Too Hot to Handle (31 page)

But could she hold on to that forever in the face of what he’d given up? Of what he’d realized?

He’d been hurt, too, after all. Badly, and by so many.

Despite her hesitation, she knew in her heart she could at least try. But before she could answer, another truck approached down the dirt road and pulled up next to them. She recognized Nate Hendricks in the passenger seat. The driver tipped his hat. “Shane,” the deputy said. “The sheriff wants to set up base just up the road… We’ll cut over to the creek just past Providence.”

“Sure,” Shane said.

“Forensics should be here within the hour.”

He nodded and the truck drove on. As they watched it go, Merry reached for Shane’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ll stay here with you,” she said softly.

He looked down at their entwined fingers, then back up with a question in his eyes.

“You’re worth the chance, Shane. We’re both worth the chance.”

He moved forward, just slightly. Just a fraction of an inch, his gaze falling to her mouth as if he meant to kiss her. But he stopped then, and cleared his throat as he squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him and closed the space he’d meant to, to press a slow, sweet kiss to his mouth. Some of the tiredness was gone from his eyes when she pulled back. “That was for Providence.”

“Yeah?” He finally managed a genuine smile. “I give you a ghost town and I get one kiss? You drive a hard bargain, lady.”

“Don’t ever forget it.”

“I won’t. And I’d say it was a fair trade. I’d do it again for you, if I could.”

“Aw, what kind of girl would need two ghost towns?”

“A very, very odd one,” he said, then muttered, “Aw, screw it,” and pulled her into his arms. “Almost as odd as you, Merry. But not nearly as beautiful.”

When he kissed her, an honest kiss with none of those lies between them, Merry knew she’d lied. He wasn’t worth just a chance. He was worth every terrifying feeling welling up inside her heart, everything she was afraid to give. She’d give him that. She would.

EPILOGUE

S
HANE
LEANED
AGAINST
the post of the saloon porch, watching as that big pain-in-the-ass Walker pulled Merry out into the center of Providence’s road to dance. Fiddle music wound through the buildings as strings of tiny white lights swayed in the breeze. There hadn’t been this many people in the old town in almost a century, he’d wager.

The members of the board huddled in a loose circle at the edge of the porch, talking up every city or county official who got near. This party was a bit of an open house for important members of the community. The saloon was nearly fully restored and they’d started work on the church, but it was mid-September already, and things would shut down soon. Merry was already fretting about it, but Shane would be happy to see her again. The twelve-hour days she’d been working were leaving him lonely.

Open house or not, Shane felt like this party was more of a celebration of Merry’s work than anything, and her face glowed with happiness. He couldn’t even resent the wide smile she aimed up at Walker as the man spun her around. She was coming home with Shane tonight, and that was all that mattered to him. She could dance Walker into the ground for all he cared.

“Hey there, handsome,” Rayleen said, walking over to offer him a beer. “If Christmas is neglecting you, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

He clinked his bottle against hers. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yep.” She took a swig and looked him up and down. “You ever heard of the prostate gland?”

The beer he’d just tipped into his mouth nearly sprayed out on his choked gasp. Instead he managed to swallow half of it. The other half nearly drowned him. He coughed like a madman, causing heads to turn, but at least he hadn’t sprayed the backs of Jeanine and Kristen Bishop.

“Good Christ,” Rayleen said, slamming a palm against his back. “You young men really need to get out more often. You’re sheltered as schoolgirls.”

Refusing to let his mind consider the picture she’d tried to paint, Shane shook his head. “Everything’s great with Christmas. I mean, Merry.”

“Good. She seems like a good girl. A little flighty.”

He quickly changed the subject. “You look nice tonight.”

Rayleen shifted and patted a hand to her hair. Then she shrugged and looked out over the dispersing crowd. She did look nice. In fact, she’d worn a pretty blue calico dress, though she still wore old shit-kickers on her feet. “Look at these two,” she muttered, tilting her chin toward his two stepgrandmothers.

The women had squared off in furious conversation just a few feet away.

Kristen pointed a finger at Jeanine. “You’re the one who never supported his interest in history and culture. All you cared about were those horses!”

“Me?” Jeanine screeched. “Are you kidding? Gideon told me you demanded a heater in the stables because you just had to have that Arabian.”

Kristen gasped and Shane watched the color fall from her cheeks.

“Oh, yes,” Jeanine pushed. “He called to complain about you all the time. Said he needed a trusted ear, someone to talk to. That was me,
Kristen
.”

Rayleen let out a long sigh. “Oh, boy. Women.”

“You may have been younger,” Jeanine snarled. “Maybe even more beautiful, but he never had any use for prissy little—”

“Jesus Christ and cheese and crackers!” Rayleen barked.

Both women jumped and spun around. Shane held up his hands and stepped a few inches back. There was no way he was getting involved in this.

“Rayleen Kisler,” Jeanine gasped. “Are you eavesdropping?”

“Eavesdropping?” she scoffed. “The goddamn mountain lions are eavesdropping. We can’t help but hear you.”

“Well, I never,” Kristen said.

“I never, either,” Rayleen agreed. “Because it seems to me that you two are arguing over a dead man. A dead man! Hell, if one of you really wants him, I’d hope I was the other, because there’s no point hanging on to a corpse.”

“He was a special man!” Kristen Bishop insisted.

“Well, he’s dead now, woman!” Rayleen yelled.

Both of the Bishop women looked around to be sure no one had heard. When they found themselves alone, they aimed eerily similar looks of disgust at Rayleen.

She laughed. “Well, look at that. Go on, then. Hang on to your self-righteousness. Hope it keeps you warm at night. But in case you hadn’t noticed, there are a whole lot of ancient cowboys around these parts, and whatever their flaws, they’re a hell of a lot warmer than a dead man, ladies.”

They both glared.

“Suit yourself,” Rayleen said. “More cowboys for me.”

The Bishop widows looked at each other. Then back at Rayleen. “Why?” Jeanine ventured. “Where do you meet these men?”

“Sweetheart, I work in a bar. I’m tripping over them.” She laughed, but the women just stared at her.

Rayleen glanced at Shane. He looked away as if he weren’t listening. “Fine!” she barked. “There’s a bridge club over at the recreation center, and they have singles parties the first Saturday of every month at the senior center. If you want some old man pickins, those are your best bet.”

As if on cue, Easy appeared in his worn-out jeans and bolo tie with a crisply ironed shirt.

Jeanine gave Rayleen one last glare, but then Kristen nudged her and tipped her head toward Easy. They both cast gentle smiles in his direction as he crossed the road toward them.

Rayleen growled. “And if I catch you making eyes at Easy, I’ll snatch them out of your head and feed them to the crows.”

The women gasped, looking both outraged and defiant, but Shane noticed that they moved away and didn’t look in Easy’s direction again.

“Rayleen,” Shane murmured under his breath, “you finally staking a claim on that old cowboy?”

“I’m considering it,” she snapped. “If he don’t piss me off first.”

He decided to drop the subject. She didn’t seem to have much patience or good humor when it came to Easy, not even with the man himself. Shane edged away, but not before he noticed the way she scowled when Easy asked her to dance. Still, she said yes. Good Lord, that woman and her niece weren’t very different.

And neither was anything like Merry who was laughing as Walker swung her out of the group of dancers and over to the refreshment table. That was Shane’s cue to cut in.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he murmured in her ear then watched her shiver a little at the feel of his breath on her skin.

“Hey,” she said, her voice noticeably husky.

He smiled even as Walker turned around and offered her a glass of champagne. “Beat it, Walker,” he said.

Walker smirked and offered his own glass to Shane. “Enjoy,” he said, tipping his hat in farewell.

Shane forgot about him and leaned close to Merry. “You look like you’re having a good time.”

“I am. It’s all so exciting. Everyone seems excited, right?”

He glanced around. Everyone seemed happy, but the majority of the excitement was all Merry. But he didn’t tell her that. Instead he snuck a quick kiss then tugged her out into the street when he heard the band slide into a slow song.

An hour later, the party was winding down. Shane said goodbye to Cole and Grace as Merry walked the board members to their cars. “Are you sure we shouldn’t stay and help?” Grace asked.

“No, we’re going to get it shut down, and then the party folks will come clean up the lights and chairs and generator tomorrow. I’ll have Merry home in a few.”

“Don’t forget her curfew,” Grace said, flashing a grin. He’d finally started to win her over, but it was slow going. She wasn’t quite as quick to forgive as Merry was. But Cole tugged her away.

“Come on, darlin’. Let’s leave the kids to their fun.”

Fun, indeed. By the time Merry came back, the band had packed and left and the last few guests were heading out. He finally had her alone. As if she’d read his mind, she jumped into his arms and he spun her until she squealed. “Are you a little drunk?” he asked.

“No. Just happy. The new parking area looks great. And the road!”

He shook his head at the way she went dreamy-eyed over the road grading of a wide dirt lane that connected one end of a ghost town to the other. But he had to admit it had transformed the place. With the sagebrush and weeds gone from the center of town, Providence looked poised to spring back to life. As if it had just been sleeping for the past century and Merry was going to wake it up.

“I wish you’d invited your mom,” she said quietly as he kissed her nose and set her on her feet.

“No, she’s getting better, but we’re still just as likely to argue as not. I didn’t want to fight at your party.”

“She’s trying,” Merry insisted.

“Yeah, she’s trying to make him into a saint. I won’t have it. He was a man, and he’s dead, and she has to move on. Or at least keep her thoughts to herself.”

Merry took his hand and squeezed. “Come on. I already tied up all the trash bags. I just need you to turn off the generator for me. I noticed a few spiderwebs near it earlier.”

“If that’s all it takes to be your hero, I’ll save you any day of the week, Merry Kade.”

He found the generator controls while Merry watched from a safe distance away. When he hit the switch, they were plunged into darkness and a silence he hadn’t realized had been missing.

“Oh,” Merry whispered. “I should’ve brought a flashlight.”

“There’s a half-moon tonight. Just give your eyes a minute to adjust.”

But it only took a few seconds for her to look up and gasp. “My God, Shane. Look at the stars.”

He’d seen the stars out here a thousand times. He didn’t need to look up. He’d rather stare at the pale wonder of her smiling in the dark. “Yeah. It’s beautiful.”

“I think I can see the Milky Way!”

“You’re going to get a crick in your neck. I’ve got a better idea.”

They walked through the center of town and Shane led her to his truck, then pulled a blanket from the back and spread it over the bed. “Come on,” he whispered, scooting her up onto the tailgate before he joined her.

“Look,” she whispered, eyes sparkling and wide in the moonlight.

“I know.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “It’s amazing.” He wanted to keep watching her, but he lay beside her and looked up at the sky. Crickets chirped a chorus around them and distant aspen leaves rustled in the breeze, the dry sound of them a hint that winter was coming. He could almost smell the snow on the air. He breathed deep and let himself relax.

“This is everything I want, Shane.”

He smiled at her words. “Yeah?”

“It’s so beautiful here. The night and the stars and the mountains. It feels right. And…you feel right.”

His smile faded.

“It feels like home. Like I’ve always been here and yet everything feels possible, still. Everything.”

Everything did feel possible. All those things he never thought he’d have. Shane propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her. He touched her cheek and watched her eyes close.

“I think I love you, Shane.”

His heart skipped a beat and then another. He had to part his lips to draw a careful breath. They hadn’t discussed love again. Not since that day. They’d wanted to take it slow, but now the force of it hit him like a train at full speed.

He slid a thumb over her full bottom lip then pressed his mouth to the same spot. “I know I love you, Merry,” he murmured against her skin.

“Yeah?” she asked, and he heard the tears in her voice before he saw them slip down her temples.

“Yeah.” He kissed her mouth again. Then her chin. Her jaw.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” she whispered. “To Providence. To Jackson.”

“I didn’t bring you here.” He tasted her throat.

“You did. If not for you, they never would’ve hired me. I never would’ve had all this beauty.”

“Well, then.” He slid a hand along her thigh, bringing her skirt along with it. “I should thank you for bringing me yourself. For bringing me…everything.”

When he touched her, she gasped, her back arching.

“Shh. Look up at the stars. I want to see them in your eyes when you come.”