Shane's Burden Read online

  He ought to march back up to the house and apologize to her, and to Henry. Instead, he yanked open the door to his truck. Right at this moment, he had to cool off and get his head on straight, and refocus.

  Chapter 6

  Alley closed the door and stumbled backward, leaning against it to keep from falling. Her knees had turned to rubber from the rush of adrenaline that surged through her system. Had she really faced Shane Taggart in a heated confrontation? She held her hand to her chest as her heart threatened to pound its way straight through her ribcage.

  Clearly the guy hadn’t changed one bit since high school – still arrogant and thinking he was better than everyone else. No doubt he was used to getting whatever he wanted, but this time, he wasn’t going to succeed. He was not going to get his hands on this farm, if she had anything to say about it.

  Alley inhaled several deep breaths to calm her frazzled nerves. She’d never stood up to anyone like that before. Backing down and conceding to someone else had always been the easiest thing to do. Confrontations made her nervous and anxious.

  She shook her head. There was one person she wished she’d had the courage to stand up to all these years. Her mother. While the rest of her body trembled, a smile formed on her lips.

  “Thank you, Mr. Weiker. It might be a little late, but from now on, I’m going to do more to listen to your words of wisdom.”

  It was long overdue. How many opportunities had she missed in college because she’d been too timid to stand up for herself properly? As the years had gone by, and as her confidence in her field had grown, she’d learned to assert herself better, but she’d been passed over several times for jobs in the lab or outside of school because of her insecurity around people. Just like it had been with her mother, it had always been easier to simply back down and keep quiet, and avoid a confrontation.

  Well, today, she’d certainly had a crash course in assertion. Shane Taggart was as intimidating now as he’d been to a young girl with a crush ten years ago. He hadn’t lost his good looks, either. If anything, he was better looking now than back then. Still roguishly handsome, he’d outgrown the boy and become a man full of confidence, and was clearly quite successful.

  Alley shook her head. Too bad his personality didn’t match the looks. It had been a complete surprise when he’d brought up their run-in back in high school, the one and only time he’d said even two words to her. How would he remember such a thing? For someone like Shane, bumping into the school nerd would have been the most insignificant encounter ever. What a surprise that he’d wasted any thought on it.

  Ironically, it had happened the same day Mr. Weiker had asked if she would consider tutoring Shane, and also when he’d given her the bit of advice about following her own dreams, and not someone else’s.

  She swiped at her flushed face, brushing back the loose strands of hair. She pushed away from the door to head back to the kitchen. Looking up, her eyes connected with her grandfather. He stood in the small corridor that led from the living room to the kitchen, glancing at her.

  “What was that all about, Alley?”

  Alley swallowed, sucked in another deep breath, and approached Gramps. Now came the real challenge.

  “I was giving it some thought while I was out in the barn with Harley,” she started. “I don’t want you to lose this farm. It means everything to you. And, I’m realizing, it means everything to me, too.”

  Gramps looked away. He shook his head and his shoulders appeared to hunch even further. Had he really given up?

  “I can’t keep this place going any longer, Alley. It’s best I sell now before I’m completely broke. Shane Taggart would have made a fair offer.” His eyes sought hers again.

  Alley forced a smile. She reached out her hand and touched her grandpa’s arm.

  “I’m sure he would have, but why does he want this farm? He’s got enough land already, hasn’t he? From what I remember, the Taggart Ranch is huge. He can’t possibly need our land, too.”

  Gramps locked his eyes on her, roaming over her face. The grooves of his wrinkles seemed to deepen as he studied her.

  “Did something happen between you and Shane? I don’t recall you ever talking to anyone the way you were talking to him. And the look in your eyes when you walked in from the kitchen was almost as if you’d already had a fight with him.”

  Alley dropped eye contact. She pressed her lips together when heat rushed into her cheeks. How was she going to explain to her gramps that Shane Taggart intimidated her as much today as he’d done when she’d had a crush on him in high school? That was one secret she’d guarded with her life, and it was something she’d take to her grave.

  “He rubs me wrong,” she mumbled. “I remember him from high school, and I had the same opinion of him then, too.”

  She ventured a glance at her grandfather, who studied her with a look that seemed much too perceptive for an old man . . . or perhaps because he was old and wise.

  He ran a gnarled hand across his chin. There was a distinct twitch to his lips that his fingers couldn’t hide. Alley swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d rather discuss anything but Shane Taggart with her grandpa.

  “Shane’s a good man,” Gramps said after a few seconds of awkward silence. “He works harder than most men put together.”

  Alley danced around her grandpa and headed for the kitchen. She opened the cupboard and reached for a glass, then poured some water from the plastic container in the fridge. Gramps’ boots shuffled on the linoleum behind her. She raised the glass to her lips and turned to face him.

  “He may work hard, but he’s still a pompous jerk,” she mumbled.

  Gramps chuckled. “That boy is burdened with more things than a man should have to deal with in a lifetime, Alley. I think you’re rushing to judge before you get to know him.”

  Alley’s eyes narrowed. Why was Gramps defending him? How hard could the life of a wealthy horse breeder possibly be? By all outward appearances, he had everything going for him.

  “I don’t plan to get to know him better, and besides, I don’t see what Shane’s personal life has to do with this farm, and you keeping it.”

  Gramps smiled, that indulgent and patient smile he’d always worn when dealing with her mother. Alley cursed silently. She wasn’t going to become her mother, who loved nothing better than to gossip and talk badly about others, when in truth, she was jealous of those she talked about. Acting like her mother was exactly what she was doing right now.

  Alley set her glass on the counter. She tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear and filled her lungs with a deep breath. She’d gone to the barn after breakfast, eager to see her old horse, Harley. While she’d mucked his stall and spent time brushing him, she’d had time to think.

  The idea that Gramps wanted to sell this farm had come as a complete shock. As she’d spent time with her horse, memories of her childhood, of seeking comfort and solace with her equine friend, had come back as clear as if it had been yesterday. All of the hard work in school to please her mother, who’d drummed it into her that she wouldn’t be happy unless she received perfect grades and left Burnt River.

  Anger had taken over that she’d let her mother dictate her life, even after high school. Cornell, her degrees, the pursuit of a doctorate degree, these were her mother’s dreams. They’d become Alley’s prison, but now was her chance to break free. Coming back to Burnt River had been the best decision she’d ever made. And now, she wasn’t going to lose what she’d just found again. Not if she could help it.

  “I’m sorry, Gramps. You’re right. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions about someone I don’t know.” Alley smiled at the old man. Time to stop acting like her mother. “I overreacted because I want to find a way for you to keep this farm.”

  Gramps chuckled. “Your mother would probably be glad if the farm got sold.”

  Alley frowned. “My mother has no say in the matter. She has absolutely no claim on this place. It’s really none of her busi
ness.”

  Anger rushed through her, that her mother had taken advantage of Gramps and taken money from him that had been intended for her for school. Right now, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Gramps that none of that money had gone to her for schooling. She’d have to look into it and see if there was a way for him to get that money back. It would be a start to get his farm up and running again. She had a little bit of money saved from her job at the lab, and she’d give every dime to her grandfather, if it would help.

  Gramps nodded, apparently in agreement. His eyes rested on her, and he stood a little straighter.

  “So, Alley girl, before I call Shane back and tell him to make me an offer, what sort of plan have you got cooking up in that brilliant brain of yours?”

  Alley pulled the old truck into a parking spot in front of Robinson’s Feed and Tack. This would be her first stop in town today. She reached for one of the papers she’d printed out earlier. Getting Gramps’ old computer and printer to work had been a miracle. The ancient machine probably hadn’t been fired up in ages. As she opened the truck door, the hinges squeaked. She stepped out and slammed the door shut with a little too much force, causing the windows to rattle. Like everything else at the farm, this truck needed a lot of work.

  Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Alley strode into the building. The Robinsons had owned this store for generations. Willow Robinson, the current owner according to Gramps, had been a year ahead of Alley in high school.

  The smell of saddle leather and new tack assaulted her the moment she stepped into the shop. Alley inhaled deeply of the pleasant scent. She glanced around, found the advertisement board, and headed for it with her flyer. She reached into her purse and pulled out a little tin with tacks, which she used to fasten her printout between several other ads for horses for sale, puppies for sale, and help wanted ads.

  Scanning the rest of the flyers, no one had placed an ad looking for a trainer. That may or may not be a good thing. Maybe this wasn’t the right place to look for someone with experience in training young thoroughbreds, but it was a starting point. She’d ask Evie at the diner, and the owner of the local bar if she could hang one of her ads, as well. There had to be someone in this town who was either looking for a job working with horses, or who knew someone that was looking.

  After her conversation with Gramps yesterday, she’d convinced him not to sell the farm, at least not right away.

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, Gramps. What if I stay in Burnt River and help you get back on your feet?”

  The look on his face had been priceless. A mix of relief, gratefulness, and disbelief had flooded his eyes.

  “But you have a life in New York,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “What about your doctorate degree?”

  Alley had walked up to him and given him a hug. There was so much to tell him in regard to her schooling, but at that moment, the only thing she’d said was, “The doctorate can wait. I don’t want to lose my childhood home. Coming back to Burnt River made me realize how much I’ve missed it.”

  “What about your mother?”

  Alley had shrugged. “What about my mother? I think I’m old enough now to finally make my own decisions in life. I’ve listened to her for far too long and allowed her to control my life. She no longer gets to decide what makes me happy.”

  A smile had formed on his old face, and the tired look in his eyes had slowly vanished. There had been genuine hope in his gaze.

  “Alley girl, I don’t want you to make a decision you’re going to regret.”

  She’d laughed and wrapped her arms around her grandfather. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you, too.”

  Alley glanced at the ad on the board a final time, then walked around the store, looking at everything from fancy saddles and bridles, to second-hand items along the far wall. She glanced at some of the price tags. If she could clean and sell some of the many items her Gramps kept in several storage trunks, it would bring in a little money, too. Not that it would be enough to pay for a trainer, but right now, every penny mattered.

  Alley smiled and nodded at someone behind the sales counter, then turned to leave. And froze in her tracks. Standing by the bulletin board with his back turned to her was a familiar figure. Her heart lurched up into her throat, making the pulse pound at her temples.

  “Damn,” she muttered under her breath.

  Of all the people to run into, why did it have to be Shane Taggart? He raised his hand to her flyer, holding the loose end that wasn’t attached to the tack board between his fingers. Alley’s eyes darted around. She spun on her heels to head to the back of the store. Maybe she could hide behind the western shirts.

  Discreetly, she peeked from behind the rack of show outfits. Shane had moved to the sales counter. This might be her chance to slip out of the store and be gone before he saw her. The strap of her purse got hung up on one of the clothes hangers, nearly pulling several articles off the rack. Alley cursed again and freed the strap. She made a beeline for the door.

  “Alley.”

  She froze. Squeezing her eyes shut and taking in a deep breath, Alley’s spine stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. Too close behind her. Her heart thumped furiously in her ears, but with a determined lift of her head, she turned around to come face-to-face with the last man on earth she wanted to see right now.

  Chapter 7

  Shane flashed his best smile as Alley turned to face him. She looked like a little kid who’d been caught red-handed trying to steal a treat from her mother’s kitchen. A feeling he knew all too well. He’d been in that situation many times. He suppressed a grin.

  Alley clearly hadn’t expected to run into him today when she’d driven Henry’s old clunker into town. Her attempt to sneak out of Robinson’s Feed and Tack to avoid him made it difficult to keep a straight face. Now she stood with her deer-in-the-headlights eyes staring at him, and all he could do was stare back.

  What was it about this woman that held him mesmerized? Other than physical attraction, there was nothing between them, yet she’d captured his attention, and it had brought out the worst in him yesterday. He’d been physically drawn to plenty of other women, many of them better looking than Alley Cramer, but not one had ever made him lose his temper, or this much sleep.

  He’d come to Burnt River today to find out about building codes for a potential veterinary clinic. He also needed to talk to Doc Johnson about Mason’s recovery progress, and his potential return to work. He’d recognized the old truck from the Cramer Farm when it pulled into the parking lot at the feed store, and he’d made an impulsive U-turn to follow it. His last disastrous encounter from the previous day with Alley had kept him awake most of last night, even though he’d already been exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before last.

  After returning home from Cramer’s place yesterday, he’d rearranged his schedule and spent the better part of the day in the barns, working alongside his employees. Mucking stalls and doing other physical labor had been a futile attempt to cool off and forget about his unpleasant encounter with Alley. By the time evening had rolled around, he still hadn’t figured out exactly why he’d acted like such a mule. He should have been glad he no longer had the stress of another business dealing, and happy for Henry.

  His sour mood hadn’t escaped Raine’s notice after she’d come home from work. She’d studied him with her sharp eyes during supper, and had casually asked him about his day and how his visit with Henry Cramer had panned out. He’d been in no mood to discuss his botched attempt to make an offer on the Cramer Farm at the supper table in front of their mother, so he simply told her the deal was on hold. To avoid being cornered by his sister later, he’d locked himself in his office and shuffled some paperwork around late into the evening.

  Shane had checked his cell phone every few minutes throughout the day. Henry hadn’t called, which could have only meant that his granddaughter had talked him out of selling. Even thi
s morning, there had been no phone call.

  His hunch had been confirmed when he’d seen the ad Alley had pinned up on the notice board inside the tack store. She was looking for a trainer, someone with experience in starting young horses.

  Shane shook his head. He stepped closer and forced his gaze to remain on Alley’s face to maintain eye contact with her. Whatever it took, he was not going to lose his temper today, despite his sour mood due to his lack of sleep. Gripping his hat in front of him, he scrambled to find the right words to apologize to her.

  “How’s your grandpa?”

  Shane cringed at the question. It fell short by a mile from what he’d rehearsed all night. Why the hell did this woman make him either mad or get him all tongue-tied? Her eyes instantly narrowed.

  “He’s the same as he was yesterday, and the week before that,” she said slowly, her words laced with suspicion.

  Shane combed his fingers through his hair. He shifted weight from one foot to the other while the muscles in his jaw twitched. Breaking eye contact with her for a split second, he glanced at the hat in his hands.

  “Look, Alley, I want to–”

  The door opened and the bell rang to announce a customer. Several people walked in, their path blocked by Alley, who’d almost made it to the door when she’d tried to sneak out of the store. Impulsively, Shane reached for her arm and stepped out of the way for the customers to pass, bringing Alley with him.

  “Hey, Shane.” Ben Murdock tipped his hat in greeting. His eyes went from Shane to Alley, lingering on her for a second. Thankfully, he didn’t stop to talk but gave Shane the thumbs up sign and winked.