by Amy Field
As if on cue, Ten’s cries to be fed pulled Violet from her deep slumber. The child was like clockwork. They’d been at Harper Ranch for two days and had settled into a nice rhythm, but Violet was determined to wow Quinn when he returned from San Antonio, even if she had to work her fingers to the bone to do it.
She lifted Ten out of his crib by her bed and whispered soothing words as she fed him. “Quinn comes home in just two days, little one,” she said softly as Ten quieted down. “I can’t imagine anyone not finding you absolutely perfect. Dana loves you, doesn’t she? And Harriet and Lindsey, too. We can watch you kick and gurgle for hours.” She held him close, hoping and praying Quinn would find her son as captivating as the rest of Harper Ranch. Violet smiled, so blessed to have already been taken under the wing of the ranch. So many of the staff had already helped her, the single young mother, in various ways. Some of the men had helped her rearrange the dining room, others had repainted the huge living room.
She’d worked up a few design boards with Lindsey, the younger maid who had an eye for color and was quickly becoming Violet’s close friend and confidante. They’d stayed up a little later than everyone else the previous night, eating popcorn and regaling one another with dating horror stories.
“Do you think you’ll start dating again soon?” Lindsey had asked her as she took a handful of popcorn from the big bowl between them.
“I can’t even think about that right now,” Violet confessed, glancing at the baby monitor she held in her hand.
“Mr. Harper is single,” Lindsey teased, wiggling her eyebrows. Violet laughed.
“I am so not interested in pursuing my boss that I’m hoping won’t fire me when he finds out I snuck a baby into his home,” Violet half-joked.
“He’s a nice guy—I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Lindsey assured her.
“That’s what everyone keeps saying, but I don’t think this situation has ever occurred before,” Violet said as fear and doubt nagged at her.
Now, as she held her sleeping baby while the nightlight in the bathroom gave the room the softest of glows, worry settled in deep. Time was running out and Quinn would be arriving soon. Unfortunately, she had no backup plan. If he fired her, she would be homeless.
Chapter Five
Quinn took off his hat and hung it on the hook in the kitchen. Reaching into the fridge he grabbed a beer and popped off the cap. The icy liquid went down smoothly. It was jus what he needed after his five hour drive. The shower and ESPN were also calling his name. He couldn’t wait to relax and spend the rest of his evening doing absolutely nothing.
Someone cleared their throat behind him. “Mr. Harper?” the soft female voice inquired. Quinn turned around to see his newest staff member, the beautiful Violet Jansen, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, shifting her weight and fidgeting like a schoolgirl.
“Hello there, Violet,” he greeted warmly. “I told you to call me Quinn.”
“Um, Quinn? Could we speak for a moment?”
“Sure, why don’t you grab a beer and we can sit here at the table and talk,” he agreed, though tired as he was.
“The table is great. I’ll just have a glass of water though,” she said, pulling a glass from the cabinet and filling it from a pitcher in the refrigerator. She primly took a seat at the table next to where he’d plopped down with his beer.
“How’s your first week at the ranch going?” he asked.
“Wonderful. Everyone is so nice, and I have a lot to show you,” she said, perking up.
“So what’s on your mind this evening?”
She took a sip of her water, staring at the glass, seeming to gather courage. “I have a confession to make,” she admitted.
Oh no, he thought, she’s probably going to quit and I’m going to get stuck interviewing another dozen stuffy designers. Please, say anything but that you quit, he silently pleaded.
“Go on,” he prompted.
“I... I didn’t arrive at Harper Ranch alone,” she paused, taking a deep breath. “I brought my son along with me.”
“You have a son?” he asked, weighing her words, “okay… that’s not so terrible.”
“He’s seven weeks old.”
Quinn’s mouth opened in surprise. That was tiny!
“That’s so little! Are you sure you should even be working?” he asked.
“I know, he is a little bitty thing, but you see, I have to work. I... we... have no one. If I wouldn’t have taken this job, we would be out on the streets,” she confessed, her cheeks growing red. Quinn’s heart hurt for the girl. She looked so put together, so polished. He would have never guessed that she had this secret, but rather that she’d moved from a high-rise penthouse to the ranch for a change of scenery. Knowing her story, there was no way he could tell her she and the baby couldn’t stay.
“I see. Violet, I’m not opposed to the baby staying here, but we will have to bring in childcare so that you can get the renovations going. As your employer, I’ll pay for half of the expenses of bringing in a sitter.”
Violet jumped up and hugged his neck. “I know this is so silly to be hugging you right now, but you have no idea what you’ve done! You’re wonderful!” she sang excitedly. He glanced at her and saw tears in her eyes.
“I know good help when I see it. I don’t wanna lose you,” he told her.
“You haven’t even seen what I’ve done yet!” she replied.
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t know the first thing about decorating, but I do know people, and I’ve got too good of a feeling about you, Violet, to let you go,” he said, taking a swig of his beer.
“Well, I’ll leave you alone to enjoy the rest of your night. I just had to make sure the matter was settled,” she said, heading out of the kitchen with a wave.
“Hey, wait! Can’t I meet the little guy?”
“Um, sure! But he’s napping right now.”
“When he wakes up, bring him up to my apartment. I’m just going to be relaxing, watching a little television,” he explained.
“Okay, sounds like a plan,” she said with a smile, giving him a thumbs up.
He watched her leave, her blonde ponytail bobbing happily and he grinned. He wasn’t sure why, because he'd not been around children much, but the idea of a baby around the place didn’t seem to bother him at all. In fact, it sounded like quite an adventure...
As soon as Ten woke up, Violet fed him and gave him a quick bath before changing him into his sleeper with the cute little antlers on it. She smoothed his fuzzy brown hair down and rubbed some baby lotion into his soft skin.
“We want you looking your best when you meet Mr. Quinn!” she said in a singsong voice to the alert little baby. After getting Ten ready, she changed into a pair of jeans and a button up chambray shirt. She let her blonde hair out of its ponytail and fluffed it around her shoulders before applying a little lip gloss.
“Let’s do this,” she whispered to Ten as she cradled him against her and left her bedroom. She was strangely nervous about this casual meeting. At the top of the steps that lead to Quinn’s rooms, she knocked on the door. Quinn answered almost immediately clad in sweatpants and a Longhorns t-shirt. His hair was still damp from his shower and he smelled faintly of Ivory soap.
“Hello again,” he said kindly, holding the door open for her to come inside. She looked around the large open room, taking in the leather sofas, big screen television and Texas Longhorns memorabilia. A couple of doors at the end of the room most likely led to a bathroom and bedroom she figured.
“I like your place. It’s very…masculine,” she said as she took a seat on the sofa and sat Ten on her lap.
“It’s very much a bachelor’s pad,” he said, gesturing to the football collectibles. “So what’s this little guy’s name?” he asked, bending down to eye level with Ten.
“His name is Tennessee, but I call him Ten,” Violet told him, bouncing the baby on her knee. Quinn reached out and held one of Ten’s chubby little hands.
Ten grasped one of his fingers and wouldn’t let go.
“You’ve got quite the grip there, Ten. You’d make a good little quarterback,” he laughed. Violet smiled. It warmed her heart when people spoke directly to her baby, rather than pretending he wasn’t there or didn’t need to be acknowledged.
“He just might. Or he may end up an artist or a guitar player? I’m personally hoping for a creative career,” she divulged.
“Maybe he could be all three?” Quinn ventured. “Do you guys want to hang out with me for a little while? I was going to watch Sportscenter, but if there’s a movie or something you want to see I’m sure I could look it up,” he offered.
“We can stay for a bit, but please, watch what you like. Ten keeps me occupied enough - I can’t pay attention to movies for very long. It’s just nice to be around people,” she replied.
He hopped up and grabbed some bottled waters from the small kitchenette and handed one to Violet before settling down beside her. She could feel the warmth of his body as he sat so close, and from her side view, she could see his muscled arm peeking beneath his shirt sleeve. She suddenly grew warm.
“Hey, thanks for staying. I don’t get out as much as I would like, so I always enjoy making a new friend,” he said quietly.
“No problem, I’m right there with you,” she said, gesturing to the baby on her lap.
“If you don’t mind me asking…what’s the deal with Ten’s father?”
“He is not in the picture. He doesn’t even know about Ten, and if he did, he wouldn’t be happy, I promise you that,” she said, with some bitterness in her voice. Not so much for herself, but for her son.
“That’s a shame. I don’t understand people like that.”
“Me either.”
They continued talking as the hours passed. Ten fell asleep again, and Violet rubbed his back as she and Quinn shared stories and laughed until they cried.
“This feels good,” she admitted.
“What’s that?” he asked, still laughing at a story from her days at college.
“To laugh and hang out and forget for a minute how stressful my life is. You have no idea how much it means that you’re okay with both Ten and me being here,” she said, growing serious.
He leaned a little closer to her. “Hey, I’m glad you’re here, and right now, there’s no place I would rather be,” he said softly, patting Ten’s back.
As Quinn lingered close, Violet imagined how nice it would be to kiss him. The heady feeling beginning to take over promptly ended when Ten wiggled in her lap, bringing her back to reality.
“I really need to get to bed. I have an early start tomorrow,” she said abruptly, jumping up and startling Ten who promptly wailed in protest.
“Oh, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Quinn rose and walked her to his door.
Chapter Six
Three months to the day of her arrival at the ranch, Quinn watched from his office window as Violet held a bouncy Ten and showed him the horses along the fence line. Those two, he thought, had no idea how he cared for them. In an unexpected turn of events, he’d grown protective of them, wanting nothing but the best for them. And Violet, she was something. He tried his best not to think of her gorgeous smile and long, toned legs. He really tried, but when she threw out a great one liner that made him laugh so hard his sides ached, or he overheard her with some of the workers speaking to them with kind, but firm, authority, she swept him away. The guy who cheated on her sure was fool for treating something so special that badly.
“Knock, knock,” her sweet voice called out at his office door. Lost in his reverie, she’d come inside and caught him completely off guard.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“Hailey is taking Ten to a play group in town, and I’m ready to get started on the details for the Wildlife Gala,” she told him, studying her tablet wearing tortoiseshell glasses.
“Great. I have some ideas, but first, let’s walk out to the site and get a feel for it. What do you think?” he asked, standing.
“Good idea.” She followed him out of the office and down a path to a wide expanse of land beside the lake. A crisp autumn breeze floated through the air causing Violet to shiver. He snuck an arm around her shoulders, rubbing up and down.
“That feels good. It’s gotten chilly all of a sudden!” she exclaimed.
“We’ll definitely need to bring in outdoor heaters,” he said.
“Yes, and the tent should be enclosed,” she said, adding notes to her files.
They brainstormed for the upcoming charity benefit and Harper Ranch’s first big sponsored event. Thirty guests were expected to stay for the weekend, and over two hundred were expected to attend the gala.
“I think it will be fabulous,” Violet said confidently.
“With you at the helm, I don’t have any doubts,” he told her. She turned to face him, playfully pushing his shoulder, and he caught her hand in his.
“Quinn…” she trailed off.
“Violet, I know what you’re about to do. But please, not this time. Don’t push me away,” he said, stepping close to her. He stared into her eyes, getting lost in their dark green depths. She was so beautiful. He leaned down and placed his lips softly against hers, testing the waters, giving her the chance to end the kiss if she wanted.
But she didn’t. Violet kissed him back, barely at first, but then with passion, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him tight against her.
“Wow,” he said breaking away slightly. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now, but I had no idea it would be so—“
“Incredible?” she smiled up at him, her fingers intertwined at the nape of his neck. He didn’t want to let her go and break whatever spell had fallen upon them.
Chapter Seven
One month later, on the night of the Wildlife Gala…
Violet kissed Ten’s cheek as he slept. “He will be just fine, ma’am,” Hailey, Ten’s nanny, reassured her.
“I know, but he’s my baby,” Violet explained.
“You have a benefit tonight and a lot of important people to attend to, and it looks like your handsome date is ready to go,” Hailey said, nodding toward the door of her room. Quinn leaned against the door frame, quite the dashing gentleman in his black tie attire. He held out his arm for Violet.
“You’re stunning,” he said, admiring her slinky black dress and long, bouncy curls.
“We make quite the pair, don’t we?” she teased, elbowing him as they walked out of the main house and toward the gala.
As the sunset, the white tent glowed with soft lighting and candles, and elegant tables were set with the finest linens and china. A jazz band played softly and the wait staff ensured that wine glasses stayed full. Violet took it all in, pleased that the event was going so smoothly.
“You are amazing, Violet Jansen. This is far more than I ever imagined for this place,” Quinn said as they arrived, taking her hand and kissing it. Her eyes danced, excited for the benefit, but already looking forward to being alone with Quinn later.
They mingled, chatting with most of the guests, ensuring everyone was happy and having a great time. During dinner, they schmoozed with some of the most well-known socialites in all of Texas as if it was what they did every night of the week. Normally they spent their evenings chatting d bantering at the farmhouse table in the lodge, dressed casually in sweats.
By the end of the night, Violet’s face ached from smiling so much and she couldn’t wait to get out of her heels. As the hired staff started cleaning everything up, Quinn slipped his arm around Violet’s waist. “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. What do you say we call it a night?”
“Don’t you think we should oversee this?” she gestured towards what was left of the party.
“These folks are professionals,” he said, waving his hand at the busy workers. “We can trust them.”
“Alright, if you say so. I am awfully tired,” she relented. Th
ey turned and headed back to the main house, leaving the crew to their job.
Two hours later, Violet’s eyes flew open and she hastily jumped from the bed. “Quinn! Quinn! Wake up!” she shouted as she hurriedly dressed. He sat up, disoriented.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“The fire alarms are going off! And I smell smoke! TEN! We’ve got to get Ten!” she yelled, shaking with nerves as she slid on a pair of shoes. All she could think about was getting to Ten and making sure he was safe.
Quinn threw on a pair of jeans and was quickly on her heels as they raced down the steps and the few feet to Violet’s room. The baby monitor she’d brought with her and placed by the bed hadn’t lied - Ten still snoozed away, blissfully unaware of the panic eating at his mother. She scooped up his body, heavy with sleep, from his crib and tossed a thick, woven blanket over him before running toward the kitchen.
She yelped when she reached the huge room and saw bright orange glowing just outside the large windows as the flames started to lick at the house.
“Out the front! I’m going to make sure everyone gets out,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “Take care of you and Ten. I’ll join you as soon as I can,” he added before taking off in a jog, knocking on doors and yelling “Everybody out! Fire!”
She ran to the large front doors, exiting the lodge and continuing to jog for a few hundred feet, making sure she placed a large distance between her baby and the dangerous, rapidly growing fire. Guests and household staff members followed behind her - most wearing pajamas and robes.
Dana called the fire department, who had already been alerted by the alarm system, but the closest station was twenty miles away. All they could do was watch the fire glow bright and pray it didn’t destroy everything.
Quinn ran toward Violet and threw his arms around her and Ten. “Everyone’s out, but the fire is spreading fast,” he told her. He smelled of smoke and burnt wood.