Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set

by Claire McEwen

  She’d made it town. “Where’s she?”

  “Don’t know. The car’s dead, no sign of an accident, and it’s been here long enough for the snow to almost bury it.”

  Seth swallowed hard. “I’m on my way.”

  By the time he made it onto Clayton Drive and saw a gathering of vehicles by the gas station in the rays of the breaking dawn, his nerves were shot. He’d never known a fear like the one that had all but consumed him during the night while he searched for Quinn. He pulled up by the sheriff’s SUV as people dispersed to cars nearby or headed off walking down the street. The snow had finally stopped. Max spoke before Seth could ask anything. “No sign of her, and whatever tracks would have been there, were buried long ago.” Seth looked around at the town, then closed his eyes. “At least we know she got this far,” Max added.

  He exhaled. “You said earlier Brenner’s at the clinic. Boone’s still in Cody?”

  “Brenner said he hasn’t heard from him.”

  Seth tried to think rationally, but all his mind seemed to zone in on was Quinn out there somewhere alone. “What’s in her car?” he asked.

  “Nothing much. Just the key she left under the driver’s mat. Come on,” Max said as he went to his SUV. “Let’s get in where it’s warm and we can talk.”

  As they settled in the idling SUV, Max asked, “We’ve checked with everyone you told me Quinn would trust to help her. Nothing.”

  She sure hadn’t tried to contact him. “You never talked to Boone, right?”

  “No, I didn’t think it would help with him gone and all. She’d have to try reaching someone close by.”

  Seth took out his own phone and called Boone. It rang four times before a groggy voice came over the line. “Dr. Williams.”

  “It’s Seth.”

  There was prolonged silence on the other end, then he heard Boone clear his throat. “What do you need?”

  “Quinn’s missing. They found her car abandoned by Bobbie’s gas station and there’s no trace of her.”

  “Oh” was all he said.

  “Did she call you last night?”

  “Sorry. No, she didn’t. Why did she go out in the storm alone?”

  “She wanted to leave. I’ve been up all night trying to find her.”

  Boone was silent for a long moment, then said unexpectedly, “You don’t deserve her.”

  “Who do you think—” He stopped himself. “Boone, how did you know she went out on her own, that she left like that? You said you never talked to her.”

  “No, I said she never called me last night.”

  Seth closed his eyes as the truth hit him. “Where is she?”

  “I’m technically her doctor, so I can’t discuss my patient with you. I have to go and get over to the clinic.” The line went dead.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  SETH LOOKED AT the phone in his hand. “He hung up.”

  “Well, did she call him or not?” Max asked.

  Seth sank back in the seat. “He said she didn’t.”

  Max frowned at him. “That’s it?”

  “No, he told me she’s his patient and he can’t talk about her with me.”

  Max frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “He knows what happened. He knew about her driving off in the storm.”

  “Well, where’s he?”

  He realized he knew exactly where Boone was now. “He’s at home on Twin Pines getting ready to go to the clinic.”

  Max put the SUV in gear and made a U-turn to head south on Clayton Drive. “It sounds as if I need to talk to him.”

  When they got to Twin Pines Road, the large SUV took the deep snow easily all the way to the end of the long cul-de-sac. They parked as close as they could to the two-story farmhouse where Boone had been raised and trudged up to the snow-covered porch. Seth got to the door just as it opened. The doctor was there in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms.

  “Get in here and be quiet,” Boone said in a low voice. He stepped back to let them into the large living room that occupied most of the front of the old house.

  “Where is she, Boone?” Seth asked.

  “Keep your voice down,” the doctor said.

  “She’s here?”

  Max stepped in. “If you can’t talk to Seth about this, come on into the kitchen and talk to me. I’ve got people out scouring the town for her in the cold and snow. If you know something, you’d better share it with me.”

  Boone held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, okay. Call your people off. You don’t need them.”

  Seth couldn’t remember being as angry with Boone as he was right then. He took a step toward him. “I thought you were my friend.”

  “I’m a better friend than you can imagine.” The doctor shook his head. “I came back from Cody last night when I heard there was going to be snow, and I didn’t want to be stranded up there. I got to town around midnight and saw Quinn walking near Farley’s. Her car had stalled and wouldn’t start up again.”

  Seth stared at Boone, his anger being almost smothered by relief. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

  Boone looked pained. “Just know that you don’t have anything to worry about. But she asked me not to tell you where she is.” He glanced between them. “You two should leave.”

  Seth felt broken as Julia’s words echoed in his head. You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life.

  “Okay,” he finally managed to say. “Just please, do me a favor.”

  “I’ve done all I can.” Boone moved closer to Seth and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I stepped over the line saying as much as I have.”

  He’d leave for now and give her space so she could rest. As long as she was with Boone, she was safe. He looked at Max. “Drive me back to the truck.”

  Max nodded. “Sure.”

  Quinn had been the best thing to ever come into his life and he knew he wasn’t going to just walk away and lose her forever. “Tell her…” He had to stop to clear his throat. “Boone, take care of her, and please, just…” He stopped. “I’ll go for now.”

  Then both Boone and Max looked past him toward the back of the large room. He turned and Quinn was there, barely three feet away from him in her red sleep shirt. Her hair was tousled around her face. With everything he had in him, he fought the raw need to hold her and stayed where he was. He closed his eyes a moment, then exhaled as he looked at her again. “You’re okay?”

  She bit her lip, then nodded. “Yes.”

  * * *

  QUINN FOUGHT AN overwhelming sadness. Seth had done the right thing, the way he always did. He was some sort of hero, coming out to find her in a horrible storm. Honorable to the end, even if he hated what she’d done. Her heart ached at the mess she’d left. She reluctantly looked away from Seth to the sheriff. “I’m so sorry. I truly didn’t mean to scare anyone.”

  “I’m glad Boone found you,” Max said. “All’s well that ends well.”

  Quinn could feel Seth staring at her and her heart pounded in her chest. “I should’ve left a note in the car,” she said.

  Max took out a two-way radio and spoke into it. “Subject found safe on Two Pines at Doc Williams’s house.” He smiled at Quinn but spoke into the radio again. “Pack it in. Everything’s good. Thank you, all.”

  Quinn knew she’d done more damage by running, and there was no way she could take any of it back. But what she could do was not cause any more problems for Seth or this town. “Could you thank everyone for me for being so kind,” she said to Max.

  “Absolutely.”

  A chime from a cell phone sounded, and Quinn finally looked at Seth as he pulled his cell out of his jacket pocket. He glanced at the screen, opened it, then unexpectedly held it out to Quinn. “It’s for you.”

  She didn’t understand until she saw Julia’
s name as the caller. “Julia?”

  “Quinn, is that you? Oh, my gosh, I’ve been so worried since Seth left to find you. Then he didn’t call, and I thought he must be in trouble.”

  “Seth’s okay,” she said. “My car broke down in town.”

  “As long as the two of you are safe, all’s right with the world. You can fill me on what happened when you get back here. Tell Seth to be careful driving home.”

  She stammered, “I… I will,” but she knew it would be Seth taking that trip alone. When she’d left Seth hours ago, it had been unbearable, and now she had to do it all over again. She didn’t want to. She wasn’t sure she could survive leaving him again. All she wanted was to be with him, to have the lies gone, and him smiling at her again.

  Max spoke to her. “Your car’s fine where it is for now, Quinn. I can give Henry a call to check it out if you want?”

  “Thank you, yes,” she whispered.

  “Okay.” The sheriff hesitated as he looked at Seth. “Do you still want me to drop you back at your truck?”

  Quinn finally made herself look at Seth as she held his phone out to him. “Don’t…don’t forget this.”

  He took it from her. “Thanks,” he said as he pushed the phone back in his pocket.

  “Julia, she…she said for you to be careful driving back home.” Quinn tensed. She just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t say goodbye, then watch him walk out the door.

  Max turned to Seth. “Let’s get going.”

  Before she could do anything, Seth surprised her. “No, I need to speak with Quinn alone.”

  She felt her whole body stiffen. Boone asked, “Is that okay with you, Quinn?” If she said no, she’d lose everything. If she said it was okay, she at least had a chance. She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Take the room you were in,” Boone said to her. “I’ll start some coffee.”

  Max headed for the door. “Call me when you need a ride,” he said over his shoulder to Seth, then left.

  Quinn turned away from Seth and crossed to the still-open bedroom door. She needed to sit down. Her legs were shaking, and the last thing she wanted was to fall over. Seth was right there with her, then swung the door shut behind them while she crossed to the old-fashioned sleigh bed and dropped down on it. She didn’t know what to say or do, so she silently sat there, trying to breathe as she looked up at Seth.

  Seth undid his jacket and came closer, standing over her. She hated that. As if he’d read her mind, he crouched down in front of her. He was so close she could see fine lines at his eyes that she hadn’t noticed before. “You don’t have to say anything, just hear me out, okay?”

  She looked down, her hands clasped so tightly together that they almost ached. “Okay,” she whispered.

  Then he shocked her. “You forgot Michael’s box.”

  “What… How?” She reached for her backpack on the floor and pulled it up onto the bed to unzip the side pocket. Then she remembered, holding it, looking at it, then worrying about the picture. She’d been so distracted by everything at that point she’d left the most important thing in her life behind. Then it hit. It was important, but something else had taken over, something more important now—the life she was trying to make for herself.

  “Julia found it in your room.”

  She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry, and pressed a hand to her mouth. Her whole life, which had been so focused since Michael passed, was almost unrecognizable to her now.

  “Just nod if I’m correct. Michael’s Shield is what your husband thought could revolutionize cybersecurity. From what I’d guess, it’s a firewall that’s designed to respond to the individual attempts on the system. It’s probably got a ninety percent hack-blocking rate.”

  When he stopped talking, she slowly lowered her hand and whispered, “Ninety-eight percent.”

  “I owe you an apology for how I acted, for not giving you a chance to explain why you did what you did.” He exhaled. “I just assumed…”

  She opened her eyes and swallowed to fight the tightness in her throat. “I thought I could keep quiet and feel you out to see how I could get you to consider the program. But I did it all wrong.”

  “I know you want it back.” He stood. “I’ll trade you one thing for it.”

  Slowly, she got to her feet. The box was safe with Seth, but she had to know what he could still want from her that had any value to him. “What do you want?”

  “Actually, it’s what I don’t want. I don’t want you to drop out of my life. I don’t care how you do it, by phone or text or email. Just keep in touch.” His voice grew low and rough. “I know Tripp would like to hear from you, too, so he knows you haven’t forgotten him.”

  His words made no sense to her. “Why would you want anything to do with me after what I did?”

  He slowly shook his head. “Because you did what you did for the husband you love. You stuck with him through everything, then he was gone and you still loved him enough to try to get his work seen. I’d say you did the right thing. I was the one who messed it up.”

  She didn’t know when she’d started crying, but as tears silently ran down her cheeks, she tried to ignore them. “I made Michael a promise. It was the only thing I could still do for him.” She sucked in air on a shudder and forced herself to finish. “Michael’s work was so important to him, and I just wanted to make sure it didn’t go away because he had.”

  When Seth moved to reach out and gently gathered her into his arms, she almost collapsed against his chest. She was sobbing, now, unable to stop as he whispered, “I know, I know,” over and over again.

  When she had no tears left, she moved back unsteadily and dropped weakly down on the bed. She swiped at her face. “I tried, you know. I really did.”

  Seth crouched in front of her again and gently brushed her damp cheek with his fingertips. “I want you to know that you brought something into my life that I’ve never felt before, something so overwhelming I don’t even understand it.”

  He drew his hand back and closed his eyes for a fleeting moment before he looked at her again. “When I thought of you out there alone in the storm, I knew I didn’t want to be in a world without you in it.” He shook his head. “I had crazy ideas of you and me and Tripp, but I understand you can’t feel for me what I feel for you. That’s okay, it really is, as long you’re all right. As long as I know you’re safe and happy. Whatever you have to do or where you have to go, I’ll figure out how to live with that.”

  Quinn had to swallow before she could get out the words that filled her. “Seth, I can never love anyone the way I loved Michael. I can’t.”

  His face grew taut, and he slowly stood. “I understand. You don’t have to explain. Just, please, for my sake, keep in touch.”

  He didn’t understand. She stood inches from him. “I need to explain,” she whispered, then reached for his hands, taking them in hers and holding tightly to him. “Someone told me that real love never dies, it never goes away. I’m glad it doesn’t. Loving Michael is part of who I am, what I am, but when Michael told me to keep living, I didn’t know how that could work.”

  She hesitated. “Now I know how it works, because of you showing me that it’s possible to love again. No matter how it happened, you came into my life and I slowly realized that I’m living again, because of you being there. Please, if you can, ask me to come back with you to the ranch, to be there with you, to welcome Tripp home and to let me love you both forever.”

  Seth was very still, then he smiled that crooked smile, and he whispered, “I need you to come home with me. I need you to be with me. I need you to welcome Tripp with me and I need you to let me love you forever.” He shrugged unsteadily. “It’s simple. I love you.”

  She barely got out the words “I love you, too,” before he had her in his arms, kissing her, and Quinn felt her new world settle into something she’
d never dared to dream of. As Seth drew back, she knew she was grinning. Being happy was hard for her to contain, and she didn’t try to.

  Seth’s smile was more hesitant. “What are you thinking?”

  “That I can’t wait to go home with you and see what’s going to happen with us and Tripp.” Her smile faltered, then she whispered, “I forgot to tell you something very important that I just realized.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Beyond loving you so very much, you’re my hero.”

  He looked at her quizzically. “What?”

  “You love me even after what I did. You rescued Tripp to give him a life he probably never thought he’d have. Then you came after me in a raging snowstorm.” She framed his face with her unsteady hands. “You’re my hero, and I love you so much.”

  EPILOGUE

  A MONTH LATER, it was almost Thanksgiving and Quinn was sitting with Sarge in the great room, watching the snow falling outside. He’d been out of his room a lot more since Tripp had come home. They were listening to the sound of laughter that swept down from upstairs. Seth and Tripp were having a man-to-man talk, as the little boy had solemnly explained to her an hour ago.

  Sarge was smiling. “I sure love hearing a child’s laughter in this house again.”

  Quinn loved it, too. “It’s pretty wonderful.”

  Tripp and Sarge had quickly formed a deep bond, and both were better for it. Sarge was more engaged in life, and Tripp seemed to feel more secure as each day passed. “You know, Maggie wished every year on the moon that the boys would find the loves of their lives.” He chuckled. “Two out of three ain’t bad, and I’m a grandpa, too.”

  She tugged at the cuffs of her white sweater and drew her legs up to sit cross-legged on the large couch. “Strange how life just turns out perfectly sometimes, isn’t it?”

  “It sure is.” Then Sarge frowned up at the ceiling. “You know, it got real silent up there suddenly. That’s usually not a good thing.”

  Then Seth and Tripp walked into the great room side by side. They came over to the couch, and Quinn smiled at the two of them dressed alike in white T-shirts and jeans. Tripp was wearing his hat that looked like Seth’s. He hardly ever took off the hat or the Western boots that had been there when he’d finally come to the ranch to stay. “I was just getting ready to come up there and see what was going on,” Quinn said.