The Texan's Happily-Ever-After. Karen Rose Smith

in the sight of the two little boys, her heart lurching again. What was wrong with her tonight? Joey was dressed in pj’s decorated with racecars. Roy’s were stamped with balls and bats. “I’m glad you came down.”

      “We’re not going to bed yet,” Joey explained. “We can read in our room before we go to sleep. Dad says that quiets us down.”

      Raina couldn’t help but smile. “Sometimes I read to quiet me down before I go to sleep.”

      “We wanted to ask you somethin’,” Roy volunteered.

      Raina glanced at Shep but he just shrugged. “What did you want to ask me?”

      “Can you come back and see the horses sometime?”

      She didn’t know how to respond. What did Shep want? What did she want? Did that even matter, when these two precious children were staring up at her with their big, dark eyes? “I suppose I can.”

      “Promise?” Roy asked, possibly sensing her hesitance.

      Joey added, “If you promise, you have to do it. Dad says no one will be your friend if you can’t keep a promise.”

      Again her gaze sought Shep’s. His expression was friendly but neutral. Apparently, this was her decision. She liked the idea of him teaching his sons about promises being kept.

      “I promise,” she said solemnly.

      “If you come Saturday, we can go for a ride after we do chores,” Joey informed her, as if warming to that idea.

      “You can help with chores!” Roy added enthusiastically.

      At that, Raina laughed out loud. “Well, maybe if I’d help you with chores, I’d develop some muscles. My brother’s always telling me I should work out.”

      “You have a brother?” Roy asked, wide-eyed.

      “Sure do.” She thought about her schedule Saturday. “I’ll tell you what. I have to go to the hospital Saturday morning, but then I’ll stop by here afterward.” She looked at Shep. “Is that all right?”

      “That’s fine,” he replied, still giving nothing away.

      Eva came into the room then, and asked Shep, “Is Manuel ready?”

      The two-year-old had cuddled against Shep’s shoulder. Now Eva took him and said, “Come on, boys. Let’s head on up.” As they followed their nanny, they turned around and stared at their dad.

      He assured them, “I’ll be up in a few minutes. Go on. Pick out a book you want me to read to you.” He said to Eva, “I’ll bring along some of that oat cereal for Manuel.”

      After Roy waved at Raina, both boys took off after Eva.

      Feeling awkward, Raina checked her watch. “I’d better be going.”

      “I’ll walk you out.”

      Raina gathered her purse from the counter, feeling Shep’s gaze on her as she went to the door and he followed. She wondered what he was thinking. She knew what she was thinking.

      The end-of-August evening was warm. As they stepped outside, the breeze tossed the ends of her hair. They walked to her car in silence.

      The motion-detector light on the side of the house glowed as they neared her car. She knew she was going to have to ask Shep the question in her mind. Distracting herself for the moment, she pressed the remote and her doors unlocked.

      Shep opened the driver’s-side door for her.

      Rather than climbing in, she faced him, close enough to him to see the beard shadow on his face. “Do you want me to come out on Saturday?”

      “You have to. You promised.”

      “I know. I wasn’t sure what to say. When Roy looked at me with those big eyes, I didn’t know how to refuse.”

      Shep chuckled. “I know exactly what you mean.”

      “You didn’t answer my question.” She needed to know if he wanted her here or not.

      “I like you, Dr. Gibson. It won’t be a hardship to take you on a trail ride.”

      “Raina,” she said softly. “If we’re going on a trail ride, first names seem more…comfortable.”

      “Comfortable,” he agreed, looking down at her with interest she hadn’t noticed in a man’s eyes for years. He shoved his hands into his pockets, though he didn’t step away. “Thanks for coming over tonight.”

      “I really enjoyed myself.”

      Awkwardness settled between them, the kind of awkwardness that happened after a first date, she thought. Only, they hadn’t been on a date. Still, she felt pulled toward Shep. Yet something else urged her to move away—probably memories, heartache and regrets over a love lost.

      After she slid into the driver’s seat, Shep closed the door. Then he laid his hand on the open window and bent down, his face close to hers. “Remember, a promise given is a promise that should be kept.”

      She had the feeling his boys had had promises made to them that weren’t kept. He was protective of that and protective of them. “I’ll remember,” she murmured, unable to take her gaze from his face.

      Shep straightened and stepped away from the car.

      With a trembling hand, she pressed her smart key to start the engine. As she backed out of the parking space and drove away, his words echoed in her mind.

      A promise given is a promise that should be kept.

      Did Shep McGraw keep his promises?