Shane winked at Luke. “My mom’s really an angel, but some days you have to search for those wings.”
Mother and son got into a silver Tahoe and drove away. Shane waved and Luke waved back. The kid had a great sense of humor. He was Danny Howard’s kid, though. Luke couldn’t seem to get beyond that. Becky and Danny were divorced, but it didn’t keep that seed of jealousy from sprouting in Luke. How could she have married him?
The past hit him smack in the face then. He felt eighteen and angry. Why did life have to be so cruel?
BECKY CLENCHED and unclenched her hands on the steering wheel. She had to mentally calm herself. Every encounter with Luke was the same—emotionally draining. Why did he have to come home? After all these years, she’d thought he was out of her life for good. But she knew he would never be completely out of her heart.
Unable to stop herself, she glanced in the rearview mirror. In jeans, cowboy boots and a Stetson, Luke was unbelievably handsome. He always had been. And the years had added another dimension—one of maturity. His dark hair and eyes were the same, except his eyes weren’t as mischievous or flirtatious. They were serious. Luke Chisum was now dead serious. His dare-me arrogance was gone, but his cocky smile showed up now and then—like a few minutes ago.
Does it make you remember?
All the time.
She put it down to first love—the all-consuming love of a teenager. Yet it all had been based on a silly dare. And that dare had sent her self-esteem into the biggest nosedive of her young life.
Luke Chisum could have had any girl he wanted. She should have known there was a reason he’d asked naive Becky to the dance. She’d been so young, and wanted to have fun like the other girls, so she hadn’t given it much thought. When a friend had told her the truth, it had broken her heart.
To make matters worse, she’d heard the kids talking. One day after gym class she realized she’d forgotten her purse in her locker. As she hurried back to get it, she heard Bobbie Sue and Stefi, two girls in her class, talking about how gullible Becky was to think Luke really loved her. They went on to say that Luke was just after the sex, all the guys were.
And she noticed the boys glancing at her with pity in their eyes. She just wanted to crawl away and die. All she could think was Luke didn’t love her as he’d said. He was in the relationship for the sex. That knowledge almost killed her and led to restless dreams where he was laughing with his friends at just how easy she’d been.
Through the pain, though, she recognized she might be blowing everything out of proportion. The healing process took a long time and when she was finally ready to listen to Luke, he was gone. She wrote several letters, but never mailed any. His leaving reinforced her original beliefs. If Luke had really loved her, he wouldn’t have been so eager to leave River Bluff.
Even though she couldn’t get Luke out of her head, she’d plunged headfirst into a relationship with Danny. After a couple of years, they’d known the marriage wasn’t working and had gone their separate ways.
But they had Shane.
Becky lived her life for her son. She worked in the River Bluff school system so she could be near Shane. Raising a young boy wasn’t easy, especially since Shane was getting older. The thought of him driving was giving her nightmares. Just like his father, he drove like a race-car driver—fast and reckless.
“Luke Chisum’s cool,” Shane said, pushing the buttons on the radio and twisting in his seat to the beat of Rascal Flatts.
She took a deep breath. “Do not, and I repeat, do not ask the Chisums for a job again. Your grandpa has plenty of work for you to do.”
“Mo-o-om,” he dragged out her name in a pained tone. “Grandpa pays pennies. The Chisums pay top dollar. If I work all summer, I could buy the coolest truck.”
“Shane, did you hear what I just said?” She used her strongest voice, the one Shane knew well.
“Yes, ma’am.” He slumped in his seat. Silence filled the cab.
“Your father called and wants to know if you’d like to come for the weekend.”
She heard a muttered, “No.”
“You haven’t seen your father and his family for two months.” Danny had remarried and had two more children. Shane felt left out.
“They live in the city and there’s nothing to do there. I always have to babysit. Besides, Grandpa and I are working on the four wheeler. We almost have it running again. Call Dad and tell him I’ll come another time.”
“You call him tonight and tell him that.”
“Mo-o-om.” He dragged out her name again in protest.
“You’ll call him.”
Divorce was hell on kids. Danny understood Shane had a life in River Bluff and didn’t pressure him too much to come and visit. Noreen, his wife, had a lot to do with that.
Becky pulled into the parking lot.
“Just think, Mom.” Shane unbuckled his seat belt, back to his happy self. He never stayed upset for long. “When I get my truck, you won’t have to drive me to school anymore.”
Turning off the ignition, she glanced at him. “But remember I’ll still be here.”
“You know, Mom, those elementary kids need a nurse a lot more than us grown-ups. You might want to think about transferring.”
She pinched his cheek. “In your dreams, hotshot.”
“Mo-o-om… Oh, there’s Abby. Gotta go. See you after school. Remember I have basketball practice.” He grabbed his backpack and in a burst of energy was gone.
Becky watched as he joined Abby and more of their friends, flashing his registered-on-the-Richter-scale smile. Her son was handsome, charming and a handful. That caused her many sleepless nights. Shane was like his father in so many ways.
And she was grateful no one saw that but her.
CHAPTER TWO
LUKE SPED DOWN THE ROAD to Great Oaks, the Chisum home. Huge live oaks lined the lane on both sides, their large branches intertwining and creating a canopy effect. The trees had grown on the property long before Luke was born. His great-grandmother had planted them and had named the two-story Victorian house, built by her husband.
Every time he drove beneath the trees, he felt that sense of vulnerability, just as he had in town. He’d been adopted as a newborn by the Chisums and he was always acutely aware he wasn’t a blood Chisum. His brother, Hank, made sure he never forgot that little fact.
Hank had been sixteen when Henry and Lucy had decided to adopt. Hank had resented his new brother from day one. Luke was now thirty-four and only tolerated by him, at best. The tension at home had been another reason he’d bolted for freedom, but Hank hadn’t been the catalyst that had sent Luke out into the world. Becky had. If Luke hadn’t been so eaten up with jealousy over Becky and Danny, he would never have left the Circle C or his parents.
Luke
