Christmas Baby. Judy Duarte
But Jillian wouldn’t want to move here. After all, her grandmother lived in Houston. And that’s where the university was located.
It was one thing to take off a semester because she was due to have a baby, but there’s no way she’d give up her plan to get a credential or her dream of teaching. Not again.
And there was no way she’d ever leave Gram all alone in the city, without any family nearby.
“Is there any chance you’d move back to Houston?” she asked.
“No, not at this point in my life.”
“Why not?”
He paused for a moment, and she assumed he might be planning to sing the praises of small-town life. Instead, he said, “It’s complicated.”
She wondered if his move had anything to do with the reason he’d left the HPD, but his short, clipped answer was proof that he didn’t want to discuss the details with her.
If that was the case, she’d let the subject drop for a while, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t get the answer to her question, even if she had to draw it out of him—one word at a time.
After Shane parked in the graveled lot by the lake, he left the cooler with their lunch locked in his pickup, then took Jillian on a leisurely walk along one of the many hiking trails.
“It’s really pretty out here,” she said. “I’m glad you suggested we spend the day at the lake.”
“I thought you’d like it.” If truth be told, he hoped that she would see that Brighton Valley had a lot to offer her and the baby. Otherwise, Shane had no idea how he’d ever be able to establish a relationship with his son or daughter.
He might not have embraced the news when she’d first told him she was pregnant, and he might be afraid of what the future would bring, but if he was going to be a father, he wanted to be a part of his child’s life.
When they reached the end of one trail and started toward the lakeshore, he suggested that they find a place to sit for a while. “We can watch people launch their boats and cast their lines. What do you think?”
“I’m game if you are.”
They walked several yards across the lawn to a shady spot under a maple tree.
“How’s this?” Shane asked. “Do you mind sitting on the grass?”
“Not at all.” As she knelt down and took a seat, Shane sat beside her, tempted to stretch out instead.
“There’s nothing better than a day spent fishing,” he said.
Jillian smiled, her blue eyes as bright as the summer sky overhead. “My grandpa would have agreed with you. When he was alive, he loved to fish, and once in a while, he’d even take me along. But I think he actually preferred going out by himself. He used to say that it gave him time to commune with nature and to talk to God.”
“I like being outdoors for the very same reason, although I haven’t fished since I was in my late teens. Maybe that’s why I enjoy working on the ranch. I love the fresh air, the sunshine.”
“Is that why you moved from the city?”
“That’s part of it.” Unwilling to give her a opening to quiz him about his other reasons, he added, “This is a great place to live.”
She rested her hand along the top of her pregnant belly. “Some people might argue with you there.”
Was she talking about herself?
Probably.
“I guess there are those who like more glitz and glamour in their lives,” he said. “More culture.”
She seemed to ponder his comment a moment. “I had that kind of life once, and for the most part, it was nice while it lasted. But I gave it all up without any reservations so I wouldn’t have to deal with Thomas’s lies and infidelity.”
Shane could understand that.
“I’m the first and only one in the Hollister family to get a divorce,” he admitted, “so it wasn’t easy when Marcia and I finally decided to call it quits. But sometimes two pleasant and personable people make a lousy couple.”
He tossed a casual glance Jillian’s way, saw her leaning back in a relaxed pose, their baby front and center.
When she caught his gaze, he said, “You know what I mean?”
She nodded.
“I was a far cry from the perfect husband,” he added. “And the men in my family have always had a tendency to raise their voices when angry. But I wouldn’t have cheated.”
Her brow knit, as though she wasn’t sure if she believed him. Or maybe she was just giving his revelation some thought. After all, he hadn’t shared the details of his divorce with her before, although he was glad he finally had.
Still, he thought it was a good idea to add, “When I make a vow or give my word, it means something.”
She looked out at the lake for a moment, then turned her attention back to him. “I’m glad to hear that. My mom never married my dad, but my grandparents taught me the meaning of love, commitment and family. It was a painful eye-opener to learn that not everyone is able to keep that kind of promise to a spouse.”
“I guess, in a sense, we were both disillusioned by someone we considered a lifetime partner.”
A pair of mallard ducks—one male, the other female—quacked as they flew overhead, then landed on the water.
“In your case,” Jillian began, “who filed for divorce?”
He wasn’t sure why that mattered to her. Maybe because she was trying to determine if he was a quitter.
He wasn’t, although there were a few people in his family who never understood why he’d walked away from the HPD. But he’d had his reasons.
“My wife was the one who filed, although, by that time, I was ready to throw in the towel, too.”
Shane studied the ducks, wondering if the feathered mates had as much trouble getting along and sticking together as some humans did.
“Did your ex-wife ever remarry?”
“Yes, she did. And I think she’s better off now. She found someone who was more her style. He also has a nine-to-five job that’s safe.”
“I can see where she’d worry about you while you were out on patrol.”
Shane tensed for a moment, remembering the unfounded accusations Marcia had often thrown at him, then chuffed. “I think her biggest fear was that I was away from home so much, that I would screw around on her.”
“And you honestly didn’t cheat?”
He’d already told her that he hadn’t, but since her faith in the male species had been seriously undermined, thanks to the jerk she’d married, Shane didn’t take offense when she challenged his honesty.
“No,” he said, “I didn’t cheat.”
Okay, so his tone had betrayed him. He had been a little offended, after all.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t telling me the truth.”
“I guess that’s the result of having a spouse lie and cheat.” He removed his Stetson and placed it on the grass beside him. “For what it’s worth, I don’t plan to make any of the same mistakes again, either. If I ever remarry, it’ll be to a woman who’s happy with my line of work, whatever that is.”
“Does that mean you don’t plan to be a cowboy the rest of your life?”
“I’m not sure. But that’s not the point. I think couples need to be a team.”
“I