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He grabbed his hat. "I'm going to go warn Josh about the brother he thought was dead," he blurted out. "He deserves to be warned before Shane comes to his front door. Fair is fair."
Panic rose inside Melanie. This was not the best way to handle this as far as Shane was concerned, and since nobody had looked after his interests these past twenty-five years, she would just appoint herself! No matter how much her brother tried to insult Shane in front of her, to turn her against him, she had seen the good in Shane and would not let anything go awry for him. He was
too close to discovering his family again. She would not let her brother spoil the reunion.
And she also had to think of Jared. A shock could kill him. Terrance would not even think about that. He would more than likely storm into Jared's house with the news and cause utter confusion.
Melanie rushed to Terrance and took his hat from him as he staggered toward the door. "You're in no shape to go anywhere," she said, guiding him back into the parlor. She helped him down onto the sofa before the fireplace. "If you insist that Josh be told tonight, I can do the telling."
"Like hell . . ." Terrance growled. He tried to get up but fell back down as his wobbly legs gave way beneath him.
"If you even try to ride a horse in that condition, you'll kill yourself, Terrance," Melanie said, reaching for a blanket. She urged Terrance to stretch out on the sofa, then pulled the covering over him, up to his chin. He was so drunk she could expect him to sleep not only the night away, but most of the next day.
Melanie stepped back from the sofa and shook her head in disgust as Terrance hiccoughed crudely and then closed his eyes, snoring almost as quickly as his eyelashes locked together.
"Terrance," Melanie whispered. "What's happening between us? I love you so much. Can't you see that?"
She turned and tiptoed from the room and closed the door. She gave strict instructions to the servants that he was not to be disturbed. She
ordered another servant to ready her horse and buggy. She would make a call on Josh and Jared Brennan.
But she would not tell them anything about Shane. She was mainly going to see how Jared was. If he seemed worse, she just might have to go and get Shane tonight and take him to his father after all. As Terrance had said, fair was fair.
In her mind, it was time for someone to be fair to Shane!
Shane moved stealthily through the night, avoiding any open spaces so that he would not be seen. He was now close enough to his father's house to see shadows moving around inside. His pulse raced. Was he truly going to see his father in only a matter of moments? Had he changed much through the years? Had the years been good to him?
The sound of an approaching horse and buggy startled Shane into jumping behind a tree. His heart pounding, he watched as the buggy drew closer on the gravel road only a few feet away from him. In the moonlight, he could make out the driver. His eyes widened. It was Melanie! She was going to his father's house. Why? Was she going to tell everyone about him? Surely not. He had thought that she understood that he was not ready, that he wanted to wait until tomorrow.
But if she were not coming to his father's house for that reason, why was she?
He watched as Melanie stopped the buggy in front of the massive house and hurried up the
front steps. Breathless, he watched her knock on the door. His heart fluttered nervously as the door opened widely, and the man who greeted Melanie drew her briskly into his arms and hugged her.
Jealously inflamed Shane's insides when the man swung away from Melanie and the bright lamplight flooding from the opened door settled on his face. It was unnerving for Shane to see a man who resembled himself so much that it was like seeing his own face reflected in a pool. It had to be Josh! The man who had greeted Melanie so ambitiously was his brother Josh! Did she care for him in ways that she had shown she cared for Shane?
Were they lovers . . . ?
A gnawing ache swept through Shane at the thought that Melanie could be so deceitful. Yet, he knew her not at all! How could he expect so much of a woman he had only just met?
Disillusioned, Shane spun around and began running back in the direction of his campsite. He did not care to see any more shows of affection between his brother and the woman of his desire! Perhaps he should even leave the area tonight and not look back. Was he not foolish to have thought any good could come from having found his true family? From a woman who stole his heart away at first glance? Was it meant for him to be denied these special feelings, forever?
He broke into a mad run, blinded with anguish.
Melanie brushed Josh away and frowned up at him. "Good heavens," she scolded. "Josh, what do
you think you're doing, grabbing me like that? Surely you know that I've come to see your father, not you."
Josh stepped aside and let her storm on into the hall, then closed the door behind her. He took her shawl and handed it to a servant. Walking around her, studying her in the bright lamplight, he smiled smugly at her.
"What has happened to put the glow on your face if not my fond embrace?" he asked teasingly. "My dear, I've never seen you look so radiant. If I am the cause because I greeted you in such a fashion, I shall remember to do that every time you come for a visit."
Melanie felt a hot blush rise to her cheeks, knowing exactly what had caused her to look different. Shane! Only Shane!
Trying to throw Josh off the track, she took a step closer to him and sniffed. "Yes, just as I guessed," she said, looking up at him as smugly as he was looking at her. "Just like my brother, you've had a mite too much to drink tonight. It's causing you to imagine things."
She walked on past him, the softness of her moccasins making scarcely a sound on the hardwood floor. "I've come to see your father," she said, already headed for the sick room. "How is he?"
