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The receptionist took Lexie’s name and pressed a button on the intercom system.
“Shane, a Miss Champion is here to see you.”
The reply was
muffled but Lexie recognized Shane’s deep baritone.
“He’ll be just a few minutes,” the girl said. “If you’d like to have a seat—”
“I’ll stand, thanks.” She left the desk and walked to the window, which was screened by tropical plants. Part of her wanted to make an excuse, run out the front door, and never look back. Anything would hurt less than how she would feel if Shane didn’t want to go home with her.
At the swish of the automatic door, she turned. Shane was coming out of the hallway, using the large wheels of his chair to speed along the floor. He looked fit and healthy. His hair was longer than she remembered, and his face sported a short, well-trimmed beard. His shoulder muscles bulged beneath the fresh blue tee he wore with the gray sweatpants and sneakers she’d bought him. His motionless legs rested on the chair’s foot supports.
“Hello, Lexie,” he said.
“Hello, Shane.” Her voice betrayed her nervousness. “We need to talk.”
“Yes, we do. I’ve been wondering if you’d even show up.”
“I have your truck.” As soon as she said the words, Lexie realized how inane they must sound. As if that were her reason for coming.
The girl at the desk was watching them. Maybe she had a crush on Shane. Lexie wouldn’t blame her if she did. Maybe he had a crush on her, too. But this was no time for petty jealousy.
“There’s a patio out back,” Shane said. “We can talk there. Come on.”
She followed him back down the hallway to the rear of the building. Shane kept the chair flowing along smoothly and expertly. It occurred to Lexie that she could give him a push, but she knew better than to offer. Clearly, he wanted to show her what he could do on his own.
The patio was small but charming, with benches surrounding a Spanish-style fountain. Flowers bloomed in painted clay pots, and a stuccoed wall, overgrown with bougainvillea, provided seclusion. Lexie sank onto the edge of a bench. Shane swung his chair around to face her. For a moment they sat in awkward silence. Then he spoke.
“You can keep the truck, Lexie. I’ll even sign the title over to you. I’ll never drive it again.”
She shook her head, fighting tears. “You know that isn’t the reason I’m here, don’t you?”
“I suspected it wasn’t. Are you here to tell me you’ve come to your senses?”
“Shane—”
“Because if you have come to your senses,” he continued, “there’s no need to worry. Brock has offered me a place. I’ll be fine.”
“You know better than that,” she said, pushing past the sting of his words. “You told me you needed time. That’s what I’ve given you. The offer of a job on our ranch is still open. Have you thought about it?”
“More than you can imagine.”
“And?” When he didn’t reply, she plunged ahead. “I know we can’t compete with Brock. Have you already accepted his offer? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
He reached out and took her hand, cradling it against his leathery palm. Lexie braced for the news she’d feared.
“Actually, I haven’t accepted anything yet. I know what Brock could give me, but I also understand the price I’d have to pay for it. The job on the Alamo Canyon Ranch would give me a challenge—a chance to grow and to be of use. I’d say yes right now, but there’s one thing you need to understand.”
She waited, letting her eyes ask the question. Her hand felt strangely cold in his.
“You and I—we can’t just go back and pick up where we left off, Lexie. I’m an old-fashioned kind of guy. I need to be able to take care of my woman—to protect her and provide for her. Right now, I can barely take care of myself.
“I don’t know if I can ever be a husband to you or give you a family. And unless I can be a man, in every sense of the word, I won’t go half measures. I won’t saddle you with what I’ve become, not even if you’re willing. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes.” Lexie could feel the crack widening in her heart, but she forced herself to say the words. “No expectations. No pressure. We’d be like good friends. Nothing more.”
“Can you accept that, as I’ve had to?”
