Free Shane (Remington Ranch Book 2) by SJ McCoy Page B

here?” she asked.
    Shane smiled. “I had to know if you cared enough to go back for the flowers.”
    She looked down at them and then back up at him. “I’d hate to let them die.”
    His smile was gentle, his eyes questioning. “You care?”
    She chewed the inside of her lip. He was asking about more than the flowers. Part of her wanted to brush him off. Just because she’d been disappointed that he’d left, that didn’t mean anything could happen between the two of them. But something—the genuine concern in his eyes?—the way her own heart was pounding? Whatever it was, something made her bite back the snappy retort. She searched his face and nodded. She couldn’t say it out loud.
    The way his eyes softened made her so glad she hadn’t beaten him down. He offered her his arm and she took it. “Good, let me walk you to your car then.”
    When they reached the Beetle he smiled down at her. “Dinner tomorrow?”
    She nodded again. She felt as though she was admitting defeat in some way, but she didn’t want to fight for the win. Losing to him like this felt like a different kind of victory.
    He held her gaze as he brushed two fingers over her lips. “Thank you.”
    She waited, surely he was going to kiss her? He didn’t! Damn him. He just kept on smiling that sweet and very un-Shane-like smile. She wanted to kiss him! But no. She unlocked the car and he held the door open for her as she climbed in.
    He closed the door and watched her pull her seatbelt on. “See you tomorrow, Princess.”
    “Why do you keep calling me that?”
    He shrugged. “It suits you.”
    Was that a compliment or an insult? She had no idea, and she couldn’t stick around to get him to explain. She turned the ignition and pulled away. If she stayed a moment longer, she’d be begging him to come with her!

Chapter Eight
     
    At lunchtime Shane headed back up to the cabin; he needed to get away from the guests for a while. Lena had stayed back at the ranch today, apparently determined to get him to take her in the barn. He would never have done that, not a guest right here on the ranch. He did have some boundaries. He had no interest whatsoever in her now anyways. His head was filled with thoughts of Cassidy. He couldn’t stop smiling—or whistling. He stopped in his tracks as he rounded the corner of the barn. He was surprised to see Carter out here.
    His brother laughed. “What’s going on, littlest bro? You like a cartoon stereotype of happiness!”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Strolling along with your hands in your pockets, whistling a happy little tune. That’s what I mean.”
    Shane shrugged. “I’m a happy guy. Little Mr. Sunshine. You know that.”
    “I do, but even you aren’t this happy for no reason. Come on, tell your big brother what’s going on?”
    Shane grinned. He couldn’t help it. “I finally talked Cassidy into having dinner with me tonight.” His heart started pounding at the way Carter’s face fell. Did that mean he really was interested in her himself? “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing. It’s just that I said I’d get with her before the weekend about her landscaping plans. I haven’t had a chance yet, and I was going to call her to see if I could stop by this evening when I get finished on Beau’s rental house. She wanted to look that place over, remember?”
    “Is that all?”
    Carter gave him a puzzled look. “All? That’s my business, Shane. If I tell a client I will get with them before the weekend, I get with them before the weekend. I just don’t want to hold her up if she has plans with you.”
    Shane smiled. He was being overly sensitive. Carter’s only interest in Cassidy was, as he had said, in her landscaping. “I’m sure she can do both. I was going to pick her up early and go for a walk by the river before we head out, but we could kill two birds with one stone. We could walk up to Beau’s place and meet you there.”
    “What, and you’re going to sit around twiddling your