Her Sweet Talkin' Man by Myrna Mackenzie Page A

cleaned some of their houses at one time, he couldn’t help thinking. She would never have been invited here. He almost felt like a traitor for even stepping through the door, but then, of course, it was because of his mother he was here. Once he’d known the whole truth, he’d had to come. For her. And he was pretty darn sure that wherever she was, she was looking down on him right now. It was time he won back a bit of the pride that had been stolen from her.
    â€œOkay, you ready?” Fiona looked up at Ace. He shrugged and couldn’t help searching the perimeters of the room for Crystal.
    His little half sister laughed lightly. “She’s watching from the shadows. I have the feeling that Crystal is waiting to come in and save you if need be. She told me what you did. She doesn’t like to feel obligated to anyone.”
    â€œShe doesn’t need to feel obligated.”
    Fiona raised her brows. “You don’t know Crystal.”
    No, he didn’t, and it would probably be best if he didn’t get to know her any better. The fact that she drew his attention like nectar attracted hummingbirdsshould have already told him he needed to back away. So when he sensed her presence over in the corner, he tried not to look in her direction.
    He failed, and he saw that she was in conversation with a smiling, sandy-haired man.
    â€œAce.” Fiona’s voice slipped in.
    â€œHe’s what? He’s who?” a loud, angry male voice at his elbow demanded.
    Ace forced his attention away from Crystal and turned toward the angry voice. A man frowned at him. No, make that two men and a woman. The men were both tall, with brown hair, and blue eyes like his. The woman, with her dark brown hair and green eyes, was almost a mirror image of Fiona. The men looked grim, the woman uncertain.
    â€œAre you sure he’s related to us?” one man asked, ignoring Ace.
    Fiona turned toward Ace. “Not completely, no, but look at his eyes. They’re a lot like yours, Matt, and enough like Flynt’s that there has to be some Carson blood in him.”
    The woman who resembled Fiona closed her eyes for a second, as if she was wishing him away. When she opened her eyes again, she blinked once and nodded.
    â€œI’m Cara,” she said. “Fiona’s twin, as you can see, and my sister said your name was what?” She looked as if she really didn’t want to know, but good manners obliged her to ask.
    Ace raised a brow. “Ace Turner Carson,” he said slowly.
    â€œWhat do you want?” There was no welcome in the older brother’s voice.
    â€œFlynt…” Fiona drawled a warning.
    But Ace just smiled, a long slow smile. He wanted to make people uneasy. “I don’t want much,” he said truthfully. “I’m not here to stake a claim, if that’s what you mean, little brother.”
    â€œBut you want something or you wouldn’t be here,” the younger brother stated.
    â€œThat’s Matt,” Cara said. “And he has a point.”
    â€œHe does. Everyone wants something, after all, don’t they?” Ace asked. “I suppose the Carsons—all of you—want to protect your money and your name.”
    â€œYou say that as if you mean to threaten us in some way,” Flynt accused, but he looked slightly less hostile now, as if the shock had had time to settle. “Is that what you’re here to do?”
    Not exactly.
    â€œI don’t want any of the Carson cash,” Ace said, biting off the words, “and believe me, I don’t pose a threat to any of the Carsons’ health. Wouldn’t you come looking if you found out you had relatives you never knew about?”
    The two men seemed to be wrestling with that concept. Fiona and Cara exchanged a look.
    â€œBranson Hines was bothering Crystal tonight. He tried to force her to kiss him. Ace stepped in and sent him packing,” Fiona said