by Jess Bryant
The little girl beamed as if he’d just given her the best gift ever. Lemon smiled as everyone reached out to hold hands. Shane took her right and laced their fingers together. The little wink he shot her made her heart thump and she had to swallow the new lump in her throat. Rosie took her left hand, a big grin on her face that Lemon couldn’t help but return. Georgie stretched, linking her two younger sisters and completing the circle as they all bowed their heads and closed their eyes.
“Dear heavenly father…” Sophie started out strongly and smoothly, “Thank you for this food. Thank you for my family. Thank you for sending Aunt Lemon to make Daddy smile. Thank you for my new guitar. Thank you for pretty flowers. Thank you for Mommy and Brad and my sisters. Amen.”
Lemon kept her eyes closed for an extra second, forcing back the flash of tears that had formed behind her lids. Such a sweet little prayer. When was the last time she’d prayed before a meal? Too long, she knew. And not only had Shane included her in this meal and welcomed her into his family, but sweet Sophie who was so quiet and painfully shy with most people had noticed and commented on it.
Shane squeezed her hand and she opened her eyes. He was smiling at her again. It wasn’t the cocky, arrogant grin of a man that knew she wanted him. It wasn’t the smile he gave her when she was teasing him and they were taunting each other. It was a different kind of smile, soft and knowing. She returned it as best she could as her poor, achy heart thumped along in her chest. Shane’s eyes warmed and he raised their joined hands, kissing her knuckles before returning their hands to his lap.
“Amen, Sophie.”
Lemon agreed with a squeeze of his hand because the knot in her throat made it impossible to talk at the moment. This, all of this… Shane and his daughters and this meal… it was perfect. And she could barely keep from pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t asleep because it certainly felt like a dream.
“Okay, kiddos. Who wants…” Shane glanced around the table and frowned, “I forgot the bread.”
“What bread?” Lemon blinked and he gave her a sheepish grin.
“Exactly.”
“You forgot the bread?” Georgie whined. “But the special butter garlic bread is my favorite part of pasta night.”
“Sorry honey.” Shane ran a hand through his hair and shot Lemon a look out of the corner of his eye, “Something must’ve distracted me.”
Lemon bit her lip to quell an answering smile of her own. Her. She was the distraction. And from the twinkle in his eyes, that was exactly what Shane had meant.
Georgie smirked, “More like someone.”
She felt her cheeks flush pink and knew her ears were too from the heat that flared at the tips. She’d known Georgie was old enough to recognize the real reason she was here and wearing Shane’s clothes. All of the touching he’d done as they cooked, casual or not, hadn’t been covert. He hadn’t been trying to hide them, or her, at all.
But still, this was Georgie.
The baby that Lemon had watched swell her mother’s belly when she herself had still been too young to understand what was happening. The same baby that she’d fallen crazy in love with the first time her parents had trusted Lemon to hold her. The little girl that she’d sent dolls and then albums and then jewelry for her birthdays as she grew up.
Only now, here she was and she wasn’t a baby or a little girl anymore. She was a teenager. Just a couple of years from being an adult. Almost the same age Lemon had been when she’d made the life changing decision to move to Nashville and follow her dreams.
Would Georgie run away like she had? Was she already plotting to leave this small town behind? To leave her sisters and parents behind? To leave Shane behind? It would break his heart just like she knew that in one way or another, she had broken her own fathers even if he said he understood.
She had never questioned her love for this girl. She’d loved her as a baby and a toddler as a little girl and now as a teenager. She’d loved her as a surrogate aunt and a friend and a confidant. But she wasn’t allowed to love her the same way Shane did because she wasn’t Georgie’s mother.
She wasn’t anything. Not really. A guest in this house and in this family for this one small moment in time. But the moment would pass, the feeling would pass, and if she let herself fall in love with Shane and with his girls then she would be the one that ended up with a broken heart when it all fell apart.
Because she didn’t belong here. She didn’t fit here. No matter how much she might want to. No matter how easily this thing with Shane had sprung to life. It was a dream and she’d already gotten hers. She’d gotten her music and the fame and success that went along with it and this, all of this, was what she’d forfeited in return.
“Lemon.”
She jumped when she felt Shane’s warm hand against her arm, “Sorry, what?”
“You okay?” His brows were furrowed and she knew that she’d gotten lost in her thoughts again.
He’d caught her drifting again. He’d seen her disappear into the darkness. She knew he wanted to ask her what was wrong, what was going on, so that he could fix it because that’s what he did. He fixed things. He took care of people. And she wanted so badly to let him take care of her. But she couldn’t.
She shook off the moment and pasted a bright smile on her face, “Sure. Fine. Why don’t I make the bread? It’s my fault we didn’t…”
“No.” Shane caught her by the arm when she started to rise and put distance between them. He pushed her back into her chair as his jaw jumped, “No. Sit. Stay.”
Lemon raised an eyebrow at the order but his stern look didn’t budge. There would be no joking about his bossy side to distract him right now either. Not with his children watching them. So she avoided his gaze when he stared her down knowingly.
“We don’t need bread. Do we girls?” He shot each of his daughters a look clearly designed to coerce the answer he wanted.
“Nope.” Sophie smiled.
“Nah, its fine.” Georgie shrugged.
“Auntie will you cut mine for me?” Rosie tugged on her sleeve, distracting them all, and Lemon relaxed as the tense moment passed.
Shane wasn’t letting her run. These girls weren’t letting her run. So, after a quick look at Shane, who was still eyeing her like he’d chase her if she made a break for it, she decided that maybe there was no need to run quite yet. It was just a meal. It wasn’t like he was proposing to her. She took a deep breath and turned to face the little girl that was grinning at her like she hung the moon.
“Of course, Rosie.”
“Thank you.” She scooted her seat closer and Lemon found her real smile again.
As she picked up the knife and fork to help cut the meal on the little girls plate into smaller portions, everyone else around the table went on with their life as if she were the only one that had just had a moment. Shane asked Sophie about her piano lessons and how they were going. Georgie interjected a snarky comment about the Kelly’s helping the family in all kinds of ways and Shane snapped at her to keep her thoughts to herself if they weren’t appropriate. Lemon finished cutting the food for Rosie and put the knife out of reach.
“My mom is teaching Sophie how to play the piano?” She raised an eyebrow at Shane, certain nobody had ever mentioned that to her before.
He nodded around a bite of food.
“Seriously Soph?” She turned her attention to the girl across the table, “I thought we talked about this whole not telling me pertinent information thing?”
“Pretty-what?” Rosie asked with a mouth full of pasta.
“Chew with your trap shut, Rose.” Shane pointed his fork at his youngest daughter.
Lemon grinned, “You should’ve told me my mom was teaching you piano, Soph. That’s really cool.”
“It is?” The shy girl asked.
“Of course it is. Did you know she taught me the piano too?”
“She did?”
“Mmhmm, I was about your age too. It’s the first instrument
I learned actually. I didn’t pick up a guitar until I was…” She paused, trying to remember.
“Fourteen.”
She jerked to face Shane when he supplied the number, “Yeah… fourteen. My Dad got me a drum kit that Christmas but…”
“But your mom made him take it back because of all the racket you were making.” Shane supplied with a grin that made her insides warm with something familiar and strong.
“Yeah… but Dad let me pick another instrument and I chose the guitar. You remember that?”
“Hard to forget.” Shane grinned as he pointed his fork towards his oldest daughter this time, “That was Georgie’s first Christmas and I wanted to shove those drumsticks up your… nose… when you woke her up with that dang drumkit.”
Lemon giggled when he altered his words for the company of his children, “Oh my God… I’d completely forgotten that was the same Christmas. You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.”
She swallowed another giggle, trying to decide between kicking him under the table and reaching for his hand. It was amazing how their lives had been so intertwined for so long but they were both only just realizing it. She’d been a kid herself at Georgie’s first Christmas but Shane remembered. Just like she remembered how she’d crushed on him long before that Christmas and even after, knowing he had a wife and a baby and wanting so badly to be the one with him, making a family. A silly, childish notion that was twisted and impossible to admit now that she was sitting here among them.
Dinner was nice. Comfortable. Friendly. But also overwhelming because of how easy it all was and more than once she caught herself falling into the dream of it all. That was why, as soon as the dishes were cleared, she excused herself to the bathroom, needing a minute to herself to regroup.
She washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror for a long moment. She looked different and she couldn’t explain why even to herself. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her face was makeup free. She was still wearing Shane’s clothes because there was no other option considering her running outfit had been nothing more than a bra and boy shorts. But it wasn’t any of that. It was something in her eyes. She thought, maybe, they just might have some sparkle in them again. And that made her stomach twist and her heart thump too hard in her chest.
Because it was all thanks to Shane.
He’d taken some of the heavy burden she’d been carrying earlier when she’d told him her secrets. He’d taken the weight of all her lies and given her something in return. He’d given her passion and heat sure but he’d also given her so much more than that. He’d given her warmth and safety and family. He’d given her this amazing dream-filled day and she wasn’t ready for it to end.
She thought about his words before the kids had come home from school. He’d asked her for more time. He’d asked her to stay a while longer and give them a chance. She’d been trying not to think about it, read too much into it.
It was crazy. It was fast and terrifying. There were a hundred reasons why it would never work but she thought there was one really good reason why it might. She was in love with those kids and she was just on the precipice of falling for their father too.
The doorknob jingled slightly and Lemon gasped as the door cracked open just wide enough for Shane to slide inside and gently shut it behind him. He grinned as he turned to face her and her heart walloped in her chest. With those flashing white teeth and dimples he looked so much like the boy she remembered that she stood frozen in place even when he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close.
“Are you hiding?”
“No.” She bit her lip to stifle a moan when he nipped at her earlobe.
“Liar.”
“Tease.”
Shane slid his hands to her ass and groaned when she canted her hips forward and rubbed against his erection, “I can’t help it. I want you. I always fuckin’ want you.”
“Is that why you snuck into the bathroom? Because really, I could’ve been doing anything in here.”
His deep, rumbling chuckle came from beneath her ear, “I have three daughters, Lem. Nothing scares me anymore.”
“Nothing huh?” She rubbed against him, unable to help herself either.
“Nothing except the thought of you sneaking out that window to get away from us.” He twisted and pinned her to the door, “You weren’t in here thinking of running away from me were you?”
Lemon looked up into those gorgeous blue-green eyes and felt all of her willpower crumble. He was searching her face for doubts. She could see it. And she had plenty. Plenty of reasons why that’s exactly what she should be doing. She should cut her losses and leave him be now because if it didn’t work they’d both end up hurt and nothing would ever be the same. She wouldn’t be able to look back at him and see nothing but her childhood crush. She wouldn’t be able to visit the girls when she came back to Fate or even send them presents. She’d have to leave him behind, them behind, for good if it didn’t work because seeing the dream that had blown up in her face would just be too hard.
But she thought walking away without at least trying might be even harder.
“No.” She wound her arms around his neck, “I told you I wouldn’t run from you.”
His eyes flared with heat, “You mean that?”
“Did you mean what you said?” She countered, “In the kitchen, before the girls came home, when you asked me for more time… did you mean it?”
“Yes.” He said simply without any hesitation. “I want you Lemon and I want to see where this can go. We’re good together damn it.”
“I know.”
“So you’re really not gonna run from me?”
She shook her head but Shane caught her chin and steadied her. He forced her face up until she met his eyes. He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, his eyes dropping to her mouth before moving back to pin her with his hard, hot stare.
“I want to hear you say it.”
“Bossy bastard.” She nipped at his finger and a slow, sexy smile curled his lips again.
“Say it, Lemon.” He moved even closer, pressing his body to hers and nuzzling her lips with his, “Say you’ll give me a chance. Give us a chance. And I swear you won’t regret it baby.”
Her knees nearly buckled at the promises in his words and she gave in, because really there was no fighting this. Not this. Not him. He wanted her as badly as she wanted him. He’d proven that already. And they were good together. The sparks were off the charts, set the world on fire hot, but their connection was deeper than that. They had a foundation of friendship to build on and she couldn’t walk away from him without seeing what they could build together. Maybe, if she was lucky, it could be the life she thought she’d lost.
“I’m not going to run.”
Shane groaned, “I’d use my handcuffs if you tried.”
His mouth was on hers as soon as the last syllable escaped and they both groaned as if they’d spent weeks apart instead of mere hours. His tongue pushed forward and her lips opened to let him in. He stroked deep and her own circled as they played and their bodies mimicked the action. Their hips rubbed together as he held her pinned in place and she could feel him getting hard again. Her body responded instantly as damp heat flooded her core and her nipples tightened. The quick flare of need was so total and consuming that she almost didn’t hear the knock on the door behind them.
Shane groaned as he broke the kiss and growled, “What?”
In her haze of lust, she half thought he was snapping at her but another voice called back from the other side of the door and she had to bite her lip to stifle a laugh.
“You might want to wrap up whatever you two are doing in there because Rosie is looking for Lemon.” Georgie informed them with knowing laughter coloring her voice. “We’ll be in the living room whenever you’re… done.”
“Go away Georgie.” Shane groaned as he dropped his forehead to her shoulder and Lemon couldn’t contain her giggle a se
cond longer which earned her another groan of her own.
“Thanks for the heads up. We’ll be out in a second.” She managed and heard Georgie’s footsteps retreat before she ran her hands through Shane’s hair, “See what you get for sneaking around with a teenager in the house.”
Shane raised his head, his eyes still twinkling, “You’re right. I shouldn’t be sneaking. I’m a grown ass man and the adult in this house. Let’s go make out on the couch.”
Lemon laughed, “Not the response I expected from the ever responsible Deputy Do-Right.”
“Brat.”
“Bore.”
He smacked her ass, “That’s two.”
“Two what?”
“Punishments.”
“Oh…” She felt her cheeks heat as he rubbed her ass possessively.
“Later, Lemon. I’m gonna make you pay for teasing me. For now, let’s go watch a movie with my daughters. What do you say?”
She sighed, missing his heat and strength as he pulled back from her to adjust himself, “I say that sounds just about perfect.”
Chapter Fourteen
`Shane walked into his house after a long day and immediately frowned. Two weeks ago the quiet hum of his empty house would have been the perfect ending to a workday. Two weeks ago he’d have maybe felt a tinge of guilt because he was relieved it was Holly’s night with the girls and he wouldn’t have to come up with plans for dinner or entertainment. Two weeks ago he’d have been satisfied with a plate of nachos, a cold beer and a night alone in front of the television watching whatever game was on. But his entire life had changed two weeks ago and now the silence just felt… lonely.
Instead of lazily pulling off his utility belt and kicking his boots aside, he found himself hurriedly pulling his shirt over his head as he stumbled towards his bedroom. He rushed through a quick shower and tossed on a fresh set of clothes. He didn’t have much time and he wanted everything to be perfect for the woman that had turned his world upside down in the past two weeks.
