“You’d see her at Christmas, in the summer and whenever else you wanted to. The way I see it, Dee Dee needs a home and some security,” he said.

“Oh, like she’d get that from you?” Terri laughed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t forget you’re a workaholic, Mason, and you’re always zipping from one place to another. If there’s a problem with the ranch, you’re back in Montana, or the spread in Wyoming. Now you think you’ll settle down here.”

“I will.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s time.”

She skewered him with her wide eyes and shook her head. She still looked young; that pixie quality had never left her despite the lines fanning from her eyes and creasing her forehead. “It’s because of Bliss, isn’t it?” she said, sadness heavy in her voice.

He didn’t answer.

“I knew it. You never forgave me for lying to you about the baby, and you never got over her.” She shook her head and sighed. “Oh, Mason, we were such fools.” Opening a cupboard drawer, she withdrew a pack of cigarettes.

“I thought you quit.”

“I did. Again. But every time I’m around you, I need a cigarette to relax.” She lit up and blew a stream of smoke toward the ceiling. “I did love you, you know. A long time ago.”

“You had a funny way of showing it.”

“Yeah, well . . .” Sniffing loudly, she glanced into the living room. “We both made mistakes. I suppose you’re getting married, right?”

“Don’t know yet.”

“Then how can you talk about security? For God’s sake, who’s gonna take care of Dee Dee when you’re off on business?”

“She’ll go with me or I’ll have a live-in nanny.”

“Or you’ll marry Bliss Cawthorne.”

“We haven’t discussed it yet.”

“You’d better talk it over with her old man, you know,” Terri said. “And then you’d better come clean with Bliss. There are things she still doesn’t know about that whole mess ten years ago. Oh, hell”—she jabbed out her cigarette—“what do I care? Bob wants to get married and move up north, you know that, and, well, he’s not crazy about kids.”

“Sounds like a great guy.”

“At least he loves me, Mason. That’s more than you ever did. If you want to keep Dee Dee, okay, we’ll try it out and—”

“No. We’re not going to try it out. We’re going to do it. No one changes his or her mind. I’ve already talked to my attorney and we’ll make it legal. As I said, you’ll see her whenever you like, but I’ll have custody. And instead of the child support I’ve been paying you, you’ll get a sizable lump sum.”

She lifted a curious eyebrow. “How sizable?”