Rodeo Legends--Shane

by Pamela Britton

  “Are we there?” She sat up, her eyes still soft with sleep.

  “Looks like we’ll be landing shortly.”

  She rubbed her eyes, looking no less adorable with her hair mussed from her long nap and a crease across her right cheek. She must have sensed his gaze because she tried to smooth down the wayward strands.

  “I fell asleep.”

  He smiled. “I was thinking maybe we ought to approach your parents a bit differently than we did my family.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged a bit. “You know, do what we talked about that first day. Tell your people we’re in love. Ham it up a bit.”

  She didn’t seem convinced, not surprising, given the way he’d broken the news to his own family. She was probably worried the two families would talk.

  “It’s not like my family’s going to meet your family anytime soon, if that’s what you’re worried about. There’s no way they’ll find out we have a marriage of convenience.”

  She smiled a bit. “What an antiquated way of putting it.”

  He shrugged. “It applies though, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded and looked out the window, the yellow half glow of the setting sun turning her hair gold. She’d pulled it all to one side and it swirled around like a soft-serve ice-cream cone.

  And you’ve lost your mind making metaphors like that.

  “Maybe it’ll work.”

  Why did his heart leap? Pretending to be in love wasn’t going to be easy. Maybe that was it. Maybe his heart had sped up out of dread.

  “Think about it. We don’t have to make any decisions until we get to your parents’ house.”

  “Actually, that’s not true.”

  He tensed. He knew what she was about to say even before she said it.

  “They’re meeting us at the airport.”

  Of course they were.

  “But I can give you my answer now. Honestly, I’ll do anything to soften the blow of my dad’s disappointment, and if we can convince him we’re in love, he’ll be a lot more understanding. He fell head over heels for my mom so he’ll have no room to talk.”

  It happened again. His heart flipped inside his chest. And it wasn’t dread, he realized. It was anticipation. He looked forward to getting closer to her, even if it was all pretend.

  And that scared the hell out of him.

  Chapter Nine

  The wedding ring felt strange on her finger. She kept fiddling with it. Nerves, she supposed, because she was terrified about seeing her parents.

  Shane’s right. It’ll be better if they think we’re in love.

  She just wasn’t convinced she could pull it off, especially when she kept sneaking glances at Shane. He looked like some kind of rock-star cowboy in his black hat, black shirt and black jeans, the scruff of stubble having grown darker since yesterday. She wondered if he’d forgotten to shave, but she had to admit the look suited him, and that made her all the more uncomfortable because she shouldn’t be noticing things like that. She should be keeping her distance. Instead she’d have to touch him and be close to him and look lovingly into his eyes, all the while keeping her emotions in check because she couldn’t let their attraction get out of hand. It seemed an impossible task, but she had no choice. Their physical connection to each other didn’t matter. She had his name and a ring on her finger, and that would be enough...at least for her parents.

  She turned her gaze out the window. Between cotton-candy clouds, she caught a glimpse of the familiar topography of the state she loved gliding beneath her. Patches of thick trees were intersected by small cities and towns. North Carolina’s subtropical climate provided a steady stream of moisture for Lake Wylie, which glistened like a neon snake in a green lawn.

  Home.

  “You ready for this?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  All too quickly, the jet touched down. It was both a blessing and a curse that they taxied so quickly to the jet center. She knew Lance and Sarah Cooper would greet her at the airport and there they were, standing behind a wall of glass in the jet center’s reception area. Her stomach dropped to her toes. Her dad looked as stern as a law-enforcement officer, his arms crossed, his lips in a straight line as, a few minutes later, he watched her descend the jet’s narrow stairs.

  “You okay?” asked her new husband, staring up at her and holding out a hand to steady her.

  “Fine.”

  He must have seen her parents, too, because he pulled her up alongside him the moment she had both feet on the tarmac. He even smiled down at her and when he did, her brain just sort of went, “Ooo,” and she gulped and looked away.

  Why did she have to be so attracted to him?

  He pulled her even closer so their hips were touching and then her view disappeared because he touched his lips to hers and it all came back...every crazy reaction she’d ever had to his touch. Goosebumps. Stomach butterflies. Body tingles. All of it.

  “It’ll be okay,” he whispered in her ear.

  Such goodness in his eyes. It was one of the things that most attracted her to him. And, yes, damn it, he still did it for her, and that was so disconcerting that she had to close her eyes. Shane kept her heading in the right direction, even though it took every ounce of her willpower to keep her feet moving.

  “Smile,” he gently ordered.

  She opened her eyes and did exactly that, even though her feet matched rhythm with her heart. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump.

  “My baby,” said her mom the moment she entered the air-conditioned waiting area. Warm arms enveloped her, and for the first time in a long, long time, Kait felt in need of her mother’s comfort. But eventually her mother leaned back, peering into her eyes intently, searching her gaze as if silently asking her how she could keep such a big secret from her best friend. It was all Kait could do to hold her mom’s gaze.

  “I’m going to be a grandmother,” Sarah Cooper said, the copper curls that she’d been so famous for in her youth slightly tinged by premature gray, but only a little. “My baby is having a baby.”

  “Hi,” said Shane. “I’m Shane Gillian.”

  Kait turned in time to see Shane hold out his hand to her dad, who just stared at it. Warmth spread through her cheeks because she’d known it would be this way. Her dad was nothing if not a conservative, and a shotgun marriage combined with a surprise pregnancy was probably right up there with working at a strip club—at least in his eyes.

  “We need to talk.” Her dad’s gaze captured her own and she hated the look on his face. Here was the man who’d once bandaged her knees and kissed her on the nose and told her that she could be anything when she grew up, including a race-car driver. Now? He seemed so disillusioned. It stabbed her right in the gut.

  “Daddy, can’t it wait?”

  Her dad’s stern blue eyes brooked no argument. “And I’d like to talk to you without your...” She saw him swallow. Hard. “Husband.”

  Okay, so now she felt about three years old.

  “Lance, really,” said her mother, her kind blue eyes filled with concern. “Can we do this at home?”

  He looked at her mom with the eyes of a dragon. “No.”

  Kait glanced at Shane, shooting him a look of apology, but the man just smiled in silent reassurance and it was such a look of understanding she felt her insides turn to goo He cared for her. Really, really cared for her.

  “Outside,” her dad snapped.

  “Actually, sir,” said Shane with an apologetic smile, “I feel I should be in on this conversation.

  If her dad had dragon eyes before, they changed into crocodile eyes right then. “Really?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Her estimation of the man she’d married went up another notch. It was clear Shane wasn’t afraid of her dad. He pulled his shoulders back. Stood toe to toe
. He even lifted his chin up, the brim of the cowboy hat no longer shielding his eyes.

  “Fine,” said her father. “We’ll do this at home.”

  Lance Cooper had always been a pretty easygoing man. His famous sense of humor was legendary in the world of racing. You wouldn’t know it now.

  Shane took her hand. She held on to it for dear life. Her mom and dad led the way out of the jet center. They’d brought the SUV, a gift from a local dealership. The interior smelled of leather and pine spray when Shane pulled open the door.

  “It’ll be okay,” he quietly whispered as he helped her into the vehicle.

  When she looked into his eyes all she saw was concern. “Thank you.”

  She barely noticed the familiar streets they passed. She felt more than saw Shane shift in his seat next to her. When she glanced over at him, his arms were held toward her, his invitation obvious. He flipped up the drink holder between them, scooted toward the edge of his seat. She did the same, resting her head on his shoulder. She caught a glimpse of her father’s eyes in the rearview mirror. It prompted her to close her own eyes, the sun flickering across her face as they passed by trees and buildings.

  That was the last thing she remembered.

  * * *

  “SHE’S ASLEEP.”

  Shane looked into the eyes of the pretty woman who stared at him from the front seat of the SUV. Kait’s mom smiled.

  “She’s been sleeping a lot.” And he had to admit it worried him.

  “Poor thing looks exhausted.” But her mom didn’t seem concerned, just turned back to stare out the front as they made their way to the Cooper household. “I slept a lot, too, at the beginning of my pregnancies.”

  He shifted a bit and, in the rearview mirror, caught a glimpse of Kait’s dad. The man didn’t seem pleased. For a moment, Shane lost himself in the sheer craziness of staring into Lance Cooper’s eyes. He’d been awestruck when he’d first met Kait, but that was nothing compared to meeting the famous race-car driver. He’d grown up watching him on TV. Had seen his infomercial for that space-age motor oil at least a million times. To be honest, one of the reasons he’d so easily recognized Kait was because of his hero worship of her dad, and now Lance Cooper hated him.

  “Here we are,” Kait’s mother said as they passed through a wrought-iron gate with a metal cutout of a race car on it. Trees lined the driveway and between them, off in the distance, he spotted the twinkling sparkles of a lake. But then his attention caught on the massive stone structure that seemed to pop up in front of them. His jaw dropped.

  Kait’s mother must have glanced back. “Don’t let it fool you. Inside, it’s just a home.”

  Somehow he doubted it. He’d seen some pretty spectacular homes over the years. Some of their clients were pretty rich. Heck, his own family was wealthy, but this place was like something out of a travel book, one titled Stone Homes of Europe or something. Stained-glass windows were intermixed with regular ones. They were set into light gray stones that covered a massive front wall. In the middle, set beneath an A-frame entryway, were double doors, wood, each inlaid with sparkling crystal glass.

  Lance shut off the engine. They all sat in the vehicle a second as Shane debated what to do.

  The decision was taken out of his hands.

  “Are we here?”

  The sleepy murmur of Kait’s voice caught everyone’s attention. Her eyes opened at the same time as she sat up, peering out the front windshield, her face softening when she caught sight of her childhood home.

  “Lance, I think they should both rest for a bit before we have our big powwow.”

  Lance cocked his head in his wife’s direction, eyebrow lifted, and Shane could tell he didn’t like the idea.

  “No.” Kait wiped at her eyes. “I’m awake now.”

  He had a feeling she just wanted to get it over with. He didn’t blame her, but as they exited the car, he wondered how he could ever hope to compete with...all this. His eyes darted over the perfectly manicured lawn in front of the house, catching the gorgeous lake behind, then back to the home that stood two-stories tall in some places.

  “I want to head back to my place before it gets too dark.”

  He’d told her he’d act the caring husband but, to be honest, it wasn’t much of an act as he helped her out of the SUV. She really did seem exhausted, even though she’d slept for hours already, and once again he felt a little shiver of concern.

  “You okay?” he asked, placing an arm around her shoulder.

  She looked up at him, and he could tell the moment she remembered they were supposed to be playing a part because she visibly changed in front of his eyes. Her shoulders relaxed. Her eyes softened. He found himself leaning toward her without any thought and before he could tell himself to slow down, kissed her.

  “Now, now,” said her mom. “Enough of that. Let’s get inside so we can figure all this out.”

  Kait drew back, but she still stared up at him in the strangest way as she said, “Figure what out?”

  “How you’re going to make a living. What role you’ll play at Cooper Racing now. And then later, how you’re going to drive cars and raise a kid.”

  Kait’s face crumpled.

  “I think I should probably be in on this conversation, too,” Shane said. “Kait’s my wife and she’s carrying my baby.” He pinned Lance with a stare. “And your grandchild. How we move forward should be a group decision.”

  He watched as Kait’s dad visibly tried to calm himself down. The man was clearly upset and angry and disappointed in his daughter, and if Shane could read that on his face, he was sure Kait could, too. One look into her eyes and he could see that she did see it.

  “Dad, please,” she said softly. “Let’s all go inside and talk.”

  Lance Cooper stared at the group of people around him, but his gaze settled on his daughter, and in his eyes Shane saw the displeasure fade into something like embarrassment and then acceptance. Movement caught Lance’s attention and Shane realized Kait’s mother was staring at her husband, arms crossed, foot tapping, the expression on her face akin to a yard monitor admonishing a pupil on the playground.

  “Fine. Let’s go inside.”

  Chapter Ten

  “You going to stay out here all night?”

  Kait half turned and saw Shane’s form outlined by the lights on inside her house, his face in darkness. She didn’t need to look into his eyes to know what was on his face. Concern. She could hear it in his voice.

  “When I was a kid, my parents would let us camp out as a special treat. I remember being lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves.” She turned back, watching as the waves caught beams of moonlight, silvering the tips. “I miss those days.”

  She heard rather than saw him move up alongside her, taking a seat on the bench she’d placed at the lake’s edge just for this purpose.

  “It’ll all work out. You’ll see.”

  And it would. Once her dad had settled down, they’d worked through a lot of issues with the racing business. Her dad already had a replacement driver in mind. He’d wanted to know when she’d return to work. She’d explained that her first doctor’s appointment would be this week and she’d know more then. That started a whole other conversation about where she’d live and who’d be delivering the baby and a whole host of other question she’d shoved to the back of her mind. It had been a crazy weekend. Looked like it would be a crazy week, too.

  “We don’t have to keep doing this if you don’t want.”

  She could see him better now. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but it didn’t help her mood any to have company. She’d let her family down and it was eating her up inside.

  “I wish.” She shook her head. “The only reason my dad didn’t kill me today is because he thinks you and I are in love, and my fans will, too, once our PR department sends out a press
release. We have to keep this up.”

  He didn’t say anything, and when she glanced at him she noted he looked deep in thought.

  “I’m sorry about today,” she said. “It couldn’t have been easy sitting through all that.”

  “No, actually. I learned a lot about racing.”

  “Yeah. Fifty things you didn’t need to know about the stock-car circuit.”

  “No. It was interesting. I had no idea race-car drivers did so much. I mean, I knew you appeared in public and stuff, but I didn’t know you were in on design meetings and that you did PR appearances away from the track. I just sort of thought you...” Even in the dark she could see him shrug. “...drove.”

  She smiled. It had an odd effect, that smile. She started to relax, started the think that maybe, just maybe, her world wasn’t ending.

  “It actually didn’t go as bad as I thought.”

  “Your parents clearly love you.”

  They did, which was probably why it stung so much to let them down. “I going to miss them while we’re in California.”

  They’d told her parents she planned to travel between the two coasts for now. Shane would continue his life on the rodeo circuit. She would perform whatever duties she could for as long as she could. It would be a crazy life, but they could handle it...together.

  And that was part of why she’d come outside—to analyze how conflicted she felt and not just because she hated disappointing her parents but because Shane had sat next to her during the entire meeting, supporting her, holding her hand. He’d given her strength she didn’t even know she needed, and it worried her.

  It was an act, remember?

  “Are you sure you want to head back to California tomorrow?” he asked.

  “You heard my dad. They have things under control. If we’re going to put down stakes, it’s probably better to do it now. You have a career to think of and I...” She had to swallow in order to get the word out. “...don’t.”