Since she was distracted listening to the financials George rattled off, Luke got the jump on her. “Sure you can. In fact, your mom can bring you over to the ranch tomorrow at eleven and we’ll go riding.”

“Yes!” Jack smiled from ear to ear.

Nick’s eyes filled with excitement, though he was too shy to say anything to Luke.

She met the challenge and amusement in Luke’s eyes with her own frustration.

She muted her call again and redirected the boys so she could have another minute alone with Luke. “Go check out your room. After this call, we’ll have dinner.”

Jack sighed and gave her a sad frown. “I thought you were going to be on vacation.”

“I’m sorry, little man. I promise I won’t work the whole time.” Jack might not understand what it was going to be like the next six weeks, but Sarah anticipated a lot of phone calls and late nights at the computer.

The boys ran into the other room.

She kept her voice low so they wouldn’t overhear. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to get to know you.”

“Why? So you know just how to attack and misrepresent me in court?”

“If you’re not the woman Margaret described, what do you have to lose? Prove her wrong,” he challenged, then turned and walked away.

Of course, she couldn’t back out. The boys would throw a fit. Having grown up on a ranch, she really loved horses and would love to teach the boys to ride. And though she shouldn’t care what Luke thought, she wanted to show him that she wasn’t the monster Margaret probably made her out to be.

Plus, she felt oddly sorry to see Luke go and she wasn’t quite sure why, except she really did want him to like her.

It shouldn’t matter whether he did or not, but it upset her that maybe he’d believe Margaret without even giving her a chance.

Still, did he invite them over to find things to use against her, or because he really did want to get to know her?

Chapter Six

Luke found Margaret gazing out the window in the breakfast room, her eyes filled with sadness. She looked a little lost.

Her watery, grief-filled gaze turned up to him. “Nick looks just like Sean.”

Luke agreed, remembering his childhood friend fondly. “All the photos in the room you gave Sarah reminded me of that, too.”

“Not just his looks, he has his mannerisms, his shyness as a boy. Sean grew out of that and became a charismatic man. I’m sure Nick will, too. Just looking at him brings back all the memories.” She smacked her open hand on the table. “I hate her! She took him away, and then she robbed him of his future. He’ll never see those boys grown. Sooner or later, they’ll forget him.”

“It sounds like Sarah tries to help the boys remember him. She encourages Nick’s dreams.”

She rolled her eyes. “Children grow out of such things.” Her lips pressed tight. “Sean was just a means to an end. She got the business and the kids. The only thing Sean got was a greedy wife and dying before his time, thanks to her.”