Page 32 of Sharing Shane

She looked at Wyatt. “I have an idea, but it’s kind of underhanded.”

“I love underhanded,” Wyatt proclaimed.

“How do you feel being party to a big, fat lie?”

He grinned, blue eyes dancing. “Oh, I’m in. Shane?”

Shane grunted, and Wyatt shot Veronica a wink. “That’s his “game on” grunt. Let’s do this, beautiful.”

She squared her shoulders. “Okay, follow my lead.”

She strode forward, Shane and Wyatt close behind, and rounded the corner. Derek was at the check-in desk, leaning so far over the counter that the poor girl behind it had taken a couple of steps back to avoid the finger he was trying to jab into her face.

“That’s him?” Shane rumbled, his voice just loud enough to carry. The sneer on his face had Veronica holding back a laugh. “Think you can do better, babe.”

The ‘babe’ made her blink, but she recovered quickly enough. “I agree,” she said and Derek spun around at the sound of her voice.

“Veronica, there you are,” he exclaimed and strode forward, arms outstretched.

Shane stepped neatly in front of her, and Derek skidded to a halt.

“Excuse me,” he said icily.

“No,” Shane said and Wyatt snorted out a laugh.

Veronica leaned to the side to peer around Shane. Derek was attempting to look down his nose at Shane, which, considering their height difference, was pretty funny.

“What do you mean, no?”

Shane shrugged. “No, I don’t excuse you.”

Derek’s eyes narrowed. “Please move. I would like to speak to my fiancé.”

Shane didn’t budge. “No.”

Veronica rolled her eyes at Wyatt, who winked back, a wicked grin on his face. “Derek, why are you here?”

Derek’s gaze darted from Shane to Veronica, a wide smile pasted on his face. “I’m here for our vacation, of course.”

“It’s my vacation,” she corrected. “You were uninvited.”

Wyatt spoke up. “Yeah, uninvited. Scram, pal.”

Derek barely spared him a glance. “Veronica, I know we argued?—”

She laughed in his face.

“That’s what he’s calling it?” Wyatt wondered out loud, and before Derek could open his mouth, Veronica stepped to Shane’s side and smiled at the girl behind the counter.

“I’m so sorry about all of this...Lacy,” she said, reading the clerk’s name tag. “I wonder if there’s someplace we could go to hash this out, so we don’t have to continue disrupting your guests.”

Lacy’s smile was pure relief. “Of course. There’s a small conference room just down this hall.” She tapped at her keyboard. “It’s free all day.”

“I’m sure this won’t take long.” She accepted the keycard with a smile, then raised a brow at Derek. “You coming?”

“Veronica, I don’t think this is necessary,” Derek began.

“Oh, I think it is.” She began walking down the hall, Shane and Wyatt on either side of her. “This is the only chance you’re getting, Derek. Take it or leave it, it’s up to you.”

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