The door slammed behind her, and Sloan and Shelly looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“My God,” Sloan said, “I knew the woman was ballsy, but I didn't know that they were made of brass!”
“I feel like sending her a thank-you note,” Shelly said, smiling at him. “Thanks to her, we now know exactly what happened that night seventeen years ago.” She pressed a light kiss on top of Pandora's little head. “And this young lady deserves her very own piece of steak. Wasn't she brave?”
Sloan scratched Pandora's ears. “No. She was jealous as hell and was staking out her territory—but I agree about the steak.” His eyes on Shelly's, he asked quietly, “How do you feel about learning about Josh's and Nancy's parts in our breakup?”
Shelly made a face and put Pandora down on the floor. “It's not the shock it could have been—Roman already warned me that Josh might have had a hand in the breakup.” Her expression pensive, she leaned into Sloan. “I always looked at Josh like he walked on water, and since I've come home, I've learned that not only did he not walk on water, but that he wasn't always a nice man.”
His arms around her, his cheek resting on the top of her head, Sloan murmured, “He was only human, honey. Just like us.”
“Oh, but Sloan, the years we lost.” She glanced up at him. “I'm sorry that I was such a fool and didn't give you a chance to explain.”
He kissed her. “We can't do anything about the past—we've only got the future. Let's make it a great one, shall we?”
Misty eyed, she smiled up at him. “Oh, yes! And it will be great, just because we're together.”
Naturally he kissed her again. And again. And again, which led to a slight detour into the loft….
When Roman arrived just after seven he found Sloan and Shelly sitting on the front porch, Pandora between them. They looked contented and happy.
A smile on his handsome face, Roman said as he walked up the steps, “So, anything interesting happen before I got here?”
They both laughed and rose to their feet. Shelly set Pandora down and put an arm through one of Roman's. “You're not gonna believe what happened,” she said, laughter dancing in her eyes. “Wait 'til you hear.”
Dinner was a happy affair, and the three lingered outside at the back of the cabin long after dark, just talking, enjoying the silence of the night and each other's company. It wasn't until Roman and Shelly were on their way home that Roman was able to ask Shelly how she felt about Reba's revelations about Josh.
He was driving, and, shooting a look in her direction, he asked, “You OK about Josh's part?”
Shelly smiled sadly. “I think so. It hurts. And I guess I'm bitter. But like Sloan said, we've got the future.” She looked across to Roman. “I feel such a fool for having worn blinders for so long where Josh was concerned.” She bit her lip. “And I get angry when I realize that if he hadn't died, if I hadn't come home, that Sloan and I would have never gotten together again…and for that I can't forgive him.”
“He's dead, Shelly. And you have to remember most of what he did was done for love of you. Never forget that he adored you. He wasn't trying to hurt you—in his mind, he was trying to make certain you didn't make a mistake. It could be argued he was trying to protect you.”
“Yeah, right.” She sighed. “I know. I know he loved me. And he tried to do his best, but sometimes…sometimes, you have to let people live their own lives—make their own mistakes.”
“Everything cool between you and Sloan?”
She smiled. “Everything is A-OK.”
“So, when's the wedding?”
“Couple of weeks.” She flashed him a look. “And that's all I'm telling you.”
Shelly woke Monday morning with a smile on her face. She hummed as she showered and dressed and fairly danced down the stairs on her way to the kitchen. Acey was in his usual place at the kitchen table; Roman sat across from him; Maria was turning pancakes; and Nick was pouring himself a cup of coffee.
There was an unmistakable glow on her face, and Nick grinned. “What, you won the Lotto?”
Since her announcement to Reba of their plans, Shelly and Sloan had decided that there was no chance of keeping their impending marriage a secret. The when and the where they could keep to themselves, but not the news that they would marry.
“Better,” she said, helping herself to coffee. “Sloan and I are getting married.”
“And this is a surprise?” Nick asked, one brow cocked. “Anyone with half a brain could see how things were between you.” He thought a moment. “Er, I know this is self-serving, but does your marriage change the plans for Granger Cattle Company?”
“No. The only change will be that you'll move here. Sloan doesn't want to live in this house, and I don't want it to sit empty.” Ignoring Nick's sudden intake of breath and Maria's gasp, Shelly went on calmly, “It's a good plan. You're the manager, and you get stuck with most of the physical work.” She smiled at him. “My work is more PR, telephone, paper, and office stuff. This place is where the action is—the breeding barns, the lab, the office, everything. You should be here—not stuck up on the mountain, miles away. You're needed here. I'll be living at Sloan's place, and I can drive in to take care of the office—some of it I can do at home. I don't see a problem, do you?”
Nick cleared his throat. “Uh, not exactly.” He leaned forward. “Shelly, are you sure?”
She smiled at him, affection in her gaze. “Yeah, I'm sure. This is where you belong—in more ways than one.”
Nick's face worked with emotion. He stood up, swallowing hard. “I, er,” he managed gruffly, “have to check some things in the barn.” And rushed from the kitchen.
She met Maria's brown eyes. They were not friendly. “It is not kind of you to encourage him,” Maria said grimly.
“And it is not kind for you to deny him the truth,” Shelly said bluntly.
Maria's mouth tightened, and she put down the spatula. Turning on her heel, she stalked out the back door.
“Well, there's goes breakfast,” Acey said, disgust evident. “Couldn't you have waited until she finished the pancakes?”
“I can cook pancakes,” Shelly said, standing up and going over to the stove. She glanced back at Acey. “Anything else you want to say?”
He smiled that slow, almost shy, kinda sly smile of his. “Congratulations. I hope you and Sloan will be very happy. And I think it's about time that Nick came into his own. He's a good boy. I'm glad you're doing the right thing.”
Shelly looked troubled. “Maria's not.”
Acey stood up, putting his hat on his head. “Don't you worry none about Maria. She'll come around—she loves Nick—most of her fussing is because she don't want to see him get hurt. And she knows she hasn't been fair about this whole thing—it's hard, sometimes, to get out of the corner you've backed yourself into. She'll do it. She loves you, and she loves her son. Don't fret.”
After Acey ambled out, Shelly looked at Roman. “You have anything you'd like to add?”
Roman grinned. “No way. I want those pancakes you're trying to burn.”
It proved to be a productive and busy morning. She and Nick packaged up the semen straws for shipment for DNA testing and took them into town to send overnight via UPS. They also sat down and worked out a breeding plan using the remaining straws in the semen tank—provided they were all viable, which was a real concern. The most pressing needs taken care of, after lunch and several phone calls, Shelly had the name of a physician in Santa Rosa who worked in the DNA field. He would take hers, Nick's and Roman's DNA samples and send them to a lab that specialized in that type of work.
Seated at the desk in Josh's old office, she stared off in the distance. Nick's words in the lab yesterday tumbled over and over in her brain. Hers and Roman's DNA would settle the question of whether or not Nick was a Granger, but it wouldn't prove that Josh had been his father—nothing would except Josh's DNA. Nick needed more than just the knowledge that he was a Granger. He need
ed to know that he was Josh's son. And while they would never be able to obtain a sample of Josh's DNA, she could, maybe, get a sample from someone more closely related to Nick than Roman. A lot more closely related. If they could get the sample…it would take them several steps closer to proving that Josh had fathered Nick. And if they could get Maria to tell the truth…Lots of ifs.
The phone rang, jerking her from her thoughts. It was Mike Sawyer in Ukiah.
“You are not going to believe this,” the lawyer said. “But Milo Scott was just in here, looking like he had been dragged through a knothole backward, I might add, and he said that he didn't want the lease. He told me to draw up whatever papers were necessary to void the lease, and that that would be the end of it.” Curiosity evident, he asked, “What did you do? Put the fear of God in him? After you beat him up?”
“Um, I don't know what you're talking about…but it's great news, isn't it?” Shelly said, thinking of Sloan's bruises.
She had barely put the phone down when the sound of a vehicle driving up to the back of the house had her wandering in that direction. Her pulse raced when she saw that it was Sloan.
Rushing up to greet him, she kissed him and batting her lashes, murmured, “My hero.” At his look, she said, “I just got off the phone with the lawyer, and guess what? Scott is canceling the lease. You wouldn't know anything about that, now would you?”
Sloan's bruises hadn't faded much, and he looked like a slightly battered tomcat. “Nah. Haven't a clue.” He bent his eye upon her. “But I do have a bone to pick with you…”
It was Shelly's turn to look surprised. “Me? I haven't done anything.”
“Funny, but I got a telephone call this morning from Principal Hickman. He wanted to thank me for my generous donation.” He gave Shelly a small shake. “The scholarship fund I so magnanimously funded? Ring any bells?”
Shelly grimaced. She peeped up at him. Toying with the top button of his brown plaid shirt, she muttered, “It's that damn right-of-way. You tore up the check, and I didn't see much use in giving you another one.”
“So you funded a scholarship in my name with the money?” he asked incredulously.
She smiled. “Yes, I did. Wanna fight about it?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Am I marrying a woman determined to get her way or what?”
“You aren't angry?”
He pulled her into his arms. “Right now, not much could make me angry. I'm just too happy that things are good between us. You want to waste your money on setting up a scholarship in my name—go ahead.” He kissed her, his lips warm and compelling. “Forget about that damned right-of-way,” he muttered when he finally lifted his mouth from hers. “I paid Josh for it and while he may have skinned me, I'd have paid him double just to have one more thorn between our two families removed.”
Her arms around his neck, she kissed his chin. “Good thinking.” She hesitated, then added, “Josh took the money you gave him for the right-of-way and set up a scholarship fund, too.”
“Let me guess,” Sloan said dryly. “It's in his name.”
Shelly nodded. “Does that upset you?”
Sloan shook his head. “Like I told you—I've got you, and I'm feeling magnanimous. I won. And not meaning to be brutal—he's dead.” He kissed her again, more urgently. “Let the past lie. From now on, our future is about us, not them.”
Arms around each other's waists, they wandered out to the barn, where they found Nick, Acey, and Roman in the lab. Nick was still drooling over the semen tank, and Acey wasn't much better. Roman merely looked amused.
At their entrance, Nick left off his love affair with the semen tank, and, grinning at Sloan, said, “I understand that congratulations are in order.”
“That they are,” Sloan replied, shaking Nick's hand. “She gave me a chase, but I won.”
Shelly snorted and rolled her eyes.
Acey walked up and stuck out his callused hand. “I surely am glad that you're marrying her. I've been telling her for weeks that she needed a good man.” He winked. “It's nice when they take your advice.”
Shelly shook her head. “That doesn't even deserve a comment.”
Acey grinned. “Nope. 'Cause you know I'm right.” He glanced at Sloan. “So when's the wedding. She's kinda close-mouthed about the date.”
“Sometime in the next couple weeks,” Sloan said easily. “We have to get things settled here, then we're flying to Reno to do the deed—just the two of us.”
Acey looked askance. “That don't seem right. Think you should revise that plan and get married in the valley. Doesn't have to be a big affair, but there are a few of us that would like to be part of the celebration.”
“And that,” Sloan said dryly, glancing down at his bride-to-be, “is exactly why I wanted to get married before anyone even had a whiff of what was in the wind.”
The truth of Sloan's statement became more apparent as the day passed. The phone began ringing almost constantly. First M.J. demanding to know if it was true that she was going to marry Sloan. Then Cleo called with the same question, and not five minutes later, Bobba. Turned out Reba had been into Heather-Mary-Marie's that afternoon and in front of a half dozen customers had coolly announced that she was just thrilled to pieces that Sloan and Shelly had overcome their differences and were planning on getting married. The news spread like wildfire—Jeb and Danny even drove out to the house to find out for themselves, both of them breaking into wide grins when they heard that this time the gossip was true: Sloan and Shelly were getting married. When Sloan returned to his cabin that evening he found his answering machine was full of calls from half the valley wanting to know if there was any truth to the rumor that he was actually going to marry Shelly Granger.
He returned Roxanne's call first. His sister was elated. “Oh, Sloan, I am so happy for you. I don't know what went wrong before, but anyone can see that the pair of you belong together.” She hesitated. “Er, have you told Dad yet?”
Sloan made a face at the phone. “No.”
“Um, how do you think he'll take it?”
“Probably badly, knowing how he feels about anyone named Granger, but that's his problem not mine. I'm marrying Shelly, and the fact that she's a Granger doesn't even come into it. Once we're married, she won't be a Granger, she'll be a Ballinger.”
“You know,” Roxanne said confidingly, “I hate to break it to you, but these days sometimes women keep their own name. Have you thought of that? Maybe she'll call herself Shelly Granger-Ballinger.”
Sloan laughed. “Doesn't matter. All that matters is that I love her, and she loves me. And Pandora likes her…sort of.”
Roxanne giggled. “And that, of course, puts the seal of approval on the whole deal. So when's the wedding?”
“I haven't a clue.” He explained their original plan, but it was becoming pretty obvious that a quick, private wedding in Reno was fast disappearing. “All I know right now is that it'll be soon.”
Shelly came swiftly to the same conclusion. The whole affair was spinning out of control and as the news spread, she realized that the sooner she and Sloan were married, the better off they would be. They put their heads together and came up with a plan that suited the pair of them. It wouldn't be the Reno wedding, but neither would it be a huge affair. They were determined to keep it as small and intimate as they could—without making enemies for life.
On Wednesday, Sloan, Shelly, Nick, and Roman drove down to Santa Rosa. The taking of the DNA samples was a simple procedure and by lunchtime they were comfortably seated in the Equus Restaurant at the north end of Santa Rosa. Ross, Sloan's younger brother, met them there.
What Ross thought of his brother's engagement to a Granger, he kept to himself, but then Ross tended to keep a lot of things to himself. He was nearly ten years younger than Sloan was and, except for his height, black hair, and tawny eyes, bore little resemblance to his older brother. He was lean, a rapier to Sloan's broadsword. He was more handsome than Sloan, his features fi
nely chiseled, his hard mouth and jaw at variance with his extravagant lashes, but Shelly had eyes for no one but Sloan.
Seated in a quiet alcove, once introductions were made—he already knew Nick—and they had ordered, Ross leaned back in his seat, and, smiling at Shelly, said, “I hope you know what you're taking on marrying this big lug. He can be a tyrant. Believe me, I know. He was my boss at Ballinger Development and, upon occasion, he made my life hell. Are you sure you want to marry him?”
“Don't pay any attention to him,” Sloan said, his fingers entwined with Shelly's. “He's just jealous I saw you first.”
Ross grinned. Raising his glass of champagne, he glanced at Roman and Nick. “A toast? Shall we wish them many years of happiness? Or misery?”
Smiling, Roman murmured, “Oh, happiness, definitely happiness.”
It was a happy, silly lunch, and well after 3:00 P.M. when the quartet headed back to Oak Valley, leaving Ross behind. Since Nick traveled on his stomach, they stopped in Willits and picked up a Papa Murphy's pizza to bake once they reached home.
The conversation at dinner that night was mostly about DNA and what it could prove and couldn't prove. Nick didn't offer much in the way of conversation, but Shelly watched his face, the way he listened intently to every word Sloan or Roman uttered. This meant so much to him. So very much. She was angry at Maria for not telling the truth; furious with Josh for leaving Nick dangling, and determined to do what she could to set it right—although, she admitted, it would never be totally right.
The idea she'd been turning over and over in her mind took full shape, and, pushing aside her empty plate, she said, “Nick gave me an idea the other day.” When Nick looked at her, she went on, “You said something about being able to get DNA from a bull dead thirty years….” She took a deep breath. “We don't have access to Josh's DNA, and while mine and Roman's DNA will prove a relationship between us, there is another source.”
Nick's eyes were fixed painfully on her. “What do you mean? I know you've got other relatives scattered here and there, but their DNA wouldn't prove anything more than Roman's.”
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