* * *
The following morning Kelly made herself a cup of tea while Shane and Brianna slept. She carried the steaming brew into the front room and stood quietly to study them. After her meal last night, Brianna had fussed for attention, so Shane and Kelly had kept her in bed with them. And now in the light of day, Brianna snoozed against Shane's broad chest, her padded bottom in the air. Even in sleep, he handled the child gently. One long, muscular arm held her lightly, keeping her tiny body in place.
Kelly sipped her tea and glanced back at the envelope that had arrived in the mail. Somehow she had known it would come today, so she had dressed and walked to the street-front box, breathing the fragrant air, telling herself it shouldn't matter. But it did, of course. If she received the results, then Jason must have, too – discovering, without a doubt, that Brianna was his.
When would he call? When would he make a decision about his daughter? She set her tea on the end table where last night's uneaten popcorn remained. How could she be so confused? So emotionally careless? Wanting Jason to claim Brianna, yet losing her heart to Shane. Little by little she was falling in love, and she had no idea what to do about it.
Shane stirred. Opening his eyes, he looked down at Brianna and smiled. Kelly watched as he lifted the sleeping child and placed her in a snug corner of the sofa bed. Brianna scooted forward on her own, butting her head against a pillow.
Shane met Kelly's gaze, and they shared a smile, the kind adults reserved for puppies, kittens and babies.
"How are you doing?" he asked, his night-tousled mane falling over one eye. That happened often, she noticed, his one-eyed likeness to Puma.
"Fine." She toyed with a button on her blouse. Did he remember purring last night? Probably not. The sound had seemed instinctual – unconscious eroticism. The reminder sent a tingle up her spine. He had purred in the shower, too. Warm water, scented soap and Shane's deep, sexy rumble. "Would you like some breakfast?"
"Sure. Do you happen to have any coffee?"
"I still have some from last time you stayed here." Condoms and coffee. Shane essentials. "I'll start a pot."
"Great. I'll put Sunshine in her own bed."
Kelly nodded appreciatively. "Thank you."
"She's really wiped out," he commented as he lifted the child.
"I guess she should be. She was up most of the night." Kelly glanced at the envelope she'd placed on the TV stand, hoping Shane wouldn't notice it. Brianna's biological father seemed like an awkward subject to broach on their first morning after.
When he left the room with Brianna in tow, Kelly grabbed the envelope and stuck it in her purse. By the time he returned, she had a pot of coffee brewing. He came up behind her and kissed her neck. She leaned into him as he held her, fear coiling in the pit of her stomach. How could she leave? Survive without him?
Kelly took a deep breath. Did she have a choice? She had a life in Ohio, a job, a home with her mother. Shane wasn't making promises. She was the one who had invited him to her bed, not the other way around.
Suddenly his touch hurt. The kind of pain that came with loss. A deep, dark lonely ache. "I should get breakfast going."
She slipped away from him and went about cracking eggs and frying slices of ham. Shane poured himself a cup of coffee, and although she didn't turn around, she knew he stirred two teaspoons of sugar into it, followed by a dash of milk. She had no idea how Jason prepared his morning coffee or if he drank a second cup by midday.
They sat at the scarred dining table, she fully clothed, Shane in frayed jeans and little else.
He poured ketchup over his eggs, and Kelly imagined them like this for the next twenty years, sleeping together every night, sharing breakfast each morning. He would look much the same, she decided. Perhaps a bit more mature, a touch of gray in his hair and tiny lines around his eyes, additions that often made men more attractive.
"Kelly?"
She blinked and cut into her ham. "Yes?"
"What are you thinking about?"
The ham nearly slid off her plate. "Nothing, really." Just you and me and a lifetime together.
He studied her for a long, drawn-out moment, and she worried he could see the truth in her eyes, the love, the hope, the fantasy of forever. Avoiding his gaze, Kelly lifted her fork and brought it to her lips.
"Why didn't you tell me the test results came in?" he asked just as she swallowed a bite of honey-baked ham that suddenly lost its appeal.
He had seen the envelope, she realized, and had been waiting for her to confide in him. "Does it matter? We both know what it says."
Shane pushed away his plate. "Yeah, but now Jason knows, too."
Had he lost his appetite? She stole a glance at his breakfast and felt the weight of her heart, a treasure sinking to the bottom of the sea. His food was nearly gone.
"You're going to hear from him, Kelly. It won't be long." Shane pushed at his plate again. "That's what you want, right? For him to take an interest in Brianna?"
The question wasn't fair. Of course she still hoped Jason would contact her about Brianna; he was the baby's father. But on the other hand, she had fallen in love with Shane. Fallen hard. "I want what's best for my daughter," she said, answering the only way she knew how. "Brianna will always come first."
* * *
The days that followed were hectic. Preparations for the fund-raiser were in full swing, with Shane's mother arriving to help. But Shane decided a break was in order, so he asked his mom to baby-sit Brianna while he whisked Kelly away for a few enchanted hours. The sun shone in a vast blue sky, a perfect afternoon for what he had in mind.
Kelly slanted him a sideways glance, looking like a bright-eyed little girl. She sat beside him in the truck, her hair in twin ponytails, a familiar butterfly barrette restraining bangs that had long since grown out.
He turned onto a narrow path, the four-wheel-drive handling the rough terrain. They rode up a small hill, the only access to their final destination. He had instructed Kelly to dress comfortably – jeans and safe, sensible shoes.
He maneuvered the vehicle in between some dense foliage and parked. "We have to walk from here."
He strapped on a backpack and led her up the hill. "This isn't walking, Shane," she said. "This is hiking."
He chuckled. "Yeah, but it's worth it. Besides, it's not far."
Once they reached the appropriate spot, he pointed to the valley below. "That's where we're going, Kelly. You can't get there by car."
"Oh, my." She stood beside him, clearly awed.
Shane smiled. The rainy season had done just what he'd expected: nourished the ground so wildflowers grew as far as the eye could see. In another area, trees huddled together, providing a natural haven for squirrels and nesting birds. "Let's go."
He started down first, then reached up to help her. The grade wasn't as steep as it appeared, but Kelly handled the descent carefully – mindful, he noticed, of the scattered brush and loose stones. When they reached the bottom, they stepped onto a carpet of flowers.
"This is so beautiful," she said, a light breeze fluttering the hair that escaped her barrette. "Heaven on earth."
Shane nodded. "I used to come here a lot." He took her hand and guided her toward the copse of trees. "But I've never brought anyone with me before." He needed to tell her that, he realized. Needed her to know how special she was to him.
As they walked across the field, he breathed the fragrant air and tried not to dwell on Kelly's impending departure. He would enjoy this day with her, this quiet, beautiful day. "Sometimes I picture my ancestors here," he said. "You know, when the Comanche used to roam this land on horse-back."
"Before they lost it," she said.
"Yeah." He supposed the spirit of his ancestors tied him to West Texas, restoring in him what they had fought so valiantly to keep. Pride. Honor. Hope.
Hope? He shook his head. He would lose Kelly as surely as the Comanche had lost Texas. No amount of hope would change that. Destiny had sealed h
is fate. Her child belonged to another man, and his experience with Tami had taught him a painful lesson – biological bonds weren't meant to be broken. His only recourse was to step back when the time came.
And it would come. Jason Collier would contact Kelly. Of that, Shane felt certain.
They reached the copse of trees and ducked inside. The leafy branches provided shade, but slats of sunlight peeked through, creating a small, magical forest. Clusters of flowers spotted the ground, their colorful blooms growing toward the light.
Shane opened his backpack and unrolled a large, beach towel. Kelly sat cross-legged on one end and he on the other, a carefully selected hunch between them. He knew how much she enjoyed picnics, and today he wanted to please her.
"The chicken came from the deli in town," he said, as he began unwrapping aluminum foil and opening small, plastic containers. "But I did the rest." Simple things he knew she appreciated. Cheese squares and whole wheat crackers, raw vegetables and ranch dressing, chilled grapes and watermelon. The watermelon balls, he supposed, were for himself. Tasting the ripe melon was like kissing her, running his tongue along her flesh.
She loaded her plate. "It looks wonderful. Thank you." Glancing up through the trees, she sighed. "I can imagine your ancestors here, too. Even feel them, like spirits in the wind."
Such poetic words, he thought, such beautiful sentiment. "Do you know who Quanhah Parker was?"
Kelly titled her head. "The name sounds familiar."
"He was the last free war chief of the Comanche." Shane reached for his soda. "He was my idol when I was a kid. He was part white, and for me it helped to know that a famous chief was a mixed blood. Especially at a time in history when half-breeds were looked down upon."
Kelly scooted a little closer, picking at her food delicately. "Who were his parents?"
"You mean which one was white?" He opened the cola and took a swig. "It was his mom. Her name was Cynthia Ann Parker, and she was captured by the Comanche when she was a child. But she wasn't mistreated. Instead she was adopted into the tribe."
"So when she was older she married one of their chiefs?"
Shane nodded. "Yeah, his name was Wanderer. Supposedly they were really chose. Madly in love as some folks prefer to tell it. Of course hike all great love stories, theirs ended tragically."
Kelly glanced up at the trees again. Searching for spirits, he supposed. Lonely lovers drifting through the sky. "What happened to them?" she asked.
"Cynthia was separated from Wanderer and their sons when she and their baby daughter were captured by the Army and returned to her white family. But by this time, Cynthia didn't fit into the white world anymore. People either pitied her or thought she was odd."
"Did she ever see Wanderer or her sons again?"
"No. They searched, but never found her. Wanderer lost hope and died from an infectious wound. The younger son died, too. Only Quanhah lived to tell the story."
Kelly's eyes turned watery. "What happened to Cynthia and her daughter?"
"The baby took ill and died, and after that Cynthia didn't last long. Some reports say she died of a broken heart. Others claim she starved herself to death." Shane dropped his shoulders. "Either way, Quanhah was left to carry on alone and fight for what he believed in."
"Your childhood idol," she said, blinking back tears.
"Yeah." He set his plate aside. "I'm sorry, Kelly, I didn't mean to make you cry."
She rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine. Just oversensitive, I guess." She reached for her plate, encouraging him to do the same. "We should be enjoying our lunch."
They ate in silence. Neither, it seemed, sure of what to say. Shane drank his cola and tasted the chicken while she sipped water and nibbled on crackers and celery sticks.
A butterfly winged by. Shane turned his head and watched it light upon a nearby flower. "It looks like your hair barrette," he told her.
She touched the ornament, then dropped her hand self-consciously. "When I was a child I used to sit in my mom's garden and study them. The symmetry of their wings, the way they flutter. They're beautiful, don't you think?"
"Yeah." Like her, he thought. Delicate and beautiful. "You still look sad, Kelly."
"I do?" She brushed cracker crumbs from her lap. "Honestly, I'm fine."
She wasn't, he decided, and neither was he. They were missing each other. Sharing the sunshine and missing each other. It made no sense.
He moved their plates out of the way and reached for her. She sank into arms and made a sniffling sound.
"Don't cry," he said.
She buried her head against his shoulder. "I'm not."
But she was, and it made him ache inside. "I need you," he whispered, knowing she needed him, too. Their time together neared its end, and on this bright summer day, he wanted to make memories. Thoughts and images. Sensations.
He reached for the buttons on her blouse. She sat back on her heels, then stilled his hands, opening the blouse herself. Shane watched her, his body growing hard in response.
Instead of removing her bra, she released the cups. It was a nursing bra, making access to her breasts a simple, erotic task.
Reaching out, she brought his head forward, inviting his touch. Accepting her offer, he licked her nipples, tasting and teasing. She made a soft sound of pleasure and held him there.
"Shane." Kelly caressed his cheek, her voice breathy. Aroused
When he looked up and saw her watching, her eyes glowing with promise, he raised his head and kissed her. Kissed until they melted together like wax, their bodies warmed by the sun, their hearts heating in unison.
She undressed, stripped away the barrier of her clothes while he undid her hair, releasing the ponytails. Only the butterfly remained, the delicate ornament.
She could have been a forest nymph, he thought. A beautiful creature with pale skin and tangled hair, fairy dust dancing around her.
She unbuttoned his jeans and freed him, then lowered her mouth.
To experiment. Learn how to please a man.
Drive him mad with desire.
When he was dizzy, glassy eyed and desperate, she reached into his pocket and removed the condom he always carried, the protection that would keep them safe.
Slipping it on, she kissed him, openmouthed and carnal, her tongue diving down his throat. He met her ravenous onslaught with the same voracious need, then pulled her onto his lap.
Smiling, she impaled herself, taking him deep, stroking his length. Shane caught his breath. She rode him, show and rhythmic, the motion a smooth, liquid current.
The world around them stilled. There was nothing but the pounding of their hearts, the hunger in their bodies, the taste of each other on their tongues.
She quivered, and their eyes met. He could see her losing control, rocking deeper, wanting more. He raised his hips and thrust into her, increasing the tempo, challenging her stroke for stroke.
She met his maddening pace, her hair a wild mass around her shoulders. It cascaded over her face and across her breasts, tangling like vines.
Together they tripped and stumbled, wildflowers sweetening the air, the world tilting on its axis. She grabbed hold of the earth, and while they shuddered through a mind-shattering orgasm, she spilled a handful of dandelions into the air.
They fluttered around Shane like feathers from an angel, guiding him to Heaven in one slow, sliding motion.
Gloriously spent, he closed his eyes and let the feeling sweep him away.
* * *
Chapter 11
«^»
While Brianna napped in a guest room at Shane's house, Kelly sat across from Grace at the kitchen table, guacamole and chips between them, virgin strawberry margaritas on the side. They had been working diligently on the fund-raiser, comparing ideas, notes and final decisions.
Kelly scooped a chip into the chili-seasoned avocado dip and savored the flavor. Mexican food was a rare treat. As was her involvement in the fund-raiser.
Grace sipped her frot
hy drink. "Isn't it great not having the men underfoot? Girl time is important."
Kelly enjoyed having Shane underfoot, but appreciated Grace's sentiment just the same. Girl time meant guilt-free snacks and easy conversation. "I wish my mom could have gotten time off to help with the fund-raiser. Her boss is so stingy."
Grace tucked her hair behind her ears, unmasking a striking set of earrings, silver that offset her bronze complexion and onyx that matched her eyes. "Linda's not just your mom. She's your best friend, isn't she?"
Kelly nodded. She didn't need to stop to think about her answer. Linda Baxter was the constant in her life, the woman she could rely on. "But we don't always see everything eye to eye. She's a little more opinionated than most female friends would be, but I guess that's the mother-daughter relationship coming into play."
"That it is." Grace stirred her drink and smiled. "My mother had the tendency to poke her nose into my affairs, too."
Kelly bit into another chip. She recalled how conservative Shane had said his grandmother was, and since Grace was anything but conservative, the disagreements that must have existed between them wasn't hard to fathom.
"My mother called me a hippie, but I thought of myself as New Age. She didn't understand my lifestyle, but in spite of that we were still friends. We lived together for over forty-five years. We shared everything, including Shane. He's the man he is today because we both raised him."
"He's a wonderful man." The man Kelly could picture forever with. The man her heart had given itself to. "But he seems a little more traditional than New Age, though."
Grace laughed. "Yes, well, my mother, God rest her soul, certainly left her socially-proper mark on my son. But then again, Shane has a daring side, too. A dance-naked-in-the woods, bring-a-mountain-lion-home sort of attitude that most people wouldn't understand."
"Yes," Kelly agreed, hoping her cheeks didn't look as hot as they suddenly felt. She knew all about being naked in the woods with Shane – making love while the trees surrounded them like an enchanted forest.
Grace stood, a red dress flowing to her ankles. "Why don't we go to my room. There's something I'd like to show you."
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