“There will come a time, my dear Shannon, when you’ll need someone by your side. You can’t walk this world alone. We all need a companion.”
“Oh, Harry,” she laughed. “I’ve got you and Jackson to keep me company. That stew of yours beats any boyfriend bullshit. Anyway, you know me better than my own parents.”
“I’m an old man, Shan. You need a guy who’ll take you out into the world and treat you like a princess.”
“I don’t need a guy, and I’m certainly not a princess.”
Harry’s eyes creased at the corners, and his smile grew warmer.
“You look like one today.” He clinked his glass against hers.
The world outside seemed to fade as they shared that quiet moment. Despite his compliments, Harry was oblivious to the storm swirling in her mind and the barriers she’d built around her heart.
“Have you heard from Niall?” he asked after a thoughtful beat.
Shannon’s stomach clenched.
“No... Do you think he’s been acting a bit off lately?” she asked, testing his reaction.
Harry took a long gulp of brandy.
“Yes. I’ve noticed.” He turned toward her, his expression now more serious, the lines of his face tight. “Look, Shannon... we need to talk.”
Her heart thumped harder in her chest.
The shift in his expression made her nervous.
“I want you to take over the yard instead of Niall. I’m going to train you to be my right hand. When the time comes, you’ll take over. He needs to find his own path. Horses are my passion, not his.”
His eyes held a sadness now, something raw and real. “He was never interested in it. Like his mother.”
Shannon’s heart sank.Like his mother?
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come.
“I see so much of myself in you, Shannon,” he continued, the intensity of his gaze unwavering. “Your drive, your determination, the care you have for the horses. I know what my son is like. I’m not blind. He’d sell them off and put the yard up for sale. I want you to be involved in the day-to-day running of things, including the finances. If you’re up for it?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Do you know about the drugs?”
A hint of relief washed over her as Harry nodded.
“I’ve seen the change in him over the years. He’s got his mother’s temper and addictive personality. He called me this morning, asking why I’d frozen his funds. I told him to check into rehab before I’d give him more. He knows now I’ve picked you to be my partner, not him.”
Shannon’s pulse quickened at his words. “You told him that?”
“I had to, Shannon. It’s better this way.” His voice softened, but the determination in it was clear. “He can do his own thing without me dragging him along with expectations he can’t meet.”
Her heart was a tangled mess of emotions. Gratitude for Harry’s faith in her, sadness for Niall, and a strange sense of relief that maybe, just maybe, she could finally take the reins in her own life.
“How long will he be gone for? Is the rehab clinic here in Northern Ireland, or somewhere overseas? Howlong do those programs usually last? Could be months, right?” All her thoughts spilled out in a rush.
Harry took another long gulp of brandy, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward her, an unfamiliar flash crossing his features. “You seem very interested in Niall.”
Damn it.
“Oh, you know, just curious,” she said, forcing a casual shrug. “He needed help and hearing that news would need time to process.”
The limo slowed in traffic, and Harry tipped the rest of his drink back, his eyes never leaving hers. “He’ll be gone for a few months. I’ve arranged a private rehab retreat in Switzerland.”
