Chapter 1

The air in the small Texas town was thick with the smell of barbecue and cheap beer, a world away from my polished life in Austin. But for Ryan, my fiancé, this was home. And for today, it was supposed to be a bridge between our two worlds.

My parents, looking a little out of place in their understated city clothes, were here to meet his family for Thanksgiving and finalize our wedding plans. My father, a Texas oilman through and through, was trying his best to fit in, laughing a little too loudly and accepting another glass of bourbon from Ryan' s uncle.

"Come on, Mr. Fuller," one of the uncles, a burly man named Carl, slurred, clapping my dad on the back. "A little friendly game of Texas Hold' em. Just to pass the time."

Ryan' s "cousin," Jennifer, a woman whose flashy style screamed for attention, chimed in, shuffling a worn deck of cards with a practiced snap. "Don' t be shy. It' s just for fun."

I watched from the porch, a knot forming in my stomach. I knew my father' s weakness for a good-natured wager, especially after a few drinks. Ryan squeezed my hand, his smile a little too perfect. "Don' t worry, Gabby. They' re just having some fun."

Hours later, the fun was over.

The laughter had died down, replaced by a heavy, suffocating silence. My father sat slumped at the rickety patio table, his face pale and slick with sweat. The bourbon was gone, and so was the money.

Over two hundred thousand dollars.

Every last cent of the wedding fund I' d given him for safekeeping. My money. Gone.

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a shame so deep it made my own chest ache. "Gabby... I... I' m so sorry."

My mother stood beside him, her hand on his shoulder, her face a mask of distress. She didn' t say a word, but her silence was a scream.