“The doctor was specific. Ginger’s the one he had a good relationship with the longest. Mark would also probably work, but he can’t go out there to babysit Shane.” Dane glanced toward Hilary “Busy getting married, don’t you know.”
“Did you send a specialist or someone along with her?” Vanessa said.
“No, and I don’t plan to. We can arrange for all that when he comes home. The doctor who saw him said he was physically fine. He thinks that a memory loss this long may be psychological.”
“He doesn’t want to remember?” Vanessa looked incredulous, but Hilary could sort of understand. If Shane had had a childhood like Mark’s, he might never want to remember. Although their mother had mellowed a bit after her decision to divorce, that was a recent change, something that happened after Shane had left the States.
“You shouldn’t be surprised,” Dane said. “Out of all of us, he was the one with the artistic temperament. I always thought it odd that he never tried to run away. But this… Well, it’s beyond what I expected.”
“It’s not something to admire!” Vanessa shouted again.
Dane gave her a flat look. “I wasn’t. And stop shouting. For your information, I have no intention of letting him and Ginger stay together once they’re back. She’s just a means to an end, got it?”
Hilary shivered at the iciness in his eyes. She’d always known he could be blunt and cold, but using Shane’s ex like that seemed beyond low.
“Now if you ladies don’t mind, can you all get out so I can get ready for my evening?”
“Are you going out to continue with that woman?” Vanessa asked, wrinkling her nose.
“There are plenty of women in my phone. Now out. And Hilary, don’t let my sister do anything you wouldn’t do.” He pushed both women out and shut the door behind them. The lock engaged with a metallic click.
“Can you believe his gall?” Vanessa said, staring at Hilary.
“I think he cares about Shane.” Which was somewhat unexpected given the way he generally was.
“That’s like saying sharks are caring. No. Ugh. I have to do something,” Vanessa said as they stepped into the elevator.
“Like what?”
“Bring him home. I don’t think his problem is psychological, and even if it is, dealing with Dane would make anyone want to run the other way, not come home for medical treatment.”
“Do they not get along?”
Vanessa snorted. “Who gets along with Dane?” Her mouth firmed. “If Dane gave a damn, he wouldn’t have sent Ginger, no matter what.”
“I thought she and Shane were together since high school.”
“Yes, but she did something to make him break it off. And she’s dating somebody else! I saw it with my own eyes.” Vanessa huffed. “For her to go to Shane just because Dane asked her… It’s pretty messed up. She doesn’t even like Dane, and if she is really through with Shane like she said she was, she would’ve said no just to spite him. I feel like…” She swallowed. “I feel like she’s trying to weigh her options to figure out which is more lucrative. Shane or that guy she’s dating. And of course Shane’s going to come out ahead.”
Hilary cleared her throat. “Would that be so terrible? Maybe she’s realized that Shane’s the one she really wants after all.”
Vanessa looked at her. “Do you know what he fears the most?”
Hilary shook her head.
“Becoming like our parents. He’s nothing like Salazar, but Ginger… There’s no guarantee she’s not going to be like Mom, is there?” Vanessa’s throat worked, and she wiped away sudden tears impatiently, smudging her eyeliner. “We try so hard to block it all out, but we aren’t blind to their flaws and mistakes. I just…I just can’t let Ginger hurt Shane.”
Chapter Six
Ginger hid from Shane for the rest of the day and the next morning. She didn’t know how to deal with him. No, that wasn’t quite right. If all it had been was Shane wanting to sleep with her, or to go back to the way things were, she could have handled it. But she couldn’t control her reaction to him.
Logic didn’t work. Reminding herself of the pain of loss didn’t work. Her stupid, unteachable heart wanted Shane. It
didn’t understand why she didn’t want to accept his proposal and pretend the past twelve months had never happened.
Don’t try to believe that you’re going to find another man who can somehow make you forget Shane forever. Didn’t work with Robert. Won’t work with anyone else.
She pushed the thought aside. She didn’t want to brood about Shane. She wanted to take photos.