by R. C. Ryan
She hadn’t seen this coming.
Caught by surprise, she could only hold on as he kissed her with a thoroughness that had her fully engaged.
Without her giving thought to what she was doing, her fingers uncurled, the palms flattening against his chest before sliding slowly upward to encircle his neck.
His hands were in her hair, drawing her head back as he continued kissing her.
“Now we’re even,” he murmured against her lips. “You didn’t initiate this one. It was all my choice.”
Before she could respond his mouth was claiming hers again, taking the kiss deeper, until all she could taste was him.
The kiss spun on and on, filling her, then draining her. She felt as light as air, her bones as soft as melted wax. The thought flitted through her mind that if he chose to take her here and now, she wouldn’t have the will to resist.
When at last he lifted his head, she continued holding on to him, afraid that if she let go she would surely slide boneless to the floor.
“That’s how I wanted to kiss you that first time. But I wanted you awake, alert, and able to give your full consent.”
As she sucked air into her starving lungs, he lifted a hand to her cheek.
He opened the door and waited until she’d walked past him. “Welcome to my home.”
He paused, with his hand on the doorknob. “If you need anything in the night, my room is next door.”
“I’m sure I won’t come calling.”
His smile widened. “I can always hope.”
He stepped back and pulled the door closed.
She stood very still, listening to his footsteps recede.
She crossed the room and dropped down on the edge of the mattress, her mind in turmoil.
What had just happened here? That unexpected kiss changed everything.
She’d come here to be comfortable while her house was repaired.
Comfortable? The word had her laughing aloud. That wasn’t a word she would use to describe Quinn Conway. The man made her extremely uncomfortable.
On the one hand, she loved being with him. In these few days that they’d been together, she’d laughed more than she had in a year. She really liked his family. They were warm and funny and loud and informal, and she felt an almost instant acceptance by all of them.
On the other hand, things were moving way too quickly. Too much had happened in her life that had been beyond her control. The loss of her mother, brother, and then father would be enough to have any sane person reeling. Added to that, within days she’d had to deal with a dislocated shoulder and a nearly deadly fire.
She wanted, needed, the world to slow down. She wasn’t ready for any more complications in her life.
And Quinn Conway was definitely proving to be a complication. An interesting, challenging, and thoroughly head-spinning complication.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Quinn walked into the kitchen and poured a mug of coffee.
Ela was baking corn bread. Phoebe was busy pouring orange juice into glasses she’d arranged on a tray atop the counter.
“ ’Morning,” he called to both of them.
Ela merely nodded a greeting as she opened the oven to check her corn bread.
“Good morning, Quinn.” Phoebe set aside the empty pitcher and began removing eggs from a carton. “You’re up earlier than usual.”
“Am I?” He leaned a hip against the counter and watched as she deftly cracked one egg after another until she had more than a dozen in the bowl. “I didn’t look at a clock. Just figured if I was awake, it was time to get moving.”
Phoebe smiled. “That’s what I tell myself every morning.”
“Have you ever overslept?”
She shrugged. “Not that I recall. It’s just not in my nature to be lazy.”
An understatement, he thought, since he’d never seen her when she wasn’t busy. Not only did she manage dozens of chores each day, but she had always made time for all of them through the years, listening to their troubles, easing them through the various stages of their lives. And all without a hint of impatience.
“Yeah. I know what you mean.” He glanced at the sky outside the window. “Looks like the sun might shine.”
“About time.” She added milk to the egg mixture. “I’m so ready for spring.”
He lingered, enjoying the coffee and the wonderful scents of morning, and the company of these two women, who were so different in looks and temperament. Phoebe the eternal optimist and Ela terse and brutally frank.
“I like your Cheyenne.”
Though Phoebe said it simply, he looked over and found her staring at him.
He shot her a grin. “I knew you would.”
“Hearing about her personal losses, and the accidents that have befallen her, I expected a wounded bird. Instead, she strikes me as very strong.”
“Yeah.”
“Like her mother.” Ela began cutting squares of corn bread and placing them in a linen-lined basket.
Quinn looked over. “You made Cheyenne really happy by talking about things you remembered about her mother.”
The old woman smiled. “Those who lose their parents at a young age have a need to keep them alive in their minds.”
Quinn digested this as he drained his coffee and placed the mug in the dishwasher. Though her words were always simply spoken, there was a depth of soul to them. This time, he had the feeling that she was directing them at him as much as at Cheyenne.
“Got some chores to see to before breakfast,” he muttered. “Guess I’ll get to them.”
As he ambled out of the room the two women watched him go.
When the door closed behind him, Phoebe looked over. “Was that necessary?”
At Phoebe’s questioning look Ela said softly, “If they had been allowed to speak of her, her spirit could have found some solace in their words. Instead, I sense her restlessness.”
“Her restlessness? What about theirs? Don’t you think all these years of uncertainty have taken a toll on Cole and his children?”
Ela smiled at the vehemence in Phoebe’s words. Through the years Phoebe Hogan had become their fierce protector. Not only of the three sons but of their father as well. “A great toll. It eats at them like a beast.”
Neither woman mentioned her by name. They didn’t have to. It was clear that Seraphine Conway remained just as powerful a presence in her family years after her disappearance as she did when she was with them.
Cheyenne came fully awake and lay a moment, trying to recapture her dream. Like wisps of fog it was gone from her mind. She thought Quinn had been part of it, but she couldn’t be certain. She knew only that it had been pleasant and she hadn’t wanted it to end.
It seemed strange to wake and have no agenda. She’d always thought it would be a pleasant experience to have the opportunity to escape ranch chores, if only for a few days, and do nothing more than pamper herself. But now that she was here at the Conway ranch, she was feeling oddly dejected. The truth was, she liked to work hard. Relished the satisfaction of mentally crossing off chores on her list of things to do.
If she couldn’t find anything to do here, she could always drive back to her ranch and help direct the cleanup. She imagined it would take several days, perhaps as long as a week, to haul all the debris from the rooms affected by the fire.
As she slipped from bed and made her way to the shower she began thinking about all the things she would have to do in the next few days.
Satisfied that she would have more than enough work to keep her busy, she stepped under the warm spray.
“ ’Morning, Cheyenne.” Quinn was the first to greet her as she walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning.” She brightened at the sight of him fresh from morning chores, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hair messed and curling slightly over the collar of his flannel shirt.
“Coffee and juice over there.” He pointed to the tray on the kitchen counter.
While she helpe
d herself to a glass of juice she greeted Big Jim and Cole, Phoebe and Ela.
Phoebe turned from the stove, where she was draining sausages before transferring them to a platter. “We’ll be eating as soon as Josh and Jake return from the barn.”
Just then the two could be heard in the mudroom, removing their parkas and boots before stepping into the kitchen.
“Well, Doctor,” Quinn said with a mock-serious look, “will the patient live?”
Jake feigned an equally serious look. “I may have to perform a lobotomy on the cranium mandible…” He looked around dramatically. “Oh. Sorry. Not on Josh’s horse, but on Josh.”
When they were through laughing he said, “Actually, the liniment he used is doing the trick. I think that hoof will be good as new in a day or so.”
“Does this mean you won’t charge me, Dr. Conway?”
At Josh’s question Jake shot him a dark look. “I believe I ought to charge you double, for insisting that I do the examination before I had even one bite of Ela’s corn bread.”
Big Jim was shaking his head from side to side. “I think Jake’s going to charge you double for all those big words he just used to impress us.”
Jake turned to his grandfather. “I hope you were suitably impressed. I want Pa to know he got his money’s worth after all those years of study.”
“Son.” Cole dropped an arm around his shoulders. “I knew I got my money’s worth the minute you came home.”
“With a degree.”
“With or without it. I’m just happy you chose to come here instead of some”—his tone lowered—“fancy, la-di-da Kentucky horse farm.”
“I do believe that impressed you the most,” Jake said with a laugh.
“Damned right.” Cole winked at Big Jim, who had taken a seat across the table. “It means we’re doing something right here.”
“Well,” Jake remarked. “The pay’s not what I’d hoped for, but there’s always Ela’s corn bread.” He reached for a piece and was rewarded with a rap on his knuckles by the old woman.
“Wait for the others,” Ela said.
“So much for my importance,” Jake grumbled. “I still get no respect.”
That had the rest of the family in stitches as they took their places around the table.
Cheyenne, seated beside Quinn, joined in the laughter. As they passed around platters of scrambled eggs, sausage, fried potatoes, and corn bread, the easy banter continued.
It was, she thought, a most pleasant way to begin a new day.
“I’m phoning an order to Paintbrush this morning,” Phoebe announced as she circled the table filling their cups. “If there’s anything you’d like me to add to the grocery list, speak now.”
“Chocolate chips,” Quinn said as she paused beside his chair.
She arched a brow. “Now that’s something you’ve never asked for before.”
“I have a sudden craving for chocolate chip cookies.” He winked at Cheyenne and she felt her face grow hot.
“I’ll add them.” She topped off Cheyenne’s cup. “Anything you’d particularly like while you’re here? I phone in a grocery order every couple of weeks to the Paintbrush grocery, and they send it along with our ranch supplies.”
Across the table Josh chuckled. “Good thing you’re one of us, Cheyenne. I’m sure a visitor from a big city would think they’d landed on another planet if they saw a delivery of saddle soap, motor oil, animal antibiotic, and chocolate chips.”
That had everyone roaring.
When she’d stopped laughing, Cheyenne shook her head. “I can’t think of a thing, Phoebe. But,” she added to Josh, “I did wake up this morning and wonder where I’d landed. If not another planet, at least a spa. The guest bedroom is really luxurious.”
“I’m so glad you’re comfortable here.” Big Jim lifted his cup in both hands and regarded Cheyenne over the rim.
“Very comfortable, thanks to all of you.”
“We’re happy to have you.” Cole looked around the table before saying to his father, “It’s nice having all the family home, isn’t it, Big Jim?”
“You’re only saying that because now you’ve got free laborers.” Jake helped himself to another piece of corn bread.
“Well, of course that’s what I mean.” He eyed his son’s corn bread. “But when you consider just how much all of you eat, it cuts into the profits considerably.”
“Especially our new doctor, who could always outeat the rest of us,” Josh added.
Jake stuffed the last bite into his mouth and turned to him with an exaggerated grin. “Don’t forget my superior brain, big brother.”
“To match your superior ego.” He managed to evade Jake’s fist directed at his shoulder while the others laughed.
“I can see that we’re going to have to go back to the old days of assigning chores to anyone who can’t behave at the table.” Their grandfather managed to keep a straight face, though the hint of Irish brogue deepened. “Maybe it’s true what they say, boyo. Kids grow older, but never grow up.”
Jake smiled at his brothers. “I think the saying really goes like this. Our parents and grandparents only grow older, not better.”
After another round of laughter, Cole conceded. “Okay. So we’re all going to have to pull together. Right now, Big Jim and I are planning on driving up to the hills to see what the wranglers need. That leaves the barn chores for the three of you to divide up.”
“We’ve got it covered,” Quinn assured him.
“I can help,” Cheyenne said. “I can drive back to my place later to see how the cleanup is progressing.”
Quinn drained his cup and set aside his napkin. “If I’m caught up with my chores, I’ll join you.”
By mutual consent they began pushing away from the table and depositing their dirty dishes in the sink before heading toward the mudroom to prepare for the day.
“We have plenty of spare boots and work gloves,” Jake called.
Cheyenne eyed the neat shelves. “Thanks. I’m sure I can find what I need.”
She slipped into a pair of boots and chose a pair of work gloves before trailing the others toward the first barn.
Picking up a shovel, she worked alongside Quinn mucking stalls and loading the straw and dung into a cart.
It was, she thought, good to be able to work again. There was something solid and right about tending to daily chores. And best of all, after they had shared a fine meal and a lot of laughter, the jokes and conversation continued between Quinn and his brothers. Though they often spoke about their experiences growing up, they took the time to explain, and she never felt like an outsider.
What she liked best about their reminiscences was the glimpse she was given into their early years. She could see the esteem in which Quinn was held by his younger siblings. Despite all the teasing, they absolutely trusted his judgment and really enjoyed his company.
As for Josh and Jake, she began to see, through their childish antics, just how independent they’d been forced to become, after the sudden, wrenching disappearance of their mother. Though they never mentioned her, their loss colored all their lives.
From their stories she began to see three tough little boys who learned, earlier than most, that nothing in this world was certain. And because life was so fleeting, they began taking risks that would have caused most boys their age to run home and hide behind their mothers’ skirts.
For the next several hours the four of them fell into an easy rhythm as they tackled the routine chores with equal parts of energy and good humor.
And all the while, they continued regaling Cheyenne with hilarious, and sometimes poignant, tales from their childhood.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Cheyenne and Jake were spreading fresh straw in each stall. Josh was busy filling troughs with water. Quinn was emptying a sack of oats while regaling all of them with yet another wolf tale.
His stories were all fascinating. Cheyenne could have listened for hours. She loved the image
conjured in her mind of Quinn alone in the wilderness, charting the path of wild creatures.
She paused in her work to fold her arms atop the pitchfork. “How did your fascination with wolves get started?”
“Who knows?” Quinn gave an expressive shrug.
Seeing it, Jake looked up. “Maybe he won’t tell you, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was an incident from our childhood.” He described the den, the litter of wolf pups, and the absolute delight he and his brothers felt at being allowed to play with them without restraint.
Caught up in the story, Cheyenne smiled dreamily. “What an amazing gift, to have beautiful, wild creatures all to yourselves, without any threat.”
She saw Quinn’s quick frown.
Jake shook his head. “No threat from the adult wolves. Mama wolf wasn’t there at first. But we could see her returning with a fresh kill just as we were leaving.”
“Good timing,” Cheyenne said.
“Yeah. We thought so, too.” In vivid detail Jake continued the story, recounting the sound of rifle shots and the scene of carnage they encountered when they raced back to the den.
Cheyenne covered her mouth with a hand. “Oh, that’s just awful. And all of you so young and unable to express your outrage to that rancher.”
“That was the worst part, I think,” Jake said. “It was so soon after our mother’s… disappearance, and we were all hurting for that mother wolf and her babies.”
Cheyenne heard the slight hesitation in Jake’s voice. It didn’t seem that he, like Quinn, had ever fully come to terms with that painful episode regarding the loss of their mother.
Josh chimed in. “For me the worst part was knowing that we couldn’t say a thing to Porter Stanford. Big Jim had warned us to stay away from his property. He was a hothead and a loner, and Pa and Big Jim always feared that the smallest thing might set him off and he’d fly into a rampage. So when he finally rode away, we were all relieved. That’s when Quinn took charge and started burying the wolf and her pups in their den. The two of us followed his lead and gave him a hand before hightailing it for home.”