Whirlwind - Janet Dailey Page 0,95

at Lexie’s stubborn profile, her hair fluttering back from her face, her graceful hands resting on the wheel.

Early in the drive, they’d made small talk. But now they’d fallen into a series of awkward silences. Amid the raging uncertainties, one thing was crystal clear. She was as scared as he was.

What if she’d taken on too much? What if bringing him to the ranch was a big mistake?

As if sensing his eyes on her, she gave him what was meant to be a reassuring smile. “It’ll be all right,” she said. “You’ll see. We’ll make it all right.”

“Lexie, it’ll be up to me, not you, to make things all right,” he said. “I have to do this myself. If you see me struggling, let me struggle. It’s the only way I’ll learn and get strong. That’s what they told me in rehab, and I agree with them. Understand?”

“I . . . think so.”

“Good. You’re my employer, not my mother.” And not my lover. The last words were implied. Shane could tell from the tightening of her mouth that there was no need to say them. She was a smart girl, as proud in her own way as he was in his.

The hell of it was, he could scarcely look at her without remembering how she’d felt in his arms, her eager body welcoming him in, sheathing him in silken warmth, her little cries filling his ears as they climaxed together. Even the thought was enough to make him ache.

His doctor had discussed the issue of sex with him. “Give yourself time,” Shane had been told. “Your body’s had a powerful shock. As you recover, the function may come back on its own. If not, there are ways to help—injections, implants, devices like pumps. Above all, don’t let yourself get frustrated and don’t give up hope.” That much was easier said than done—especially when the thought of those alternative methods made Shane want to cringe.

Ahead, in the opposite lane, a raven, feeding on a road-killed rabbit, flapped upward to land on the crown of a saguaro. The grim but common sight reminded Shane that things had changed since his first visit to Alamo Canyon Ranch. The smiling woman who’d cooked breakfast for him was gone, and a new Champion sister had arrived from California.

“I confess I’m curious about your movie star sister,” he said, shifting the conversation to neutral ground. “Is she like you or more like Tess?”

“Val?” Lexie shook her head. “She’s more like somebody from a different family, or even a different planet. She’s petite, gorgeous, enjoys shocking people, and couldn’t care less about ranching. I told you she’d been in rehab.”

“At least we’ll have something in common,” Shane joked.

“That’s one way to look at it,” Lexie said. “But, as you know, her rehab was for pills and alcohol. I guess that Hollywood lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as the tabloids make it out to be. I’ve asked her about it, but if I even hint at questioning her, she clams right up. Whatever happened to her, I figure it must’ve been bad.” Lexie slowed to let a ground squirrel scurry across the road in front of the truck. “Since she’s not one for roping cows or mucking out the stable, we volunteered her for kitchen duty, with me as backup.”

“How’s her cooking?” Shane asked.

“Good enough, although she doesn’t do breakfast, and she complains about not being able to find the fancy ingredients she likes. I’m hoping that with a man in the house, she’ll be inspired to make more of an effort.”

“I’ll add that to my job description—inspire the cook.”

She chuckled at his feeble joke. “Of course, we’ve been spoiled over the years. Nobody could cook like Callie did.”

Shane’s gaze wandered to the eastern horizon. The rocky, brown hills were beginning to look familiar. Lexie had already told him how her stepmother had died, and the sheriff’s conclusions.

“She seemed so happy and full of life. I can’t believe she won’t be standing on the porch when we drive up,” he said. “Does your family still think she sabotaged the ranch?”

“Some of us never did think that. We’re still trying to find out what really happened. Tess has got her hands full, but Val and I have been playing detective.” Lexie geared down and swung the truck onto the gravel road that led up to the pass.

“Any new discoveries?” Shane asked.

“Nothing that makes sense. Val thinks Callie might’ve been fooling around. That would account for the missing bra. But it’s