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anyone. She only spent three nights with you, after all.”
    “She told you?” He
couldn’t believe she’d discussed him with her mother. A fling , according to Annie. On the other hand, maybe she’d been
dissembling. Maybe, just maybe, she’d spent as much time thinking about him
afterwards as he had about her.
    “She tells me everything,”
the old woman said. “I know everything.” She grinned, and nodded once, smugly.
    He didn’t even want to
think about what that meant.
    “How about not talking
about me as if I weren’t here?” Annie said, mildly, looking over her shoulder
before changing lanes.
    “Fine,” Dash said. “I’ll
tell you what I’m thinking. A lot of distant family members are coming into
town for a reunion, starting this weekend.” Close enough. “I presume some of
those family members have gotten wind of your presence here, and either want to
find out what’s going on, or plan to use you against me.” That should cover it.
Hopefully now they’d let sleeping wolves lie.
    “I love a family reunion!”
Daisy said. “What wonderful timing. Is it some kind of special occasion?”
    “Annual,” he said. “It’s
usually pretty interesting.” That was an understatement.
    “Wonderful,” she repeated.
“I can’t think of a better way for Jack to meet his entire family. There are so
few of us on his mother’s side, you know.”
    She continued blathering
as Dash’s life flashed before his eyes. He was a total idiot. The consequences
of his stupidity escalated in his brain, obscuring all rational thought.
    The truth of it was yet to
be determined in the pack’s eyes, but he had a strong and growing conviction
about Jack. He didn’t know how, he didn’t know why, but the cute kid beside
him, who looked exactly like him, was probably his son.
    If that were the case, he
might well have set off a war.
    Too late to do anything
about it now. The pup was out of the bag, and there was no getting him back in.
Dash reached for his cell phone and dialed home.
    Annie caught his eye in
the rearview mirror, no doubt wondering who he was calling.
    His aunt picked up the
phone. “Elaine,” he said. “We have a bit of a problem here. I’d like to clear
the house out.”
    “Clear it out?” Her voice
sharpened. “What do you mean?”
    “I’m coming over with some
house guests, who will be staying for a while.”
    “You're bringing Annie and
the boy? We have to leave soon.”
    “I’m well aware. Somebody
just tried to kidnap them.”
    Elaine went quiet at the
other end of the call. “Do you know who?”
    “No.” He told her briefly
what had happened.
    “In that case, we don't
have a choice.” Now she was firm. “Bring them with you.”
    “Send people on ahead.”
    Elaine sighed down the
line, and he knew she’d do what he wanted. “Who do you want gone?”
    “You and Marjie should
stay, and a couple of the stronger ones. Bill, maybe?”
    “And Novie.” Elaine’s
voice was firm. He didn’t know why, but fine. He’d concede the point as long as
she went along with the other stuff he needed.
    “All right. You pick
someone. But everybody else should get their stuff packed and head to the
ranch. There will be plenty they can do to help set up.”
    “That will mean you’ll
arrive with a pretty small entourage.” Her voice sounded disapproving.
    He couldn’t keep the
irritation from his voice. “It’s necessary.”
    “It can’t be helped, I
suppose,” she said. “I’ll think of something.”
    “We’ll be there soon.”
    “All right,” she said. “But
you’re going to make them all grumpy, and that won’t help us this week.”
    “I’ll explain why when I
see you.” He ended the call, conscious that everyone in the car had been listening.
He wasn’t looking forward to the next couple of hours, but maybe, with his
aunts’ help, they could get some answers.
    *           *           *
    Annie had déjà vu as they
walked toward the steps of