Sharlene laughed. “I can be very persuasive. I know you think you’ve got Dusty wrapped around your little finger, Melanie, but the truth is, he’s manipulating you like always.”

Lainie froze even as anger raced through her veins like liquid fire. “Since you brought it up, Mother, let me be perfectly clear: You were out of line calling Dusty. He had a right to refuse to talk to you and I have a right to be pissed.”

“That man is slaving you, for slave wages. This part-time obsession is holding you back from starting a real career or having a real life.”

“It’s my life, Mom. This obsession is making me happy.”

“Are you sure? Because it’s not making me happy, Melanie Jay. You haven’t been home in nearly two years!”

“The road runs both ways from Colorado Springs to Belmont. You could’ve come to see me.”

“So I could spend my time in a hotel while you flit off to another rodeo? No, thank you. But since Dusty is giving you a three-week vacation, you have no excuse not to come to California. There are some things we need to talk about. Now that our schedules—”

“Look, I’m sick of pretending we haven’t seen each other just because our schedules don’t mesh. So don’t waste your breath. We have nothing to talk about, and I will not spend a single minute of my vacation time in Belmont.”

Silence.

“This is the thanks I get for going out of my way to help you?”

“You went out of your way to try to f**k up my personal relationship with Dusty, as well as my business relationship with him. So don’t wait for my gushing thanks. Jesus. Do you have any idea how goddamn mortifying it is that my mommy called and cried to my boss about my supposed unfair treatment?”

“Don’t you use that foul language with me, Melanie.”

“Don’t you talk down to me, Mom. I am not a child.”

“Then stop acting like one,” Sharlene snapped back.

Lainie exhaled in a rush, unaware she’d been holding her breath. “You’re right. This is completely unproductive. I am not in the wrong. You are. Think about that for the next three weeks while I’m on vacation and you don’t hear from me.”

“You’re serious. You’re really not coming home?”

“No. And don’t call me until you’re ready to apologize.”

“Why are you punishing me? That’s not—”

“Good-bye.” Lainie hung up. She clutched the phone, half expecting it’d ring again. But it didn’t. Maybe she’d finally gotten her point across to her clueless mother.

Not fair—she means well. She acts out of love, even when she has a piss-poor way of showing it.

“Lainie. You okay?” Kyle asked.

Crap. She’d totally forgotten Kyle and Hank were here. “No, I’m not okay. I’m never okay when I’m forced to deal with my mother. It pisses me off that she doesn’t think she did a thing wrong.” Lainie closed her eyes. “I’m just sorry you guys had to hear it.”

“Did she really call Doc and demand he give you vacation time?”

“Yes. But Dusty pulled one over on her, since he’d already planned on forcing me to take time off before she called.”

“Does she do this often?”

“Often enough, but never on this level. Since Dusty and my dad were best friends, she thinks nothing of playing Dusty. Then she accuses me of being manipulative, ungrateful, and having unresolved Daddy issues. Oh, and I’m wasting my life with the rodeo because of those issues. Then she usually starts in on how I should be furthering my education. God. It never ends.” She exhaled again. “Sorry about the drama. Probably not anything you guys wanna deal with.”

“If it affects you, Lainie, it affects us,” Hank said.

It was so kind she felt the urge to bawl.

Hank’s big arms enclosed her from behind, urging her to lean into him. “Do you want to talk about it? Or forget about it?”

“Forget about it.”

“We can help you with that,” Hank murmured. “Of course, first you’ll have to lose the towel.”

“I’m not in the mood for sex.”

“Not everything is about sex. I reckon you could use some food.”

“We definitely want you to keep up your strength,” Kyle said.

“I could eat.”

“Good. How about you get dressed and we take you out for breakfast? Then we can talk about how we’d like you to spend your vacation.”

The Adobe Inn boasted greasy fare that typified diner food. Lainie tried not to eat at places like this too often, so when she did, she went whole-hog.

Still, having breakfast with Kyle and Hank was almost more bizarre than having a threesome with them.

From behind the menu, Kyle said, “What’re you guys havin’?”

“Three eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and gravy,” Hank answered.

“Sounds good. Lainie?”

“Looks like Hank and I are on the same page, because that’s what I’d decided on.”

Kyle folded his menu. “Little slip of a thing like you? Where you gonna put all that food?”

“Hey, I’m hungry.”

“I like to see a woman with an appetite,” Hank said. “I’da been disappointed if you’d chosen dry wheat toast and a cup of herbal tea.”

She snorted. “That’s what I eat when I’m sick. But I’ll confess I don’t eat like this every day.”