26

SHAMUS,” GEMMA SAID, her voice heavy with sleep. “Why don’t you do this tomorrow?”

He was sitting in the back of a big Conestoga wagon and sketching the little yellow carriage, which was a few feet away. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said, without looking up. “But you should go to bed.”

“I can’t leave you here alone. Your family is worried about you.” She was sitting behind him in the wagon bed on a big piece of canvas.

“They’re mad at Colin, not me.”

“I know,” Gemma said. “So am I. But the good news is that he’s absolutely miserable.” A noise made her look to the left to see Colin standing there and putting his gun back in the holster. “Speak of the devil . . . So, sheriff, what brings you out on this lovely morning?”

“My little brother. You’re causing a fury.”

Shamus glared at his brother. “Why have you been with Jean these last days?”

Colin glanced at Gemma. It looked like she hadn’t told anyone about Jean’s uncle. But then she wouldn’t after he’d bawled her out for telling Tris too much.

Colin hoisted himself up onto the end of the wagon, beside Shamus, but a few feet from Gemma. The rain outside made it loud in the warehouse, and in spite of all the many overhead lights, the forms of the old wagons and carriages, all made by past Fraziers, created a ghostly air in the big, hollow building. Shamus loved it; Colin never had. He took a breath as he prepared to tell his brother the truth. “All the years I knew Jean, she was lying to me. She said she had no aunts, uncles, or cousins.”

“That proves she’s not from Edilean,” Gemma said.

Shamus snorted.

“Her loss,” Colin said. “Jean’s late father has a brother who is an internationally notorious thief. He breaks into places like the U.S. Consulate in Romania and takes things.”

“Like what?” Gemma had heard all this before, but her curiosity was taking over.

“Whatever anyone pays him to get. The man has no conscience, no morals. I got Jean to tell me the truth about her life, and the bastard’s cleaned out her mother’s accounts twice. He’s either filthy rich or destitute.”

“Did Jean tell you where he is?” Gemma asked.

“She says she hasn’t seen him in years.”

“You haven’t found out that she lies all the time?” Shamus asked. He had his back to both of them and was still sketching.

“Yeah, I know that now,” Colin said. “She certainly didn’t tell me about her uncle.”

“What does she lie about?” Gemma asked Shamus.

“She’s not faithful to Colin,” the young man said. “Never has been.” There was anger in his voice.

“I know,” Colin said softly to his brother. “I’ve found out more than I ever wanted to.” When he looked at Gemma, there was longing in his eyes.

Turning, Shamus glanced at Gemma in question and she knew what he was asking. She shook her head. No, she hadn’t told Colin about the baby and didn’t want to do it now. “So you’re saying that Jean kept secrets from you?” she asked with as much innocence as she could muster.

“Yeah,” Colin said. “Just as I did to you.”

Shamus gave a little guffaw of laughter. “Gemma’s smarter than you are.”

Colin grinned. “That wouldn’t be too difficult.” Thunder rolled around outside. “I really hate to break up this party, but I think we should all go home to bed. And you, little brother, are going to call our parents and tell them you’re okay.”

Shamus didn’t move. “You made Gemma cry.”

“I know,” Colin said, “and I regret it. I thought it would be better if Jean’s uncle heard that I’d broken up with Gemma. I was afraid . . . am still afraid that . . .” For a moment he looked at her and his eyes held hers. All that he felt—and feared—was there for her to see. “I won’t do it again,” he said, and there was promise in his voice.

Shamus flipped his drawing pad closed and got off the wagon.

Colin followed, and they stood at the end, both of them lifting their arms up to Gemma to help her down. She went to Shamus and he swung her down to stand beside him on the side away from Colin.

“How long will it be before you forgive me?” Colin asked.

“I have no idea,” Gemma said. “Tris and I will talk about it.”

When Colin groaned, Shamus grinned. “She should never let you off the hook,” he said.

Colin took a breath. “I’ll work hard to make that statement untrue,” he said, looking at Gemma, then he lifted his head. “Little brother, I’m taking you home and after I make sure you call Mom and Dad and tell them you’re sorry for worrying them, I’m taking Gemma to my house and I’m going to start begging. Pleading. Whatever I have to do to get her to forgive me.”

Shamus nodded. “You should listen to her. She has a lot to tell you.”

“And I want to hear every word,” Colin said.

Gemma didn’t dare look at Shamus for fear that her face would give away her secret. Whereas Colin was talking about one thing, she was sure Shamus was referring to the baby. As Gemma kept her eyes on Colin, she knew she wasn’t going to easily get over her hurt. The things he’d said about her and Tris still rang in her head. There needed to be some big changes between them.

As for Gemma, she was going to have to give up some of her own independence. They needed to become a team, not two individuals who came together when their paths happened to cross.

Shamus and Colin were watching her, waiting for her reply.

Her eyes were on Colin’s. “I think we need to do a great deal of talking.”

“I agree,” he said, and they left the warehouse.