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television. Since it was a bright, sunny afternoon, she couldn't imagine why the entire family would be staring at the TV.

"What's going on?" she asked, as she stood just inside the family room.

"Shh." Luke beckoned her in. "Grandpa's on TV," he whispered.

"Mom." Aurora glanced over her shoulder. "Sit with me. Dad's playing poker on national TV."

"No, thank you." Elise whirled around so fast, she nearly lost her balance. Television or not, it didn't matter. Gambling was gambling. There'd be no stopping Maverick now that he'd made it all the way to national television. He'd live on that high for months to come, thinking he was invincible - that he couldn't lose.

"Mom?" A short time later, Aurora tapped gently on her bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Elise was determined to say something about allowing the children to...to admire their grandfather when it was obvious he had a problem.

"You looked upset when you got home."

Elise had made no effort to hide her feelings, but the entire family had been so absorbed in watching Maverick that it surprised her anyone had noticed.

"Dad - "

"It would be best if we didn't discuss your father." She'd said this before and needed to say it again. Only a couple of hours earlier she'd marveled at Bethanne's attitude toward Grant. Elise wanted to find that same kind of peace with Maverick, and hadn't.

Aurora sat on the edge of Elise's bed. "I think we should discuss Dad one last time."

Elise's nod was reluctant.

"Don't you want to know if he won or lost?"

"Not really." She reached for her knitting, needing something to occupy her hands.

"He wore his lucky socks."

"There is no such thing as luck." Aurora was more like her father than Elise had known. "They're simply hand-knit socks," she said, more sharply than she'd intended.

"Dad didn't want you to know." Her daughter spoke in a voice so low Elise had to strain to hear.

Frowning, she paused in her knitting and raised her head. "Know what?" she asked.

Aurora clasped her hands together and stared down at the carpet. "He's dying."

"What?"

"He has a rare form of leukemia. Don't ask me to repeat the medical name, because I don't know if I can even pronounce it. Those afternoons he was away? He was going in for blood transfusions. He only has about a year left. Two years possibly, but no one's placing any bets." She smiled sadly when she realized what she'd said.

"Dying?" It felt as if Elise's heart had stopped beating.

"He came to Seattle because he wanted to get to know me and the family while he still could." Tears shone in her eyes. "He didn't gamble until that one day, when he entered the poker competition. He swore to me he hadn't, and I believe him."

"But why did he do it then?" Elise demanded. "And don't tell me it was for my sake, because I refuse to believe it."

Aurora shook her head as if she didn't know what to say. "That's what he told me."

"Dying," Elise repeated slowly. Everything became very clear to her in those few moments. Her mind scanned the last months. She should've understood that something was wrong; in his whole life, Maverick had never been content to sit and do nothing, yet he'd spent hours sitting in the car, waiting for her. She'd accepted that without question, as she had his sudden need to see his daughter.

"A year..."

Aurora nodded. "He loves you, Mom. He's told me that a dozen times, and I know it's true."

Elise swallowed the thickness in her throat. "I love him, too."

"I know."

Without invitation Luke wandered into the bedroom, feet dragging. He fell into his mother's lap, sighing dejectedly.

"What's the matter?" Elise asked.

"You don't know?" he exclaimed. "Grandpa lost."

Elise stretched out her arms to her grandson, and Luke slid away from his mother and walked over to her. Holding the boy close, she shut her eyes and mused that her ex-husband was no luckier in cards than he was in life.

CHAPTER 39

BETHANNE HAMLIN

On a Friday evening in mid-September, when both Andrew and Annie were busy with school activities, Paul phoned and suggested a movie. Bethanne agreed, although he wanted to see a fast-paced action-adventure she normally wouldn't have chosen. Whenever there were violent scenes Bethanne had to close her eyes. But every time the hero seemed to be facing certain death, he managed to escape. Still, the loud pounding music heightened her anxiety. Could things possibly end well?

During a brief lull in the action, she thought about Grant. She