The Unbreakable Trio(19)

Would he ever be able to forgive her?

The night wore on, and soon he was the only one awake. Liam snored on the makeshift bed. As the hours passed, Shane felt the anger and resentment rise up inside him. By the time the cell doors began opening, he was ready to spill blood.

When Claire and Cassidy stood side by side, smiles on their faces, Shane ignored her and moved out to the truck. Opening the door, he waited for his friends to come out to the truck.

Claire tried to speak to him, but he cut her off. The pain in his chest was unbearable against her abandonment. That was what he felt, abandoned.

At home, he ignored her and took a shower before working on the ranch. Shane hated himself for the way he was treating her, but he couldn’t find a reason to stop.





Chapter Eleven




Shane ignored Claire for the rest of the day and all of the weekend. When she entered a room, he walked straight out. The tension between them mounted as he continued to ignore her through to the following week.

All of the ranch hands had heard about the brawl in the bar and Claire leaving Liam and Shane in the cells overnight. No one voiced an opinion. Shane would walk into the kitchen, get his plate, fill it with some food, and leave, eating outside.

At night he stayed in his room, and no matter what she did, he wouldn’t give her the time of day.

Late the following Friday, she baked a cinnamon-and-apple pie, his favorite. Liam was working out in the fields, and the ranch hands were spread around the fields with the cattle.

Shane was in his study doing the end-of-month spreadsheets and sorting out workers’ pay.

Without bothering to knock—every other time he’d refused to let her in—Claire walked into the room and stopped by his desk. Shane didn’t look up. She placed a plate with the piece of pie on top.

“What’s this?” he asked. There was no warmth in his tone. She felt frozen to the spot.

“Cinnamon-and-apple pie. Your favorite.”

Her hands clasped together as she waited. He lifted the pie and handed it back. She had no choice but to take the plate.

“I don’t want it. Get out.” He went back to his spreadsheets.

Tears blurred her vision. Shane had never been so mean to her before. She dropped the plate and watched as it smashed on the floor. The hot apple pie crumbled into a mess, like she and Shane were.

“That was stupid. You’re only going to have to clean it up.”

She didn’t know this cold-hearted man.

“Is this the way it’s going to be? You’re going to treat me like an outsider for the rest of my life? Have I really destroyed this friendship?” she asked.

“Get out, Claire.”

“No. I’m tired of this crap. Yes, I left you. I understand that it pissed you off, but deal with it.”

“I am dealing with it,” he shouted and got to his feet. “You know me better than anyone, and you still walked away,” he accused.

Claire couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I didn’t walk away for good. This isn’t like your family, Shane.”

“Fuck off. Don’t bring my family into this.”

“Why not? You bring them into every part of your life. They have more control over you now than they did back then. Look at you. You’re too set on your path, thinking you’re right, to see the blatant facts. You think everyone is going to treat you like shit and so you treat them like shit so you’ve got a good excuse. Open your fucking eyes, Shane, because I’m not going.”

Shane moved from behind the desk. Claire took a step back. She didn’t know this Shane, and for the first time ever, she was afraid.

“Go on, then. What am I missing?”

Claire didn’t miss the sarcastic tone of his voice. “You got into a fight. You were in the fucking wrong. That fight or brawl or pissing contest wasn’t yours to win. Unless you’ve been harboring something for Cassidy Jocks for the last few years.”

“Of course I haven’t.”

“Wake up, then, Shane. I will be here to help you in pretty much everything, but not in something where you were in the wrong.”

Silence fell on the room.

“You think I was in the wrong?”

Claire nodded and looked away. He reached out and took her arms, slamming her body against him. “Look me in the eyes and say it.”

Claire stared up at him. Her heart was pounding from his aggressive touch. “You were wrong.”

“Then let’s add another sin to all those crimes.” He slammed his lips down on hers. Claire gasped, not sure whether to push him away or wrap her arms around him and not let go.

She loved him with all of her heart, and she hated the distance between them. She would never hurt him, and seeing him behave as if she would chilled her to the bone.