Expecting the Rancher's Heir

“No.” Her emphatic answer surprised him.

They stared at each other for several silent moments before he asked, “Why not, Lissa?”

She hesitated, then just when he thought she was going to avoid answering his question, she shook her head. “I don’t have a lot of pleasant memories there.”

“But that’s where you grew up.” He reached for her cup of cocoa to set it on the coffee table, then took her hands in his. “What was there about it that made you unhappy, angel?”

“There wasn’t any one thing,” she said, sighing. “It just never felt like much of a home to me.”

“Why is that?”

He watched her shrug one slender shoulder before she met his questioning gaze. “I think you’ve probably figured out by now that I wasn’t overly close with my father.”

Shane nodded. From what she’d said about her dad wanting his children to start learning about the resort at such an early age and her obsession with how other people’s opinions of her could reflect badly on Jarrod Ridge, he’d come to the conclusion that Donald Jarrod had placed his business above all else and taught his children to do the same.

“I’ve been told that when my mother was alive my father wasn’t as focused on Jarrod Ridge as he became after her passing,” she said quietly. “But for as long as I can remember, he never had time for us. He was always too busy either working or traveling to promote the resort.” Her expression turned resentful. “And he expected us to make Jarrod Ridge our number-one priority, as well.”

He had dealt with Donald Jarrod on several occasions through the investors group, as well as when the man bought horses for the resort stables, and he didn’t think he’d ever met a bigger workaholic. But surely Jarrod had realized his family was more important than business.

“Maybe he was unaware—”

“Oh, I think he knew.” She rose from the couch to walk over to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the great room. “Unfortunately, it’s too late now to do anything about repairing our relationship.”

Shane got up from the couch to walk up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her back against him. “I’m sure your dad was just trying to be a good provider for you and your brothers, angel.”

She sighed. “That might be, but tell that to a child wanting nothing more from her father than his love and attention.”

Although Shane’s dad had lost interest in almost everything in life after his wife left, he’d still been there to raise his son. And, in his own way, Shane was certain his father had loved him. But apparently Lissa hadn’t had that assurance.

“You at least had your brothers,” he said, tightening his arms around her.

Nodding, she rested the back of her head against his shoulder. “I did, but they were all older. Besides, they were boys and didn’t want to play with dolls or have tea parties.”

Shane chuckled. “No, I can’t imagine any of your brothers wanting to do that.”

She turned within the circle of his arms to face him. “Just the thought is pretty amusing, isn’t it?” she asked, the ghost of a smile curving her coral lips.

He nodded. “Blake would have probably shown up in a suit and tie and Trevor would have invariably brought a date.”

Her smile broke through. “Of course.”

Happy to see that her mood had lightened considerably, Shane pressed his lips to hers. “So it’s decided, then. We’ll get married here on New Year’s Eve with family and close friends.”

Resting her head against his chest, she nodded. “I think I’m going to invite Hector and Michael. They’re two of my closest friends in Malibu, and besides, I’d like to talk to them about running the spa for me with the option to buy after a specified length of time.”

“Are you sure you want to get rid of your business?” It pleased him that she intended to make her move to Colorado permanent, but he hated to see her give up a business she’d built from the ground up and was obviously quite proud of.

“It’s not so much that I want to get rid of it,” she admitted, yawning. “But I grew up with a father who was more absent than not and I don’t want that for our child from either of his parents. Besides, I’ll have Tranquility Spa, and if we stay as busy as we are now, I’m going to talk to Blake about expanding.”

“Uh-oh. It looks like the sandman is about to pay you a visit,” he said, chuckling when she yawned again. “We had better get you to bed.”

“I hope I can stay awake during the investors’ dinner tomorrow evening,” she said when he rose and guided her toward the hall.