we’d ride out together and talk about everythin’ under the sun. I was never afraid to ask him anythin’, but now I’m…I’m scared. What if I can’t handle it all without him? It wasn’t right for him to go so quick.” Agonized blue eyes met his. “I never got the chance to figure it all out.”
“Do you want to sell the ranch because you don’t want to live here anymore like you thought, or because you’re afraid of never living up to who you think your father wanted you to be?”
Shea had no time to answer. The door clicked open, and Terry walked in. “I wasn’t sure if Stacey was in here or in your suite.”
“She’s in bed and didn’t even open her eyes when I put her down. You could’ve stayed longer. I’m fine sitting here with her.”
“Patty refused to let me help her clean up, so I figured I might as well come back here and do some reading.” She smiled at Shea, who’d gotten to his feet. “I can’t tell you how much I love it here. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m not happy about returning to all the noise and hustle-bustle of the city. I might look into buying a little place around here to use as a getaway. The plane ride isn’t so bad.”
“It does get a little too quiet sometimes. But I reckon you and Patty’ll keep each other company.”
“We hit it off right away. She’s a terrific woman.”
“The best.”
Terry kicked off her sandals. “Go ahead to bed, Jake. Stacey will be fine. And maybe tomorrow there’ll be even bigger and better things to come.”
He hugged her. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
“Sure you could. But you don’t have to.” She waved at Shea, who waited by the door. “Good night, Shea.”
“Night, Miss Terry.”
He and Shea left, traveling the distance between the two rooms in silence. He stopped outside his room. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”
“I dunno. Terry did tell you to go to bed.”
“I fully intend to.” Jake entered his room with Shea trailing behind him. He kicked off his sneakers and headed straight for the bar set up on the side table in the small living area. He poured himself a whiskey and got a beer for Shea. When he handed him the bottle, Jake didn’t release it but tugged Shea close, in a place so intimate, their breaths mingled, and Jake swore he could feel the push of Shea’s heart in tempo with his. “With you.”
“Dammit,” Shea cursed before crushing his mouth over Jake’s. That now-familiar fire sprang up whenever Shea touched him and wound through Jake like a lit accelerant, leaving him instantly hard and aching. Shea’s kisses rendered him woozy and out of control, but he needed to gather his shattered wits to talk. Once they wound up in bed together, there’d be no talking at all.
“Wait.” He broke away from Shea, whose eyes glittered dangerously.
“There better be a damn good reason I’m still standing here chitchattin’ instead of strippin’ you naked.”
Jake took a step back, out of Shea’s reach. “There is. It’s…Stacey. I’m still a little in shock.”
The hard, dangerous light faded in Shea’s eyes, and he smiled. “I know, darlin’. I was there. She called you ‘Daddy.’ The most beautiful word in the world for you. I get it.” He moved closer. “Now get over here.” He reached for Jake, but Jake pushed past him.
“No. There’s more than that. When we went to the room to change after you found me, she said, ‘Papa said don’t tell.’ And then, ‘Scared.’ But she wouldn’t say anything else and hasn’t spoken since.”
Shea’s expression turned grim. “And you’ve no idea what your ex might’ve said?”
“No.” Jake had spent a good portion of the evening going over the last time he’d heard Stacey talk. “One day she was laughing and talking up a storm, the next she’d retreated into her own little world. When I asked Brian what had happened that day, he said it was like any other. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
Shea rubbed his jaw and walked over to the lamp, turned it on, and sat on the sofa. “Tell me about him.”
“Who?” Jake asked. “My ex?” The knot in his stomach tightened. “Not much to tell. We dated, got married, and I thought it was going to be forever. I loved him, but it wasn’t enough, obviously.”
“There’s more to it than that. There always is.” Shea held his gaze.