“I guess.” Justin shrugged. “But I’m not really sure I want to go to college. I want to write songs and have a music career.”
“You’re way ahead of where I was at your age in terms of knowing what you want. That’s pretty great.” Shane had used money he’d inherited from his grandmother to start his real-estate development company shortly after graduating from college. When his dad found out what he’d done, he hadn’t talked to him for a month. “I didn’t know what I was going to do when I graduated high school, so I got a degree in business.”
“College is expensive and I don’t know if it would help me get what I want.”
Shane wanted to argue that Justin would have something to fall back on if the music didn’t work out, but he could see from the determined set of the boy’s features that he would have a career in music or nothing else. Shane hoped the kid had some talent to back up his ambition.
“I’m sure this thing with your dad and football is because he’s worried about your future. Maybe you could agree to try football in exchange for him agreeing to helping you with your music.”
“Is that what you did with your dad?”
Not even close. “Absolutely. We came to an understanding and I figured out a way to keep ranching and at the same time pursue my interest in real estate.”
“Was he proud of you?”
The question tore into Shane’s gut like a chain saw. “My dad died before my business really got going, but I think he saw the potential in what I was doing and was impressed.”
Shane didn’t feel one bit bad about lying to the boy. Just because Shane hadn’t been able to communicate with his father didn’t mean Justin would have the same problem. And maybe if someone had offered him the advice he’d just given to the teenager, things with his dad might’ve gone better.
“I’ll give it a try,” Justin said.
“And if you want to talk or if you want me to have a heart-to-heart with your dad, here’s my card. Call me anytime.”
“Thanks.” Justin slid the business card into his back pocket and seemed a little less glum. Or at least he showed more interest in the dog training.
Shane stuck around to watch him for a little while longer and then excused himself to go help a girl who seemed to be struggling with a brown-and-white mop of a dog.
Over the next thirty minutes, he worked his way around the room chatting with each kid in turn. By the time Megan called for everyone to take the dogs outside to the obstacle course, Shane had gotten everyone’s story.
“How do you do that?” Brandee joined him near the back of the crowd. “Everyone you talk to was smiling by the time you walked away. Even Justin.”
“How do you not realize what a great guy I am?” He grinned broadly and bumped his shoulder into hers. “I would think after living with me this past week you’d have caught the fever.”
“The fever?” she repeated in a dubious tone.
“The Shane fever.” He snared her gaze and gave her his best smoldering look. “Guaranteed to make your heart race, give you sweaty palms and a craving for hot, passionate kisses.”
Her lips twitched. “I’m pretty sure I’m immune.” But she didn’t sound as confident as she once had.
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“It’s a statement of fact.”
“It’s your opinion. And if I’m good at anything, I’m good at getting people to see my point of view. And from my point of view, you’re already symptomatic.”
“How do you figure?”
With everyone’s attention fixed on Megan, Shane was able to lean down and graze his lips across Brandee’s ear. He’d noticed she was particularly sensitive there. At the same time, he’d cupped his hand over her hip and pulled her up against his side. The two-pronged attack wrenched a soft exclamation from her lips.
A second later he let her go and greeted her glare with a smirk. “Tell me your heart isn’t racing.”
“You aren’t as charming as you think you are,” she said, turning her attention to what was going on among the poles, small jumps and traffic cones set up near the meeting hall.
He let her get the last word in because he’d already annoyed her once that day and that wasn’t the way to this woman’s heart.
“Do you think there’s something going on between Gabe and Chelsea?” Brandee asked after a couple more kids had taken their dogs through the obstacle course.
Shane followed the direction of her gaze and noticed the couple standing together on the outskirts of the crowd. “Going on how?”