Blame It on the Rodeo. Amanda Renee

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СКАЧАТЬ town during long-term therapy. After a battle with Shane and Chase that would have torn most families apart forever, everything finally came to fruition.

      “I can’t tell you how glad I’ll be when this day is over,” Kay confessed. “I know it sounds strange, but honestly, once that ribbon is cut on the front door, I’ll feel like this family will finally be at peace.”

      A gangly boy approached Shane and handed Ever a bottle of water. Lifting her from his shoulder, Shane returned the little girl to her hay bale alongside some of the other hippotherapy kids while he watched the students and joined the boy at the rail.

      Lexi smiled at his inherent teaching instincts. “I don’t think I’ve seen Shane this content before.”

      “That Hunter Rathbone sure does dote on him.” Kay nodded in the direction of the boy next to Shane. “I can’t believe how much he acts like Shane at that age.”

      Hunter stood on the second rail and waved his hat in the air to cheer on his classmate. His features no longer shadowed, Lexi saw a mop of dark brown hair, ice-blue eyes and a strong angular jaw with the hint of a cleft chin. She felt her stomach turn ever so slightly at the remarkable resemblance to Shane.

      Lexi white-knuckled her grip on her satchel. “Where—where is he from?”

      “Colorado,” Kay replied. “Shane calls him his Mini-Me.”

      The ground beneath Lexi all but disappeared. Squatting down on the grass next to the pen, she feigned fumbling through her bag. Confident she’d regained her footing, she stood and tried to cover her bewilderment. “I must have left my camera in the truck. I—I thought the school would draw mostly a local crowd.”

      “Next door or the next continent, I think Hunter would follow Shane wherever he taught,” Kay continued. “You should hear the child prattle on how Shane’s his hero. When Hunter heard about the school, he begged his parents to send him here. Good heavens, are you all right?”

      “It must be the heat.” Lexi’s knees betrayed her and she found herself back on the ground. “I just need a cold shower and I’ll be fine.”

      The events vividly replayed in her mind. Years ago, in late October, Shane surprised Lexi and whisked her away for a romantic weekend at the Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort, a stone’s throw from her college campus. They didn’t emerge from the cabin until Monday morning, and she barely made it to her first class. Perfect in every way imaginable, their getaway reassured Lexi that they could maintain their relationship while she continued school.

      A few weeks later, when Lexi discovered she was pregnant, she rationalized that it had happened for a reason. Planning to have a family one day, Lexi wasn’t sure she wanted one now. When her doctor confirmed a July due date, she put faith in perfect timing. She’d be able to continue with college in the fall without missing any classes. Not wanting to discuss it with Shane over the phone, she decided to wait and tell him in person, during winter break. Only he had a surprise of his own.

      Devastated by his infidelity, Lexi was scandalized by his quick decision to marry Sharon Vincent, so she immediately returned to school. Clearly showing by spring break, Lexi lied to her family and said she’d enrolled in an internship to avoid coming home. She hated the deception, but after hearing how happy Shane was with his son, Lexi didn’t want to ruin his new family. The entire town knew he didn’t have an ounce of love for Sharon but Shane tolerated her for Dylan’s sake and Lexi resolved that someday he’d learn to love his wife.

      Determined to move forward with her career, Lexi painfully gave her baby up for adoption immediately following his birth, believing he’d have a better life with a strong, stable family. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. A mother should never have to give up her child, but it was a sacrifice she willingly made for her son’s future.

      Not wanting to wonder if every child she saw on the street was hers, Lexi transferred to New York’s Cornell University.

      A day hadn’t passed when she didn’t think of him, but she refused to doubt her decision. When she found out Dylan wasn’t Shane’s, the realization that they could have been a family if he hadn’t cheated on her drove her to pieces some nights.

      On her visits home, she avoided him at all costs, fearing he would know what she’d done. No one questioned her attitude, since his betrayal was public knowledge, but the guilt she felt whenever someone told her how shattered Shane was and how much he’d changed from a family man, to being wild and reckless since Tab took Dylan away, almost killed her.

      Not allowing herself another glance at the boy again, Lexi took Kay’s outstretched hand and managed to stand. This can’t be happening.

      * * *

      “SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH Lexi.” Shane started to walk toward his mother and Nicolino as they escorted Lexi to her car. “Ever, stay right there and don’t go near the rails. Hunter, will you watch her for a minute?”

      “Come on, bro.” Chase beckoned to him from the arena. “Let’s show them how it’s done.”

      “In a minute.” Shane headed in Lexi’s direction until he heard her car start and saw Nicolino pat her trunk, seemingly unconcerned as she drove out of the parking area.

      A few hours in this heat was enough to wear anyone out and Shane reasoned Lexi had probably overdone it, rushing around trying to be Wonder Woman. The rising temperatures were getting to all of them and Shane decided to end class early so the kids could go down to the river for a swim and cool off before they demonstrated some of their techniques for the crowd later.

      Opting to stay behind, Shane had successfully avoided spending any length of time around children since he lost Dylan. One-or two-day rodeo clinics meant attachments were impossible. When Cole and Tess adopted Ever, he became an instant uncle to a precocious four-year-old. By her fifth birthday in April she’d grown to be such a part of his life, he actually sought her out every day. It pained him to think he’d once stood in the way of her progress at the ranch. In eight months, her ability to walk doubled. And with a hippotherapy facility in her own backyard, she didn’t have to travel the three hours to therapy anymore.

      Once Shane saw the children and adults come to Dance of Hope for therapy evaluation before the grand opening, he finally understood why this project was so dear to his father. It might be too late to apologize for trying to block the facility from being built, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t do everything in his power to make his family proud of him. He not only wanted their approval, but he also wanted Lexi’s.

      With all the children on the ranch, thoughts of Dylan had hit him harder than they had in a decade. Shane wondered if the teen ever sat in the stands during his rodeo events. There were times he caught himself checking the rider roster for Tab’s name even though Shane knew he’d long since retired.

      Plodding toward the small stand-alone office behind the main stables, Shane entered the air-conditioned building. A built-in table wrapped around the entire room and the computers were connected to the main office inside the barn, saving people from traipsing across the courtyard. Shane logged on to the system and opened the web browser.

      Cole dropped paperwork into the inbox on the wall as he entered the office. “I’m surprised you didn’t go with everyone else down to the river.”

      “Nah.” Shane typed Dylan Fanning into the search engine. “I have some things to finish up.”

      “Don’t do it, Shane.” СКАЧАТЬ