as he walked up behind her and placed a kiss on her cheek.
She turned to him and smiled. âBecause I enjoy having you kids home. And besides, itâs Sunday morning, remember?â
âHow could I forget?â His momâs special buttermilk pancakes had become a church-day tradition at the Hollister house.
âPour yourself a cup of coffee,â she said, âthen get some hotcakes while theyâre fresh and warm.â
She didnât have to ask him twice. After filling a mug and piling the pancakes on a plate, Shane took a seat at the table, where he added a slab of butter and maple syrup on top of his stack.
âWhere is everyone?â he asked.
âJohn and Karen took Becky to the church. Sheâs meeting up with a couple of her girlfriends there. Tom and your dad are outside, watching Trevor ride his bike. When you finish eating, you ought to join them.â
Shane didnât respond either way. But for the pasttwo-and-a-half years heâd been treading along the perimeter of most family gatherings, on the outside looking in. And truthfully it was easier that way.
He glanced at his wristwatch. Church would be starting soon, which was great. He was eager to get this day over with so he could head back to the ranch where he belonged. At least, thatâs how heâd been feeling lately.
It was weird, too. Back at the ranch where he worked, Dan and Eva Walker had two sets of twins. And while Shane tried to avoid his nieces and nephews, he didnât feel the same way about the Walker kids, although he wasnât sure why.
Maybe because Marcia had always blamed the Hollisters for the trouble in their marriage. And maybe in a way, heâd blamed them, too. Ever since dealing with his wifeâs complaints, Shane had stepped out of the family fold. And that was long before Joey had died.
Damn. Maybe Jillian was right. Maybe he was still dragging around some old baggage from his divorce.
He lifted the mug of coffee, savored the aroma of the fresh morning brew, then took a sip.
Making love with Jillianâand having dinner with her again last nightâhad been refreshing andâ¦healing.
When he was with her, things felt differentâbetter. And he wasnât just talking about a simple case of attraction. Heâd actually been able to shed the shadows that plagued him for hours on end.
But the only way he could imagine hooking up with Jillian was if he moved back to Houston and took up his old life.
However, Jillian didnât seem to be the kind of womanwhoâd be interested in dating a copâeven if he wanted to go back to work for the HPD. And at this point, he really didnât.
There was something appealing about Brighton Valley and small-town life. He actually enjoyed riding fence and herding cattle.
Of course, Jillian didnât seem like the kind whoâd be happy with a cowboy, either. A life in Brighton Valley would be foreign to a woman like her.
So why set himself up for failure? Heâd already gone through one divorce because his wife hadnât been happy with the life heâd wanted to lead.
So why even ponder the possibility of a relationship with Jillian, either long distance or right next door?
Because, for one thing, he couldnât get her off his mind.
And because he doubted that heâd ever be more sexually compatible with another woman again.
What a shame that would be.
As he cut into his pancakes, which were growing cold, he wondered if it might be best to leave the possibility of a relationship with Jillian to fate. After all, she had his phone number, and heâd included the name of the ranch on which he worked in the note heâd left her at the hotel.
So she could find him if she really wanted to.
âIâm going to get ready for church,â his mother said. âCan I get you anything else? Some OJ? More coffee?â
âNo, Iâm fine.â Shane looked up from his plate and smiled.
She turned to him and smiled. âBecause I enjoy having you kids home. And besides, itâs Sunday morning, remember?â
âHow could I forget?â His momâs special buttermilk pancakes had become a church-day tradition at the Hollister house.
âPour yourself a cup of coffee,â she said, âthen get some hotcakes while theyâre fresh and warm.â
She didnât have to ask him twice. After filling a mug and piling the pancakes on a plate, Shane took a seat at the table, where he added a slab of butter and maple syrup on top of his stack.
âWhere is everyone?â he asked.
âJohn and Karen took Becky to the church. Sheâs meeting up with a couple of her girlfriends there. Tom and your dad are outside, watching Trevor ride his bike. When you finish eating, you ought to join them.â
Shane didnât respond either way. But for the pasttwo-and-a-half years heâd been treading along the perimeter of most family gatherings, on the outside looking in. And truthfully it was easier that way.
He glanced at his wristwatch. Church would be starting soon, which was great. He was eager to get this day over with so he could head back to the ranch where he belonged. At least, thatâs how heâd been feeling lately.
It was weird, too. Back at the ranch where he worked, Dan and Eva Walker had two sets of twins. And while Shane tried to avoid his nieces and nephews, he didnât feel the same way about the Walker kids, although he wasnât sure why.
Maybe because Marcia had always blamed the Hollisters for the trouble in their marriage. And maybe in a way, heâd blamed them, too. Ever since dealing with his wifeâs complaints, Shane had stepped out of the family fold. And that was long before Joey had died.
Damn. Maybe Jillian was right. Maybe he was still dragging around some old baggage from his divorce.
He lifted the mug of coffee, savored the aroma of the fresh morning brew, then took a sip.
Making love with Jillianâand having dinner with her again last nightâhad been refreshing andâ¦healing.
When he was with her, things felt differentâbetter. And he wasnât just talking about a simple case of attraction. Heâd actually been able to shed the shadows that plagued him for hours on end.
But the only way he could imagine hooking up with Jillian was if he moved back to Houston and took up his old life.
However, Jillian didnât seem to be the kind of womanwhoâd be interested in dating a copâeven if he wanted to go back to work for the HPD. And at this point, he really didnât.
There was something appealing about Brighton Valley and small-town life. He actually enjoyed riding fence and herding cattle.
Of course, Jillian didnât seem like the kind whoâd be happy with a cowboy, either. A life in Brighton Valley would be foreign to a woman like her.
So why set himself up for failure? Heâd already gone through one divorce because his wife hadnât been happy with the life heâd wanted to lead.
So why even ponder the possibility of a relationship with Jillian, either long distance or right next door?
Because, for one thing, he couldnât get her off his mind.
And because he doubted that heâd ever be more sexually compatible with another woman again.
What a shame that would be.
As he cut into his pancakes, which were growing cold, he wondered if it might be best to leave the possibility of a relationship with Jillian to fate. After all, she had his phone number, and heâd included the name of the ranch on which he worked in the note heâd left her at the hotel.
So she could find him if she really wanted to.
âIâm going to get ready for church,â his mother said. âCan I get you anything else? Some OJ? More coffee?â
âNo, Iâm fine.â Shane looked up from his plate and smiled.
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