The Maverick's Christmas Homecoming Read online

  There was a nanosecond of awkwardness between them before she finally said, “Hi. How are you?”

  “Keeping my head above water.” He shrugged. “How’s the car?”

  “Not getting any younger and still holding together with bubble gum and prayer.” That produced a smile, which was good to see. “But running now, thanks to you. I left a check for the battery on the desk in your office.”

  “You didn’t have to. I was happy to take care of it. And I’ll be tearing up that check.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand. “No argument. Just say thank you.”

  “All right. Thank you. I appreciate it very much.”

  “You’re welcome.” He hesitated a moment. “So you saw your mother and sister?”

  “Yes.”

  He moved closer, leaned a hip against the counter beside her and crossed his arms over his chest. The spicy scent of his cologne burrowed inside her and pushed every nerve into a spasm of need. If she hadn’t been with him skin to skin maybe she could fight off this overwhelming feeling, but that wasn’t the case. She had slept with him and there was no way to unremember the practically perfect way his body had felt against hers.

  “How was lunch?” His gaze settled on hers.

  Why was he suddenly so chatty? She’d take it as a good thing if the shadows weren’t still in his eyes, just the way he’d looked outside of Mountain Bluebell Bakery. But her questions, even though asked with the intention of helping, hadn’t helped either one of them.

  She ran a finger around the edge of her plate. “It’s always good to catch up with Jackie and my mom. They’re busy getting ready for Christmas. Making plans.”

  “Apparently this is the day for it.” He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

  “Oh?” She took a bite of her food, although her appetite was missing in action again.

  “My mother called.”

  “How was it?” He’d already opened that door by asking her the same question.

  “Before or after she let me know I don’t phone home often enough?”

  “I can see how that would lead directly into holiday plans,” she agreed.

  “It did. And I’m going to Los Angeles.”

  “You’re leaving?”

  “For Christmas,” he confirmed.

  Even she had heard the shock and hurt in her voice. If only she were a computer and could backspace and delete those two words. She had no claim on him. Yes, he’d taken her to bed and she’d gone enthusiastically. But there was no reason to think it was more than fun. They’d gone into it with the understanding that one or both of them would be leaving town. Nothing serious.

  Except somewhere in her subconscious she must have been thinking about spending the holiday with him. Otherwise she wouldn’t feel like the rug had been yanked out from under her because he wouldn’t be here for Christmas. The depth of her disappointment was a surprise, a very unwelcome one.

  “Gianna—” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “Please don’t look like that.”

  Obviously she wasn’t very successfully hiding her disappointment. “I’m not looking any way. Not on purpose. You just surprised me. It’s your first Christmas in Thunder Canyon and the way you talked—” She’d assumed when a place filled up your soul, it’s where you’d want to be at the most wonderful time of the year. Apparently his soul was taken and this was proof that she had no claim on his heart. “I understand. They’re your family.”

  “They are. And I love them.” His gaze searched hers and he let out a long breath. “Look, I feel like a jerk—”

  “No. Please don’t. Of course you should be with your family. I didn’t mean anything. I’m fine.”

  “You are fine.” For just an instant as he caressed her cheek with his thumb, heat burned in his eyes. Then it was gone and the shadows returned. “And I acted like an idiot earlier. You deserve an explanation.”

  “That’s not necessary—”

  “I know it’s not, but I want to tell you. I need to talk about this with someone. It’s eating me up inside.” There was a dark and dangerous expression on his face. He took her hand and led her away from the noise and bustle of the kitchen, into the pantry where he’d kissed her. He didn’t look like he planned to kiss her now.

  So she was right to be concerned about him. “What is it, Shane? Of course you can talk to me. I’m happy to listen.”

  “You might change your mind when I tell you what’s going on.”

  “Be a Band-Aid.”

  “What?”

  “Do it quick. Just spit it out.”

  He hesitated for a moment, then said, “Arthur Swinton is my biological father.”

  Gianna couldn’t believe she’d heard him correctly. “What?”

  “The man who embezzled from the city, disappeared with the money and was behind all the bad stuff that happened to the Traub family is my father.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “If I was going to joke, it wouldn’t be about that.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “The way everyone in town feels about that weasel makes him the last man on the planet I’d claim for a father unless it was true.”

  She stared at him. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I have a DNA test confirming it to a ninety-nine percent certainty.”

  Her brain was spinning. “But don’t you need a sample from him? I thought he was in jail.”

  “He is.” Shane’s gaze slid away for a moment. “I told you my mother gave me all the information she had on my birth parents? She also told me the adoption records were sealed and she didn’t know what good it would do.”

  “Right.”

  “The private investigator said with everything on computers, now no records can be completely sealed. Nothing is hack-proof. My biological mother’s first name and the first initial of her last name are on the birth certificate. It only has my father’s initials. The guy I hired found the hospital and narrowed the search to Thunder Canyon. After tightening the parameters of age, names with those initials, then cross-referencing employment and personal interests, which included political ambitions, one name stood out.”

  “Arthur Swinton was on the town council for years,” she remembered.

  “He ran for mayor against Bo Clifton on a family-values platform.” Bitterness hardened his eyes. “How hypocritical is that? Add being a fraud of a human being to his long list of sins.”

  Gianna was in shock. “I was in New York when that happened, but my mom told me what was going on. How did you get the DNA?”

  “The P.I. visited him in jail. He made up something about being a journalist and doing a story on Thunder Canyon politicians. Swinton was only too happy to talk about how he was a victim of the Traubs. That they always hated him.”

  “And the investigator was able to get something to compare DNA?”

  Shane nodded. “A soda can. He said it was easy and the guy never suspected anything.”

  “And the test is back?”

  “I got a report just before Thanksgiving.” His mouth twisted as if he’d eaten something bad. “There’s something to be thankful for. Being the son of Thunder Canyon’s most despised person.”

  “Oh, Shane—” Gianna suddenly got it. He was concerned that if anyone found out about this the whole town would turn against him, making him an outcast in the place he’d come to love. And the worst part was that he could be right. Some great person she was to talk to. Sh
e couldn’t think of anything helpful to say.

  “It will be okay.” That was lame. So she put her hand on his arm.

  “Careful.” He pulled away from her touch. “You probably don’t want to get too close to me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. This doesn’t change the good man you are.” She met his gaze even as the struggle to wrap her mind around this raged inside her. “Did the investigator find out about your mother?”

  “No.” He slid his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. “But you’ve heard the rumors of Grace Traub and Arthur Swinton. How he ranted and raved about them being a couple. Everyone in town thought he was just a wacko, but the name on my birth certificate is Grace S. Dax and D.J.’s mother’s name was Grace.”

  “That doesn’t prove anything.”

  “Not by itself. But you heard Allaire Traub. The resemblance—”

  “Shane—” The ramifications of that rippled through her. “Do you think you’re related to the Traubs?”

  “I don’t know. But that family has every reason to hate the man. He tried to destroy them, personally and professionally. How do you think they’d feel to find out he’s my father and we could be half brothers? What does that information do to their mother’s memory?”

  He was so right. This was complicated and that word didn’t even do it justice.

  “Gianna?”

  She looked up as the blond, thirtyish restaurant hostess poked her head in the door. “Hi, Ashley. What’s up?”

  “I just seated a party of four in your station.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be right there.” She looked at Shane. “I don’t want to leave you like this—”

  “It’s okay.” But there was nothing okay in the look on his face, or the tension coiled in his body. “We have a job to do.”

  She nodded, then slid off the stool and tossed her food in the trash. If only her thoughts could go with it. The fact was she needed time alone to let all this sink in. She wasn’t sure how she felt, which was why Shane was justified in his concern. If this information got out, his reputation and standing in Thunder Canyon could be destroyed.

  * * *

  Shane wasn’t sure if this was the smartest move, but he’d felt compelled to drop by D.J.’s Rib Shack. Both of their restaurants were on resort grounds and when business slowed at The Gallatin Room, he’d left the sous-chef in charge, with orders to call if there was an emergency.

  It was possible he was jumping to conclusions about Grace Traub and Arthur Swinton. Somehow he couldn’t think of the man as his dad. And he couldn’t very well ask D.J. about what happened, so he wasn’t sure what this visit would accomplish. Curiosity, maybe.

  Now he stood in the doorway of the Rib Shack looking around. Really looking. He’d been in here before, but it all felt different now, given the things he’d learned. There were a few customers scattered around the large, open dining room in this primarily family restaurant. Booths lined the exterior with picnic-style tables and benches filling the center. The walls were covered with sepia-toned pictures of cowboys, ranches and a hand-painted mural depicting the town’s history. He was surprised it didn’t include a section with Arthur Swinton being led away in handcuffs.

  That kind of thinking proved that this was a stupid idea. He started to leave then spotted D. J. Traub himself walking toward him. So much for a clean getaway.

  “Shane. Hi.” The other man held out his hand and gave him a firm handshake. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from Thunder Canyon’s celebrity chef?”

  “Celebrity?” He shrugged. “I had an opportunity. I’m just a guy who’s fearless with food.”

  “You just happened to be fearless on reality TV in front of millions of women. Thunder Canyon ladies are lucky to have you.”

  Shane couldn’t suppress a grin at the good-natured teasing. “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it and do it well.”

  “Modest, too. I can respect that.” D.J.’s dark eyes glittered with amusement. “Do you have time for a beer?”

  “Why not?” Actually he could think of a lot of reasons, but his curiosity was telling him to follow through on this.

  “Follow me.”

  The other man led him to a quiet corner in the back of the restaurant where there was a table and two wooden barrel-backed chairs. He said something to one of the waitresses and she returned with a couple of frosty mugs of beer.

  “Thanks, Jan,” D.J. said to her. He looked across the small table at Shane. “So, how are things at The Gallatin Room?”

  “Busy. Business is up compared to last year.”

  “That could have something to do with the famous and fearless chef running the place.”

  “Whatever.” Shane took a sip of his beer. “It’s all good.”

  He couldn’t say the same for his personal life. Probably he didn’t deserve it, but at least Gianna was speaking to him. If only he could forget the look in her eyes when he’d confessed about who his father was. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d run screaming from the room.

  “What about you?” he asked, glancing around. “How are things here?”

  “The books look better than they have in a while. Grant Clifton says resort traffic is better than it’s been in a while, so there’s a direct connection. Part of the increase could be because Traub Oil Montana is gearing up, bringing jobs into the area.”

  “That means more families,” Shane commented.

  “Right. Since that’s the Rib Shack demographic, we’ve been more in demand. I’ve been able to hire some people. Business is improving.”

  “Do you like it? Food service?”

  D.J. nodded. “Yeah. I enjoy the chaos, seeing the customers having fun. How about you?”

  “Can’t imagine doing anything else. The complexity, creativity and everything you just said, too.”

  Their careers were in the same field and it felt good to talk to someone who understood. They each filled a different niche under the Thunder Canyon Resort umbrella. Not for the first time he wondered if it was a coincidence or something in the genes.

  Their thoughts must have been traveling a parallel path because D.J. said, “I’m glad our customer base is different.”

  “You mean because I get to serve romantic dinners to local lovers Forrest Traub and Angie Anderson? And budding couples like Ben Walters and Kay Bausch?”

  “Ben and Kay?” One of D.J.’s dark eyebrows lifted in surprise.

  “I understand it was a blind date.” And now he was talking about people as if he was just like everyone else here in Thunder Canyon.

  Gianna had told him about the older couple. She thought it was cute and he agreed. He also thought Gianna was pretty cute and so much more. He wasn’t sure how he’d have come this far without her. She’d listened to him and he felt better after confiding in her. Although not if his revelation had cost him that connection with her. But that was something for later.

  “Apparently Austin Anderson set up the two of them.”

  D.J. looked amused. “So you’re saying your place is all about romance?”

  “And you get what comes after. Families.” Shane had meant it in a teasing way, but had an uncomfortable hollow feeling inside, a sense of loneliness he’d never felt before. That something was missing from his own life. “You’re a lucky man, D.J. To have Allaire and your son.”

  “I’ve loved her for a long time.” The other man toyed with his mug. “You know she was married to my brother Dax for a while.
”

  “No, I didn’t.” Shane was surprised. The two brothers had looked like they were extraordinarily close and he’d envied the shared bond of growing up together. How could they maintain that when they had both loved the same woman?

  “The look on your face says you’ve got a lot of questions about how we can still hang out.” D.J. smiled. “It was a long time ago. They both knew it wasn’t right and stayed friends. Things have a way of working out the way they’re supposed to.”

  Shane wasn’t so sure about that but hoped it proved true. He felt comfortable with this guy. Liked him. D.J. was honest, funny and could maintain a relationship with his brother, even though they’d been married to the same woman. That was extraordinarily open-minded. Maybe a friendship was possible, even if the truth of Shane’s real father came out.

  But it wasn’t coming out now. He traced a finger through the condensation on the outside of his mug.

  “So, do you think the Packers will make it to the Super Bowl?” D.J. must have sensed the need for a subject change.

  “Not if the Forty-Niners have anything to say about it.”

  “Ah, a California guy loyal to the state’s teams.”

  Shane shrugged. “I’ve moved around a lot. Seattle for a while. New York. Los Angeles is just where I grew up.”

  “But you could be persuaded to root for the Packers?”

  “Maybe.” He looked around the big room. “Is this where you hold the Presents for Patriots event?”

  The other man nodded. “We’ve been collecting donations for a while now. Storing them in a back room here. Small electronics, toiletries, socks, candy. Baked goods are brought in the day when all the volunteers wrap and box it all up for shipping out.”

  “It’s quite an undertaking.”

  “I’m privileged to do it. Family is precious,” D.J. said, suddenly serious and sincere. “No one knows that better than I do.”

  “Me, too.” Catherine had mentioned that his mother died when he was young and there was a time that connecting with his dad was difficult. Shane loved his parents and would do anything for them, but he had different family issues.