Kitabı oku: «The Texan's Promise»

Chapter One

The two-year-old mare tossed her head and pawed the sand of the arena as the thunder rattled the metal roof again. The storm had rolled in fast and hard. Belle De La Rosa laid a hand on the young horse’s neck. “Shhh, girl. It’s okay. It’s just pitter-patter on the roof.”

Sometimes a little lie made everyone feel better. The goal had been to socialize the mare, but the weather had hit harder than forecasted. Now the poor baby was traumatized. The evening could end in complete disaster if the unpredictable animal panicked. She needed to get her safely back into the trailer.

“He’s here.” Jazmine, her brother Elijah’s wife, appeared on the other side of the restless horse. Her hand was over her newly visible baby bump.

Belle closed her eyes to prevent rolling them. The De La Rosa women had joined forces in the “Find Belle a Man” campaign. The latest victim was a single dad. Selena, her cousin Xavier’s wife, had met him in her playgroup for parents of multiples across the bridge in Foster. Belle loved the women her brother and cousin had married, but really, she could do with a little less of the interference they liked to call girl time.

The poor man was new in town, and her sisters-in-law—her cousins were practically her brothers as they’d grown up in the same house—had already decided that he was perfect for her. She glanced at the bleachers where she had left the kids talking horse conformation. The judging team had wanted to meet despite the weather. “Jazz, what’s the latest on the weather report?”

Phone in hand, Jazz frowned at her screen. “It doesn’t look good. They’ve increased the chance of high winds and heavy rain.” Her dark curls bounced when she twisted her head to survey the kids. “Possible hail. Should we call parents for an early pickup?”

Before Belle could respond, thunder rattled the walls of the arena. Then a bolt of lightning struck too close for comfort, blinding her.

The mare reared, forcing Belle to stay clear of the hooves. Her boot stuck in the deep sand and she stumbled.

Strong hands wrapped around her forearms, balancing her from behind.

Her lungs froze. Like the scared horse, she wanted to lash out, but the hands were gone just as quick.

“Are you okay?” A man’s deep voice, low and calm, washed over her.

Belle kept her back to the stranger. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

She was being ridiculous. It wasn’t him, her ex, so she would move on as if nothing had happened. She focused on the young mare. The soft muzzle twitched with heavy pants. “Nothing’s going to hurt you. It’s okay, girl.”

The mare’s nostrils flared, and her ears flicked.

“Quinn!” Jazz’s voice was a little on the overenthusiastic side.

This must be the poor guy.

“Belle, this is Quinn Sinclair. He has twin daughters who want to join the horse club. They’re interested in the horse-judging team. Quinn, this is our fearless leader and my sister-in-law, Belle De La Rosa. Cassie and Lucy are her daughters.”

The man stepped away from her and moved to the other side of the horse, looking at her over Little Lady’s withers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My daughters, Meg and Hannah, are in Cassie’s Sunday school class.” He ran a large hand over the mare’s rump. “Need some help?”

They hadn’t embellished his good looks. He was tall with classic features. His hair was dark blond with streaks of gold from being outside.

Good looks and an easy smile couldn’t be trusted. That took the humor right out of her. Just like her ex-husband. All charm, but as nasty as a rattler when you got too close.

The grin on her sister-in-law’s face was bright enough to put the lightning to shame. “I’m so happy you’re here.” Jazz turned that beaming face to Belle. “He can help with the horses, and I’ll start calling parents to pick up early.” She looked at Quinn. “Is that okay with you?”

“Sure.” His answer was clear and confident.

No one bothered to ask her if she needed help. “I’m fine with the horses.”

The rain pounded harder as strong winds pushed water under the edges of the large covered arena. Quinn moved closer to the nervous mare’s head and brushed her muzzle. His hands were gentle as he calmed her. “She’s a beauty. At least we’re not at the open arena. You have your hands full with this small herd.”

She ignored his friendly chatter. They had probably told the poor man outrageous stuff about her to get him interested. Or made her sound like a charity case.

“Looks like parents have started to arrive,” Quinn observed. “My girls were excited about the horse-judging team. They’ve never been in anything like that. Do they need experience? We don’t own horses, much to their displeasure.” He flashed her a smile, and her feminine side, dormant for years, woke up and paid attention.

Settle down, girl. What had he asked? Oh, yeah, horses. “Most of the kids don’t. That’s why I bring these guys. Some of the kids just want to be around a horse. I’ll talk to your girls as soon as I get Lady in the trailer with Captain. He’ll keep her calm. I don’t want her panicking and hurting herself or any of the kids.”

Jazz slipped her phone into her pocket and leaned close to Belle’s ear. “Smile! Don’t be so grumpy.” Her voice was low, excited. “He’s the one Selena wanted you to meet. He’s cute, right?”

Belle rolled her eyes, then glanced at Quinn to make sure he hadn’t overheard.

Of course, he had. He had his head down, but the quirk at the corner of his mouth was a giveaway.

Great. Were they trying to embarrass her? What had she done to deserve this torture? Just because they were happily married didn’t mean she was missing out on anything.

She’d set them straight later. Of course, she’d done that before, and they’d ignored her.

Heading to the group of kids, Jazz waved at him. “Thanks for your help, Quinn.”

He nodded, then smiled. Belle sighed. Of course he was better looking when he smiled. The long lines that cut into his cheeks were too perfect.

The horses needed her full attention. The poor mare’s muscles were quivering under her beautiful roan coat.

“The girls have been excited since Cassie invited them to join the horse club at church a few weeks ago. Selena seemed thrilled. She said you’re the best with kids and horses.”

“Thanks.” Of course Selena was thrilled. Belle sighed again. The last thing she needed was to encourage her sisters-in-law’s matchmaking schemes or lead him on. “Sorry about Jazz and Selena. I find it best if I ignore them when they get...pushy.”

“That’s okay. Family, a blessing and a mess. They tend to think they know what’s best. But it’s all out of love. What can I do to help?”

That had to be a trick. She waited for Quinn to tell her what she needed to do or how she was doing it wrong. “I’m going to load Little Lady into the trailer, but I don’t want to leave her alone. If you could follow with Cap, that would help. He’s the big bay. With him by her side, she’ll be settled.” She headed off.

Without an argument, he did as she asked, leading the big guy to her with confidence that spoke of his familiarity with horses. He stopped at the trailer. “Are you ready for us?”

“Bring him in.”

The trailer shifted as he loaded the gelding. Belle took the lead and secured him. “Thanks.”

Quinn exited and waited for her at the gate. Once out, Belle slid the latch into place.

He nodded over his shoulder. “What about the other three horses?”

She had planned to use them for the demo tonight, but now it might be easier to load the trailer and be ready to leave. A couple of parents had already picked up their kids.

A gust of wind pushed up under the metal roof. “I should get them all in and settled.”

“How far are you driving? This weather’s getting ugly.”

“I’ve handled worse. I’ve helped evacuate with a hurricane barreling down on us.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That had to be terrifying. Which one do you want next? Do they have an order they travel in?”

“They do.” And that he knew to ask shouldn’t impress her. “Clyde’s next.”

They worked together to walk the rest of the horses into the trailer. She reached to shut the gate, but he was already swinging it closed.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself he was behaving like her brother or cousins would. It was not a personal insult to her abilities.

They joined Jazz with the kids.

There were a couple of children left. “Thank you for the help. We’re good,” she told him. “You should take your girls home.”

He placed a black cowboy hat on his head and rested one boot on the bench next to the twin girls she had met earlier. Were they his? He leaned forward, arms crossed over his knee, and glanced at the trailer then her with a frown. “You’re driving the five-horse trailer alone?”

“No, I have Cassie and Lucy.” Don’t be insulted.

The crease lines around his blue eyes deepened. “So, you’re driving with two kids and five horses? How far? Someone should follow you at least.”

A siren sounded from Main Street, heading toward the other side of town. She said a quick prayer, then looked at her wannabe hero.

The one she didn’t need.

Why couldn’t men see she was accomplished at handling whatever life threw at her? Either they had a hard time seeing her as competent enough to take care of herself and her girls, or they didn’t see her at all. She wasn’t sure which was worse.

She smiled; it was tight, but she didn’t growl. Yay, her. “I’m more than capable of getting the horses and my girls home.”

“I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t—”

“Izabella!” Everyone turned at the booming voice.

She tilted her head and groaned. Xavier was stomping across the arena. Her cousin had been away for three years but still treated her like a little sister who needed protecting.

“What are you and Jazz still doing here? You should be at home and locked down. I’ll follow you out to the ranch.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Quinn straighten and cross his arms. His lips twitched as if trying to suppress a grin. Complete failure on his part.

“We had to make sure all the kids were picked up and safe. I couldn’t just take off. The horses are loaded, and as soon as the last kid is gone, I’m heading to the ranch.”

Tanner Hernandez jumped up. “My dad’s here. Bye, Ms. Belle.”

Now they were down to her family and Quinn’s. The identical twins had to be his daughters. They had his sharp blue eyes, but the resemblance stopped there. Their thick dark lashes were so long they looked fake, and their perfectly straight, sleek black hair fell to the middle of their backs.

They were fine-boned and delicate. Their matching features created a picture of sweetness and innocence straight out of a fairy tale. Then they smiled. Wow.

She glanced at Quinn. They had to look like their mother. If that was the kind of woman he was attracted to, her sisters-in-law’s matchmaking plot had never stood a chance.

She was about as opposite as a woman could get. Towering over the girls, she wiped her hands on her filled-out jeans before offering one to them. “Hi. Meg and Hannah, right?” She had met them briefly before the meeting started. “I’m so glad you could make it. Sorry about not getting to work with the horses tonight. Next time, okay?”

They nodded, their movements synchronized.

Jazz introduced Xavier to Quinn.

“Mom.” Cassie took Belle’s hand and smiled the smile that meant she wanted something. “Since we didn’t get to go to the horse club, can they come home with us and spend the night?”

The twins’ eyes filled with joy. They turned to their dad, hope in full force. “Could we?”

“Please?” all three girls said as one.

He started shaking his head no, and the girls’ faces instantly fell.

It had to be hard to be the new girls in a small town, with all the friendships long ago established in preschool. Her heart went out to them. She knew too well the feeling of wanting to belong. “Hey, how about if they go with me? You could follow to make sure we all get there safe and sound. You can check out the house and come back in the morning. I make a pretty mean breakfast.”

“That she does.” Xavier rubbed the head of her youngest daughter, Lucy. “Her cinnamon rolls alone are worth the trip.”

Belle hit him in the arm.

“What did I do?”

Ignoring him, she turned to Quinn. His girls hadn’t said another word, but...those eyes. How did he ever tell them no?

Then again, she imagined he didn’t hear no very often, either. Which reinforced the reason she needed to stay clear of him. Not the kind of man she wanted to be interested in. Not that she wanted to be interested in any man.

He hugged his daughters close and smiled at her again.

Quinn relaxed his gritted teeth. His first instinct was to tell them no. He never let them spend the night away. Then again, they were nine; the age other girls had sleepovers and made friends.

Plus, there was the matter of Belle De La Rosa. He knew there was matchmaking on the brains of some of the women in the playgroup. It happened every time he moved to a new town.

Married folks didn’t like seeing single people run around unattached, even if said single people insisted that they were perfectly happy with the situation. He didn’t want to get involved, to start over and drag his kids through the uncertainty of a new relationship.

Belle De La Rosa stood her ground with confidence and assurance. He’d never met a woman like her. She was almost as tall as him, her features strong, but in a stunning way he would never have expected he would be drawn to.

But it didn’t matter. He was not on the market, and she’d made it clear she had no interest in him. Maybe it was her lack of interest that intrigued him.

Women weren’t usually so fast at shooting him down. It was always the other way around.

He grinned and blamed his fascination on a wounded ego.

“Daddy.” Meg’s big eyes were pleading. She stepped away from him so that she could meet him eye to eye.

He sighed. “Okay. I’ll—” They cheered before he could finish his sentence.

Xavier patted him on the shoulder. “Good. I’ll make sure Jazz gets home safe, and I’ll leave Belle to you.” He grinned.

Belle slammed her fists on her hips. “Not you, too. This is ridiculous.” She turned to Quinn. “I’m sorry about my family. Just ignore them. For the most part, they’re harmless.”

Her cousin didn’t look harmless. He stood well over six feet, and his arms alone could do damage. It was clear that no one with a brain would mess with him or his loved ones. “Let me call my mother-in-law and tell her I’ll be a little late.”

He stepped away from the small group. The girls were chatting excitedly about sharing clothes. Oh, they’d need a change of clothes. The call went to voice mail.

He frowned and looked at the screen. She always answered. He tried again.

His heart raced. Gina was alone with Jonah. Thoughts swirled of all the possibilities. His son was only four; if something happened to his grandmother, he wouldn’t know what to do.

Another call came in. It was a local area code. No one around here had a reason to call him this late.

Controlling his breath, he answered. “Quinn here.”

“Oh, Quinn. I was having a hard time remembering your number.” He relaxed a little at the sound of his mother-in-law’s voice. “We’re fine, but there’s been a little accident.”

The calm was short-lived. “Where’s Jonah? What kind of accident? Why are you calling on someone else’s phone?” A million worst-case scenarios ran through his brain. He knew how life could change in one blinding second.

The rain slammed against the roof as the wind picked up. He couldn’t hear what she said. “Where are you?” His instinct to get in the Land Rover and go to them needed to be controlled. He needed facts. Then he would know what to do next.

“The sheriff has us in his car. He’s very nice.” Her accent started slipping through. She’d been eight when her grandparents had brought her to the States from Japan. Her accent surfaced only when she was tired or anxious.

He wanted to yell at her, but she was talking, so it couldn’t be that bad. “What happened?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Lightning maybe? But there’s a little fire at the back of the house. I dropped my phone when I grabbed Jonah. You aren’t breathing, are you? Son, the important part is that we are okay. So, breathe.”

No, he wasn’t breathing. His son had been in danger, and he hadn’t been there to keep him safe. For a moment, fear of what could have happened gripped him. He had promised his wife that he’d always protect their children. She had died holding their newborn son in her arms.

Now he had two jobs: take care of their family and grow the Yamazaki Marine Foundation, his wife’s legacy. His mother-in-law trusted him with the foundation her husband had started, which had then been expanded under Quinn’s wife’s leadership.

“Quinn. We’re safe and waiting for you here with the nice sheriff. Bye.” She hung up.

He stared at his phone. Gina Yamazaki, his mother-in-law, was counting on him for so much, maybe more than he could accomplish. His wife and her father had been geniuses, way above anything he could do. But with them gone, it was up to him to continue the work they’d begun.

Protecting the oceans around the world hadn’t just been a job for them; it had been their life’s passion. His father-in-law had sold the family business and put all his wealth into the Foundation.

Quinn glanced at the woman who had stirred unexpected thoughts and gritted his teeth. He needed to stay focused on the job. Distractions were dangerous all the way around.