Shattered

The twins never took their curious gazes off Shaw. A quick glance at Shaw revealed that his gray eyes were focused intently on Lucky and Chance. His impenetrable gaze gave nothing away, but Kate could see the tension in his shoulders, the muscle that worked in his jaw. She felt a moment of guilt for depriving him of knowing his sons and quickly squelched it.

Wyatt Shaw was a ruthless man capable of anything, maybe even murder. Just because the police hadn’t found enough evidence to arrest him didn’t mean he wasn’t guilty of strangling that poor woman with his bare hands. Could he possibly be as innocent as his expensive lawyer had told the press he was? If Shaw hadn’t killed that woman, who had? And why had she been found in his bed?

Kate couldn’t believe the direction her thoughts had taken. She was realizing, far too late, that just because this stranger had been gentle with her during the night they’d spent together, didn’t mean he wasn’t a killer.

“Mom?” Chance said anxiously.

Kate flushed when she realized she’d been staring at Shaw—perhaps with the fear she was feeling showing in her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, “This is Wyatt Shaw. Mr. Shaw is…”

Kate’s throat suddenly constricted. How was she supposed to introduce him? It seemed too abrupt to baldly announce to her sons that this man was their biological father. She turned to Shaw, looking for help. She found no sympathy in his steel-gray eyes. She realized she would rather tell the boys herself than have Shaw say the words, which he surely would, if she didn’t speak them soon.

Kate turned back to her sons and saw the innocence Shaw was forcing her to steal. She took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Shaw is—”

“I’m an old friend of your mother’s,” Shaw interrupted.

Kate shot a surprised—and grateful—look in Shaw’s direction.

“I’m Lucky,” Lucky said, holding out his hand to be shaken.

Kate watched as Wyatt solemnly took his son’s hand. Shaw’s hand completely enveloped the smaller one. His hold lingered long enough that Lucky pulled free.

“I’m Chance.” Chance thrust his hand out to be shaken.

This time Wyatt let go before the boy felt the need to pull away.

“Is it all right if we go play on the Wii again, Mom?” Lucky asked.

Kate turned to Wyatt, wondering if he wanted to talk further with the boys. He met her gaze, the look in his eyes still obscure, and gave the slightest nod of agreement. She turned back to her sons and said, “Can you do it without fighting?”

The twins exchanged grins, then turned to her and simultaneously said, “You bet.”

“All right. Another half hour. Then you need to go wash your hands for supper.”

Kate waited for the boys to disappear before she turned back to Shaw. “You’ve met them. Now I’d like you to leave.”

“Is that normal behavior?”

Kate bristled at the implied criticism but forced herself to stay calm. She refused to care what Wyatt Shaw thought. He wasn’t going to be around long enough for it to matter. She shrugged and said, “They’re boys.”

“You allow them to fight like that in the house?”

She opened her mouth to explain that the twins’ behavior was more rambunctious now than it had been before her accident and snapped it shut again. She would not apologize to this man for anything her sons did.

“I’ve made arrangements to fly the three of you to Houston tonight,” he said. “You’ll be living with me. You should pack a few bags with whatever you need for tonight and maybe tomorrow. I’ll be providing everything you need from now on.”

Kate felt as though he’d punched her in the gut. It took a moment to recover enough air to speak. “You can just tear up the tickets, because we’re not going anywhere.”

A smile flickered across his face. “We’re traveling on my private jet.”

“I have a job here. I have to earn a living.”

“Not anymore. I’ll be taking care of any expenses associated with my sons. And their mother, of course.”

“I enjoy my work,” Kate said angrily.

“You enjoy providing physical therapy to amputees at Brooke Army Medical Center?”

“Yes!” she said, unsettled that Wyatt knew what she did and where she worked. “You can see how special—and unique—my work is. I can’t do it just anywhere or with just anyone.”

“You can find a comparable job at M.D. Anderson.”

Kate gasped. “Jobs like mine don’t grow on trees.”

“They’ll give you a job.”

“What makes you so sure?” she demanded.

“I’m a benefactor.”

“Oh, so you’ll buy me a job, is that what you’re saying?”

“You’re the one who said you wanted to work. I told you, there’s no need.”

“I don’t want your money. I make enough to support us.”

“My sons are entitled to whatever I can give them,” Wyatt said. “And I can give them more than this.” He gestured around her tiny living room.

She could understand the male need to be the provider. But she was stung by his disdain for her home, which was filled with love, even if it was small. She lifted her chin and said, “There’s more to being a good parent than living in a big house.”

“Thanks to you, I wouldn’t know about that,” he shot back.

“What makes you think you can be a good father to my sons?” she challenged.

“I’m sure you’ll let me know where I go wrong.”

“You have an answer for everything.”

“There’s nothing you can say to make me change my mind.”

Kate made a rumbling sound of frustration. There was another very good reason she didn’t want to go anywhere near Houston and M.D. Anderson. Holly would be living and working there. But she wasn’t about to mention that to Shaw.

“The boys attend a good school.”

“There are good schools in Houston.”

“Their friends are here.”

“They can make new friends.”