The new Mrs. Blackmore had tried to lay down rules Cole had no intention of obeying, and then the fights had begun in earnest. Daddy had tried to stop them, but had only succeeded in further alienating Cole from the fractured family.

And Darci had just wanted them all to love one another. She’d run frantically from person to person, making excuses, trying to patch things up, desperately needing a happy family to call her own. But no matter how hard she had tried, how many times she had made excuses for one of them, it had all fallen apart about six months later. Cole had packed his bags, leaving the house for the final time. Mrs. Anita Blackmore had been there to wish him good riddance.

Now the past had returned to haunt Darci. She knew she’d once again be thrown into the position of peacekeeper. She just wasn’t certain her heart was in it this time. The temptation was to let them hate each other, to just keep them apart. But there was still that little girl that so desperately wanted a real family—a family that would laugh together, play together and love one another no matter what.

Another childhood fantasy that didn’t stand a fair chance of coming true.

The ringing of the phone pulled Darci from her thoughts, and she gratefully reached for the distraction. But when Alex put her lawyer through, she wished she’d been elsewhere. As important as that contract was, she wanted to act like it didn’t exist, like there might be a chance for the marriage to become something lasting.

After a few cryptic questions, James Wells agreed that everything was legal and wouldn’t endanger her personal assets in any way. But after the business was taken care of, there was a long pause that made Darci consider hanging up to avoid the question hovering between them.

“Is there any other way, Darci?”

She closed her eyes, knowing he understood more than most people would. He’d been the family attorney for more than twenty years and knew the condition of the business. “If there is, I can’t see it right now, James.”

“Well, good luck to you, then. And call me if there’s anything I can do. Anything, Darci.”

She agreed and slowly replaced the receiver.

After a slight hesitation, she decided to get all the unpleasantness out of the way at once and dialed her mother’s number. Darci knew she’d have to take charge of the conversation to avoid unwanted questions about business. Questions that had no answers and few solutions.

At her mother’s hello, Darci threw out the bait. “Cole’s back in Denver.”

There was a beat of silence. “Why?”

“He wants Blackmore’s. Offered to buy me out.”