My Girl

by Jacquie Biggar

  “Daddy,” Trish beseeched, twin red flags riding her cheeks. “You promised.”

  “Gah,” he growled and waved her off as they continued up the hill.

  Aaron stared after them, shocked by the open hostility. Why had they agreed to Sophia’s invitation if they hated him that much? “Your dad doesn’t pull any punches, does he?”

  Trish wrung her hands. “I’m sorry, Aaron. He had no right to talk to you that way.”

  Aaron cupped her elbows, turning her to face him. “He acted like any father should to the guy who’d made his daughter pregnant and didn’t stand by her.” He forced a smile. “Good thing he didn’t produce a shotgun, or we might be getting hitched right now.”

  “I’ve never seen him like this. It worries me,” she admitted.

  Not knowing what else to say, he pulled her in for a hug but even the jasmine-fresh scent of her hair against his chin couldn’t erase the ugliness of the previous moments.

  16

  The party was well under way by the time Trish entered the old barn with Aaron. She was angry and embarrassed on behalf of her family, so it was with some relief that she found the room packed with laughing, chattering people, her father lost in the crowd. There was an eclectic mix of styles, everything from country chic to city sleek and best of all, everyone mingled together—class and distinction had no place in this hall. The four-piece band had couples already on the dance floor. They were playing an upbeat country-western tune at the moment, unfamiliar to Trish but a hit with the crowd according to the swaying bodies.

  Aaron leaned close, his breath against her cheek sending delicious shivers down her spine. “My family have a table against the far wall. Follow me.”

  He took her hand and led her through the throng, tipping his hat to people he knew along the way. Trish could feel the curiosity in their gazes, but for once she didn’t care what people thought. The festive atmosphere was seeping into her skin, tempting her to forget—at least for tonight—her responsibilities and just have fun. She’d worry about the consequences later.

  The Shaughnessy clan sat at a long wooden table with a bench along the wall and a colorful mixture of mismatched chairs marching down the other side. A red and white checkered runner ran down the center of the table decorated with pillar candles, gourds and miniature pumpkins. Snacks ranged from platters of nachos and pretzels to vegetables and dip. Everyone seemed to have either a glass of wine or bottle of beer, except Sophia, who nursed a can of iced tea.

  She looked up and smiled at their approach. “I was wondering where my partners in crime were. Now, we can celebrate.” She patted the bench beside her. “This place looks fabulous. I can’t tell you how much it means to me. You and Aaron have managed to put Shaughnessy Guest Ranch on the map.”

  “Hey, sis. Take care of my date here while I go find us a drink, will you?” Aaron was gone before Trish could correct him. Her cheeks warmed even as she shook her head. “I just helped out a little, the rest is all you. The business is going to be a success, Sophia, mark my words.”

  “Date, huh?” Sophia smirked.

  Aaron returned to the table and passed her a glass of wine, saving Trish from an awkward reply. “Plenty of time to talk business tomorrow, tonight’s about having fun.” He grinned as Matthew pulled Cassandra onto the dance floor, followed by lanky Rico and a laughing Consuela. “See?”

  He stood again and held out his hand to Trish. “Dance with me?”

  Helpless to say no to those mesmerizing eyes, she shrugged off Sophia and Tony’s knowing smirks, and rose. Her head and her heart warred with each other; her brain thumping out a danger beat while love songs crooned in her breast. She ignored the annoying tempo and moved into Aaron’s strong arms. It felt as though she’d come home.

  “It’s been a long time,” he said, and she could see the tension in his jawline. “I’d forgotten how well we fit together.”

  Had he? Not her. She remembered everything about their time together. The music began—a waltz—and the other couples faded away. Trish laid her cheek against his chest, closed her eyes and let the tune sweep them into a world of their own. He’d always been a wonderful dance partner, light on his feet, responsive to the music, strong. Supportive. She’d known he would have stood with her against her father, even at the expense of his family. She couldn’t allow that to happen, so she’d walked away. But it had cost her. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, she wished she’d taken a different path, made a better choice. But it wasn’t too late. After the dance tonight, she planned to end her engagement and tell the truth. Her father would see it as a betrayal, she understood that. Hopefully, with time, he would come to accept her decision. Either way, she needed to do what was best for Maddie, and—she opened her eyes and met Aaron’s intent gaze—herself.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, brushing a kiss next to her lips.

  Her pulse jumped, her thoughts and his touch a combustible combination. “Us,” she answered, surprising them both with her honesty. “I want us to have another chance, Aaron. I’ve missed you so much. Can you ever forgive me?”

  His eyes flared with triumph and his hold tightened, crushing her against his ribs. “You don’t know how often I’ve dreamed of you coming back to me.” He stopped, right there in the middle of the dance floor, and clasped her face in his beloved hands. “Are you serious, baby? Be sure, because I can’t go through losing you again.”

  Her throat squeezed shut, emotion making it hard to breathe. She’d known he’d been hurt, but to have his pain, right there in front of her, broke her heart. She’d done this to them. Not her father. Her.

  Never again.

  “I promise,” she whispered, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

  He leaned in and gently kissed the moisture away. “Don’t cry, honey. Please, don’t cry. We’re going to be okay now. A family.” He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her with his warmth.

  A family. She was almost scared to believe it for fear it would be swept away. She leaned back, determined to tell him everything before she made it public. “Aaron, there’s something…”

  “Aaron Michael Shaughnessy?” a voice boomed, the sound carrying throughout the congested room.

  Aaron stiffened, his head swiveling toward the open doors. “Who wants to know?”

  The crowd parted, revealing a tall, muscular man making his way toward them flanked by… Kyle and her parents? What was going on?

  Aaron took a step forward, using his body to protect hers. His brother, Rico and Tony appeared, taking up positions on either side of him. Trish’s stomach lurched. Sophia grasped her arm and tugged her out of the way and she cried out, desperate to find out what was happening.

  “Shush,” Sophia warned. “Just listen, so we can get help, if needed.”

  Aware she was making sense, it nonetheless went against every instinct Trish had. She should be there, at his side. What had her father done?

  “What’s going on, Sheriff?” Matthew asked, his expression forbidding.

  The crowd had gone silent, everyone waiting with bated breath for the sheriff’s reply.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your shindig, but new evidence has come forward in the horse thief case,” he said, his gaze hard as it rested on Aaron.

  “Couldn’t it wait?” Aaron said. “This is a special celebration.”

  The sheriff pulled a set of handcuffs from his back pocket. “Not this time. Aaron Shaughnessy, you are under arrest.”

  17

  Dumbfounded, Aaron allowed the sheriff to drag his arms behind his back—a man he’d known and considered a friend since childhood—and snap the cold silver cuffs on his wrists, pinching his skin. In his peripheral vision, he saw Matt’s move to stop Stan and was thankful when Tony held him back. Bad enough one Shaughnessy was going to see the inside of a jail cell—his father would be so proud.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Matt roared. Aaron flinched, never having heard his brothe
r so angry.

  Stan gripped his forearm to lead him through the troubled crowd. “Don’t make this harder than necessary, Matthew. You can come to the station in the morning, after we get Aaron booked, and see about bail. Okay, everyone,” he waved the gathering back, “give us room, please.” His deputies fanned out to clear the way, leaving Aaron face-to-face with Trish’s father.

  The satisfied expression the man wore raised his hackles. It couldn’t be coincidental the one person who wanted to see the ranch fail stood between him and freedom.

  Anger surged. Aaron lunged forward, ignoring the sheriff’s commands, the burning in his arms, everything in order to get into his nemesis’s face. “I hope it’s worth it, old man. There are some choices in life you can never take back.”

  After that, everything became a kaleidoscope of scenes; leaving the Harvest dance surrounded by the type of armed guards he could do without, landing hard in the rear seat of the squad car as his family and friends surged down the hill, getting read the Miranda warning with strobe lights flashing a garish red and blue against the backdrop of the old barn. But Trish’s frightened face as they pulled away stayed with him the longest. He turned and watched her out the back window until they were out of sight, fiercely glad his family had surrounded her in a protective circle. He was worried sick. He knew her father had something to do with his arrest. Who would she believe?

  Had he lost her love and trust forever?

  He faced front and glared at the back of Stan’s head through the wire cage. “You want to tell me what the hell just happened back there?”

  Stan glanced over his shoulder, then focused on the narrow country road leading away from the hacienda. “I’m not supposed to get into the details, but I’ll say this; it’s mighty damn convenient how a video of you supposedly tampering with fencing and then loading animals into a trailer fitting the description of the one we’re searching for, appears just as your grand opening party for the guest house takes place. Mighty suspicious.”

  Pissed now, Aaron leaned forward, his arms crying at the abuse. “I’m the one who turned in the original report. Why would I do that if I was trying to rob my own ranch?”

  “I’m not saying it makes sense, I’m just laying out the facts. It’s up to the judge to determine your innocence. Now sit back and relax. Stewing won’t do anyone any good.”

  Left with little choice, Aaron slouched in his seat and watched the fields race by in the moonlight. He’d planned on asking Trish to give him a second chance tonight. She had to know he was innocent, didn’t she? He’d dreamed of having a family of his own with her and Madeline. He’d watched his big, somber brother mellow thanks to Cassandra and little Pippa. And now with Sophia and Tony expecting their first child, it had made him ache in unexpected ways. He’d always pictured himself as the free-flying Shaughnessy, unwilling to be tied down by ranch duties like Matthew, yet now the challenges of creating a success out of his family’s legacy had become one he’d embraced without even realizing it.

  Last year, when Matthew vetoed his idea for selling his share of the property to the Sylvester Corporation in order to give the ranch a much-needed cash infusion he’d been hurt and angry. Matt bred Andalusians and Sophia was handling the books at the time—he’d felt… useless. But then he’d come up with his concept for irrigation and knew he was making a real contribution to the land and everything changed. Now this.

  “Don’t suppose you serve dinner in that joint, huh?” he asked. “I didn’t get a chance to eat before you made your grand entrance.”

  Stan chuckled. “I’m sure we can rustle something up, though maybe rustle isn’t the right word.”

  “Ha, ha, you’re a riot.” Aaron’s smiled faded. “Thanks, man. I appreciate the heads-up on the charges. As soon as bail is posted, I’ll call a buddy of mine who’s a tech geek. If my lawyer can get his hands on a copy of that video, we can prove it’s been rigged, and I think we both know by whom.”

  Stan nodded. “You’ve made yourself a powerful enemy, buddy. It’ll be interesting to see just how far he’s willing to take this thing.”

  Yeah, real interesting.

  Trish hugged herself and watched the police car drive away through teary eyes. They’d been having such a lovely day together with the ride out to his great-grandparents cabin and the dance; why did this have to happen? He was innocent, of course. This was some sort of awful mistake. Something they could laugh about later. She turned and looked for her father and found Kyle instead.

  She squeezed Sophia’s hand. “I’m going to fix this, I promise.”

  Sophia’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. “He’s going to jail, Trish. How can you fix that?”

  Trish didn’t know, but she was sure her father could. “I’ll be right back.” She slipped between Aaron’s brother and Sophia’s husband and made her way across the crowded lawn, aware of the knife-like gazes burrowing into her back. She couldn’t blame anyone, the Shaughnessys were liked and admired—it was her family who were the outsiders.

  Kyle’s smirk as she approached filled her with trepidation. “The boyfriend didn’t look so happy, darling,” he said, making it clear he’d seen them together and didn’t much care. Well, she’d known he was marrying her for her connections, not for any misplaced feelings. At least it would make ending their relationship easier.

  “What did you do, Kyle?” He was almost certainly not the brains behind framing Aaron, but he might be her best bet for trapping her father in his deception. Her stomach churned at the thought of betraying her family.

  He surprised her by catching her close as though greeting a lover. Strong arms made a joke of her struggles. He grazed wet lips over her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Hold still or I’ll make it worse for lover-boy.”

  She shuddered, repulsed by his touch. What had she ever seen in him? He smelled like a brewery, his cruelty on full display. “Let me go this minute,” she growled, her entire body pulsing with fury.

  “Or what?” He snickered. “You’ll call Daddy? I have news for you, sweetheart, he’s on my side.” He grasped her arm hard enough to bruise and led her into the darkness, away from the bright lights of the party and safety. When they got to the back of the barn, he dropped his hand and leaned against the wall. “You can run if you want, but I’d suggest you hear me out first.”

  Trish panted and rubbed the sore arm, her pulse pounding in her ears. “Touch me like that again and I’ll scream the house down.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, I don’t think you will. See, I happen to know something that could send your old man to jail for a long time. Maybe longer than he can afford—after all, he’s not in the best of health, is he?”

  She stared at him. “What are you talking about? My father is healthy as a… a horse.” Kyle was playing with her, that had to be it. She’d know if there was more to his lies, wouldn’t she? Her father seemed fine; tired, but then he’d been working on a big merger the last few months, so she’d assumed that was the reason. What if there was more to it than that? What if Kyle was telling the truth? Her stomach plummeted.

  Kyle straightened and stalked toward her, a sleek jungle cat after his prey. “If you didn’t spend so much time spoiling that brat, you might see what’s right in front of that pretty little nose.” He reached out and gave the appendage a not-so-gentle tap.

  She slapped his hand away and took a step back, teetering on the edge of the slope down to the road the sheriff had taken. “What do you want, Kyle? You and I are through. I don’t know why I agreed to marry you in the first place, you’re a rude, obnoxious man.” She was done with his games, time to find her dad.

  His eyes flashed. He grabbed her arms and shook, rattling her teeth together. “You don’t get to threaten me, you dumb bitch. I’ve worked too hard to seal this deal for dear old dad, I deserve a little compensation. Our marriage will ensure I get what’s coming to me.”

  She froze at his words, her head reeling. It all made a sick kind of sense now. Her father
’s insistence on this so-called family adventure to the ranch, the trouble Sophia was having with advertising, the horse thieves and Aaron’s subsequent framing—her father and his hunger for the Shaughnessy land was behind all of it. She could scarcely comprehend his duplicity. She needed to talk to him, get him to see reason, stop this insanity before it went any further. Apologize to Aaron and his family and beg their forgiveness. She couldn’t even think about what this was going to do to her and Aaron’s chances of a relationship. He’d be glad to see their backs after this.

  She tried to step to the side, out of Kyle’s grasp, but he wouldn’t let go. “I have to find my father,” she cried. Fighting to break free, she kneed him in the groin.

  Swearing, he shoved her away and bent over in agony. Trish flailed. Her heels caught in the soft ground causing her to overbalance. She fell with a sharp cry and tumbled down the hill, arms and legs bouncing over rocks and twigs. A sudden sharp pain smacked the back of her head, and everything faded to black.

  18

  Sophia couldn’t believe what was happening. The party she and Trish had worked so hard on was a bust. All of their guests stood in little groups speculating why one of their hosts had just been driven away in the back of the sheriff’s car. She wondered the same thing herself. It was ridiculous to suggest Aaron had stolen his brother’s horses—this whole thing was a nightmare.

  She glanced around the lawn, unwilling to make eye contact with any curious guests, but anxious as to where Trish had disappeared to after her puzzling comment. Baby Morrison picked up on her distress and rolled inside her stomach. Sophia covered the undulating wave over her skin with trembling fingers, awed by the life she carried.