Read Online Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colleen Coble
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thought he saw pain or fear there. Maybe both. "Spill it," he said. "I have no idea where I 11 you re going.
She wet her lips. "I do think having two parents is important. You're going to think this is a crazy idea, and maybe it is, but hear me out."
His heart softened toward her when he saw the way she trembled. He kept forgetting this was hard on her too. "You can trust me, Shannon. I want what's best for all of us."
Her face was expressionless. "That's all I want too to see the girls happy and whole." She clasped her hands together. "I have to worry about the future, about Kylie's future. She has no one who cares about her but me."
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "That has to be scary for you. But you're young. You've got many years ahead of you."
"That's what Blair thought," she said, not seeming to notice his wince.
Was she asking for a trust fund for Kylie? He could do that without another thought. Hope leaped to life.
Her gaze searched his. "This isn't about what we want. This is about the girls. Faith needs a mother and Kylie needs a father, someone who would love her even if I'm not there. Could you love her, Jack?"
"Of course I could. She's part of Faith." Did she want him to promise to take Kylie too? "What's this all about, Shannon? I don't know where you're going with this. Are you asking me to take Kylie if something happens to you?"
"I'm asking for more than that. I want stability for both girls. I think we should marry." Her voice quavered, and she stared down at her hands. "Believe me, it's the last thing I would want for myself. But I'm not the important one here it's my girls who matter. And a stable home would be best for them."
Marry. The word made the blood drop from his head to his boots. He gripped the edge of the table. What a stupid idea. She must be crazy after all. He sank against his seat back. "Marry you? You mean, like a wedding license? Legally?" Jack stood on the edge of a precipice and couldn't see what lay below.
"That's usually what marry means." She batted moist eyes.
Jack realized a fly was heading straight for his mouth. He clamped his lips shut and stared at Shannon. Maybe she hadn't said what he thought he heard. But no, he could see by the wariness in her eyes that she'd just suggested they get married. It was the craziest idea he'd ever heard, but if he gave her his gut reaction, it might close all dialogue between them on how to sort out this mess.
"Tha-that's an interesting idea," he said slowly. "I'm not sure I'm tracking what you have in mind though." He studied her. She was a beautiful woman. Her straight blonde hair touched her shoulders, amazing blue eyes just like his daughter's. Slim but shapely in all the right places.
But he didn't love her. Heck, he didn't even know her. She was tenacious and strong, a woman who had put herself through school and was raising her daughter alone, both admirable traits. But for all he knew, she ate bats for breakfast. Her pretty face could hide anything. Like every other man he knew, he'd seen Fatal Attraction and shuddered.
She pushed her hair out of her face. "I know it's a shock. I'm not proposing a real marriage, of course." Her words came out in a rush, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm sure your ranch house has tons of space, and we could each have our own wing or something. It would be a marriage in name only, just to provide for our girls."
"At least you're saying `our' girls." He couldn't believe he was actually thinking about this. "We wouldn't be putting them through a very public court battle," he said slowly, allowing the idea to sink in. He wouldn't run the risk of losing his daughter.
Of course there would be trade-offs. He'd have a woman in his house to consider every time he did something. He'd have two children, not just one. He wouldn't be able to look at another woman. Not that he'd dated anyone since Blair died, but the idea had begun to stir in his heart, even though he'd pushed it away. A marriage
She wet her lips. "I do think having two parents is important. You're going to think this is a crazy idea, and maybe it is, but hear me out."
His heart softened toward her when he saw the way she trembled. He kept forgetting this was hard on her too. "You can trust me, Shannon. I want what's best for all of us."
Her face was expressionless. "That's all I want too to see the girls happy and whole." She clasped her hands together. "I have to worry about the future, about Kylie's future. She has no one who cares about her but me."
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "That has to be scary for you. But you're young. You've got many years ahead of you."
"That's what Blair thought," she said, not seeming to notice his wince.
Was she asking for a trust fund for Kylie? He could do that without another thought. Hope leaped to life.
Her gaze searched his. "This isn't about what we want. This is about the girls. Faith needs a mother and Kylie needs a father, someone who would love her even if I'm not there. Could you love her, Jack?"
"Of course I could. She's part of Faith." Did she want him to promise to take Kylie too? "What's this all about, Shannon? I don't know where you're going with this. Are you asking me to take Kylie if something happens to you?"
"I'm asking for more than that. I want stability for both girls. I think we should marry." Her voice quavered, and she stared down at her hands. "Believe me, it's the last thing I would want for myself. But I'm not the important one here it's my girls who matter. And a stable home would be best for them."
Marry. The word made the blood drop from his head to his boots. He gripped the edge of the table. What a stupid idea. She must be crazy after all. He sank against his seat back. "Marry you? You mean, like a wedding license? Legally?" Jack stood on the edge of a precipice and couldn't see what lay below.
"That's usually what marry means." She batted moist eyes.
Jack realized a fly was heading straight for his mouth. He clamped his lips shut and stared at Shannon. Maybe she hadn't said what he thought he heard. But no, he could see by the wariness in her eyes that she'd just suggested they get married. It was the craziest idea he'd ever heard, but if he gave her his gut reaction, it might close all dialogue between them on how to sort out this mess.
"Tha-that's an interesting idea," he said slowly. "I'm not sure I'm tracking what you have in mind though." He studied her. She was a beautiful woman. Her straight blonde hair touched her shoulders, amazing blue eyes just like his daughter's. Slim but shapely in all the right places.
But he didn't love her. Heck, he didn't even know her. She was tenacious and strong, a woman who had put herself through school and was raising her daughter alone, both admirable traits. But for all he knew, she ate bats for breakfast. Her pretty face could hide anything. Like every other man he knew, he'd seen Fatal Attraction and shuddered.
She pushed her hair out of her face. "I know it's a shock. I'm not proposing a real marriage, of course." Her words came out in a rush, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm sure your ranch house has tons of space, and we could each have our own wing or something. It would be a marriage in name only, just to provide for our girls."
"At least you're saying `our' girls." He couldn't believe he was actually thinking about this. "We wouldn't be putting them through a very public court battle," he said slowly, allowing the idea to sink in. He wouldn't run the risk of losing his daughter.
Of course there would be trade-offs. He'd have a woman in his house to consider every time he did something. He'd have two children, not just one. He wouldn't be able to look at another woman. Not that he'd dated anyone since Blair died, but the idea had begun to stir in his heart, even though he'd pushed it away. A marriage
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