Lonestar Secrets (17 page)

"Could I have another sip of water?" she asked while she tried to think how to answer his question.

He handed over the canteen, and she took a tiny sip. The cool liquid was like heaven.

"I take it you don't want to answer me?" His voice was gently teasing.

"I was just trying to think about what I want. You have to admit our lives took a surprising detour in the past week or so. You'd say an unwelcome one, but it was an exciting one for me to find out my daughter is still alive. So I want the girls to have a stable, loving home. To grow up well adjusted and happy."

"I'm getting used to the idea that I'll have two little Faiths around."

"And a wife. I'm sure that idea isn't growing on you."

"I've worried about Faith, growing up without a mother. She needs you.

And you don't, she thought. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she told herself it was a reaction against the grit in them. Her throat thickened, but she swallowed and forced a light tone to her voice. "How about you? What do you want? Politics like your dad?"

"The good Lord preserve me from such a fate," he said. "I love this land, the stark beauty of it. The Rio Grande in full flood, the hawk on the wing. The yip of the coyotes at night. I want to live a life of integrity and to teach my daughter daughters to do the same. To be a good steward of the land God's given me. To raise great horses that enrich other people's lives as well as my own. I don't know, maybe I sound a little pompous. I don't voice this stuff much. I just want my life to count for something good."

Shannon couldn't answer him. He'd changed from the self-absorbed young man she remembered from school. It would be way too easy to fall in love with him, and she didn't trust him. Not yet. Besides, he'd been crazy about Blair, and with good reason. She'd always treated Shannon decently even when others hadn't. Shannon could never hold a candle to someone like Blair.

His breathing slowed, and she knew he was asleep. Tomorrow they'd ride out of here and she'd be able to keep him at a safe distance again.

When the sunlight filtered through their "tent," it didn't seem she'd slept a wink, but she must have, because she lay curled against Jack with her head on his shoulder. And she never would have gone there in her right mind. She rolled away, and he murmured something in his sleep. She didn't want to know what it was, and luckily, she heard Rick's shout outside the shack door followed by Moses' excited bark.

"Here, we're here!" She scrambled over Jack's inert frame and burst out of the door and into the sunshine where the cold light of day assured her Jack could never come to care for her.

12

WEDNESDAY EVENING, SHANNON STARED AT THE CELL PHONE IN HER HAND. Not knowing what had happened to Mary Beth was weighing on her, and she couldn't get the image of that mass of her friend's hair out of her mind.

Did she dare call and demand to speak to Mary Beth?

What did she have to lose? Right now she had no idea if her friend was dead or alive. Shannon feared the answer wasn't one she wanted to hear, but she had to know. She called up Mary Beth's cell phone number and listened to it ring. Steeling herself for that man's voice, she waited.

Shannon's heart leaped at the sound of Mary Beth's voice, then she realized she'd been dumped into voice mail. She nearly hung up but didn't. "This is Shannon Astor. I need to know that Mary Beth is okay before I do anything else." She shut the phone and put it away.

Before I do anything else. Like she were able to do anything other than this walk in the dark. If only she had some idea of what money was in question. The man would have checked out Mary Beth's bank account, and Shannon couldn't do it anyway, because she didn't have the account number. All she could do was wait.

Her cell phone played its tune, and she froze. She grabbed it and glanced at the display, then saw Mary Beth's number. That was fast. For a moment she wanted to ignore the urgent ring. Praying for courage and the right words, she flipped it open. "Mary Beth?"

"Wrong, little lady. You should know what happened to your friend when you wouldn't play ball. Bye-bye, Mary Beth."

"I don't think so," she said, wondering at her boldness. "If she's dead, your hopes of finding the money are gone."

"We still have you."

"I want to talk to Mary Beth," Shannon said, hanging on to the phone with a death grip. "If I don't talk to her, you don't get anything" What was that noise in the background? It grew louder and she realized it was a train.

His voice came in a low growl above the train's rumble. "Give me the money, and you can talk to her then."

"We're at a standstill, then. I'm not making a move until I know she's okay." She waited for his response, but all she got was a click. He'd hung up on her. What did that say about Mary Beth's situation? Shannon prayed it didn't mean her friend was dead.

She called the Rangers again, but that was a waste of time when she had nothing to give them but the sound of a train. They made note of the call and she put her phone away. They hadn't found any trace of Mary Beth. If this man didn't get what he wanted by using Mary Beth, would he move on to Shannon's daughters? The man had said he wouldn't touch the children, but she sensed desperation in his voice, and she had no idea what he would do next.

And the man's frustration was likely growing at his inability to get her to talk. She pressed her fingers to her eyes. If only she knew where to look for that money.

THE SMALL CHURCH HELD A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE. PASTOR GRADY O'Sullivan and his wife, Dolly. A few folks from the adult Sundayschool class Jack taught. The Baileys. Jack's parents were here, but he hadn't invited Aunt Verna.

He glanced down at his daughter clinging to his hand. The two girls wore identical dresses in a weird bluish shade. They were made of that filmy stuff that made them look like princesses. In cream leather flats, with bows in their curled blonde hair, they could have stepped from the pages of a fairy-tale book.

Shannon had done a good job, but he was ready to bolt for the door, especially after the other night in the sandstorm. He was way too attracted to her. He cracked his knuckles and made himself stand where he was.

"You nervous?" Rick asked. Dressed in a suit, he could almost be going to his own wedding.

"A little." Jack eyed Rick. Shannon had moved in with the Baileys last week, and she'd been tight-lipped about the reason why. Maybe it was the state of the house her uncle had left her. Or maybe she just needed Allie's comfort as they planned the wedding.

Jack cracked his knuckles again, then stuck his hands in his pockets. His dark blue suit was new, and he'd had his hair trimmed yesterday. All to marry some woman he didn't know. No, strike that. He squeezed Faith's fingers gently. To keep his daughter. That's what it was all about. He had to keep his priorities in mind.

His daughter pulled her hand free and ran across the church to join her sister. They still had to tell the girls the whole truth, but Jack intended to put it off as long as possible.

Rick waited until she was out of hearing range. "Shannon has been a wild woman for three days. Pacing the floor at night, crying for no reason, eating every bit of homemade bread in the house." He grinned. "Between her and my pregnant wife, I haven't gotten a lick of work done."

A short bark of laughter burst out of Jack's mouth, and the release kept him grinning. "Enrica doesn't allow wheat in our house. Shannon's going to have a hard time of it if she gets nervous at our place." He stared hard at Rick. "You're happy, right? Married, I mean."

Rick nodded, his eyes twinkling. He leaned closer. "I didn't know Allie when I married her either."

Jack had heard rumors, but he hadn't known what to believe. "Some people said you knew her from a long time ago."

"Nope. I hadn't laid eyes on her until I found her and Betsy stranded at the side of the road. We married for Betsy's sake, and it's worked out. More than worked out. We've got a great marriage." Rick slapped Jack on the shoulder. "Give yourself a chance to discover she's a terrific gal."

Jack grunted. "You couldn't prove it by me. She could have just done the right thing. All she had to do was sign Faith over to me."

"Would you have done that? If the situation were reversed and that child was yours?"

Jack didn't want to answer. He wanted to hang on to his anger against Shannon, to hug his feelings of outrage. "Maybe not."

"You wouldn't. You'd want to know your daughter too. Anyone would. You can't blame her."

Jack shrugged. "I've been railroaded." He knew he sounded sulky. No, he was sulky.

Rick's grin faded. "Like I said, don't shut the door on a real marriage. It can happen."

"Yeah, right." Jack took his hands from his pocket and cracked his knuckles again. His stomach plunged when Grady stepped out the side door by the pulpit and motioned to him. This dog and pony show was about to begin.

All he wanted to do was run for the nearest exit, but he'd have to grab the pommel of this saddle and hang on for dear life.

Rick grabbed his elbow when he took a step back. "You can do it. Let's go."

Jack forced his feet to move forward, shuffling closer to the front of the church. He barely noticed the flowers hanging on the ends of the pews or the candelabra at the front of the church. All touches someone had cared about to make the day nice for them.

The next thing he knew, he and Rick were standing in front of the few guests. Grady's wife, Dolly, put her hands on the organ, and the sound filled the small church. The girls came down the aisle together, one scattering petals and the other holding the ring bearer's pillow with the fake rings.

"You've got the ring, right?" Jack whispered to Rick.

"Got it."

Allie came down the aisle in a blue dress that was shiny. She looked nice, and the love in her eyes when she saw Rick made Jack's throat thicken. Blair used to look at him like that. Now here he was, settling for a loveless marriage.

The organ pounded out the first notes of the "Bridal Chorus." He caught his first glimpse of his new bride. She wore a cream dress that left her shoulders bare and draped over her down to a jagged kind of hem. At least it wasn't a normal bride's dress. It didn't even have a train.

His gaze found her face. She looked pale, and her eyes stared straight ahead. She didn't turn to smile at any of the guests. Her mouth pressed into a straight line, she walked with a halting step. Was she trying to match the music or was she about to turn tail and run? His muscles tensed to grab her if she started to bolt. She'd gotten them both into this, and she'd see it through.

One foot in front of the other, she advanced until she stood at his side. No one gave her away. Pale as a yucca blossom, she stood swaying beside him. As Grady had them repeat their vows, Jack could barely hear her answers, though he replied to Grady's prompts in a strong voice.

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

The ominous words struck Jack in the gut. Man and wife. When he'd first heard those words, he'd thought his marriage would be forever. At that time it had been a happy thought. Today, forever was more of a threat.

"You may kiss your bride," Grady said softly.

Jack glanced at Shannon. Her smile seemed more like a grimace. People were watching and he didn't want to embarrass her, so he bent and brushed his lips across hers. The softness of her mouth startled him. It had been so long since he'd kissed a woman a year in fact. He didn't want to think about her in the same category as Blair. He stepped away.

It was all he could do to offer a tight-lipped smile and his arm to his new bride. She clung to his arm as he led her back down the aisle. He knew she'd seen Verna seated in the back by the way she gripped his arm.

"Did you invite her?" she whispered.

"No," he said softly.

Verna's eyes pleaded with them as they passed out the doors of the sanctuary to form a reception line in the foyer. She was the first one out of the sanctuary door and came toward them with her arms outstretched. "I'm sorry, so sorry," she sniffled, pulling a hankie from her purse. "But it's all turned out for the best, hasn't it?"

Jack didn't know how to answer that. He maintained a tight smile for the sake of the guests coming up behind her. Shannon's arm trembled against his.

"What do you call `the best'?" Shannon asked softly. "A loveless marriage?"

Verna dropped her gaze, then lifted it again with a touch of defiance in her eyes. "You've got a good man to take care of you. The girls are together. Blair died happy. What part isn't good?"

"How about the fact I've never tucked Faith into bed at night? I've never read her a story or nursed her. All the years I've missed."

Verna's gaze softened, and her eyes filled. "I can't give that back to you, but what you lost, Blair gained. That should bring some comfort."

To Jack's surprise, Shannon slowly nodded. He eyed her pensive face and wondered what she was thinking.

"Maybe you're right, Verna," she said. "One person's loss is another's gain. I'll try to remember that good can come from bad."

Her lips were tight, and he knew she was trying not to spoil their day. He took her hand, and her fingers curled around his as they turned to greet the rest of the guests streaming out of the sanctuary.

When family and friends finally finished hugging them, they escaped to the reception tent. One more duty with the punch and cake and they could leave. His mother had insisted on filling the tent with flowers. So far he'd managed to keep her away from Shannon, but his luck was about to end. His mother bore down on them with his father in tow. Her set face wore a smile, but the determination in her eyes told him he'd have to be on his toes to keep the truth from her and Dad.

"Shannon, you look lovely," his mother said, her teeth nearly bared. "I'm so eager to get to know you better. How amazing that the girls look so much alike."

No pussyfooting around with his mother. She went straight for the jugular. Jack brushed his lips against his mother's cool powdered cheek. Once upon a time, he'd thought the scent of face powder was a necessary requirement for a woman. The thought sent his gaze skipping to Shannon.