Thomas walked to the door and glanced out, wondering what was taking McKenna so long.  Leaning down, she poked her nose at the glass on Thomas’s sports car.

     He couldn’t help but stare at her pale blue dress flowing over her backside, her bare tanned legs and sandaled feet, one tapping on the sidewalk while she examined the interior of his car.

He ground his teeth.  What the hell was she doing?  Looking for more evidence of what a bastard he could be?

      Thomas’s heart nearly stopped when McKenna finished inspecting his new Viper, turned around, and caught his eye.

      Connor interrupted his perusal of McKenna and said, “Harry, Larson, and Randy are late.”  He motioned to the wide circular drive.   “Here comes Mr. Keyes.”

      Thomas considered the silver Mercedes-Benz Sports Coupe and the way McKenna glanced at the new arrival.  “Any word from the others?” he asked Connor.

       “No, sir.”

       “They knew the time they were to be here.  Don’t hold up the meal.”  Yet, already a sickening worry filled the pit of Thomas’s stomach.  Each person would do whatever he could to get there by the prescribed time, or lose money every hour he didn’t show.  Which made him think something was terribly wrong.  Since Harry was part of the plan—though no one but Thomas and Daniel Keyes were aware that Sheldon was very much alive—at least Harry should have reported in by now.  But the others...  

       Connor nodded, then headed for the kitchen.

       Looking peeved and irresistible, McKenna folded her arms and stood her ground.  Daniel exited his car, glanced in Thomas’s direction, then walked over to join McKenna.  He ran his hand over her arm in a soothing caress and she let him!  What the hell?  Last time Thomas had been here, McKenna was twenty and Daniel thirty and he hadn’t given her the time of day.  Well, he hadn’t bothered with any of the cousins—too busy with making a name for himself with the law offices of Sanders, Sanders, and Keyes.

       Then Thomas squashed the jealousy he felt.  Daniel was her cousin, well, step-cousin, just reassuring her that everything would be all right.  Nothing more. 

       Daniel looked at Thomas’s Dodge Viper and shook his head.     

       What?  Not as classy as his souped-up Mercedes-Benz? Trying to curb his annoyance, Thomas’s attention shifted to his real mission.  Time to get reacquainted with the hellcat before they sat down for dinner.

       He knew the way she narrowed her eyes as soon as he began to walk toward her, the fight lurked just beneath the surface.  He steeled his back and his resolve to win this time.