nearest door.

When the door opened, Hunter nearly fell to his knees. One of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen smiled at him. She was slim with a fragile, almost ethereal air to her in a Zoe Saldana way with a heart-shaped face and wide brown eyes. Shoulder-length black hair hung in long silky waves about her shoulders. Skin the color of his favorite mocha coffee looked as smooth as satin. A cream-and-black dress skimmed her body. He could tell the dress was a designer label and probably tailored to fit her. Her hands were long and slender, the nails lacquered a pale, iridescent pink to match the barely there lipstick on her pouty lips. She was so tiny a strong wind would probably blow her away. She certainly took his breath away. The longer he stood mute, the more strained her smile became until it began to falter. He was probably creeping her out.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Miss E. pushed him into the tiled entry. “Close your mouth, Hunter. Hunter, this is Lydia. And this is Maya.”

A young girl, maybe eight or nine, ran across the tiled floor and flung her arms around Miss E. Maya’s resemblance to Lydia told Hunter the child was her daughter. She wore a yellow flowered sundress that showed off her light brown skin. Her long hair was woven into two thick braids that bounced against her shoulders as she ran. Instead of dark brown eyes like her mother, Maya’s eyes were light amber.

“Miss Eleanor,” Maya cried. “My bedroom looks like a castle. It has a princess and a prince. The prince even has a horse. I’ve always wanted a horse.” She sighed longingly.

She grinned so wide Hunter could see new teeth coming in at the sides of her mouth. From the slight crookedness of her front teeth, braces were in her future. Yet her smile was infectious and Hunter found his own smile growing at her elfin enthusiasm.

“Lydia,” Miss E. said, “this is my grandson Hunter Russell.”

Lydia held out her hand. “How do you do? It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Her voice held a faint Southern accent.

Hunter was dazed as he took her hand in his. Her skin was warm and soft. “Hello.” Was that the best he could do?

“This is my daughter, Maya,” Lydia said with a soft smile as she eased her hand out of his.

Maya smiled. “Hello, Mr. Russell, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She held out a tiny hand for him to shake.

He solemnly accepted Maya’s hand, shaking it slightly. Hunter was impressed she had manners. Like her mother. “How do you do?”

“Well, thank you.” Maya giggled. For all her mannered politeness, she was still a child.

The suite was divided into three parts. The area upon walking in contained the living room. Closer to the balcony was a dining table that looked large enough to seat eight people. Beyond the sliding glass doors, he saw a pond and wondered if it had koi. On his left an open door showed a bedroom that seemed to have a child motif. Nearest the balcony was a large, open kitchen. On the other side of the living area was another open door showing a second bedroom. Across from the kitchen was another closed door, which he assumed was probably a third bedroom, and a second open door showed a white tiled bathroom.

The suite was nicely decorated with rustic red floor tiles, beige furniture and just a hint of Spanish influence in a massive sideboard holding brightly colored pottery.

“May I offer you some coffee, ice water, sweet tea?” Lydia asked in a polite voice.

“No, thank you.” Hunter was still a bit shocked at his grandmother’s decision to take on hotel/casino management, but even more so by the graceful, charming woman who was her business partner. She was a living piece of art.

His grandmother, on the other hand, was supposed to be retired, to let Hunter and his siblings start taking care of her. Running a casino wasn’t for the faint-hearted. Hunter didn’t have a clue how to run one. Miss E. probably had an idea, but she was seventy-eight years old and was more capable of playing the game than running it.

“Come see my room, Miss E.” Maya grabbed her by the hand and tugged her across the living room and into a bedroom.

He turned back to Lydia. She was watching him as closely as he had studied her. Her steady gaze unnerved him.

“I know what you’re thinking.” She sat down on the sofa and crossed her elegant legs, one foot bobbing up and down.

“And that is?” he asked cautiously.

“You’re thinking I’m insane, we’re all insane.” Her voice was calm and serene.

He wasn’t going to say anything negative. “Actually, I was thinking my grandmother is insane.”

Lydia Montgomery was as close to perfection as a woman could be. He wondered how she could have fallen in with Miss E.

Lydia leaned forward earnestly. “Miss E. knows exactly what she’s doing. And I am doing what I want to do for the first time in my life, and no one is going to stop me.” A challenge lurked in her dark eyes.

Okay, she was ready for a fight. He wondered what her life had been like that she was so passionate about doing something different. “What makes you think I intend to stop my grandmother, or you?” Part of him wanted to give her whatever she wanted. He sat down in a chair that looked comfortable, but wasn’t.

“I saw the way you looked at your grandmother. You looked at me the same way.”

Hunter held up a hand. “I’ll admit my grandmother is pretty impulsive and I do question her sanity at times, but she is an adult. And she has all her faculties.” He assumed she did. “But you....” How did he say the words struggling to get out? She looked like she belonged in a country club, not a casino.

“You think I’m going to take advantage of her, don’t you?”

“I’m more concerned about my grandmother taking advantage of you.”

A surprised look crossed her face as if she had to think about it for a minute. “Why would you think that?”

“Because she’s a bulldozer.” And Lydia looked like a stiff breeze would blow her over. “She’s an expert at reading people in order to give them what they want so she can get what she wants from them.”

“Your grandmother has been nothing but kind and encouraging to me. Maya adores her.”

“That’s how my grandma operates.” Hunter remembered when he’d been under his grandmother’s spell. He always fought it, but in the end gave in because giving in was so much easier. She just knew how to reel a person in like a big dumb trout.

“But...” Lydia floundered for a reply. “But she has such a clear vision. And she knows so much.”

“I’m pretty sure hotel and casino management isn’t on her résumé.” He could hear his grandmother’s voice coming from the open door of Maya’s bedroom. She was laughing.

“Isn’t it the same as managing a home?”

He studied her for a moment, stilled by the intensity in her chocolate brown eyes. She wasn’t as frail as she looked. The way she titled her head and watched him in such a composed manner made him wonder how his grandmother had talked her into joining the poker game. “Home management and hotel management probably have similarities, but on a much larger scale.”

“I’m sure Jasper is going to help us. And we do have experienced managers. And now we have you. Your grandmother thinks you’re capable of rising to any occasion.”

That was because his grandmother wanted him to do something. He hated feeling so cynical about Miss E. She was a master manipulator and no one got in her way when she was focused on a goal. “I have to think about this.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Think fast. We have things that need to be done and you have the expertise we need.” Her voice was soft and almost commanding. Something about her reminded him a bit of Miss E. She wasn’t asking him, but commanding him to do her bidding. Maybe he should get back in his car and return to San Francisco. His grandmother was a force of nature, but this woman looked soft and yielding yet already he could see she had a will of iron. She reminded him a little bit of a pit bull.

He forced himself not to smile or give in to make her happy. This woman was lethal. “What do you think I can do?”

“This is a luxury hotel and casino, and while we need to maintain our older clients, we also need to find a way to attract a younger clientele. Older clients think luxury comes with the room, but younger clients are willing to pay extra for them. And the one thing I’ve noticed after a couple months here in Reno and in Lake Tahoe is that there is money here. It’s quiet money, not very flashy, and buried deep. And I want to get that money for this hotel.”

He was surprised about her assumption about Reno. She had a depth to her that her exterior only hinted at. And any man would be a fool to underestimate her. “And you want a spa. Classy, elegant and...”

“Restful. A spa should be a treat. People want to be pampered.”

Me, too, Hunter thought. “Who doesn’t want to be pampered?”

“I want to create a more understated elegance. I want class with that comfort.” She closed her eyes while she thought, leaning back against the colorful cushions.

You want you. Maybe Miss E. wasn’t wrong about bringing Lydia Montgomery in. She knew what women wanted. “Understated elegance and comfort costs money. How far are you willing to go to get that?”

“I have money. Not as much as Reed Watson, but enough to cover my third ownership.”

“Who is this Reed person?”

She opened her eyes. “I haven’t met him since he’s away dealing with a family emergency. I do understand he’s a good friend to your grandmother.”

Hunter needed to check up on Reed Watson. “What do you consider elegant?”

She tilted her head, thinking. “Renaissance, Italy. Beautiful gowns, beautiful furniture. Elizabethan England. Regency England. Or maybe art deco, art nouveau. Or maybe Paris in the thirties. Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin. Imperial Japan was beautiful. I can just see serene gardens and koi ponds like the one in the lobby.” Her eyes went dreamy and far away as she recited her litany of possibilities. “Napoleonic France.” Her face glowed with her ideas.

“These times of incredible beauty were always precursors to incredible disasters and upheavals,” Hunter said. Her enthusiasm was contagious. He just wanted to impress her. Who the hell didn’t want to do that for her?

She opened her eyes and glared at him, her dark eyes shining. “Mr. Russell, I am impressed that you know your history, but you’re ruining my dreams with your knowledge.”

“Hunter. Please call me Hunter. I’m an architect and being practical goes with my job description.” He understood the importance of artistic aesthetics, but they warred with functionality every time. His specialty was the preservation of historic homes. He’d never built a spa before. If he accepted the challenge, he would be spending time with Lydia, getting to know her. He turned over all the possibilities in his mind.

“You smell a challenge,” she said.

“I’m not sure I like that smug look on your face.”

“You’re in. I can tell.”

“I’m thinking.” Hunter didn’t like knowing how easily anyone—especially Lydia—could read him. “Why are you doing this?” Thoughts whirled around in his brain and the idea of a spa started to appeal to him. He would have to do some research, but research was something that came naturally to him.

She was silent for so long he thought she wasn’t going to answer him. Finally, she said, “I don’t want my daughter to grow up like me.”

She surprised him with her honesty. He definitely wanted to know more. What had happened in her childhood to make her want something so different for her daughter? She was an interesting mix of sophistication and naiveté. “What’s wrong with you?”

She took a deep breath. “I was raised to be a...a decoration—first for my parents and then my late husband. If my daughter sees me doing something of value then she will know there is more to life than hosting cocktail parties and rearranging flowers.”

Hunter could think of nothing to say after that statement. He had a feeling not one ounce of fun had been built into her youth.

Maya came running back into the living room. Miss E. followed at a more sedate pace. “Momma, Miss E. and I were talking about horses. She thinks I should have one.”

Lydia gave Miss E. a long, thoughtful look. “She does, does she?”

Maya nodded enthusiastically, hands clasped in front of her, eyes pleading. “Can I have a horse, please, so I can ride with my prince?”

Hunter forced himself not to smile. Miss E. was at it again. His grandmother was the pied piper.

“Every young girl should know how to control a huge beast like a horse so she can learn how to control the two-legged kind.”

Hunter gave his grandmother a sharp look. “Is that how you learned?”

“My daddy raised bird dogs and I grew up with horses so I learned at a young age about horses and dogs and later on, children.”

“You raised us like we were puppies?”

“And look how you turned out. I should write a book.” Miss E.’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Raising your children to bark on command.”

Lydia burst out laughing. “At one time I wanted to take horseback riding lessons myself.”

“Why didn’t you?”

She sighed. “My parents didn’t consider it an acceptable sport for a proper young lady.”

Now that was sad. His parents and later his grandmother indulged all of them in their interests. He was beginning to dislike Lydia’s parents. “What are you going to tell her?” He gestured at Maya.

Lydia hugged her daughter. “I’ll consider it.”

Miss E. leaned over Hunter and whispered, “She’s in.”

As if Hunter didn’t already know that. Frankly, so was he. He was just going to make them work a bit harder for it.

Maya leaned against her mother’s knee, her eyes pleading. “Please, please, please.”

“I said I’d consider it. Horses bite.” Lydia brushed a few flyaway tendrils of her daughter’s dark hair away from her face.

“We’ll find one that doesn’t bite,” Miss E. said, a note of finality in her tone.

Oh, yeah, Maya was getting a horse. And he was getting a new job...at least for a while. He would have to call his partner and arrange for him to take over his clients. He needed to call his assistant and let her know. A list formed in his mind. The logistics of what he was about to do made him wonder if he was the one who was insane.

* * *

Lydia didn’t realize how bored she’d been with her life until she met Miss E. Miss E. lived a life Lydia could only dream about. She’d lived on her luck and her wits while raising her grandchildren. She’d taken risks, never knowing if she would win or lose, while shaping her own destiny. If Lydia didn’t know any better, she might have been jealous. Lydia wasn’t very comfortable knowing that about herself. Jealousy was bad. Jealousy was a sin. She had heard that often enough from the pulpit of the Baptist church her parents attended.

Lydia grinned at her daughter flying through the suite, putting her clothes away. Lydia had wanted a pony, too, but her parents had enrolled her in ballet in order to learn to be graceful and fluid. Yes, she had learned gracefulness, but also how to appreciate music and be resilient, how to balance and develop her eye-hand coordination. She had loved ballet as a child, but she’d really wanted a horse, just like Maya.

“Your son is very forceful,” Lydia said to Miss E. after Hunter left. And handsome. She was glad he was gone because he made her feel...she wasn’t sure what. But whatever it was left her uncomfortable because for a brief second her gaze had settled on his lips and she’d wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him. Miss E. laughed. “He’s the oldest and thinks he’s expected to act in such a manner. Underneath he’s a pussycat.” Miss E. paused in the act of zipping up a suitcase. “You’re not going to let him scare you because he thinks I’m eccentric, are you?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has all their marbles like you do.” Everybody who had sat down at that poker table had been at least thirty years younger than Miss E., and she’d outwitted them all. “You are living, breathing proof that experience is the most valuable asset.”

“An asset you need to develop.”

“I’m nothing compared to you,” Lydia said almost ashamedly.

“You have skills I will never have. I sat down at the table with a bunch of men who knew my reputation and knew not to underestimate me, but you, with your beautiful face, charming manner and soft voice—no one looks at you and thinks that underneath you have a will of steel.”

“I don’t have that,” Lydia objected, thinking of all the times she’d obediently followed her mother’s orders just to be nice.

“You underestimate yourself. The second the door on your gilded cage was unlocked, you flew away.”

“I had no plan.” Running away from New Orleans had been impulsive and possibly silly. She’d done so anyway because she couldn’t stand the feeling of being cloistered, of being locked up.

“Yes, you did. You snatched your daughter and fled. You waited until you found someone...me...who would help you. You didn’t just walk into my poker school to learn to play poker for fun. You needed a skill. You needed to learn how to outwit people with what you think you don’t have.”

Lydia stared in astonishment at Miss E. If anything else, learning to play poker had taught her to keep her cards close to her vest and learn strategy. “How did you know that about me? I didn’t even know that about me.”

“I watched you watching people. In the three months you’ve been here, you’ve become a better poker player than ninety percent of the people I’ve ever taught. That’s because they were playing for fun and you weren’t. They wanted to win money and you wanted to win respect. I know you like it when people underestimate you.”

Lydia stared into the older woman’s shrewd eyes, frowning. “I’m not that good at poker.”

Miss E. simply smiled. “You don’t play cards, you play the cards, you play the people. You manipulate them by your actions. Do you know how many tournaments I’ve won and never even looked at my cards?”

“Miss Eleanor, you make me sound so manipulative.” But wasn’t she? she asked herself. How often had her husband brought home some little piece of jewelry because she admired it and had manipulated him into purchasing it? Once he bought her a brand new Lexus because she’d complained about the Cadillac. And she’d managed to keep Maya out of the prestigious boarding school Mitchell thought would be good for her by batting her eyes and telling him how much Maya was an asset for his business. All because he made profitable contacts through Maya’s friends in the fancy private school she attended. She didn’t care about his business as much as she wanted to keep Maya home with her. She had used Mitchell’s ego to get what she’d wanted. He’d given in because he adored Maya and deep down inside wanted to keep her home, too.

“You’re a beautiful, fragile woman and your ability to manipulate is your greatest weapon. You keep letting people underestimate you, because when you knock them on their butt, they are still not going to get it. And mark my words, you’re going to knock Hunter on his butt and I’m going to enjoy watching you.”

Lydia sat down on the sofa and let her thoughts wander. “Thinking back, I believe you might be right.” Unfortunately her actions reminded her of her mother and made her uncomfortable. Caroline Fairchild had gotten what she wanted the very same way Lydia had. Lydia wanted to change that part of herself.

“You fascinate me, my dear. I read you five minutes after we met.” Miss E. opened the closet door and hung up Maya’s dresses. Maya had retreated to a corner of the bedroom with her dolls, and sat on the floor playing quietly.

Lydia ran over in her mind why she’d come to Reno when she could have gone anywhere. She had more money than she could spend in a thousand lifetimes. She had global contacts and time.

Maybe Hunter had figured her out. Reno was as different as she could get. No one would think to look for her here. At least not for a while. And from the frantic phone messages left by her two stepsons, they were definitely looking for her. She kept her phone turned off most of the time because she didn’t want David and Leon to find her anytime soon. Eventually, they’d hire someone to track her down. And she would be ready for them, digging in her heels and making a life for herself in Reno despite any objections they would have.

She heard Miss E. laughing with Maya, which turned Lydia’s thoughts to Hunter Russell. He was a handsome man with his lean face and muscular body. His brown eyes had been as shrewd and sharp as his grandmother’s. Yet, he made her uncomfortable. Unlike Mitchell, who had been thirty-five years older than her. Mitchell had been a quiet, almost comfortable man. He’d asked little of her except to look pretty on his arm, to be gracious to his friends and to make his life comfortable. She had rather liked Mitchell even though he’d been her parents’ choice and not hers. Her marriage had not been the exciting relationship she had dreamed of, but it had been fruitful. Mitchell had given her Maya and for that she would always be thankful.

He’d asked Lydia if he could name the child after his mother and she’d agreed because she thought the name was so beautiful. She always suspected he’d been more of father to Maya than to his other two children.

She’d done everything Mitchell asked despite her dislike of his two grown sons from his first marriage. Leon and David Montgomery had hated her from the moment they’d met her. She’d been twenty-one and barely out of college when she’d married Mitchell. Leon and David had been in their early thirties. Leon was the consummate playboy, with two illegitimate children whose mothers had to sue him for child support, while David married every stripper he’d ever met. Crippled beneath the mountain of alimony David had to pay out every month, Lydia had the idea he’d been almost delighted when Mitchell had died until the will had been read and he’d discovered Maya had inherited most of the money and the businesses, with Lydia as the executer.

“I think we’re mostly done with the unpacking,” Miss E. said a moment later. She closed the last suitcase and zipped it. “I’ll just call the front desk and have them send someone up to collect the luggage and put it in storage.”

“Thank you.” Lydia nodded absently. “What about you? Have you decided on which suite you’re going to use?”

“I’m staying in my RV for the time being,” Miss E. answered. “I’ve lived in that RV for ten years. I’m not quite ready to give it up.” Her RV was parked in a side lot and plugged into the hotel’s electric grid. Lydia had never been in an RV before until she’d met Miss E. and she had found it to be quite comfortable if a bit cramped. She’d even considered buying her own, learning to drive it and then taking Maya all over the country to see all the wonderful places Lydia had always wanted to see. “So what happens next?”

Miss E. and Lydia went into the living room to sit down in chairs that faced each other, leaving Maya to play in her bedroom.

Miss E.’s face was thoughtful. “Reed and I have discussed letting you take over building the spa with Hunter while we take over the casino upgrades. Jasper is going to act as our consultant.”

“Do you know when Reed will be coming?”

“I don’t know. He said his father is doing better, but he’s going to be in the hospital for a couple more weeks and his mother isn’t handling it well,” Miss E. said.

“How does a computer geek decide he wants to own a casino?” Lydia wondered. Reed Watson had been a computer nerd of the highest degree, starting his social media company in his bedroom while still in high school and then selling it ten years later for 2.9 billion dollars.

Miss E. shrugged. “It was on his bucket list. He has the most extensive bucket list for such a young man who’s barely thirty.”

Lydia laughed. “I hate to say anything bad, but I hope he doesn’t kick the bucket before we’re done.”

Miss E. laughed with her. After she left, Lydia found a pad of paper in the desk in her bedroom and sat down to put together her list of ideas for the spa.

Chapter 2

Hunter appropriated an empty office and tried not to look at the velvet paintings hanging on the wall. One was of dogs playing poker. Another was of Elvis. And the third was of a deer with a target drawn around it. Hunter couldn’t identify the significance of any of the paintings—except for the one of the dogs. He sort of liked the one of a young Elvis, microphone in hand, hips gyrating. He left it hanging, and took the others down, stacking them in a corner facing the wall.

The desk was a little rickety, but a matchbook under one leg steadied it. Across the scarred wooden top, he’d spread out the original blueprints for the hotel. Casa de Mariposa had been built in the late seventies just as Reno really started to grow. The best materials had been used. At least he had something to work with and the builder hadn’t used cheap materials.

A knock sounded on the door and he called the person in. Lydia opened the door and smiled at him. “Do you have a moment?”

He felt a tiny thrill at the sight of her. Since he’d met her yesterday, the image of her delicate face had hovered around the edges of his thoughts. He’d been so fixated on his career for the past ten years, he’d put love and marriage on the back burner. He dated, but avoided serious relationships. “What can I do for you?”

She stepped into the room and looked around. “Now that I’ve had a day to look this place over,” she said, “it’s...it’s so...overwhelming.”

Hunter grinned. “I know.”

“Did you know there is a mechanical bull in the Ranchero lounge and...” Words seemed to fail her. “Apparently, Jasper liked to ride it.”

“I rode one once,” Hunter admitted.

Her eyes went wide. “You?”

“Not one of my prouder moments. A friend was getting married and he and his girl had their rehearsal dinner at a country western place and somehow I got shamed into trying one.” He’d stayed on the mechanical bull a total of three seconds.

“Was alcohol involved?”

“Do I look like the type of man who would get on a mechanical bull clear-headed?”

She tilted her head, squinting her eyes. “You look like the type of man who should be able to hold his liquor and act sensibly.”

His grin widened. “That was a nice way to say I was an idiot.”

“I pride myself on my tact.”

He laughed and after a second’s hesitation she laughed, too. She was so pretty, but had a serious look in her dark brown eyes. She needed to laugh more. She seemed so reined in, as though she always had to behave in a manner appropriate to someone else’s dictates. He wondered what her husband had been like. Miss E. had given him a little background about her over dinner last night. He thought arranged marriages were a thing of the past. He wondered if she’d been happy. Whatever her husband had been like, he appeared to have taken good care or her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked looking nervous.

“You must have an interesting story.”

“Hardly.” Her tone was dry and slightly sarcastic, letting him know her background was off limits.

“You underestimate yourself.” Today she wore a flowered yellow and blue silk blouse and dark blue silk pants and matching blue shoes with little heels. She’d knotted a yellow scarf about her neck. A gold pendant showed in the hollow of her throat.

Hunter felt underdressed in jeans and a knit pullover. One knee had a frayed hole just starting and the pullover had a small smear of dirt on it from his rummaging around a storage room looking for the blueprints. He could have gotten them at the building department, but that would have taken time.

“I thought we could take a look at the area around the hot springs and think about the spa,” she said.

“Did you see this place before Miss E. won it?”

“Yes, the poker game was held here,” she replied. “I loved it from the moment I walked in. As overpowering as the hotel is in some ways, there is a real beauty here, but a lot of the heavy Spanish decor hides it. My fingers itch to start making changes.”

“Why a spa?”

She looked down, her face showing uncertainty. “There are a lot of wealthy women in Tahoe, Sacramento and San Francisco who want first-rate mani-pedis and massages. They choose the places they want to visit based on the spa facilities. If we have a first-rate spa, we’ll be able to attract those women.”

“Then let’s take a look.”

* * *

The hot springs was a series of small pools that covered about an acre. Small paths meandered around and between the pools. Rocks were strewn around the ground bordering the springs. The ground sloped gently down to the water’s edge. Someone had positioned benches on the paths. The area felt remote even though the hotel was a few hundred feet away.

Hunter could understand why Lydia wanted to put a spa here. The area was peaceful and serene. Civilization seemed to be so far away. Hunter shaded his eyes, expertly assessing the surrounding area and mentally starting to build the spa from the ground up. He wanted something unobtrusive that would work with the natural beauty of the land.

“I was in England a few years ago,” Lydia said when they stood on the edge of the hot springs. “One of the places I went to was Bath. The Roman baths were so beautiful. I wonder if there’s any way we can duplicate that kind of atmosphere here.

“I’ve been to Bath, too. I studied architecture in London.” He looked around, gauging the possibilities. In his mind’s eye, he calculated how to best work out the layout of the spa. Nothing too elaborate. He was all about keeping things simple and clean.

“You did. What a great adventure you must have had.” She gave him a shy look.

“I learned a lot about historical preservation. It was incredible. To think that something people built lasted a thousand years and more without falling down was quite a departure for me. Our own culture is into tearing down and rebuilding.” Usually into something ugly and irritatingly modern. That had been the real reason why he’d gone into historical preservation. The past was important and obliterating it by pulling buildings down severed an important link to who people used to be.

The challenge of creating the spa gave him a tiny thrill of excitement. Unlike Las Vegas, Reno was still doing ticky-tacky. The Mariposa was a diamond amidst the glaring lights of the tacky. This city needed more style, class and elegance. Maybe then people would stop thinking of Reno as Las Vegas’s ugly baby sister.

The water sparkled in the morning sun. A large hawk spiraled lazily overhead. The tall grass rustled in the light wind. Trees dotted the area around the springs and more benches were situated under them to take advantage of the shade.

“Isn’t it beautiful here?” She sat down on a bench and gazed at the water. “This would be a great place for dining.”

“That’s not a bad idea. You could serve lunch and keep people here all day.”

“But don’t you want people to spend their money at the gaming tables?” she asked.

“Of course, but if we do this spa right, it could be a big attraction and money maker. The whole point is to draw people in and make them stay here, along with their money.”

The hot springs spread out over a half acre, with sloped foothills beyond gradually growing to the higher, jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The sound of running water created a serenity that could make this place a refuge for tired gamblers who wanted a bit of pampering.

“When you say do this right, what do you mean?” Lydia shaded her eyes with one hand as she studied the terrain.

“I have an idea working around in the back of my head. When it germinates, I’ll share it with you. It’s going to take a bit of time.” In the dirt he noticed what he thought were deer tracks. Identifying tracks was one thing he recalled from his time as a Boy Scout.

She clapped her hands like a child. “The creative process at work. I’m so envious.”

“What makes you think you don’t have any creativity?”

She shrugged.

“For all you know, you may just be the world’s greatest macaroni artist. You just haven’t discovered your talent yet.”

She laughed lightly. “I have no desire to be a macaroni artist.”

He loved her laugh. She sounded so carefree. She needed to be this way more often. “Give it a try. You may never know.”

“I’ll start working on my portrait of Elvis right away. I can hang it right next to your velvet painting of him.”

“You can borrow the velvet painting for inspiration.”

“No, thank you.” Her tone was always so polite. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.”

“It kinda grows on you after a while.”

Lydia knelt down and dipped her fingers in the heated water. “This feels so good. I can just see women lounging in the water, sipping glasses of cool white wine, or maybe sherry.” She closed her eyes and wriggled her fingers in the water. “I want to jump in right now.”

Anyone for skinny-dipping? Hunter thought. He watched her, the pure joy on her face, the way her lips curved upward so slightly in a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. She did that a lot and he wondered if her mother had told her smiling too much created wrinkles. Even though he hadn’t met the woman he had the feeling her mother would say exactly that.

He wanted to help her make the spa a success because he wanted her to be successful. He would do everything in his power to make the dream a reality. He wanted to be her hero. That and a few other things.

* * *

Lydia left Maya with her tutor and went to find a suitable office for herself. Louisiana schools and Nevada schools had different curriculums, and Maya needed to be brought up to speed before September, when she would attend a local Reno school. Until she’d moved to Reno, Lydia had never thought about things like differing curriculums. Reno seemed to have its own culture and that culture was so different from New Orleans. New Orleans was old money, sedate and dignified or wild and excessive. Reno was new money, brash and still a bit rough around the edges. She liked it. Reno seemed to have an energy New Orleans lacked. She wanted to be a part of that rough-and-tumble, all-American vibe Reno had. New Orleans was all about history and culture. Reno was fresh and about new beginnings. It was redefining itself from a wild west frontier town to an exciting, eclectic city that was all about growth and new business.

The casino, which had been mostly empty during the morning, grew to bustling as the afternoon progressed. Miss E. was meeting with the Gaming Commission and then her lawyer. Jasper had gone with her to help expedite the change in ownership. Getting everything changed into the names of the new owners was turning into a huge task. Owning a casino was not like owning any other businesses. Not only did the three new owners need to be investigated by the state, but by the federal government to make sure they were free of any unsavory connections. The only thing not required was a blood sample. Hunter had sequestered himself in the office he’d requisitioned as he pored over the original blueprints for the resort. Lydia felt the need to find her own office.

When she found a small, out-of-the-way room that seemed to be nothing but storage, Lydia claimed it as hers. Maintenance workers were currently emptying it and she held a tape measure in one hand and a notebook in the other as she made note of all the dimensions of the room and her thoughts on how she wanted to decorate it. Nothing too elaborate but something tasteful and elegant, a place she could be the woman she wanted to be. But the room needed to be comfortable. She would need filing cabinets, a desk and chair. She already had her laptop, but she would need internet and a hundred other things that raced around in her head. What an exciting venture she was starting on.

The maintenance supervisor nodded at her list. He would have everything she needed in a couple of hours. He even had some paint to brighten up the walls. He listed the colors he had and she asked for just plain white. He told her the office would be ready for her in the morning and she smiled her gratitude, thrilled to get started.

Her cell phone rang and she answered it.

“Mrs. Montgomery, this is the front desk,” came a man’s soothing, pleasant voice. “There are two men here to see you.”

“I’ll be right there.” Who could possibly be looking for her?

She walked to the lobby and stopped suddenly. Leon and David had found her. Rubbing the corners of her eyes, she walked up to her stepsons. She’d hoped for a little more time to prepare for whatever nastiness they were planning to throw at her.

“Leon. David,” she said pleasantly. “What are you doing so far away from home?”

Leon was the elder of the two and time had not treated him graciously. Frown lines marred the corners of his mouth and his eyes were hard and cold. Though his suit jacket was cut well, it didn’t quite hide the slight expansion of his waist. His hands were soft and well-manicured. David was the epitome of soft, pampered and almost charming. Like his brother, he’d never really worked. Both held token jobs in their father’s real estate development business, but they held no real power. Power they both craved. Power that had been denied them at the reading of the will.

Leon glared at Lydia. “Thought you could hide from us forever, didn’t you.”

“I didn’t keep my whereabouts a secret,” she said calmly. She hadn’t seen fit to tell them where she was going, she didn’t need to. “Any connection we have is over. You’ve both made it quite clear you no longer wanted to have anything to do with me.”

“That didn’t mean you could just disappear with our sister.” Leon’s voice was low and threatening.

“I believe you once referred to Maya as my ATM machine.” Lydia stiffened even though she trembled inside. Standing up to these two angry men was difficult, which one of the reasons why she’d simply left. They’d never cared for her when their father was alive. Why they should care now was beyond her.

Leon scowled at her. “David and I were hoping we could put this in the past.”

David stepped forward, one hand on his brother’s arm. “We’d like to spend some time with Maya.”

“I beg your pardon?” With one eyebrow lifted, she tilted her head at them.

“We miss her,” David replied.

His singular lack of sincerity alerted her. Something was wrong, but what? David and Leon had never given Maya the time of day, much less wanted to spend time with her.

“I doubt that,” she finally said, her tone dry. She wanted to be pleasant to these two men, but something in their posture made her wary. “But if you want to spend time with Maya, I’ll be happy to speak to my lawyer to see what kind of visitation we can work out.”

Leon pushed forward. “You don’t trust us with our sister!”

Lydia studied him. She wouldn’t trust him with the stuffed animals in Maya’s bedroom.

“Trust has nothing to do with it. But I have to make sure that we all understand exactly where we stand on this issue. Maya’s well-being is at stake here.”

Leon took a deep breath. “You pulled her away from everything she knew to this...this...seedy little backwoods gambling town. I fear for her moral welfare.” He tried to look outraged, but failed.

“Since when have you been worried about Maya’s moral barometer? If I remember correctly, your ex-paramour had to take you to court to get you to pay child support for your two children, who you claimed weren’t yours to get out of taking responsibility for them. And David, you’ve been married to three different Bourbon Street strippers. Such classy wives you chose.”

David shrugged.

Leon looked furious. “We don’t own a casino that preys on people’s weaknesses.”

“If I remember correctly, your father paid your gambling debts a time or three, or maybe four. Or was it five times?” Lydia hated getting nasty with these two, but being nice never seemed to work with them.

Leon scowled. “You’re corrupting Maya and we don’t like that.”

“You don’t have a say in how I raise Maya. And if you don’t mind,” she looked at her watch, “I have to pick up my morally fragile daughter from her tutor and take her to her amoral ballet lesson.”

“Until you talk to your lawyer, David and I will be staying.” A small gleam of triumph glittered in Leon’s eyes.

“I’m sure Reno has enough vices to occupy you both. Enjoy your stay.” Lydia turned on her heel and headed for the elevator, trying not to have a full-blown panic attack.

They were up to something. Thoughts whirled around her brain as she tried to figure out her stepsons’ intentions.

Once she was in her suite, she walked into her bedroom after quickly hugging Maya and giving her instructions to get ready for her ballet lesson. She also graciously thanked the tutor for her time. She leaned against the closed door for a second and then took out her phone and called Mitchell’s lawyer in New Orleans.

Everest Tynan had a warm, welcoming voice. “I was expecting your call.”

“You were. Did you know David and Leon are in Reno? They’re being a bit obnoxious.”

“I suspected you were going to have some trouble from your two stepchildren.”

“They arrived a little while ago. They appear to be concerned about Maya’s moral development.”

Everest snorted. And Lydia found herself almost smiling. Everest was a man of very limited emotional responses and the fact that he’d snorted told her the whole situation was ludicrous.

“They came to see me,” Everest continued. “They want visitation rights with Maya.”

“That is what they said, but I’m suspicious. They never wanted anything to do with Maya when Mitchell was alive.”

“I agree, and since you’re now a resident of Nevada, I did some research and put together a list of Reno lawyers. I’ll text them to your phone. They are all excellent lawyers. I suggest you contact one. David and Leon are there to make trouble and you need legal representation to make sure Maya’s rights are taken care of.”

“Thank you.” Everest Tynan had always been loyal to Mitchell and on Mitchell’s death had transferred that loyalty to Maya. Maya had always been able to twist him around her little finger. Lydia would always be grateful for him and the way he helped her through the torturous months after Mitchell’s death. Even though Lydia had never been in love with Mitchell, she had loved him more like a father because he was so different from her own father. He had indulged her and adored Maya. Lydia would have been content the rest of her life with Mitchell. But cancer was so unpredictable. Sixty-four was too young to die, but it was not unexpected.

Lydia felt tears gather in her eyes. Suddenly, she missed him so much her heart ached with intense pain. They’d been talking about a second child when he’d been struck down. A part of her would never get over him, but in the last year, her grief had eased.

“Take care, Lydia. I’ll be talking with you soon.”

“You take care, too.” She disconnected. If she missed anyone from New Orleans, it was Everest. And maybe her mother a little bit, too.

* * *

The coffee shop was a tiny little alcove off the main lobby. Lydia ordered a decaf latte and turned around to look for a table. She found Hunter tucked in a corner, a cup of coffee at his elbow, a half-eaten piece of apple pie and his laptop open in front of him.

The café was a pleasant place with cheerful colors, black-and-white tile on the floor, red vinyl booths and a long counter with red-covered stools. The café was very clean, right down to the corners, but small signs of wear showed in the chipped Formica on the snack counter and small cracks in the vinyl covering the booths.

“Can I join you?” Lydia asked Hunter. Even though she hated to interrupt, she just liked being around him. Even though they’d only know each other a couple days, he made her feel safe, and even more important, he made her feel special. He looked at her as though she was a person who was capable of making an intelligent decision. He treated her like a real person not a doll to be put up on a shelf and dusted every once in a while. And the way he made her heart race. Well, actually that bothered her a bit, but she liked that he made her feel alive.

Hunter looked up and smiled. He closed his laptop. “I hear we have new guests in the hotel.”

She took a long sip of her coffee, trying to calm her nerves. “Yes, my stepsons. It’s family reunion time.”

He smiled. “I can see you’re overjoyed.”

“Just get it out of your system,” she said, liking the way his eyes crinkled at the corners like a real smile.

“What do you mean?”

“Your opinions about my stepchildren being older than me.”

“Commenting on such a thing would be...crude.”

“The fact that you know my stepsons are older than me, and they’ve only been in the hotel less than an hour, tells me people are gossiping already. So just get it over with.”

“I’m sure it’s awkward, having them underfoot.”

“It’s more awkward not knowing what they want.” She tapped her fingers on the table.

“Maybe they just want to spend time with you.” He looked as though he didn’t believe his words, but they had to be said.

Her eyes narrowed, and held her fingers over her mouth to prevent the building torrent of words from coming forth. That would be unladylike and rude. “I’m sure they have a reason to be here, but I can guarantee you it’s not to be sociable with me.”

He held up a finger. “Give me a second while I find the right response.”

He thought and finally said, “Okay, I don’t have the right response.”

“I don’t either, but I do know I don’t want them here.”

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “You’re part owner of the place. Call security and have them remove your step-kiddies.”

She thought about that for a second. As much as that idea appealed to her, it would simply make things worse, or worse than they already were.

He leaned forward, his amber-colored eyes intense. “You look like you’re plotting.”

“I am.” Though for a second she was distracted by his closeness. Her gaze lingered on his lips. They were full and seductive. She had so little experience with men and yet she couldn’t stop from thinking what it would feel like to be kissed by him.

“Need any help?” Hunter looked eager.

She laughed, happy to have a partner in crime. One she suspected she could trust implicitly. Lydia liked that. “I’m wondering what I can do to make Leon’s and David’s stay here as unpleasant as possible without jeopardizing the reputation of this hotel.”

“Therein is the rub.”

She shuddered to think what Leon and David wanted. “They’ve already angered the housekeeping staff.” Having those two in her hotel was going to be a huge problem. “And they haven’t even unpacked yet.”

“How is it that Maya is so well-behaved and these two crybabies seem like they’re entitled snobs?”

A sense of pride engulfed her. Hunter was telling her she was a good mother. Did he have any idea how important that was to her? “Because their mother raised them to be entitled snobs, in my opinion. And while Maya is no wilting flower, she is allowed to speak her mind, as long as she is respectful.” She rested her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her palm. Miss Eleanor would never take such treatment from them. She wasn’t going to either. “I believe I will let the staff know they are under no obligation to go above and beyond their normal duties on my stepsons’ behalf.”

“You do have some claws,” he said, admiration in his tone.

Surprised, she studied him, her head tilted. “I’m tired of people walking all over me. I had to put up with them while married to their father, but I no longer have to do that.” She felt proud of herself. She thought of how many times she’d retreated from confrontation for the sake of family harmony and she wasn’t going to do so anymore. She liked this feeling of empowerment. Now if she could just carry through with it without asking Hunter for help. But then she thought, no. She could do this on her own, although she was glad to have such a strong ally at her side. She had to learn to handle unpleasant situations by herself. She had known her position would not be easy, but Mitchell had deflected so much of his sons’ rancor from her.

She took another sip of her coffee while her thoughts churned. Hunter had finished his slice of apple pie. Her phone rang and she glanced at the display. David. Should she answer it? She decided she might as well.

“Hello, David.”

“Hello, Lydia,” he said jovially. “Dinner at eight in the little restaurant with the matador theme.”

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Dinner at eight.”

“I don’t think so.”

A long silence stretched out between them. Finally, he said, “Please.”

That caught her off guard. David and Leon never said please for anything. It was always a demanding “Give me this” or “Give me that.”

“No,” she said. She had dinner planned with Maya and Miss Eleanor. “I have a business dinner.” Though business wouldn’t be the primary focus of the meal, she was certain business would be discussed at some point.

She heard David suck in his breath. “This is important, Lydia.” His voice had gone hard. “It concerns Maya.”

She took a breath and held it for a second before letting it out slowly. She would not knuckle under to their demands. “I’ll meet you for drinks at nine o’clock in the lounge.”

A sigh of exasperation came through the phone. “Fine,” he said sharply. David disconnected without another word.

“Do you know where Miss E. is?” she asked Hunter.

“She was in the casino talking to one of the pit bosses.”

Lydia pushed herself to her feet and glanced at her watch. She had twenty minutes before she had to leave to pick up Maya from her ballet lesson. “I need to talk to her.” And she walked away, realizing she’d just been rude to Hunter. She walked back and smiled at him. “Thank you.” And turned once again and left the café.

* * *

Lydia found Miss E. standing in the entryway to the casino. Slot machines dinged cheerfully, waitresses in skimpy flamenco outfits wandered among the patrons pushing drinks. Miss E. had a wide smile on her face.

“Isn’t this wonderful.” Miss E. spread her hands to indicate that most of the machines had people seated in front of them feeding their change into the hungry slots. A slot machine dinged and someone shouted in delight. Another winner.

“This place is overpowering,” Lydia said. “Where are you starting?”

“Like I said, one room at a time, dear. We will make this the most exciting place the Reno. I talked to my granddaughter, Kenzie, and she has a friend who does some sort of public relations voodoo. I wanted to talk to you and Reed about hiring her to help us change our image. We need to sex it up.”

“I beg your pardon? You mean skimpy flamenco outfits aren’t sexy enough?”

Miss E. grinned. “I don’t mean the staff. I’m talking about the casino and the hotel.”

“That sounds like a start, but right now I need some help.” She held out her phone with the text from Everest. “It seems Mitchell’s children have arrived to make my life unbearable.”

“I heard,” Miss E. said with a sigh, “from the wait staff, from room service, from housekeeping, the concierge and the bell hops.”

Lydia massaged her temples. “I don’t know what they want, but I have a feeling I’m going to need a lawyer. Do you know any of these names my lawyer in Louisiana sent me?” She held up her phone and showed the email message to Miss E.

Miss E. took the phone and scrolled down the list, a faint frown putting a crease in her forehead. She stopped scrolling. “Vanessa Peabody. Good poker player. Try her first. Any idea at all on what they want?”

“They told me they want visitation rights with Maya. But I suspect they have something else in mind. David and Leon have always been the type to say one thing and do another.” Lydia pocketed the phone. The feeling she was going to find out over drinks just exactly what Leon and David wanted filled her with dread. “They’re going to cause trouble.” Trouble followed them wherever they went.

“Then you’d best be talking to Vanessa right now.” She pulled her own cell phone out of her pants pocket.

“You have her on speed dial!”

“A good doctor, a good accountant and a good lawyer is how you keep a well-balanced and happy life.” Miss E. spoke into the phone and five minutes later Lydia had an appointment with Vanessa Peabody.

“I’ve been trying to take care of things by myself.”

“You are taking care of things. You came to me for advice.” Miss E. patted her cheek. “Good hunting, dear.”

* * *

The lounge was dark and quiet. At the grand piano sat a man playing soothing music. The muted ding of the slot machines from the casino drifted in. Lydia arrived early and ordered a soda. Vanessa Peabody sat at the table immediately adjoining Lydia’s.

“Now,” Vanessa said quietly, “listen to what they have to say. I’ll be taking notes. Don’t tell them I’m here or they might get antagonistic.”

Lydia nodded, her throat too choked for her to say anything.

“And relax,” Vanessa murmured as she sipped her soda.

Lydia concentrated on her breathing as she waited, trying to maintain an exterior calm when her insides trembled so hard she thought the table would shake.

A shadow fell over her and she glanced up. David slid into the booth across from her and Leon followed. Both men stared at her. David looked slightly petulant while Leon’s cold eyes appraised Lydia.

“Good evening,” she said as politely as she could manage even though her throat was so tight she could barely speak.

“Let’s dispense with the pleasantries,” Leon replied. A waitress approached and both men ordered bourbon. David’s was over ice; Leon preferred his neat.

“Of course,” Lydia said, expecting exactly that.

David shrugged while Leon looked astonished at her being agreeable.

“David and I have decided that it would be in Maya’s best interest if one of us had custody of her.”

Shocked, Lydia could only stare. Take a breath before you speak, she heard Vanessa’s voice in the back of her head. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down before she said anything.

“Why would you think that?” She put her hands in her lap so they wouldn’t see her shaking.

“Look at this place,” Leon said, disgust clearly on his face. “You can’t raise a sensitive child, like Maya, in a casino. This place is tawdry, pedestrian and vulgar. She needs to go home to New Orleans.”

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