"Mom-" Shanley couldn''t help but speak up.


    "What?" Miranda shot him a fierce look. "Am I wrong? If you dare lose a wonderful girl like Juniper, I''ll break your legs."


    Whatever Shanley had been about to say got stuck in his throat. He could only turn his gaze to his father, who was silently peeling shrimp for his wife, hoping for some backup.


    "Dad, say something!" he pleaded with his eyes.


    Hayden nced at his wife, then quickly looked away, shaking his head at his son. "You don''t dare argue with her, what makes you think I do?" his eyes seemed to say.


    Shanley was speechless.


    Throughout the meal, Miranda clung to Juniper, chattering away like they were long- lost sisters, with no sense of boundaries at all.


    "You''ve met his grandparents, right?" Miranda asked, passing all the shrimp her husband had peeled over to Juniper.


    "Juniper is the one who saved Grandpa''s life," Shanley answered for her.


    “Really?" Miranda''s eyes lit up. She was even more impressed with her future daughter-inw now. "So you''re the young miracle worker Kent told us about?" she eximed.


    "It was nothing," Juniper replied with modest grace as she ate the shrimp Miranda had given her.


    *Oh, my.* Miranda beamed. *She''s so polite! How can a young girl be so well- mannered?*


    She looked at Juniper with an expression that said she was ready to marry the girl on Shanley''s behalf.


    ...


    After the meal, Miranda and Hayden pulled Shanley aside.


    "We heard you two are living together," Miranda questioned in a low, stern voice. "Yes," Shanley admitted honestly.


    "You-!" Miranda''s face changed. Careful not to startle Juniper, she lowered her voice to a furious whisper. "How old is she? How could you!"


    "We''re just living together," Shanley said, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “I treasure Juniper more than anyone. I would never dream of hurting her."


    “Good,” Miranda said, relieved. She then added, “I heard Juniper was separated from her family when she was young and has been through a lot."


    "Her parents and two of her sisters are still missing," Shanley said, his gaze softening as he watched Juniper, who was lost in thought at the dining table.


    "The poor thing," Miranda''s heart ached for her. She instructed Shanley sternly, "You are not to bully her, do you hear me? You can''t even speak a harsh word to her!"


    Shanley let out a dry, almost painedugh. “And what if she''s the one in the wrong?" he asked pointedly.


    "Wrong? She''s wrong?" Miranda


    paused, considering his point for a moment. But then- "If she''s wrong,


    can''t you just take a step backd


    another? By the time you''ve backed


    up enough, it might as well be your fault! What''s wrong with that?"


    Shanley listened in silence, ncing at his quiet father and feeling a pang of sympathy for him.


    “I understand,” Shanley nodded, his eyes fixed on Juniper. “I won''t let her be wronged again.”


    “Good." Miranda was satisfied. She trusted Shanley to keep his word.


    Before they left, Miranda


    approached Juniper and pulled two checks from her purse. "Spending


    money use it however you want.


    Buy whatever you like. When you run


    out, I''ll give you more."


    Fearing Juniper would refuse, she stuffed the checks into her hands, then hurried


    back to the car and told the driver to go.


    Juniper stared after the departing sports car, then down at the checks in her hand,pletely bewildered One was for over nine hundred million The other brought the total to nearly two billion. Two billion in spending money?


    “Just take what Mom gave you,” Shanley said, gently wrapping an arm around her


    waist. A soft smile yed on his lips. "It''s clear she really, really likes you."