just as quickly, she banished the thought. She was no fool. That was never going to happen. But for some reason, the emotional side of her brain wasn’t buying that. One image after another flashed through her mind of that summer, making her nerves tighten and her pulse quicken as if she was living it all over again.
“How much is a night at the Bluebonnet Inn?” Luke asked, breaking the silence.
“Uh…at least a hundred and fifty, I think.”
He turned to her with an astonished expression. “A hundred and fifty dollars? For a dinky motel room in Rainbow Valley?”
“It’s the end of tourist season. The rates are still high.”
He exhaled, and she sensed his frustration. He tapped his fingertips against his thigh, his eyes shifting as if his mind was hard at work.
“Can you stop by an ATM?” he said finally. “I’m a little low on cash.”
“They’ll take credit cards at the motel.”
Luke frowned. “That’s not an option.”
She wondered why. Bad credit? No credit? Card at its limit? “Okay. There’s an ATM at the savings and loan. I’ll swing by it.”
Twenty minutes later, she turned her truck from the highway onto the road leading to Rainbow Valley. She turned onto Rainbow Way, pulled up in front of the savings and loan, and brought her truck to a halt. The ATM was just outside the double glass doors.
Luke got out and grabbed his crutches from the bed of the truck. When he reached the ATM, he pulled out his card, only to stop short and stare at the machine. His shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. After a moment, he smacked the machine with the heel of his hand and spit out a few curse words. Then he returned his card to his wallet and came back out to the truck.
“Problems?” she said.
“It’s temporarily unavailable.”
“Yeah, that happens a lot. So what do you want to do now?”
He tapped his fingertips on his thigh again, his lips tight with frustration. “I’ll stay at my father’s house.”
Shannon winced. She couldn’t bear the thought of anybody having to stay in that house for five minutes, much less all night.
“But I’d be happy to loan you the money,” she said.
“No, thanks.”
“But you said you don’t have enough cash for a room.”
“That’s right.”
“The ATM will probably be fixed by tomorrow, and you can pay me back.”
“I told you I’m staying at my father’s house.”
“Now, why would you want to do that when—”
“Enough, Shannon. I’m through talking about it.”
“But—”
“Will you just shut the hell up?”
He turned away, blowing out an angry breath. For at least thirty seconds, neither one of them spoke. The air between them was thick with tension, and Shannon hated it. All she’d tried to do was help him, and he treated her like this? She had a fleeting thought that he was just like Manny. Corner him, and he came out biting.
“Well, then,” she said finally, yanking the truck into gear, “I guess we’re going to your father’s house.”
She turned back onto Rainbow Way, taking the corner a little sharper than necessary, then hitting the gas.
“I’m sorry,” Luke said.
Shannon was silent.
“I appreciate the offer,” he went on. “But I don’t borrow money. Not just from you. From anyone.”
“Sure, Luke. Whatever you say.”
By the time Shannon turned onto his father’s property and headed down the gravel road, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and daylight was fading fast. She rounded the grove of trees to find that the house looked even worse in the faint twilight. A full moon had risen, shining through the dying oak tree and casting eerie shadows across the withered siding.
Shannon pulled her truck alongside the front porch. As Luke stared at the house, his throat convulsed with a hard swallow, and he gripped the armrest so hard that veins stood out on the back of his hand.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He whipped around. “Wrong? Nothing’s wrong.”
Shannon wanted to hold on to her anger, but when she saw Luke’s face, it slowly slipped away. Nobody should have to stay in a place like that. For any reason.
“You know,” Shannon said, “I just happened to think. George quit a few weeks ago, I haven’t been able to find anybody to take his place, so the caretaker’s apartment is empty. Why don’t you just stay there tonight?” She forced a smile. “Of course, I can’t guarantee you won’t end up sharing your bed with a really pushy cat.”
“No. This will be just fine.”
Her smile faded. “Luke,” she said, her voice hushed, “look