Lonestar Secrets

by Colleen Coble

  "It's a lovely room," she whispered to him.

  Her awe touched him. Maybe he'd be able to give her and Kylie things they would never experience otherwise. But a man wanted to be respected and loved for more than his possessions. He had no idea what Shannon thought of him as a person other than her contempt for what he'd done in high school.

  He dropped onto the sofa so she could sit beside him. A unified front might put his parents off a bit. His mother took the seat to the right of the fireplace, and his father sat down in the opposite chair.

  His mother folded her hands in her lap. "Now children, tell us what's going on. The resemblance between the girls is quite remarkable."

  "That's because they're twins," Shannon said. Her hands lay on her thighs, and her voice didn't reveal any stress.

  Nothing like jumping right into open war. Jack nodded. "That's right. They're twins."

  Alexis gasped and put her hand to her throat. "Twins? I don't understand." She glanced across the rug to her husband. "Senator, do you know what they're talking about?"

  His mother had called his father Senator from the moment he won his first race twenty years ago. Jack used to think it an affectation that proclaimed her own status, but he'd come to realize his mother really was proud of Dad. The endearment was more for his father's ego than for hers.

  His father cleared his throat. "I think the young'uns are about to tell us, poppet. Settle down and let 'em talk."

  Jack took Shannon's hand. "Both girls are Shannon's." He waited for the gasps to end. "Blair's dear aunt switched our dead baby with one of Shannon's girls."

  His mother's head swung from side to side as though to clear it. "Verna did this? I don't believe it." But the color drained from her face.

  "She did." Jack wasn't sure how much more to say. His mother was sure to want to know why Verna would do such a thing, and the minute she found out Shannon had delivered the girls out of wedlock, Alexis's attitude would take a major shift. At least his dad's attitude had softened. He was in his "win the vote" mode.

  "What was she thinking?" Alexis murmured. She twisted her huge rings on her fingers.

  "She wasn't thinking at all or she wouldn't have done it," Jack said.

  Shannon inhaled, a gentle sigh, and her glance at him held gratitude. She straightened from her slouch against the sofa. "She thought she was doing me a favor. I had no husband. I was going off to college. She thought it would be impossible for me to support two children by myself."

  Jack shook his head. "That was how she rationalized it. The reality is, she did it for Blair. Blair's life was wrapped up in the baby. It was a miracle she carried the baby to term in the first place. The doctor didn't think she'd get pregnant again. Verna saw her chance to make Blair happy and took it."

  "Land sakes,"Alexis said, her voice nearly inaudible. "How was this discovered?"

  "We ran into one another and saw the girls together. Neither of us knew which was our own daughter." The memory of that horror still dogged his dreams. "They're too much alike to miss the resemblance. And they look just like Shannon."

  The senator crossed one leg over the other. "So you married to take care of both girls. You did good, Son."

  His wife stared at him as though he'd just sprouted cactus from his forehead. She looked back to Jack. "But you don't love one another."

  "We'll learn to," Jack said. He'd mouthed the words, but did he really intend to learn to love her? He wasn't ready to let anyone take Blair's place. Shannon's hand twitched in his, but he kept hold of it. This whole thing might be harder than he'd imagined.

  His father managed a smile. "Welcome to the family, Shannon. It's easy to see where the girls got their looks." He stretched out his legs. "Interesting legends in that old canyon your uncle owned. You ever go looking for Spanish artifacts with your daddy?"

  Her hand clutched his tighter. "The desire to find the treasure killed my parents. I believe in letting the dead rest in peace."

  "Of course. I'm sorry about your parents. You look very much like your mother."

  "I get that a lot."

  Jack glanced down at her. The tension in her voice made him wonder. His dad was just making idle conversation, but her cheeks had lost color and she had his hand in a death grip. "It's just legend," he said.

  The senator cleared his throat. "You know the stories, Jack. Spaniards, gold coins, gold mines. The rumors picked up again in 1980 when a hiker was backpacking on a trail in the Big Bend. He stumbled on a jeweled gold cross, washed down from someplace on the hill. I always reckoned that cross was part of a treasure hidden after Indians massacred a band of Spaniards. Folks looked for more at the time, but it was all big hat but no cattle."

  Shannon's fingers dug into his hand even tighter, and Jack gave her arm an absent pat.

  "I reckon she could tell you more than me." Senator Jack's smile was genial. "Her pa told me he'd found the mother lode. The whole enchilada. Maybe it's buried with him."

  Shannon's lips tightened, but she still said nothing.

  "Any idea how much treasure we're talking?" Jack asked, glancing at Shannon.

  "My dad said it would be worth at least two million," she said with obvious reluctance.

  "That was over fifteen years ago. I reckon it's closer to fifty million in today's market. Folks are hungry to get their hands on artifacts."

  "Fifty million," Shannon said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  "Mighty fine, isn't it? You'd be a rich woman if you could figure out where your daddy found it." The senator stood. "Ready to go home, poppet?"

  While Jack hugged his parents good-bye and saw them off, his mind played with the idea. Could the treasure still be out there? He had no need of the money, but his sense of adventure kicked in. He couldn't imagine touching artifacts that had been last held by a Spaniard who walked this land in the 1500s. That was only a few years after Columbus sailed. He could imagine the thick gold, the jewels.

  Shannon touched his elbow. "You're thinking about the treasure, aren't you?"

  "The thought has its hooks in me," he admitted.

  "I hoped you'd be above that kind of greed." Her voice was low and sad, not angry.

  "It's not greed."

  "You don't need the money. You just want it."

  "You're not intrigued at the thought of seeing something so ancient?"

  Her head whipped from side to side. "I don't want to see it again." She rushed up the stairs.

  It was only after he'd heard the door to her bedroom slam that he realized she'd said "again."

  THE ROOM SMELLED NEW. NEW CARPET, NEW PAINT, NEW FURNISHINGS. New marriage.

  Shannon lay snuggled in the big bed. She fingered the wedding band on her hand. She'd never been much for jewelry, and the ring was almost a brand of ownership. After meeting Jack's family, she realized she had a reputation to uphold. She hadn't considered how her life might change so drastically as a MacGowan.

  Jack had surprised her tonight. He'd told his parents the truth about Verna instead of letting Shannon take the blame. It was a tiny piece of the puzzle that was her husband. It would take many months before she was able to make out the picture. It held a smudge because of his obsession with the treasure, though. She'd thought better of him.

  The pillows under her head were the finest down. The thread count on the sheets and quilt had to be at least a thousand. They were soft as satin, and Enrica had washed them enough to get the starch out. Comfort cocooned her, and she stretched out, letting every inch of her body luxuriate in it.

  She should be happy. Kylie was going to be cared for, but the uncomfortable sensation under her breastbone made her squirm in the lap of luxury. Guilt, pure and simple.

  A whisper of movement caught her attention, then two small bodies leaped onto the bed. Giggling, the girls pounced on her. Shannon threw back the covers. "You want to sleep with me?"

  Kylie squealed, "Yes!" Both girls snuggled under the quilt against her. The early fall night sent a chill through her
open window, and the warm little bodies comforted Shannon.

  With a child on each side, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but she realized the girls had left the bedroom door open. She should get up and shut it. Before she could summon the determination to let loose her hold on her daughters, another hint of movement caught her attention. The moonlight touched the face of the man who stood framed in the doorway with Wyatt at his side.

  "Jack." Instinctively, Shannon pulled the quilt to her chin. "What are you doing?"

  "Sorry to disturb you. I was just making sure of the girls' whereabouts. Looks like they're with you."

  "They just got here a few minutes ago. I think Kylie was keeping Faith awake."

  "Most likely it was Faith. She doesn't sleep well."

  "Neither does Kylie."

  He took a step into the room. "Is there anything you need?"

  "No, we're fine." Before he could turn to go, she burst out, "What made you say yes, Jack? You could have fought for Faith." Her hand tightened on the shoulder of the twin on her left. But I never would have given her up. The girls need each other.

  "I didn't want to put her through something like that. Or Kylie either."

  He might have won. With his father's influence and his wealth, what jury would have awarded her Faith? "I'll try not to embarrass you. I'll learn everything I should know about being the wife you need at functions and dinners. I know how people here used to think about me, but I'll never give them cause to mock me again. You won't have to be ashamed of me."

  His teeth gleamed in the moonlight, and his soft laugh made her insides flutter. She'd never heard him laugh, and the sound was as enjoyable as the song of the bluebirds she'd heard in the meadow the other day. It made her want to move closer and see the amusement in his eyes, to let his breath touch her face, to sense his indulgence of her.

  She mentally shook herself. There was no future to that kind of relationship.

  "I don't get out all that often, Shannon. My life isn't like my parents'. I like to eat at home. I look forward to having a second daughter. I don't expect you to be anyone but who you are."

  "Thank you for standing up to your parents for me tonight," she said, the impulsive words blurting from her mouth when he turned to leave. Was she trying to get him to stay? How pathetic. "I mean, you could have let me take the blame, but you didn't."

  "None of this is your fault."

  "It's not yours either."

  He shook his head. "We were both caught up in something we never reckoned could happen. I think we're dealing with it pretty well."

  "Me too. Good night."

  "Good night." His teeth gleamed again. Then he stepped out of the doorway.

  The flutter of breeze from the evening air turned colder. Shannon told herself it had nothing to do with his absence.

  JACK CHECKED THE HORSES BEFORE HE WENT TO BED. EYERYTHING WAS quiet. On his way to his room, he heard a cell phone ring from inside Shannon's room. He heard the soft murmur of her voice, then the sound of the closet door sliding open. He leaned against the wall until she appeared, fully dressed.

  She paused when she saw him standing there. "Did I wake you?" she asked.

  "No, I was up. A problem?"

  She nodded. "A dog hit by a car. Grady is with a foaling mare and called to ask me if I could go."

  He winced. "Want me to come? Enrica is here with the girls."

  She hesitated, and he interpreted her expression. "Let me tell Enrica. I'll meet you at the truck."

  "Thanks," she mumbled.

  He rapped on Enrica's door and told her the situation, then rushed down the steps to the truck outside. Shannon was already inside with her knapsack. "How bad?" he asked, dropping the truck lever into drive.

  "Bad. I'm probably going to have to put him down." Her voice trembled.

  He shot a quick glance her way. "Your first?"

  She shook her head. "But it's never easy."

  "Whose is it?"

  "Judge Julia Thompson's."

  He winced. "Porter? He's a great dog"

  "I remember him, I think. A collie mix, right?"

  "Yeah. He's probably ten or twelve years old now." They rode in silence the rest of the way to town. Bluebird Crossing slumbered under the stars. The only lighted area they passed was the parking lot at the grocery store. At the judge's two-story stucco place, lights blazed from the upstairs and the kitchen windows. He saw movement by the street and saw Julia crouching on the tree lawn with porter's head in her lap.

  Shannon was out of the truck before he managed to throw the lever into park. He followed her to the dog and its mistress.

  Julia's face was wet with tears. "Kids racing. They didn't even stop. I let him out to do his business and had his leash in my hand. He heard the kids laughing and jerked the end of it out of my hand. He was in the street before I could react."

  Shannon knelt beside the injured dog and touched his head. He was panting. Jack watched her run her hands over his spine and twisted legs. His heart sank when she shook her head.

  "I'm sorry, judge," she said. "He's all busted up inside. His spine is broken. There's nothing I can do for him except put him out of pain."

  "Do it then," Julia said fiercely. She pulled the dog closer and spoke to porter in a soothing voice. "Such a good dog you've been, my friend. Go wait for me in heaven at the Rainbow Bridge. I'll be along soon. Chase some rabbits until I get there."

  Shannon was weeping as she filled the syringe. It was all Jack could do to hold back his own emotion as he watched her kneel and administer the shot. Seconds later porter relaxed in Julia's arms. The judge broke into loud sobbing and hugged her dog one last time.

  "You want me to take him?" Shannon asked, her voice choppy.

  "I'd like to have him cremated," Julia said. "If you could arrange that, I'd be grateful."

  "I'll take care of it," Shannon promised. "Jack, would you open the back of your truck?"

  "I can take porter. He's heavy."

  "I'd like to do it," Shannon said. She lifted the big dog's body in her arms and carried him to the truck, where she laid him on an old blanket. She walked back to where Julia stood on the tree lawn. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked.

  Julia shook her head. "Thank you. For caring, for giving him peace.

  Shannon wiped her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, judge. I'll see you get his ashes back in a week or so." She patted Julia's arm, then walked back to the truck and got in.

  Jack shut the tailgate, hugged Julia and waited until she was inside, then went to the truck as well. When he got inside the cab, he found Shannon with her face in her hands and her shoulders heaving. He put his arm around her. "It's okay," he whispered in her hair.

  "Sometimes I wonder why I wanted to be a vet," she muttered.

  He smoothed her hair, relishing its softness. Fairy hair, Kylie called it. "It's good you care. The animals can sense that."

  I She raised her head. "Thanks for coming with me, Jack. I . . . needed you."

  The raw words struck his heart. She wasn't as strong as she seemed, this new wife of his. He needed to remember to be gentler. He brushed his lips across her soft cheek, then moved back under the steering wheel and drove toward home.

  14

  THE NEXT WEEK FELL INTO AN EVEN TENOR. SHANNON RODE TO THE Mustang Makeover with Jack. After the bonding the night of Porter's death, the silences between them began to thaw to a guarded camaraderie, and she looked forward to the few words they exchanged along the way. She'd tried to call Mary Beth several more times, but the only answer was the voice mail. The man who wanted money didn't contact her again. She called the Texas Rangers daily and received the expected answer: they had no new leads. Shannon didn't know what to think, what to do. She'd never been so helpless.

  In spite of the uncertainty over Mary Beth, her health was better now, and she was more clearheaded. Enrica claimed it was the food she served. The housekeeper thought gluten was the root of all evil and eliminating it would fix
anything, but Shannon thought resolving her daughters' futures might play a part.

  Wednesday evening of the following week, she walked out of the Mustang Makeover camp toward Jack's truck. The training was going well, and the mustangs were animals they could all be proud of. Jack wasn't at the truck yet, so she opened the door to throw in her backpack, then climbed in and pulled out her cell phone. Nothing from Mary Beth. She dialed her friend's number again, but it was with no real sense of hope.

  "Shannon?" Mary Beth's whisper came over the soft buzz of the phone. "Are you okay?"

  Relief made Shannon lightheaded. The sound of her friend's voice was welcome music. "Are you okay? I've been worried sick! Some big guy is wanting money. What's going on?"

  "I never meant for it to turn out this way," Mary Beth said, her voice catching on a sob. "I wanted to help you. But I don't want to hurt him either. I love him, but what he did to you was wrong. He has to make restitution whether he wants to or not."

  "What who did?" Shannon had no idea what Mary Beth was babbling about. "I'm fine, Mary Beth. You don't have to worry about me. I got a box of your hair. Are you all right?"

  "That was just to scare you. He . . . he wouldn't hurt me. Not really." But she didn't sound convinced. "I've got to go. I'll try to call later." The phone clicked off.

  Shannon threw the phone onto the seat and fought tears. She knew no more now than she had five minutes ago. At least Mary Beth was alive. But the fear in her voice contradicted her words. She was in trouble.

  She turned her head toward the window and saw her cousin Curt outside her door with his hands in his jeans pockets. Throwing open her door, she jumped out. "Curt, what are you doing here?"

  The hot wind blew his blond hair back from his face, and he was smiling. "Hey, Shannon, I thought I'd find you here. Sorry I missed the wedding."

  When was the last time she'd seen him five years ago maybe? They exchanged a brief, awkward hug. "I'd thought I could count on one person to be at my side at the wedding," she said, smiling to show him she was teasing. "But it's not like we gave you much notice. What are you doing in town?"