“You started it, Cortez!”
Un-fucking-believable.
It wasn’t like he didn’t already feel guilty about not visiting his folks as much as he should, but now the reason he stayed away was giving him shit about it.
Shane sighed and ran his hands down his tanned face. “Look, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m worried about your dad.”
What? And Gray wasn’t? He wanted to slug Shane, but he didn’t. He’d grown up with the man and knew that Shane did genuinely care for the older Hunters. Besides, Gray might be aggravated, but he wasn’t going to let Shane see it. Of course, the man was always under his skin, so it was really moot. Gray sighed and rested his head in his hands, trying to relax. “I’m worried, too. I might not go out to the ranch that often, but he’s still my dad.”
“Shane? Oh! Gray!”
Gray looked up to see his mom jog toward them, smiling. He stood up and held his arms wide. “Hi, Mom. How is he?”
She squeezed him tight, then cupped a hand behind his neck, pulling him down to kiss his cheek. “First they’re going to do an angiogram to see how bad the damage to the heart’s blood vessels are. Then they’ll know if he needs bypass surgery. If it’s not too bad, they can fix it when they do the angioplasty rather than doing the bypass. They put these little stents in there to open up the blood vessels.”
Oh, God!
He knew it sounded scarier than it probably was, but he couldn’t help his initial shocked reaction.
Shane looked as unshakable as always, and it annoyed the piss out of him. The man was a freaking rock.
Wait! Was that a bit of moisture in his eyes?
Shane glanced at him, face unreadable, and blinked.
“It’s really not that big a deal nowadays, Grayson. He’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, I know.” He looked back at his mother. “When are they going to do the procedure?”
“The doctor is going to take him back in in about two hours. Do you boys want to see him before they start prepping him? The nurse said it would be okay, but just for a few minutes.”
Gray grabbed her hand, patting it, then tugged her to get her moving. “Of course we do, Mom.”
When they walked in to the patient room, his dad smiled. God, he looked like hell. Gray tried his best to smile back and went to the side of the bed. Taking his father’s hand, he squeezed it before letting go. “Hey, Pop.”
“Hey, kiddo.” Ted glanced to Gray’s other side and spotted Shane, dipping his head in greeting. “Shane.”
“Ted.” Shane inclined his chin slightly, his face harder than ever.
“Since I’ve got both you boys here, “he grabbed Gray’s hand, then Shane’s, “I want y’all to keep the Broken H going. I want the two of you…both my boys—”
“Dad, you aren’t dying, so knock it off.”
Shane frowned at him. “Let the man talk, Grayson.”
Oh, good lord!
Didn’t it bother Shane to have the old man talking like he was about to die? It sure as hell did him. Gray heaved a large sigh and shut his mouth before he said something he’d regret.
Ted gripped their hands. “Now, listen up. I’m not expecting to die, son. But I want to make sure things are taken care of in case something should happen. Gray—”
“Dad?”
“I want you to help out Shane the next couple of weeks. Now, I know you have responsibility as sheriff, but I’d like you to make time if Shane needs you.”
Gray nodded. He’d already cleared his schedule, but he was hoping like hell that Shane didn’t need him. Working with Shane, seeing him all day, every day, would likely kill him, even if it were for just a week or two. Still, he’d be there to lend a hand if he had to. Hell, worrying about it was probably all for naught since Shane ran the Broken H by himself anyway. The man had pretty much taken over all the managerial stuff, including paying bills and making the ranch decisions, years ago while his father just managed a few things here and there.
“I will, Dad. I’ve already taken a few days off. My deputies can handle things by themselves for a while.”
Ted smiled. “Good, good.” He squeezed their hands again. “And you will both take care of Katy?”
Gray took a deep breath. He hated the doom and gloom and what if’s, especially in this situation with regard to someone he loved.
Shane glanced at him across the bed. There was a slight arch of one of those proud brows. Then the man looked back at his dad. “Of course, we will, Ted. But you are going to be out in no time and will be able to do that yourself.”
“I sure hope so, Shane.”
“Shane’s right, Dad. I bet you’ll be home within a week.”
The nurse stepped inside the doorway. “All right, gentlemen. I’m going to have to run you out of here. We have to get Mr. Hunter ready.” She shooed them toward the door. “Mrs. Hunter, you can stay for a few more minutes.”
“See you, Dad. Love you.” Gray bent and kissed his father’s cheek.
The old man patted him on the shoulder. “Love you, too, Gray.”
Shane looked past Gray. “I’m going to go grab a bite to eat, Kaitlyn. You want anything?”
“No, honey, I’m good. You go and take Gray with you. And make him eat something, Shane. That way I’ll know he got at least one good meal today.”
Shane looked back at Ted, his face unreadable, or it would have been to most people, but Gray knew the man. He knew that slight head dip said everything Shane wouldn’t say aloud, that he loved Gray’s dad, too. “Ted.”
Apparently, his dad realized it as well. He chuckled and reached out a hand to Shane. When Shane took it, Ted pulled him close and patted his shoulder, just as he’d done to Gray. “Love you, too, boy! Now y’all get. Eat something good for me, too, because I have a feeling they are going to tell me I have to watch my diet after this.”
Gray heard the nurse chuckle as they left.
“You better believe it, Mr. Hunter.”
He and Shane got back into the waiting area before Shane dropped a bomb on him. “I probably will need you to help out next week. I had to let one of the hands go and another one is out on vacation.”
Gray closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and nodded.
Well, son of a bitch!
Didn’t that just figure?
Chapter Two
Shane was pretty sure Gray hadn’t wanted to go eat with him, but he’d agreed anyhow. Now the other man sat quietly in the truck next to him, staring out the side window with his tan cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes. What had happened to the easy camaraderie they’d had between them?
Once upon a time there was no one Shane had felt more comfortable with, not even Ted and Kaitlyn, than Gray. He had been Shane’s shadow up until Gray was almost eighteen. Then, shortly after, Gray had up and taken off to ride the rodeo circuit. Oh man, had that scared the crap out of Shane. Kaitlyn and Ted, too, for that matter. But Shane also had been proud. Gray had really made a name for himself in bull riding—he could have gone on to the pro circuit if he’d wanted to—instead the boy had put himself through college with his winnings, then joined the San Antonio Police Department. After a short career with the SWAT team, Gray had come back home and run for sheriff; he had been the youngest man to be voted in as sheriff in the history of their county.
Shane turned the truck into the diner parking lot, found a spot and paused before cutting the engine. “This okay? Or do you want something else?”
Gray opened the door and got out. “No, this is fine.” He shut the door and started for the entrance.
Shane sighed, switched off the ignition and joined him. Gray’s attitude sucked and had done so since he’d left home eleven years ago. But damn if his ass didn’t look good in those khaki uniform pants as he stormed across the lot. Shane groaned and shook his head as he followed that fine ass inside the diner.
Once they were seated in a booth, a waitress took their order and brought iced teas. Through it all, Gray hardly said a word. He wouldn’t even look at Shane.
Shane had had enough. He had no idea why the man was so hostile toward him, but it ate at him and they were going to talk about this. Gray was too important to him. He always had been.
What Shane really wanted…well, it didn’t matter what he wanted. Gray might not be a kid anymore, but he was still too young for Shane. And Gray deserved better than Shane, but, damn it, they were not going to continue this way! He missed the old Gray; whatever it was that was bothering the man was also keeping him away from the Broken H—away from his parents and away from Shane.
He had just opened his mouth to question Gray, when Sherry Ann, the Hunters’ neighbor’s teenaged daughter, slid into the seat beside him. Her blond ponytail almost hit him in the face as she scooted close.
Damn! Not again!
The girl practically pounced on him every time she saw him.
“Hey, there, Shane! What brings you into town?” She pursed her lips a little and pressed her arms to her sides, causing her breasts to appear as they might spill out of the low-cut blue blouse at any minute.
“Family emergency, Sherry Ann.” He scooted closer to the wall and gave her a look he hoped conveyed that he wanted her to go away.
She ignored it and slid in closer to him. “Nothing too bad, I hope.” Bold as you please, she reached out and wound her finger around a strand of his hair, playing with it. “I’ve never seen your hair down. You should wear it like this more often. It’s really sexy.” The minx actually batted her lashes at him. “If you’re not doing anything Saturday, I’d love to repay you for saving me the other day.”
Good Lord, the girl had nerve! Shane managed not to groan. Since Sherry Ann had hit puberty, she’d been coming on to him and trying to seduce him, but in the past few months, it seemed as though she’d doubled her efforts. She blatantly made a pass at him every time she saw him, regardless of how many times he refused her.
Shane brushed his hair over his shoulder, effectively removing the strands from her fingers, wished once again that he had something to pull it back with and squeezed toward the wall. “Sherry Ann, I’ve told you time and again, I’m way too old for you.”
Gray cleared his throat. Was he glaring at the girl? No, more than likely he was just reminding her of her manners.
She looked up at him, startled. “Oh, hi there, Sheriff Hunter.”
Gray tipped his head, “Sherry Ann.” Apparently, it reminded him of his own manners. He seemed to realize that his cowboy hat was still on his head, pulled it off, and set it on the seat next to him, then ran a hand through his short dark-brown hair. “Shane saved you?”
She looked back at Shane, grabbing his hair again. “Yup. I ran my car into a ditch, but Shane rescued me. He drove me so I didn’t have to walk the whole rest of the way home.”
It was all Shane could do to keep from rolling his eyes. She had only been a mile away from her home. The walk wouldn’t have killed her. What was it going to take to make the girl understand he didn’t want her? He’d flat out told her he wasn’t interested…several times.
Gray’s bright green eyes narrowed on Shane, then he looked back at Sherry Ann. Did Gray glare at her again? Shane jerked his hair out of her hand, not caring how it appeared.
Enough is enough!
Gray’s eyes widened and met his; a smile quirked at the corner of his lips before he leaned forward toward the girl. “Darlin’, I hate to be rude and run you off, but I have some business to discuss with Shane.”
She leaned her arms on the table, giving Gray her undivided attention—and exposed her cleavage some more. “Oh! Police business? What did Shane do?”
Shane groaned aloud. “Shane didn’t do anything!” He winced.
Good Lord!
Not only had that come out rather snappish, but he’d actually referred to himself in the third person.
Gray laughed, showing off the dimple in his left cheek. “He really didn’t do anything, but I really do need to talk to him privately, if you don’t mind.”
She sighed dramatically. “Well, okay. Think about this weekend, all right, Shane?” She kissed his cheek and got up.
Before Shane complain about her forwardness and tell her that he wasn’t going to see her this weekend—or any other weekend—she left them.
“What in hell was that about?”
He looked up into Gray’s grinning face. God, how long had it been since he’d seen Gray smile like that? The handsome youth had grown into an even more handsome man. Shane beamed back at him, then sobered. “The girl is a nuisance. She keeps propositioning me. No matter how often and how many ways I turn her down, damn it, she just doesn’t take no for an answer. I swear it seems like I bump into her everywhere. She calls me at the ranch and even my cell phone the other day.”
Gray stopped smiling. “She’s stalking you?”
What? Stalking?
Shane blinked. “Don’t be ridiculous, she’s just a kid. She might be a pain in the ass, but she’s harmless. She just needs a good spanking.” Not that Shane was going to volunteer to give it to her. No doubt the hussy would probably enjoy that. “Actually, I feel sorry for her. It’s too bad her mom died so young; I don’t think her daddy gives her any attention. He buys her affection with fancy clothes and things, and he just got her that car. The kid is clearly starved for attention.”
Gray’s brows pulled together. “I don’t know, Shane. She’s got to be around seventeen now, not much of a kid anymore. If you’ve told her no and she keeps bugging you…that’s not right. You’re sure you’ve made it clear to her?”
“Is telling her, ‘Sherry Ann, I’m too old for you. You need to stop this flirting, because I’m not going to go out with you’ clear?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious.” Those beautiful lips frowned some more, turning down at the corners. “And she continues to pester you.” It wasn’t really a question, but Shane nodded anyway.
Gray shook his head. “Shane, that sounds like some pretty obsessive behavior. It needs to be stopped.”
“I’m more concerned that the kid is going to pull that shit with some other man and get herself into something she can’t handle. I’ve been thinking seriously about getting your mother to have a talk with her. The only reason I haven’t done so myself is that coming from me, she might take it as encouragement.”
Gray took a sip of his tea, still grim. He set his glass back down. “Maybe you should go talk to her father.”