"Florida?" Dash asked.

She met his gaze again. "It was a presidential election year and those two states have huge Hispanic populations. He thought it might be good to get out and stump for his party, which wasnt the same as my preferred party, mind you, and trot out his Hispanic-looking, Spanish-speaking girlfriend. What better way to prove how inclusive they could be than by having a party member actually dating one?" she added with a roll of her eyes.

Dashs eyebrows shot up then he winced at the movement. "Seriously?"

"Hmm," she nodded. "I figured it out when we landed in Florida, before we even got off the plane. I asked him about it and he said I was being ridiculous, but his staff couldnt meet my eyes. Needless to say, I didnt bother showing up at that event. I got off his private plane, bought myself a ticket back to DC on a commercial flight, and have maybe talked to him a handful of times since then."

Dash frowned. "I dont mean to sound like Im doubting anything you say, but why would he come up here and claim to be your fiance now?"

Matty laughed, and it wasnt a funny ha-ha kind of laugh. "Its an election year again next year. Hes been calling me lately. Im not sure why he thinks I wont see through him or why I might have any interest in seeing him. But mostly Ive been ignoring him. I have no idea why he claimed to be my fiance, but my guess is that he probably had some media thing planned."

"As in the good senator running up to check on his beloved fiancee in the aftermath of a huge storm?" Dash said.

Matty cocked her head and made a face. "I wouldnt put it past him. But I never talked to him so I cant say for certain. He called several times the day after the storm, but like I said, Ive been ignoring him and that day wasnt any different. I havent heard from him since so I assume he left town."

Dash looked at her for a long time, then tugged her down onto his lap. "Im sorry. Im sorry for being such a jerk and Im even sorrier hes such a jerk and tried to use you."

Matty smiled and settled against him, even as she tried to keep the ice on his injury.

"You two look like you figured things out," came Janes voice from behind her. Craning around, she found Dashs sister walking toward them, her two boys trailing behind her. "Josh got stung by a bee and Derek didnt sleep well last night. We got in really late." She added, directing the explanation to Matty. "Were looking for Dad so I can take his truck home, since I came with Mom."

"You can take mine," Dash said, reaching for his keys. "Ill get a ride home."

"Or you can take mine," Matty said, digging her own keys out.

"You have that cute convertible, dont you?" Jane asked with a gesture toward Mattys car. Matty nodded. "You dont have to offer twice," Jane grinned and took the keys. "We can drop the car by later today. Or, if youre coming to dinner tonight, you can grab it then."

Matty shrugged, figuring theyd figure it out somehow. As Jane and the twins left, the boys talking excitedly about riding in a convertible, she turned back to Dash, who was grinning a different kind of grin than his sister.

"Want a ride, little girl?" he asked.

"You sound like a dirty old man," she replied with a smile.

"Dirty, maybe. Old, not even close." He surged to his feet, taking her with him. She let out a very girly squeal as he tossed her over his shoulder and started for his truck.

"Dash, put me down," she demanded, still clutching the ice pack.

"Dashiell Kent," Matty heard his mother saying.

"Sorry, Mom, Im busy. Ill talk to you tonight," he called over his shoulder.

Matty turned beet red as she heard several other people hoot and holler. "I swear to god, Dash, you will pay for this," she said, just loud enough for him to hear.

He opened his truck door and deposited her on the seat. "Im kind of counting on that," he said, before silencing anything she was about to say with a kiss.

CHAPTER 22.

MATTY COULDNT REALLY COMPLAIN about the way Dash showed his contrition. They spent most of the afternoon relaxing together-yes, in bed, but also just being. She worked on some final pieces of her book while Dash went out and walked the fence to make sure it hadnt been damaged in the storm. Shed had her eyes on the cows and most hadnt really left the barn area since the storm so she wasnt worried any had escaped, but it had never occurred to her to check the fence and make sure that they couldnt escape.

Later, theyd picked up around the house a bit, since it had been neglected with all the outdoor cleanup. When things were back in order, about a half hour before they were planning to head over to his parents house for dinner, Mattys father called. Dash, without any prompting, had handed her a nice glass of red wine-it hadnt exactly made the conversation easier, but at least it had given her something to appreciate during the awkward few moments she talked with Douglas.

The situation still felt surreal to Matty-having had more conversations with her father in the past three days than in her entire life previously. And though she still didnt think of him as her father in the traditional sense, she didnt have it in her to turn him away.

"Everything okay?" Dash asked after she ended the call with Douglas.

She frowned. "Hard to say. He and Sandra have been told that Brads body will be released tomorrow, which is good. Theyll be able to hold the funeral service for him now."

"But?" Dash pressed.

"But Brad was pretty clear about wanting to be buried here, in Windsor, which isnt sitting well with Sandra. She wants to take him back to Connecticut; his dad-my dad-is trying to stand firm with Brads wishes. I think he won out, but it was hard to tell."

"Did I hear you talking to him this morning about coming to the pancake breakfast?"

Matty nodded. "Yes, but he decided not to go because he knew several of Brads friends would be there and he didnt want to make anyone uncomfortable. He said he went to one of the churches in town and volunteered to drive some of the seniors to appointments they might have missed over the past two days."

"That was nice of him."

It was, but she was very carefully trying not to have any feelings about her father. He was going through a rough time at the moment, to put it mildly, and right now she just didnt trust that he had any reason for even trying to reach out to her beyond his own desperation. When the rawness of what he was experiencing dulled a bit, would he go back to Connecticut, to Sandra and the country club, and forget about her again? She really didnt know the answer to that so she was intentionally keeping herself from getting too involved with him.

She and Dash finished their wine in silence then headed to his parents house, which was anything but silent. Jane, her husband Greg who had arrived from New York City, the twins, and Kristen, whose father was still out of town, were all in residence and having a rowdy game of Twister.

The gathering was unlike any Matty had ever attended. Oh, her grandmother had thrown grand parties, but theyd definitely never included Twister. And while there might have been a game or two of Pictionary at her grandmothers, it was usually just the five of them-Matty, her mom, her grandmother, Charlotte, and Nanette-and it was never played with crayons, which was, apparently, the Kents writing utensil of choice.

Matty was still smiling about the events of the night before when she woke up the next morning. The twins had convinced her to write a childrens story, Jane had given her the third degree about a character in one of her most recent books, Mary had told her she didnt put enough sex in her books, and Dash and Greg had just sat back and laughed at her indoctrination into the Kent clan.

"Did you have fun last night? Dash asked, lying beside her.

She rolled over to look at him. "What gave it away, that I woke up laughing or the fact I almost peed my pants last night when Derek drew a woman in a short skirt after he pulled the word 'hoe from the Pictionary box? I think your sister had what back in the day would have been called an apoplectic fit."

Dash lay on his back and chuckled toward the ceiling. "Yeah, it was fun watching her try to explain where theyd even heard that use of the word to my mom and dad."

Matty rolled onto her back for a moment, then rolled back up to face Dash. "My mom wants to come up," she said.

Dash turned his head, eyebrows raised. "How do you feel about that?"

"How do you feel about that?" she countered.

He shrugged, his bare shoulders rubbing against the cotton sheets. "Im fine with it. You already know the bulk of my family. Sam and Nora, my youngest brother and sister havent been around, but youve met most of the rest of them."

"Yes, but this is a little different," Matty said.

Dash rolled his body to face her. "How so?"

"She knows youre different from other men Ive dated."

"Um, my mom knows, well, she knows what she knows about you. And me," he pointed out.

"But your mom is so open and so, I dont know, she just kind of embraced me. My mom will probably be more reserved. Shell probably interrogate you, too."

"My mom embraced you for two reasons. One, youre easy to like, and two, she knew she didnt really have a choice. Remember she and my dad only knew each other two weeks before they were married. She knows what the family tradition does to people, so she knew when it hit me that she could either embrace you or not, but that it wouldnt have any bearing on what would happen between you and me. She simply chose the path that would keep her family together, the path that would enlarge her family rather than split it. Your mom might not be so quick to get there, but my guess is that shell make the same choice."

Matty thought about that perspective for a moment, and in the end, had to agree with Dash. Her mother might not be as open and friendly as Mary and Will Kent, but Dash was an easy guy to like and her mother would never do anything to alienate herself from Matty-theyd been through too much together.

She dipped her chin, conceding Dashs point. "Youre right, but shell be more reserved, so please dont be offended if she doesnt welcome you with open arms."

Dash shrugged, "Id be surprised if she didnt put me through my paces. When is she planning on coming?" he asked, rising from the bed and heading into the bathroom.

She relayed that part of the conversation shed had with her mom. Carmen didnt have a date yet, but now that Brads funeral service could be planned and they would know soon when Douglas and Sandra were likely to leave Windsor, theyd be able to set a date for her moms visit. Dash seemed unfazed about the whole thing and popped out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of jeans, to tell her so.

"So, well wait and see," he shrugged. "And, at some point, you are going to have to decide what to do with everything Brad left you-from the house to the money to the cows to even the rabbits. But in the meantime, I was thinking about Trudy and Mara yesterday and want to make a quick run up to the farm to check on the two mares I cared for the other night. Trudy hasnt called, but I didnt see either of them at the pancake breakfast so I just want to make sure everything is okay. Any interest in joining me?" he asked.

Matty thought about it for all of two seconds. Lying around in bed held some appeal, but so did visiting the farm, Mara, and the cute little foal, still only a few days old. "Can I see the baby?" she asked, rising herself.

Dash lifted a shoulder. "I dont see why not."

She went up on her tiptoes and brushed his lips with a kiss. "Ill be ready in ten minutes."

"Whore they?" Matty asked Mara as they stood at the fence line watching the new foal, unharmed from the storm, frolic in the pasture. Matty was eying two men, one in his early forties, the other several years younger and quite a few inches shorter. They were clearly having a heated argument about something and both men were gesturing emphatically.

"Oh thats John, the owners son, and Carlo, one of the jockeys that rides for Mr. Green, the owner. One of the horses got hurt and didnt run well yesterday at Saratoga. So now no one is happy," Mara answered simply, as four year-olds often did.

Matty frowned as the taller of the two men stomped off. The jockey, Carlo jammed his hands on his hips and stared at the ground. Matty couldnt help herself, shed never seen a jockey up close, and she was still staring when his eyes came up and landed on hers. He was too far away to distinguish much detail, but she was almost certain she saw a small feral smile touch his lips before he started their way.

"Hi Mara," he called when he got within earshot.

"Hi Carlo," Mara answered.

"Hows Short Stuff?" he asked, gesturing to the foal with his head as he joined them at the fence line.

"Shes good. Shell come over for a treat in a little bit, but we just put her out so shes getting her sillies out."

"Whos your friend?" He gestured to Matty with his head.

"This is Matty. She came with Dr. Kent to check on Trouble because she almost died the other night." Matty heard the sadness in the young girls voice and she knew it was for the baby that Trouble, the mare, had lost.

"Yeah," Carlo consoled her. "That was a tough night. I was sorry to hear about Trouble and the baby, but I am glad Dr. Kent could help Lizzie and her foal," he added, referring to the mare and foal Dash and Trudy had been able to save.

Mara nodded, then added. "Matty was also here when Short Stuff was born."

Matty reached around Mara and held out her hand. "Matty Brooks," she said.

"Carlo Ruiz." He took her hand, holding it a bit too long.

"Is that what you named her?" Matty asked Mara. "Short Stuff?" she added with a gesture to the foal, who was making her way toward them.

Mara shrugged. "For now. Shell have some fancy name on her papers when my mom registers her, but shes Short Stuff, or Shorty, to us."

Matty was pretty sure they were being ironic because the foal was only a few days old and already it looked to have grown substantially. She didnt know a thing about horses but shed bet this one wasnt going to be anywhere near short.

"You ride, Matty?" Carlo asked.

She almost answered "not horses" before catching herself. Not only was Mara there, but she didnt need to be intentionally tossing innuendos around with a man shed just met. That it had even come to mind at all surprised her. But then again, she had to admit, for a man who was not that tall, he exuded a fair bit of alpha maleness.

"Matty," Dash said, coming up behind her. Glad to have him near, she turned and smiled. There must have been something in her smile, because he slipped a hand around her waist and dropped a kiss on her lips. "Having fun?" he asked with a nod toward the foal, who had decided it was much more fun to tear around the field than have a treat.

"You done good, birthin that baby," Matty said with a teasing smile.

He let out a little laugh. "I didnt birth anything, but I am glad I was able to help her mom along. Carlo, how are you?" he asked, acknowledging the jockey.

Carlo inclined his head.

"I heard about Tenacity," Dash added. "One of the Greens horses that got injured up at the track yesterday," he filled Matty in on what Mara had already mentioned.

Carlo shook his head and uttered a series of profanities in Spanish. Matty was sorry for the injury, but when Carlo muttered something about a father of a goat, she snorted, causing him to stop.

Carlo turned to her, curiosity in his eyes. "You understand?" he asked in Spanish. She answered in the affirmative and told him her mom was from Puerto Rico. They continued their brief conversation in Spanish, but stopped when Trudy walked up and handed Dash a check, presumably to cover his services. Taking that as their cue to leave, Matty and Dash said their good-byes and made their way back to his truck.

A few minutes later, they were driving back to her place. "What was Carlo saying to you?" Dash asked.

Matty lifted a shoulder. "Not much other than he doesnt often see Spanish-speaking people at the farm who arent cleaning the stalls."

"It sounded like he said a lot more than that," Dash commented.

Matty felt a smile tug at her lips. "He did offer to let me compare recipes if I ever got tired of the gringo, if you know what I mean."

Dashs head whipped around to see if she was serious, then abruptly returned to the road when he remembered he was driving.

"He didnt."

Matty laughed. "He did."

"Ballsy of him, considering you were there with me."

"He probably weighs no more than 120 pounds and, if what I learned watching the Kentucky Derby is right, he regularly sits atop 1,200 pound, three-year-old thoroughbreds. I dont think cojones, or lack thereof, are an issue for him."

Dash grunted, making her laugh again. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "If it makes you feel any better, I had the urge to tell him you were my fiance, just to make it clear Im off the market-not that you are," she added, in case her announcement made him drive off the road.

To her surprise, he seemed unperturbed by her comment. "You should have," was all he said.