Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Shane woke to pale morning light filtering through his bedroom window and reached for April. His hand met empty sheets. For a heartbeat, panic sliced through him—sharp and irrational and so familiar it hurt.
She left. She woke up, regretted it, grabbed Kevin and—
Stop.
Shane forced himself to breathe, to think. April didn’t have a car here. She couldn't have left. Wouldn't have left.
Unless she called someone to pick them up. Unless she—
For fuck’s sake, stop it, Elk. Use your brain. Besides, Pete would have let you know if they’d left.
Shane sat up, scrubbing his hands over his face. The cabin was quiet except for the tick of the clock on his nightstand and the chirping of birds outside. No sounds of movement from the rest of the house.
He got dressed, pulled on his jeans and a t-shirt, and padded barefoot down the hall. Pete lifted his head from his post outside Kevin's door, tail thumping once against the floor before settling back down. Good dog. Still on watch.
The living room came into view and Shane stopped.
She wasn't gone. She'd just moved to the couch. April was wrapped in one of the sheepskin throws, her hair spilling over the armrest, wearing his flannel from last night. God, she looked so beautiful. Everything he ever wanted.
As if sensing him, April's eyes fluttered open. For a moment she looked disoriented, then her gaze focused on him and a slow smile curved her lips.
"Morning," she said, her voice still rough with sleep.
"Morning." Shane crossed to the couch, then knelt beside her. "You okay?"
"Yeah." April pushed herself up until she was sitting.
The blanket pooled around her waist and Shane wondered if his flannel was the only thing she wore.
His cock took notice of his thoughts and twitched.
"I just... I didn't want Kevin to wake up and see me coming out of your bedroom with you.
I feel like we should ease him into this. "
Shane grinned. "So you snuck out to the couch in the middle of the night."
"Around four-thirty, actually." April's smile turned sheepish.
"We really haven't changed much since high school, have we?" Shane settled onto the couch beside her. "Still sneaking around, still worried about getting caught."
“Still short on condoms.” She laughed. "The difference is now I'm worried about my kid catching us instead of your parents." April leaned into him, her head finding his shoulder.
"Speaking of—" Shane's arm came around her automatically. "When are we telling him? About us?"
"I think after his class trip next weekend. They always have an end-of-the-year camping trip." April tilted her head to look up at him. "That gives us a few days to figure out how to phrase it. It’s all happening so fast, though honestly, I think Kevin will be thrilled. And..."
"And?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "And it means we'll have some alone time while he's gone. You know. If you wanted."
Shane's pulse kicked up at the promise in her voice. "If I wanted? Sweetness, I've been wanting this for years. Another few days won't kill me." He bent his head, brushed a kiss against her temple. "Yeah. I definitely want."
April's hand found his chest, palm flat over his heart. "Good. Because I've got some ideas about how we could spend that weekend."
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmm-hmm." She was smiling now, that old, secret smile that made Shane want to carry her right back to his bedroom and show her exactly how much he wanted her. "But first, we should probably wake Kevin. School day."
"Responsible parenting," Shane agreed, not moving.
"Setting a good example."
"Being mature adults."
April laughed, soft and warm. "We're terrible at this."
"The worst." Shane kissed her properly this time—slow and thorough and full of promises for later. When he finally pulled back, April's eyes were dark and her breathing had gone unsteady.
"Okay," she said breathlessly. "Now I really need to wake Kevin before I forget why I'm on this couch instead of in your bed."
Shane grinned. "You want coffee?"
"Please." April stood, stretching, and Shane had to force himself not to stare at the way his flannel rode up her bare thighs. "And Shane?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For last night. For... everything."
The vulnerability in her voice made Shane's chest ache. He stood, cupped her face in his hands. "You don't have to thank me for loving you, April. That's just what I do. What I'm always going to do."
She kissed him again—quick and sweet—then headed down the hall to wake Kevin. Shane watched her go, still half-convinced this was a dream he'd wake up from.
But the coffee maker was real. The sound of April's voice gently rousing Kevin was real. The way Pete padded over to bump against Shane's leg, looking for breakfast, was real.
This was his life now. April in his bed. Kevin in his guest room. The three of them—four, counting Pete—figuring out how to be a family.
Shane had fought bad guys in worse conditions than he could count, and won. Had survived things that should have killed him. Had lost brothers and bled and kept going.
But this—standing in his kitchen making coffee while the woman he loved got her son ready for school—this felt like the biggest victory of his life.
Shane dropped them at April's house twenty minutes later.
“You’re still gonna keep an eye on Mom today, right? Kevin asked. “I can’t do it if I’m in school.”
Shane glanced at April, who was trying not to laugh.
“Yeah, bud. I’ve always got my eye on her.” He winked at April, who was now pressing her knuckles against her lips, shoulders shaking. “I’ve gotta go home and change and shower, but you’ll see me at Riversong after school.”
“Cool.” Then Kevin stuck out his hand for Shane to shake. “Thanks for holding up your end of the bargain.”
Shane shook his hand. “Well, we had a deal, man to man.”
Kevin nodded. “Man to man.” He headed for the bathroom to shower.
Shane waited until Kevin closed the door behind him before pulling April close for one more kiss.
"That kid is killing me," she said against his mouth. “You don’t have to show up if you’re busy—”
"Count on it." Shane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've got some things to take care of this morning, but I'll stop by Riversong before Kevin gets there after school, take you guys out to dinner later if that's okay."
"More than okay." April's smile was soft and tinged with worry. "Be careful, whatever you're doing."
Shane thought about what he was planning—the conversation he needed to have, the leverage he'd need—and nodded. "Always am."
He waited until she was inside before pulling away and making the phone call. It picked up right away.
"Shane. What’s up, brother?"
"Hey, brother. I need a favor."
"Name it."
Shane told his brother what he needed.
"Can you do it this morning? It's time-sensitive."
"For you? Absolutely. I’ll call you when I’ve got something.”
“Thanks.” Shane disconnected and took a breath.
Should have done this years ago.
Hours later, Shane stood in the parking lot of Lyons Community Bank, straightening his tie. He'd gone home, showered, put on the suit he kept for special occasions that required a certain kind of armor. Because that's what this was—going into battle. Just a different kind than he was used to.
His phone buzzed. Shane read the message from Flint.
Package delivered. Everything you need. Good hunting.
Shane pocketed the phone and headed for the entrance.
The bank was busy—early-afternoon rush, people on lunch breaks depositing checks and making withdrawals.
Shane moved through the lobby like he owned it.
He'd grown up here. How many times had his mother dragged him to this building as a kid, showing him off like a prize?
This is my son, Shane. He's going to be just like his father someday.
God, he hoped not. He’d never inflict that on Kevin. Or any other child he and April would have. Armed with that thought, Shane went inside.
One of the tellers—probably new, didn't recognize him—started to speak, but Shane was already past her, heading for the executive corner office. His father's name gleamed on the brass plate on the door: Daniel Foti, President.
Shane didn't knock. He threw the door open and stepped inside. He had a moment to look at his father—really look at him. He’d gotten older, softer. He wasn’t the towering, muscled bully from Shane’s childhood anymore.
It took me too long to realize it.
And even if he were, Shane wouldn’t back down. Not this time. Not ever again.
Daniel looked up from his desk, momentary surprise flickering across his face before settling into cold displeasure. "Shane. I wasn't aware we had an appointment."
"We don't." Shane closed the door behind him and sat in one of the leather chairs facing the desk. "This won't take long."
"I'm busy—"
"Then I'll get right to the point." Shane leaned back, forcing himself to appear relaxed even though every muscle was coiled tight.
"You're going to call Sonny Taylor today and change the terms of his loan.
Remove the prepayment penalty. Lower the interest rate to what it should have been in the first place and credit the excess into his account, which will probably pay it off. Make it right."
Daniel's face went carefully blank. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Shane's voice was conversational, almost pleasant.
"Sure you do. The loan you gave the Taylors to start Riversong. The one you deliberately lied about when you wanted April to tutor me, dangling it in front of her parents like a too-good-to-be-true prize. It was, wasn’t it?
You've been using it to control them ever since. "
Daniel sneered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You structured it to trap them if necessary, then sprung the trap after you found out April and I were together. Though, I think that was the plan all along. I’ve always suspected that you’ve been cheating all sorts of people through the years."
"That's absurd—"