A Man's Promise

Because he’d asked, she figured he thought that she would. “No, I don’t have a problem with it. I’m looking forward to seeing him again.”

“Great! And like I said, Shiloh, he’s a nice guy. He’ll be there to pick you up at seven.”

“Fine. I’ll be ready.”

She hung up the phone thinking that she sounded more excited than she actually felt. Each time she went into her office and saw those darned white roses on her desk she thought about Caden.

Then why did you keep the darned things? You could have trashed them, her mind mocked. No matter how she felt about Caden, there was no way she could have done such a thing for spite. She was more mature than that. In that case, why did you have Tess tell Caden you were busy when he called? You could have at least thanked him for the flowers.

She knew the answer to that one. The last thing she needed was to hear his voice. That deep, rich, sexy sound always did things to her. She recalled teasing him about his voice changing when they were kids. He took all of her jesting in stride. But then, Caden had always been the most easygoing person she knew. At least he was until he got angry, and then he was the one who’d become spiteful, not only sleeping with other women but also refusing to have anything to do with her. And then for him to say all those awful things to her that night and...

She drew in a deep breath when she felt tears fill her eyes. Why couldn’t she just let go of the pain? Wiping the tears from her eyes, she decided to take a shower and get into bed early. More than anything, she needed a good night’s sleep.

Twelve

Ben Bradford offered Jace his hand as he looked directly into his eyes. “So you’re Jace Granger.” The older man then smiled. “I’m so glad my daughter has finally brought you over for a visit. Come on in. I’ve prepared dinner, so I hope you’re hungry.”

“Yes, sir, I am,” Jace said as he and Shana followed her father through the foyer into a spacious living room. He glanced around at all the framed photographs lining the walls. He walked over to look more closely at Shana in various stages of her growth. One photo was of her on a bicycle with her sister on a tricycle. Another on her graduation day from high school. Then another showed her graduating from college.

“She was a cute little something,” Ben said, chuckling. “Both my daughters were. I’m proud of my girls.”

Jace turned toward the man. “And you have every right to be.” Benjamin Bradford was just as he’d pictured him to be. Tall, ruggedly built and in good shape for a man his age, which he would put in his middle fifties, like his own father.

“Thanks, Dad. What’s for dinner?” Shana asked, turning to head for the kitchen.

Ben chuckled. “Only my child can thank you for a compliment and then beg for food in the same sentence.”

“I wasn’t begging, just asking out of curiosity. It smells good, whatever it is,” Shana said as she walked into the kitchen.

Ben and Jace followed. Ben glanced over at Jace. “So, Jace, I read about that kidnapping attempt in the paper. Glad you came out without a scratch, young man.”

“And I have your daughter to thank for that.”

“Hmm, better not let Dalton hear you say that,” Shana said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

Jace chuckled. “Yeah, I have to give my brother credit as well, but he would not have known I was missing had it not been for Shana and her team.”

Ben was very astute in reading people, and he’d been reading the body language between these two from the moment they had entered his home. His daughter, his finicky daughter where men were concerned, was in love. There was a glow on her face that he’d never seen before. Ever. And he hadn’t missed the looks these two had been giving each other.

He wasn’t surprised Shana hadn’t brought Jace around before now. His daughter had to be sure of things, and for her to bring him now meant her mind was made up. She had finally met a guy she felt was worthy of her affection.

Ben figured these two hadn’t known each other too long. But then, he of all people knew you could fall in love in an instant. He’d done so twice in his life and figured when it came to his girls, things for them wouldn’t be much different. He’d noticed how Jace was looking at Shana, and he knew those feelings went beyond the physical.

There was no doubt in his mind there was a strong physical attraction between the two of them. He’d seen Jace’s sports car parked in Shana’s driveway more than once when he’d come to visit. Seeing she had company, he had kept going, knowing she would bring him around eventually if he was a keeper. These two were in love, and he wondered whether they’d figured it out yet.

“You can join Shana at the table, Jace. As you can see, it’s already set.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

Jace had manners, and Ben appreciated that. He’d done his homework on Jace Granger and liked what he’d discovered so far. Shana had mentioned the deathbed promise he’d made to his grandfather, and Ben couldn’t help but think highly of him for fulfilling it.

“I grilled steaks, made a salad, baked bread, steamed veggies and made a banana pudding.”

“Everything sounds delicious.”

“And it will be. Didn’t I tell you my dad was fantastic?” Shana said, grinning.

Ben couldn’t help smiling. It was good to see all the starchiness gone from his daughter. She appeared relaxed, carefree, and it was obvious she had let her hair down a bit—literally, since it flowed past her shoulders. She looked content. Happy.

Over dinner, they discussed a number of things—the economy, upcoming elections, world affairs and such. Then Ben took Jace out back to show him his garden that he’d started with Mona’s help. For some reason, he ended up telling Jace about Mona and what a wonderful woman she was.