Tate sighed and popped in her earbuds. She shut her eyes and tried to rest. They had been in meetings all day, but Baxter had insisted on flying halfway across the country at ten at night. She opened her eyes and shook her head. Baxter and Dani were still at work.

"It was easier when you were single."

Baxter looked up over his glasses. "You would want to sleep in your own bed if you had a warm body waiting for you."

She blushed at the memory and immediately frowned at waking up alone. The only sign Jimmy remembered was his comments about cake flavor. Baxter turned back to his laptop. She popped in her earbuds and put a movie on her laptop. A romance that ended happily, clearly a fiction.

"Tate. Tate!"

She took a bud out. "What?"

"We were discussing the Cancer event. Are you going?"

"Would mother let me avoid it?"

Baxter laughed. "So I'll count you as one at our table."

"Our. You're so settled." Her green eyes kept her from embracing their joy.

"It'll be fine." Baxter smiled reassuringly.

Dani added, "Maybe your guy will be there."

"My guy?" She scrunched her face creating a unibrow.

"You know the cross lore. Whoever you kissed in high school."

"Who told you about that?" As much as they included her, Dani wasn't family.

Dani slumped like a wounded animal. "Tate, it's common knowledge you wore the cross for years. You must have kissed some guy."

"Does everyone know about the stupid lore?" Tate spat.

Baxter shook his head. "Believe me, it's real. I'm just glad it didn't end up a curse for me and Ivy."

It was after midnight, when the plane landed at the executive terminal. Baxter looked at his phone. "We made good time. Macintyre's on his way."

Another plane taxied in. When the door to the terminal opened, Baxter turned his head. "Hey, where were you?"

"Vail actually."

Tate knew the voice. She turned to see the face she dreamed of. His suit fit perfectly. Even Baxter looked rumpled, but not Jimmy.

Her voice shook like the turbulence they hit on their morning flight. "You don't look like you were skiing."

He nodded. "Just investigating a new opportunity."

Baxter laughed, but Tate glared. Jimmy had a reputation. It baffled her, because it didn't match the boy she knew. Or the lover.

"Excuse me. My car's here. Have a pleasant night."

As his broad shoulders walked away, an uncomfortable tugging in her chest left her confused. Their car arrived and once settled Dani asked about Kasper's latest adventure.

Baxter answered, "His thirty days are up tomorrow. If he's still in it, he'll know if they won tomorrow."

Tate wished her brother's adventure didn't include her ex and his wife. Jimmy mentioned Vail and her mind went to Duncan. Not a coincidence.

Mac pulled up in front of her apartment first. "Thanks, Tate. You were invaluable."

"Just doing my job."

Baxter grabbed her arm. "Hey, I mean it. I appreciated your effort."

She smiled. "It's hard to tell which Baxter you are. COO or..."

"Tate, I'm always your brother. I, um, I know things haven't been easy for you. I'm always here for you, Ivy too."

She laughed. "You are such a couple." Without waiting for a response, she slipped out of the car. "Goodnight. Thank you, Mac."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Miss. Kane."

When she stepped into her apartment, she felt like she had been gone a week, not one endless day. A Jimmy sighting was the last thing she needed. Fatigue equaled over emotional, like a bad bout of PMS. Needing a goodnight sleep, she took a pill and climbed in bed.

When her alarm went off, she wanted to throw it across the room. Instead, she dragged herself into the shower. Focus on the day. Achieve your goals, one at a time. Her pep talk fell on deaf ears. What were her goals? The iconic question, where did she see herself in five years? Reading a contract alone on Saturday night. She had become more pathetic than Baxter who would be a father in five years.

Eleanor greeted her with a smile that made Tate snarl, inwardly only. Amelia Kane raised her children to be polite, although her middle name should have been opinionated.

"How was your trip? That bad?"

"No, it went well, in the end. It was a long day and late night."

"Traveling isn't like dancing the night away."

Tate rolled her eyes. "I'd be perfectly happy to never wear another gown. I have both glass slippers and would like to pack them away."

"Your prince will come. Out of all your siblings, you've had the most challenges, but you are resilient."

"Sure you aren't my fairy godmother or long-lost aunt?"

"Nope. Just the lady who has worked at Kane forever and used to give you candy when you visited as a child."

"Why did we go see you? You weren't on the executive floor."

"I moved from the executive floor before you were born. Your father walked his children around to show you off."

"I wish I could remember better."

"It's okay. Go. Sit. I'll run down the street and get you a latte."

"Thanks, Eleanor. You're the best."

With the latte, she powered through the day. By mid afternoon, Kasper had texted. On my way home with gossip.

Did you win?

He responded, Remember the contract.

She wrote, I never saw the clause that said you are dating Juniper.

🤣😂🤣 See you tomorrow.

Something to look forward to. At seven, she was watching the inside of her eyelids, more than the Criminal Minds rerun. She jumped when her phone rang. The ringtone sent a sourness from her stomach into her throat. She considered letting it go to voicemail, but answered.

"Hey, Tate. How are you?" The familiar voice meant nothing to her.

"Fine. Why are you calling me?"

"I miss you."

"You just traveled the world with your wife. I'm the last person you should miss."

"Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake."

"Dating me and proposing? I agree it was a huge mistake."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Duncan, you can stay married or not, but I will never take you back."

"We were good once."

"Not really. You saved me because I never loved you."

"Yes, you did." His voice raised, as if her words hurt him.

"I thought I did, but was wrong and sex with you sucked."

"Why are you suddenly a bitch?" She laughed hysterically. "I talked to my dad. He's all excited because your brother's friend is going to loan him the capital he needs to expand."

"I have to go." She threw down her phone and paced. "Jimmy!" She stamped her foot.

Plenty of Jimmy's investments were beneficial to the entity involved, but not Dawson. James Sinclair's middle name should be revenge. She picked up her phone and called him.

"You've reached the voicemail for James Sinclair, please leave a message or if during business hours call..."

"Don't screw with Dawson Sports. Just because we ate cake together and... It doesn't give you the right to meddle in my life." She hung up. If he didn't know who she was, then screw him. Right, she had, so he had better know.

Thirty minutes before, she couldn't stay awake, but she was so riled up, she would never sleep. There was no one she could confide in. The curse of the cross made him her true love, but she hated him. Calming down, she watched the criminal minds team fly around in their plane to catch serial killers.

Tate woke with a stiff neck and the hot Spencer Reid (not as hot as Jimmy) on her TV. It was five am. Could she get back to sleep? She pressed the off button and sat up. Stumbling to her bedroom, she fell on the bed. Just once she wanted to take a mental health day, but Kanes didn't play hooky, unless you were born a twin.

Kasper was on his way home. That was something to look forward to. Twelve hours later, she shut down her laptop. It was Friday, and she couldn't read another 'whereas' or she would scream.

Her siblings were gathering at Baxter's house to welcome Kasper home. Baxter and Ivy were probably both still working. Instead of pressing the down button on the elevator she pressed up. When the doors opened, her father stepped out.

"Tate, how are you? You look like you lost your best friend."

"Just tired."

Philip Kane pulled her into his arms. He held her like when she was a child. His scent hadn't changed, spearmint and the faint remnants of aftershave. Safe in his arms transported her back in time. No one knew what to do or say after her sixteenth birthday, but every night her father came home and held her. He never made her fake promises or offered platitudes. Little by little she healed in his arms.

She pulled away. "Thanks, Daddy. I needed that."

A sound made her turn around. Eleanor had shut down her computer. Tate forgot she was there. Obviously, her father had as well.

"Are you heading out?"

"I was going to see Baxter. Are you heading up?"

He nodded. "I'll join you. Have a pleasant weekend."

"You too, Mr. Kane, and Tate, I hope you get some rest."

Once in the elevator, she turned to her dad. "She's nice."

He smiled and nodded before reversing his mouth. "Should I be worried about you?"

"No. I need a good night's rest. Really Dad, I'm fine. Plus mother would kill me if you worried."

He chuckled. "Just remember you aren't alone."

He walked one way towards his office, while she walked the other. Tate stopped at her friend's desk. "Hey, Dani. Is he leaving soon?"

She nodded. "I think so. He's alone."

Tate knocked on Baxter's office door. She didn't wait for an answer before opening it. "I'm ready to go. Is anyone home?"

He smiled. "Ivy said she would leave on time. If you want a ride, I'm just clearing up a few things. I won't be long." He pointed to the seating area.

She could wait. With her phone in her hand, she looked to see what the buzz was about the show. Some photographs showed Kasper smiling with his arm around Juniper, but Duncan wasn't next to his wife. Not her problem.

Then she typed in Dawson Sports. Sure enough, Jimmy's smug face came up. Sinclair Capital was providing the funds needed to expand with ten more stores for undisclosed terms. "The terms are the problem."

"What d'you say?"

She shook her head. "Your friend is messing with Dickie Dawson's business."

Baxter shrugged. "If Dawson can't play with the big boys he should get out of the sandbox."

She bit her tongue before 'you're an ass' slipped off it with familiarity. "And I thought Ivy had changed you."

He smirked. "She loves me just the way I am."

Why did the cross work both ways for Baxter? Ivy had fallen under the spell. She shook her head. Sinclair. Nope. Never. Only she would kiss a guy who would never settle down.

Baxter's not long meant forty minutes. When they arrived at his house, she turned her head at the greeting between the engaged couple.

Dani pushed Tate past them giggling. Kasper stepped forward and grabbed Tate's arms. "It was amazing!"

"Did you win?" She bounced like a child on Christmas morning wearing pumps.

"You know my lips are sealed. Dunky and his wifo fought the entire time. Only I thought it was fun. The editors are going to have to cut a lot of their scenes or people won't tune in."

"He called me last night."

"Seriously? The prick."

"I'm irritated that he thinks I'm stupid enough to be his rebound girl again."

Baxter moved in. "He deserves anything that happens to him."

Tate glared at him. "Dickie doesn't. Get your friend to back off or I will."

Baxter smirked and shook his head. "I thought we were celebrating Kasper. Who wants to help me in the kitchen?"

Not Tate. "Welcome home, Kasper, but I'm going home."

A chorus of 'NO' rang out, except Doyle who threatened Duncan's balls. Her aggression was on the wrong dick. Mac parked out front and jumped out of the car, when she stepped out.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

"Fine. Thank you." When she blinked, a tear fell. She wasn't fooling the driver. Once he pulled the car from the curb, she sighed. "If I paid you, would you have sex with me?"

"No, Miss, but I'll do you a favor and forget you asked."

She shut her eyes. Would she ever forget the painful memories?

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