The Fall of Shane MacKade (The MacKade Brothers 4)
“Baling it,” Devin told her. “First you mow, then you rake, then you bale.”
“Right.”
“You guys head out when you’re done here. And don’t pester Dr. Knight.”
She followed him out to the porch and paused outside the door. “Devin, you lived here a long time.”
“Most of my life.”
“Have you ever had any unusual experiences? Of a paranormal nature,” she added when he flashed a grin.
“You’re asking if I think the place is haunted. Sure it is.”
She shook her head. “You say that so casually.”
“I’ve lived with it. You get used to it.”
“Not everyone.”
He followed her gaze to where Shane guided the tractor over the mowed hay. “Shane’s got a stubborn streak.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“And when it comes down to it, he’s got a sensitive nature.” Devin grinned again. “He’d bloody my nose for that one. But he does. Lived on a farm all his life, but he suffers if an animal’s in pain, or if he loses one. Can’t take it as a matter of course. There’s a lot of leftover emotion in this house. It gets to him.”
“Yet he lives here.”
“He loves it,” Devin said simply. “Every stone. Can you picture him anyplace else?”
She looked out to the hayfield again, smiled. “No. No, I can’t. I could help him with what’s here. If he’d let me.”
“Maybe you could.” Devin sighed. He was used to women falling for Shane, but it was easy to see that Rebecca was different. He doubted that she’d walk away unscathed when the time came. “I’d better go give him a hand.”
She made some sound of agreement, and watched for some time before she went back into the house.
Devin told himself it wasn’t his business as he walked across the field. In the easy rhythm of familiarity, he fell into step behind the baler. They worked together in silence until Shane shut off the motor.
“Rafe and Jared coming?”
“Should be on their way.”
Shane nodded, squinted at the sky. “It’s going to rain. We’ve only got another hour or two to get this in.” But his gaze wandered to the house and stayed there.
“Damn it, Shane.” Disgusted, Devin pulled out a bandanna and mopped his brow. “You’re sleeping with her.”
“Who?”
“Don’t give me that. Aren’t there enough women to dangle after around here without sniffing around Regan’s friend? She’s not even your type.”
Shane worked to keep his temper in check. “You’ve always said I don’t have a type.”
“You know what I mean. That’s a serious woman. Serious women have serious feelings. If she’s not in love with you already, she will be. Then what the hell are you going to do?”
It cut just a little too close to the quick. Shane had always been careful to keep women from falling in love with him—seriously in love, in any case. And he knew he wasn’t being careful with Rebecca.
“That’s my business, isn’t it? Mine and Rebecca’s. I didn’t push her into anything.”
To drown out any more unwelcome advice, he cranked up the tractor again.