Cattleman's Courtship

by Lois Faye Dyer

  Frowning, she slipped the metal letter holder beneath the flap and ripped the envelope open, extracting the single sheet of letterhead.

  “Oh, my God.”

  Shocked, Victoria reread the letter.

  “After all these years, they have a lead on Kathleen Parrish.”

  Her first instinct was to telephone Quinn and share her excitement. But her legal training refused to let her. Instead, she flipped through her wallet and found the phone number for Hank’s daughter in Florida.

  It took only a few moments to get him on the line and fill him in on the letter’s contents.

  Hank sounded as stunned as Victoria had felt when she first read the letter.

  “They don’t know her present whereabouts.” She continued. “But a woman by the name of Kathleen Parrish, with a matching birth date, renewed her passport a year ago. She was living in Paris at the time but she’s moved around a lot in the last twenty years.”

  “In Paris? That doesn’t sound like Charlie’s Kathleen Parrish. She had a high school diploma and worked as a waitress in a local cafe when he met her. Where would she have gotten enough money to travel in Europe?”

  “I don’t know, but the date of her original passport seems to indicate that she left the States within a year of disappearing from Montana. And Hank,” Victoria added. “There’s something else—she traveled with an infant, a little girl named Rebecca Parrish.”

  Hank swore softly. “So Quinn and Cully may have a sister.”

  “It looks that way.” Victoria hesitated. “This file is marked ‘Confidential’, Hank, but I’d like your permission to tell Quinn.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he said slowly. “There’s no way of knowing whether this lead will turn into another dead end. I’d hate to raise Quinn and Cully’s hopes only to have this trail turn cold as so many have in the past.”

  “But this is different, Hank. This isn’t just a clue to their mother’s whereabouts, this is new information. It’s likely that they have a sister, one they never knew existed. Don’t you think they should be told?”

  “I see your point,” Hank conceded. “I’ll call the travel agency and see how quickly I can catch a flight.”

  “No, you don’t have to do that,” Victoria said quickly. “I can handle it. I’d like to, Hank.” She hesitated before continuing. “I’ve been dating Quinn. I’d really like to be the one to tell him.”

  “Doesn’t that make this more complicated? Are you sure you can be objective if your personal feelings are involved?” he asked dubiously.

  “Yes, I’m sure I can.”

  “All right,” he said with sudden decision. “Handle it, Victoria.”

  “Thanks, Hank.”

  “And Victoria…”

  “Yes, Hank?”

  “Give some thought to staying in Colson. I’ve been thinking that I could use a partner.”

  Stunned, Victoria was speechless.

  “Hank, I don’t know what to say,” she stammered at last. “Are you serious?”

  “Absolutely. I’d like to have you in the office permanently,” he said bluntly.

  “Thank you, Hank. I’ll think about it, I really will.”

  She said goodbye and hung up, staring blankly at the sheet of paper in front of her for a long moment.

  A partnership with Hank. Why didn’t I think of that? What a wonderful opportunity.

  But she could devote little time to Hank’s startling proposal. She had more pressing matters. She grabbed the phone and punched in Quinn’s telephone number.

  “Yeah?”

  “Quinn.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “I need to talk to you. Are you going to be home for a while?”

  “For you honey, always. Come on out.”

  “Is Cully there?”

  “No. He’s over at Kelso Nickell’s place. Why?” His voice sharpened, the lazy drawl disappearing.

  “I’ll tell you when I get there.”

  “All right. Drive carefully.”

  Victoria drove carefully, but faster than usual. When she pulled her little car up before Quinn’s front gate, he exited the house and strode down the sidewalk toward her.

  She met him halfway, returning his kiss with appreciation.

  Quinn kept his arms wrapped around her waist when he lifted his mouth from hers.

  “So what’s the rush, sweetheart?” His voice was deeper, huskier than normal. “Why did you want to talk to Cully?”

  “Actually, I wanted to talk to both of you. But I can catch Cully later. Can we sit down?”

  “Sure.” He draped his arm around her shoulder and turned back to the house. “Let’s have a seat on the porch out of the sun.”

  “Great.”

  Their hips brushed companionably as they climbed the steps. Victoria took a seat in one of the oak rocking chairs, removed the detective agency’s letter from her purse and set the leather bag on the floor beside her.

  Quinn dropped into a chair and leaned forward, propping his forearms on his thighs, his gaze assessing her solemn features.

  “Tell me.”

  Victoria glanced at the letter in her hand, then at Quinn. He watched her, quietly curious. She cleared her throat.

  “You know that I’ve been working at Hank’s office while he’s gone? Taking phone calls, organizing his files, and so on?” Quinn nodded and she continued. “I’ve also been opening his mail.” She glanced down at the letter once more and drew a deep breath. “This came this morning. I think you should read it.”

  Quinn took the envelope from her hand. He removed the letter.

  Shock moved across his features, followed by quick anger, then just as swiftly by stunned shock once again.

  “My mother left the country? No wonder Dad couldn’t find her,” he muttered. “And she had a baby.”

  His green gaze met Victoria’s, his lashes narrowing. “A little girl. I have a sister?”

  “It seems likely. The age of the infant on the passport makes it almost certain that your mother was pregnant when she left Montana.”

  Quinn stared at her for a long moment, his face set in forbidding lines, before he surged out of his chair and stalked to the railing. His back rigid, he stood, staring silently out across the acres to the rise of buttes in the distance.

  “The agency doesn’t know Kathleen and Rebecca’s current whereabouts and the passport renewal information is more than a year old,” Victoria said. “Hank was concerned about giving you false hope that your mother and sister may be located anytime soon, but I thought it was important that you know that you may have a sister. Somewhere,” she added, “And that the agency will continue to search for your mother.”

  “Thanks for telling me.” His voice was short, tight with anger.

  “Quinn…” Victoria rose and crossed the porch, covering his clenched fist with her own palm and fingers. “I know this is a shock, but…”

  His gaze left the horizon to focus on her. Laser-bright and furious, his eyes were filled with anger.

  “A shock?” he said bitterly. “Yeah, I guess you could say it’s a shock to learn that my mother not only deserted us but she took my sister with her. A sister she never bothered telling us about. A daughter she never told my father he had.”

  Victoria ached for the pain and betrayal written on his set features.

  “I’m sorry, Quinn,” she said softly. “Maybe Hank was right, maybe I shouldn’t have told you.”

  “No.” He shook his head in quick denial. “No, I’m glad you told me.” He turned his hand beneath hers and threaded his fingers through hers. Then he drew her with him and dropped into the rocking chair, pulling her down onto his lap before he wrapped his arms around her.

  “None of this is your fault,” he said, the words muffled against her throat. “It’s Bowdrie history. And like most Bowdrie history, it’s not good.”

  They sat for long moments, Victoria’s arms tight around his neck, Quinn’s arms wrapped around her waist and shoulders. Th
e ranch drowsed in the hot afternoon sun.

  Victoria brushed her lips against his temple and he lifted his head, a subtle tension invading his big body beneath hers.

  “Victoria?”

  “Let’s go upstairs,” she murmured, aching to hold him and offer the forgetfulness and comfort of making love.

  Fire blazed in his eyes, heat licking swiftly beneath his skin in a flush of red across his cheekbones.

  Without another word, he stood, carrying her into the house and up the stairs.

  The peaceful quiet of the small apartment was disturbed by knocking on the door. Surprised, Victoria glanced at the clock on the small table next to her.

  “Nine forty-five.” She murmured. Her heart beat faster. Could it be Quinn? She glanced quickly out the window but the street below was empty, with no sign of Quinn’s pickup. Her heart rate returned to normal and she pushed out of the comfortable chair, crossing the room to the door.

  “Who’s there?” she called, her hand poised on the doorknob.

  “It’s me, Nikki.”

  “Nikki?” Victoria unlocked the door and pulled it open. The woman on her doorstep was a paler version of her usual colorful self. A loose black T-shirt was tucked into her jeans, her face pale and scrubbed free of makeup. “Come in.” Nikki stepped past her into the living room and Victoria swung the door closed, locking it securely. “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to leave Colson.” Nikki said abruptly, her face strained. “And I’m hoping you can give me some advice about where to go in Seattle.”

  Stunned, Victoria gestured to the sofa. “Of course. Let’s sit down.” Belatedly, she remembered her manners. “Would you like some tea?”

  “No, thanks.” Nikki halted abruptly and dragged her fingers through her hair. “Yes, actually, a cup of hot tea sounds good.”

  “All right.” Victoria changed directions and moved into the kitchen. “This will only take a moment, I made a cup of tea only a half hour ago so the water is still hot.” She flicked on the burner under the teakettle and pulled open cabinet doors to take down mugs and tea bags. Nikki leaned against the doorjamb, watching silently. Her thick mane of auburn hair was tousled from the movements of her fingers. Golden freckles dotted the creamy skin over her nose, highlighting her fair skin. Her brown eyes were troubled, faint blue shadows smudging the delicate skin beneath and Victoria suspected that Nikki had been crying. “Why do you have to leave Colson? What happened?”

  Tears welled and Nikki brushed them away impatiently. “I just need to get away. This town is suffocating me.”

  “I see.” Victoria guessed that there was far more to the story. Behind her, the teakettle whistled merrily. “Ah, here we go.” She switched off the burner and poured boiling water over the tea bags in the mugs. She took spoons from the silverware drawer, collected the sugar bowl, and handed one steaming mug to Nikki. “Let’s go into the living room and sit down.”

  She deposited mug, spoons and sugar on the coffee table and curled up on the sofa, tucking her feet beneath her.

  “I can see that you’ve been crying, Nikki,” she said gently. “Won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

  “I can’t talk about it without crying,” Nikki said. “And I’ve cried until my head aches.”

  “All right,” Victoria conceded. “But can you at least tell me if someone has hurt you? You haven’t been assaulted, or…”

  “No,” Nikki said quickly. “I haven’t been hurt physically.” Tears spilled over and trailed slowly down her cheeks. “Not unless you count a broken heart as ‘physical’.”

  With her own heart in peril, Victoria was hypersensitive to the pain behind Nikki’s words. “Oh, Nikki.”

  “Isn’t this ridiculous?” Nikki took a tissue from her jeans pocket, dabbing at her eyes, wet cheeks and nose. “Lonna and I warned you about the Bowdrie brothers. Now I’m the one with a broken heart. How could I have been so stupid as to fall in love with Cully!” She glanced at Victoria and shook her head miserably. “I’m a complete idiot.”

  “No,” Victoria said swiftly, leaning forward to clasp Nikki’s forearm. “You’re not. If Cully Bowdrie doesn’t have the good sense to see what a wonderful person you are, then he’s a fool.”

  “No. I’m the fool.” Nikki stood quickly. Too agitated to sit still, she paced the floor. “I actually thought he liked me. He always joined us when I went to the Crossroads Bar with friends, danced with me, teased me, talked to me.” She halted in midstride to look at Victoria. “He doesn’t do that with everyone, you know.” At Victoria’s nod, she resumed pacing. “I thought we were friends, growing closer, that maybe someday… Well,” she laughed bitterly, choking back tears. “Tonight I learned exactly what he thinks of me.”

  “What did he do?”

  “I was at work—I had the early afternoon and dinner shift at the Grill. Cully came in for dinner, and I joined him for coffee on my break. We were talking about you seeing Quinn, and he thinks that you’re the perfect woman. You’re a college graduate—I have a high school diploma. You have a high-powered career as an attorney—I’m a waitress at the Crossroads Grill. You’re sophisticated—I’m small town. You have an impeccable reputation—I’m a direct descendant of the owner of the oldest house of pleasure in Colson.” Nikki ticked off the comparisons, her voice matter-of-fact.

  “But none of those things mean that Cully doesn’t, or couldn’t, care for you,” Victoria argued. Nikki’s brown eyes held a wealth of pain and sadness.

  “Yes, they do.” She shook her head. “I saw his face when he was talking about you and Quinn, Victoria. I heard his voice.” She was silent for a long moment. “I’ll miss Aunt Cora and Angelica desperately, but I have to leave Colson. I need to find out if I can make a life for myself away from this town—and away from Cully.”

  “All right.” Convinced that Nikki was determined, Victoria rose and collected pen and paper from a drawer in the small table near the window. “I can see that you’ve made up your mind to go through with this. And since you have—” she jotted a note on the paper. “—I’m going to send you to my parents’ house.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t…” Nikki protested.

  “Yes, you can. I insist—you can stay with them until you find a job and become comfortable in Seattle, then, if you want to move into an apartment of your own, fine.” She picked up the portable phone from the coffee table and punched in numbers. “Shh.” She ignored Nikki’s attempt to protest further. “Mom? Hi, sorry to call this late—you weren’t asleep, were you? You’re reading in bed? Good. Mom, I have a favor to ask…”

  Ten minutes later, she said goodbye and broke the connection.

  “You’re all set,” she said with satisfaction. “Mom’s delighted to have you.” She finished writing directions and tore the sheet from the pad to hand it to Nikki. “You’re not leaving tonight, are you?”

  “I wanted to,” Nikki admitted. “But I need to pack and explain why I’m leaving to Angelica and Aunt Cora. Saying goodbye to them isn’t going to be easy.”

  “No, it won’t. Will they understand?”

  “Cora will,” Nikki nodded with conviction. “She’s always encouraged me to go away to college or a trade school—but there was never enough money. She only has a small pension and we needed my salary to make ends meet.” She stared at the sheet of paper for a moment, before adding almost to herself. “I have a bit in savings to tide her over, but I’ll need to find a job quickly so I can send her money each month.”

  “There are hundreds of restaurants in the Seattle area. I know you’re an excellent waitress, so if you want to continue in that line, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding a job. Or are you thinking of something different? What do you want to do?”

  The small smile that briefly curved Nikki’s lipstick-bare lips was quickly gone, but it gave Victoria hope that the younger woman’s naturally sunny spirit would rebound in time.

  “You won’t laugh if I tell you?”

  “Absolutely not
.”

  “I’ve always wanted to manage a bed-and-breakfast. I love to cook, redecorate, entertain people.” Nikki’s slender shoulders lifted in a self-deprecating shrug. “Pretty silly, huh? A small hotel manager/chef in Colson.”

  “I don’t think it’s silly at all.” Victoria waved a hand. “And why not in Colson?”

  “We have one motel and only short-order cooks in Colson, not chefs. Anyway.” Nikki stood. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll never have the money to go to school.”

  Maybe you will, Victoria thought, her mind busily sifting through options.

  “I’d better get going. I have a lot to get done if I’m going to leave in the morning.”

  Victoria rose and followed her to the door. “Call me when you get to Mom’s,” she told her. “Because I’ll worry whether you’ve made it safely.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Nikki’s smile flashed briefly. “I can’t begin to tell you how much your help means to me, Victoria.” Her voice broke.

  Victoria pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly before stepping back, her own eyes damp.

  “You have no idea what a favor you’re doing for me,” she joked with a wavery smile. “My parents have suffered from empty-nest syndrome ever since I left the house—I’m the youngest. They’ll love fussing over you.”

  “I hope so. Thank you for this.” Nikki clutched the sheet of paper.

  “You’re welcome. Take care.”

  Victoria stood in the doorway, lifting a hand in farewell when Nikki paused at the bottom of the stairwell to look back and wave. Victoria closed her apartment door and methodically turned the locks, her mind preoccupied with Nikki.

  The phone rang, startling her from her thoughts and she snatched it up from the table, certain that it was her mother calling back with a forgotten detail.

  “Mom?”

  Her greeting was met with silence.

  “You’re expecting your mother?”

  The deep voice flooded her with relieved delight.

  “Quinn!”

  Victoria dropped into the armchair, smiling with pleasure.