Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set

by Claire McEwen

  He could sense her looking at him. “In an old Ford F-150 pickup truck.”

  He was impressed she knew that. “Right, but where are we going?”

  “Oh, I get it. You were taught in that course you took to make sure someone with a head injury isn’t losing it, then I told you about my car. Okay, I’ll play along. I’m somewhere outside of Eclipse, Wyoming, going to see a doctor named Boone with a man who claims he’s not a serial killer.” He heard her take a breath. “I should also explain I was attacked by an alien that looked like a towering pine tree, and my car is hopefully safe with a man named Henry.”

  Just like that, things shifted to where he felt a smile twitch at the corners of his mouth. “Devious people, those aliens,” he murmured.

  “They are. I know who I am, too. Quintin Lake. I was named after my mother’s great-great-grandfather, Josiah Quintin Hanover. My family has a tradition of naming their kids after long gone relatives. I’m the second of three daughters and received Quintin, not Josiah or Hanover. I consider myself lucky.”

  “I don’t know. Hanover could be changed to Hannah, and Josiah could be Josie.”

  “My sisters answer to Hannah and Josie, and I answer to Quinn spelled with two n’s. Sometimes Quinny, but I hate that. I’m twenty-seven years old, and I live in Pasadena, California. Is that enough for you to not worry about my head?”

  Quinn seemed to be totally in control of her faculties, despite the female car and the alien trees. He also thought it was a pretty good sign that she’d retained a sense of humor. “Yes, that’s enough.”

  Right then the deputy ahead of them put on his siren. Quinn gasped, “Why did he do that?

  “He’s clearing the traffic.”

  “This town must be really small if one car is considered traffic.”

  That single vehicle pulled over to let them pass, and Seth couldn’t stop a chuckle. “Valid point,” he said as they finally made the transition onto Clayton Drive, the main street in Eclipse. As if reason had finally taken hold of the deputy, the siren cut off abruptly.

  Seth drove south through the old town that had certainly changed since he’d left fifteen years ago for college. Parts of it were still there but shared equal space with the newer establishments dedicated to eclipse watching and anything and everything needed for the dude ranch experience, both popular activities in the area. Raised wooden walkways fronted the businesses, a holdover from the past to avoid snakes and mud.

  Another holdover was a huge barnlike building coming into view on the left. Garret’s General Store looked just about like it had the first time Sarge had taken Seth there to buy him a lined denim jacket.

  The deputy kept going south on Clayton Drive, but Seth turned left on Wiley Way just before the general store. They passed a couple of small businesses before he turned into a paved parking lot in front of a sprawling wood-shingled house. A sign above the entrance announced Eclipse Medical Clinic: 24/7 Urgent Care. A car and a couple of trucks were already parked there.

  Seth came to a stop in a space designated for emergency parking only. “Hold on. I’ll be right there,” he said and hurried out and around to open the door for Quinn.

  “I have her ride,” someone called from the porch.

  He turned and saw Millie Greenway, Boone’s nurse and receptionist, pushing a wheelchair down the access ramp in front. The middle-aged woman was wearing green scrubs, and she quickly aligned the wheelchair with the open passenger door of the truck. “Oh, honey,” Millie said as she looked in at Quinn. “Let’s get you inside.”

  Quinn seemed to hesitate, then grimaced as she tried to turn toward Millie and still keep the pad on her wound. The nurse moved in front of Seth and eased Quinn around on the seat to face her. She reached in her pocket and took out latex gloves, snapped them on, then said, “Here, let me get that.” Seth watched her carefully peel the now blood-soaked cloth away from Quinn’s forehead.

  He looked away when the gash was exposed, then Millie was speaking to him. “Seth, you’re going to have to lift her out of there. I don’t want her trying to stand just yet.”

  He turned back to the two women, and thankfully it looked as if the gash was barely bleeding now. But Quinn’s face was smeared with dark streaks and a lock of hair was stuck to her temple. When he said, “I’ll get her,” Millie moved back to reposition the chair.

  Seth put one arm under Quinn’s knees and the other behind her back and around her waist. “Okay, here we go,” he said and lifted her toward him. For a moment, she was rigid, then she trembled and seemed to collapse into him. As quickly as he could, he turned and eased her down into the wheelchair.

  He moved around the chair to push it. “I’ll do the ramp,” he said to Millie. “You get the door.”

  Very quickly, they were in the clinic and crossing a waiting room with two people in it. They headed to a door on the back wall to the right. It opened as soon as they approached it, and Daniel Brenner—a doctor who’d joined the clinic a few months ago—was waiting for them. The man was medium height, solidly built, wearing a white lab coat over a yellow T-shirt and jeans. He crouched down by Quinn.

  “I’m Doctor Brenner, but please call me Daniel. I’ve been briefed on your accident.”

  “Where’s Boone?” Seth asked.

  “He was called up north. Something about a bad accident near Wolf Bridge.” Brenner stood up. “We need to get her into the main examination room.”

  Millie dropped the used gloves in a container on the wall, then moved behind the wheelchair and pushed it straight ahead. When Seth started to follow them, the doctor waved him off. “Use the restroom to clean up, then go and get some coffee and relax out front.” With that, he followed the women as he snapped on his own protective gloves.

  An hour and a half later, Seth was the only person in the front reception area. He had just finished his third cup of mediocre coffee when the sheriff, Max Donovan, strode in.

  The tall man didn’t look much like the law, except for a badge clipped on the breast pocket of his heavy brown jacket. Hair black as night was trimmed short, and his dark eyes were narrowed on Seth as he approached him and reached for a nearby chair. He turned it around to face Seth, then sat down. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m good, Max.”

  “How’s the woman doing?”

  “I don’t know. Brenner’s still in with her. It’s a simple cut on her head. How long does it take to stitch it and put on a bandage?”

  Max sat back with a sigh and undid his jacket, exposing the holster and gun at his hip. “Let Brenner take care of the lady. You tell me what happened.”

  Seth went over everything he could remember, then ended with, “It was my fault. Totally on me. I know that curve like the back of my hand, and I know how hard the wind gusts. I blew it big-time. No pun intended.”

  Max shrugged. “I do appreciate confessions, but I’ll still have to talk to Ms. Lake to get her side.”

  “From what I can tell, she doesn’t have much, and she’s the one who got hurt. I’ll take the hit for it. I deserve it.”

  “If she agrees with you, I’ll hit you,” the man said with an easy grin.

  “Just try it, Max,” Seth muttered, but his eyes were on the still-shut door to the back area. Then he glanced past the sheriff to Millie, who had been giving him updates on Quinn every time she came out of the back area. She was sitting at the reception desk on the computer now. “How much longer?”

  “Let me go and see,” the woman said and hurried off.

  He checked his watch. “Maybe I should go and check.”

  “Stay put,” Max said easily. “I went by the site on my way and got the registration out of the VW before Henry towed it. Quinn G. Lake is from Pasadena, California, and it’s registered to both her and a Michael S. Lake.”

  “Her husband,” Seth said, then stood when the side door opened. Millie
came out, pushing Quinn in the wheelchair. Thank goodness a clean white bandage was above her left eye, and her blond hair, still matted with dark stains, had been pulled back in a sloppy knot to keep it off her face. She looked even more pale with her face wiped clean. Millie stopped in front of Seth. “Sorry for the wait, but she’s all cleaned up and ready to go.”

  Squatting down by Quinn, he asked, “How are you doing?”

  “Fine, good. I got over a dozen stitches on the inside, and I didn’t feel a thing, not even when Daniel stitched the outside, too.” Her words were coming in a nervous rush. “Daniel is a good doctor, I mean, fantastic. He took very good care of me. Millie, did you ever notice that the two doctors names together make them Daniel Boone?”

  Millie smiled. “Many have pointed that out.”

  “I thought that was pretty cool.” Quinn quickly shifted to another topic and kept talking a mile a minute to Millie. “Did you know that Daniel just bought a ranch south of town or maybe north? I can’t remember. He said it was part of a bigger ranch that sounds pretty great, and he’s redoing an old house on it and a bunch of buildings. They’re making trails for horseback riding, some really cool adventure trails that go up into federal land that they can use. He’s getting horses, well, not yet, but he will. Then he said he’ll learn how to ride.”

  “Good for him,” Millie said.

  “Is he married?” Quinn asked, talking over Millie.

  “He’s divorced and not dating anyone, that I know of, but I suppose he’s at that age where he’s thinking about family and settling down.”

  What Brenner’s personal life had to do with anything right then escaped Seth, and it annoyed him to have to listen to it. He cut in to ask Millie, “Did Brenner give her some medication?”

  “Yes, something for the pain, and something that calms most patients, but it seems to have had the opposite effect on her. She’s been very busy figuring out how the examination rooms need to be redecorated to fit in around here.”

  Quinn finally looked back at Seth. “I thought there’d be horses and cow things in it, and maybe galaxies up on the ceiling, but it looks like any old exam room anywhere. White, gray, stainless steel. Boring, totally boring, and no character, you know.”

  Seth looked at Millie with a bit of uneasiness. “Is there a problem with…this?”

  “It’ll wear off, and then she’ll probably sleep a lot.”

  “Is she okay beyond that?”

  “Yes. Dr. Brenner said everything looks good.”

  He was relieved when he looked back at Quinn, who was smiling now. “I’m okay, really, I am,” she said to him, still speaking rapidly. “Daniel washed my face and hands, and he took off my hoodie and shirt, and gave me one of his shirts to wear and his jacket.” She looked down at a blue windbreaker she was wearing over a white T-shirt. She frowned suddenly. “I’m real sorry you had to tear your shirt up like that.” She looked as if she was going to cry. “I’ll buy you another one as soon as I can, I promise.”

  “No, no, please, it’s not important,” Seth said as he touched her hand and felt the smooth gold ring on her finger. “Just don’t worry about it.” He glanced up at Millie. “Did you get an emergency contact number for her?” When Millie nodded, he drew his hand back and stood. “Any special dos and don’ts?”

  “She needs to rest.”

  Seth realized he didn’t have any idea where Quinn was staying in town, or even if she’d planned on staying in the area. When he looked back at her, she was staring at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “Are you staying around here, Quinn?” he asked.

  “I… I didn’t have a chance to find a place.” She looked up at him. “I’ll call a cab and find a motel or hotel.”

  “Honey,” Millie began, “the only cabs around here belong to Dan Baxter, and he’s kind of shut down since he broke his leg. And from what I hear our hotel, the Clayton Inn, is full for the next week because of overbooking at two of the dude ranches.”

  Quinn fell silent, and Seth saw her knuckles whitening as she clenched her hands more tightly. “Gabby must have an extra room,” Seth said quickly.

  Millie shook her head. “Gabby’s pretty much closed to have the main B&B’s electrical service upgraded.”

  Max had been standing quietly beside Seth but finally spoke to Quinn. “Ms. Lake, I’m Sheriff Donovan.” When she glanced up at him, he said, “Call me Max. I need to get a statement from you about the accident, but there’s no rush. Seth has my number, and you can call me when you get settled. We’ll arrange a time to talk.”

  “Okay,” Quinn said softly.

  Max turned to Seth. “I need to go. Walk me out.”

  Seth didn’t want to, but the sheriff’s request seemed more than just a friendly invitation. “Okay.”

  The two men went outside onto the raised porch, and as the door shut behind them, Max faced Seth. “She won’t be able to find a place around here for a while, and she needs to rest and heal. I know you have a lot on you, but you’ve got space at the ranch, and Julia could keep an eye on her, at least for tonight.”

  That hadn’t occurred to him, but it should have. “That’s a good idea.”

  “See, I come in handy sometimes,” Max said and slapped Seth on his shoulder. “I’ll be in touch.”

  As the sheriff headed down to his large white SUV, Seth went back inside and crossed to Quinn. “Okay, there’s a place you can stay for tonight, maybe longer. There’s plenty of room, and an RN will be there to help you around the clock.”

  Her reaction was immediate and surprising. “Oh, no, no, not a hospital,” she said with what Seth thought sounded like panic in her voice.

  “No hospital. I’m talking about the ranch where I live. You’re welcome to come back with me for as long as you need to.”

  * * *

  QUINN STARED AT Seth in disbelief. “You would do that when you don’t even know me?” Why had she said that? She was alone, with limited funds and no car, and she’d be stupid to offer reasons for Seth to withdraw his terrific offer. She also needed to keep in contact with him. “I mean, that’s nice of you, really nice, I mean, after everything. It’s just…unexpected, you know.” It had to be the mention of a hospital that freaked her out. She hated them, and she hated not being able to just keep quiet! “You’re a nice man. Really nice. And your offer’s really nice. It really is.” She knew she needed to stop talking, and thank goodness he cut in on her babbling.

  “I really thank you for that,” he said, that crooked grin on his face. “I mean it. There’s space, help and you can stay as long as you need.” He paused and his smile grew. “I’m pretty sure you’re not a serial killer.”

  Cautiously, she said, “Okay, thank you. I’d really appreciate that.”

  “You’ll love it out at the ranch,” Millie said as she patted Quinn’s shoulder. “Julia, the RN, is a real sweetheart.”

  “Thanks, Millie,” she said. “Tell Daniel I’ll get his shirt and jacket back to him. I’m sorry about all the blood and mess he had to clean up, and—”

  Millie cut her off. “Don’t worry about that.” To Seth, she said, “If anything doesn’t seem right, call us.” The nurse took two small pill containers out of the pocket of her scrub top and handed them to him. “For pain and for sleep problems.”

  Seth pushed them into his jacket pocket. “That’s it?”

  Millie smiled. “Just keep her calm and watch her. Bring her back in a few days to have the wound checked. That’s about it until she can have the stitches taken out.” Turning back to Quinn, she said, “Now, let’s get you out of here.”

  Quinn stayed in the wheelchair for the trip to the truck, then Seth stopped by the passenger door and held out his hand to her. “Do you think you can stand?”

  She took his offered support and managed to get to her feet. Then he shifted and put his arm around her shoulders, holding her s
teady as he helped her step up to the cab. “Oh, I need to pay the bill,” Quinn said, feeling stupid that she hadn’t even thought about it.

  “Don’t worry about it for now,” Millie said. “You’ll be back. We can settle then.”

  “Thank you,” she said, and with Seth’s help, she got seated into the truck.

  A few moments later, Millie waved to them as Seth pulled the truck around to head for the street. Daylight was fading as they turned onto Clayton Drive. Streetlights, fashioned to look like old gas lamps, were starting to light up the main street from one end to the other. Quinn barely glanced at the general store on the corner as they passed it. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she’d gone inside to ask for directions to Eclipse Ridge Ranch. Since then, her whole world had changed.

  They drove north and onto the four-lane highway, with Quinn feeling some relief that the pressure for her to act quickly had lessened. She forced herself to keep quiet, worried about saying something wrong if she started to babble again the way she had from the medicine Daniel had given her. Why did she even care what his exam rooms looked like?

  Seth finally broke the silence. “How are you holding up?”

  She was tired, but her only real complaint was the throbbing behind her eyes. “I’m okay, except Daniel said I can’t get the stitches wet, so no showers for three or four days at least.” She was speaking fast again and couldn’t stop herself. “So, no shampooing my hair, which seems almost criminal to me. But the good news is, I can take a bath. I really want to take a hot bath, just to lie back in hot water and relax.”

  She bit her lip to try to silence herself and looked ahead, surprised to see they were getting close to the turnoff she’d taken a few hours ago to find the ranch. It seemed too fast to be there already, as if time had sped up. Now, she was almost back to the place the accident had happened. Seth slowed to navigate the turn onto the two-lane road and clicked on his high-beam headlights as dusk settled over the land.

  “As soon as we get back, you’re more than welcome to take a bath.”