took an hour and a half to drive to the airport and the flight arrived shortly after. “I love you, Mom.”
Giving his mother a peck on the cheek, he hopped into his black, topless and doorless Jeep and removed the keys from the visor. He accidentally popped the clutch and shot off with a cloud of dust in his wake. He’d hear about that one later from his mother. She hated when they spun out of the parking area.
After fighting traffic the entire way to the San Antonio airport, Shane surprisingly found a parking spot close to the entrance. Inside he scanned the incoming board for Hunter’s flight.
Flight 3492 11:48 a.m.—On Time
With twenty minutes to spare, he sauntered to the ticket counter and zeroed in on the fresh-faced blonde in a white long-sleeve blouse and dark, fitted vest.
“There’s supposed to be a gate pass waiting for me,” he drawled. “I’m picking up Hunter Rathbone.”
Her brown doe eyes met his and she smiled, a slightly imperfect, yet adorable grin with one tooth barely overlapping the other on the bottom row. Fumbling with the mouse, she inhaled nervously, causing her name tag to glint in the overhead fluorescent lights.
“I can check in to that for you.” There was a hint of shyness in her voice and Shane wondered if she was new to the job. Typing in some information on the computer, she asked, “May I see your identification?”
Removing his billfold from his front pocket, he removed his driver’s license and slid it across the counter. “Are you new here, Lily?”
When her fingers accidentally grazed his, she hesitated and stared down at his empty ring finger. Why do women do that? Tilting his head to catch her gaze, he watched Lily’s cheeks turn a deep crimson when she realized she’d been caught doing the typical wedding-ring check. “I started a few weeks ago.” Taking another deep breath, she tightened her grip on his license, pulled it toward her and verified his information.
“Do you like it?” Amused by her reaction, Shane decided to have a little fun and leaned on the counter, smiling easily when she swallowed hard and her pupils dilated.
“Yes—here’s your gate pass. You’ll need to go through security first then head to gate B8.” She handed him his license and a map of the airport, trying to avoid any further eye contact.
Shane nodded politely, returned his wallet to his pocket and glanced at the map. “Thanks, darling.” He confidently strode away from the counter knowing Lily was probably enjoying the view.
Yep, I still got it. He only wished Lexi thought so, too.
A couple he assumed were embarking on their honeymoon stood ahead of him at the security checkpoint, arms entwined, whispering I-love-you’s to each other every few seconds. Shane fought the rude comment that teetered on the tip of his tongue, knowing it came from the hard reminder of what he’d had and lost, and wanted back with only one person.
He turned his attention to the woman in the next aisle who was balancing toddler twin boys in matching overalls on either hip. The strain of the day already evident in her face, and he sincerely hoped she was meeting someone and not heading out on a flight of her own.
He tugged off his boots, placed them on the conveyer belt and emptied his pockets into the bin. After the obligatory pat-down that left him a little uncomfortable, he hopped on one foot while he pulled on his boots.
Exiting the checkpoint at the same time, the frazzled woman struggled with her children’s shoes, reminding Shane how difficult it could be to stuff a kicking foot into a tiny sneaker. Not much more than in her early twenties, she haphazardly tucked a lock of hair, which had escaped her loose ponytail, behind her ear.
“Steven, stay next to Mommy.” She kneeled in front of one child, jammed his pudgy foot into the shoe and fastened the Velcro closure while looking over her shoulder at her other restless child. “Steven, come here.”
The words were all it took for the child to giggle loudly and take off down the terminal. The woman stood to chase after him, catching her purse strap on the chair.
Shane ran after him, smiling at the boy’s duck-waddle steps. For a moment, he felt like he’d time-warped to the days when he thought Dylan was his son. The sudden ache in his heart caught him off guard when he swung the toddler into his arms. The woman quickly caught up with him, frustration creasing her brow.
“Thank you.” She reached out for the boy. “I can’t believe they made me take their shoes off. Really, thanks again.”
Before he responded, the woman went on her way down the terminal.
A few minutes passed once he arrived in the designated waiting area and the gate door opened. A flight attendant emerged with a lanky dark-haired, ice-blue-eyed preteen in tow. Shane approached them and gave Hunter a hug.
“It’s good to see you again.” Shane released him to get a better look at the soon-to-be man. “You’ve shot up these past few months.”
Shane had met Hunter Rathbone and his parents in Denver during a high school rodeo clinic he’d led in April. Hunter raved that Shane was his idol, and when Shane mentioned he was opening the Ride ’em High! Rodeo School, Hunter practically begged his parents on the spot to let him attend the school’s inaugural session. Shane kept the Rathbones apprised of the school’s progress and even flew out to a couple of Hunter’s events. He was drawn to the kid’s talent and natural ease in the saddle. The fact that Hunter and Dylan were close to the same age caused Shane to wonder more in recent months about the child he’d lost.
Hunter beamed. “I can’t believe I’m actually here with you. This is a dream of a lifetime.”
“Easy, kid, you have a whole lot of living to do.” Shane winked at the attractive flight attendant and handed her his license and gate pass. “Trust me when I say you have much better things to dream of when you get older.”
“I wasn’t sure if you were picking me up or if someone else from the school was. I’m so excited we’re staying in bunkhouses. Just like real cowboys.”
“You are a real cowboy.” Shane tousled the boy’s hair. “Half your class is coming in from out of state. You and one other are flying in, the rest are driving. And since you’re our first official student, I thought I should be the one to meet you.”
Shane wondered if he’d see Dylan’s name on the student manifest one day. An impossible pipe dream considering Tab probably knew more about the rodeo than he did. He hadn’t come across Dylan on the circuit yet, but with a bull-riding champion for a father, rodeo coursed through the boy’s blood. He’d heard Tab retired, married and had more children after he gained full custody of Dylan. As far as he knew, Dylan had a good life, and in the end, that’s what mattered most to Shane.
There were days he wondered if Dylan remembered their time together, and realized it was unlikely. Dylan had just turned a year old when Tab left with him, and after the way Shane had shoved Sharon out the door, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be remembered for treating the child’s mother that way. Not that she’d win any parent-of-the-year awards. Rumor had it she was down in Brazil trying her hand with another country’s cowboys.
“I hope you’re ready for a month of hard work?” Shane asked while they rode the escalator down to the baggage claim area.
“Tight!”
