Mom glanced sideways at me, and her round face broke into a warm grin. I started to return it, then I remembered Brougham, and the blackmailing, and I wilted. Mom didn’t notice, though. She was too busy focusing on the road, already lost in her own thoughts. One of the good things about having a perpetually distracted parent was not having to dodge prying questions.

I just hoped Brougham would keep my secret to himself. The problem was, of course, that I had no idea what kind of person he was. Wonderful. A guy I’d never met properly, who I knew nothing about, held the power to throw my business—not to mention my relationships—into havoc. That wasn’t anxiety inducing at all.

I needed to talk to Ainsley.

TWO