Shadows and Ruins

by Denise A. Agnew

  Emma smiled ruefully. "Believe me, he made me work for it."

  Josy gave Clement another knowing look and Emma wondered if she should keep

  her mouth shut altogether about Shane. She'd come to their home to hear about their

  concerns and report on what she'd found at the site, not to disparage their nephew.

  Clearing his throat, Clement said, "Shane can be stubborn."

  "I won't make excuses for him," Josy said, her gaze steady and unflinching. "He is

  the way he is by choice…and he didn't have an easy time of it growing up."

  "Crabby by choice?" Emma asked, smiling. Clement and Josy laughed, and with

  relief she decided they appreciated her frankness without them taking offense.

  "I don't blame him for being concerned about people trampling all over his land,"

  Emma said. "I just wish he wasn't so prickly. I'm willing to discuss things with him

  rationally."

  "He wasn't always so ornery," Clement said.

  When he stopped, Emma's anticipation rose. She imagined Shane in childhood. No

  doubt he'd had a mop of messy black hair and a devilish smile, and spent a lot of time

  pulling girls' hair in class.

  Clement might have told her more, but the sound of a vehicle arriving, tires

  crunching gravel, stopped him.

  Clement groaned as he levered himself from the table. "Better go see who that is."

  When he slipped back into the house, Josy flipped her long dark hair back from her

  face. "Don't let Shane get to you, honey." Josy gazed at the mountains tinged by gold

  and red as the sun set. "Down deep he's a marshmallow at heart. He's a good man."

  Emma held back a strong temptation to rebuke his loyal aunt's statement. Shane

  was a conundrum. A man with attitude. But a marshmallow? She couldn't picture

  Shane as anything sweet in any way, shape or form. She couldn't blame Josy for

  believing her nephew held good qualities. Happy families often closed ranks when

  chaos or unexpected difficulties arose.

  She gazed at her empty chili bowl and remembered suddenly that her brother Doug

  had loved chili. A sour, burning sensation wedged into her stomach and made her

  wince.

  Doug.

  Doug would never taste chili again.

  "More chili?" Josy asked.

  "No, thanks." Emma forced herself to move from painful thoughts of her brother

  and back to Shane.

  "Look who I found," Clement said as he came back into the yard.

  Shane stepped into view and Emma felt a distinctive excitement, a breathless

  awareness that surprised her. She hadn't expected to see him, hadn't wanted to see him.

  Surely surprise would explain the swirling sensation in her stomach and the odd

  delight his appearance generated within her. Quickly she shoved aside dangerous

  speculation. He'd tied his hair back this time, and although it sharpened his features,

  his demeanor stayed free from icy edges. When he looked at his aunt and uncle, only

  warmth for them resided in his eyes. Oh, good. Just what she didn't want to see or

  acknowledge. The man could care for someone.

  "Emma." Shane took a sip from his beer bottle. "I didn't expect to see you here."

  She nodded. "Hello, Shane."

  "You want any chili, Shane?" Clement asked. "We've got plenty."

  Shane shook his head and kept his gaze locked on Emma. "No, thanks. I've already

  eaten. I came by to see you about that fence."

  "I haven't made it to the store yet to buy wire," Clement said.

  Shane shrugged. "Then we won't worry about it until next week. I have a feeling

  I'm going to be busy." Shane ambled toward Emma.

  "I'm glad you're still here," he said.

  Her stomach did a pirouette, and she felt it right down to her toes.

  Surprised, she frowned. "Oh?"

  "I have something I want to discuss with you."

  "Watch out, dear. When he has that look he has something up his sleeve," Josy said,

  smiling at her nephew.

  Emma cocked one eyebrow. "Uh-huh. I don't doubt it."

  "I'll talk to you about it later," Shane said. "In private."

  Oh, no. No. I don't want to be alone with him.

  He remained standing, scanned the area and then trained his gaze back on her. The

  power behind his attention unsettled her. Didn't he know it was rude to stare?

  But tonight he looked good. Really good.

  He wore form-fitting black jeans and a deep cherry-red short-sleeved polo shirt. His

  tanned arms, corded with muscle, caught her attention. The shirt and jeans accentuated

  his fitness to perfection. A woman would have to be crazy not to notice and appreciate a

  specimen like Shane.

  Emma's temperature elevated as she found him watching her watching him.

  Embarrassment disappeared as she returned his gaze with a lingering assessment. A

  hot, brisk breeze dashed around the side of the house, hitting her in the face. She forced

  her gaze away from him. She noted Josy and Clement scrutinized them both and

  mortification returned, pinking her cheeks.

  Josy patted a chair next to her. "Sit down, Shane, and take a load off."

  He sat across from Emma. Befuddled by her feelings, anger rose up to replace her

  disconcerted reaction a moment earlier. Get it together, Emma. Part of her felt out of

  control, and she knew what those feelings could cause. Time to run away. Run far.

  She gritted her teeth a minute and then forced words from her mouth.

  "You're putting a fence up between your uncle's property and yours?" Emma

  asked Shane.

  "No." A frown pulled down his lips. "Not yet."

  "Yet?" She glanced around for Clement but he'd disappeared inside the house. "So

  you have plans for it later?"

  "Maybe." Shane took a sip of his beer. "It all depends on you."

  When he said nothing more she looked at the table, weary of withstanding the

  challenge in his eyes. Maybe every meeting she had with Shane would mean

  confrontation.

  Josy may have sensed the uneasiness between them because she cleared her throat.

  "We haven't seen you in a couple of days, Shane. What have you been up to?"

  He glanced at his aunt then pinned Emma with a look. "Watching out for my

  interests."

  Emma wondered if his veiled statement insinuated he'd watched her every day

  from a secret location. Where would he hide if wanted to spy on her?

  "How's Charlie?" Josy asked.

  A smile ran across his lips. "She's great."

  Charlie? She?

  Her throat went dry. Were they talking about his wife? His girlfriend? But she'd

  heard he wasn't married.

  Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't live with a woman or that he didn't date

  someone special. She tried to imagine the type of woman he'd attract and whom he'd

  find attractive. Probably buxom and beautiful. High-class stripper beautiful. She'd

  probably have a huge sex drive, a proclivity for the more kinky aspects. Somehow,

  though she had no proof, she suspected Shane would like a woman who didn't mind

  trying new things in bed. No. Bread-and-butter sex wouldn't be enough for this man.

  How do you know?

  Discomfort welled up inside Emma. She didn't know why, but she didn't like it.

  Her mind refused to stop connecting Shane and sex. That's it. When she got back home,

  she needed to start dating again. Meet a nice, dull man who didn't make her heart slam

&nbs
p; in her chest and desire things that would require wild, out-of-control needs to burst

  forth.

  Never one to enjoy long silences, Emma decided to steer the conversation away

  from his apparent lady-friend and speculations in her mind about his sexual

  preferences. "You didn't come down to the site."

  Josy's eyebrows speared up. "I didn't know you were helping her with the

  excavation, Shane."

  "I'm not helping her."

  "I invited him down to the site every day so he could see I'm not trashing the area

  and not pocketing anything I find." Emma slanted a grin at him but he didn't smile.

  "But maybe he's decided to trust me since he hasn't stopped by."

  Oh, Lord, Emma. You sound like you want him to visit.

  He took another gulp of his beer. She watched his throat working as the gulp went

  on and on and he drained the bottle. When he lowered the bottle he caught her staring

  at him and he licked his lips. Another unwanted flush filled her cheeks and she glanced

  away.

  "But you'll need to take things to your lab for analysis, won't you?" Josy asked.

  Emma took a taste of lemonade to dislodge the clog in her throat. "We've put

  significant finds into bags and labeled them as to the level and position they were

  found."

  Josy leaned her elbows on the table. "But you haven't found anything to prove if

  Sadie hid treasure there, right?"

  "Right. Of course, there is speculation. The remains of that stone hearth was an

  obvious clue that a structure once stood there and the numbers of historic objects lead

  us to believe the area was inhabited for some time. We hope to get some carbon dating

  back next week."

  Josy tapped her lemonade glass and smiled. "Fascinating stuff. It sounds like a lot

  of fun."

  "And possibly dangerous." Shane shifted in his chair and it creaked under him.

  "You should take plenty of water out to the site with you."

  Unsure if she'd heard concern in his voice, she said, "Of course. I keep a large

  supply of bottled water in the SUV. I have enough for several days if I need it."

  He nodded, apparently satisfied. "Hasn't Wilder been down to the site with you in

  the last two days?"

  Emma frowned, curious why he disliked Grant so much. She didn't answer

  immediately, half tempted to lie. "No. He's been doing other research."

  Shaking his head, he pushed his chair back a little farther and hooked one ankle

  over his knee. She noted the smooth leather of his black cowboy boot and realized he

  hadn't worn the scuffed brown boots she'd seen him in the last two times. Why had he

  dressed up? A date with Charlie? She almost asked, but Clement came out onto the

  porch with slices of apple pie fresh from the oven.

  "There isn't much research you can do on Sadie Cutley. Nothing that's more than

  rumor and conjecture," Shane said.

  Emma shifted in her chair. Don't try to get me into an argument, Shane. "Apparently

  Grant thinks he can find something."

  The scrumptious scent of apples and cinnamon teased her. Even Shane couldn't

  resist and dug into the yummy dessert. When she finished, lethargy made her sink into

  her cushioned chair.

  Clement and Josy looked happy and content, and Emma remembered lazy summer

  evenings as a child sitting on the porch of her parents' old house in Denver. Long days

  where the brilliant orange of the sun lowered behind the Rocky Mountains and plunged

  the world into a cool darkness. Already stars sparkled with the brilliance of diamonds

  scattered on a length of navy blue velvet. Bittersweet memories tangled within her gut

  as she drew in rapidly cooling evening air. When had she last shared quiet time on the

  porch with her family?

  Nothing had been the same since…not since Doug—

  "Emma, how long do you think it will take to complete the excavation now you've

  started on it?" Clement asked.

  Emma forced a smile. "That's almost impossible to say. Since we plan on doing

  some more survey on land just east—"

  "More survey on my property?" Shane asked.

  Perturbed that he'd interrupted her, she glared at him openly, not caring what

  Clement and Josy thought. "With your permission, of course."

  She was surprised when he smiled. "There'd be hell to pay otherwise. You

  remember I said there would be a penalty."

  "Shane," Josy said with warning in her tone.

  Rather than participating in a pissing and moaning match with him, she went in

  another direction. "Tell me about the legend surrounding Sadie Cutley."

  "I thought Wilder was looking that up?" Shane asked, his tone taunting as he

  allowed his foot to drop and he leaned on the table.

  "He is. I wanted a local perspective. Sometimes when you research history in the

  library you don't get the whole story."

  Clement put his drink on the table with a thunk. "No one can verify half of what is

  said about her."

  Josy fingered a strand of her hair. "She moved to the area in 1912. She was about

  twenty-five. No one knew where she'd come from. Simply showed up one day in

  Gambit Creek and asked if there was any property for sale. Moved into an old cabin

  and stayed there. She rarely came into town. Sadie was a recluse…a hermit."

  "As you know, she bought the land that now comprises some of Shane's land and a

  little of mine," Clement said.

  Emma recalled Sadie had disappeared without a trace in 1915 and after that the

  ranch land had been split into two by Almer Treadwell, a very distant relative of

  Sadie's. Emma looked at Clement. "And you came into the property how long ago?"

  "About thirty years." Clement nodded toward Shane. "Shane was just two when

  we moved here."

  Shane leaned back in his chair again. "My father and Uncle Clement moved from

  New Mexico after making some money in oil."

  "We always wanted ranch land and we scouted around thoroughly before coming

  to Gambit Creek," Clement said.

  Josy sighed. "Poor Sadie. It must have been horrible to stay alone up here. I can't

  imagine staying all that time by myself."

  Shane stiffened and he glanced from his aunt to Emma, as if he wanted to register

  Emma's reaction. "Some people like to be alone."

  Emma wondered if he thought she should stay away from his property because he

  liked to be a hermit? Because he didn't like people period?

  As she smiled at her nephew, Josy said, "Actually, you should ask Shane about the

  legends surrounding Sadie. He knows more about her than we do."

  Surprised, Emma asked, "Really?"

  "Really," Shane said with a straight face.

  Emma leaned forward slightly. "Do you know why Sadie chose to live alone?"

  "People irritated the hell out of her. Some people are a pain in the butt, wouldn't

  you agree?" Shane pinned Emma with his cocky gaze.

  Annoyance traveled through Emma once again. "Everyone needs their own space.

  But I doubt it was irritation with people that cut her off from society. It must have been

  something more traumatic." She frowned. "Then she just disappeared off the face of the

  Earth."

  As if sensing a rising tension between the pair, Clement coughed and looked at his

  watch. "Say, Shane, I thought you wanted to watch that rodeo with me tonight? You

&n
bsp; like rodeo, Emma?"

  "I haven't thought about it."

  "Haven't you ever been to a rodeo?" Shane's tone held vague disdain, as if

  everyone on earth had watched a rodeo at least once.

  "I've never been interested." She couldn't understand the fascination behind

  watching men flung from bulls and perhaps stomped to death. "It's dangerous."

  Josy nodded. "It can be. My Uncle Davis was killed by a charging bull."

  Immediately Emma wondered if Shane participated in rodeos, and the idea that a

  bull might stomp him or gore him sent a tremor through her. She looked at him and

  found his steady gaze trained on her. How could a pair of thick, long lashes look so

  totally sexy on such a rugged man? She jerked her gaze away and noted the time on her

  watch.

  "I'd better head back to the hotel. I need to be up early tomorrow. The hotel is

  eating a hole in my pocket, so I'll be setting up camp at the site tomorrow night. If

  anyone needs me, that's where I'll be."

  "Setting up camp?" Shane asked, his eyes widening.

  "Yes."

  He opened his mouth as if to object, but instead he shook his head.

  Sensing that he wouldn't let the subject die, she stood.

  "I need to speak with you alone, Emma," Shane said.

  She turned toward him. She tensed, ready for anything this puzzling man might

  throw at her, literally and figuratively. "All right."

  After she said her goodbyes to Clement and Josy at the front door, she went outside

  into the cooling air. She wore a T-shirt and shorts and the night air brushed against her

  flesh like a cool caress. When she arrived at her vehicle she leaned back against the

  door. The solid metal behind her acted as a security blanket against her uneasiness

  around Shane.

  In the diminishing light he looked intimidating and when he loomed in front of her

  she almost shrank back against the vehicle. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

  He leaned one hand on the car and this brought him nearer still. Down deep she

  couldn't ignore the heat of his body as he stood so close. What audacity. Didn't he

  know people had personal space issues? She could barely smell his soft musk scent and

  drew in a deep breath of the pleasant aroma.

  "You wanted to know more about Sadie Cutley, right?" he asked.

  Emma had the impression he didn't want to be around her any more than he had