it could still be better. The festival is coming up, though. During that we can usually count on a bunch of adoptions and some decent donations.”
Luke couldn’t say he was looking forward to that. The festival was just one more place in this town where he’d felt as if he was on the outside looking in.
“Shannon said you had some rules for me,” Luke said.
“Only a few. Do you do drugs?”
“Nope.”
“Smoke?”
“Nope.”
“Entertain women after hours?”
“Okay, you’ve got me there. I just won’t do it here.”
“You catch on fast.” She gave him a grin. “Just so you know, you may have left town, but your reputation is still hanging around.”
“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t.”
“Heard you used to be pretty bad news. Or is that just a dirty rumor?”
“Well, normally I’d say you can’t believe everything you hear, but where I’m concerned, you probably can.”
“So you really were a juvenile delinquent?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. Juveniles don’t get much more delinquent than I was.”
“Nice to see you got over that.”
“What makes you think I got over being delinquent?”
A sly smile stole across her lips. “I was talking about the juvenile part.”
Luke liked this woman. Hell, he was inclined to like anyone who didn’t hold his past against him. Of course, she hadn’t lived there when he was a teenager whose goal in life was to disrupt life in Rainbow Valley as often as he could. He didn’t expect to get the same cheerful welcome from the rest of its citizens. To a point, he had to admit that was fair.
To a point.
“One more question,” Luke said.
“Yeah?”
“Tell me about Russell.”
“Russell? You know about him?”
“Not exactly. But evidently Shannon is seeing him tonight.”
“He’s a dentist. Moved here about four months ago. He and Shannon date now and again.”
So Russell was her boyfriend. For some reason, picturing Shannon with another man made a twinge of jealousy slide along his nerves. But in spite of their history, Shannon wasn’t his. She never had been. So why did he feel as if he was losing something valuable even though it wasn’t his to begin with?
“Thanks for the help,” Luke said. “And thanks for talking Shannon into hiring me.”
“Teach the llamas not to spit, and we’re even.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Freddie Jo’s gaze turned serious. “Look, I know you and Shannon have history. Don’t know what it is. Don’t need to know. I’m just glad you’re here because we need the help something awful. Just always remember that even when Shannon’s barking, she’s not going to bite. She needs you too much for that.”
As Freddie Jo walked away, those words bounced around inside Luke’s head. She needs you.
Damn it. Why did she have to say that? She made it sound as if he were some kind of savior. He wasn’t. Not even close. If this place survived, fine. If not, that was fine, too, because he had no ties there at all.
Shannon was paying him to do a job. That was it. He intended to do that job to the best of his ability, but that was where his responsibility began—and ended. He didn’t want to depend on anyone, and he didn’t want anyone depending on him.
Chapter 6
A t two minutes till seven, Shannon sat with Russell in his Lexus, which was parked at the curb in front of her parents’ house. He had the visor pulled down and was looking at himself in the mirror. He fluffed his sandy-brown hair with his fingers, then turned his head left and right. What he was checking for, she didn’t know, because nothing about Russell was ever out of place. He was impeccably dressed as always, wearing a sport coat that was probably cashmere and slacks with creases sharp enough to cut steel.
He’d been raised in a wealthy family—his father a heart surgeon and his mother a high-powered real estate agent—so Shannon knew he was comfortable with money. Why he’d chosen to open a dental practice in Rainbow Valley, she
Luke couldn’t say he was looking forward to that. The festival was just one more place in this town where he’d felt as if he was on the outside looking in.
“Shannon said you had some rules for me,” Luke said.
“Only a few. Do you do drugs?”
“Nope.”
“Smoke?”
“Nope.”
“Entertain women after hours?”
“Okay, you’ve got me there. I just won’t do it here.”
“You catch on fast.” She gave him a grin. “Just so you know, you may have left town, but your reputation is still hanging around.”
“I’d be surprised if it wasn’t.”
“Heard you used to be pretty bad news. Or is that just a dirty rumor?”
“Well, normally I’d say you can’t believe everything you hear, but where I’m concerned, you probably can.”
“So you really were a juvenile delinquent?”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. Juveniles don’t get much more delinquent than I was.”
“Nice to see you got over that.”
“What makes you think I got over being delinquent?”
A sly smile stole across her lips. “I was talking about the juvenile part.”
Luke liked this woman. Hell, he was inclined to like anyone who didn’t hold his past against him. Of course, she hadn’t lived there when he was a teenager whose goal in life was to disrupt life in Rainbow Valley as often as he could. He didn’t expect to get the same cheerful welcome from the rest of its citizens. To a point, he had to admit that was fair.
To a point.
“One more question,” Luke said.
“Yeah?”
“Tell me about Russell.”
“Russell? You know about him?”
“Not exactly. But evidently Shannon is seeing him tonight.”
“He’s a dentist. Moved here about four months ago. He and Shannon date now and again.”
So Russell was her boyfriend. For some reason, picturing Shannon with another man made a twinge of jealousy slide along his nerves. But in spite of their history, Shannon wasn’t his. She never had been. So why did he feel as if he was losing something valuable even though it wasn’t his to begin with?
“Thanks for the help,” Luke said. “And thanks for talking Shannon into hiring me.”
“Teach the llamas not to spit, and we’re even.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Freddie Jo’s gaze turned serious. “Look, I know you and Shannon have history. Don’t know what it is. Don’t need to know. I’m just glad you’re here because we need the help something awful. Just always remember that even when Shannon’s barking, she’s not going to bite. She needs you too much for that.”
As Freddie Jo walked away, those words bounced around inside Luke’s head. She needs you.
Damn it. Why did she have to say that? She made it sound as if he were some kind of savior. He wasn’t. Not even close. If this place survived, fine. If not, that was fine, too, because he had no ties there at all.
Shannon was paying him to do a job. That was it. He intended to do that job to the best of his ability, but that was where his responsibility began—and ended. He didn’t want to depend on anyone, and he didn’t want anyone depending on him.
Chapter 6
A t two minutes till seven, Shannon sat with Russell in his Lexus, which was parked at the curb in front of her parents’ house. He had the visor pulled down and was looking at himself in the mirror. He fluffed his sandy-brown hair with his fingers, then turned his head left and right. What he was checking for, she didn’t know, because nothing about Russell was ever out of place. He was impeccably dressed as always, wearing a sport coat that was probably cashmere and slacks with creases sharp enough to cut steel.
He’d been raised in a wealthy family—his father a heart surgeon and his mother a high-powered real estate agent—so Shannon knew he was comfortable with money. Why he’d chosen to open a dental practice in Rainbow Valley, she
Similar Books
