Keep My Heart

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Trey rubbed his eyes as Clayton brought a young lady into his room. Clayton did better on looks this time. The young lady was positively stunning. Her blonde curls hung lose around her shoulders, set off by the light blue dress she wore. Her big blue eyes would be the envy of every woman he had ever met.

“Mr. Shannon, meet Miss Lauren Hilton. Miss Hilton, Mr. Trey Shannon” Clayton introduced.

Trey couldn’t help staring at Lauren, and he forgot to reply.

“Nice to meet you” Lauren held out her hand for an open-palmed handshake.

Trey shook it and gave it a light shake, surprised at her grip.

“Likewise” Trey finally found the words.

There was a moment of silence, in which Trey simply took in Lauren’s appearance. He found only one problem. She was so young. He guessed her to be around seventeen. Sure, she could probably handle Quinn, but Trey knew Mariah wouldn’t have a girl so young in the house with their stable boy around.

Just then, Mariah entered the room.

“Come with me, dear. We’ll talk about this” Mariah took Lauren by the arm and led her out of the room. Trey inwardly scowled at her.

“There goes another one” Clayton sighed.

“You’re getting there, Clayton. Keep heading in that direction, just a little older” Trey winked and grinned.

Clayton pushed his lips into a thin line and turned on his heels to leave the room.

Trey opened the bottom drawer to his desk and took out his small bottle of whiskey. Taking a drink, he stood and walked to the window.

The miles of wasted farmland made him question his line of work. The land had been put to good use when his folks had owned it, now it was just miles and miles of weeds and grass. His five horses put the first field to good use, while the rest just sat, overgrown due the years of neglect.

Trey sighed. One day he was going to restore that land to it’s former glorious state.

*****

After a week of Clayton’s failed attempts of finding a nursemaid, Trey took the man into his study and sat him down.

“I have a question, Clayton” he said.

“Yes, sir?”

“What are you trying to pull? I mean, so far my only two options are a British woman or that old woman who looks like roamed with dinosaurs that you brought in yesterday” Trey took a seat behind his desk.

“I think they are very good choices” Clayton said.

“The old woman looks like she would break her back trying to pick the kid up!” Trey said.

“Well, then I see nothing wrong with Miss Andria” Clayton said.

“Clayton, I want my son to grow up like an American, with an American voice. I won’t have him walking around saying things like ‘poppycock’” Trey feigned a British accent on the last word.

“We’re fast running out of options, Mr. Shannon” Clayton explained.

“I have an idea. Why don’t you bring the woman that you think I would dislike the most, and we’ll see where that goes” Trey suggested.

Clayton didn’t look convinced.

“Very well” he stood and walked out.

*****