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couldn’t wait even long enough to tell me goodbye before you got the hell out of our one-horse town?”
    â€œI had my reasons.”
    Luke snorted.
    The woman was certifiable. Though the rock in his gut told him Daisy still had secrets causing the shadows beneath her eyes, he had to admit he couldn’t wait to start hanging out with their son.

Chapter Four
    â€œFor the record,” Barb said Monday morning, “I think this is a perfectly dreadful idea.”
    â€œDuly noted.” Regardless, Daisy continued unloading her office-desk drawers into boxes. From the Remold Building’s twenty-second floor, the city view was surreal. The furnishings were sleek chrome, glass and rich leather. Their corporate clients expected the best and didn’t mind shelling out the big bucks required to obtain it.
    Standing at just over five foot ten, Barb was a big, brassy redhead who hot-rolled her hair daily into a helmet of curls. Her clothes were all custom and her jewelry bodyguard-worthy. In court, her opponents nicknamed her Barbwire for her cutting legal mind. Outside of her workday, her heart was as big as her wallet. “Not only does your leaving put me in a major bind with the Hallworth case next week, but think about what this is going to do to Kolt. Everything he’s ever known is here, in San Francisco. He’s a city kid. How’s he going to take living in the sticks of Oklahoma?”
    â€œKolt will be fine.”
    Barb crossed her arms. “Why don’t you take a leave of absence? A year if you need it. But don’t do anything rash. Get a short-term tenant in your loft and don’t officially give up Kolt’s slot at school.”
    â€œI get all of your points, but the one thing you forgot to mention is the not-so-small matter of Kolt’s father. My son deserves to get to know the man.”
    Sighing, Barb looked to the ceiling. “You’re being melodramatic—not to mention simplistic. You think just because this Luke character made you a cup of tea with honey that he’s going to magically forgive you for keeping his son from him for the past ten years?”
    â€œI’d be lying if I said Luke’s not upset—understandably so. But I know he’ll forgive me, and—”
    Barb smacked her palm on the desk. “Spit on the floor and call me Violet, you’re nuttier than an Okie fruitcake. This man will never again put his trust in you. Wait a minute… Please tell me you’re not harboring a secret reunion fantasy?”
    â€œOf course, not. But I don’t want to think of him as an enemy.” Daisy glanced up to find Barb giving her the same, narrow-eyed glare she was legendary for sporting in courtroom battles. It was the same one that nine times out of ten preceded witnesses spilling their guts. “You can quit with the look, Barb. I’ve already told you everything.”
    Her friend’s dubious expression said she wasn’t buying Daisy’s explanation. “Define everything….”
    Â 
    K OLT S MITH, FRESH OFF THE BUS from a week spent at Camp Redwood, couldn’t wait to get to his room.Camp was fun and all, but he’d missed his toys. Some of the guys in his cabin had said they were too old for toys and spent most of their summer chasing girls, but Kolt thought girls were gross—except for his mom. Oh—and Aunt Barb who always gave great birthday and Christmas presents.
    â€œSlow down!” his mother yelled when he raced off the elevator toward their door.
    â€œCan’t, Mom! I’ve gotta pee!”
    She not only laughed, but ran alongside him. Very weird when she was usually so serious. Lots of times at night, when she didn’t know he was awake, he’d even heard her crying.
    â€œBeat you,” she said, tagging the door.
    â€œYeah, but you cheated by shoving me out of the way.”
    â€œI’m a lady,” she teased, “and I never