class?”
“Yes. Trigonometry.”
“Then you must’ve seen how it was between me and my family even back then.”
Fraser pursed his lips, then sighed. “But they’re still your family. If you can’t rely on them…” He put his hands on his lower back. “I think I’m going to go in now. This stuff”—he gestured at the pile of hay—“can wait until tomorrow. Zoe made some of her amazing lemonade before leaving. Come, join me.”
Chapter Thirteen
The dinner wasn’t as bad as Shane had feared. Zoe’s cooking was homey and quite good, and the farm workout had given him quite an appetite. Apparently Trevor felt the same because he kept quiet, too busy shoveling meat and potatoes into his mouth…although he still glared at Shane from time to time.
Zoe was an older image of Ginger, silver threading her golden hair. She gazed at her husband with deep love as he spoke about how the vegetables were doing. Shane’s heart felt funny as he watched them and Ginger, who was doing her best to pretend he wasn’t there.
“Wine, Shane?” Zoe asked, ever the gracious hostess.
Don’t want a repeat of last night
. “No, thank you.”
“I’ll have some,” Trevor said.
Ginger had seated herself as far from Shane as possible. He couldn’t decide if it was her decision or Trevor’s maneuvering. She was a bit pale, the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced. Must be tired from the trip and the drama from the night before. She didn’t look at Shane or speak to him. But at least she finished everything on her plate, Shane noted with approval. She needed to gain back the weight she’d lost.
Fraser and Zoe asked about Shane’s travels, ignoring Trevor and Ginger’s behavior. Zoe sighed. “I always wanted to visit Johannesburg. Maybe one day.”
“You can go any time. Right now if you want. Say the word and I’ll have it arranged,” Shane said.
Zoe laughed. “I wish I could take you up on the offer, but there’s a lot to do here with the farm. Thank you, Shane. You’re such a sweet boy.” She put a hand over his. “Always were.”
Trevor snorted, and Ginger glared at him. “You should eat more slowly, so you can avoid making ugly noises at the dinner table,” she said.
“Ginger,” Fraser said.
“It’s true.” Ginger looked down at her apple pie. She’d eaten only half of it. “May I be excused? I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed early.”
Zoe glanced at Fraser, then nodded. Ginger stood up with her plate and left.
“Same here if you don’t mind,” Shane said. “The flight from Thailand was long and exhausting.”
“Yeah, me too,” Trevor said.
Zoe shook her head. “You didn’t have a long flight from Thailand too, did you? You said you were in Mexico.”
Trevor made a face. “I can still be tired.”
“Just finish your pie before you go,” Zoe said.
The muscles bunched in his jaw, and Shane gave Zoe a grateful glance. Then he took off after Ginger.
* * *
Ginger slipped out through the backdoor. The final dying sunshine colored the farm a deep orange.
Soon she heard another person follow her. She didn’t have to turn around to know it was Shane. Nobody else would’ve made her skin prickle with awareness. “What are you doing here?”
He stood next to her. His gaze settled over her like silk. “I wanted to apologize.”
She kept her eyes on the horizon. “Don’t.”
“Why not? It was wrong of me to leave last night.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because.” She looked up at him. Exhaustion had deepened the lines bracketing his mouth. “I’d rather you be honest. Don’t stay if you want to be somewhere else.”
“Ginger…”
“You used to tell me about how you thought your parents should divorce because they didn’t belong together. You were convinced your mother stayed with your father for the money, and your father stayed because he wanted to be able to have affairs without giving his mistresses any false hope
“Yes. Trigonometry.”
“Then you must’ve seen how it was between me and my family even back then.”
Fraser pursed his lips, then sighed. “But they’re still your family. If you can’t rely on them…” He put his hands on his lower back. “I think I’m going to go in now. This stuff”—he gestured at the pile of hay—“can wait until tomorrow. Zoe made some of her amazing lemonade before leaving. Come, join me.”
Chapter Thirteen
The dinner wasn’t as bad as Shane had feared. Zoe’s cooking was homey and quite good, and the farm workout had given him quite an appetite. Apparently Trevor felt the same because he kept quiet, too busy shoveling meat and potatoes into his mouth…although he still glared at Shane from time to time.
Zoe was an older image of Ginger, silver threading her golden hair. She gazed at her husband with deep love as he spoke about how the vegetables were doing. Shane’s heart felt funny as he watched them and Ginger, who was doing her best to pretend he wasn’t there.
“Wine, Shane?” Zoe asked, ever the gracious hostess.
Don’t want a repeat of last night
. “No, thank you.”
“I’ll have some,” Trevor said.
Ginger had seated herself as far from Shane as possible. He couldn’t decide if it was her decision or Trevor’s maneuvering. She was a bit pale, the dark circles under her eyes more pronounced. Must be tired from the trip and the drama from the night before. She didn’t look at Shane or speak to him. But at least she finished everything on her plate, Shane noted with approval. She needed to gain back the weight she’d lost.
Fraser and Zoe asked about Shane’s travels, ignoring Trevor and Ginger’s behavior. Zoe sighed. “I always wanted to visit Johannesburg. Maybe one day.”
“You can go any time. Right now if you want. Say the word and I’ll have it arranged,” Shane said.
Zoe laughed. “I wish I could take you up on the offer, but there’s a lot to do here with the farm. Thank you, Shane. You’re such a sweet boy.” She put a hand over his. “Always were.”
Trevor snorted, and Ginger glared at him. “You should eat more slowly, so you can avoid making ugly noises at the dinner table,” she said.
“Ginger,” Fraser said.
“It’s true.” Ginger looked down at her apple pie. She’d eaten only half of it. “May I be excused? I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed early.”
Zoe glanced at Fraser, then nodded. Ginger stood up with her plate and left.
“Same here if you don’t mind,” Shane said. “The flight from Thailand was long and exhausting.”
“Yeah, me too,” Trevor said.
Zoe shook her head. “You didn’t have a long flight from Thailand too, did you? You said you were in Mexico.”
Trevor made a face. “I can still be tired.”
“Just finish your pie before you go,” Zoe said.
The muscles bunched in his jaw, and Shane gave Zoe a grateful glance. Then he took off after Ginger.
* * *
Ginger slipped out through the backdoor. The final dying sunshine colored the farm a deep orange.
Soon she heard another person follow her. She didn’t have to turn around to know it was Shane. Nobody else would’ve made her skin prickle with awareness. “What are you doing here?”
He stood next to her. His gaze settled over her like silk. “I wanted to apologize.”
She kept her eyes on the horizon. “Don’t.”
“Why not? It was wrong of me to leave last night.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can you say that?”
“Because.” She looked up at him. Exhaustion had deepened the lines bracketing his mouth. “I’d rather you be honest. Don’t stay if you want to be somewhere else.”
“Ginger…”
“You used to tell me about how you thought your parents should divorce because they didn’t belong together. You were convinced your mother stayed with your father for the money, and your father stayed because he wanted to be able to have affairs without giving his mistresses any false hope
Similar Books
