by Laura Farr
Stopping suddenly, I turned to face them. “I think he’d been watching us. He knew I was her boyfriend. I found them on the old Johnsons’ land. It looked like he’d been staying there.”
“Maybe he was the one who cut the perimeter fence. I bet that was how he got access onto the ranch,” my dad said. I nodded, agreeing with him. My mom pulled something out of her bag and waved it in the air.
“I think this letter might have something to do with him finding her. I found it on the breakfast bar in the kitchen when I got home.” Handing it to me, I quickly scanned it.
“Seems they sent some correspondence to her previous address when the insurance policy wasn’t active.” Screwing the letter up, I tossed it into the trash. “Fuck! Why not just send him a map with her address on? They may as well have.”
Another hour passed by with no news from the medical staff. With each passing minute, I was convincing myself she wasn’t going to pull through. My chest ached at the thought of living without her. I might not have known her for long but even before all this shit happened, I knew she was it for me.
Mason and Libby arrived, and Libby threw her arms around me, tears falling down her cheeks.
“Is there any news?” she asked, wiping her eyes. I shook my head.
“No, nothing.” I walked over to Mason and pulled him into a hug. “What happened at the station?”
“The police are happy it was self-defense. They won’t be investigating any further.”
“Thank God!” I exclaimed, relieved that Mason wasn’t going to be in any trouble. He
looked shaken though, and I noticed he stayed close to Libby. I couldn’t blame him. I guessed it would take us all some time to process what had happened. Just then the door opened, and a doctor walked into the waiting room. My eyes were drawn to the blood on his scrubs and my stomach turned. “Quinn Montgomery’s family?” he asked, looking between us.
“I’m her boyfriend.” I walked to stand in front of him. “Is she okay?” Libby came to stand next to me, her hand slipping into mine.
“The gunshot wound to her shoulder was complex. She lost a lot of blood due to the bullet hitting a major artery. We took her into surgery to remove the bullet along with a section of damaged tissue.” He paused and removed the surgical cap he was wearing. “She’s very lucky to be alive.” I let out a large breath and felt my body sag when he said she was alive. “She’s not out of danger yet though. Her blood loss was substantial and she’s still very weak. Aside from the gunshot wound, she’s sustained a broken wrist and a fractured cheekbone. There is some cosmetic damage to her face which will heal with time.” He paused again. “Like I said, she’s very lucky to be alive.”
“Can I see her?” I asked.
He nodded. “Of course. Don’t expect to get much out of her though. With what she’s been through, and the anesthetic from the surgery, she’s slipping in and out of consciousness. When she is awake, she’s asking for Brody. I’m guessing that’s you, son?” He gestured to me. I nodded, and he opened the door to the trauma area. “Come on, I’ll take you to her.” Turning around I looked at Libby.
“Go,” she encouraged. “We’ll come through when you’ve had some time alone with her.” I nodded and followed the doctor along the corridor.
Stopping outside a room, he put his hand on the door handle. “Remember, she might be out of it for a while. That’s normal after what she’s been through.” He paused. “I’ve got a daughter Quinn’s age. I hope the bastard that did this to her won’t be getting to her again.” Holding my hand out, the doctor shook it.
“He won’t be getting anywhere near her,” I assured him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.” He nodded his head and released my hand, walking off down the corridor. Turning to look back at the door, I took a deep breath before turning the handle and walking into her room.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw her lying in the bed. She was wearing a hospital gown, which was cut away from her right shoulder exposing the heavy bandaging. Her right arm was in plaster and a bright blue cast lay on top of the sheets covering her. Lifting my eyes to her face, I gasped. Her beautiful, flawless face was swollen and bruised. Her eyes were closed, but with the amount of swelling around her left eye, I wouldn’t be surprised if she couldn’t actually open her eye once she woke up.
Crossing the room, I pulled a chair next to her bed. Sitting down, I gently picked up her hand, enveloping it in mine. Her hand was warm unlike the last time I’d held it, and I lifted it to my lips, brushing a kiss over her skin. “Quinn, sweetheart, it’s me,” I whispered. Her eyelids fluttered slightly but didn’t open. “Rest, baby,” I told her, standing up to kiss her on the forehead. Sitting back down, I dropped my head onto her arm, overcome with emotion. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, Quinn. I can’t believe you threw yourself in front of me. Why would you do that?” Our hands were still entwined, and I felt a gentle squeeze on my hand.
“Doing whatever it takes works both ways, Brody,” she said, her voice raspy. “I couldn’t let him hurt you.” Lifting my head, I saw her eyes were still closed. Standing up I leaned over and kissed her lips.
“You could have died,” I whispered against her mouth. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you had.” My voice broke and she lifted her hand, cupping my face.
“I’m fine.” Her thumb gently stroked my skin.
“You’re not fine, but you will be,” I promised her. My hand came up and covered hers, moving her hand so that I could kiss her palm. “I love you so much, Quinn.”
“I love you too,” she said sleepily, her voice almost a whisper. Her eyes hadn’t opened at all since she’d started speaking and I knew she must be exhausted.
“Go to sleep, baby.”
“Stay,” she mumbled. Standing up, I whispered in her ear.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” She gently nodded her head before giving in to sleep.
Sitting back down I took a few shaky breaths. She was alive, hurt but alive. I’d never felt so relieved. Her outward wounds would heal over time, but I knew she’d be left with emotional scars that would take far longer to heal. Picking her hand up again, I held it tightly, wanting her to know I was next to her and always would be.
Quinn
Prizing my eyes open, I looked to the side, seeing Brody asleep with his head on my bed. I smiled to myself, thinking this was exactly like the first time we’d met. Gently removing my hand from his, I ran my fingers through his hair. Every part of my body ached, and my shoulder felt like it was burning from the inside out. But to be able to touch him when I thought I’d never see him again was worth all the pain.
When Evan had pulled the trigger, I didn’t hesitate at jumping in front of him. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if anything had happened to him. Brody would never have been in that situation if I hadn’t shown up at the ranch, bringing all my troubles with me.
“You’re awake.” He lifted his head and leaned over to kiss me. I nodded.
“Brody, where’s Evan?” I asked, needing to know if we were still in danger.
“He’s gone, baby. You don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
“Gone?” I questioned. “Gone where?”
“He’s dead. Mason shot him just after Evan shot you.” I gasped and lifted my hand to my mouth.
“Mason shot him? Is he in trouble?”
He shook his head. “No. The police are putting it down to self-defense.”
“He’s really gone? It’s finally over?” I asked quietly, unable to believe I no longer had to look over my shoulder.
“It’s over, sweetheart. You’re safe now.” I promptly burst into tears, the relief at knowing he would never hurt anyone again was overwhelming.
“Hey, don’t cry,” he soothed. “Shhhhh.” Standing up, he wiped my tears away with his thumbs. “How are you feeling?” he asked when my tears had dried up.
“Like I’ve been shot
,” I told him with a smile. He frowned.
“It should be me lying there, not you. I should have kept you safe.”
“You did keep me safe. You found me and got me out of there. How did you find me by the way?” I was puzzled by how quickly he’d managed to get to me.
“Ethan managed to get back to the ranch after the car accident and raise the alarm. I tracked your phone to find out where Evan had taken you.”
“He’d been watching us you know?” I shuddered as I thought about him spying on us. Brody nodded.
“I think it was him who kept cutting the perimeter fence, and the tire marks on the field. It was his way of getting onto the ranch undetected.”
“I put everyone in danger,” I whispered.
“No! None of this is your fault. He was crazy, Quinn.”
I nodded, dropping my head back on the pillow. I’d only been awake for a few minutes but already felt exhausted again. Just as I was about to drop off I heard the door open. Turning my head, I saw Claire put her head around the door.
“Are you feeling up to a few more visitors, honey?”
“I think Quinn is tired, Mom, maybe later—” Brody began.
“No, I’m fine. Come in, please,” I insisted, trying to push myself up the bed.
“Just let me know when you get too tired, and I’ll make them leave,” Brody whispered as he kissed me on the cheek before moving away from the bed so that Claire could sit next to me. I gave him a smile, wincing as pain shot up my cheek. Hiding my pain, I turned my attention to Claire and the others as they entered the room.
“Sweetheart, look at you!” Claire exclaimed, her face etched with worry as she sat in the chair that Brody had just vacated. “Are you okay?”
“I’m a little sore but I’m okay.”
“A little sore?” she repeated. “Honey, you’ve been shot!”
“I think Quinn knows she’s been shot, baby,” Ryan said, as he came to stand next to her, his arm resting on her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, she ignored him.
“I’m okay, really.” I paused and closed my eyes. “I feel like I need to apologize.”
“Apologize?” Claire asked in surprise. “Whatever for?”
“For bringing all this trouble to the ranch. I put everyone in danger. If anyone had gotten hurt, I never would have forgiven myself.” She reached over and took my hand.
“Quinn, none of this is your fault. You didn’t bring that man here. You didn’t ask for any of this.” She paused, and I saw her glance over to Brody. “We’ve only known you a short time, sweetheart, but you’re a part of this family now and we all love you. You’re going to get better and then we're all going to go home, together.” I nodded as I felt the tears that had been threatening to fall, spill down my cheeks.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Pulling myself together, I looked past Claire and Ryan to see Mason and Libby standing by the door. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Quinn,” Libby said, walking around the opposite side of the bed to stand next to me.
“Me too.” Turning to Mason, my eyes met his. “Thank you,” I said quietly. He smiled and nodded his head. There was nothing more to say; he knew what he’d done for us, and I would be eternally grateful. Stifling a yawn, I winced as pain shot through my cheek again.
“Right, guys, time to let Quinn sleep. She needs to rest,” Brody announced, moving toward the bed.
“Yes, of course,” Claire agreed, bending down to kiss my forehead. “We’ll leave and let you get some rest. We’ll be back tomorrow. I’ll bring you some clothes and toiletries for while you’re here.”
“Thank you,” I told her gratefully.
After everyone had said their goodbyes, Brody came back to sit next to me.
“I think I know how Evan found me. The hospital wrote to me at my home address and Evan intercepted the letter. He knew I’d had treatment in Marble Falls and came looking for me.”
“I know, sweetheart, my mom showed me the letter earlier. It’s over now though.”
I shook my head.
“No. It’s not.”
“What do you mean? Evan’s dead, baby. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“Evan might be dead, but the reason they sent the letter was because I’ve no medical insurance. Evan stopped paying the bills when my mom died. The hospital is going to bill me for the treatment I received after the fire. I don’t have insurance to cover this stay either. How the hell am I going to pay, Brody?”
“This stay will be covered by the ranch policy. Mom had your details added to the policy once you started working for us.” I looked at him in surprise. “As for the stay after the fire, we’ll figure it out, Quinn. I don’t want you worrying about it now. You need to get better.”
“Your mom added me to the family’s ranch policy?” I asked in disbelief. “Why would she do that?”
“I asked her to. I knew even then I was falling in love with you, and I knew you were in no position to pay your own insurance.” He smiled sheepishly at me. “I hope you don’t mind?” I shook my head. How could I mind? He was right, I was in no position to be paying for anything, especially now. It would take me weeks to be fit enough to work again.
“Thank you. You never fail to surprise me, Brody Parker. But know that I’ll be paying you back.”
“We’ll see,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Will you hold me?” I moved over slightly in the bed. He nodded and lay down next to me, gently pulling me into his arms.
“Am I hurting you?”
I shook my head. “No. If I close my eyes, I can pretend we’re home in your bed and none of this is happening.” He tightened his hold on me.
“We’ll be back there before you know it. I promise. This is the start of the rest of our lives, Quinn.”
I smiled. “The rest of our lives, where we end up getting married and having lots of babies? I might have been out of it after I got shot but I could still hear what you were saying.”
Sitting up he turned to face me. “I meant every word. I never knew I wanted any of that before I met you. You made me want more, Quinn. You made me want everything.”
“I love you,” I told him, my face lighting up in a smile, and this time I barely even noticed the pain. I was too happy to care.
“I love you too, Quinn Montgomery. You know, I never used to be a big believer in fate, but you changed that the day you stumbled into my life. I think it was fate that brought you to Marble Falls. I was destined to find you and make you mine.”
He was right, fate had brought me to Marble Falls that day, but it was also down to Evan. I know I should hate him for what he’d done, and how he’d treated me. A huge part of me did. But if he hadn’t forced me to run away, I’d still be living in Westwood and not lying in the arms of the man I loved, planning our future. I’m sure life would throw us the odd curve ball along the way, and that was fine, because whatever it took, we’d get through it as long as we were together.
Quinn
3 months later
Squeezing Brody’s hand, I leaned forward and peered through the window of the plane as we came in to land at LaGuardia airport. I’d never flown before, and despite being terrified when we boarded, I’d loved every minute of it.
It had been just over three months since I’d been discharged from the hospital. My shoulder still ached from time to time, but other than that I’d been lucky and made a full recovery. Everyone had been amazing, and no one would let me lift a finger, fussing around me and making sure I took my pain meds. As grateful as I was for everyone’s concern, I’d been itching to get back to normal, wanting to put all that had happened behind me. Knowing I couldn’t quite do that yet, I sighed.
“Are you okay, Quinn, you’ve gone quiet?” Turning to him I smiled. It was nice to be able to finally smile without my cheek feeling like it was going to explode.
“I’m fine. I was just lost in thought.” I leaned over and brushed my lips against his.
“Are you sure you want
to do this, sweetheart? I was more than happy to come on my own.”
“I know, but I needed to come.” He nodded and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side.
An hour later and we were pulling up outside my old home in Westwood. After Evan had died, the rental payments on the house had stopped. The news of what Evan had done made the national press, and the old lady who we’d rented off for years had contacted me via the police. She’d told me she was happy to wait until I was well enough to come and sort through all of my mom’s and my belongings. It had taken until now for me to face coming back. Brody knew I was struggling and had insisted on paying the rental until we were able to come.
Sitting in the car, nerves bubbled in my stomach and I felt Brody reach across and place his hand on my knee. “You okay?”
“It looks so different from the last time I was here.” The garden had been well maintained and brightly colored flowers filled the borders. The garden had always been something my mom had loved doing. After she’d died, Evan hadn’t bothered, and the garden had become overgrown and messy. “It’s like it was when my mom was alive. She loved the flowers.” I smiled sadly. I still missed her terribly and I knew I always would.
“Are you ready to go in?” he asked, squeezing my knee. I turned to him and nodded. Reaching for the door handle, I slowly climbed out of the car. Standing at the end of the driveway, I watched as he came to stand at my side, his hand reaching for mine. Walking down the driveway together, we came to a stop at the front door. I didn’t have a key, but the landlady had hidden one under a plant pot for us. Kneeling down, I lifted the pot and picked the key up. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and walked inside. The house looked like it always had. It was nothing special, just a small family home, but up until things had gone to shit, there had been so much love within these walls and those were the memories I wanted to take away with me.
Glancing around there was no evidence that three people had been killed here, and for that I was grateful. Pictures of me as a child hung on the walls and I turned around to see Brody smiling as he looked at one of them. “You were a cute baby, Quinn.” He pointed at one of the pictures. “Is this your mom when she was younger?” He gestured to another picture where I was sitting on my mom’s lap. I nodded.