identified himself right away. She was bound to be afraid out here all alone. "Shannon, it's Jack."
"Jack." Her voice rose with relief.
He heard her fumble with the lock, then the door opened and she peeked out. Her long blonde hair lay loose. She was dressed in pink pajamas with a dog pattern. Her feet were bare.
"It's awfully late," she said.
"I know. Can I come in a minute?"
With obvious reluctance, she shoved open the screen door and stepped back. She held on to the dog's collar. The border collie was snarling and growling like he wanted to eat Jack alive. "Quiet, Moses," she commanded. "He's a friend. I think."
Jack held out his hand for the dog to sniff, then Moses licked his fingers. "Good dog," he said. He followed Shannon to the kitchen, an ancient room with old-fashioned linoleum, metal cabinets, and a chipped porcelain sink. She had guts to move into a house in this kind of shape.
"I just fixed some hot chocolate. You want some?"
"No thanks." He stood with his hands in his pockets. She smelled good even from here. She must have raced home and gotten a shower the minute she stepped in the house.
"Coke?"
"I'll take that," he said, knowing she meant any soft drink she happened to have in the fridge. He accepted the cold Mountain Dew she got out of the rusting refrigerator for him. "This place is going to take a lot of work and money."
"You should have seen it the day we moved in," she said, a slight smile tilting her lips. "Have a seat."
He pulled out a shaky chair and sat down gingerly. To delay the inevitable, he popped the top and took a sip of his drink. The cold rush of liquid wet his burned throat. He set the drink on the table and watched Shannon as she sipped her cocoa and avoided his gaze. She knew why he was here, and she was as nervous as he. Neither of them wanted to broach the subject, but he'd have to do it. He cleared his throat.
She finally lifted her gaze to meet his. "I assume you've thought about my suggestion?" The muscles in her long smooth neck convulsed, and she glanced away.
"Yeah. I decided you're right. Marriage is the best solution."
Her startled gaze flew up to meet his again. "I ... it is? I mean, great."
"You laid it out pretty clearly. A stable home with both parents, the bonding that is best for the girls, no court battle that will hurt Faith. Or Kylie."
He realized Shannon was no more pleased at the thought of marrying him than he was of marrying her. "When do you want to do this?" he asked.
She circled her cup with her hands. "Are you sure? I mean, this is a big step."
"Yeah, it is. But let's not have any false expectations going into this. I'm doing it only because it's best for my daughter."
"And for Kylie," she said. Her color began to come back to her cheeks and she straightened. "I expect you to treat Kylie with the same love and devotion you give to Faith. She needs a father and Faith needs a mother."
"Agreed," he said through clenched teeth. "But you've got to let me pick the time to tell Faith. I have to prepare her. Her memories of Blair are precious to us both, and I talk about her mother to her all the time. It will be hard for her if I just announce it with no preparation." A sense of loss descended on him. This vivid personality here in the kitchen with him would soon overshadow any memories Faith had of her mother.
Her tired gaze held a challenge. "As long as it doesn't drag on too long. Kids are smarter than you realize, Jack. Kylie knew the minute she saw Faith that they're twins. Faith suspects something, I'm sure. For someone who hates secrets, you're suddenly willing to hang on to this one."
That stung, but he didn't bother defending himself. He was only looking out for his daughter. Faith had talked about Kylie, but she was only five. He doubted she would put together something like that. "There's no waiting period for marriage in Texas. We can get this done as soon as you like."
She glanced away, but not before he saw the glimmer of pain
"Jack." Her voice rose with relief.
He heard her fumble with the lock, then the door opened and she peeked out. Her long blonde hair lay loose. She was dressed in pink pajamas with a dog pattern. Her feet were bare.
"It's awfully late," she said.
"I know. Can I come in a minute?"
With obvious reluctance, she shoved open the screen door and stepped back. She held on to the dog's collar. The border collie was snarling and growling like he wanted to eat Jack alive. "Quiet, Moses," she commanded. "He's a friend. I think."
Jack held out his hand for the dog to sniff, then Moses licked his fingers. "Good dog," he said. He followed Shannon to the kitchen, an ancient room with old-fashioned linoleum, metal cabinets, and a chipped porcelain sink. She had guts to move into a house in this kind of shape.
"I just fixed some hot chocolate. You want some?"
"No thanks." He stood with his hands in his pockets. She smelled good even from here. She must have raced home and gotten a shower the minute she stepped in the house.
"Coke?"
"I'll take that," he said, knowing she meant any soft drink she happened to have in the fridge. He accepted the cold Mountain Dew she got out of the rusting refrigerator for him. "This place is going to take a lot of work and money."
"You should have seen it the day we moved in," she said, a slight smile tilting her lips. "Have a seat."
He pulled out a shaky chair and sat down gingerly. To delay the inevitable, he popped the top and took a sip of his drink. The cold rush of liquid wet his burned throat. He set the drink on the table and watched Shannon as she sipped her cocoa and avoided his gaze. She knew why he was here, and she was as nervous as he. Neither of them wanted to broach the subject, but he'd have to do it. He cleared his throat.
She finally lifted her gaze to meet his. "I assume you've thought about my suggestion?" The muscles in her long smooth neck convulsed, and she glanced away.
"Yeah. I decided you're right. Marriage is the best solution."
Her startled gaze flew up to meet his again. "I ... it is? I mean, great."
"You laid it out pretty clearly. A stable home with both parents, the bonding that is best for the girls, no court battle that will hurt Faith. Or Kylie."
He realized Shannon was no more pleased at the thought of marrying him than he was of marrying her. "When do you want to do this?" he asked.
She circled her cup with her hands. "Are you sure? I mean, this is a big step."
"Yeah, it is. But let's not have any false expectations going into this. I'm doing it only because it's best for my daughter."
"And for Kylie," she said. Her color began to come back to her cheeks and she straightened. "I expect you to treat Kylie with the same love and devotion you give to Faith. She needs a father and Faith needs a mother."
"Agreed," he said through clenched teeth. "But you've got to let me pick the time to tell Faith. I have to prepare her. Her memories of Blair are precious to us both, and I talk about her mother to her all the time. It will be hard for her if I just announce it with no preparation." A sense of loss descended on him. This vivid personality here in the kitchen with him would soon overshadow any memories Faith had of her mother.
Her tired gaze held a challenge. "As long as it doesn't drag on too long. Kids are smarter than you realize, Jack. Kylie knew the minute she saw Faith that they're twins. Faith suspects something, I'm sure. For someone who hates secrets, you're suddenly willing to hang on to this one."
That stung, but he didn't bother defending himself. He was only looking out for his daughter. Faith had talked about Kylie, but she was only five. He doubted she would put together something like that. "There's no waiting period for marriage in Texas. We can get this done as soon as you like."
She glanced away, but not before he saw the glimmer of pain
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