Down and Dirty(19)

“Are you okay? Should we call 911?” Galen asked, his eyes on Shane.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Give her a minute, and I think she’ll be fine.” Shane turned her to face him, his perceptive eyes searching her face. “You good?”

She nodded, swiping a trembling hand over her mouth. “Scared the shit out of me, but I’m okay.”

The eerie calm seemed to falter as fear flickered in his eyes and his jaw tensed. “Maybe try chewing those next time.”

Charming. Before she could shoot off a response, Lacey had grabbed her and was shaking her by the shoulders. “Oh my God, Cat. That was awful. Are you sure you shouldn’t go to the ER?”

Cat managed a weak laugh and shook her head. “I’m just a little freaked out. Let me sit for a minute and I’ll be like new.”

She sank back into the recliner and closed her eyes for a second. Shane was right. Aside from the jittery adrenaline dump and a bit of an ache where Shane had Heimlich-ed her, she felt like nothing had happened. She tuned back into the conversation and caught the tail end of Lacey and Galen praising Shane on his quick response. She hadn’t even thanked him.

“You were great,” Cat chimed in. “Thanks for…uh…” What? Saving my ass? Bailing me out of trouble, just like old times? Instead she waved her hands around in the general direction of where they’d been standing, “You know, that. I really appreciate it.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Lacey insisted on getting Cat a bottle of water and taking the cashews from her, which was fine by Cat. Cashews were officially right up there with sushi and liver now. Never to pass her lips again.

A few minutes later, everyone had settled back in and Cat’s hopes for a reprieve started to build when Galen turned to Shane.

“So before Cat decided to steal your thunder, you were about to tell us something.”

It wasn’t a question.

Cat’s throat closed up again, but this time there was no nut to blame. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb and let out a sigh. “Look, this isn’t really anyone else’s business. We—”

“I guess you heard it from my mother, then?” Shane cut in smoothly, attention still locked on Galen.

Jesus Christ on a stick, he told his mom? That was just wrong. “Listen, I—”

“It wasn’t official until today,” Shane continued, sending her a quick, pointed glance, “but I guess I should’ve known the second I let the town crier in on it, word would get out. I put in a transfer request last month and it was approved. So, you heard right. I’m moving.”

For the second time in the past hour, Cat nearly wept with relief. So Galen didn’t know about her and Shane. She took a steadying breath and stepped away from the mental ledge. Shane’s mother was a love, but she did have an ear—and mouth—for gossip. Not the venomous kind, but she always seemed to be the first to know if someone’s kid was going to medical school or about a new beau.

“Where you headed?” Cat waited, the curiosity making her stomach dip, and not in a pleasant way. When he’d been on the West Coast, it had been perfect because it made anything more than an annual trip difficult. Still, as long as he wasn’t too close, she’d manage. She even conjured up an interested smile for him.

“Headed?” Galen said, a huge grin splitting his face. “He’s not headed anywhere. He’s coming home.”

Cat’s stomach nose-dived, landing somewhere in the vicinity of her feet, and her head began to swim. Shane. Home for good. What had she done to deserve this?

“How exciting!” Lacey squealed and leapt to her feet. “This calls for a celebration.”

“It’s going to be great to have you back,” Galen said.

Cat barely registered the hubbub over Shane’s imminent return because for her, it meant nothing but trouble…

Run away, kitten.

“To Shane.” Lacey said, holding up her pint glass.

Cat’s hand shook as she held up her water bottle to join the toast. She could feel Lacey’s gaze drilling into her. She’d given her friend a pile of excuses for why she shouldn’t date Shane and already the whole long-distance one was shot to hell. If the rest didn’t hold, soon she would be faced with a very unpleasant truth. A truth she wasn’t about to trot out for show-and-tell right now because it had already been a long and confusing couple of days. She chugged the rest of her water and set the bottle on the table.

“Anyone need anything while I’m up?” Galen asked, heading for the kitchen.