“What do you say, buddy?” Quinn held out the brush to Teddy. “You ready to give her a good grooming?”
Teddy released Stargazer and met Quinn’s gaze for a brief second before taking the brush. Quinn walked the mare to the rear of Summer’s car where there was more room to maneuver. Teddy approached Stargazer and began methodically running the brush along her side and down her legs. The mare snorted lustily and lowered her head, appearing to relish the attention.
Quinn thought about leaving, but then Summer spoke, giving him reason to believe she’d read his earlier thoughts.
“I’m always amazed at how he interacts with the horses. Our dog, Paw Paw, too. Why is it special-needs children can form bonds with animals when they don’t or can’t with people? I see it all the time with the students at the learning center.”
“Speaking for myself, I’ve rarely met a horse or dog I didn’t like. Now, people on the other hand...”
She laughed softly, then quickly became quiet. “Hal picked up Teddy from after-school care without telling me. It’s why we’re late tonight and why Teddy’s upset. He doesn’t adapt well to changes in his routine. When I arrived at Hal’s, Teddy was in the throes of a major meltdown. Hal and his wife acted like they had everything under control. They didn’t, and I’m sure they were secretly thrilled I showed up when I did.”
Quinn didn’t like learning that his suspicions regarding Hal were founded. “Can he do that? Just take Teddy from school?”
“As was pointed out to me by the girl on duty, he’s on the list. Of course, I have his name added in case of an emergency. But he’s never picked up Teddy. Not once in the year he’s been going to the center.”
“Why today?”
“A power struggle, I suppose.”
“It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “I don’t buy that for one minute. Hal’s problems are with me.”
Quinn wasn’t convinced. The fact that Hal had picked up Teddy from school literally minutes after he and Quinn met was too much of a coincidence. Whatever Quinn and Summer had, friendship or something more, was bound to cause her trouble. Better he maintain his distance.
“I should get back to the lessons.” He hitched his chin in the direction of the arena. “Cara’s waiting.”
“Okay.” She gave him a little smile. “See you later.”
“Staaa.”
Quinn looked down to see Teddy had a hold of his belt, the same one with the galloping horses.
“Staaa,” the boy repeated.
“Mr. Crenshaw has things he needs to do,” Summer said with forced cheerfulness.
Teddy grunted, a severe frown creasing his brow.
Against his better judgment, Quinn relented. “Just a few more minutes.”
Teddy’s frown promptly vanished, and he resumed brushing Stargazer.
“But only if you clean her hooves.” Quinn passed the lead rope to Summer and removed the hoof pick from his pocket. Bending down beside Stargazer, he lifted her front leg and balanced the upturned hoof above his knee. “Well?” he said to Teddy when Teddy didn’t move.
Slowly, very slowly, the boy came and stood across from Quinn, the mare’s hoof between them. Quinn showed Teddy how to clean the hoof, digging out and knocking free clumps of dirt and tiny stones from the shallow grooves. Teddy stared, fixated.
“You try.” He handed the pick to Teddy, observing him carefully.
The boy managed to free the last of the dirt from beneath the metal shoe.
“Good. Now we do the others.” Together, they repeated the process on all three remaining hooves. “Can you walk her?”
Quinn indicated to Summer that she should relinquish the mare to Teddy. He clutched the lead rope to his middle and started forward, Stargazer plodding along behind him.
“Don’t go far,” Summer said. “Stay where I can see you.”
“What’s the reason he hasn’t ridden yet?” Quinn asked. “He seems comfortable around horses.”
“It’s not that. He won’t let anyone lift him into the saddle.”
“What about a stepladder? He could climb onto Stargazer himself.”
“We tried that during his first lesson. He’d have none of it.”
“Might be worth another try.”
She searched his face, seeking what, he wasn’t sure. “You’re an interesting man, Quinn Crenshaw. Not what I expected. Not in the least.”
“What were you expecting?”
“Someone angry and surly and brutish.”
“Brutish?” He was reminded of Popeye’s nemesis Brutus. “Should I be insulted?”
“You’re a good person.”
“I’ve been on my best behavior since coming here. In truth, every day’s a struggle.”
“Trust me, I understand.”
He supposed she did, more than most people.
Knowing it was wrong, he leaned in and lowered his head, the temptation to inhale her subtle fragrance and hear the slight intake of her breath too hard to resist.
“Quinn.” His name was a whisper on her lips. “I wish things were different.”
“I do, too.”
Kissing her would be a simple matter of capturing her mouth with his. He didn’t, though his gut told him she’d respond with an ardor she kept hidden.
“I...um...” She hesitated.
“Right.” Hadn’t he vowed mere minutes ago to avoid causing her trouble?
Quinn retreated a step, then walked away. Mistakes were easy to make, and he’d committed too many already in his life.
Eyes on the prize, he told himself. For Summer, it was her son’s health, happiness and quality of life. For Quinn, finding his daughter. No kiss, even with someone as appealing as Summer, was worth the risk.
* * *
“I CAN BARELY BREATHE.” Cole Dempsey yanked at his collar, loosening the black leather and silver bolo tie, then unfastening the tiny top buttons on his white dress shirt.
Quinn sympathized. His collar also fit like a choke hold. He thought he could tolerate it for the few hours he’d be required to wear the tuxedo. Josh and Cara’s wedding was in two weeks. They’d picked the Valley Community Church for their small, private ceremony, followed by a celebration of marriage at Dos Estrellas with over two hundred friends and family scheduled to attend.
Cole, as best man, would be sharing groomsman duties along with Quinn and Gabe, whose wedding to Reese was finally decided on and taking place next spring.
“Let me check it.” The clerk flipped Cole’s collar partially inside out in order to read the label. “We may need to go up a neck size.”
“May?” Cole asked, pretending to gasp for air.
“If you wait one minute, I’ll be right back with another shirt for you to try on.”
Cole nodded, then grunted when the tall, slim and impeccably dressed man speed walked away from them. He unfastened another button.
“Only for my brother would I wear this monkey suit.”
Quinn observed himself in the mirrors. Multiple images from various angles moved in unison as he turned to the left, then right. The tux—black, Western cut and an identical version of the one Cole wore—was a lot fancier than anything he’d worn before, including to his high school prom. It also beat the heck out of a prison jumpsuit.
He tugged on the jacket sleeves. “I’ve worn worse.”
If his cousin understood Quinn’s reference, he gave no indication. “You’re going to need to buy a new hat. That one’s ready for the trash heap.”
Quinn grabbed the crown and shoved the hat lower onto his head. Cole was right. He’d have to find the money for a new Stetson. This one, not new when he’d been arrested, showed its age.
Most of his first paycheck from the horse therapy
program had gone to the private investigator he’d rehired. Even then, it was only enough to cover one day’s service.
He’d get another paycheck next week. Still plenty of time to buy a new hat before the wedding.
“I thought when we were done here, you’d come with me to the sanctuary.” Cole stood at the set of mirrors next to Quinn’s, contemplating his reflection.
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“The next mustang adoption event is in three months. We need to handpick potential horses and begin training them, figuring out which ones are adoptable and which ones aren’t. The event raises a lot of money for the sanctuary and generates income for the ranch, too. Without the mustang sanctuary, Dos Estrellas would still be operating in the red.”
Quinn had heard about the ranch’s past financial woes from Josh. “Okay. Sounds good.”
Cole gave himself a long look in the mirrors.
Quinn suppressed a grin. Cole might have complained about wearing the tuxedo, but he clearly liked what he saw. And with good reason. The tuxes brought out the best in both of them.
What would Summer think when she got a look at him? She, of course, was Cara’s maid of honor. Cole’s girlfriend, Violet, had been paired with Quinn while Gabe and his fiancée, Reese, were the third couple. At least, Quinn thought that was right. He admitted to some confusion. The intricacies of the Dempsey family weren’t always easy to understand.
The clerk returned with a new shirt for Cole to try on. He took it and disappeared into the dressing room, leaving the clerk to fuss over Quinn. The man checked and marked the length of Quinn’s pant legs and jacket sleeves for the third time. Just when Quinn was growing impatient, Cole returned. The clerk immediately and thankfully abandoned Quinn. A few minutes later, Cole deemed the shirt to be a better fit. Finishing up, they changed back into their regular clothes.
“You hungry? Let’s stop for some lunch,” Cole said without waiting for Quinn’s response. They’d driven to Scottsdale in his truck, which, Quinn supposed, put him in charge. Not that he’d argue. His stomach had been growling for the past twenty minutes.
They decided on a Mexican restaurant, a hole in the wall as Quinn’s father called them. The kind of hole-in-the-wall restaurant with great food, he decided the moment they walked inside and were assaulted by an array of tantalizing aromas.
“You getting settled in okay?” Cole asked over chips and salsa while they waited for their food.
“Fine.”
“How’s the apartment? I know it’s kind of small.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Compared to where I’ve been living of late, it’s a mansion. I turn a corner and get lost.”
Cole sat back in his chair, a twinkle in his eyes. “Glad to see you didn’t lose your sense of humor.”
“I did. For a while.”
“Then I’m glad to see it’s back.” He leaned forward and, snaring a chip, dunked it in the salsa. “You’re the third one of us to live in that apartment. Josh moved in after gaining custody of Nathan and Kimberly, and I lived there a couple of months until Vi agreed to marry me.”
“You two getting hitched?” This was the first Quinn had heard of it. “When?”
Cole helped himself to more chips and salsa. “Don’t say anything. We’re eloping this weekend to Sedona. Already have the chapel booked and dinner reservations at the Red Rock Steak House. Josh and Cara are coming for the day to be our witnesses. Vi and I are staying through till Monday.”
“I’m happy for you, cousin.”
“Thanks for not saying it’s about time.”
“Well...”
Violet was almost seven months pregnant. Quinn had figured the two of them would get married before the baby was born, so the announcement didn’t come as a surprise.
“We don’t want to steal Josh and Cara’s thunder,” Cole said. “They’ve been planning their wedding for months. But we couldn’t wait much longer. I wouldn’t wait. I want to be married when our daughter is born.”
Now, this was a surprise. “You’re having a girl? Congratulations.”
Cole grimaced. “Damn, I let another secret slip out. Vi’s gonna have my hide. You have to give me your word you won’t say anything.”
“I promise.”
“I’d invite you to the wedding, but we need someone besides Gabe to cover for us at the ranch while we’re gone. That, and the rest of the family’s bound to notice we’re gone. Maybe you can help throw them off track. At least until Josh and Cara get home.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“How’s the search for your daughter coming?”
The abrupt change in subject took Quinn momentarily aback. “Nothing new. Summer’s boss is helping me. He had some good advice to offer and some leads. He’s also going to see if he can speed up the process of clearing my record.”
“What record? You’re innocent.”
“Not that easy. There’s a lengthy process. Until then, my record follows me. Probably for years. Maybe forever. If anyone runs a background check on me, my felony conviction will pop up and not my exoneration.”
“Jeez, man. That sucks.”
“Yeah. Tell me about it. One of the many injustices of our so-called justice system.” Quinn wasn’t as accepting of his circumstances as he tried to make people believe. “He also suggested suing the state for compensation.”
“You can do that?”
Quinn nodded. “He thinks I have a chance of getting a decent settlement. And, frankly, I could use the money.”
Their lunch came, and they dug in. Quinn decided he’d eaten better steak chimichangas. Once. Years ago. The food here was that fantastic.
“How do you feel about learning you’re a dad?”
Cole was the first person to ask that question. Most people wanted to know if Quinn resented Jenny for lying and keeping his daughter a secret from him. Perhaps Cole’s curiosity stemmed from his own impending fatherhood and the many changes about to occur.
“I’m still getting used to the idea. Though, to be honest, she’s not part of my life yet. I don’t really feel like a dad.”
“I get that. Same goes for me.” Cole talked around a large bite of chile rellenos. “The waiting is tough.”
Except Cole’s wait had an end in sight, and it would happen in the delivery room. The search for Quinn’s daughter could last for months, possibly years.
“Much as I’d like to find her,” Quinn said, “part of me hopes it’s not before Summer’s boss can get my record cleared.” If he could. Quinn hated the idea of his daughter having a felon for a father.
“Here’s to a speedy process.” Cole raised his iced tea glass and clinked it with Quinn’s. “Speaking of Summer, I hear you two have been hanging out.”
“I wouldn’t say hanging out.” Had someone noticed them standing a little too close at her car the other day, a hairbreadth away from kissing, and made a comment? Or sitting together in the courtyard at his welcome party? “Her son’s in the therapy program. I work with the therapy horses.”
“She’s a good person.”
“I’m not going to corrupt her,” Quinn bit out, letting a flash of temper show.
“Hey.” Cole held up a hand. “I’m not criticizing. Simply making conversation.”
His cousin’s response came quickly and smoothly enough to be true. Quinn, however, couldn’t shake his doubts. Intended or not, the remark had sounded like a warning, the same one he’d given himself over and over since meeting Summer.
They finished their lunch, their talk centering mostly on ranching matters. When Quinn tried to buy lunch, Cole insisted on picking up the tab. He let Cole pay only when his cousin agreed that Quinn would buy the next time.
Violet phoned Cole shortly after they were on the road. Quinn couldn’t help listening
to their conversation, Cole sat a mere three feet away. They didn’t discuss anything of importance, which made it all the nicer to hear. Jenny was the last person Quinn had called for no reason other than to say hi, and that had been before his arrest.
Summer came to mind, but he quickly dismissed thoughts of her. She wasn’t anyone he could or should consider calling on a whim.
With the sweltering midday heat bearing down on them, they decided to drive rather than ride to the mustang sanctuary and took Cole’s truck instead. Behind the ranch, beyond the first rocky slope where fenced horse pastures gave way to open cattle grazing lands, the dirt road narrowed to a rough trail.
Quinn had to hold on to his hat more than once as the truck bounced and rocked. Cole was a notoriously fast driver. At each gate, he got out, waited until Cole drove through and closed the gate behind him.
The roughly twelve hundred head of cattle on the ranch were divided into several smaller groups and regularly moved from section to section. Yearlings, the ones headed to the fall sale, were currently pastured in sections one and two. In this heat, and with the late summer monsoon season yet to start, grass had started becoming scarce. In order to keep the herd of yearlings and the pregnant cows well fed, Cole and his brothers were supplementing the regular feed with hay. Two semi-truck loads had been scheduled for delivery later in the week.
Another half mile west, they reached the gate connecting the mustang sanctuary to the cattle grazing lands. Cole and Josh’s late father August had granted Cara exclusive use of the sanctuary in his will for as long as she chose or as long as the Dempseys resided on the ranch. With her marrying into the family, the sanctuary appeared to have a bright and secure future.
“Look at that.” Cole pointed to their right. “We’ve got company.”
Quinn watched through the window as a group of about fifty mustangs galloped over the rise toward them. At the front of the herd was a sleek buckskin mare. Head raised, neck arched and hooves flying, she charged the truck.
No, not charged. Just when the group neared, she turned and ran alongside the truck, matching its speed mile for mile.
The sight was an inspiring one, and it filled Quinn with a sense of both wonder and contentment. Coming to Mustang Valley had been the right decision. How long he’d stay depended on if—no, when—he found Jenny and his daughter.
Rescuing the Cowboy Page 6