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had sex. Just sex and nothing more. Just for one night. I got her out of my system and I m good.
Logan leveled his gaze.  You re good.
 Yep.
Keep saying and you might believe it.
 So why the hell have you been such an asshole all week?
Shane was quiet for a few moments as the old anger rolled through him. His hands balled into fists
and he had to work real hard to keep his breathing controlled.
 I m surprised you haven t heard, he said eventually.
 Heard what?
Shane sank into the seat opposite to Logan s desk, his long legs sprawled out in front of him as he
took a moment to gather his thoughts to make the chaotic anger inside him, smooth and controlled.
 My father is back in town.
At Logan s frown, Shane exhaled.  For good. He s moved back with his wife and my little sister
who isn t so little anymore. She s in high school if you can believe it. He ran a hand over his chin
and shook his head.  God, I haven t seen Eden in nearly five years.
 Shit, Logan said gruffly, grabbing his coffee and downing it in one long gulp.
 Yeah, Shane answered.  And that s not the half of it. He glanced down at his work boots.  He
came by the carriage house last Saturday. He knows I finally met with my grandfather s lawyers and
he s pissed that White Hall was left to me. He offered to buy it back  says he can t let me have it and
I know it s because he thinks I ll fuck it up. Ruin everything.
 And?
Shane glanced at Logan sharply.  I turned him down.
 But you haven t even been out there. I know that the farm s manager, Steve Mathews, has been
trying to get you to agree to a meeting for months. He shook his head.  Seems to me like you don t
want it.
 I want it. The words fell out of his mouth before he could take them back. Before he could berate
himself for even thinking them.
He looked Logan straight in the eye and spoke firmly so there was no way his friend could
misunderstand.  I want White Hall but I don t deserve it.
 It s been four years, Shane. Logan stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets.  Your
grandfather would never have left you White Hall if he didn t want you to have it. If he didn t think
you deserved it.
Shane shook his head, his throat tight, his mind shadowed with memory.  You don t know what
happened that night. The things I said to him& the things I did.
 No, I don t and I don t want to know. But here s the thing, you paid your debt and you ve been
given a second chance. Logan leaned forward.  Your grandfather wanted you to have a second
chance. So why the hell are you throwing it away? You want White Hall? Then do something about
it.
Logan pushed off from the desk and crossed over to the office door. He paused, his hand on the
knob.  A few months ago when Billie had my head so screwed up I didn t know which way was up
or which way was down, you told me that that life was too short to not take a chance on something
that was good. Something that was meaningful. Someone that I wanted. He cleared his throat.  You
were right about that Gallagher, so maybe it s time you listened to your own advice.
 Easier said than done my friend.
But the room was empty and Shane was talking to himself. He sighed heavily and jumped to his
feet. The only way he was going to get through this day was to dig in and finish the damn bike he was
working on. Once he clocked out, he d go home and lose himself in his art.
In this crazy life that belonged to him, it was the one thing that grounded him. Calmed him. Kept
him sane.
It was also the one connection to a painful past he wasn t ready to let go of. The one thing his
father hated the most. The one thing Shane shared with a mother who was long gone from this earth.
The parking lot at the community center was full. Actually, it was more than full. There were
trucks and cars parked on the curb, straddling the sidewalk and a few had dared to park on old man
MacEachern s front lawn.
Shane had found one of the last legit parking spots, though he d been sitting in his truck for at least
half an hour, while he stared into space and wondered why the hell he d agreed to meet up with his
team.
The Hockey Shirt dance was a fundraiser for the local kid s teams and while it had grown in
popularity over the last decade or so, he d never been part of the crowd that flocked to it year after
year. It was an excuse to drink, dance and party, while sporting either your kid s hockey shirt, or the
team you rooted for.
It wasn t his thing, but because Billie was involved this year, Logan had offered up their men s
team to help out at the event. The Angry Pirates were on duty and he d agreed to come the night
before. It had been after their game and too many beers to count.
Shane scowled, pissed that he had let Logan and Billie rope him into this.
The Hockey Shirt dance was in full swing. Loud music drifted outside as the doors opened and
closed behind those coming and going. Overhead the stark, cold moon shone down upon crisp,
crunchy snow. It was cold as hell with a brisk northern wind rattling along the frozen ground.
A loud rap on the window had him jumping and Shane swore as he glared out at the faces of a few
of his teammates. Pete Tortolini s goofy grin told him the goalie had already been into the sauce and
their teammate Mike wasn t far behind.
 I ll be there in a minute, he said and watched the pair trek across the parking lot and disappear
inside the building.
Was Bobbi inside?
His gut clenched at the thought of her and even though he d been the one to lay the ground rules the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]