Dumbstruck, she uttered a soft, “Oh.”
“I am not courting you.”
Dorie took a swallow.
“I brought you that dress today because you helped me with the heifer. It’s repayment for the dress that was ruined.”
“Repayment?” Dorie felt as if she’d been punched in the gut.
“I’m doing this to help you keep Jeremiah. Once it’s done, I’m through. I have my life to live, Dorie, and so do you.”
Dorie’s heart ached from Shane’s softly spoken but hurtful words. “I know, Shane. That’s why I’m grateful to you. You’re kind and honorable. You’re the only man I trust.”
“Damn it. Don’t trust me, Dorie. I’m not honorable.”
“Yes, you are, Shane.”
Shane shook his head briskly. “No.”
“Why, Shane? Why are you saying these things to me?”
Shane turned in his seat to look her squarely in the eyes. “I walked in on you, Dorie, taking your bath. You were asleep in that tub. An honorable man would have closed his eyes and backed out of the room. But not me. No, I looked my fill. I couldn’t keep from looking at you, all of you. And you know what I wanted to do? Hell, I wanted to strip off all my clothes and join you in that tub. It was all I could do to leave that kitchen. You’re young and innocent and I’ve nearly taken from you something you should only give to the man you marry.”
“What if that man is you, Shane,” Dorie said, holding back tears. It wasn’t enough that Shane wanted her; she wanted to know he wanted to want her. The notion barely made sense in her head, but that’s how she felt.
“It can’t be me, Dorie. That’s what I’m saying. It could never be me. I’m bound to marry—”
Dorie shushed him by pressing her fingers against his lips. “Don’t say her name.” She closed her eyes. “Not again, Shane.”
She pressed his lips hard, not wanting to hear his declaration. He’d told her over and over how he would marry Marilee when the time came, but with each day they’d spent together Dorie was sure he’d be throwing his life away with a woman who didn’t want him, a woman he didn’t want.
Shane plucked her fingers from his mouth. “It’s going to happen—my marriage. You need to concentrate on Jeremiah and what’s happening in the next few days. Once that’s settled, you can move on with your life. And one day, maybe sooner than you think, you’ll meet someone who is just right for you. You’ll fall in love and marry. You’ll have the family you crave, Dorie.”
Dorie didn’t want any man. She wanted Shane, but her pride had taken a terrible blow and she wouldn’t let him see how his harsh words had hurt her. “The man I marry would have to see me as a woman, not as a child in constant need of protection. He’d be a man not afraid to climb into that tub. He’d be a man who would bring me gifts because he cared for me, not because he owed me something. He’d be someone I could trust with my heart.”
Shane appeared shocked by her calmly spoken tirade.
“He’d be a man who would want me, regardless of my age or my inexperience. He’d teach me all I needed to know. So, I guess you’re right, Shane. When I find that man, I’ll marry him.”
Shane gritted his teeth. His face twisted in anger. “You do that.”
She folded her arms across her middle. “I will.”
He nodded and raised his voice. “Good.”
“Let’s get going.”
Shane lifted the reins and spoke to the horses. Within minutes, they arrived at the Whitakers’ ranch house. His face flaming, he set the brake. “Now, how are we going to pretend to be a happily married couple?”
Dorie fumed silently. Shane was better at pretending things than he thought because he wasn’t honest with himself half the time. But he refused to see it. He didn’t think himself honorable. Dorie wished it so. The sad fact remained that Shane Graham had always done the honorable thing when it came to Dorie. “Shane, you shouldn’t have any trouble. You’re good at faking how you really feel.”
Dorie didn’t wait for his assistance. She climbed down from the buckboard on her own and smoothed the wrinkles from her dress.
She’d call on all her pretenses once inside the house.
Standing next to Dorie and ready to knock on the Whitakers’ front door, Shane controlled his anger the best he could. He’d made a devil’s bargain and now he’d have to go through with it. He wondered how one little gal could tempt and irritate him so darn much, looking like an angel in shades of soft blue, rather than his one true tormenter.
Still, he’d told her the honest truth. He’d laid out his feelings, the way things had to be, with all honesty. So Dorie would have no cause to think anything different. For that, Shane commended himself. But for hurting her the way he had, he’d never forgive himself.
He knocked and, shortly after, Iggy Whitaker opened the door to greet them. “Well, look who we have here,” he said with a rich smile. “It’s Mr. and Mrs. Graham. Come in, please. My wife’s still fussing in the kitchen, but she’ll be joining us soon enough.”
“Thank you,” Shane said, placing a gentle hand on Dorie’s lower back. “Shall we?”
There was the slightest hitch in Dorie’s back when he touched her, but she smiled warmly at Mr. Whitaker and nodded politely.
They entered the parlor and Mr. Whitaker offered them a seat on their tufted green velvet sofa. Shane took note of the home, his gaze scanning the house for all its finery. A tall polished walnut grandfather clock stood in one corner announcing the hour, photos and paintings in gilded frames hung on the wall, and crystal vases and such caught the light, twinkling on the mantel. The Whitakers had a large spread, with twice the cattle and land that Shane had. Ranching had been good to them over the years, and Shane thought that he only wanted a small portion of their success. He didn’t need all the finery, just a life free of complications, where a man could hold his head high in town, where he could enjoy a bit of comfort without constant worry over the fate of his ranch.
Shane waited for Dorie to sit then took his place beside her.
“It’s nice of you both to have us to dinner,” she said.
Mr. Whitaker glanced at Shane before responding. “Wouldn’t have it any other way. You two need a bit of help, I understand.”
“No, they don’t,” Mrs. Whitaker said, entering the room with a tray of drinks. “Hello, Shane and Dorie. Nice of you to come.” Then she turned her attention to Iggy. “The Grahams are a happily married couple, dear. They need no help.”
“Oh, right,” Iggy said, handing Dorie a glass of lemonade with a wink. Then he bent to hand Shane a drink, speaking quietly into his ear, “It’s amazing what we’re willing to do for the women we love.”
Shane balked at that notion, but didn’t argue. Iggy might have agreed to this ruse out of love for his endearing wife, but Shane only agreed out of his sense of obligation. Besides, he’d have to listen to another tirade from Dorie if he hadn’t granted her this one night of rehearsal.
“So tell me, how is Jeremiah?” Mrs. Whitaker asked, taking a seat at a smaller opposing sofa, next to her husband.
Dorie’s blue eyes took on a bright gleam. “He’s doing fine, thank you. He’s a big strapping young boy. Sometimes, when I look at him, I can’t believe he’s the same little boy who used to follow me around like a puppy. I’m proud of the way he’s turned out. He’s good and honest and—” She cleared her throat and moisture reached her eyes. “He’s thirteen now. And a big help on the ranch. Isn’t that right, Shane?”
Shane nodded, noting Dorie’s genuine pride in her brother. “He’s a quick learner that’s for sure. He does what he’s told and when he comes over—”
Dorie nudged his side and bunched her brows.
“Oh— I mean, when he’s not attending school, he’s outside helping me with chores. He rides fences and is getting pretty good at pulling a cow out of the mud.”
“Jeremiah loves ranching, doesn’t he, Shane?” Dorie asked with an encouraging smile.
<
br /> “As much as I do, I think. He’ll make a fine rancher one day, all on his own.”
Dorie settled back in her seat, apparently satisfied with the way things were going. Shane thought it wasn’t going too badly, either. He sipped lemonade, relaxed back against the sofa, as well, but when his thigh brushed against Dorie’s an unbidden flash of her lying naked and serene in that bathtub plagued his thoughts. She smelled like heaven right now, her fragrance a mixture of flowers and fresh air.
“Dorie did a great job in raising him.”
Dorie fixed her gaze on him, her expression thoughtful. “Thank you,” she said softly. “And Shane, he’s like a father to Jeremiah.”
Shane blinked back his surprise and took note of the pride in Dorie’s tone. Did she really think of him that way—as a father figure for Jeremiah? On second thought, he supposed it would be good for the Parkers to think that Shane had acted like a father to Jeremiah. That would make sense enough.
“Shane loves him like a son,” Dorie added, squaring her gaze on the Whitakers. Shane did the same, still wondering if there was truth in what she claimed. He certainly cared for the boy, enjoyed his company and looked after him when necessary.
Mrs. Whitaker sipped her lemonade and smiled. “I suppose he’s going to school in Silver Hills?”
“Well, yes. He’s in school, whenever he’s not busy helping me at the—helping Shane, I mean, with his ranching duties.”
“I see. Well, he certainly wouldn’t have chores if he lived in New York. He’d go to the best schools and get a fine education. I suppose he wouldn’t be opposed to that—no chores?”
Dorie’s face flamed. “He doesn’t much mind his chores. And he’s had good schooling here. He can read. He can write. He’s a bright boy.”
“Ah, but there’s more to learn about life than reading and writing. There’s a whole world of things he could learn. Why, he could be anyone he wanted to be, do anything he wanted if he lived in New York.”
Dorie held her breath and tried for composure, but Shane saw the indecision on her face. He intervened, “Jeremiah is happy with us. He’s quite a young man.”
“That’s why the Parkers would love to get to know him better,” Iggy said. “I suspect they’d be extremely eager to become acquainted with their only living kin.”
“Yes, I think so, too.” Alberta nodded and stood up. “Let’s finish this conversation in the dining room. Supper is ready.”
Dorie stood quickly. “May I help you?”
“Oh, that would be nice, Dorie. Yes, let’s have the gentlemen take their seats. You and I can bring in the meal.”
Dorie seemed eager to leave the room and Shane had to admit he’d been tense watching her struggle to say the right things. He followed Iggy into the dining room and took the seat offered.
“Well now, you’re really in a pickle, aren’t you?” he asked.
Shane chuckled. “You know it. I hate all this deception.”
Iggy rubbed his jaw. “Can’t say as I blame you. But sometimes it’s necessary. When I first met Alberta, she couldn’t stand the sight of me. She thought I was the crudest man living on earth. So it took some deception on my part to finally convince her she loved me just the way I was.”
“How’s that? What did you do to deceive her?”
Iggy took a deep breath and shook his head. “I’m not proud of this, but after trying to court her, hitting her with all the charm I possessed—which wasn’t much back then—I was pretty desperate. She’d been visiting family and was due to head back East shortly. There’d been a bank robbery the day before she was to leave. I hated doing it, ’cause it meant losing time with her, but I joined up with the sheriff and deputies to trail the bank robbers. We found them out a ways, ten miles from town, holed up in a little shanty. There was a shoot-out and a bullet grazed my shoulder. It was a slight wound. Actually, I’d bled more running into a tree branch once, but Alberta didn’t know that.
“I stayed in that shanty, and sent word back to her that I’d been shot.”
“And she came running, right?”
“She came all right. But there wasn’t anything tender about the reunion. Once she saw that I wasn’t dying, she told me off but good for scaring her like that. Then, when I pointed out that she’d been worried about me and that she cared more than she wanted to admit, well, she came around. I wasted no time, proposed on the spot in that very shanty. We were married the next day.”
“That’s one hell of a story, Iggy.”
“I know. Neither of us lived to regret it, either.”
Shane nodded, thinking that Iggy had a purpose for telling this tale. “Dorie and I, we’re not…”
Iggy pursed his lips. His face, just showing signs of wrinkles, held a dubious expression. “Not in love?”
“Not by a long shot. She’s young and—”
“Good-natured.”
“Impetuous,” Shane countered.
“And pretty as a picture.”
Shane couldn’t argue. It wasn’t that Dorie wasn’t pretty in her own way but she just wasn’t the woman for him.
And those thoughts gave way to an image of her naked in her bath, all creamy skin and soft curls.
“I can’t disagree that she’s appealing, but—”
“Alberta didn’t think she’d ever fall in love with me, but I wore her down. Sometimes, love sneaks up on you. You can’t fight it.”
Hell, Shane had been fighting the lust he felt for Dorie ever since this whole dishonest sham had begun, but that’s all he felt. Not love. Never love. He wouldn’t allow himself to think on that any further. He had Tobias and Marilee Barkley to think about, not to mention what was best for Dorie. She’d find someone she could love. It stung Shane when she’d suggested that he wasn’t man enough for her. That he’d been lacking in some way because he thought of her as a child rather than a woman. That she hadn’t thought him a man she could trust.
Her words struck a chord. But he couldn’t ponder his predicament further. Mrs. Whitaker entered and he looked up with a smile. She brought in a tray of seared gravy-topped steaks, and Dorie followed carrying a dish of creamed potatoes and carrots and a platter of warmed bread.
Shane couldn’t take his eyes off of Dorie, playing the role of his wife so well. She looked every inch the lady tonight, as well, and hadn’t done one impetuous thing yet. She seemed to follow suit in whatever Alberta was doing.
“Thank you for the help, Dorie dear. Now let’s all take a seat. Let’s see, I think we’ll have… Shane say grace tonight.”
Startled, Shane looked up. Alberta nodded. “You do say grace every night, don’t you?”
“Not since I was a young boy.”
“Do you remember?”
Shane hesitated as all eyes in the room waited for his answer. “I can put something together. Just give me a minute.” Images and words filtered into his mind as he thought back to those times when his mother and father would take turns saying grace each evening, including Shane in the ritual at least twice a week. Shane wasn’t comfortable speaking aloud what was inside his head, but he’d learned something of thanking the Almighty for the good things in his life from those early times sitting at the table, bending his head in prayer. “We thank you, Lord, for the abundance of good food presented here today, and for the kindness of our neighbors and friends. We thank you for sunshine and rain and good health for those sitting at this table today. Amen.”
A quiet chorus of “amen” went around the table and, when Shane looked up, Alberta smiled and nodded. “Nicely done, Shane.”
“I, uh, should have said something about thanking the Lord for my wife and for Jeremiah, but somehow lying through my teeth while sending up a prayer to the Almighty didn’t set right. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that with the Parkers, either.”
“That’s all right. Just ask that Mr. Parker say grace when you’re dining with them. Then you don’t have to worry about it.”
Dorie glanced at Alberta. “Tha
t’s a good idea, Mrs. Whitaker. You are a gem.”
“A gem? Why, Dorie, I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a nice compliment before. I’m glad to help, but now, um, let’s see, while we’re passing around the dishes, why don’t you tell us how you and Shane met.”
Iggy began to pass the platter of steaks around the table. Shane forked a steak, the juice spurting out of the center as he slid it onto Dorie’s china plate. “Here you go, honey. I’ll fill your plate while you tell Mrs. Whitaker how we met.”
Dorie cocked her head to one side and cast him a mischievous look. “You tell the story much better, sweetheart. Why don’t you tell the Whitakers how we met?”
Shane spooned creamed potatoes off another platter and plopped them down onto Dorie’s plate, none too gently. “No, I insist. You go on, now. They’re waiting.”
“Oh, well, all right, sweetheart. It was love at first sight,” she began. “Shane took one look at me, and that was it. I met him at our church’s yearly bake sale and social. He asked me to dance and we did. We danced and danced and danced.” Fully immersed in her story now, Dorie’s blue eyes beamed excitedly. “We were having a grand time, until another man tried to cut in. I’m afraid Shane caused a ruckus when the man wouldn’t back down. Shane bloodied the man’s nose. Poor fellow, he had to be rushed to the doctor.”
Iggy Whitaker chuckled. Alberta simply grinned.
Shane’s temper flared. “I didn’t cause a ruckus, dear. Not over some silly dance.”
Dorie placed a calming hand on Shane’s arm. “Yes, you did. The whole town practically witnessed your outburst. Why, you couldn’t stand the thought of another man taking me into his arms. Of course,” Dorie continued with a gleam in her eyes, “later you were repentant. But at that moment, you knew you wanted me for your wife. It was truly the sweetest and most frightening thing I’ve ever experienced.”
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