Shannon's Fairy-Tale Foursome by Mia Ashlinn Page A

heartily.
    “Who are they?” Katie-Anne wanted to know as she snuck up on Shannon.
    Shannon jumped with a screech. “You scared the daylights out of me!”
    “I didn’t mean to, but it was still fun. Can I do it again?”
    “No,” Shannon said irritably. Feeling guilty for being so snippy, she added, “Sorry.”
    “You are not, but that’s okay.” Katie-Anne moved behind Shannon closely and massaged her shoulders. “This is difficult for you. We understand that. Don’t you worry. Everything is going to work out the way it was meant to.”
    If someone watched Shannon, she appeared to be eavesdropping on Jaycee and the other three women but nothing could be further from the truth. Her mind held her spellbound. The thoughts dancing through her head enchanted her like a poisoned apple from an evil queen.
    Her head swam, creating a psychedelic effect that shoved her into a world she wanted to avoid at all costs. Her buzzing ears tuned out all the noise surrounding her, which perpetuated the loss of her mental presence in the real world.
    If things worked out the way they were meant to, she would end up in the arms of the Dalton men. If her life was a fairy tale, true love would triumph, and she would get her happily ever after. But this wasn’t a fairy tale, and Shannon didn’t deserve a happily ever after.
    “Are you sure about that?” a voice in the back of her head asked.
    Yes. After all, Uncle Pauley had killed her parents because of her. She’d been responsible for their deaths. That knowledge reminded her of why she lived her life like this, why she had no right to a good life.
    Her parents had lost their lives. She’d taken it away from them. No, she didn’t stab them, and no, she hadn’t been present. She hadn’t even known—until it was too late. But that didn’t make their violent deaths any less her fault.
    After their funeral, she’d made a promise to herself. If they couldn’t have the lives they deserved, she wouldn’t allow herself to have the life they had wanted for her. The guilt of a happy life would eat away at her soul.
    The voice popped into her subconscious again, this time inquiring, “Would it? Or are you afraid of getting hurt?”
    She ignored that one completely. Letting her doubts grip her only made it harder for her to stick to her promise.
    “Was it a fair promise?” the voice persisted. “You were grieving, damn it.”
    Bite me.
    Her parents wouldn’t want her to live this way, but her guilt didn’t see reason. Shame and regret were strong, maybe stronger than she could fight. She knew that as well as she knew her own name.
    “Take a risk,” the voice urged.
    She continued to ignore the pesky voice, remembering her parents. They hadn’t wanted much for her. They’d wanted the typical things every parent wanted for their child—love and happiness. She still heard her parents telling her about their future plans for her. She would have to attend culinary school so she could open her own restaurant. Then, she could look for a man to settle down with and, after a few years of marriage, have a couple of children.
    Now, none of that would happen. If she couldn’t have her parents for those things, she wouldn’t have them at all. She would spend the rest of her life working as a waitress at Lou’s instead of spending her days in the kitchen at Dolce Serenità with Stellina like she dreamed of doing.
    “Don’t give up on your dreams,” the voice whispered. “Don’t give up on your fairy tale.”
    With every word the voice said, her doubts grew. Shut up! I can’t do it. I just don’t think I can.
    The voice scoffed. “You don’t think? There’s hope for you, yet.”
    A vigorous shaking woke her from her haze. Katie-Anne’s worried voice snapped her to attention. “Shan, are you okay? Why are you crying?”
    “I’m fine. Ugh, I’m not crying.” Shannon fluttered her eyelashes, pretending to dislodge a non-existent dust particle. “It was a speck of dust