“What’s that?” she asked, her heart racing so fast she felt lightheaded.
“First,” Evan said, “you should know that when we were kids, Daniel was always the first to come to our defense with the bigger kids. He’s the kind of guy who’s always got your back, no questions asked.”
She swallowed, her throat sticking as if she hadn’t had a drink of water in a year. “He’s a good guy,” she said around the rising bile.
“The best,” he agreed, “which is why I worry about him.” He held her gaze. “Especially around women.”
He meant especially around her.
“Is everything all right with you, Tasha?” Evan let the question hang when she didn’t answer. “Because it seems like something’s wrong.”
Her blood roared so loudly in her ears that she understood what he said only by reading his lips.
“I can’t help wondering why you’re here in Tahoe all by yourself. And why you’re so reluctant to let us help.” Evan pulled out his phone, slid his finger over the screen, and turned it so she could see.
She’d never be able to take another full breath in her life. Her lungs had stopped working. Her heart had stopped beating.
“I saw your name on the purchase orders for the roofing material you picked up today,” he explained. “And I remembered a story I’d heard about two men named Reggie and Drew Summerfield who ran a resort scam, a father and son con-man team. Plus a third partner whose name isn’t mentioned.” He paused for several long seconds that made her squirm. “Do you know them, Tasha?”
What he didn’t say screamed at her. Are you the third partner?
She should have hated him for spying on her. But she understood exactly why he had. To protect his friend, his brother.
The way no one had ever protected her. Or her brother.
She wanted to shout, I’m not the third partner. But the denial got stuck in her throat. Just because she hadn’t known about the scam didn’t mean she hadn’t been an integral part of it. Her work on the website had lied to all those people just the way her father’s smooth salesmanship had.
When
she didn’t answer, he added, “I wanted to get the story from you first. If there is one.”
They both knew that he already had enough of the story to damn her. “I won’t hurt Daniel, I promise.” She heaved a sigh. “But my past…it belongs to me.”
Saying nothing was probably worse than coming right out and saying Reggie Summerfield was her father and Drew was her brother and that she’d built the website for their scam. And yet she still couldn’t manage to get the words out of her mouth, even ones that would have made it clear to Evan that she hadn’t been an active partner in the con.
She could only contemplate where she’d run to next. She’d arrived in the mountains with one bag. She would leave the same way.
And Daniel would be saved from her lies, her secrets, and her past.
Evan regarded her, his eyes dark and assessing, the way they’d been from the moment he’d met her. “I’m sorry I had to ask. But Daniel’s my brother.” He shoved the phone into his pocket and left.
She was sorry too. So very sorry that she’d brought all this to Daniel’s doorstep.
The only way to fix it now was to leave. Even if it killed everything inside her.
* * *
Tasha sat on the floor, alone in the house, for what seemed like forever. If she said good-bye to Daniel, he would try to convince her to stay—but she couldn’t remain without telling him the truth. Yet she wouldn’t be able to stand the way he looked at her once he knew. Her only choice was to sneak away after the guys had left for the day. Now, though, she’d say her good-byes to the puppies.
Outside, hunkering down by the pen Daniel had made for them, Tasha stuck the tips of her fingers through the chicken wire. Darla waddled over to lick her.
“It’s okay, little one,” Tasha said in a shaky voice. “You’re going to be fine. Daniel will take care of you, I know he will.”
Darla plopped over sideways, surely the cutest puppy in the entire world. Not to be outdone by his sister, Spanky bounded over, followed by Froggy. They licked her fingers exuberantly, then began wrestling with each other, Spanky ending up on top as he mouthed his brother’s face in friendly abandon.
“I’ll miss you all.” Tears slid down Tasha’s cheeks. “I’m sorry I have to leave you.”
Oh, how she would miss them all. The puppies. The Mavericks.