"His border collies. Great animals." She struggled to remember their names, but the memory eluded her. "I didn't even know he knew my name.
"The senator doesn't miss a trick."
"Have you known Jack a long time?"
"A fair spell. He was a teenage rodeo star when I was running a rodeo in Phoenix. He's a good trainer. I can't say the same about some of our other contestants."
Shannon grimaced. "Why'd you letTucker Larue enter?"
Buzz shrugged. "He met the requirements. I can't pick and choose favorites and have a fair contest."
Maybe she could get some information out of Buzz. He didn't seem to be holding anything back. "Tucker doesn't seem to like Jack. I saw them snarling at one another in the west paddock yesterday."
Buzz raised his brows. "You've noticed, eh? The two have clashed at more rodeos than I can count. Larue has a competitive streak too. If he loses, he makes sure the winner suffers in some way."
It was so clear now, six years after she'd first met him, that she'd been dazzled by Tucker's shiny belt buckles, snakeskin boots, and Stetson hat. She'd been fair game for a slick operator. She only prayed her girls didn't have to suffer for her stupidity.
"Here we are," Buzz said. "I see Jack is already at the far left corner. Looks like he wants some privacy." Amusement lingered in his voice.
"We, ah, have business to discuss."
"Sure, sure." He patted her hand. "If you need anything, you let me know, Shannon."
"Thanks, Buzz." She headed for the back table. Buzz was a great guy. She'd thought she didn't have a shot at this job, but he'd given her a chance. She was as weak as cactus tea by the time she got to where Jack waited. With her legs about to give out, she sank onto the bench. "Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
He stretched out his long, jean-clad legs. "About five minutes. I wasn't sure you'd show."
She blinked her blurry eyes a few times. Thankfully, her vision was beginning to come back to normal. "I said I would."
Jack's gaze stayed on her. "I thought maybe you'd decided to see a lawyer first."
She met his gaze with her chin up. "It may be too complicated to do anything but consult an attorney," she said.
He frowned. "Are you okay? You look pale and upset."
"I didn't sleep last night." If she told him about her open door at midnight and finding Felipe when she arrived, he would use it against her and say the ranch wasn't safe for Faith.
She dug her sandwich out of her bag to gain some time to think. There was no easy way out of this situation. She knew he would have a suggestion though. Men like Jack always did. Men who took control of a situation, who cut the Gordian knot with one thrust of the sword. Men who thought they knew the best answer to any question. She could sense his eyes on her, looking for any sign of weakness. She forced her gaze up to lock with his.
His color was a little pale. "Have you come up with a solution?"
She laid her turkey sandwich on the table and unzipped the plastic bag. He was asking her? She took out her bottle of hot sauce and poured it on her sandwich. The only solution that would be good for the girls terrified her, but she had to remember her twins were the important ones in this problem. Not her and not Jack.
"I'll be honest, Shannon. I'm scared spitless." He leaned forward and stared at her. "Faith is the best thing in my life. She's all I've got, just like Kylie is all you've got. She's my family. I can't lose her." His voice broke.
If he was trying to play to her emotions, he was doing a good job. A lump formed in her throat. Faith probably adored her daddy. A little girl should have a daddy. Kylie should have one too. She asked about her father off and on, and Shannon never knew what to tell her. Tucker had never so much as called to see if the girls had been born or if Shannon was all right.
Except he was here now. And she couldn't tell Jack.
SHANNON UNCAPPED HER BOTTLE OF WATER AND TOOK A SIP, THEN STARED at Jack. He couldn't read her expression. "I have a suggestion," he said. "Look, don't take this wrong, okay? I've got plenty of money. I know things are rough for you, trying to raise your daughter by yourself. I'll pay off your school loans, give you a fresh start. Just sign over Faith to me."
She choked on her water. "Sell you my daughter? What kind of monster do you think I am? This has nothing to do with money. I've cared for Kylie and myself from the beginning. I'm not some helpless damsel waiting to be rescued from a life of poverty."
He'd worried she'd take it wrong. He held up his hand. "I didn't mean it like that. I wanted to help you and Kylie. A court battle will hurt us all."
She glared at him. "I want to know my daughter," she said. "She's my flesh and blood. I've never washed her hair, bought her a shirt, or kissed her cheek." Her voice broke and she blinked damp eyes. "I've never heard her say `Mommy' or listened to her sing. I've never read a bedtime story to her or tucked her into bed at night after listening to her prayers. That's what's been stolen from me, Jack."
He pressed his lips together. "That's not my fault, Shannon." Not hers either, but he didn't say it.
Shannon's mouth trembled, and she looked down at her hands. Some emotion he couldn't read passed over her face. Could it be fear?
"Has Faith ever said strange things about having a sister?" she asked. "She has, hasn't she? Kylie has talked about it almost from the time she could first put sentences together. The second she saw Faith, she knew. How can we deprive them of the closeness twins can share?"
He clasped his hands together. "How can we give them that and keep their worlds from coming apart? Especially Faith's? If you take her away from me, she'll hate you. And a court battle might not even get you custody. I don't doubt you could give it a good shot, but the judge looks at what's in the best interest of the child. It's possible all you'll accomplish is alienating Faith when she finds out what you're trying to do. She loves me, you know."
"I'm sure she does." She pressed her fingers to her eyes as though her head hurt.
"You've got an idea. I can see the wheels turning," he said. He flattened his palms against the top of the table and leaned forward. "What is it?"
"Do you have a girlfriend, Jack?" she asked, her tone careful.
He frowned. He didn't want to tell her he'd only begun to think about dating again. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Just answer me. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything" She didn't meet his gaze.
"No. I haven't seen anyone since Blair died. Raising Faith is the most important thing in my life. Are you ready to marry or something? You think having two parents is the most important thing in a kid's life? I'd normally agree, but not if you rip a daughter from her father's arms."
Shannon finally stared up into his eyes. He thought he saw pain or fear there. Maybe both. "Spill it," he said. "I have no idea where I 11 you re going.
She wet her lips. "I do think having two parents is important. You're going to think this is a crazy idea, and maybe it is, but hear me out."
His heart softened toward her when he saw the way she trembled. He kept forgetting this was hard on her too. "You can trust me, Shannon. I want what's best for all of us."
Her face was expressionless. "That's all I want too to see the girls happy and whole." She clasped her hands together. "I have to worry about the future, about Kylie's future. She has no one who cares about her but me."
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "That has to be scary for you. But you're young. You've got many years ahead of you."
"That's what Blair thought," she said, not seeming to notice his wince.
Was she asking for a trust fund for Kylie? He could do that without another thought. Hope leaped to life.
Her gaze searched his. "This isn't about what we want. This is about the girls. Faith needs a mother and Kylie needs a father, someone who would love her even if I'm not there. Could you love her, Jack?"
"Of course I could. She's part of Faith." Did she want him to promise to take Kylie too? "What's this all about, Shannon? I
don't know where you're going with this. Are you asking me to take Kylie if something happens to you?"
"I'm asking for more than that. I want stability for both girls. I think we should marry." Her voice quavered, and she stared down at her hands. "Believe me, it's the last thing I would want for myself. But I'm not the important one here it's my girls who matter. And a stable home would be best for them."
Marry. The word made the blood drop from his head to his boots. He gripped the edge of the table. What a stupid idea. She must be crazy after all. He sank against his seat back. "Marry you? You mean, like a wedding license? Legally?" Jack stood on the edge of a precipice and couldn't see what lay below.
"That's usually what marry means." She batted moist eyes.
Jack realized a fly was heading straight for his mouth. He clamped his lips shut and stared at Shannon. Maybe she hadn't said what he thought he heard. But no, he could see by the wariness in her eyes that she'd just suggested they get married. It was the craziest idea he'd ever heard, but if he gave her his gut reaction, it might close all dialogue between them on how to sort out this mess.
"Tha-that's an interesting idea," he said slowly. "I'm not sure I'm tracking what you have in mind though." He studied her. She was a beautiful woman. Her straight blonde hair touched her shoulders, amazing blue eyes just like his daughter's. Slim but shapely in all the right places.
But he didn't love her. Heck, he didn't even know her. She was tenacious and strong, a woman who had put herself through school and was raising her daughter alone, both admirable traits. But for all he knew, she ate bats for breakfast. Her pretty face could hide anything. Like every other man he knew, he'd seen Fatal Attraction and shuddered.
She pushed her hair out of her face. "I know it's a shock. I'm not proposing a real marriage, of course." Her words came out in a rush, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm sure your ranch house has tons of space, and we could each have our own wing or something. It would be a marriage in name only, just to provide for our girls."
"At least you're saying `our' girls." He couldn't believe he was actually thinking about this. "We wouldn't be putting them through a very public court battle," he said slowly, allowing the idea to sink in. He wouldn't run the risk of losing his daughter.
Of course there would be trade-offs. He'd have a woman in his house to consider every time he did something. He'd have two children, not just one. He wouldn't be able to look at another woman. Not that he'd dated anyone since Blair died, but the idea had begun to stir in his heart, even though he'd pushed it away. A marriage would effectively put an end to that idea.
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?"
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