The meal couldn’t end soon enough for Angela, whose spirits seemed to sink with each course. She didn’t fit in here; she couldn’t imagine why Shane picked a woman like her. She had no clue about what the others spent the evening discussing. They all knew people Angela had never met or even heard about and Valerie and her friend Gina kept bringing up topics Angela could make no serious contribution to like scrapbooking or canning pickles. To make matters worse, Shane hardly had anything to say to her and allowed everyone else to seize all of his attention. That wouldn’t have pissed her off so bad, but then when she tried to converse with Marcus who was on her other side, she’d feel Shane’s body stiffen beside hers or he’d go so far as to place a warning hand on her knee. What on earth he thought she could get going with his cousin here in front of everyone was beyond her.
All in all, dinner was excruciating even with all the good country cooking which was every bit as good as the refined dining she’d enjoyed at Shane’s home. Everything managed to make Angela feel like a fish out of water and she was actually counting down the minutes when she could escape to her – their room.
She felt like they all knew there was someone in their midst that didn’t belong. Angela couldn’t help thinking of Bridget’s words all those weeks ago, warning Angela that she wouldn’t fit into Shane’s world. Boy, she was right!
Shane would be lucky to find a woman like her in reality. At least she didn’t care about his money or background. All she understood was the thrill he gave her with only one glance, and how she longed for the brush of his palm on her skin, even if just lightly. She’d never dreamed to end up being infatuated with him and she hoped it was something she could keep in check. She couldn’t say she hadn’t been warned and the last thing she wanted was to have him laughing in her face at the end.
“Are you all right, honey?” Valerie asked solicitously, her smile directed at the quiet Angela. Everyone was helping clear the table, carrying their own plates to the kitchen. Angela pushed her chair under the table and turned quickly to Shane’s mother’s voice. “You look a little tired. I hope the evening hasn’t been too much of a strain.”
“I’m okay,” Angela replied, feeling everyone’s eyes turn to her. “Dinner was lovely, thank you Valerie. But I’m beginning to feel like I might be coming down with a bug or something. It’s been a long day.”
“Well, I have a cabinet stocked with every kind of medicine you can think of. If you need anything, you let me know. Okay, sweetheart?” Valerie offered kindly. “Do you want to go on up to bed and turn it early?”
“Yes, I think I will.”
“I’ll come with you,” Shane said, already rising to join Angela as she stood.
“No, please dear I wouldn’t dream of dragging you away,” Angela said firmly, placing a hand on his chest for a brief moment. “I can find my way up; it’ll be perfectly fine.”
To his credit, Shane looked far from convinced as he made to say more, but then he seemed to change his mind and nodded, planting a warm kiss on her jaw. “I’ll be up shortly,” he said quietly.
Angela turned to the room and said a general goodnight and walked out of the room with as much composure as possible. Once out of everyone’s sight she turned in the opposite direction and made her way outside to the big porch stretching along the length of the house. She settled into the wide, white swing at one end and let out a long breath.
The evening sun had long since settled behind the mountains, backlighting them from behind. The view was peaceful with the clouds starting to float down and cover the mountaintops. Down the hill below the house was a rolling pasture with an old red barn. She could barely make out the form of cows making their way in for the night.
She liked it here on the farm.
It would be a nice place for children to run and play. Or grandchildren...
The screen door creaked as someone walked through and then let it slam shut with a loud bang behind them. She glanced up to see Shane’s father, Lloyd moving toward her.
“I thought you might be getting chilly out here missy,” he said, handing her a knitted shawl and then sitting down on the swing beside her. “Mind if I sit here with you a bit?”
She smiled at him, appreciating his kind gesture. “No, I don’t mind. I could use the company.”
“Thought you might,” he said. “I’m sorry about dinner tonight. Those women should’ve known you wouldn’t be interested in the latest canning techniques. They didn’t mean to be rude. They’re just intimidated and didn’t know what to say to you.”
Angela was surprised. “Intimidated? You mean, by me?”
Lloyd let out a laugh. “Well sure honey. You’re a beautiful, fancy actress and they’re just old country gals. Valerie was a nervous wreck, thinking she was making a bad impression on Shane’s new girl.”
“I was afraid they didn’t like me,” Angela admitted with a wry smile.
“What a crazy notion! Why?”
She shrugged. “I’m sure you would have picked out someone different for Shane if you had the choice.”
Lloyd slapped his knee and laughed out loud at that. “You’ve probably figured out by now we didn’t have many choices where Shane was concerned. Stubborn as a mule and pig-headed too that boy always was-and still is. With the exception of twisting his arm and making him go to college we haven’t had a whole lot of influence on him since he was a boy.”
Angela smiled, liking the thought of Shane as a child. “Tough kid, huh?”
“The worst,” Lloyd replied emphatically. “When he was fourteen, we found out he was sneaking out at night and hitch-hiking over to the Tri-County Raceway. That wouldn’t have been so bad except he was racing the damn cars once he got there, without a license at fourteen! His Mama lit him up when she found out. Not that it did any good. All that boy ever wanted to do was drive. He was born to be behind the wheel of a racecar.”
Angela saw the love for Shane glowing in his dad’s eyes. “You must’ve been very proud of him.”
“Oh yes, we were so proud. Still are. Everything he’s been through. It would’ve been enough to break a weaker man. Does he ever mention the wreck?”
Angela bit her lip and looked down at her hands. “No. Never. I know it’s on his mind though, all the time.”
“I’m not surprised. That damn accident almost killed him. I wasn’t sure Valerie would get through it all either. She was heartsick with worry and stayed by his bedside for almost a year. With Shane though, it wasn’t just the burns and scars he had to deal with. He lost one of his good friends, Reggie Wilson that day too. That was by far the worst part for him to deal with.”
Angela sat up straighter. For some reason, the info she’d dug up on Shane hadn’t mentioned the two racecar drivers were close. “The other driver was his friend? Oh Jesus! I didn’t know that part.”
Lloyd ran a tired hand over his face and touched the floor with his foot, sending the swing into motion again. “Those two boys had raced together for years. Sure they were competitors, but when the race was over, they’d be under the hood of each other’s cars, fixing engines. They were inseparable for years. Shane blames himself for Reggie’s death and he can’t work past the guilt. It was an accident, plain and simple. Nobody’s fault: least of all Shane’s. They were running a maneuver they’d done a million times before. Reggie’s car barely touched the wall, but that was all it took to set the whole damn thing in motion. The single worst moment of my life.”
Tears stung Angela’s eyes and she tried to blink them away. “I can’t possibly imagine what you must’ve felt sitting up there in the stands. Having to watch it unfold and being unable to stop it,” she whispered.
“After it happened, Valerie and I both said we didn’t want Shane to ever race again. But after watching him all these months I’ve realized something. Shane needs to race again. To get behind the wheel of a racecar and drive. He needs it. He lives for it. He’ll never be whole again until he does.”
Angela shook her he
ad in confusion. “But you just said...”
He held up his hand. “I know what I said. What his Mama and I want doesn’t matter. I realize that now, whether his Mama does or not. Shane needs to live again. To race again. I think you can make that happen.”
“Me?” Angela’s voice croaked. “What makes you think I have any influence on Shane? We’ve only been dating a short while and I don’t think he’d listen to anything I said.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just be there. Stand by him. We’ve heard about the progress he’s made lately since he met you; throwing dinner parties, going out in public. Listen, I don’t pretend to know what kind of a crazy deal you two have going on. Something’s not quite on the up and up between you two, I can feel it. On the other hand, neither one of you can keep your eyes off the other when you think they’re not looking. I see how he watches you all the time and I can guarantee he never looked at another woman like that. You mean something to him.”
Her heart leaped. Oh God. If only that were true.
“I sure hope so,” Angela replied honestly, “because your son means the world to me.”
“Then tell me how’s he doing, Angela? How’s he really doing? I know he’s trying to paint a pretty picture for us but I need to know. The truth. Just you and me. I promise I won’t say a word to his Mama. I need her to believe he’s better as much as Shane does.”
Oh shit! Lloyd knew she was a phony. He’d seen right through their little farce. Shane would be so disappointed with her if he found out. Maybe even fire her right away and send her packing.
“He’s doing okay,” she finally answered. “The first few times we went out in public it was hard for him...the stares, the horrified looks. He handled it well though and it seemed to get easier for him. Believe it or not, I actually managed to coax him into dancing with me the other night.”
Lloyd’s face lit up. “You did? I’d like to have seen that. That’s good to hear. Real good, Angela. What about his drinking? And...the other stuff.”
“We’re together most of the time and I haven’t seen him drinking much at all.” She figured a little white lie wouldn’t hurt under the circumstances. “And the other stuff is in the past. He told me all about trying to wean himself from the painkillers once he left the burn center. You don’t need to worry about that anymore. Shane is doing well. He’s going to be okay, honest. I wouldn’t tell you this if I didn’t think it was the truth.” As she said the words, she knew in her heart they were true.
With or without her, Shane Davis was going to be fine.
Lloyd stood up and held out his hand to her. “I feel a million times better after talking with you sweetheart. We’d better go back in and let you slip on up to your room. If Valerie finds you out here she’ll be trying to impress you with her crocheting skills or worse.” He stopped at the screen door and turned around. “You said something earlier about you not being our choice for Shane. I want you to know that I would be very proud to have you in our family. You’re good for Shane and that means you’re good for this family. As far as I’m concerned, you’re already a part of it.”
Oh damn! Now she really was going to cry and make a fool of herself. In a rare impulsive move, she grabbed Shane’s father in a brief hug. “Thank you, Lloyd” she said before excusing herself and heading up to her room.
****
Once back in the bedroom Angela gave a huge sigh of relief. Except for her talk with Lloyd, she’d never enjoyed an evening less, and if this would set the tone for the rest of the stay then she had her work cut out for her. The last thing she wanted was to give Shane reason to complain about her performance. She knew she didn’t carry out her ‘girlfriend duties’ perfectly tonight but that couldn’t be helped. Hopefully she’d smoothed everything over with his dad at least.
She’d liked him...and Valerie too. Crap! She couldn’t just fall for the guy. Oh no, she had to get attached to the whole damn family.
As she got ready for bed she wondered how long Shane would take before he came up. Would he linger over after-dinner drinks with the others?
Angela sighed heavily, turning over to switch off the lights as she told herself to go to sleep. She’d barely closed her eyes minutes later when she heard the bedroom door open. Her breath went still and she automatically feigned sleep even while feeling childish for doing so.
She sensed more than heard Shane come up to her bed. Since her back was to him, she could only imagine that he leaned slightly over her form in its fetal position. She could almost swear she felt the shadow of his hand reaching up to brush her hair, but he seemed to withdraw with a shallow sigh and straighten to walk into the dressing room.
She must have fallen asleep waiting for him to come back out and prepare for bed. The next thing she knew she woke to a dark bedroom, light barely making itself known through the gap in the curtains. She could barely make out Shane’s form sleeping beneath the duvet on the couch. For some reason she felt comforted that he was there just a few feet away. Until she heard the screams.
Dear lord. She stirred from sleep a second time and shot up from her pillows to find Shane thrashing on the couch. She quickly switched on the bedside lamp, her heart thumping. Sure enough, those harsh sounds of pain were coming from him. She called out his name but he obviously didn’t hear her, his head tossing from side to side on his pillows. Without thinking it through first, Angela stumbled out of bed to his side, noticing he’d kicked off his covers in the process and now was dressed in just his navy blue silk boxers. She barely took the time to register the long strip of scars marring the right side of his torso. Falling on her knees by the couch, her hand rested on his bare shoulder which she shook gently in a bid to calm him.
“Shane! Oh god...wake up, Shane! You’re having a bad dream!”
Why didn’t someone else rush in to help? Angela was frantic with worry until she realized their room was secluded from much of the house. Possibly no one could hear the noises Shane made that sounded like they could rip her soul out with the agony in them.
She clutched his shoulder again and shook Shane harder than ever.
He groaned and flailed his arms, almost smacking her in the jaw. She placed a calming hand on his cheek and stroked, her voice soothing. “It’s okay. It’s only a nightmare.”
His chest stopped heaving, and he tossed his head in her direction even though his eyes remained squeezed shut, his face a grimace. “Angela?”
Her name on his lips shocked her to the core. “Yes, I’m here. Right here, Shane. Go back to sleep.” God, but those sounds he’d made! They’d cut straight through her heart. What could he be dreaming of that made him form those terrible cries? Obviously the wreck and the fire. She combed the silky hair from his damp forehead as thankfully, he began to calm down. But just as she made to withdraw, he grabbed her retreating wrist with surprising strength. Angela gasped, instinctively drawing back.
“No,” he managed on a groan, his forehead crinkling as if in pain. “Don’t go. Please.”
Don’t go? Confused, Angela opened her mouth to object, to say she really needed to get back into bed. But lost the power to form words when he tugged on her arm to pull her on top of him.
“Stay. Please,” he whispered, head falling to the side just inches from hers as his flinching expression eased, though his eyes stayed closed. Angela hadn’t the heart to protest further. She slowly, carefully rested her head on his bare shoulder, letting her body soften into the hardness of his. Angela didn’t know what else to do. He had a death grip on her wrist and still seemed to be lost in between sleep and consciousness. At least he’d stopped screaming, thought Angela with a shuddery sigh. His body was warm, almost too warm, but she drew comfort in sensing that he became calm with her beside him.
Her body slowly lost its stiffness as she stretched her body next to his. His deep sigh had her finally allowing herself to totally relax, a strange emotion swelling her chest. In the soft light from the lamp by the bed, she could see his face at cl
ose range and every inch of scar tissue seemed softened in the night’s gleam.
God! She had it bad for this man. What the hell was she going to do now?
She hadn’t planned to fall asleep in his arms, but she did. The heat of his body, the reassuringly broad bulk of his frame, had lulled her to sleep once his breathing slowed. By the time she woke up, she found herself back in her own bed.
Everything was righted in the room; nothing to show that last night had been broken with the sound of terrifying screams. Angela shook her head as she tried not to think about it. She could only guess what tortured him and her heart melted thinking how no one could see this side of him that was vulnerable. All they saw was the disfigured playboy and racecar driver.
Angela picked out a demure sundress to wear after her shower. She didn’t know what to expect of today except that it was Shane’s mother’s birthday and there was of course going to be a large party. She hoped his parents weren’t still planning on going through with the intervention. It would be terribly embarrassing for Shane.
Angela was on the lookout for Shane once she reached the ground floor. She couldn’t help but notice the flurry of activity going on around her, with trays of food being carted into the house and people moving in and out so fast she couldn’t keep count. She was able to grab a sandwich from the kitchen and a cup of coffee when she decided to go hunting for Shane.
She made her way into the living room where Valerie was running around in a nervous panic. Valerie gave her a big smile. “Angela dear, are you hungry? You missed breakfast with us earlier.” Valerie’s expression held real concern and Angela drew in a calming breath.
“No thanks, Valerie, I grabbed a sandwich and some coffee earlier. I guess I must have overslept.”
Shane’s mother walked over and hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re here Angela. I can’t tell you how happy it’s made me to see Shane out and about again. You’re a good influence on him and I want you to know how grateful Lloyd and I are.” Her eyes teared up for a moment. “We’ve been worried sick about him for the longest time.”
Tangled: A New Adult Romance Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle of Billionaires, Bad Boys, and Royalty) Page 48
