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“Yes.”

“And did you tell your mother?”

Shane ground his teeth together and nodded. A few months ago, before the whole engagement nonsense, when he’d told Mom about the fact that they’d figured out the references were bogus, she’d already known. Ben had confessed.

But a lie was a lie.

“I’m sorry, Shane. I am. I just don’t think that’s the end of the world. I’ve told a lot of unfortunate lies because it felt like the only option I had. I can’t beat myself up for it. I mean, I can and I do, but I try not to.”

Unfortunate lies. Only option. It reminded him of the other night and the odd impression he’d gotten from her that she’d been hurt by a man before.

Shane flicked a glance to where Gavin was teaching Micah how to dismount. The kid’s father clearly wasn’t in the picture. So, it made sense Cora had been hurt or abandoned. The kid’s dad could just be dead. Shane knew full well that was possible. Still, he wondered....

And had no business wondering.

Micah scurried over, and all of that preteen bluster and apathy had clearly washed away.

“Mom, this is seriously . . .” He looked from Shane to Cora, with wide-eyed enthusiasm so deep and bright, he couldn’t hide it. “Can I take horse-riding lessons? Gavin says his sister gives them.”

“God help me,” Cora muttered, but Shane didn’t have a doubt she’d agree. She was a good mom, and she wanted her kid safeandhappy.

“Molly does a fine job with the riding lessons,” Shane offered. “She’s been giving them since she was a teenager. She’s very safe.”

“I’m sure,” Cora murmured.

“And if money is an issue—”

“It isn’t,” she snapped, so coolly, so curtly, Shane could only stare. He hadn’t expected that snap of temper from her. Certainly not over something so small. “We’ll work out something, Micah, but if you’re going to take lessons, you’re going to have to do some work, too. Isn’t that right, Shane?” She glanced at him somewhat regally, all but daring him to disagree.

“Of course. Learning how to ride means learning how to care for the horses. We could use the help, as long as it’s from someone willing to listen and learn and earn a few blisters.”

“But if I do all that, I can eventually ride them on my own, right?”

Micah looked hopefully at Shane, and Shane nodded toward Cora.

“Please, Mom?”

“We’ll start with lessons, and we’ll go from there,” Cora said stiffly. It was strange to see her stiff and a little cool. Was this all because he’d been generous enough to offer an alternative if she couldn’t afford the lessons? That seemed like an overreaction to him.

A bell ringing sounded in the distance. “That means lunch,” Shane said, clapping Micah on the shoulder.

“I’m starving.”

“Just wait until we really put you to work,” Gavin said good-naturedly. “You follow me, and I’ll show you what we do when we’re done riding the horses.” Micah trotted after Gavin.

“You want to head to the house?”

Cora’s gaze was blank, and she didn’t meet his. “I think I’ll go see what we do when we’re done riding the horses,” she said, rather high-and-mighty, before she stalked after her son.

Shane could only stare in utter confusion at her retreating form.

What on earth had just happened?

Chapter Eight

It was wrong to be furious. Cora couldn’t help herself. How dare that high-handed, smooth-talking cowboy so easily insinuate she couldn’t take care of herself? As if he knew. When he’d had everything handed to him. All that crap about Ben lying as if it were theworstthing a person could do.

Well,somepeople had to lie.Somepeople made mistakes and did bad things. Clearly Shane Tyler was just perfect and well off and oh, so smart.