The law firm of Smith and Wesson and associates resided in an early-nineteenth-century, three-story home that had been transformed into offices but had kept its antebellum elegance.

The lobby was wide, and the eye was immediately drawn to the colorful mosaic design on the tiled floor. A grand staircase in the center led up to an open balcony that surrounded the lobby and was supported by white Doric columns.

Dylan half expected to see a southern belle sweep down the steps in her hoop skirt to greet them, but instead a receptionist in a dark suit with a silk blouse and pearls smiled up at them from her tidy mahogany desk.

Kate waited by Dylan's side while he dealt with the security guard. The alarm had been triggered when he'd walked in, but as soon as he showed his badge, the pulsating noise stopped.

She didn't have to give her name to the receptionist. The young woman already knew who she was.

"Good afternoon, Miss MacKenna. Mr. Smith will be right down. He's most anxious to meet you."

Anxious? Was that a good anxious or a bad one? Kate wondered.

Less than a minute later, the attorney rushed down the stairs. His smile seemed genuine. Still, he was a lawyer, she reminded herself, and from his surroundings, a very successful one at that. Therefore, he had to be quite good at masking his real emotions.

Extending his hand, he said, "My name is Anderson Samuel Smith, and I am delighted to meet you, Miss MacKenna. Simply delighted."

He was quite polished, for he quickly put her at ease. He shook Dylan's hand, and the two men exchanged polite greetings.

Speaking to both of them, he said, "I was your great uncle Compton's attorney for seven years, and I do believe the firm took great care of him. He was quite an interesting fellow. Perhaps we might have dinner sometime, and I'll tell you what I know about him."

"Did you know his brother?" Kate asked.

"Yes, I did, Miss MacKenna. Our firm did not handle his affairs, however."

"Please, call me Kate."

He flashed another brilliant smile. "Kate. A good name," he added with approval. "And you must call me Anderson."

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to freshen up."

"Good idea," Dylan said.

Good idea? What did that mean? She must either look a mess, or Dylan wanted to talk to the attorney alone.

Anderson showed her the way to the powder room and returned to Dylan in the foyer.

Kate washed her hands and checked her appearance in the full-length mirror. Okay, she was a bit disheveled, but she didn't look that bad, did she? She didn't look that good, either. She could make herself a little more presentable, she decided.

She brushed her hair, and since there was some curl, she didn't clip it back again but let it fall around her shoulders. Digging through her purse, she found her blush and lipstick and freshened her makeup. She checked herself again. It was the best she could do without a complete overhaul.

She wanted to give Dylan another couple of minutes with the attorney. She stopped near the door and gave herself a quick pep talk. Try to be optimistic and stop looking so worried. It was going to be fine. Anderson wouldn't have been so happy to meet her if she owed the estate a lot of money, right? No, that wasn't logical. He could have been thrilled because she had shown up, and he knew he had a good shot at getting her to pay the money back— and she would pay it back even if it took the rest of her life to do it.

Wait, that wasn't optimistic thinking. Kate wanted to latch on to something that would make her feel better. The photos. Yes, there were photos of her father as a little boy. That was definitely something wonderful to share with her sisters, something that would give them a connection to the man who had loved her mother and had given them life.

All right. The pep talk was working. She took it a step further. Maybe she would actually like these cousins. She might.

Straightening her shoulders, she whispered, "Here goes," and opened the door.

Dylan barely spared her a glance as he listened to the attorney who was very seriously explaining something to him. Kate didn't want to interrupt, and so she waited by the receptionist's desk until they finished their discussion.

The smile was back in place the second Anderson spotted her. "Shall we go upstairs?" he said as he led the way.

Kate hung back and whispered to Dylan, "You're frowning. What's wrong?"

Should he warn her? Or should he let her go in cold without any preconceived ideas about the vipers Anderson had just described to him?

He decided to give her a little forewarning. "I don't think you're going to like your cousins."

"Maybe I will," she said, determined to hang on to the burst of optimism she'd mustered up.

He smiled. "I'm pretty sure you won't."

"You can't predict…" She suddenly stopped. Oh, who was she kidding? Her bubble of enthusiasm was slowly deflating.

He saw the disheartened look in her eyes and realized he shouldn't have said anything. "You stay tough," he whispered.

"I am tough," she responded.

They had just reached the landing when they heard a man shout a gross obscenity. Kate stopped cold and looked at Dylan. He shrugged as if unfazed.

Anderson looked mortified. "Give me a moment, please," he said.

He hurried down the hall, probably intent on getting his guests to shut the hell up, Dylan surmised, but the damage was done. Kate had gone from worried to fearful.

She grabbed his arm. "Did Anderson tell you why I received a letter?"

"You know why. The reading of the will."

"Yes, but did he say anything more?"

"We didn't talk about the will at all," he said. "I needed to know what we're going to be walking into, and so he filled me in on your cousins. And by the way, he wants to assure you he doesn't represent any of them."

She continued down the corridor. She heard another obscenity and whispered, "Good Lord. What have I gotten into? Maybe it's not such a good idea to meet any of them just now." Or ever, she silently added.

Dylan didn't want her facing the nest of vipers looking worried.

If they sensed vulnerability, they'd strike. The cousins needed to see what a strong woman she was.

Anderson opened the door and motioned them to come forward.

"Kate." Dylan touched her arm to stop her.

She looked up and was shocked by his grin. "Yes, Dylan?"

He lowered his voice so only she would hear and asked, "How much do you want to bet Anderson Samuel Smith never uses his initials?"

She didn't get it for a couple of seconds but then put it together. "Good heavens, only a man would think of that." She was laughing when she walked into the office.

The air was thick with hostility, but the shouting and the vulgarities stopped when one by one the brothers noticed the couple and fell silent.

Roger was the first to get past his surprise. "What the-" he muttered. "Who are they, Anderson?"

"Who cares who they are. They don't belong here," Ewan said with a sneer. He took a threatening step toward them.

Did he think he could scare her out of the office? She wasn't going to put up with that nonsense. She looked him right in the eye and kept walking.

Anderson put his hands up. "If you'll calm down, I'll make the introductions. Kate, I'd like you to meet Vanessa MacKenna."

The striking woman was unlike the others clustered together across the room. She didn't seem angry, only curious.

"Hello," Vanessa said politely.

"Vanessa," Anderson continued, "is married to Bryce MacKenna."

The man Anderson gestured to didn't speak. He acknowledged Kate with a curt nod.

"Standing next to Bryce is Roger MacKenna, and on his right is Ewan MacKenna. And now I would like all of you to meet your cousin, Kate MacKenna."