Marshall’s father, Jack, sporting a long black duster and a top hat, moved across the room, heading straight for their table.
“Chuck, how’re you holding up?”
How was he supposed to answer that? “Shana’s recovered.”
A flat, stark answer. Sure. But there was nothing else he could hope to say.
Jack looked like he was going to press further, but then he simply clapped Chuck on the back. “Glad you’re here. Nice costume.”
Marshall swirled his glass until the ice clinked, looking sidelong at his father. “Is that a dig at me, Dad?”
“We’re just happy you’re here, son. That was quite a tumble you took at the end of the rodeo.”
“Putting my horse away.” He shook his head. “I feel like a damn idiot.”
“We all make mistakes. It’s called being human. You’ll be saddled up again before you know it.”
If only life was that simple.
Make a mistake. Saddle up again.
Marshall looked into his empty glass. “I’ll go see about some refills for us. Be right back.”
Chuck started to leave, too—he needed to schmooze with the guests—but he just couldn’t scrounge much of a party spirit in spite of the country and western tunes being belted out by Miss Powers.
“Chuck? Something on your mind?” Jack waited, and when Chuck didn’t answer, he continued, “I’m not trying to pry, and even though I’m married to your mother, I don’t consider myself some kind of father figure to you. You had a great one. But we are family now, and it’s clear something’s weighing on you.”
Chuck considered blowing off the discussion, but it wouldn’t do any good. “Everyone will know soon enough. Shana’s starting to recover her memory, including the problems we had. She’s decided to leave me.”
Jack’s face tightened, his dark blue eyes wild like an Alaskan blizzard. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
A bark of laughter fueled by regret escaped Chuck. “What? No advice on how I should fight for my marriage?”
“Best as I can tell, you both fought to save it for a while.” Jack stroked his chin.
“We did.”
“What’s changed?”
He’d worked too much, demanded perfection of himself...of their marriage.
But all of that was old news.
“She doesn’t trust me.”
“Well, you did lie to her—a lie by hedging, but still, not telling her how bad things had been between the two of you maybe wasn’t the right way to go.”
Had their problems been that obvious to others even though they hadn’t announced their separation?
Apparently they had.
“This little talk isn’t making me feel much better.”
Jack Steele turned to face Chuck, shoulders square, looking every bit as powerful and commanding as a king. “Do you want me to soft-soap things or do you want to keep your wife?”
Put that simply, the answer was obvious. “I want to keep my wife.”
Jack shrugged. “Sounds like you have some groveling to do.”
Chuck’s eyes lingered on Shana, taking in the attentive way she listened to the couple chatting with her. She had a way of making people feel valued as she took in their every word. It made her a great detective—and a wonderful person.
“That simple?”
“If you mean it. Say it, live it, walk the walk and earn her trust back. Marriage isn’t easy and it sure as hell isn’t perfect. Call me an old romantic, but you two have a lot of love between you.”
Love.
Hearing the word from the gruff Steele patriarch brought things into focus.
Hell yes, he loved his wife. Always had.
She’d loved him, too. Even when they were separating, she’d cried over how much she still loved him even as they couldn’t see their way through.
He regretted lying to her to keep her.
He regretted a whole lot of things.
But had he told her how much? Had he ever really committed to being the kind of man she needed?
The answer shamed him. Especially when he could see things from her viewpoint now.
He recognized now how he’d never made a full-scale commitment to compromise. He’d spent the past two years devoted to filling his father’s shoes. Sure, Chuck had taken time off and scaled back a few meetings periodically to appease Shana, but he hadn’t made a legitimate effort to change his workaholic ways.
To be there for her.
He’d chosen unbridled ambition over his wife.
Was it any wonder she didn’t trust in his love for her?
Now he stood at a crossroads.
Make a real change or lose his wife forever. And looked at so succinctly, the decision was the easiest of his life.
He wanted his wife back at any cost.
* * *
Shana had spent most of the party trying to break free of people so she could corner Chuck. She knew it shouldn’t make any difference if she bided her time until after the gala to say goodbye, but the pain of waiting was just too much to bear.
She needed to speak with him.
Parked by an oversize metal globe near a food table, Shana struggled to steady her pulse, anticipation mounting in her chest as she again searched for her broad-shouldered husband.
Standing on her tiptoes, she looked over the heads dressed in Victorian garb, past goblets of wine held by the who’s who of Alaska. She peered over the saloon girl in front of her, looking past the miniature top hat made of clock cogs and feathers. The live music had ended for now, a deejay taking over between sets.
Any other time, Shana might have struck up conversations with the people around her. But her body and soul hummed with urgency.
She needed to see Chuck.
Except every time she located him, by the time she made it across the crowded venue, he was out of sight once again. The event was a packed, unbridled success. And she couldn’t find the will to celebrate anything.
She just wanted her husband.
Finally surrendering to waiting, she stepped out into the night air, flipping up the hood on her red velvet cape. She picked her way across the night to the steam locomotive positioned out front. Music echoed softly from the large hall. Flashes went off periodically as partiers took photos by the train car. She stuffed her gloved hands into her sleeves and perched on the train car’s platform, her breath puffing clouds into the night air. Each cleansing breath should have ordered her thoughts, but the stakes were so high and she wasn’t sure she had any more answers now than the times they’d failed before.
Just when she was ready to give up and go home, her eyes lit on the unmistakable form of her husband. His broad shoulders filled out the leather duster, his black Stetson catching snow on the brim.
“Chuck...” His name came out on a whisper.
One he must have somehow heard.
He turned toward her, his eyes lasering to her from across the walkway. He strode closer, as if he’d been looking for her, which couldn’t be true, but still her heart leaped at the possibility.
Each step nearer made her heart speed in her chest as she searched for the right words to begin.
Grabbing hold of the railing, Chuck swung up onto the platform in a smooth, athletic move. Before she could speak, he locked an arm around her, pulling her flush against him. His eyes met hers. Words dried up in her throat, because she knew he was about to...
Kiss her.
His mouth slanted over hers, gently, teasing and tasting, giving her every opportunity to pull back if she wished. But the only thing she wanted right now was more of him.
Her hands clenched in the lapels of his coat, the heat of him searing her through the cape.
He swept her hair back from her face. “I know it’s too soon for more,” he said hoars
ely. “I just wanted you to know how special you are to me. Would you step inside so we can talk?”
Why would she deny him when she wanted that very thing and his words made her heart light with a wary hope?
“I would like that.”
It had been a long, sad week of distance between them. She couldn’t imagine a lifetime of that.
Inside, the train compartment was finished in plush royal blues with gold fixtures. He gestured for her to sit on the lengthy sofa and took her hand in his, kneeling.
“I owe you an apology.”
She listened, curious.
He squeezed her fingertips lightly. “I should have been honest with you when you first lost your memory. I didn’t earn your trust, and just as bad, I didn’t trust you.”
“I did ask you for a divorce.”
Even the partial memory of that day filled her with pain.
“And I didn’t listen to what you needed now or then.” He looked down at the floor for three thudding heartbeats before continuing, “I thought having a baby would somehow magically turn us into a family. But even just the two of us, together, we are—we should have always been—a family.”
His words helped ease the grief of the other miscarriages she was starting to remember. She didn’t know if she wanted to try again, not yet, but she knew for certain she didn’t want children with any other man.
“Keep talking.” Hope fanned higher, warmer.
“I was very lucky to have an easy childhood. I didn’t fully realize how much of a mark your father’s betrayal had left on you. I should have, and for that I’m so very sorry. Sorrier than I can say.”
Surprise whispered through her, soothing old hurts. “Thank you—”
“I’m still not done. I love you, Shana Mikkelson.” His words rang with conviction. “I love you more than any job, more than anyone else, more than life. And if you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of our days being a family, with you.”
She peeled off her gloves and cupped his face in her hands. “Oh, Chuck, I love you, too, and I’m so sorry for the pain I caused you. We should have been comforting each other—you tried to comfort me—and I lashed out. I pushed you away at a time when your heart was hurting.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me.”
“I do. I’m as much a part of this breakup as you are.”
His forehead furrowed. “Did the rest of your memories return?”
“Not everything. But I remember the day we were married and other happy times, the way we felt. It’s how I feel about you now. We have a love and marriage worth fighting for.”
His eyes closed, and a heavy sigh of relief visibly wracked through him. “I’m so damn glad to hear you say that.”
“I should have believed in you. It’s clear to me now that you’re a good man.” She angled forward, resting her forehead against his. “We had love before. We didn’t have trust. Now we have both. And I want to be your wife. Not just in name from my previous life, but now. Forever.”
She nudged forward, knocking him back until they both stretched on the train car sofa. Kissing him as fully as he’d kissed her.
He palmed her waist, staring up at her, his heart in his eyes. “I’m happy and relieved to hear that because I love you so damn much. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
She had to know. “What if we never have children?”
“Then we don’t. I can face anything as long I have you by my side.” He kissed her slowly, reverently before saying, “I have ideas for our future and I want to hear yours, ways that we can make a new start.”
A smile rose from her heart to her face. “I look forward to hearing them.”
“Let’s go home.”
Home.
Here in his arms, she was already there.
Epilogue
One month later
Chuck pulled the satin coverlet over him and his wife, the railcar swaying ever so slightly as the train ate up the miles along the Canadian countryside.
He and Shana had enjoyed many romantic trips in their marriage, but this topped them all. Of course, trains would always hold a special place in his heart after they had found their way back to each other at the steampunk gala a month ago.
A lot had happened in the past few weeks as they worked to make good on their promises to build a new life together. Chuck’s decision to back away from working long hours had been met by similar announcements from other Steele and Mikkelson siblings. Broderick and Glenna were expecting a baby. Trystan wasn’t interested in taking more on his plate, in spite of his makeover. He wanted to focus on his family.
Marshall had made it damn clear he wasn’t stepping into the void, even though he’d agreed to host a fund-raiser. He was chomping at the bit to get rid of his cast so he could resume ranching duties.
So the search had begun outside the families for a CEO for the Alaska Oil Barons, Inc.
Chuck had proposed a job change for himself. He would soon assume duties overseeing the pipeline operations on the North Dakota end—an offer accepted by the board of directors even though it was a step down for him. He and Shana had chosen this mode of land travel for a romantic getaway on their trip to house hunt for the impending move. While the North Dakota office didn’t come with as much prestige or as many divisions to manage, he found himself excited for the change.
They were both revaluating their priorities these days.
And focusing on their marriage topped the list.
Relocating would also give them more privacy. No question, Chuck loved his family. But as a whole, they could be overwhelming. There would still be visits, and a corporate jet afforded the easy option of attending important family functions.
But they would have their own home, their own space.
“I can hardly believe you’re making this change for me,” Shana murmured, nuzzling his neck.
“For us.”
“I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”
“Good to know.” He slipped his hand around to the small of her back, her skin like silk. “How about this? I love everything about you and look forward to telling you every day.”
“Hmm...” She sighed, sliding her bare leg between his. “And I love you and the life we’re building together.”
She was resuming her work part-time, having accepted a job in North Dakota to freelance for an established private detective agency once she moved. She wanted to keep her professional skills up to date, while also having time to travel. She was still looking into Milla Jones’s disappearance and investigating the pasts of Jeannie Steele’s siblings.
Shana and Chuck were both adjusting, perhaps in a way they should have before.
But they were also lucky.
They’d been given a second chance—by each other—and they were both committed to making the most of it.
Shana was remembering the past, slowly. Chuck was filling in the blanks for her as she asked. No holds barred. Some of the discussions were tough, but that also assured her of his honesty.
They didn’t shy away from anything anymore.
They were building a future on a firm foundation.
Shana traced small circles on his shoulder, her wedding rings glinting, the set complete on her finger again. “This trip has been idyllic. I’ve been thinking we should do this more often.”
“What do you have in mind?” He watched the play of shadows along her body as moonbeams shone through the slight part in the velvet curtains of the luxury suite.
“Let’s revisit some of our anniversary celebrations by taking train rides through the Outback and through Europe.” She rested her head on his chest, her blond hair splaying over him in a shimmering spread.
“Except we won’t wait until a year has passed.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.
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She sighed, her breath warm along his skin. “Perfection.”
“Like you,” he responded, meaning every word.
She grinned up at him. “You’re such a romantic.”
He hadn’t been, not before, but that was another thing he was working on for his wife. Because she deserved it.
She deserved everything, because she was his everything.
He reached for a rose from the vase by their bed. “How about I shower you with more of that romance, Mrs. Mikkelson?”
Shana plucked the flower from his hand and traced the bud down his chest. “How about I romance you, Mr. Mikkelson?”
She nudged him to his back, and he took her up on her oh-so-tempting offer, looking forward to paying her back in kind.
Luckily, they had a lifetime for romance ahead of them.
* * * * *
Passion and turmoil abound in the lives
of the Alaskan Oil Barons!
Nothing is as it seems.
Will they find Milla Jones? Is Uncle Lyle involved?
Is Breanna alive?
Find out the answers and so much more in
the final four stories
starring the Steeles and Mikkelsons!
The Second Chance
The Rancher’s Seduction
(available December 2018)
The Billionaire Renegade
(available January 2019)
The Secret Twin
(available February 2019)
And don’t miss a single twist in the
first four books of the
Alaskan Oil Barons
from
USA TODAY bestselling author Catherine Mann
The Baby Claim
The Double Deal
The Love Child
The Twin Birthright
Keep reading for an excerpt from Love in Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson.
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The Second Chance Page 15