Kitabı oku: «The Texan's Promise»

Chapter Three

As the sun touched the land the next morning, Belle turned the horses out. She stood at the fence and watched them run. The air was fresh with wet earth, and the sky was clear. No sign of the storm.

She hadn’t ridden the southwest pastures in a while.

Fence day was on her schedule this morning. Starting her daily ritual, she patted the post next to her as she spoke to it. “Oh, Guardians of the Pastures, it’s time to visit your brothers-in-arms in a faraway land.”

She rolled her eyes at herself. Really, Izabella, you need more time with adults. This was what happened to someone who didn’t have time for people.

Selena might be right to worry about her holding conversations with objects. At least they weren’t answering back yet.

“Mom!” Cassie came running around the barn with her five-year-old sister and Frog, their Australian shepherd, close on her heels. That dog rarely left their sides. “We did our morning inside chores. Can we go to Cabin Two? We want to show Meg and Hannah the baby goats.”

Lucy nodded, her dark curls flying around her face. “And the chickens.”

Belle waved Lucy over to her and slipped the rubber band off her wrist and onto her daughter’s unruly hair. “It’s early and Meg and Hannah had a long night. Feed the chickens and gather the eggs. I’ll cook some breakfast and, before we feed the goats, I’ll call and see if they want to come over. They have a lot to deal with, so I’m not sure what their dad wants to do.”

Lucy pouted. Cassie’s shoulders slumped. “But they wanted to feed the baby goats and I told them they could help. They were super excited.”

Before she could say anything, her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Girls, I’m not arguing about this. The chickens are waiting for you.”

Heads down, they moved to the henhouse as if they’d lost their puppies. She shook her head. So dramatic.

Her phone vibrated again. It was Quinn. “Hi, Quinn. Sorry, I was distracted.”

“No problem. I assumed that running a ranch you’d be up already. The girls are driving me crazy saying that they’re supposed to help bottle-feed baby goats this morning. Do you know anything about this?”

She laughed. “We’re going to have to watch our girls very carefully. They’re plotters. Poor Jonah doesn’t have a chance. Cassie told me they’d asked to help feed the goats.”

He groaned. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to them about inviting themselves.”

“I’m pretty sure Cassie organized all of this. She has a knack. I know you have a lot to deal with today. Why don’t you bring them over to the house? In another hour I’ll have breakfast ready. You and Gina can join us. The kids can hang out with me today while you take care of the house.”

“Three extra kids? That’s a lot.”

“Nah. Around here, that’s the norm. Yours are all potty trained and can feed themselves. That’s a bonus. You remember Xavier? He has triplets. Two-year-old triplets. And my brother’s little girl is here all the time, too. She’s six. Yours will fit in fine, and if they don’t, I promise to call.”

“So, it’s okay if we come over?”

“Sure. In fact, I’ll be driving past your place, so I can pick you up—I have to drop some mail off to Damian.”

“Damian?”

“Yes. Another De La Rosa. We’re everywhere. Xavier’s younger brother. He lives in the farthest cabin.”

“Okay.”

With a slight shift in plans, Belle loaded the girls into the old Suburban, gathered the Sinclair clan and went by Damian’s. As usual, her cousin was sitting on the porch, looking as though he were on guard. His two Belgian Malinois sat on either side of him. She hadn’t even heard of the dog breed until he’d come back from the army with one. Now he had two. They were as silent and stoic as their master.

“Stay here. I’m going to give Damian his mail. He doesn’t like strangers.”

As she climbed out, she heard Lucy say, “He likes horses and dogs. He doesn’t like people at all.”

She shook her head. Were they making it worse, letting Damian hide from the world? Everyone was afraid to force the issue. He was safe out here. But was it enough? Would he ever be happy?

A few words, very few, and they were on their way to the barns. Once inside, she loved the sound of all the childish giggles as they took turns bottle-feeding the four goats. A local rancher had given them to her to hand-raise after their mother had abandoned them.

The morning flew by. Before she knew it, all the chores were done, and breakfast was eaten. As she made her way to the stables, Elijah joined her to help check the fences.

Jazz and her daughter, Rosie, were hanging out until after lunch. Then Jazz would be heading to town for a meeting.

The best part was that Gina had volunteered to watch the kids for the rest of the day. Her girls didn’t have grandparents of their own, so they were eating up the attention and already calling her Baba. She would be added to the list of adopted grandparents her girls were collecting. They craved family connections, and Belle was grateful that Xavier’s and Elijah’s in-laws accepted her daughters, too.

Out in the pastures with Elijah, she discovered that the storm had caused more damage than she’d predicted, and they didn’t get home until the sun was close to the western horizon. Horses put away, Elijah headed for his truck, and she went to the back porch. Gina was in a rocker, reading.

“Sorry. We’re later than I thought we’d be. Have you heard from Quinn?”

Looking over her glasses, she nodded. “My car is totaled, but the insurance company is being difficult. Everything in the kids’ rooms is a total loss.” She shook her head. “Every time I start thinking of all the little things we lost, I get overwhelmed, so I’m reading. We’re all safe and have a place to stay. Thank you for your help.”

“De nada. Reading’s a good strategy. It’s one of my favorites. Where are the kids? Are they inside?”

“They watched a movie, then asked to go out to the garden.” She pointed to the large area surrounded by the tall fence.

As Belle headed toward the garden, she planned out the next week in her head. She reflected that ranch work was hard, but it recharged her heart, mind and body. She reached the garden gate. “Cassie?”

No answer. “Lucy?”

She stood in the center of the garden and listened. Five kids should make some noise. “Cassie. Lucy. I’m tired and not in the mood for hide-and-seek.” They loved hiding in the garden. The walls of green bean runners and bamboo teepees were not yet covered with cucumber vines, but it still made for cozy hiding places. It was early in the season, and plants weren’t as solid as they’d be in another month.

They weren’t there. Had they gone inside without Gina seeing them?

She walked through the garden again. It was a quarter of an acre, so there was some space to cover.

She called their names. The back gate was open. Her heart fluttered. Her girls knew better than to take off away from the house without adult permission.

But they had new friends to impress. Standing outside the garden, she called all their names. There was a path that went to the barns. Maybe they had gone to play with the goats.

Her dog was missing, too. That made her feel a little better. That dog would be barking like crazy if anything was wrong. Jogging to the goat barn, she rushed through the doors, calling their names. Nothing.

Don’t panic. They’re here somewhere. The chickens. Kids found chicks irresistible. Deep breaths and long strides got her to the large chicken coop. No kids.

It was time to call for help. Elijah wouldn’t be too far out, and she needed to call Quinn. Maybe the kids had gone to the cabin.

On the way back to the house, she called her brother. He immediately turned around. Then she called Quinn. She’d promised him his kids would be safe with her. She wanted to throw up.

Gina was still in the rocker. Her chin was down as if she was sleeping.

“Gina.” Belle shook her gently on the shoulder.

Sitting straight up, the older woman blinked to clear her eyes. “Everything all right?”

“The kids left the garden. I went to the barns, but they weren’t there. They might have gone to the cabin. Elijah’s on his way, and I left a message for Quinn. I’m going to walk to your cabin on the back path. My girls would have known about the path connecting the house to the cabins. You stay here and keep an eye out. Tell Elijah and Quinn where I am. One of them should drive to the cabin. The other can follow me on the path. Okay?”

Oh, no. Tears were forming in Gina’s eyes. “I thought they’d be okay in the garden.” She stood. “Let me help find them.”

“I need you to stay here. Elijah and Quinn are coming here, and I might miss the kids if they come back to the house. So, stay here.”

Gina walked to the railing and scanned the area. “Okay.”

Jumping off the porch, Belle dashed to the back of the garden and slowly started tracking the path they’d have taken if they’d gone to the cabin.

Cassie was old enough to understand the dangers. What had led them to leave the garden? Something moved behind her. Heart pounding, she turned. Someone was walking through the thicket. Someone larger than a child.

Belle crouched, putting herself in a better position to run or charge depending on what was needed. She had her knife on her belt, but no gun.

The thicket was pushed back, and she saw a black cowboy hat. Clear blue eyes met hers. Quinn.

She stood and sighed. “I’m so happy to see you. You got here really fast.”

His mouth was tight. “I was pulling up to the house when you left the message. My phone is off while I’m driving. Gina sent me this way. Have you seen the kids? How long have they been missing?”

Returning to the trail, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Less than forty-five minutes, longer than thirty.” Her phone vibrated. “Elijah sent a message. He’s driving straight to the cabin. If they’re not there, he’ll get Damian and Xavier on horseback, and they’ll cover more ground. But I think we’ll find them between here and the cabin.” She pointed to some of the shrubs. “The branches are broken, and grass is trampled here.”

She stopped. The thicket was pushed back. “It looks like someone went off-trail.” Crouching, she pushed her way through the smaller area. She was too big for this.

“Did you find something?” He was right behind her.

“Cassie,” she called. Her heart raced.

“Mama. Shhh. You’ll scare them.” Cassie’s voice came from deep in the underbrush, somewhere to the left of her. Belle’s faithful dog, Frog, was flat on her belly, pressed against Cassie. Her brown and blue eyes shifted, then looked away, guilty.

“Cassandra De La Rosa Perez!” She wanted to cry in relief and yell in anger all at the same time.

One of the twins came out of the thicket, her dark blue eyes shining with excitement. “We’ve been tracking kittens. They’re lost and hungry. But every time we get close, they run again.” She put her fingers to her lips. “They’re getting tired. One keeps falling. We want to help them, but they’re scared of us.”

“Sweetheart, you know to leave animals alone. Their mother is probably looking for them. We were scared because you said you’d stay in the garden, but you didn’t. Baba is scared and worried. I was worried. We have Cassie and Lucy’s uncles looking for you.”

The other twin came out holding her brother’s hand. “Daddy, when you see them, you’ll understand. They don’t have a mother. They’re super skinny, and they look sick and beat-up. They need help and we were the only ones around.”

He groaned and tilted his head. “Even more of a reason not to follow them. You should have told Baba and waited for us.” He went around Belle and knelt in front of his children. “You are in major trouble, and we will figure out a consequence. First, apologize to Ms. De La Rosa.”

All three turned to her and said they were sorry for scaring her and leaving the garden.

“Where are these orphaned kittens?” she asked.

They turned and crouched to get through the thick undergrowth. Belle crawled through the little tunnel they had made to follow the kittens. Cassie was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. Lucy was flat on her stomach. Her arms stretched out in front of her, reaching farther into an area Belle couldn’t see due to the branches and plants.

“Lucy! What are you doing? There could be snakes or all sorts of things that could hurt y’all.”

Cassie looked up at her. Big tears hovered in her gray-green De La Rosa eyes. “Mama. They’re hurt and sick. Lucy’s letting them get used to her so she can get close enough to grab them. Please, Mama. I know we should have told you, but they were running away, and if we didn’t follow, we’d lose them.” The tears fell. Her baby had the biggest heart.

Crawling her way to them, Belle grimaced, sure she was tearing and staining her clothes past repair as she made her way through the thick bush. “Where are they?”

Cassie pointed, and Belle looked through the branches of the shrubs. In a bed of dried leaves, two spotted kittens were curled around each other. The girls were right. They didn’t look like they’d make it much longer.

Quinn was at her shoulder. A strange noise escaped his throat. “Oh, sweetheart. Those aren’t domestic kittens. It looks like you found a pair of ocelots.”

Turning, eyes wide, Belle looked at him. “Here? But they’re endangered.”

He leaned closer. “Yeah, just a handful left in the wild, and they like to hide. The girls are right. These guys have been orphaned.”

Lucy wiggled closer. “I touched one,” she whispered.

“Easy, baby.” Belle put her hand on her youngest daughter’s shoulder. “These are wild animals.”

“But I can reach it now.” Her voice hushed as she focused on the small cats.

After taking off his long-sleeved button-up, Quinn stretched out beside her. That was a major accomplishment. The space was small, and he wasn’t. The undergrowth was cutting at his now bare arms. His cotton T-shirt didn’t provide much protection.

“Can you slowly pull the cub closer to me?”

Lucy nodded, and with her tongue out in concentration, she gently brought the furball closer to them. Everyone held their breaths.

The furball hissed as he wrapped it in his shirt. “Okay. Good job. Can you get the other one?”

She nodded and moved deeper into the thicket. After a little wiggling and slow-motion movement, she handed the second one to him.

“They’re both females,” he said, carefully studying them. “They look dehydrated and malnourished, but they’re definitely ocelots.” His eyes shimmered with excitement. “De La Rosas, you have ocelots living on your ranch. It’s amazing.”

The kids crowded around him. “Can we keep them?”

“No. We can nurture them back to health, but they’re wild animals and need to live in their natural habitat.”

Jonah reached for one of the cats.

“Careful, son. You can look at them, but we don’t want to handle them too much.”

“We found them, and they don’t have parents. We should keep them. We feed the baby goats and raise baby chickens.” Cassie’s eyes were gathering tears.

Belle took her daughter’s hand. “Sweetheart, we have no clue what wildcats need.”

“I’ll call the local game warden and report the ocelots. They’ll need to be released into the wild when they’re old enough. But we might be able to nurse them until then.”

“Daddy can do it. He’s a doctor,” one of Quinn’s girls said.

Belle’s head went from the tiny cats to his face. That was a surprise she didn’t see coming.

“Hannah.” His voice held a hint of warning. Then he glanced at Belle. “I’m not a medical doctor. I have a PhD in marine biology with a focus on coastal habitats. We can get these guys independent and back on their feet, then release them here on the ranch.” When they made eye contact this time, he held it. Like he had something to say but didn’t know how. “Belle, I’m not sure you understand the ramifications. This is a huge discovery.”

He had a PhD and she’d gotten a GED. She had a hard time looking away from him. Could he see her lack of education? Did he just accuse her of being slow?

In the distance, she heard the rumbling of a truck. “Oh.” Pulling her phone out, she dialed Elijah. “We need to call and let everyone know the kids are safe.” With a hard glare at Cassie, she listened to the rings. “Young lady, we will be talking about y’all leaving without a word. There were better ways to handle this.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Once she’d told Elijah the story, he said he’d contact everyone else.

“What’s the best way to tell Gina?” she asked. “She lost her phone. Will she answer the ranch line?”

“I just gave her a new phone.” He read out the number.

Belle could hear the tears in the poor woman’s voice as she explained the situation. Hanging up, she shook her head. Quinn had moved the kids to the path and was slowly heading to the house.

Putting an arm around her daughter, who was too stubborn for her own good, Belle lowered her voice. “Cassie, do you understand how scared she was? How horrible it was when we couldn’t find you? The first thing you will do is apologize to their grandmother.”

Quinn glanced at her, his lips in a tight line. “Hannah. Meg. After last night, this was the last thing Baba needed.”

So much for trying to keep it private. Cassie was clearly upset. “What about Lucy and Jonah? They left, too.”

“They’re little,” both parents said at the same time.

Belle looked at her youngest. “But, Lucy, you know better, too. You don’t leave the house area without an adult.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

One of the ocelots yawned and pushed a paw out of the shirt to touch Quinn’s face. He gently rubbed the kitten’s chin and said words so soft and low she couldn’t hear.

Her heart melted. No, Belle, it doesn’t matter if he is the male equivalent of Snow White. You are not interested in him.

The rest of the walk to the house was silent. Once there, Belle helped Quinn find a cozy box for the babies and helped him gather supplies to feed them.

Quinn firmly set limits on how close the kids could be to the sleeping ocelots. Now all five kids were flat on their stomachs in the living room, their chins resting on crossed arms as they watched the kittens as if they were the most interesting movie they’d ever seen.

“The kittens have to stay with us, because our daddy is the doctor.” One of the twins was already building her case for custody.

“But it’s our ranch and we’ve raised all sorts of animals.” Cassie looked over her shoulder. “Right, Mama?”

“I saw them first, so they’re ours,” Lucy argued. She wiggled closer and Jonah mirrored her action.

“Thanks.” Quinn put his phone in his pocket. The kids continued to debate shared custody, and Gina fussed over everyone, insisting she would feed them all.

“Belle.” He reached for her hand to pull her away from the kids and cats.

She studied his hand interlocked with hers. His was so large it made her look feminine. That didn’t happen often. They fit together well.

Normally she didn’t like to be touched and withdrew, but he was different. Why?

She jerked her hand back.

“Are you all right?” It was either pity or curiosity in his gaze. She couldn’t tell which.

Relaxing her shoulders and letting her arms drop, she smiled. “I don’t like being touched. I was just caught by surprise.”

“Sorry.” He nodded his head at the kids. “I wanted to get out of earshot.”

“Oh.” Heat climbed her neck up to her cheeks. She could feel it but couldn’t stop it. “What’s up?”

“I spoke to the game warden. With my certification, I can keep the kittens until they’re ready for release. Then I’ll work with a local game preserve to make sure they’re safe to return to the wild. You get to tell your girls.” He went to the archway and looked into the living room, where the kids were lined up on the floor. “They won’t be happy.”

“No. But we really don’t need another project, anyway. They’ll be fine, and it will give them an excuse to visit your kids.”

“I’d like to find a time to talk. How about dinner tomorrow night?”

“No. I don’t do dinner.”

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her as if she’d said something ridiculous.

“What? No one ever tells you no?”

Surprise etched his brow, but then he laughed. “I haven’t asked anyone to dinner in a very long time. I was confused when you said you don’t do dinner. As in, you have something against eating in the evening.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks burned again. “I eat dinner, just not with people. I mean, with men.” She groaned. “I don’t date. I want to be clear on the subject. I never go on dates.”

With a nod, Quinn went in to gather his family.

She needed to stay as far away as possible. One finger caressed the ruined skin that ran along her temple. If she had any unruly thoughts about this man, she needed to remember that there was no Prince Charming in the real world. This Cinderella had to save herself.

Chapter Four

Baba’s soothing voice drifted from the loft. She was reading to the kids in her native language. She’d also taught them Spanish, and last month she’d introduced them to German. She’d thought it best if the children weren’t exposed to his Texas accent while they were in the developing stages. He grinned. For years she had politely tried to hide her shudder when he attempted to speak anything other than English.

His wife would be pleased. Kari had mastered seven languages and dabbled in several others.

She’d laughed at his attempts to speak Japanese, but it had been important to both of them that their children speak it.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, ignoring the book in his lap. As the familiar sounds washed over him, he searched for Kari’s voice in his memories.

It was coming up on five years since he’d heard her laugh. That laugh had been the first thing that had drawn his attention to her. Like a fresh spring rain after a harsh drought, the sound had rolled across the campus library. He’d lost all concentration, and, in less than ten minutes, he’d found an excuse to join her table.

That moment had changed the direction of his life. In a very good way. He had been lost after the sudden death of his parents.

Quinn focused on his breathing. In less than a week, Jonah would turn five. The day would mark the date he’d held his son for the first time. And held his wife for the last.

His eyes burned as he worked to anchor her voice to the front of his brain.

That was where he wanted it, but it was slipping farther away, becoming less tangible each year. Forgetting her would be a travesty. She deserved better from him.

Everything good in his life was due to her. He’d still be an aimless surfer with too much useless education and no purpose if it hadn’t been for her.

If only he’d been stronger and insisted she stay in the States...or he could have canceled his trip and stayed home. Someone else could have gone.

There had been options that wouldn’t have led to her death on the side of a washed-out road in the jungles of a developing country. Because of him, she had died with only him next to her as she gave birth to their son.

All she had asked of him was to love their children enough for both of them. He had been useless, promising he’d love her forever, but she had still slipped from him.

He flexed his fingers and studied his hands. Useless.

They’d been single-minded in their goals and thought themselves invincible.

As passionate as she was about their mission, it hadn’t been worth her life.

Abandoning the novel, he picked up the Bible on the side table. God, hold me. He flipped to Kari’s favorite verse, John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

But he was afraid. He was afraid of Kari fading from his mind. His gut turned as another woman crossed his thoughts. A woman who was going to hate him when she learned why he was in town.

Slouching farther into the chair, he sighed. Tonight, prayer didn’t help. An ugly rage at God hissed and clawed at him as he pushed it down. The anger only exposed his guilt. He should have been the one to die. Sitting up, he rubbed his temples. This train of thought was not good for anyone, especially his children. He had promised to put them first, always.

Soft rustling told him that Gina was descending the small spiral stairs. He helped her alight and tried to lead her to the room where she slept.

With a shake of her head, she quietly but stubbornly went to the kitchen to make tea. Biting back a groan, he sat in his chair. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. If he were smart, he would pull out the sofa bed before she finished and pretend to be asleep, but it had become a habit for them to talk about the day before they called it a night.

“Quinn, son.” Her voice was gentle, but there was no denying the hard edge. She wanted to talk, and they would not be going to sleep until he heard what was on her mind.

With a sigh, he lifted his head and smiled at her. So polite but headstrong, just like her daughter.

“Jonah’s birthday will be here soon. Have you made any plans? He’s no longer a baby and will remember these days. Your actions or lack of them will be his childhood memories.”

How did she do it? It was also the anniversary of her only child’s death. A death that was his fault. Kari had been the better parent, partner, scientist. The better Christian. At times he wondered if God cared what happened down here at all. He tilted his head until the raw beams of the ceiling filled his view and cleared his thoughts.

They would only upset this dear woman. He didn’t warrant her loyalty or love.

Shifting to be closer to her, he smiled. “Where did the time go? I can’t believe it’s been five years.”

For a moment, there was a shine in her dark eyes.

Great. He was going to make her cry. She never cried.

The kettle whistled. Gina moved around the little kitchen and lined up her supplies. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, thank you.” He’d already upset her enough tonight. “Gina, I’m sorry—”

“We can’t be sad.” Her back to him, she stood on tiptoe to pull two chunky mugs from the open cabinet.

He made a mental note to replace the delicate teacups she had lost to the fire. It wasn’t much, but he could at least do that for her. She went through the process of making tea, each movement full of intent and purpose.

Handing a cup to him, she sat. “Ask Belle. She knows the area and has connections with many of the children. Maybe she can help set it up. We need to do something special for him.” She leaned forward. “I know it’s a difficult day, but it wasn’t his fault.”

“I know that.” No, Kari’s death was squarely on his shoulders alone. The man who had promised to love, honor and protect her. “I’ll talk to Belle. I’m not sure she’ll be able to help on such short notice or want to help us once I tell her we are here to stop any development along the beach.”

He needed to talk to her about several things. The welcome they’d been enjoying on the ranch might be withdrawn.

Silence lingered as they each became lost in their own thoughts. After an hour, his mother-in-law gathered the cups and washed them. With a soft “Good night,” she went to the bedroom.

He was so tired he thought about sleeping in the recliner. Checking his watch, he noted it was time to feed the baby ocelots. Then he’d check on his own babies.

The hungry ocelots quickly fell back to sleep after getting their milk.

In the loft, he found all three in one of the lower bunk beds. At least it was a double. He eyed the empty twin. Maybe he’d sleep up here with them. Hannah opened her sleepy eyes. “Jonah didn’t want to sleep alone. He misses Buck. He couldn’t decide who he wanted to sleep with. Did the babies eat?”

She was so much like her mother, always worried about everyone else. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, brushing her silky black hair. “Yes. They’re all tucked in.”

He slipped off his boots and lay down on the quilt that covered the empty bed. He watched as Hannah snuggled closer to Jonah. The boy was tucked in tightly between his sisters.

Quinn set his alarm but had a feeling the girls wouldn’t need him to wake them in time to feed the baby goats.

He’d thought marine biologists woke up early, but ranchers’ morning hours were ridiculously inhuman. His eyes gave in, and sleep claimed him. He dreamed of a rancher who walked with a fierceness that dared the world to mess with her or the ones she loved. Dark wild curls fanned out around her as she swung onto a horse and took off.

In some ways she was the opposite of his wife; in other ways they were too much alike.

The bumps on the dirt road went right along with his foul mood. As the goat barn came into view, the happy chatter of his children contrasted starkly with the heavy cloud in his brain.

This time of year, as spring brought new life to the world around him, he struggled with dark emotions. He tried praying, but his thoughts bounced. He didn’t want to admit it out loud, but he’d rather not talk to God.

Which only made matters worse. He needed to pull himself out of this funk before it bled over to his kids.

His hands gripped the steering wheel much tighter than necessary. How could his brain allow another woman to slip into his dreams? It was the ultimate betrayal to the woman who deserved his loyalty. He would only ever love Kari.

And now he was on his way to ask for the other woman’s help to celebrate his son’s birthday. That was what he needed to focus on. Jonah. Kari would want this day to be filled with joy for Jonah.

Gina had insisted on coming along so she could watch the kids while he spoke with Belle. He also knew that she hated sitting around with nothing to do.

He glanced at his son. Jonah deserved his birthday to be full of smiles and all the silliness of a five-year-old. Long ago Quinn had made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t let his guilt be transferred to his son, even by accident.

Before he could cut the engine, all three kids were out of their seat belts and running to the barn. He followed them. Gina walked beside him with slow, measured steps. She’d never been one to hurry.

“She might not want to help us, you know.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Just because she’s a single mom doesn’t mean she’s a party planner for every kid that comes through her town.”

“She’s a caregiver, not just a mother to her children. You can see it in the way she cares for everyone around her. Just explain. She’ll want to help. I also have faith that she will do the right thing when it comes to the land.”

His mother-in-law had always been way too optimistic. By the time he and Gina entered the barn, his three had joined Belle’s girls as if they were old pros at hand-feeding orphaned goats.

Lucy, Belle’s youngest, ran to him. “How are the babies? Did you bring them?”

“No. They’re tucked away safely in their crate. We don’t want to move them around too much.”

Cassie herded them all out to feed the chickens and Gina followed.

A tractor stood nearby, its hood open. Belle was working on it. She tossed a rag to the side, picked up a wrench and went back to work.

“You need any help?”

She stood, shaking her head as she made eye contact. Her long braid fell down the center of her back and, for a moment, he wanted to unbraid it and see what it looked like free.

“I need a new tractor, but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon. You don’t know anything about carburetors, do you?”

That brought him back to the present. He wasn’t sure he’d even recognize one. “My offer to help was more like ‘Is there someone I can call for you?’”

She laughed. “On a ranch, you take care of things yourself. There’s no calling.”

At the sound of her laughter, his skin tightened, and he leaned closer to her. He scowled at his reaction. Going to the other side of the tractor, he put distance between them. “How long have you been running this place?”

Hands on her hips, she glared at the engine. “Feels like my whole life. I left for a little bit, trying to save a marriage that wasn’t worth saving. My uncle needed me here. The boys had all left him—or he’d kicked them out, depending on who you talk to. He wasn’t doing well, so I stepped in to make sure the ranch kept running.”

“I’m still a bit confused as to who owns the ranch and how you’re all related.”

She laughed as she wiped a wrench. “So are we. Technically Xavier, Damian and their little sister, Gabby, own the majority. My mom owns some, but she’s missing. I’ve managed the ranch for several years now.”

“You had to be awful young when Cassie was born.”

She shifted to the side, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah. I was sixteen.”

Okay, that surprised him. Sixteen. “Wow.”

Her gaze dropped, but her jaw tightened. He was getting too personal. “Sorry. That wasn’t the reason I wanted to speak to you, anyway. I have something to ask you.”

Her shoulders relaxed, and she rolled her neck. With a slight curve to her lips, she looked at him. “What can I help you with?”

“Jonah is turning five this weekend. I know there’s not much time, but five is a big deal and I want him to have a good time, but I have no idea what to do. Since you’re from here, I thought you might have an idea or know kids we can invite to his birthday party. With his mother gone, I’m not good at this kind of thing, but he’s getting older and it was the day we lost her, so...” Stop talking now. “I want him to have good memories. Could you help us?”

Her brilliant eyes went soft. “Oh. Did she die giving birth?” She wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, not my business.”

“It’s okay. It was almost five years ago. We were traveling in South America. Jonah doesn’t have any memories of her. I tend to struggle with the day because we lost her, but I want him to feel special on his birthday. He’ll remember this one. I need more than just a cake and a song. I don’t know what to do. Kari, my wife, always planned the girls’ parties.” He pressed his lips together to stop talking.

Her eyes went wide, and he saw her making the connections. “Oh. I’m so sorry.” She reached forward and placed a hand on his arm. “I can help. I happen to personally know someone who owns a pirate ship that is perfect for a five-year-old’s birthday. My brother, Elijah. I can ask him. If they’re booked, they have a private party room upstairs at the Painted Dolphin. It overlooks the Gulf. If not, we can do something here on the ranch. We have a long strip of beach and horses. We can make sure he has the best memories for his birthday.”

“A pirate ship? Wow.” He chuckled. “That sounds like something Kari would have loved. My kids, too. They love reading adventure stories and have scary crazy imaginations. Gina told me you’d have the connections.” He leaned closer and whispered, “Once again, she was right. Let’s not tell her, okay?”

“I wondered why your mother-in-law was staying with you. She must be a great help.”

“Kari was an only child, so Gina has been with us ever since Jonah was born.”

He stopped. She’d been with Kari when the girls were born. Had traveled with them most of the time. But not that trip. Did she feel as guilty as he did? He shook his head. He’d have to talk to her later. “I don’t know what I would have done without her. All the traveling for my job can make it necessary to have a full-time caregiver.”

“Being a single parent makes any job even harder.” She tossed another tool back into the box.

“You seem to have good family support. Does your ex help with the kids, too?” He wanted to pull the question back as he was asking it. It was too personal.

“No. He moved out of state. There were issues, but he never was involved with the girls, even when we were married. The ranch is hard work but is a great place for my girls. The only home we’ve even known. We all want a place we’re connected to. I wanted this to be a safe harbor for my family. Xavier, Damian and Elijah have each had their issues and Frank had chased them away. They needed a place to heal.”

The happy voices of their children stopped the questions he wanted to ask. Elijah approached, following the small herd of little people. They were telling him about the ocelot kittens.

This was a good interruption. They were getting more personal than Quinn was comfortable with. He wanted to dig for more information about her, not just about the ranch. Not good.

The woman standing in front of him intrigued him in ways he didn’t like.