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Harley called Jet the nextbreakfast at a cute little restaurant in don Cherry Lake “This has gone on long enough,” Harley said wearily “Everyone’s upset It can’t continue—”
“What’s happened now?”
“What do you think has happened? Jet, you’re staying at the Sheenan fa First the ranch house and now the Cray cabin!”
Jet slid out of the restaurant booth and stepped outside to finish the call “How did you find out?”
“The booking forer accepts payments”
“This isn’t our issue, Harley We have to let Shane and the Sheenans sort this out, and none of you have even given him a chance”
“Oh, I think he’s had plenty of chances, but booking the Cray cabin without telling anyone who he was? Staying at another Sheenan property when he’s been given notice to vacate the ranch house?”
“He paid to stay”
“That’s not the point, Jet, and I don’t have the energy to do this with you now I’ve been up all night with the baby He’s having night terrors again, and I’ heat for you I can’t do it anymore”
“Then don’t I can take care of myself”
“Right”
“I can”
“So what is the deal with you and Sean Shane Finley? Are you sleeping together?”
“That’s none of your business”
“So you are”
“No Not yet But hopefully soon”
“Oh, Jet” Harley’s sigh was heavy across the phone line “I promised Mom and Dad I’d protect you”
“I’row up”
“We love you”
“And I love you, and Moe, Harley, you were already married and a new mother Let me do what I need to do” When Harley didn’t answer, Jet added, “But I think this is less about me than it is about Shane”
More silence
Jet drew a slow breath “I love him, Harley”
“You only o!”
“Give him a chance”
“I can’t” Harley’s voice cracked “The guys are at the ranch house now, packing up his stuff They’re throwing hiuys co chased out of town”
Shane knew so when Jet left the table, but her expression when she returned was nothing short of heartbroken “That was Harley,” she said huskily, sliding back into their booth
He hated seeing her so upset He hated how she was still in the middle It wasn’t fair to her It never was He bla how she made him f
eel, he’d do it all over again, given the chance “I gathered”
Her hand shook as she reached for her coffee cup “They don’t want you back”
She gulped the coffee His coffee had cooled so hers must be lukewarm at best with all the cream she’d added to it She took another quick drink, and then another
“That’s nothing new,” he said cal to soothe her
“But they’re at the house now, packing your things” Her coffee sloshed as she set her cup down She looked up at hi you out” The tears were falling now, one after the other “Itaway the tears but she couldn’t catch them “And it makes me so upset with you, too You are so stubborn You didn’t have to let it play out this way You could have told the before it caly—” She broke off, and grabbed her purse and walked out
He watched her go, his gut churning He hated drama and intense emotion as it made him so uncomfortable, but Jet’s e tohim She was upset for hih to avoid the conflict
He quickly dropped bills on the table to pay for their breakfast and then followed her out She was pacing up and down in front of his car
“I can’t do this,” she choked as he approached “I want to be with you, Shane, but not like this It’s suffocating Overwhelainst them but it doesn’t have to be that way You can fix this I just don’t think you want to”
“You’re afraid you’re going to lose them,” he said
She spun around and jabbed her finger in his chest “I’ to lose you”
He grabbed her hand, held it over his heart “Why? Because they’ll demand you make a choice?”
“Because I will deh lone wolf You don’t need anyone, and I’m so scared, so scared, you won’t choose me”
“But I’ you, Jet I’ve chosen you”
“No, you haven’t Not if you don’t even try to set things right with the Sheenans”
“What are you saying?”