Drawing Hearts

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.