Cinderella and the Playboy / The Texan's Happily-Ever-After (24 page)

“Hey, Dad. Come see the rock I found,” Roy called to him.

Saved by the voice of a child,
Shep thought as he leaned away from Raina, tapped his Stetson more securely on his head and went to see the treasure his son would be carrying home.

His life was his boys. And he couldn't—wouldn't—forget that.

“I
t seems longer than a few weeks since we really talked to her,” Raina said on Sunday evening. She stood at Lily Wescott's front door with Gina Rigoletti and her sister, Angie.

They were all worried about Lily. A few months ago, she'd been so happy in her marriage, fulfilled in her work helping women conceive. Then a little over a month ago, she'd become a widow. Shortly after her husband, Troy, had been deployed to Afghanistan, he was killed in action. A shock to them, and Lily had been devastated. She and Troy were only married for a year.

“I know,” Gina agreed, pushing her black curls behind her ear. “Phone calls just aren't the same. But she needed to be with Troy's family in Oklahoma.”

Angie pushed a lock of dark wavy hair out of her
eyes. “I wasn't sure I should come. After all, I don't know her as well as you two do.”

“Lily can use all the friends she can get right now,” Raina assured her new housemate. “We'll just have to take our cues from her. But she needs us right now. I've been through this. I know that when the casseroles and the cards and the phone calls stop, sometimes you lose your compass. You don't even know if breakfast comes before lunch.”

Gina put her hand on Raina's shoulder. “You've never really talked about how it was for you.”

“Did your family stay with you in New York?” Angie asked.

“Mom did. Ryder had to get back here to work, and I understood that. Actually, it was a relief when Mom left and friends stopped coming by at all hours of the day. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated all of it. I don't know what I would have done without the support. But I also needed time alone, just to sit and realize that Clark was never coming back. I imagine that's what Lily's doing now,” Raina said, sighing. “Our situations aren't so very different.”

“Maybe she can talk to you about it,” Angie ventured.

“Maybe. We'll see.”

When Gina rang the bell, they all seemed to hold their breath.

A few seconds later Lily opened the door. Her blond hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and she had purple smudges under her eyes. She gave each of them a hard and long hug, then wiped a few tears from her eyes. “I thought all the tears were gone. I don't know how any can be left.”

The front of Lily's apartment was a huge, open space. The kitchen flowed into the dining room, which flowed into the living room, with no barriers except some furniture in between.

Lily went to the kitchen, the rest of them following, then stood there as if she'd lost her purpose. “I'm a mess,” she admitted. “After I arrived in Oklahoma, Troy's family didn't leave me alone for a minute, and I appreciated their support. But then last night, when I got in, after I called you, I just…I just couldn't figure out what to do next.” Her gaze went to Raina's. “When will I feel like I'm back in my body again? That the world's real and I'll understand Troy isn't going to walk through that door?”

Her eyes filled up and Raina went to her and put her arm around her. “Everyone's different. But little by little you'll find a new normal.”

“I can't even
imagine
normal! I go into the garage where Troy had his workshop and see the furniture he'll never finish. I put my hand on my tummy and it seems impossible that he's gone and I'm going to have our baby. A month ago—” She stopped abruptly. “I'm sorry. I'm a put-one-foot-in-front-of-another sort of person. Now I look in the mirror and I don't even know who I am.”

Raina took Lily by the arm and pulled her into the living room. They all sat on the long sectional sofa.

Angie said, “I've never gone through anything like this, Lily, but when I have a crisis, work helps. When are you going back?”

“I don't know. I called Mitch last night, too. He understands since he served in Iraq. He said to come in
whenever I'm ready. How will I know when I'm ready?” She sighed, then took a deep breath. “I have to start thinking about the baby. I have to figure out my options.”

Soon after Troy had been deployed, Lily had happily e-mailed him that she was pregnant.
Maybe now her baby could help her through her loss,
Raina thought.

“Options for what?” Gina asked.

“I don't think I can stay in this apartment. It's so painful being here. We were going to buy a house as soon as Troy came home.”

Raina and Angie's gazes connected at the same time. Angie gave a small nod.

“You shouldn't make impulsive decisions right now,” Raina advised her. “You should weigh the pros and cons of each one. But if you decide you do want to move, you're welcome to move into the Victorian with me and Angie.”

“You're serious?” Lily asked, surprised.

Both women said at the same time, “Yes, we are.”

“There's only one problem. If I move in with you, then I'll have to move again when I have the baby in late March.”

“Why?” Raina asked. “Won't you need babysitters?”

Lily looked from Angie to Raina, then over at Gina. “Are they kidding?”

“I don't think they are,” Gina assured her with a smile.

“I'm a pediatric nurse,” Angie reminded her. “I like babies. Just think of all the expert advice I can give you.”

Lily actually gave her a small smile.

“We would love to have you, Lily,” Raina reiterated. “And I'm a sucker for babies, too. Yesterday, Shep McGraw's baby stole my heart. When Manuel put his little arms around my neck—”

She stopped. No one had heard about her visit to Shep's. She'd kept it to herself.

Lily murmured, “Troy knew Shep. He bought supplies from him.”

Raina had forgotten that, as a general contractor, Troy might have dealt with Shep.

“You were at Shep McGraw's?” Gina asked. “How did
that
happen?”

Lily piggybacked on that. “What did you do while you were there?”

Angie asked, “Didn't you do a procedure on his son Manuel recently?”

Raina held up her hand. “Whoa, now, everybody. I shouldn't have brought it up.”

“But you did,” Gina reminded her, “which probably means you want to talk about it.”

“No, I don't. I just mentioned it because—”

“Because Manuel stole your heart,” Angie filled in.

“I never should have brought it up,” Raina murmured again.

Lily shook her head. “Don't be silly. I'm all for anything that helps me think about something else for a while.”

Raina could see that, even though Lily was talking a good game, she wasn't going to be able to think of anything else but Troy for a very long time. Still, if this conversation would help distract her a little…“I think Shep was nervous about Manuel's procedure and his care afterward. When he found out I was finished for the day, he invited me to go along and see his ranch. I did, and somehow his two boys, Joey and Roy, asked me to come back on the weekend. We went on a trail ride. It was really a nice afternoon.”

“Nice?” Gina asked with a raised brow. “Does that mean you like Shep McGraw?”

“Shep's an old-fashioned cowboy.” She felt herself blushing. “We're very different.”

“Are you going to see him again?” Lily asked.

“I don't know. I don't know if I'm ready. And he has his hands very full with those three boys. I don't think a lasting involvement is on his mind right now.”

“He's the love ‘em and leave ‘em type?” Angie asked.

“I've heard rumors. But for the past year, all I've seen is that he's trying to be a good dad.”

“Taking in three boys from foster care is noble,” Gina agreed.

Raina noticed that Lily was staring out the picture window, no longer hearing the conversation that swirled around her.

Raina touched her friend's hand. “Would you rather we left you alone? Or should we try to come up with a meal we can all make and enjoy together tonight?” She knew Lily might have a tendency to forget to eat and that wouldn't be good for her, especially because of the baby.

Lily saw through that ploy right away. “You're trying to take care of me.”

“No,” Gina protested, “we're trying to help you take care of yourself.”

Lily looked from one of them to the other and then her gaze fell on a picture of Troy in his uniform that was sitting on a side table. “All right,” she decided, pushing herself up from the couch. “Let's comb my cupboards for something exotic we can make.”

Raina knew exotic wouldn't help Lily stop missing her
husband—it wouldn't help her forget she was a widow. But cooking a meal with her friends could be a start.

As Shep sat in an examination room at the Family Tree Health Center the following Wednesday, one thought kept racing through his mind—he should have kissed Raina when he had the chance.

He felt awkward now, sitting here while she examined Manuel. And he hadn't felt awkward at any time on Saturday. Not even after he'd almost kissed her.

Shep waited until she stopped examining Manuel's right ear. “We had a good time on Saturday.” When she met his gaze without hesitation, he added,
“I
had a good time on Saturday.”

“I did, too,” she admitted.

Shep's blood ran faster. The exam room suddenly got hotter.

Breaking eye contact, Raina crouched down to Manuel. “You were such a good boy for me today. How about a sticker for your shirt?” She reached over to the counter, grabbed a strip of stickers and held it out to Manuel. “Can you point to the one you'd like?”

Manuel glanced up at her and then back at the stickers. He pointed to one of a cowboy and a horse, with a rope that sparkled with glitter.

“Good choice,” she assured him with a smile, peeled it off its backing and put it on the right side of his shirt.

He kicked his legs and said “Horsey,” then ran his finger over the silver rope.

“So he's healing like he should?” Shep asked.

“He's doing great. If there aren't any problems, I won't need to see him for three months.”

Three months might be okay for Manuel, but it wasn't for Shep. He cleared his throat. “So you enjoyed the trail ride?”

Her arm around Manuel, she met Shep's gaze again. “Yes.”

“How about you and I go on a trail ride together
without
pint-size chaperones?”

She looked surprised. Before she could say no, he added, “Maybe we could pack a picnic and explore Red Creek a little more. What about your day off?” He was keeping it light, easy and as casual as he could.

Raina hesitated. “I have two surgeries tomorrow morning, but then I don't have office hours for the rest of the day.”

“Tomorrow?” It took him a moment to wrap his head around that. He thought he'd have time to get prepared, to ready himself for the idea. But then again, he didn't want her to change her mind.

He'd been leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Now he unfolded them and approached the table where Manuel was seated. Raina was wearing a smock printed with cartoon characters today. Underneath, a pale pink silky blouse was tucked into cream slacks.

This close to her, the rush of heat targeted very strategic parts of his body. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“You can ask.”

“Have you dated since your husband passed on?”

“No, I haven't. Some of my friends in New York thought I should, but I couldn't. I guess I just wasn't ready.”

“And now?”

“Are we going on a date?” she asked with a half smile that revved up his libido even more.

He chuckled. “That's a fair question. I'd like to think of it as one, if that doesn't rattle you too much.”

“If I just think of it as a picnic and trail ride, I won't get rattled.”

“Are you sure?” He gazed deeply into her eyes and could feel the undeniable attraction pulling between them.

She ducked her head.

But he wouldn't let her get away with that. He gently put his thumb under her chin, and she raised her gaze to his once more. “I think we should call a spade a spade,” he said.

“Or a date a date?” she teased.

“Yeah.”

After a hesitant moment, she asked, “What time do you want me there?”

“Whenever you're done here.” He dropped his hand to his side, wanting to smooth his fingers over her cheek…brush her hair behind her ear…taste her lips.

She was looking at him as if she might want to do the same. “I'll make sure my cell phone is charged this time.” Then she confided, “Shep, the boys made it easy last Saturday. When it's just you and me…I haven't dated for a
very
long time.”

“I hear it comes back easily. It's just like riding a horse. You never forget how.” Then he did touch her again. He just couldn't help it. He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “We're just going to spend a little time together, Raina. We can talk, ride, hike—whatever we want. No pressure. No expectations.”

“That sounds good.”

“Wide horsey?” Manuel asked, interrupting them.

Shep lifted his son from the table, held him up in the air and made him squeal. “You're a little young for a horsey. At least a real one. Maybe at Christmas, Santa will bring you a make-believe one.”

Gathering Manuel into his arms, Shep carried him to the door. He was already looking forward to tomorrow.

No pressure. No expectations. For either of them.

Raina had been jittery on the drive to Shep's. But now, as they stood in the corral, the jitters were gone because she was worried he'd change his mind. He'd seemed distracted ever since she arrived. She wasn't going to stay if he didn't want to go on this trail ride.