Texas Rebels: Quincy

by Linda Warren

  The screen door opened and Lindsay poked her head out. “Do you want the bathroom first?” They shared a bathroom. The house had three bedrooms and two baths. Their dad had tried to get one of them to take the master bath, but they always refused.

  “Nah. I’m gonna sit out here for a while.”

  Lindsay spotted the bowl by Daisy. “Did you let her eat out of that bowl?”

  “Why, heavens no.”

  Lindsay didn’t buy that for minute. “You do know she licks her butt.”

  “So?”

  “You’re an idiot.” Her sister came out and sat beside her. Before she could get on her soapbox, her eyes strayed to the corral. “Where’s Dovie?”

  Jenny swallowed. “I took her back.”

  “When?”

  “Before I went to work.”

  She put her arm around Jenny. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You were so out of it yesterday, we didn’t get to talk about Paxton’s visit.”

  “Miss Kate sent him over to apologize. Wasn’t it wonderful that his mother had to point that out?”

  “Did you vent your anger?”

  “You bet, and then some, but according to Paxton, our relationship ended a long time ago and it’s my fault for not realizing that.”

  “And?”

  She looked at her sister. “What?”

  “How did you respond to that?”

  She shrugged. “I have all these feelings inside me and I’m trying to sort them out, but every time I do, I see myself in a negative light. Why would I keep holding on to Paxton when he had clearly moved on years ago?”

  “It’s hard to let go of that first love.”

  Her sister had fallen in love in high school and her boyfriend had joined the marines and had been killed in Afghanistan. She still struggled with losing him.

  This time she hugged her sister. “I would say we need another bottle of wine, but I’m off the hard stuff for a while. My head will never be the same.”

  “You know what they say, the best way to get over an old love is to find a new one. There’s a new hot intern at the hospital. I’ll introduce you.”

  Jenny drew back. “Introduce me? Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

  “Oh, he’s too young for me. Besides, you’re the pretty one.”

  Jenny laughed. “I’m the pretty one?”

  Her sister nodded. “Yes. You’re the pretty one and I’m the smart one.”

  Jenny laughed until her head hurt again.

  “Stop laughing.”

  “Okay.” Jenny sobered up. “Let me get this straight—the smart one painted her bedroom and forgot to open the windows and the fumes made her high. This same smart one has run out of gas two times in the past month because she doesn’t look at the gas gauge on her car. And—”

  “Okay, I get it. I’m not smart and you’re not pretty. Are you happy?”

  “Hell, no. You have a masters in nursing so I guess that qualifies. You’re just ditzy at times and, regrettably, I’m the same way. Must be in our DNA.”

  “You’re ditzier than me.”

  “Am not.”

  Lindsay laughed. “And you’re prettier.”

  “You should see Paxton’s fiancée.”

  “Big boobs, huh?”

  “She looks like a model from Victoria’s Secret.”

  Lindsay frowned. “How do you know that?”

  Too late Jenny realized her mistake. “I went over there Saturday night and said my piece.”

  “Oh, Jenny. I should have been home to stop you.”

  Jenny didn’t think that would have helped. Quincy had tried and if Quincy hadn’t been able convince her, no one would have.

  “It’s over, so let’s forget about it. Today I started a new life. I forgot to tell you that.”

  “How’s that going?”

  “Seems like the same old life. Same old heartache.”

  Lindsay hugged her and got to her feet. “It’ll get better. Now I’m going to take a shower and then go over some nursing data. They’re not cutting my budget again.”

  Jenny sat on the stoop trying not to feel as if her world had come to an end. She invested so many years in Paxton and it was hard to think of her life without him. Starting over was a big plan, but the problem was, she was still Jenny with the same feelings. That wouldn’t change overnight. She wondered how long it would take for her to forget her high school love.

  The light was beginning to fade, but through the dimness she saw a rider coming through the woods—a rider leading a horse behind him. As he drew closer, she recognized the figure, tall and straight in the saddle. Quincy.

  What was he doing here?

  Chapter Six

  It didn’t take Jenny long to recognize the horse. White Dove. Quincy was bringing Dovie home. Her heart skipped a beat like a kid at Christmastime getting a special gift. She jumped up and ran toward them and then stopped. What was she doing? Taking a long breath, she turned and went back to the stoop. She couldn’t accept Dovie and she had to have the strength to say no once again.

  Effortlessly, Quincy reached down, opened the gate and pulled Dovie forward. Removing her bridle, he said something to her and Dovie trotted into the pen and straight to the water trough. Quincy watched her for a second and then he dismounted and looped his reins over the fence.

  In an easy-moving sort of way, he made his way to her. He was tall, probably the tallest of the Rebel brothers. And lean—there was not an ounce of fat on his body. Not that she knew that personally. He reminded her of the actor Gerard Butler, with a steel-like demeanor wrapped around a softness that was undeniable. Quincy had a big heart and he was easy to talk to, easy to be with and—

  Her thoughts skidded to a stop. She’d never thought of Quincy in that way. They were just friends. She must just be emotional and upset.

  He sat beside her and suddenly the stoop was too small. She was never nervous in Quincy’s presence, but today for some reason she was very aware of him as a man. He raised his knees and rested his forearms on them, not saying a word.

  Finally, he asked, “How you doing?”

  “So-so.”

  He clasped his hands together and she noticed for the first time how big they were, with long fingers that were strong and capable. Calloused hands. Gentle hands. She’d seen him break a horse with the softness of his voice and the gentleness of his touch.

  “I want to apologize for what I said on Friday. I didn’t mean for you to stay away from Rebel Ranch forever. I just wanted to save you the pain of seeing Paxton with Lisa.”

  “I can take care of myself, Quincy.”

  He looked at her then, his eyes dark beneath the rim of his hat. “Yeah, I’m known for sticking my nose in where it doesn’t belong and I really should have stayed out of it. It was none of my business.”

  “I know you had good intentions, but it did hurt when you told me not to come around anymore.”

  He placed his hands on his knees. “Let’s make this official and permanent. You’re always welcome at the ranch whether you’re dating Paxton or not.”

  “Well, as my dad would say, that old dog ain’t gonna hunt no more. Paxton and I are over. For good. And I won’t be coming back to Rebel Ranch, but thanks for the invitation. That means a lot.” It meant more than she could tell him, because deep in her heart she knew her friend hadn’t let her down. Her chest suddenly felt lighter.

  “Paxton and Lisa won’t always be there. I think they’re leaving at the end of the week.”

  She reached out and touched his arm and wished she hadn’t. Solid muscle and bone vibrated along her fingertips. All male. It was tempting and a little disconcerting she’d noticed that, and she drew her hand away as if she�
�d touched something hot. Something hot in a good way.

  “That doesn’t make any difference. I’m rebuilding my shattered life and I can’t step back into the past and do that.”

  “How’s that working out?”

  She made a face. “It’s still the same old life. If I dyed my hair blond, do you think it would make a difference?”

  “To what?”

  “To moving on. Lindsay says there’s a hot new intern at the hospital and I might just try my luck with a new look and a new beau.”

  Dusk settled in and the heat of the day loosened its grip. From the porch light, she could see the chiseled lines of his face clearly and the frown that marred it. “To get back at Paxton?”

  “No. To regain my confidence.”

  “Jenny, give it some time and you’ll land on your feet.”

  “Not always. You remember that time you were breaking that horse and I was sitting on the fence watching? You said to slip onto her back so she could feel the weight of a rider, which I did. She bucked me right onto my butt.”

  “But I was there to catch you.”

  “Yeah.” Quincy was always there, and suddenly the breath in her lungs felt heavy and she had trouble breathing. Quincy was always there with his gentle hands and loving spirit. Quincy was always there. She cleared her throat as emotions she didn’t understand swamped her. Gazing toward the corral, she asked, “Why did you bring Dovie back?”

  “She was causing a problem.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She was walking the fence line and not eating, and I don’t think she drank anything all day. Look at the way she’s drinking water. She was staging a protest. She wanted to come home, so I brought her.”

  A lump formed in Jenny’s throat, but she quickly brought her emotions under control. “Don’t give me that. You’re very good with horses and I know you could’ve talked her into a better mood. She would’ve settled down eventually.”

  “She’s pregnant and I didn’t want to chance it. She actually refused feed out of my hand, and I knew that was a bad sign, so I did the only thing I could. I brought her to the one person she wants to be with.”

  “I can’t keep her,” she murmured.

  “I can’t take her back because she’s disruptive to the other mares, even to Red Hawk. If the mares got into a hoof-kicking fight, I’m afraid I might lose a foal. And I’m going to be away over the weekend so I needed to do something now.”

  Quincy had a lady friend in Plano, and he went there quite often. He never spoke about her to Jenny, and she never asked, but now she was very curious. It was none of her business, she reminded herself, and quickly focused on what he was saying.

  “I’ve seen you do amazing things with horses and I’m not buying any of this.”

  “It’s the truth. If you bring her back, I’ll have to sell her. We’re starting roundup and I don’t have time to deal with the situation.”

  “You’re kidding.” She brushed back her long brown hair and suddenly realized she was skimpily dressed in shorts and a spaghetti-strap tank top and no shoes. Feeling self-conscious and vulnerable, she drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. Her emotions were all over the place.

  “No. I’ll have to sell her.”

  Before she could stop herself, she slapped his arm. “Don’t you dare.” Then she realized what he was doing, playing on her love for the horse. She shook a finger at him. “Oh, no, you don’t.”

  He caught her finger and entwined his fingers with hers. At the touch of his calloused hands, tiny sparks of electricity shot through her, making her very aware of how attractive Quincy was. She wanted to keep touching him.

  She cocked an eyebrow. “You’re sneaky and crafty.”

  “Whatever works with a stubborn woman.”

  She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. His sweet, loving nature was winning her over and she was tired of fighting. She could keep Dovie, so she didn’t see the harm.

  “Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  He tightened his hand on hers and her breath caught for a moment before he let go. She didn’t understand why she was so attracted to Quincy now. It had to be a rebound thing and she would be careful not to read too much into it.

  “But...” Starting over didn’t include renewing her friendship with Quincy, even as much as she wanted to. She had to leave the Rebels in her past. “I still can’t come back to Rebel Ranch.”

  Resignation pinched the corners of his mouth. “If that’s the way you want it.”

  A long, hot breath burned her throat. “It is.”

  He stood and strolled away without another word. A slow-moving, sweet-talking man ran through Jenny’s mind. A handsome sweet-talking man, she amended, and then shook her head to clear it of another fantasy. There was no future in loving a Rebel man. She’d learned that the hard way.

  * * *

  QUINCY MOUNTED HIS horse and rode away. Pulling up, he looked back and saw Jenny in the corral hugging Dovie. She was happy. The horse was happy. All was well again and he headed home.

  Jenny was right. He could’ve settled the horse down, but he didn’t see a reason to do that when she didn’t belong at the ranch anymore. Taking her back to Jenny was the logical solution. Breaking all ties might not be an option for him or for her. But their time together would be less and less, and soon maybe all the memories would dim and she would move on and so would Quincy.

  On Saturday, he’d go see Wendy and spend the weekend. That always made him feel better, and he’d return with a new perspective on his future.

  It was completely dark when he rode into the big barn and dismounted. He unsaddled Aries and took care of him before going to the house.

  He stopped short as he opened the screen door. Grandpa lay back in his recliner and Phoenix was on his knees, clipping Grandpa’s toenails with a hoof trimmer, or at least he was trying to.

  When Phoenix saw Quincy, he jumped to his feet. “Thank heavens you’re home. I can’t do this. You have to.”

  Quincy shook his head and walked into the kitchen. “I didn’t spike the punch.”

  “Come on, Quincy.” Phoenix followed him. “My stomach’s not that strong.”

  Quincy almost gave in. Almost. “Sorry, you play, you pay.”

  “Doesn’t anybody on this ranch know how to have fun?”

  “I don’t call it fun when you get your grandpa, your niece and your nephew sick.”

  Phoenix held up his hand as if he was going to place it on the Bible. “I promise to never spike the punch again.”

  “That doesn’t sound too sincere.”

  “What do you mean? It’s been an awful day for me. I had to clean out gutters, mow the yard and weed the flower beds. Tomorrow, Mom said I had to work in the garden. I’d rather ride a bucking bull any day of the week than do work like that.”

  “Then, don’t spike the punch.”

  Phoenix groaned.

  Quincy noticed the big pot on the stove. “What’s that?”

  Phoenix shrugged. “I don’t know. Grandpa had me put it on. Something like a crawfish boil, except it doesn’t have any crawfish, just sausage, potatoes, corn and onions, and Grandpa put all kinds of seasoning in there.” He leaned over and whispered, “I wouldn’t eat that if I were you. It’ll probably blow a hole in your stomach.”

  “Get in here and finish my toenails, Phoenix!” Grandpa called.

  Phoenix looked at Quincy with hope in his eyes, but Quincy shook his head, figuring this was a lesson Phoenix had to learn. With slumped shoulders, Phoenix went back into the living room.

  Elias came through the back door laughing. He sailed his hat toward the hat rack and it landed perfectly.

  “What’s so funny?” Quincy asked.

  “Paxton and Lisa were
in the barn when I rode in. Paxton’s got him a girl who’s afraid of horses. Oh, man. That’s hilarious. He wanted to take her for a moonlight ride, but she wasn’t having any of it. She wasn’t liking the barn too much, either. It smells—” he dropped his voice to a squeal “—and it’s dirty and primitive.” Elias shook his head. “Our brother has himself a problem. They were going into town, probably to find a motel. Paxton’s getting a little deprived. Oh, man, I love it.” With a hot pad, he lifted the lid from the pot. “What’s this?”

  “Supper.”

  “Whatever. I need a shower.”

  Elias went toward the bathroom and Quincy wondered what Paxton was going to do about a woman who hated horses. He spent half his life on one. With Paxton’s charm, he could talk her around. Life was full of surprises and this wasn’t a good one for Pax, who rode bulls and roped for a living. But it wasn’t Quincy’s problem.

  As always, his thoughts turned to Jenny. She’d forgiven him, or at least she’d seemed to. And what did it matter? He was never going to see her again. She was moving on with the new intern and that wasn’t going to bother him because that’s the way it had to be—to keep family harmony.

  * * *

  AS EACH DAY PASSED, Jenny’s broken heart began to mend. She called Miss Kate and apologized for interrupting the party. The woman was very gracious and apologized for her son’s bad manners. Jenny thought she should also apologize to Lisa, but she just couldn’t bring herself to go to Rebel Ranch again. Instead, she asked Miss Kate to convey her apologies to the woman. And that put an end to that horrible weekend.

  She met the new intern and they went out on a date. Mr. Hot turned out to be Mr. Boring. At dinner, his favorite conversation was himself and his big plans for the future. He was handsome, though, with blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, but there was just no way to get past the boring part. So she decided to give the dating route a rest for a while.

  She missed riding the paints, and every day she thought more and more about it and wondered who was riding them for Quincy. He probably did it after work. With his schedule, that would be hard. His grandfather took up a lot of his time and he wouldn’t change a minute of that. Even though he had six brothers, Quincy took on that responsibility without a second thought. That was the kind of person he was. At the oddest times, she’d discover herself thinking about him and she found that strange, since she’d stopped thinking about Paxton. Almost.