Shane's Burden Read online

  Alley shook her head. “I don’t want to go back to New York, or to Boston,” she whispered. “I wish my mother would be as understanding as you are.”

  Shane shrugged. A part of him wanted to tell her not to go, that it would kill him if she left. The more sensible side said she had to make her own choices. He wasn’t going to be like her mother and keep her from pursuing her own dreams. His heart lightened that she wanted to stay in Burnt River, but her mother’s interference had thrown a wrench into the plans he’d formed the other night when he’d had to let her go home with her grandpa.

  There had been an instant void after she’d driven off, leaving him restless the rest of the night. Now that his feelings for her were out in the open, and she’d confessed she loved him, too, there was no reason for them not to jump to the next level. Life had taught him not to wait when something felt right.

  Being with Alley felt right. The vibe had been there from the moment he first saw her at the diner after Weiker’s memorial. It couldn’t have been coincidence that the teacher had also given her some good advice. Combined, Mike Weiker’s words of wisdom to them both had inevitably brought them together.

  Now, he’d have to wait until things settled again without her mother hovering over them.

  Shane took Alley’s hands in his and gave them a squeeze.

  “Well, it sounds like you stood up to her this time for good. If you told her not to call you anymore, and that you are adamant about staying in Burnt River and she needs to leave you alone, I’d say that’s a pretty strong message.”

  Alley scoffed and shook her head. “You don’t know my mother.” She sighed. “But I hope you’re right. I’ve never stood up to her like this. It may have taken a few tries to get through to her and let it sink in that I’m no longer the little girl she could control and bend to her will.”

  Shane chuckled. “Well, on that note, I wanted to ask your opinion on something.” He cleared his throat.

  Alley lifted her eyes to his. Her brows rose in an inquisitive stare. This wasn’t the right time to ask what he really wanted to ask, but he would do it as soon as she recovered from her latest confrontation with her mother.

  Alley smiled. “I’m all ears.”

  Shane studied her. “What would you say to bringing the colts to Taggart Ranch for training?”

  Her eyes widened even more. “What for?”

  He let go of one of her hands and rubbed at his chin. “Well, I can have one of my trainers work with them, and I’ve got the riders there to get on their backs. It’s time to move forward in their training, and I may be in over my head at this point. I’m okay when it comes to ground breaking, but now that they’re ready to be ridden, I may need some help.”

  Alley studied his face. As expected, a stubborn streak flashed in her eyes, which surprisingly turned into a look that almost conveyed defeat. Shane shook his head. She’d reacted as he’d feared, and this was why he’d waited over a week to bring it up. How would she react to his other proposal?

  “This farm is never going to get back on its own feet, is it?” she said, staring off into the distance. “Even Gramps says that without substantial financial backing, he doesn’t see how we’re going to succeed.”

  Shane held her by the shoulders so she’d have to look at him.

  “Hey, I want to help you, remember? Your offer to a trainer included profit-sharing in the colts once they were ready to race, right? All I want to do is get the best return for my investment. If I can get someone better than myself to work with the colts, it’s in my best interest, as well as yours.”

  He stared into her eyes, imploring her to see that she wasn’t defeated. How else was he going to help her? She would be too proud and stubborn to accept his money if he offered.

  Alley favored him with a smile. She raised a hand to his cheek. “Nice try, Shane. You don’t need the money from any profit-sharing these colts might bring in.”

  Shane leaned down and kissed her lips. At least she didn’t appear to be mad at him, but she was too smart and perceptive for her own good.

  “No, I don’t need the money, but you do, and whether I need it or not is beside the point. The bottom line is, with better training, the horses will sell for a better price. In the end, I made a business agreement with you, and as a good businessman, I’m trying to uphold my end of the deal.” He paused before adding, “I have the means to help you, Alley. That’s all I want to do.”

  She shook her head. “You’re a crazy man, Shane Taggart.”

  Shane wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “I’m only crazy in love with you. You’re smart, you know what you want, and you know how to stand up for yourself, even if you don’t want to admit it.” He dipped his head and claimed her lips.

  Shane breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to press the issue of training the colts. She hadn’t shot the idea down completely, so there was still hope. Maybe if he played his cards right, he could ask her soon what had really been on his mind.

  “Let me take you out for a bite to eat. I hear Evie’s Diner has some good burgers and chili cheese fries.”

  “I’ll fix supper in a few minutes, Gramps. I need to go to the barn and feed the horses,” Alley called over her shoulder as she headed out the back door. Gramps sat in his old recliner in the living room, reading the latest edition of The Blood-Horse.

  She crossed the yard to the barn, inhaling the rich scent of hay and horses. The four colts rustled through their straw bedding while Harley stood patiently in his stall, his head over the door. He nickered in greeting. Alley gave him a pat on the neck, then measured grain into each horse’s feed bucket. Last, she filled their hay nets with fresh hay to last them for the night.

  She studied Red, who looked better and more fit each day. His coat glistened and his muscles were sleek and well-defined. Shane had predicted the colt had a lot of potential on the racetrack.

  It had been two days since Shane had suggested he take the colts to Taggart Ranch for training. He hadn’t told her to do it, he’d merely suggested it, and he hadn’t brought it up again. Alley leaned against the stall door, and wrapped her arms around her middle. She closed her eyes.

  The more time she spent with him, the more she fell in love. He never pressed her for anything when they talked about the farm. He listened to her ideas, and offered his own, but always with the emphasis that it was her decision. If he felt strongly that she was wrong about something, he presented his reasons in a calm and rational manner, and explained exactly why he felt differently than she did.

  Alley shook her head. Shane was so unlike her mother, who still seemed to think she was in control. Ariel had called three times over the course of the last week, and they’d argued each time. It had been clear from her mother’s tone that she wasn’t used to having her daughter stand up to her and push back. It had felt good to tell her mother that she was going to lead her own life from now on, and that her dreams included living in Montana, and not with academia in Boston.

  Her dreams also included Shane, but she hadn’t mentioned him to mom. He’d become front and center when she thought of her future. Their relationship had happened so fast, but it seemed as if it was always meant to be. The timing hadn’t been right before, but now it was.

  As unlikely as it seemed, they shared a lot of things in common, including goals and dreams. He may not be highly educated from an academic point of view, but he knew the horse business inside and out, and he was not only a good horseman, but also excellent in business. The continued success of Taggart Ranch was a testament to that.

  Alley pushed away from the stall. Time to go inside and fix supper for Gramps. Shane had come by last night to eat with them, and he’d let her know he had to leave early this morning to fly to Kentucky to meet with some relatives there and go to a horse sale.

  “I’d like you to come with me, Alley,” he’d said when he’d kissed her goodnight.

  “I don’t think I should. I don’t want to leave G
ramps alone to take care of five horses in the barn.”

  “I’ll call you when I get there, then. I shouldn’t be gone more than three days.”

  Alley walked back to the house. Shane had called earlier and told her he missed her already. She smiled. How had she ended up with all the stars in alignment for once?

  Loud voices drifted from the house the closer she came. Gramps didn’t usually have the TV on so loud. Her heart jolted in her chest when she recognized the high-pitched, angry female voice.

  “Mom,” she mumbled.

  She shook her head. No. It couldn’t be. Her mother was here? There hadn’t been a car in the yard, but maybe she’d parked on the other side of the house. Alley ran the rest of the way to the back porch, pulling open the screen door to the kitchen and darting inside. She was greeted by her mother’s loud voice.

  “What kind of nonsense have you been filling her head with, Henry? Allison is not going to ruin her future because you can’t let go of this run-down place.”

  “Alley’s the one who wants to keep this farm going, Ariel. She’s no longer a child. She’s a grown woman who has her own mind and her own ambitions.” Gramps’ voice was loud, but he sounded much calmer.

  “Allison doesn’t know what’s good for her. She’s got a life in New York. She’s got a prominent future as a cutting-edge medical researcher once she gets her doctorate. How can you deny her that kind of success and prestige, just so you can keep her locked away in this dumpy hick town?”

  “This dumpy hick town used to be your home, too, Ariel,” Gramps said.

  “And I couldn’t wait to leave. Of course, Paul had to ruin it all when he got me pregnant. I was going to go to school and make something of myself, but I couldn’t do that with a kid in tow, now could I?”

  “Ariel, now you listen to me.” Gramps finally raised his voice. “Alley is happy right here. You’ve controlled her life long enough. She’s made up her own mind about what she wants, and she wants to stay here.”

  “You’re a foolish old man if you think I’m going to let her ruin everything. I worked too hard so she could have all the things I had to sacrifice. I will not –”

  “You will not tell me what to do anymore, Mom.” Alley cut off her mother. She’d listened to enough arguing between Gramps and her mother, and rushed into the living room. Facing her mother squarely, she raised her chin and looked her in the eyes. “I think you should leave. I don’t even know why you came here in the first place. I told you I wasn’t coming to Boston.”

  Wide-eyed, her mother spun around to stare at her. She seemed momentarily too stunned for words. Finally, she scoffed.

  “You are making a big mistake, Allison. What nonsense has this old man been filling your mind with? Look at this place.” She waved her hand around the room. “Is this really how you want to live for the rest of your life?” Her eyes narrowed on Alley, and she stepped closer. “And look at you. You’re dressed like you’ve been working in a barn all day.”

  Alley laughed. “That’s right, Mom. I have been working in the barn, and I’ve never had a better time in my life. I’m done with school. If I ever decide to go back, it will be my decision alone. Right now, I’m needed here, and I want to be here. It’s time you get that through your head. You don’t own me.”

  Alley’s mother glared at her, the spark of anger in her eyes growing more intense. “I have sacrificed my entire life for you, Allison, and this is the thanks I get for –”

  “Gramps!”

  Alley’s eyes had gone from her mother to her grandpa at the same moment he clutched at his chest and collapsed to the ground. She rushed to him and dropped to her knees.

  “Gramps, what’s the matter?”

  It was a silly question. He was having a heart attack. Alley fumbled in her back pocket for her phone. With shaky fingers, she dialed 9-1-1.

  Chapter 16

  Shane paced along the length of the baggage carousel, waiting for his luggage. If he’d had any brains at all, he would have left his suitcase in Kentucky and had it shipped back to Montana. Now he was wasting time, waiting for the airline to unload the passengers’ belongings.

  He pulled his phone from his back pocket and checked the time. Henry had been in surgery for hours. He gritted his teeth. He hadn’t heard from Alley, and she hadn’t left a text or voice mail, which was probably a good thing. The last time he’d spoken to her on the phone had been earlier this morning, right before he’d boarded the plane in Lexington to return to Missoula.

  Two days ago, Alley had called him in Kentucky, from the Emergency Room at Burnt River Medical Center.

  “Gramps had a heart attack, Shane.”

  Alley’s words had slammed him in the gut, and a horrible wave of déjà vu hit him. She’d sounded frantic and scared. Those two words – heart attack – had left him with a sense of dread and foreboding. They always did. He’d been instantly transported back to that awful day when he was seventeen and his father had passed away. No warning. Alive one moment, and dead the next.

  “Heart attack? He’s in the hospital?” Shane had barely been able to get the question out.

  “They’re still doing tests, but he needs surgery right away, or he could have another heart attack. The doctor said several of his arteries were blocked. They’re hoping to get him stable enough to transport him to Missoula for surgery tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be on the next plane.”

  “I didn’t want you to have to do that, Shane. I only called to tell you what was going on.”

  “I’m coming home, Alley.” Shane had been insistent. There was no way he was going to stay in Kentucky when Alley needed him. “This is more important than a horse sale. I’m coming home.”

  “I have to go to the farm to take care of the horses tonight, but then I’ll drive to Missoula tomorrow so I can be at the hospital when Gramps has his surgery. I’ll have to turn the horses out in the pastures. They’ll have to fend for themselves for a few days.”

  Alley’s raspy voice on the other end of the line had cut him to the core.

  “Don’t worry about the horses, Alley. I’ll call the ranch and send someone to your farm to take care of things while you’re in Missoula. I’ll be there as quick as I can.”

  There had been silence on the other end of the line. Helplessness had swept over him for not being with her during this time when she needed a shoulder to lean on the most.

  “It’s going to be okay, Alley.” It was all he’d been able to offer her at that moment.

  “There’s something else, Shane.”

  The tone of Alley’s voice had sent a sinking feeling through him.

  She’d hesitated. “My mother is here, and she’s being her usual self.”

  Damn. Alley’s mother had done nothing but cause trouble for her daughter. Alley’s voice had lost all its confidence.

  “Don’t let your mother get to you,” he’d growled into the phone, pacing and agitated because he was a thousand miles away when he should be in Montana, helping Alley deal with her problems.

  He’d assured her one final time that he’d be there as quickly as he could, then booked the first flight out of Lexington, leaving the next morning.

  Shane spotted his blue suitcase at the same moment his phone buzzed. Adrenaline rushed through him when the display read, “Alley.”

  “Hey, Alley.” He forced his voice to be cheerful. “I’m at the airport. I’ll be at the hospital shortly.” He paused, then asked the dreaded question, “How’s your grandpa.”

  “He’s still in surgery.” Alley’s voice was shaky and subdued. “I’m in the waiting room.” There was a clear sob at the other end of the line.

  “Alley, what is it?”

  Alley sniffed. She didn’t answer right away. “My mother. She’s causing trouble.”

  Shane tensed. The last thing Alley needed during this time was her mother giving her a hard time. He needed to get to the hospital and give the woman a piece of his mind.

  “What
sort of trouble?” And what was her mother doing at the hospital in Missoula?

  Alley cleared her throat. “She says that with Gramps incapacitated and unable to make decisions for himself right now, she’s next of kin according to the will.”

  Shane frowned. “She’s only trying to intimidate you, Alley.”

  “No, Shane. She’s being serious. She showed me the papers. Her husband is some hot-shot lawyer in New York, and he confirmed it. Apparently when I left the hospital in Burnt River, they got grandpa to sign something that gave her power of attorney of the farm. It has something to do with his will.”

  Shane dragged his suitcase behind him as his steps quickened to get out of the airport and to his Suburban. Good thing he’d driven himself to the airport the other day and wouldn’t have to deal with a cab.

  “That can’t be right, Alley. The farm belongs to Henry. How could it go to Ariel?”

  Alley broke into sobs. “I’m too shaken up to talk about this over the phone, Shane. I’ll tell you when you get here, but she was here and told me she’s contacted the banker Gramps used weeks ago to handle the sale of Cramer Farm, and she let him know that the place is back up for sale.”

  Shane cursed. That woman sounded like a piece of work. It was time he made her acquaintance.

  “Take it easy, Alley. I’ll be there shortly.”

  Shane almost ran to the parking lot. He tossed his suitcase in the back of the Suburban and climbed into the driver’s seat. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, then reached for his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He’d made a promise to Alley, but right now, there was only one way he was going to be able to keep his word.

  Twenty-five minutes later, Shane got off the elevator at the hospital, and found his way to the surgical waiting area. Alley stood facing the window, looking out into the distance. He walked up behind her. She turned before he reached her, and fell into his arms.