“I’ll call for you.” He made the effort and released her. “I’d take you out to dinner, but—”

“Your family’s here,” she finished. “I understand.”

“They’ll be gone tomorrow. If you wouldn’t feel awkward with Brie, I’d like if you’d spend the night with me then, in my bed.”

“No. I wouldn’t feel awkward.”

“Till later then.” He kissed her fingertips and left her on the edge of the garden where the roses were still damp with dew.

Humming to herself, she crossed the lawn, let herself in the back door. Only to come up short when she saw Brianna measuring up coffee at the stove.

“Oh, hi.” Unaware of the foolish grin on her face, Shannon stuck her hands in her trouser pockets. “You’re up early.”

Brianna only lifted a brow. She’d been up half an hour, the same time as she was up nearly every morning of her life. “Kayla wanted breakfast.”

Shannon glanced at the clock in surprise. “I guess it’s a little later than I thought. I was just . . . out.”

“So I gathered. Didn’t Murphy want to come in for coffee?”

“No, he—” She broke off, blew out a breath. “I guess we weren’t very discreet.”

“You could say I’m not surprised to see you coming in now when I saw the way you looked when you walked out with him last night.” Since the coffee was brewing, Brianna turned around. “You look happy.”

“Do I?” She laughed, then gave into impulse and rushed over to throw her arms around Brianna. “I must be. I must be idiotically happy. I just spent the night with a man in a horse pasture. Me. In a horse pasture. It’s incredible.”

“I’m happy for you.” Brianna held tight, moved by this first free burst of affection of sister for sister. “For both of you. He’s a special man, Murphy. I’ve hoped for a long time he’d find someone as special.”

Shannon clung for another minute. “Brianna, it isn’t quite like that. I care for him. I care for him very much. I couldn’t have been with him if I didn’t.”

“I know. I understand that very well.”

“But I’m not like you.” Shannon stepped back, hoping to explain to Brianna what she needed to explain to herself. “I’m not like you or Maggie. I’m not looking to settle down here, get married, and raise a family. I have other ambitions.”

The trouble had already come into Brianna’s eyes before she lowered them. “He’s very much in love with you.”

“I know. And I’m not sure that I’m not in love with him.” She turned away, thinking to keep her balance in movement. “But love isn’t always enough to build a life on. You and I should understand that, because of our parents. I’ve tried to explain this to Murphy, and can only hope I have. Because the last thing I want to do is hurt him.”

“And you don’t think you’ll hurt yourself by turning away from your heart?”