Page 85 of Shane

“Ah, yeah. About that…” Alex rarely gave in or gave up. Unlike her, he was a winner. She might as well confess and beat him to the punch. “B-Boss, my, umm, name’s not Yeager. Not really. It’s Everlee, but my last name’s Billings, only it’s not anymore because I had it legally changed, and I’m sorry I lied to Murphy when he hired me, but I’ve got a good reason, and—”

Alex held a hand up in her face, not like he meant to slap her, but with his fingers spread, like he wanted her to stop talking. Like what she’d just blurted out wasn’t what he’d intended at all. “We didn’t know you’re allergic to penicillin, Ev. That’s all I meant. Take a breath. You’re not on trial here. And anytime you decide to update your records is fine with me. Understood?”

He cocked his head at her, one brow spiked like he was so good at doing. Kindness and courtesy melted over her like a welcome home hug. Which she’d only ever gotten from her mother. And Shane. And yeah, Alex and Murphy and Zack and Mark and…

She nodded, ashamed that she’d jumped to conclusions, but that was her standard operating procedure. Jump the gun. Never let anyone see her stumble or fall. Never fall behind. Lead, damn it. Lead!

Alex sounded so nice, and his tone was so gentle. He wasn’t angry. Just sincerely worried. About her. She blinked, then blinked again, struggling to get back in control. At least, not to be so damned emotional.

“Astor got off a lucky shot, Ev, that’s all,” Shane told her. “Her bullet hit you up high under your arm. Guess you had your arm raised. You were probably ready to shoot, but her bullet hit first. It struck a rib and fragmented. One piece ricocheted into your lung, the other exited out your shoulder. Scared the fuck out of me. But the EMTs got there fast and—”

“—and Shane had the bleeding stopped by then, at least slowed down,” Alex added.

Shane blew out a deep sigh between his handsome pursed lips. “Always carry my blow-out kit with me, just didn’t expect I’d need it for you. But then you developed pneumothorax in the chopper on the way to the hospital. You couldn’t breathe. Air got into your chest cavity. If not for Dottie Kaminski, one of the EMTs, you might’ve died. She knew what to do. That’s why the tube, Ev. Your doctor said it’ll take days before you’re completely out of the woods, but if you’re good and do what you’re told, he’ll let you go home tomorrow.”

She smoothed her free hand over her ribcage. “That’s what I’m feeling.” Sure enough, a thin tube was held in place there by a big square piece of paper tape. Which was also good since she was allergic to latex and hadn’t put that in her personnel files, either. Ah, the tangled web she’d woven. All because of pride.

“Astor fired at me because she couldn’t hit Tuesday. You blocked her shot.”

“Yeah, my fault,” Shane admitted. “I only did it because I didn’t want Tuesday to kill her. I didn’t want that on her conscience. But now I wish I’d let Tuesday have her way. In the end, she and Heston ended Astor. I was kinda busy keeping you from dying.”

“You saved my life, big guy. Thank you.”

Shane was up off the bed in a heartbeat, leaning over her, planting a kiss on her surprised mouth. She swept her tongue over his lips, and he opened for her. The kiss was wet and quick, and damn, he tasted good. Smelled good, too.

When the kiss ended, Alex was gazing at the window, then up at the ceiling. Everlee couldn’t help but glance at the ceiling, too. At last, Alex shook his head, turned to her and Shane and said, “I’m going to tell you two something I’ve never told anyone before. Only Kelsey. But when I first found her—and yes,foundis the correct word—she was a bloody mess, a battered spouse left to die in the woods where I just happened to own a piece of shit, rundown cabin. She’d been beaten, had amnesia, and was in damned rough shape. Her asshole husband had just killed her two little sons. Drowned them in her car. Then blamed her. The whole state of Washington was looking for her. But I’m the one she came to. I’m the one who found her.”

Alex’s fingers clenched into fists. “I thought she was dead. She sure as hell looked like it. Well, when Whisper found her, because he got to her first. Damned dog squared off with me, even growled, ready to fight me to keep her, can you believe that? Crazy mutt.”

His fists loosened. He cocked one arm and rubbed a hand up the back of his neck. “Back then, I’d just lost Sara and Abby, and I was as worthless as that piece of shit cabin. Pissed at the world twenty-four-seven. Mad every minute of every son of a bitchin’ day. On my way to killing myself with booze or a .38 special, didn’t matter which. Nothing mattered, not the successful company I’d started, nor the loyalty of my friends. Not one damned thing—until the morning I found her. Even then, I treated her badly. Didn’t want to be saddled with more responsibility. Didn’t want to take her inside and take care of her and… Yeah. I was an ass. But I had a good mother and—”

“I’m so, so sorry I killed your family,” Shane murmured, his face ashen and his eyes glistening. “Your wife and child. Sara and Abby. I can never repay you for what I took—”

“Stop, Shane. Just stop. It’s over. It’s done.” Alex sounded like he was pleading, a damned rare thing to witness. “Nothing anyone can do to change it. Please. Let it be. ’Sides, I’m not telling this story to guilt you, just to give you two a piece of advice. Don’t be so sure the sins you’re packing are sins, for one thing. Most of the time, we blame ourselves for events we had no control over. In the long run, with Kelsey at my side, I’ve come to realize that the person I needed most to forgive back then was me. Myself. Yeah, I wasn’t there that day and we both know what happened.” He directed that calmly spoken fact at Shane. “Would things have happened differently if I’d been in town or if I’d been driving? Maybe. But maybe not. Do I miss Sara and Abby? God, yes. Every day. But you have to understand that Sara was a headstrong woman, Shane. She knew what she was getting into when she married me. She was born into a military family, lived it, breathed it, didn’t know any other way. She knew the drill, that military wives left behind ended up handling every move, every deployment, every damned inconvenient thing Uncle Sam or life threw at us while we were gone. But that was who she was, Shane. Who she was born to be. Hell, Sara didn’t need me hanging around. She had everything handled, and she was smart. She had Abby in tumbling the last time I was home, had set up a college fund, too. Had even refinanced our house at a lower interest rate. If anything, I was deadweight in her life. If I’d died instead of her, I know in my heart she would’ve gotten along fine without me.”

“But Kelsey wouldn’t,” Everlee declared boldly.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Alex replied quietly. He swallowed hard, closed his eyes, then pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. Shook his head, then focused on Shane. “My point is, don’t hide who you kids are from each other. If this” —he aimed a rolling motion with one hand in their direction— “whatever’s going on between you two, amounts to anything, stop pretending. Man the hell up. Be straight with each other.” He cranked his neck and looked over at Everlee. “Let him in, Ev. Don’t be stubborn, so good at hiding who you are, acting so tough that you miss the best thing in your life. And just so you know, you are not a fraud. Clumsy, yes, but nowhere near to being any kind of a fake. Trust me, you’re not even close.”

Her eyes filled with tears. This was the man she’d foolishly lusted after for so long, even though she’d known he was beyond reach, that she’d never follow through with any of her foolish daydreams. Yes, Alex was smart and good-looking, downright handsome as hell. He’d always be her rock star. But he was also right. He adored Kelsey, and he’d never let her down.

Everlee turned to Shane, the man she’d grown to love. Maybe adore. She had been holding her truth back. It was time to reveal the real LT Yeager. “I have ADHD,” she announced for the first time—ever. “And my dad killed my mom when I was in high school. He was drunk because he’s an alcoholic, and he used to beat her, and sometimes he’d hit me. He’d get so mad, then tell her he was sorry. Mom always believed him, always took him back. He’s in prison now, and he’s why I changed my name. I couldn’t stand having the same last name as him, and Chuck Yeager’s the best hero a girl can have, even if he isn’t my dad.”

“Yeah, well… I drink too much and I’m having a son of a bitchin’ hard time retiring,” Alex announced just as quickly. His hand went over his head, brushing his hair down in some places, standing it up in others.

“I hate the dark, and I sleep with two dogs every night because my PTSD’s killing me,” Shane said softly. He jerked his chin at Alex. “But you already know that, don’t you?”

“Bet you won’t be sleeping with two dogs much longer,” Alex chuckled.

Heat suffused Everlee’s neck and cheeks. She could feel herself turning red. But he’d made her laugh. A little. And she hoped he was right, that Shane would move her into his place, or something.

Alex lifted to his feet, took hold of her ankle through the covers, and squeezed. “You need to sleep,” he said sternly. “Come on, Shane. I’ll drive you back to that empty room I’m paying for. Might as well get some use out of it.”

“In a minute, Boss,” Shane replied, his gaze still on Everlee.

“Okay then. Later.” Alex stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

“I love you, Everlee Yeager,” Shane said when the door finally closed.

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