Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set

by Claire McEwen

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said on a sigh, and thankfully had no urge to say anything else.

  As Quinn looked ahead, she realized there really was a blind curve. She couldn’t even remember it from before, just the old truck coming at her out of nowhere. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap and determinedly looked straight ahead, not wanting to see any remnants of the accident. But on the first section of the curve, the lights shot straight toward the torn shoulder and the pile of tangled and broken fencing all stacked off to one side now. More ruts from recent tires showed in the shoulder, then it was all gone as they came out of the curve and the headlights illuminated the straight road ahead.

  “Can I ask why you were driving out this way?”

  The direct question came without warning and caught her off guard. She thought of vague lies, but she knew that after all Seth had done for her, lying to him was a line she wouldn’t cross. She’d thought she’d have time to get her thoughts straight before she told him about Michael’s work. But time was up. “I was looking for a place a man in town gave me directions to.” Thankfully, that impulse to talk and talk and talk was wearing off as exhaustion crept up on her.

  “What place?”

  She braced herself, then reluctantly said, “The Eclipse Ridge Ranch.”

  “Who gave you directions?” he asked, giving her a few more seconds to get ready for impact.

  “An older man in the general store.”

  “Was he dressed in a crazy cowboy outfit?”

  Her heart was racing now. Purple and silver Western clothes would certainly qualify at least as odd. “Yes, with a lot of glitter.”

  “That’s Farley Garret, the king of glitter, and the owner of the store. He sent you out here?”

  It was a small town. Of course he’d know the man. “Yes.”

  Then Seth surprised her. “Oh, that explains everything. I knew you might be coming, just not when.”

  Quinn thought she’d heard him wrong. There was no way he could have known, no way at all. She hadn’t mentioned any name to Farley Garret, only asked about the ranch’s location. “You knew?”

  “Farley said he’d find someone interested in the housekeeping position at the ranch and send them out for an interview. I just wished he’d called to let us know you were coming today.”

  He thought she’d been on her way to interview for a job at the ranch? “That’s where you live?”

  “I sure do. I need someone to do light cleaning and cooking.”

  She hoped she sounded calmer than she felt as she tried to divert his attention away from herself so she could attempt to make some sense out of what was happening. “Why is a nurse at the ranch?”

  “Julia’s there to care for the owner, James Caine. It’s his fence and field that were ripped up earlier.”

  The man at the general store had told her the entrance to the Eclipse Ridge Ranch was over three miles from the highway turnoff. Now Seth said she’d messed up his property close to the main highway. Her head was really throbbing. “This is the ranch here?”

  “From the time we turned off the highway onto this road, we’ve been driving along the southern property line. The main entrance is a couple more miles ahead.”

  “How big is it?” she asked, genuinely curious.

  “Six thousand plus acres.”

  “Mr. Caine owns it all?”

  “It’s been his for over fifty years.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  “MR. CAINE’S A FRIEND?” Quinn asked.

  “He’s family.”

  That didn’t make any sense. Quinn knew Seth had been orphaned as a small boy and put into the foster care system because he had no family. The name James Caine hadn’t been anywhere in the article.

  “I almost forgot to tell you that Henry called me at the clinic. He said to come by his place as soon as you feel up to it so he can discuss your car with you.”

  “Good,” she said. Maybe if she had her car back she’d be able to focus and figure out the craziness of the world she’d crashed into. For now, she needed the hot bath and time to think so she could be as coherent as possible when the moment came to explain everything.

  “We’re almost there,” Seth said. There was a glow through the gathering night in the distance that gradually morphed into two separate lights. “See those lamps up there? That’s the entrance to the ranch, between the boulders they’re bolted to.”

  Seth slowed and drove onto a sweep of pavement between the massive boulders and stopped at gates shaped by heavy wrought iron frames and wooden inserts. He rolled down his window, put a code into an illuminated security pad on a metal post and the gates started to open immediately. The headlights showed that the pavement kept going on a long sweep of driveway that climbed up from the road. They drove in with nothing but darkness beyond the light beams. Then they crested a rise in the drive, and in the distance she could make out the hulking shape of a massive house with a high center and low wings on either side.

  Lights showed in a few windows in the lower part of the house. As they drove closer, the headlights of the truck fell directly on the middle two-story part of what looked like a log structure. A sweeping porch appeared to wrap around the entire building and smoke curled up from a double chimney near the center of the second-story pitched roof.

  Seth parked by the stairs to the porch that was lit by lamps on either side of the entry door. He sounded the truck’s horn before he got out and came around to open the passenger’s side. With her hand in his for support, Quinn managed to step down onto the pavement and stay on her feet.

  “Thank goodness, you finally got here,” someone called over to them.

  Quinn turned. A thirtysomething blond woman, maybe Quinn’s height and size—dressed in jeans, a pastel green T-shirt and florescent green running shoes—was hurrying toward the truck. As the woman approached, she spoke to Quinn. “Hi. I’m Julia. I know you’re Quinn. Millie called and filled me in after you left the clinic.” Julia linked her arm with Quinn’s. “Lean on me,” she said, and they headed for the porch and slowly climbed the steps.

  When Quinn stepped into the wonderful warmth in a two-level foyer, she had an impression of old Western decor and log walls. But Julia quickly guided her across a stone floor to a wide archway and helped her navigate a single step down onto the flagstone flooring of a great room. A fire burned in a huge river stone fireplace that took up a good portion of the rear wall.

  “Go with Seth and get comfortable on the couch,” Julia said as she motioned to a huge leather sofa on their left. “I’ll only be a moment.” Julia headed back into the entry and out of sight.

  Seth was there, his hand lightly touching the small of Quinn’s back. “You need to sit down.”

  Tiredness was wrapping around her like a cloak, but she managed to weakly sink down on the leather cushions. She saw a pool table across the room. In the other direction, she saw one of the longest dining tables she’d ever seen, and beyond that a step-up kitchen. She’d never felt so tired in her life.

  Julia was back, carrying two large pillows. She tossed one onto a massive ottoman that looked like a repurposed watering tub topped with stretched leather. Seth sat down on it, facing her, and took off his jacket, laying it beside him. “Go ahead and stretch out,” he said as Julia offered her the second pillow.

  Quinn knew if she did that, she probably wouldn’t get up anytime soon. Taking the pillow, she hugged it to herself but stayed seated. “Thanks. I’m fine.”

  Julia sat down beside her. “I hate that blind curve.”

  “As soon as I can get into town, I’ll go and talk to someone in Public Works,” Seth said. He sat forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “I’ll get it eliminated.”

  “That’s the county’s road, Seth, and they’ll tie it up for years before they do anything about it.”

  “The
n I’ll talk to the local attorney tomorrow. Maybe he can arrange for me to pay with private funds to have it fixed. He knows his way around here. Anyway, beyond the stitches, Brenner says Quinn’s okay.”

  Julia glanced at the bandage, then asked Quinn, “So, how do you really feel?”

  “Okay.” She hesitated. “Mr. Reagan mentioned I might be able to take a bath when we got here?”

  “The guest room in the east wing has a great soaking tub in the adjoining bathroom. You’ll love it.” Julia studied her for a moment. “Millie said you’re from California. So how did a California girl end up on a county road in rural Wyoming?”

  Seth cut in before Quinn had to answer. “Farley sent her out to interview for the housekeeper position.”

  “About that—” Quinn started to say, but Seth stepped in.

  “No rush,” he said. “We’ll talk about the job later.”

  Later was fine as long as she got to take a bath. Julia patted Quinn’s knee. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room. I can stay with you for your bath if you need me to.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not dizzy or anything.”

  Seth stood and headed for the entry. “I’ll get your things from the truck.”

  A moment later, the front door opened and closed. It didn’t open again until Julia and Quinn were slowly stepping up into the foyer to go to the guest room. Seth had her backpack and purse over one shoulder and followed the two women into the east wing hallway. “After your bath, come on out to the great room and get something to eat,” Julia said as she stopped by the first door on their left and pushed it open.

  Quinn followed her into a large bedroom with a wrought iron bed to the left of the door. It was made up with a periwinkle blue and yellow quilt, a bank of pillows and positioned to face a wide window on the back wall. A braided rug in various shades of blue took the cold edge off the stone floor.

  Julia opened a side door and motioned Quinn to follow her into a bathroom almost as large as the bedroom. Across a black-and-white-tiled floor stood a large claw-foot tub against the back wall beside an enclosed shower. “That is an incredible tub,” Quinn said as she reached for the support of a double sink vanity just inside the door to her left.

  Julia crossed to the tub. “A good friend of Seth’s redesigned a lot of the lower level and found this at an estate sale. It was from one of the original cattle baron spreads in the area.” The nurse bent over to put a stopper that hung by a chain from the curved faucet into the drain, then turned on the water. “Towels, soap, lotion—help yourself,” she said as she motioned to a series of brass shelves by the sinks. “If you need clothes, I think we’re about the same size.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “Okay, I’ll leave you to enjoy your bath.”

  “You’ll need these,” Seth said as he came up behind Quinn to set her medication bottles on the vanity by her. “Your bags are on the bed.”

  “Thank you,” Quinn said and barely stopped a yawn. She hoped her growing weakness came mostly from not eating since the evening before. Or maybe it was the medicine the doctor had given her at the clinic finally doing what it was supposed to do—make her calm and relaxed.

  When Seth and Julia left and closed the door, Quinn turned and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the vanity. She looked like the poster child for the old song “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Her skin looked almost as white as the bandage, and the only color in her face came from the dark shadows under her eyes that made them look bruised. She frowned at her tangled and dirty hair Millie had barely managed to contain in a low knot.

  It was no wonder Seth kept looking at her as if she were about to crumble. She eased the tie from her hair, carefully managed to gather it higher on her head and wound the tie around the knot again to keep it in place. At least it would keep her hair out of the bath water. She closed the bathroom door, then stripped off her clothes and crossed to get in the tub. She took her time sinking into the lovely warmth of the bath until she was in the water up to her chin. She might not be able to shampoo her hair, but every other part of her loved the sensation of being submerged in warmth and comfort.

  She reached with her foot to turn the faucet off, then stayed in the tub until the water grew tepid before she finally got out. She found fresh clothes in her backpack, a blue pullover and jeans, and when she was dressed, she felt immeasurably better physically but still not certain what to do next.

  Leaving her bags on the bed along with the doctor’s jacket and shirt, she headed barefoot into the hallway and through to the entry. Stopping at the archway to the great room, she found the lights were on, a fire still going in the hearth, but no one was in sight. As she stepped down onto the cool flagstone floor, her stomach rumbled, and she had a thought of going to find a snack or something. But that didn’t seem right to her, and she honestly didn’t think she had the energy to even search for food.

  So she belatedly took Seth’s suggestion to stretch out on the supple leather of the couch. Resting her head on the pillow left there, she sighed as weariness washed over her. She definitely wasn’t going to move until she had to.

  After several minutes, Quinn heard a sound nearby and slowly opened her eyes to find Seth standing over her. Dressed in an untucked chambray shirt and jeans, he’d combed his damp hair straight back from his face. “Do you want to rest, then eat?” he asked.

  As hungry as she felt, she really had no choice. “Rest.”

  “Okay, I’ll be here when you’re ready for food.”

  “Thank you.” She closed her eyes slowly.

  Moments later, Julia spoke from somewhere above her. “Quinn?”

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, knowing she should at least open her eyes, but she couldn’t make it happen.

  When Seth spoke to Julia, Quinn couldn’t follow what he was saying and didn’t even try. The lure of getting lost in the growing softness around her was far too tempting. As she willingly let go, she had the weirdest thought that this whole day might just be some crazy dream, like the ones she used to have when she’d doze off sitting with Michael in the middle of the night.

  Maybe she’d wake up tomorrow in the small house in Pasadena and find out she’d imagined all of this. Maybe it was all an illusion born out of desperation, knowing she’d never be able to keep her promise to Michael.

  * * *

  SETH BARELY SLEPT that night, getting up and down to check on Quinn during the night. Then at dawn, he gave up, showered, dressed in his bedroom upstairs and headed down to the great room. He found Quinn still asleep and he sat quietly on the ottoman. Her left hand with the simple gold band rested by her cheek on the pillow. A husband was out there somewhere, and he wondered why Quinn hadn’t said a thing about him coming to be with her. Maybe he was already on his way. He should have asked her before she fell asleep.

  She stirred, then settled again, and a fleeting hint of a frown was there before it fled on a soft sigh. He studied her face, the delicate bone structure and the dark lashes against the paleness of her cheeks. There was something appealing about Quinn, but she also seemed very alone. Seth had never been a rescuer, but right then he felt protective, maybe because the accident had been all his fault or maybe because he understood what being alone was all about, even if it was temporary.

  He watched as she stirred again and shifted onto her back, then her eyes fluttered and opened. She slowly looked around, saw him and her eyes widened. “I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she said just above a whisper.

  Seth sat forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “You needed the rest. It’s almost morning.”

  “Oh, goodness,” she said and pushed herself up, her hair loose and tangled around her face.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She exhaled softly. “I’m okay.”

  “You never ate last night,” he said. “Do you like bacon and eggs?”

 
She brushed absentmindedly at her unruly hair. “I eat anything.”

  “Okay. Tell me how you like your eggs, and I’ll get breakfast going.”

  “Over easy, please. But I need to freshen up.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll get the food started,” he said and stood. “Do you need any help? I can call Julia.”

  “I can manage.” He nodded and headed toward the kitchen. “Bell peppers,” she called after him.

  That stopped him, and he turned. “Excuse me?”

  “Bell peppers,” Quinn said as she slowly stood. “That’s about the only food I don’t like, and some people put them in eggs.”

  “Got it, no bell peppers,” he said and went to make breakfast out of the few things he trusted himself to cook.

  When he heard Quinn come back into the room not more than ten minutes later, he turned to find her crossing over to the glass doors to the right of the hearth. In a pink sweater and jeans, her hair pulled back off her face in a low twist, she looked as if she felt better.

  “That was fast,” he called over to her. “How about toast?”

  It took a moment before she answered, but she never looked away from the outside world. “Oh, wheat, if you have it.” He dropped two slices in the toaster as Quinn added, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

  He crossed over to look past her at dawn spreading its pale colors over the countryside.

  He loved this land. “I used to wake at sunrise just to see the day start like this.” He couldn’t remember ever being up this early in Seattle unless he had a company emergency. But as a teenager, he’d crawl out of bed when it was dark just to ride out to the foothills and sit on the viewing ridge to watch the sun start to push back the darkness.

  “Is that deer?” she asked as she pointed to the north.

  He saw three animals by a wide swath of old trees that blocked the view to the ranch’s original cabin built on higher land. “No, they’re pronghorn antelope. They’re pretty harmless.” When another one came out of the trees and trotted over to stand by the others, their four heads rose in unison to look toward the house.