“Uh-huh.” After turning in a complete circle, Roxy focused again on her daughter. “I’d love to see your office, baby-girl.”

“Absolutely!” Blayne said and stepping forward, she took Roxy’s arm and steered her back to the double doors that led to the building elevator. “Let’s go see it. Gwen will be along in a bit.”

As Blayne walked with Roxy, she managed to slam her skate-wearing foot on Mitch’s instep as she passed him.

“Ow!” As he lifted his foot to rub it, Blayne turned into him, knocking the lion to the ground. “Ow!”

“Oh, Mitch! I’m so sorry!” No, she wasn’t. Nor did she stop propelling Roxy toward that elevator.

Once they were gone, Gwen realized she was clutching her hands together. Jess approached her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Immediately Gwen stepped away. “Don’t…”

Jess pulled back and the dogs gave Gwen her distance.

Determined to face her mother, Gwen let out a breath and headed toward the elevator. Although she did stop long enough to kick her brother in the balls before moving on.

Roxy watched her daughter walk into the office. She didn’t look like any of her cousins, yet she was naturally more beautiful than all of them. A face like her father’s, she had. With those bright gold eyes and that sweet grin, when she bothered to use it. Which, to be honest, was also like her father.

“Can you leave us alone for a minute, Blayne?”

“But I haven’t finished showing you how our billing system—”

“Out.”

Unlike the good old days, when her daughter and canine friend used to jump at Roxy’s orders, Blayne didn’t move until Gwen motioned toward the door. “Give us a minute, would ya?”

“Sure.” Blayne got up and rolled out the door.

Roxy couldn’t help but study the quads on those tiny dog feet. The four-wheeled skates derby girls played in, unlike those ridiculous inline skates for the masses.

Roxy remembered when her daughter wore the black and gold skates of the Philly Phangs. And she’d worn them for all of one bout. She never thought Gwenie would quit so easily, even with all the injuries she’d suffered that day. Never had she quit anything before or since, but something else must have happened, because her daughter never went back and she would never discuss it. Not with her, Roxy’s sisters, not even Cally, whom she held in highest esteem among the O’Neills.

“How is she?”

Gwen frowned. “How is who?”

“Blayne.” When Gwen frowned, she added, “I saw what you two were doing in the basement. That’s derby training, baby-girl.”

Gwen shrugged. “She’s good. But that’s not why you’re here.”

She moved around her daughter. “Can’t amother come visit her only daughter?”

“Not my mother, no.”

And this was why she adored her baby-girl. Gwen was all about the direct approach.

Roxy lifted her arms, sweeping the room. “You give up everything I have to offer you for this? A cruddy little office and no real work? What did I do? Why do you hate me?”

Gwen dragged her hands through her hair. “I don’t hate—”

“You must if this is what you’ve resigned yourself to. And if it’s not me, what is it? Your cousins? One of your aunts? Did they say something to you?”

“Ma, stop. They didn’t do anything. You didn’t do anything. I love what I do.”

“Did you see what you did with that little girl downstairs? How beautiful you made her look with a set of shears, a blow-dryer, and an iron?”

“Yeah, but—”

“You could be doing that every day and running the business. Making real money. Have a high-end clientele. And you’d have family around you, baby-girl. Family to protect you.”

She brushed her hand against the still-lingering bruises on Gwen’s face. They must be recent, since bruises for their kind didn’t last much longer than a day or two. Was no one watching her baby’s back? Other than that wolfdog who was too sweet for her own good? And Blayne’s face hadn’t looked much better.

“Who did this to you?”

“It doesn’t matter, Ma.”

“Tell me.”

“Why? So you can make it worse?” Gwen smirked. “And we both know you’ll make it worse. Besides, it was just a fight.”

“And no one watching out for you. No one covering your back.”

“Blayne watches my back. Blayne always watches my back.”

“But for how long, baby-girl? She’s a canine who’s making new canine friends. Canine friends with money. Where does that leave you? I know you’re not comfortable with meeting new people, and that’s okay.

You always have your family. The ones who love you and will always be there for you.”

Roxy put her arm around Gwen, kissed her forehead. “Let’s get your brother and go grab some dinner.

We can talk then.”

“No.”

“Don’t be mad at Mitch. He was only trying to—”

“No. I mean I can’t. I’m…uh…meeting someone.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. A bear I’ve been seeing.”

Roxy smirked at her daughter. “Really?” A bear? And her Gwenie? Well, that was interesting.

“Yeah. In fact—” Gwen glanced at a wrist with no watch on it “—I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on.”