(Calahan Cowboys 08) The Cowboy Soldier's Sons (13 page)

“I’m not mad. I’m grateful. Though I would have loved to be at my sons’ birth.”

Millicent sniffed. “I hear there’s a video, which I will not be viewing. However, you may find it of interest.” She rolled her wheelchair down the hall. “Good to have you home. See Tempest about your duties tomorrow.”

He blinked, then caught up with his mother. “See Tempest about my duties?”

Millicent gave him her most innocent look yet. “Tempest is learning the ropes of Gil Phillips. As an actress, she seems to do well with representing us in a positive fashion. Our clients respond well to her. She’s more outgoing than you are. She’s more like Kendall, to be honest.” Millicent smiled. “And Tempest keeps the schedules. We’re much more organized now than we ever were. Kendall loves having her here.”

“Exactly how long has Tempest been in Hell’s Colony?”

“About five months.” Millicent wheeled her chair into the elevator, leaving Shaman stunned. “See you at dinner. You might recall that it’s served promptly at six o’clock.”

He was aghast. All this time his wife had been so close and he hadn’t known. He’d worried about her, wondered about her, missed her.

This was going to change. Right now.

A butler appeared. “I’m to show you to your room.”

“Show me to Tempest’s room, please.”

The man looked uncomfortable. “Miss Tempest doesn’t have a room in the main house.”

“Great. Which of the outbuildings is it?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, sir.”

“I’ll just stay right here, then.” He wasn’t about to be in a room that didn’t contain his children. Not now.

“Sir?”

“I’m not moving from this spot until someone tells me where my wife and children live.”

“Very good, sir.” The butler withdrew, and Shaman seated himself on the white sofa. He closed his eyes, feeling drained from the drive, and yet filled with wonder about his children.

Thirty minutes later, Kendall shook him awake. “Hey, big brother. This is no place to snooze.”

“Take me to Tempest.”

“She doesn’t want you staying with her.”

“Fine. But I want to know where my children are.”

Kendall sighed and sat down next to Shaman. “You hurt Tempest when you decided you didn’t want her living with you. Now you’re on her turf, and she says she wants to keep the same arrangements.”

“Look,” Shaman said, “here’s the deal. You know her brother took a bat or something to my skull. Bobby Taylor was really angry that Tempest had given away the family fortune, and he was looking for revenge. He started with me, and was trying to get me out of the way so he could get to Tempest. He’s still living in the rattrap where she grew up.” Shaman took a deep breath. “I didn’t send her away. I wanted her and my children safe.”

Kendall nodded. “
I
know all this. The problem is you didn’t have time for your marriage to grow. She doesn’t want you forcing a relationship now that doesn’t exist. Not that she knows whether you would want to or not, but it’s clear she’ll leave, Shaman, if she feels she’s going to be bothered all the time. And to be honest, it wasn’t easy getting her to agree to live here with us. We were frantic she’d go back to Tuscany or London or something, and we’d never see the babies. So Mom and I are pretty much insisting that you live here on Tempest’s terms, now that you’ve finally decided to come home.”

“Jeez.” He didn’t know if he could live within five hundred yards of her and never see her. Never touch his children.

“She’s going to give you a schedule of visitation for the boys,” Kendall said. “I hope you can understand her position.”

“I guess.” His heart was breaking.

“I’m so sorry, brother,” Kendall said softly. “I know you’re a prince. Give her some time, and let her figure it out, too. I think it’s the best plan. We don’t want her leaving. And maybe if you go slowly, things will work out. At least I hope so.” She looked at him with sympathy.

“I hate always being the beast in everyone’s book.”

Kendall laid her head on his shoulder. “In mine you’re the handsome prince, brother.”

He dropped his head back against the wall and put an arm around his sister. “Thanks.”

“Don’t let it swell your ego.”

“No danger of that.” He smiled. “It’s just nice to hear it every once in a while.”

Kendall didn’t say anything for a minute, and Shaman told himself he wasn’t going to let anything destroy his big day of learning he was a dad. Maybe he’d failed as a husband, but he was going to be a great father. Nobody got the chance he’d been given and screwed it up.

He was so blessed.

“Hey, how’s Millicent, anyway?”

“In love.” Kendall stood, smoothing down her fuchsia skirt. “It’s great to see her and Fitzgerald so happy.” Then his sister gave him a mock glare. “Of course, she is not happy with you one bit.”

“Do continue the litany of female displeasure.”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Mom’s not happy because Xav’s not here.”

“He’s a big boy. He can make his own choices. Besides, isn’t it better that he isn’t with the gold digger?”

His sister shrugged. “The problem is that Jonas Callahan hired him. Mother may not forgive you for that.”

“She already knew this. Xav has been out at Rancho Diablo for a few months now.”

Tempest rolled in the pram, stopping when she saw Shaman and Kendall talking. “Am I interrupting?”

“No,” they both said.

Shaman was glad Tempest had come back. “My sister’s filling me in on the news.”

“Not much news,” Kendall said, “except that Xav has taken over your old job at Dark Diablo. Mother’s fit to be tied. She was hoping he’d get this ranching thing out of his system. She blames it all on you.”

“Oh.” Tempest looked at Shaman. “That’s too bad.”

He shrugged. “Xav stayed here when Gage and I left. Can’t blame him for wanting to branch out now.”

“I don’t blame him, and neither does Mother. She blames you.” Kendall grinned at him. “She’s a bit irrational when it comes to her boys.”

His sister peered into the pram at her sleeping nephews. “They remind me of me and Xav. Being a twin is great.”

She left, and Tempest studied Shaman.

“I could have handled our first meeting better, Shaman,” she said.

“It’s fine.”

She didn’t know if it was fine or not. He’d stunned her by appearing at his family’s home. She knew very well this was not his favorite place on earth. It would have been nice to have a bit of warning that he was coming.

Millicent had been shocked when Shaman called to say he was planning to come hang around the old homestead. They’d figured he didn’t plan to ever darken the doorstep again.

Tempest had had a terrible case of nerves. And then when she’d seen him, it was as if all the old feelings, all the burning attraction, all the giddy pleasure, had captured her again.

There was no reason to allow herself to feel anything but professional toward Shaman. It had always been a business transaction.

“Still, these are your sons. You’re welcome to see them anytime you want.”

“I plan on it. I plan on it often.”

She folded her lips. “I just came back to say that the babies are in the upstairs nursery while I work in the morning. I usually take them back to the guesthouse in the afternoon so they can eat, and then we take a siesta.”

“Thank you for letting me know the routine.”

She wondered about his real reason for returning, since he hadn’t known she was here. “Are you planning on staying long?”

“Maybe.”

If he was going to keep up the one-liners, she wasn’t going to hold up both ends of the conversation. “Good to see you,” she said, and turned to leave. At the door, she nearly bumped into Kendall, who came streaking back into the room to throw herself in Shaman’s arms.

“Sheriff Nance just called from Tempest,” she said, looking very un-Kendall-like as she clung to her brother. “Xav’s had an accident at Dark Diablo. I think he’s hurt badly!”

“I’ll go,” Shaman said. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. Don’t tell Mother just yet, until I find out what’s going on.”

Tempest held her breath. Shaman picked up the duffel he hadn’t even unpacked, then kissed his sister on the top of her head. “Don’t worry,” he repeated. “I’m sure it will be fine.” He kissed his babies, then nodded at Tempest.

And left.

Kendall flew to the door to watch her brother go. She waved, and then closed the door, sobbing into a tissue. For once, Kendall-the-perfect was completely beside herself, her eye makeup running, her face creased with misery.

“Oh, Kendall,” Tempest said. “I am so sorry! Come sit down. It’s going to be all right.” She desperately hoped she was right.

She guided Kendall to the sofa, found her a fresh tissue. “Sheriff Nance is wonderful. He’ll make certain everything is fine until Shaman gets there. And I bet Gage is already at the hospital with Xav.” She hoped it was nothing serious. Surely it was some slight accident. Anything could happen on a ranch.

Kendall shook her head, trying to compose herself. “I don’t know. Sheriff Nance didn’t say much. Something about Xav having an injury similar to Shaman’s—”

She gasped, and stared at her.

“What?” Tempest asked. “What is it?”

Kendall shook her head. “Nothing. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Tempest grabbed her arm. “Tell me! You looked like you’d just seen a ghost!”

“I’m not supposed to tell you,” Kendall said. “I’m going to go lie down for a few minutes before dinner. I just want Shaman to hurry, and—”

Tempest didn’t let go of her. Something strange had crossed Kendall’s face, and it had to do with her. “
Tell
me.”

“Shaman will kill me for this,” Kendall said, “but he didn’t hit his head falling off the roof.” She took a deep breath. “Your brother ambushed him. Shaman lost a lot of blood. I don’t know what would have happened if Xav and I hadn’t found him.”

Tempest turned ice-cold. Shaman hadn’t wanted to tell her the truth about Bobby. He’d hidden the scar until his hair had grown out, and he’d never answered her questions honestly. Then he’d told her he wanted her to live somewhere else. She’d been hurt, thinking he didn’t want her around. “And you think Bobby might have done the same thing to Xav....”

“I don’t know. I’ve said too much!” Kendall got up from the sofa. Tempest could see her hands trembling. “I’m just so scared,” she said, her voice shaking. “Xav’s my twin, my best friend. I...” She looked at Tempest, then murmured, “Please excuse me,” and disappeared down the hall.

Stunned, Tempest stared at the pram where her twins lay sleeping. Her brother had attacked Shaman, and he hadn’t wanted her to know. He’d tried to protect her. And she’d left, taking her heartbreak elsewhere instead of staying to work it out.

Maybe Xav’s accident didn’t involve Bobby. Maybe he’d had an accident some other way. He wasn’t new to ranching, but he wasn’t an old, experienced hand, either. He’d only been out at Rancho Diablo for the better part of a year; he’d been here in this colossus all his life except for traveling the world doing business. This was a pretty secure environment. Insular, and protected by butlers and valets and a vigilant mother.

Anything could have happened at the ranch. It wouldn’t do any good to feel guilty, at least not until Shaman telephoned Kendall with news.

Telling herself that didn’t assuage the guilt.

Tempest rolled the pram from the austere white room and told herself there was time to work things out with Shaman. There had to be. They were still married—and hopefully, that was a starting point.

Even if her brother had done something terrible.

She felt sick, knowing that her marriage had probably been over before it had ever had a chance.

Chapter Eleven

Seeing Xav in the ICU scared Shaman. It was difficult looking at his younger brother with his eyes closed and tubes stuck in him. In his mind, Shaman always associated Xav with laughter and lightheartedness—happy-go-lucky, all-out life force. Kendall was the family stalwart, Gage the seeker, Shaman the wanderer.

“Open your eyes,” he whispered to his brother. It was a plea. Xav lay so still and pale in the hospital bed, almost waxen, with the monitors assessing his vital signs.

Shaman hadn’t mentioned to Sheriff Nance who he suspected might be behind the attacks on him and Xav. There was no real proof.

But he knew, deep in his gut. And though it had nearly destroyed his marriage, he knew he’d been right to make Tempest leave Dark Diablo.

Gage came in, eyeing Shaman with concern. “Are you all right?”

He nodded. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll be here for a while. Why don’t you go take a break, get a cup of coffee.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back.”

Gage settled into a chair. “No rush. I’m not leaving his side.”

Shaman glanced at Gage. “You don’t think it was an accident, either, do you?”

“No.” He leaned back to get comfortable, crossing one boot over his leg. “The injury is too similar to yours. I think it’s time we put a stop to it.”

Shaman nodded. “I was thinking the same.”

He left and drove to Tempest’s small, run-down house, parking his truck and staring at the home where his wife had grown up. There was nothing here but bad memories—even Tempest had said that. She said the townspeople didn’t tear it down because it was hers. Her fame kept it from being pushed over and splintered to bits, as Jonas had done to Bud Taylor’s barns and bunkhouse.

It was best to clear out old ghosts.

Shaman went inside the small house, seeing a small propane cookstove on the floor. There was a battery-powered flashlight nearby and a hand-crank radio. On the dusty counter were two cartons of water bottles and a half-empty bottle of whiskey.

There was also a steel pipe leaning against the wall. Shaman examined it without touching it, not surprised to see blood streaks on the side.

If Bobby was in this house, Shaman knew he would kill him. Who would find out? Shaman knew how to do it quickly, quietly, without drama. He
wanted
to do it.

But he had two sons to think of. This was his wife’s brother, even if there was no love lost between them. The best thing would be to let Bobby Taylor sit in jail for a long, long time.