Lonestar Secrets (9 page)

He studied her downcast face. "In fact, the girls wouldn't have to know anything other than that we're getting married."

She frowned and raised her gaze. Her guarded expression had vanished, replaced with longing. "I want Faith to know I'm her real mother."

Blair's face flashed across his mind. Her laughing face framed with red curls, her chocolate eyes dancing with the zest of life. He shook his head. "Blair was Faith's mommy in every sense of the word. They were very close. Faith cherishes the memory of her. I don't want to ruin that."

Shannon winced, but she nodded. "Fair enough, but you have to be willing to let her know the truth at some point. I want the girls to know they're sisters, twins. That's an important thing for wholeness for them."

She had a point, though he didn't want to admit it. Still, he wasn't ready to just jump on this idea. There had to be another way around the problem.

"Don't answer now," she said as if she saw the indecision on his face. "Think about it. Pray about it. Nothing has to be decided yet." Her blue eyes darkened to midnight. "I know I'm hardly the wife material you might have had in mind. And frankly, I don't really trust you, Jack. You broke your word to me once."

His gut tightened. "I've apologized more than once, Shannon. I was a stupid kid, and it just slipped out. You have to admit it was crazy to think that horse was a unicorn."

"I never said he was!" Now she was finally looking at him. "I said in the moonlight it looked like he had a horn. I just asked if you believed unicorns could be real. You made me sound like some kind of nutcase."

"Look, let's just start over. That's all in the past. We were kids, and I was stupid. I admit that. Can't you just let it go?"

The high color on her face began to ebb, and she finally nodded. He saw Larue approaching. At least he wouldn't have to pursue this until he'd had time to examine the idea.

Larue's black eyes roamed over Shannon, and his crooked smile held a predatory gleam. He stopped by Shannon's chair, his hip close enough to graze her shoulder.

She tipped her head up to see who had joined them. "Tucker, were you looking for me?"

"I've never stopped looking for you," he said in a sultry voice. His hand brushed across her blond locks.

Shannon's smile faded, and she scooted away a few inches. "Any problems with your horses?"

"Couldn't be better. I'm going to win this competition and the money." He flashed a grin Jack's way.

"If you don't need Dr. Astor for anything, then vamoose," Jack said. "This is a private discussion."

"You trying to hog the pretty lady all to yourself?" Larue's hand brushed her hair again.

Shannon jerked away, leaping to her feet. "I'll thank you to keep your hands to yourself. I'm an official of this competition and I expect to be treated with respect. I'm not some bimbo out for a good time."

Larne stepped back and held up his hands. "Whoa, sweet! I like to see passion like that in my women."

Jack stood with his fists clenched, but he never got the chance to defend her. She jabbed her finger in Larue's chest. "I'm not one of your women and never will be." She grabbed her lunch from the table and stalked off. She didn't look back.

Jack was grinning when Larue glanced at him. The man strode off with a scowl. Jack's admiration of the little veterinarian rose a couple of notches. She was no man's fool.

SHE SHOULD HAVE HER HEAD EXAMINED. SHANNON GROANED AT HER OWN stupidity as she continued her rounds to check on the mustangs. Jack must have wondered at her sanity. She couldn't believe the words had come out of her mouth either. Was she trying for a repeat of the way he'd hurt her in the past?

She needed to quit worrying. God had seen her through this far. She had to trust he would continue to lead her. The anxiety about her future ebbed. When the day's training was over, she drove to town. She hadn't seen her office yet or set up her answering machine. Probably everyone in town knew she was here by now. She scanned the buildings, looking for a brown stucco building on the next corner. She spotted it. A rail fence framed the edge of the property. The landscaping could use some work weeds poked through the gravel mulch in the yard.

She parked in the dirt lot and grabbed her bag. As she approached the front door, she noticed it looked a bit grimy. Grady O'Sullivan had probably only stopped by if he forgot something, because his friends all knew to call him at the church office if they had an animal in trouble.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open. A man standing at the filing cabinet turned when the door hinges creaked. She nearly screamed, but then she recognized Grady's red hair.

She put her hand to her throat. "Grady, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"A bit jumpy?" He smiled and approached her with his hand extended. "Welcome back to town, Shannon. I always knew you'd make it."

Over the summers during high school and college, she'd worked for Grady. She'd taken care of the animals he kept overnight, checking in on them until bedtime and again first thing in the morning. She'd done his filing and answered the phones and learned so much. He was one of the few people who didn't listen to gossip about her.

She ignored his outstretched hand and hugged him instead. His shirt smelled of lemon wax. "You been waxing the church piano again?" she teased.

He returned her hug. "Guilty as charged."

As pastor of the tiny church in town, Grady was the jack-of-alltrades. During her teen years, Shannon had seen him cleaning fans, unclogging the septic, and doing everything in between.

"I hope to see you at church on Sunday."

"You will." She stepped away and glanced around.

The small office didn't hold much other than utilitarian black fur niture coated with ten years' worth of pet hair. A battered desk and new file cabinets blocked off the actual office area. From memory she knew the hall led to three examining rooms. A door at the end of the hall opened into a large garage-like space where animal crates lined the walls. The room was where overnight patients were kept.

Her domain now. The surreal thought made her stop. Who would have dreamed she'd come back to town and take over the business?

She followed him back to the filing cabinets. "Grady, I wish you'd let me pay you for the business."

"The business was here when I came, Shannon. When old Majors died, I stepped into his shoes. I'm just happy to have someone relieve me of the responsibility. Getting calls at night for animal illnesses and from people with problems got to be more than I could handle. And I trust you." He turned a smile on her.

"It doesn't feel right," she muttered.

His grin widened. "You hate feeling obligated. So don't. I'm the grateful one. And Dolly is even more grateful. At least I'm not having to slip out of bed two or three nights a week to go work on a foundered horse."

"Is it that bad?" She frowned, wondering how she was going to handle that with no one to look after Kylie at such hours.

He grinned. "Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. But it happens several times a month, at least. How are you going to handle those calls with Kylie? Have you thought it through?"

"I thought I might hire a housekeeper once I have some money coming in. I've lived on a shoestring budget long enough to be able to make it while paying a salary out, I think." She gestured to the door to the animal area. "We have any patients in the back? And who checks on them at night?"

"Two cats with urinary tract infections and a dog that got hit by a pickup. I just checked on them, but I know you'll want to as well. They're doing fine and will be released tomorrow. I rented out that little apartment garage in back to a woman who checks on the animals through the night until Cassie comes in for the day."

"Thanks for keeping things rolling until I can take over the office. Once the Mustang Makeover is over, you can forget all about this place."

"You'll see me around from time to time. Caring for animals is in the blood." He studied her face. "You were born to be a vet, Shannon. You've got a gentle touch that creatures sense."

"You always know where you stand with animals," she said. "If they wag their tail or lick your hand, you're in."

Grady laughed. "I know you. You'll work yourself to death for them. But don't forget to have a life too."

"I won't." She went toward the hall door. "I'll check on the patients." She left Grady in the office and stepped into the big room in the back. Both cats began meowing and rubbing up against the cages. She opened the first cage and ran her hand over the black cat's fur. It began to purr. "You're not sick, are you?"

She lifted the kitty and put her face against its fur. The tension she'd been under began to ease. Grady said she had a way with animals, but in truth, animals had a way with her. Their unconditional love made her believe there was goodness in the world. She never felt inept when caring for someone's pet.

After checking the others, she put a message on the answering machine directing people to call her cell phone, then hugged Grady good-bye and drove to the Bluebird Ranch. The aroma of green beans cooking wafted out on the breeze through the open window. Allie was probably canning the beans she'd snapped this morning. Or else she was cooking them for supper.

Allie saw her through the window and waved Shannon inside. When Shannon stepped into the kitchen, she saw rows of canned beans cooling on every available surface. Allie's face was red, and her forehead was damp as she bustled from stove to counter with a hot can in some tongs.

"Should you be working this hard?" Shannon asked.

"Did you change your name to Rick?" Allie sent her an impish grin, then set down the jar and wiped her forehead with her apron. "This is the last batch. Hey, the girls have been begging for Kylie to spend the night. Is it okay with you?"

The thought of going to that empty house alone set Shannon's nerves on edge, but she nodded and went to pour a cup of coffee from the carafe. She spooned in sugar and cream and took it to the table. It was only five, so by the time she got home she might get some cleaning done.

"How did it go with Jack today? Did you talk about the girls?"

"We did." Shannon managed a weak smile.

Allie brought a cup of tea to the table and sat beside Shannon. "What was his suggestion on how to work this out?" she asked.

"For me to just sign Faith over to him and he'd pay off my school loans. You owe me, girl. I won that bet." It gave her no pleasure to be right.

"What did you say?"

Shannon looked away. "I don't want to tell you. It was the stupidest idea of the century. I still can't believe I said it." If she could roll back time, she'd take it back.

"What on earth? What happened?"

Shannon sipped her coffee and wished she'd never brought it up. The taste of the drink purged the bile on her tongue. Hot and strong, the way she liked it. She set her cup on the table. "I told him I wanted us to marry"

Allie's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. "Wait, I'm not following you here. Say it again, only slower."

"You heard me. M-a-r-r-y. Marry as in a wedding. I told him we should get married and provide both parents for the girls." She rubbed her forehead. "It seemed the only answer. He has to think I'm a total idiot."

Allie still hadn't said anything. Shannon dared a peek at her friend and found her staring back with a thoughtful expression. "What?" she asked.

"What were you thinking? I want to know how you came up with this idea." She wagged her eyebrows. "He's a hottie. One look and you were smitten, right? Oh wait, I know. His housekeeper slipped you a little love potion when you weren't looking."

Heaven forbid. Shannon studied her hands: the unpolished nails, the nick on her forefinger. The truth was going to come out anyway. "I have MS, Allie." When Allie gasped and Shannon saw tears pooling in her friend's eyes, she smiled. "Hey, it's not a death sentence or anything. But my vision comes and goes, and I have trouble walking sometimes. I just want Kylie cared for if I become unable to work."

Allie reached across the table and gripped Shannon's hand. "We'll help if you need us."

Shannon returned the pressure of Allie's grip. "Thanks. I want Kylie to have two parents. I think Jack would love her because he already loves Faith. They're two peas in a pod. Neither of us could tell them apart. It made some kind of sense at the time I suggested it. Now I'm not so sure."

"What did Jack say?"

A giggle forced its way up Shannon's throat. "To say he was appalled would be an understatement. I could have plucked out his eyes and used them as marbles."

Allie laughed. "So he refused right off"

"No. I told him to think about it. He was happy to grab an excuse not to answer." She laughed again. "He probably won't go for it."

"If he doesn't, what are you going to do?"

Shannon sobered, realizing again there were no easy answers. "I don't know. I want to know Faith. I suppose we'd have to share custody in some way. I'm not just turning her over to Jack."

"Those poor girls. This will be hard to explain."

"Maybe not so hard for Kylie. She's asked about her twin sister for years."