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Jaycee’s biting rebuke. Since their parents had died and the three of them returned home from college to run the ranch and raise her, Jaycee and Drew had been as thick as thieves. She loved to give him hell, but she was indulgent with him just as he was with her. At any other time, this situation would be comical. However, he was on Drew’s side, so he was on her blacklist, too.
    Jared’s conscience tugged at him. Am I really on his side?
    “You don’t know what’s going on with her. So, you better back the fuck off or you will deal with me—” Jaycee threatened.
    “And me,” Katie-Anne interjected with an evil grin that would scare the Devil himself.
    Jaycee patted Drew in the chest, instead of poking him, sweetly. A little too sweetly.
    Apparently, Drew agreed with his thought. He stared at Jaycee’s dainty hand apprehensively.
    Speaking with a sugary voice, Jaycee warned Drew, “This is your only warning, brother of mine.” She glanced over at Jared with a smile to match her tone and said, “You, too.”
    Drew glowered at Jaycee, who seemed completely unaffected by her brother’s fury-filled gaze. She actually appeared to be enjoying their disagreement, which pissed Jared off.
    Jared had been on good behavior for the past few minutes, treating Jaycee with kid gloves. But that was over. If she could be bitchy, then he didn’t have to be Mr. Nice-Big-Brother. She wanted to argue with them, then so be it. They were not her men.
    “Jaycee, threatening us is futile. You aren’t going to change anything.” Jared could feel his nostrils flaring in fury. “We’ve made up our minds.”
    Liar.
    He wasn’t exactly sure of his decision. The last few minutes had proved that, but he wasn’t about to share that with her yet. “That’s that, Jaycee. You are the one who needs to back the hell off.” Jared warned her for his sake as much as her own. He needed to make some big decisions, and Jaycee didn’t help his current frame of mind.
    Jaycee shuddered melodramatically, identical to the way the soap opera actress she’d idolized when she was ten had.
    Now, he wanted to shudder—in revulsion. Your acting skills suck, little sister.
    Jared shook his head in irritation. She acted as if it were perfectly normal to be a spoiled brat, and he didn’t like it one damn bit. They hadn’t raised her to be like this.
    “Oh, Jared. I’m so scared,” Jaycee taunted. She peeked over her shoulder at the haughty woman in the booth. “Katie-Anne, do you know where my blankie and pacifier are hiding? Looks like I’m going to need them.”
    Katie-Anne choked on the dark-colored liquid she had been in the process of drinking. She exclaimed reproachfully, “Jaycee!”
    Jaycee flipped her head back around to face them, inquiring with over-exaggerated innocence, “What? Did I do something wrong?”
    Give Jaycee pigtails and a sucker, and her naive schoolgirl act would be complete.
    “This is getting out of hand. We’re going home,” Drew announced in a hardened tone, grasping Mary’s hand. He pulled Mary from the table roughly, calling out over his shoulder, “Meet you at the truck, Jared.”
    Jared wanted to laugh out loud. His brother was no better an actor than Jaycee was an actress. Drew used Mary as a shield, and he didn’t even realize it.
    Fuck. After the past few minutes, Jared knew that no woman would replace Shannon. He could spend his life searching for something that didn’t exist or he could help Randy.
    “Jaycee—” he started, but his face must have given away his decision.
    His sister’s face lit up. “Welcome back, Jared.”

Chapter 5
     
    Before the ladies’ room door closed, Shannon flopped down onto the chenille chaise in Dolce Serenità’s adjoining lounge. She sighed dejectedly and let her emotions flow freely, each tear from her eyes more cleansing than the last.
    It almost felt good to cry, probably because she hadn’t done it in so long. She couldn’t even recall the last time she