Terms of a Texas Marriage(24)

“Yes. I was married. For just over a year.” Alec hesitated, as if debating whether to say anything else. Finally, he said, “It wouldn’t have lasted that long if she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Scotty was the only good thing to come out of it.”

He was quiet for a few minutes. “It didn’t take her long after we married to realize the role of wife and mother was not for her. I never knew about the other man until after she’d walked out. For whatever reason, she decided to go through with the pregnancy. For nine months, I lived with the possibility that the baby wasn’t mine. Then one day, I came home to find a stranger standing outside my door with a baby in her arms. She handed him to me and said he was my son. My ex didn’t even bring Scotty to me herself. After that I heard she started partying pretty good. A few months later, she was dead of an overdose.”

“Oh, my gosh! Alec. How horrible. I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged as though it was nothing, but Shea sensed it had affected him deeply. It must be a terrible thing to find out the person you love had betrayed you. Alec deserved respect for raising his son alone, giving the baby all the love he needed. Scotty was proof positive Alec was a great dad.

“What about you?” he asked. “Any broken hearts because of this situation?”

The image of David’s face popped into her mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder what course his life had taken. It couldn’t possibly be as bizarre as the direction hers had gone.

“No.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

Shea shrugged. “There was a guy in college. He was the one who called the night we were married. Haven’t seen him in a long time but he’s still a good friend. We talked about getting married but we both knew it wouldn’t work. We wanted different things out of life. Then Dad got sick. I left school to take care of him and run the ranch. There was just never any time for...anything else.”

“What was your major?”

“Veterinary medicine.”

“You’re a vet?”

She shook her head. “No. I got as far as my master’s. That’s when Dad became ill, so I came home. I’d hoped to have a practice someday. But things don’t always work out like you plan.” She shook herself out of somber thoughts that would serve no purpose and smiled at Alec. “Do you have any other family? I mean, besides Scotty?”

“One brother, Mike. And my mother lives with her sister in St. Petersburg, Florida.”

“Do they know you’re married?”

“No. I wrestled with the idea, but didn’t exactly know how to explain our situation.”

Shea nodded her understanding. “What’s your mom like?”

Alec appeared to think on that for a while. “My mother. How do I describe my mother?” He shook his head. “She’s a character. As hardheaded as you are.” He shot her a grin. “In fact, the two of you together could make a guy absolutely crazy. She’s smart, good-natured, has a terrific sense of humor, but she also has a strength. After my father died, she kept me in school and had the patience of a saint. I have her to thank for where I am today.”

She sounded like someone Shea would love to meet, but sadly that probably would never happen. She now understood where Alec got his dogged determination. It also was obvious he loved his mother very much. Apparently they had a close relationship. Alec was, indeed, like an onion, and with every layer Shea peeled away, the more exceptional he became.

He was not a cold, heartless adversary as she’d initially thought. He was a man who respected family values. And despite the situation over the land, he had a good heart. In fact, she couldn’t imagine herself ever finding a man better suited to her and to this life.

And that realization was very unsettling.

“I’m hesitant to bring this up,” Alec remarked, absently dragging a small stick over the ground. “I keep waiting for a good time to mention it, but...I doubt if such a time exists.”

Shea’s heart missed a beat. There was only one thing he would be so hesitant to mention. The future of the Bar H. “Well, you have my curiosity roused. Go ahead.” She forced a smile but refused to look at Alec.

“There’s a meeting scheduled at the end of the month at a hotel in Dallas. All the investors will be there. Probably some of the local jurisdictions represented, as well. We’re building a resort, Shea. Hotels, casinos, a theme park, some restaurants on the Oklahoma side. A water park, golf course and a couple more restaurants in Texas.” He was quiet for a moment. “I’d like you to go with me to the meeting.”

Shea immediately shook her head and swallowed the huge lump that formed in her throat. “That is not where I want to be.”

“Shea, it’s going to happen. The change is inevitable. You need to come to terms with the possibility that—” Alec stopped midsentence. “Look, maybe there’s a way both of us can get what we want. Compromise might be a possibility. I’m open to trying, but you have to see the plans—with an open mind—then tell me if you think something can be worked out.”

She looked above her to the millions of stars in the black velvet sky and shook her head at the hopelessness of her plight.

“So you think my cattle can skip the fall roundup and spend a few days at your resort?” She took in a deep breath. “We both know there is only one way this will end, Alec. One of us has to leave.”

“So...you refuse to even try to see if there is an alternative.” It was as much a statement as a question.

“I don’t see how there could be.”

“And you won’t unless you attend the meeting. See for yourself.” Alec tossed the small stick into the fire. “If I were in your place, I would want to learn everything I could about the enemy and their intent.”

She shot him a look of surprise.

“Maybe,” she finally agreed. And maybe not.

She heard him sigh. “It’s late. We have a long walk in the morning. I suggest we bed down in the corner of the old house.” He stood and poured out the last drops of his coffee. “I don’t care to wake up in the morning and find one of your country varmints in our bed.”

While they’d been sharing a bed for some time there was something about sliding into a sleeping bag with Alec that screamed disaster. And she needed some time to come to grips with what he’d just told her. A large resort would be worse than a shopping mall. But she didn’t have a clue what her friends and neighbors would think of such a thing.

“Do what you want. I’m sleeping in the Jeep,” she said. “Take the bedroll. I’ll be fine with the blanket.”

His eyebrows rose in quiet speculation, but he said nothing as she retraced her steps to the Jeep. It took some maneuvering, but she finally managed to shift around enough junk to make a reasonably sized sleeping space. She tossed him the bedroll and a pillow and climbed in.

“I heard rumblings of thunder earlier,” Alec said. “There’s no top on the Jeep. Are you sure you want to—”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she quickly assured him. The whole day had been bright and sunny without a cloud in the sky. How gullible did he think she was?

She settled under the warm folds of the blanket and tried to get comfortable in the tiny space. By the time the first rays of the sun broke over the distant hills, she would be halfway back to the house.

And the first thing on her to-do list when she got there was find Hank Minton.

And maybe start looking for another place to live.





Ten

The uncomfortable sensation of cold water running across her face and down her neck woke her from a sound sleep. Brushing the moisture away with her hand, she blinked her eyes and pushed into a sitting position. It was dark. So incredibly dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. And it was raining—gently, but steadily. As she came fully awake, she noted the blanket was drenched, as were her clothes.

Muttering to herself, she climbed out of the Jeep. The wind had picked up, dropping the temperature, and she shivered as she stumbled in the direction of the homestead and what shelter it offered. The dying embers of the campfire provided just enough light to see the last few steps.

As she approached the old log structure, the skies opened up in a downburst. Climbing onto the floorboards, she followed the wall of the building to the back of the structure where a section of the roof remained.

“Over here.” Alec spoke from the darkness.

Cautiously she followed the direction of his voice until her toes found the edge of the sleeping bag. Squatting down, she felt for the edge of the bedroll.

“Here,” Alec said, and suddenly his hand held hers. “Shea, you’re soaked. Get out of those clothes. Don’t argue.”

Teeth chattering, she unbuckled her belt, unzipped the wet denim and struggled to push her jeans down her legs. Finally, Alec grabbed the end of the legs, and with one hard tug, she was free of the soggy pants. She scooted inside the soft fleece lining, still warm from the heat of his body.

“And the shirt,” he said, not bothering to wait for an argument. He efficiently pulled it over her head, tossed it away and lay down next to her. His heavy arms wrapped around her and their legs entwined, as he began rubbing her arm and shoulder, the friction bringing much-needed warmth.