As he placed the box in the middle of the dance floor, Paige handed Ashley to Tucker, then raised her voice. “I know I told everyone not to bring presents for Shane’s party tonight, but I couldn’t resist getting him one.” She gave Shane a quick kiss on the lips. “Happy birthday, honey.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He brushed his lips against hers again, then kissed his husband as well. “Thank you too.”
Tucker snorted and shook his head. “Don’t thank me. I have no idea what it is. She wouldn’t tell me.”
“I know what it is,” Seth announced with a smirk as he stood beside the present, holding out a Swiss Army knife, handle first. Chuckles filled the room as Shane and Tucker glared at him. “What? Who do you think helped her with it?”
Stepping down from the stage, Shane grabbed the handle of the knife, then shook the sharp blade at Seth. “You’re fired.”
Seth rolled his eyes as if that was a normal occurrence. “Of course I am. I get fired at least once a week. Just open the damn box.” More laughter came from the crowd.
“I have to come up with a better threat for you.” Shane eyed the box. “I have no idea what this could be.”
“Open it, Dad!” demanded the young girl on the stage.
“Do you want to help, Arianna?”
“Yes!” She hurried over and started ripping the wrapping paper off with him.
He stared at the brown box with a diaper logo on all sides, then looked at his wife with narrowed eyes. “We already know you’re pregnant, sweetheart.”
Shylo studied the woman on the stage and noticed the slight bump under her blue sundress that she had missed earlier.
“Ignore that,” Paige said with her hands on her hips. “I needed a box big enough for the present, and Seth grabbed one from Marla for me.”
Apparently satisfied with that answer, Shane used the knife to slice through the tape holding the box’s top two flaps together. When he lifted them, a bunch of blue balloons emerged from the box and floated toward the ceiling, the attached curled ribbons hanging down.
Shane and Tucker gaped at their wife, who yelled, “It’s a boy!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd. After handing the knife back to Seth, Shane strode toward Paige as she stepped down from the stage, picked her up, and spun her around. When he finally stopped, they both had happy tears running down their cheeks as Tucker and Ashley joined them in a group hug.
Arianna jumped up and down beside them. “I knew it! I knew it! A baby brother! Yes!”
A lump of emotion Shylo hadn’t felt in a long time lodged in her throat, but she swallowed hard, remembering that, even though Shane was her half-brother, she wasn’t part of his family. And when he found out why she was in Hazard, he’d probably do everything he could to kick her out of town and his life.
Chapter 6
Seth waited around, even after most of the party-goers had gone home. A bunch of the ranch hands, including his ride, remained, so he didn’t have to worry about that, but he wished he’d brought his own truck now that he knew Shylo was there. She was with the rest of the staff, cleaning up the dining room, bar tables, and kitchen. A few times, he’d caught her eye and smiled, getting small, uncertain ones in return. He couldn’t remember the last time he had to work so hard to gain a woman’s interest, and needed to step up his flirting game.
After the servers and bussers finished for the night, a few gathered at two of the pub tables, calling out their drink orders to Alyssa and Dean, who were still manning the bar. Shylo was with them, but it didn’t look like she was going to stay. Her purse hung from her shoulder, a to-go container was in her hand, and she didn’t take a seat with the others. Seth needed to make a move before he lost her again. “Shylo!”
She swiveled her head toward him, her eyes widening a bit.
He patted the empty bar stool beside him. “C’mon over. Let me buy you a drink.”
After a brief hesitation—and a murmured “Go for it, girl” from Giselle that Seth easily read on her lips—Shylo sashayed toward him.
He’d have to thank the other woman later.
His gaze roamed Shylo’s body, memorizing every luscious curve. He loved women of all shapes and sizes, but this one was a work of art. His cock stirred with anticipation as she drew closer, and he silently willed it to behave.
She stopped beside the empty stool. “Have you been waiting for me this entire time?”
“I’ve been waiting for you all my life, darlin’.”
Her eyes rolled—if they could, he suspected they would have gone all the way to the back of her head. “Do lines like that actually work for you?”
He shrugged. “Some lines do, but that’s the first time I've ever used that one, so you’ll have to let me know if it worked or not.” When she crossed her arms and glared at him, he gestured for her to sit down. “C’mon. I promise I don’t bite. Let me buy you a drink.”
