It was hard as hell believing that their dad was neck deep in something probably highly illegal—maybe even dangerous. “What do we do if this turns out to be really bad?” she asked, voicing her biggest fear. “What if he’s got me involved in all of this?” She waved her hand over the open file folder.
“Then we hop the first plane we can catch and leave the country. I hear Cuba’s finally back on the tourist map,” Colleen said with a sparkle in her eye, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
Tipping her head, Shannon decided to play along. “Mmm, I’m more a cool weather fan. How’s Norway sound?”
“Only if you promise to change your clothes. You’ve been wearing the same ones for weeks. It’s embarrassing.”
Shannon took offense. “Hey, they’re clean. I wash them regularly.” Buying more had fallen so far off her radar with everything that had been happening, she was a little embarrassed. Normally she was well versed in the ways of clothing rotation.
Just then the bell over the door chimed and Colleen whipped her head around. But it wasn’t the guy. It was just a young couple with a baby in a front carrier. Shannon tried not to laugh at the look of disappointment on her sister’s face. “Sorry, hon.”
“Me too.”
They fell into silence, Shannon drinking her coffee and Colleen pouting into hers. Shannon took some time to study the old-fashioned bakery with its homey smells and faded yellow walls covered in black-and-white photos while she sifted through this new information. If this O’Banion guy was the same one that their father was indebted to, then that would mean their dad was in bed with the mob, which sucked. And made her more than a little scared. But she still didn’t see what the Irish mob would have to do with Sean and his horse.
Maybe the best thing for her to do was to talk with Tim again. “I’m going to ask Sean’s trainer. See if I can get any more information from him. And you should snoop in Dad’s office too when you get back to Saratoga, to see if anything new turns up.” She had a thought. “Oh, and you should check in with Mom. You know how she gets to rambling when she’s had too many Xanax. You might be able to get something useful from her.”
Colleen gave a quick nod. “Will do. And I’ll let you know the moment I find anything, if I do.”
She agreed. “Yeah, we’ll keep each other posted.”
That seemed to conclude things, so Shannon thought on something else, knowing that everything she’d just learned would sift in the background of her mind and fall into place if she just relaxed a bit. “Hey, in all seriousness, do you ever wonder what it would be like to drop everything and just start a new life somewhere else—somewhere like here?” Shannon asked suddenly, thinking of Sean, but also thinking of herself. There was this tiny burning speck of desire inside her to do that very thing.
And it was growing.
Colleen surprised her. “All the fucking time.”
Shannon sighed, feeling torn. On the one hand, she loved her family. But on the other, she’d never gotten what she really wanted or needed from them, or her life back east. After all of this was said and done, was that what she was going to go back to?
And could she?
Struggling against a sudden surge of panic, she shifted restlessly. “Then why do we do it, Leenie? Why am I here?”
“Because you’re loyal, Shannon. That’s why. And because you have the biggest, softest heart of anyone I know.”
That didn’t help. “I think it’s because I let him treat me like a doormat. I think it’s because deep down I’m too much of a coward to stand up to Mom and Dad.”
Colleen didn’t even blink. “Then stop being one.”
“How?” She really didn’t know. How did someone stand up to family without just coming off like a selfish jerk?
“You tell me.” And that’s when her sister smiled with such unexpected self-loathing it was jarring.
Shannon sighed, her body shaking from nerves. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
The bell over the door jingled again, signaling a new customer. Shannon didn’t even need to look over her shoulder to know it was him—the guy. She knew it because her sister’s eyes went wide and excited like a kid on Christmas.
“It’s him.” The way Colleen said it made it sound like he was some mythical being that only showed himself to the worthy. It made her laugh. And it helped ease her anxiety back to a manageable level. Thank God.
“What are you going to do?” Shannon asked as The Guy began making his way through the booths to the back counter. This time he was wearing a white T-shirt with a picture of Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation on the front with the slogan “Be a Man.” Though he didn’t appear to be having any problems in that department. Heck, no.
Colleen blurted out, “I love him!” So loud that the guy stopped halfway through the bakery and pinned her with some seriously gorgeous baby blues.
Shannon couldn’t believe it; Colleen’s face went bright red with embarrassment. And there she was thinking her sister was immune to such feelings.
“Ron Swanson,” she stammered to explain under his intense scrutiny. “Not you.”
The Guy looked at her sister and gave her a very thorough sizing-up, from her flip-flop covered feet to the top of her pale blond hair, not missing the tank top and shorts in between. When he was done, his gaze came back to meet hers and a slow smile spread across his face. “Give me an hour and you’ll change your mind about who you love, sweet thing.”
Colleen almost fell out of her seat. “Promise?” she said, clearly hoping to make him laugh.
But before they could flirt any more, a plump woman in her early sixties stepped out from the back hallway and waved to him. With what appeared to be some regret, The Guy gave her sister a wink and said in a voice as rough as the rest of him, “When you’re ready to know, you come find me.”
Completely disregarding everyone else in the bakery who was listening, Colleen called after him, “Where do I find you?”
“Ask Stone. He’ll know.”
And then the badass with the tattoos and a smile hot enough to vaporize Colleen’s panties strode through the back archway and out of sight. Whipping back around, she looked at Shannon with big round eyes. “Do you think he was kidding?”
“He doesn’t look like the kind of guy who jokes about that sort of thing,” Shannon replied honestly.
Colleen nodded. “Good. That’s what I was hoping.”
Narrowing her eyes on her sister, Shannon asked, “What are you planning?”
Colleen couldn’t even try looking innocent. The girl just ended up looking like a cat who’d swallowed the canary. “Nothing.”
Right. And Shannon wasn’t planning on getting Sean naked as soon as she saw him again, either. “Fine. Just remember to be careful. Use protection.”
Waving her off, Colleen replied, “Always.” Then her expression went serious and she said, “Now that that’s settled, let’s get back to your problems.”
Let’s not, shall we?
But Shannon just sighed, knowing it was for the best.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Colleen said, breaking into her gloomy thoughts. “Who’s Stone?”
Shannon smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Her sister nodded earnestly. “Yes, yes I would.”
Taking the opportunity to torment her, she grabbed her purse and stood from the booth, preparing to leave. “It’s too bad that I’m suddenly in a rush and have to go. Sorry.”
“You wouldn’t,” Colleen replied, her eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You know my time here is up and I have to fly back to Saratoga tonight. Help a woman out, will you?”
Shannon just shrugged her shoulders delicately. “I’ve got places to go, things to do.”
“Well, I’ve got someone to do before I go, Shannon—so damn it, don’t cop out on me.” Colleen grabbed her things and scrambled from the booth after her.
But she was already pushing the door open with a jingle of the bell, laughter trailing behind he
r as she stepped out into the bright Colorado sunshine. “We’ll catch up soon. Gotta go, love you!”
“Who’s Stone?”
She pulled her sunglasses from her purse and put them on. My, it was a lovely day.
“Shannon?”
And the sky? Oh, it was such a gorgeous shade of blue.
“Shannon!”
Laughter broke loose, but she just kept on walking, knowing it was killing Colleen. God, she loved her sister. She was so easy to tease. Handily, it also kept her from obsessing about her own reality.
At the moment, that’s exactly what she needed.
She’d expected her sister to follow, but when she turned around at the end of the block, Colleen was nowhere to be found. Shrugging her shoulders, she waited for a car to pass and crossed the street, the new information swirling around in her head. What did it all mean?
Pondering it, Shannon didn’t notice how far she had walked until she came to a crowd gathered in the small grassy park at the end of Main Street. Moving closer, she took in the balloons, music, and the sound of happy dogs barking. What was going on?
Shannon had just stepped onto the grass under a shady oak tree when the music cut out and she heard someone speak from a microphone, the sound loud and echoing. “Step right up, everyone, and get your picture taken with the Bachelors of Fortune. You know you want to.”
What?
Moving forward more quickly, Shannon was trying to poke her way through the crowd to get a better look when Apple sauntered up next to her, grinning like crazy. “I can’t believe the guys are doing this. It’s so great. I’ve already had my picture taken.”
Pushing her hair over her shoulder, Shannon looked at Apple, noting she was wearing another vintage style dress and sandals. “What’s going on?” Just then she caught the faint whiff of popcorn and felt even more confused. “Why does it feel like a carnival around here—only without the Ferris wheel and Zipper?”
Apple laughed, her big blue eyes dancing. “Why, because it’s Fortune’s annual Pet Adoption Day! Every summer the local animal shelter hosts this big charity event and brings in all kinds of family-friendly activities, like the bouncy houses over there and the cake walk and face painting. People are invited to support the shelter by buying tickets to the games or simply by adopting one of the animals. And this year the shelter director, Marcia Boone, got the Bachelors of Fortune to come sign autographs and take pictures with the locals.”
Could that be any sweeter?
At that moment the tall, balding man who’d been standing directly in front of her shifted and she got a clear view of things. Sean was standing next to Aidan and Jake, and the three of them were having their picture taken with a plump, middle-aged woman and a small, shaking Chihuahua. After the photographer finished, the woman turned to Jake and gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek. “You guys are adorable!”
She couldn’t agree more. Especially when the next person in line handed Sean her new family member to pose with—a fluffy black and white bunny rabbit—and he simply smiled and scratched it between its big floppy ears. When the photo op was over, he handed it back to the young girl and noticed Shannon through the crowd.
The heat in his smile cranked up about a thousand degrees. And her heart flopped right on over in her chest.
“So how are things progressing with Jake?” she asked Apple, hoping for a distraction. Because right then, all she wanted to do was get Sean alone and show him everything she was feeling. Which was a lot. A lot.
Apple waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, you know, it’s not. Not really. That man is the most obstinate, tight-lipped person you’ll ever meet. It’s going to take just the right thing to crack him.” She glanced over at Shannon. “I’ve got something I’m working on. Don’t you worry.”
A woman Shannon didn’t know called out to Apple, beckoning her over.
“Duty calls,” the blond said with an apologetic smile. “We’ll talk again soon?”
“Of course,” Shannon said and gave her friend a quick hug. “Do your thing.”
Which left Shannon once again alone to watch the Bachelors of Fortune pose and sign autographs like real celebrities. Sure, part of her wanted to go talk to Sean, but another part of her was really enjoying hanging back and observing him in action. The man was just so darned nice.
Someone stepped up beside her then, turning her attention. It was a short, homely man with dark eyes and a nose that was so misshapen it almost looked like a blob of Play-Doh had been molded onto his face. Just the sight of it made her own nose twitch in sympathy. Whatever had happened to him, it must have hurt like crazy.
“Beautiful day, ain’t it?” he said in a thick Irish accent.
Suddenly uneasy but not knowing why, she nodded and agreed. “Yes, it is.” She kept her gaze locked on Sean through the crowd. He was busy talking to a group of Boy Scouts, his hands gesturing animatedly.
“How’s your father these days?” the man asked unexpectedly.
Startled, she whipped her gaze to him, and demanded, “How do you know my father?”
The man laughed, the sound hollow and creepy. “Because it’s my job to know. Tell him that I’m watching.”
What did that mean?
Before she could ask him, he melted into the crowd, and Shannon was left feeling confused and alone in a sea of people.
Holy crap, what was happening?
Chapter Eighteen
LATER THAT DAY, Sean stepped into the office doorway as Shannon glanced up from the ranch’s accounting books. She had her hair pulled back in one of her braids though a few strands were loose around her neck. Her bare, full lips curled up into an inviting smile, which urged him to taste them. He strode across the floor to her and planted his lips on hers, giving her a thorough kiss.
And was completely unprepared for his heart to roll over in his chest.
“Are you okay?” Shannon said, a worried look in her big brown eyes.
Though he wasn’t steady inside at all, he forced a smile and replied lightly, “Of course, a mhuirnin.” Then, because he needed a few minutes to regain his balance, he straightened with the intention of leaving, but said instead, “Come have dinner with me.”
“Are you cooking?” she asked, sounding somewhere between curious and skeptical.
“Hey, I can cook.”
She grinned, taunting. “Prove it.”
“How do you feel about roast chicken?”
“Generally favorable.”
He laughed and rapped his knuckles on the desk lightly. “One hour. Be there.” Then he turned and left before he changed his mind and took her on the desk.
It might have been a brief fantasy, but the thought was damn hot.
Knowing there would be time for that later, Sean headed over to his house and got busy prepping for dinner. By the time all the vegetables were cut and added to the chicken and the whole dish was ready for the oven, Sean was revved up and ready to pounce on Shannon the minute she walked in the door. Christ, he wanted that woman. He was beginning to wonder if the feeling would ever lessen in intensity, ever cease.
A little voice inside whispered that it wouldn’t, making him sigh in a combination of frustration and resignation. What the feck was he supposed to do with these feelings? There he was, cooking her dinner like they were a normal couple, doing normal couple things. But he knew better than that. It wasn’t like he could claim ignorance or stupidity. He knew damn fecking well that he and Shannon had no real future. For crying out loud, she still hadn’t come clean about whatever it was that she was hiding. It nagged at him, knowing she was most likely keeping something from him. People didn’t usually just show up somewhere with no possessions. Not without reason. He knew that.
But damned if he wasn’t going to make her a roast chicken anyway.
Because as much as he knew it was pointless, deep down he wanted to be a normal couple with Shannon. If only for a short while. He wanted to pretend that he hadn’t spent the last five years of his l
ife living on a foreign continent hiding out under a fake name, always looking over his shoulder. He wanted to forget about all of that and just be fecking normal. When he was with her, it felt possible. Because when he was with her all those fears and worries melted away into nothing, like they’d never existed to begin with.
With Shannon, he could just be.
And for a guy who’d spent the vast majority of his life fighting or hiding, being still and in the moment with a woman was no small thing. But that’s what he was discovering with Shannon. Peace.
“Knock knock.”
Speak of the angel. “Come in, Shannon.” His blood stirred knowing she was near. With a deep breath, Sean went to the living room to greet her and to find some music to put on. When he saw her standing in the foyer with her hair down, in a yellow sundress and bare feet, he stopped dead. “You changed,” he said, sounding like an idiot.
She smiled at him, blushing. “I found this stuffed in the inside pocket of my duffle bag. I’d forgotten I even had it; it’s been missing so long. Anyway, I put it on and thought to myself; well, he did ask me to dinner. Why not wear it? So, here I am.”
Sean went to her and pulled her into his arms, loving the way her body melted into his. “You look beautiful,” he said with complete sincerity. She was the loveliest vision he’d ever seen.
“Thank you, Se—”
Before she could say the rest of his name, he captured her lips in a deep, drugging kiss. And he didn’t stop until her arms were around his neck and she was pliant against him. Even then it was hard to stop—especially then. The woman he was crazy about was warm and soft and willing.
Forget the fecking chicken. He was hungry for Shannon.
But she had other ideas, unfortunately. With a sexy little moan, she broke the kiss and pulled out of his embrace. Still, the tip of her tongue licked her plump bottom lip like she was searching for one last taste of him and his cock went hard as granite. “I’m starving,” she said.
“Me too,” he replied, completely serious.
Getting Lucky Page 15