When Larry had met Sandi, his worst suspicions had been justified. Granted, she never nagged at her husband to give up his career in favor of a stable nine-to-five job, but he could read in her plaintive brown eyes that this was exactly what she would have liked. At least he'd managed to persuade Verne that it wasn't a good idea for her to hang around the track; he'd told his partner that guys were making passes at his wife, but the real reason was that it was essential for Verne Smith to retain his image of virile, available hero if the circus was to become popular with women as well as men.

Now, for the first time in a year, the ambitious manager found himself looking at his partner's young blonde wife in a new light – that of a sensuous female rather than as an obstacle in his path toward fame and fortune. The curvaceous, apricot-lace-draped figure now clinging to him was obviously that of a woman, and a woman whom he suspected of having a lover as well… and that made her seem much more alluring to him, and available, as well.

Wonder how come I never really noticed her before? he asked himself as he caressed the soft blonde head leaning upon his shoulder. Ain't like me to ignore a sexy-looking chick!

"Oh Larry, Larry," Sandi murmured, hugging him more tightly than ever in her relief that her husband was neither dead nor seriously injured. "You're sure he'll be all right? You're sure?"

"Stop worrying, baby," Larry's normally loud voice dropped to a soft croon as a definite plan began to formulate in his scheming mind. "He'll have to be in the hospital awhile, but we'll get him the best doctors and everything'll work out."

"When can I see him?"

"They're flying him in from Kansas tomorrow afternoon, and I'll drive you into Gary to see him," Larry replied, pouring her another glass of whiskey as he spoke. "Don't you worry about anything – I'll be taking care of you just like Verne asked me to. 'Help Sandi out,' that's what he said to me after the accident. Yeah, you can count on me!"