“It’s all about being the last cupcake standing. Has he been able to fulfill his purpose in life? How did it feel to watch his fellow pirates walk the plank one at a time, leaving him to stand guard alone? What kind of life is waiting for the cupcake that gets dumped in the trash? A life unfulfilled. It’s so sad.”
Quinn put on an exaggerated expression of mock horror. “His glorious adventure will end in a garbage bag filled with crumpled plastic cups, used napkins and discarded paper plates! No good cupcake should ever end up in the trash.” He leaned toward her, a serious expression holding his lips tight and his eyes narrowed. He took the cupcake from her and held it up for their inspection. “What was your limit today? I had three. If I take one more bite, I’ll explode like the old cannon. It’s left to you to fulfill his destiny.”
She had to laugh at his silliness. It was so refreshing not being worried about what someone thought of her. His smile alone lightened her stupid, negative self-talk. He started peeling away the rest of the paper. “I confessed to eating three. How many did you eat?”
“None.”
He paused and stared at her, one eyebrow raised. “Why are we even having this discussion?”
“My uncle’s favorite saying was ‘A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.’” She tapped her hip. “My ex...well, it doesn’t matter what he said.”
He lowered his chin. “Seriously? Let me guess. Your uncle didn’t give a minute’s thought to his hips or gut or whatever body part he was criticizing on others. Why do you allow him to still have power over you? And your ex is a quitter who shouldn’t own a minute of your thoughts.”
Her throat tightened. It was the exact same thing she told herself all the time. Why did it mean more coming from him? She didn’t need a man to make her feel better about herself.
She took a deep breath. It was humiliating that he saw the things she hid from everyone, including herself.
Taking the cupcake, she gave Quinn her best smile. “Hey, you’re the one who compared me to an orca.”
He groaned. “I will never live that down. In no shape or form was your body ever linked with the orca. Other than being loyal and agile. I was trying to impress you with my manliness and strength. I admit it was not my finest hour. But in all fairness, I have not flirted with a woman for over ten years. Tell me it didn’t completely ruin any chance I have of asking you on a date.”
She froze, her mouth poised to bite into the cupcake. Had he been flirting with her? There was no way he had just asked her out. He was joking.
Blinking, she bit into the cake and swallowed. The sugar flooded her taste buds in glorious sweetness as her heart did a double beat.
He was so far out of her reach, and nice, too. He was a nice guy. Her eyes went to him to see if what she’d thought she heard was correct, but he had turned his back to her.
Was he ignoring her or just moving on to the next thing on their to-do list? The words had no earth-shattering meaning to him. It was no big deal. She needed to treat it as such, too.
He moved around, gathering the last of the party favors. As they said goodbye to the crew, he slipped a solid tip their way.
He wasn’t the type of man who flirted with her. And she had always been sure to cut it off before it began.
But the other day he had almost kissed her. Maybe.
She’d been kind of out of her head. She could have imagined everything. None of it meant anything. People flirted all the time. Men and women kissed. No big deal.
But it was a huge deal for her. She understood that, nowadays, it wasn’t special. Which made her sad. Kissing should mean something between two people. There was nothing wrong with being old-fashioned.
She pursed her lips. If she was honest with herself, it might have more to do with fear.
What if he was playing the field? He was in town for a few months and she was close by. But he had said... She shook her head and picked up her purse. Believing anything a man said to her was the first step toward disaster. She couldn’t trust him.
But she liked Quinn Sinclair. Not only was he a good father, he was a loyal son-in-law and took care of the people in his life. Maybe he was the good man he appeared to be.
She needed to be real. Her life was far from some sweet romance novel.
He turned to her. “Ready? I told Jazz and Selena I’d take you home.”
At his car, he opened the door for her and, with a wink, closed it. She watched him cross in front of his car. Every woman in town had probably had a wink from him. It was like a nervous tic. They were friends. Single parents who understood the realities of life. Nothing more.
If that was the case, it wouldn’t hurt to ask him out on a date, right? All through high school she had been with Jared, then had married him and had Cassie before she could finish school. She’d never gone to college, so she didn’t have that experience. Never once in her life had she been on a normal date.
From the corner of her eye, Belle studied Quinn. He was tapping on the steering wheel and whistling along to the song on the radio. Dating didn’t mean a commitment. It was something grown-ups did all the time.
She was a grown-up and so was he. They could do this and be normal. Maybe then her sisters-in-law would leave her alone for a while. He was leaving soon, so maybe she could practice her social skills on him. It wouldn’t be a real date.
She took a breath, turned to him, but closed her mouth when she looked over his shoulder.
A police car blocked their path.
Chapter Eight
Sheriff Cantu got out of his car and waved. Quinn had a bad feeling about this. He glanced at Belle. Her brow was creased.
“Do you have a clue what’s going on?” he asked her.
“No. We weren’t even on the street yet, so there was no way you performed a traffic violation. I hope everyone’s all right.” Worry edged her voice.
As the sheriff approached, Quinn rolled down the window. “How can we help you?”
Lowering his tall frame, Cantu made eye contact with Belle. “I was heading out to the ranch. I need you at the station. The Texas Rangers have a trailer full of freshly stolen cattle and want to see if you can identify them. They’re tagged. Can you come now?”
Quinn was about to say yes but thought better of it. He glanced at Belle. “I can take you. If they’re yours, we can get this over with today.” The losers had stolen from her, and he wanted a pound of flesh, but it wasn’t his place.
Tight-lipped, she nodded, and he followed the black-and-white SUV to the station in the middle of the tiny town. Inside, Sheriff Cantu introduced them to two Texas Rangers and the local game warden, Amanda Ortiz.
She shook their hands. “I found the truck behind the Seahorse Hotel. They’ve either gotten brave, lazy, or they’re just not smart. I recognized Jacoby’s brand and thought the heifers looked like yours. The Rangers—” she waved at the two men standing to the side “—Matt and Calvin, had just left, so I called them in and we confiscated the trailer. We found two guys and a woman. You’re not going to be happy about a couple of them. At first, they claimed the owner asked them to move the cattle, but then they stopped talking.”
“Do I know them?”
Calvin, the taller Ranger, handed her three pictures.
She gasped, and her legs went weak. Quinn moved to stand behind her, a hand on her waist, steadying her.
Grounded now, Belle’s fingers shook only slightly as she handed the pictures back. “The woman and the blond guy work for me part-time. Whenever they need money, I find them work. They were living on the ranch, in one of the cabins. They were stealing from me?”
“Did they have permission to drive the cattle to Mexico?”
“No.” Eyes closed, she lowered her head and rubbed her temples.
The warmth of Quinn’s hand was on her shoulder now. He leaned close to her ear. “This
is good. They were caught.”
“They worked for me. I trusted them. Whenever they needed help, I would give it. I don’t understand why they would do this to me.”
Amanda sighed. “Easy money. But they won’t have to worry about room and board for a while. Texas takes cattle theft very seriously. We have evidence that this isn’t the first time, but they’re working alone.”
“Do you know how many you’ve lost?” Matt asked.
“We didn’t realize they were being stolen at first. The numbers were small. At the beginning of the year, it was about five. Then we found the fence down and about forty were missing. Just yesterday, Damian said another fifty were gone. I reported all of them.”
“These would probably be the fifty. Another fifty belong to Jacoby.”
“Have you called him?”
“He’s on his way in.”
People she trusted did this. Her stomach hurt. “What happens now?”
Matt led them to a desk and went through the procedures. It felt as if they’d been there for hours when they were finally allowed to go.
“At least you’ll get some of your cattle returned to you.”
“Yeah, it could have been much worse. I’m just so angry at myself. How could I be so naive and not even suspect them?”
“You were trying to help. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“But it’s my fault. I’m responsible for the ranch. I make the hiring decisions. I...” She closed her eyes. This was what happened when she got distracted, thinking she could have a relationship. Quinn wasn’t the problem. She was.
* * *
Quinn gripped the steering wheel. He had planned on telling her about his mission on the way to the house, but now seemed like the worst time.
He maneuvered the Land Rover around the deep ruts on the ranch road. It really needed to be graded and resurfaced with new caliche. But hey, he needed practice at avoiding potholes.
He sighed. There would always be a reason not to tell her. But his time was up. He couldn’t go any longer without disclosing to Belle why he was in Port Del Mar. Just tell her.
He held in a groan. She had just found out that two people she had let stay on the ranch, people she had helped, had betrayed her.
There was a good chance she wouldn’t want to talk to him ever again. Not even as a friend. And he didn’t have any of those, either.
Reality sideswiped him. When had his life become devoid of all friendships? His knuckles turned white over the steering wheel.
After Kari’s death, he hadn’t had any energy. The girls had been confused and lost without their mom. He’d had a newborn baby. His mother-in-law had moved in to help, but her only child had just died, so she was deep in grief, too.
For months, he had let the Foundation flounder. It had been Kari’s passion, her family’s legacy, and she had shared it with him. Now it was up to him to see it through, to make sure it was solid enough to pass on to his kids, like he promised.
He was alone now in the responsibility to raise their children and grow the Foundation’s reach. He was surprised at the flash of old anger. For months he’d been angry at God, at Kari and himself, but it was exhausting to live with that intensity of emotion, and it was hurting his children. The anger had no place in his life. It was behind him.
He couldn’t afford to let himself get swallowed in old regret.
“Quinn.” She twisted in her seat, and the warmth in her gaze taunted him. She was about to discover he had been keeping secrets. He was going to destroy her plans. The trust she had shown him would vanish. He was a jerk.
She cleared her throat, her hands making nervous gestures in her lap. “Quinn. This might sound... Well, I might be...” She took a deep breath.
He went on high alert as his mouth went dry. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh. Nothing.” She laughed. Not a real laugh, but the kind a person used when they wanted others to think everything was all right. “With everything that’s happening, I want something good in my life, but I don’t know.”
“Belle. You should have tons of good in your life. Just spit it out. If there’s a way I can help you, I will. You’re a great person and you don’t deserve what they did to you.”
“Thank you. You know, in the past, I would have pulled into myself and shut everyone out. I want to try something else. Take action. Be bold.” She gave a half-hearted fist pump into the air. Then she sighed. “I’m tired of living in fear and doubt.”
“Okay.” This was killing him. She looked so unsure of herself. He didn’t like it.
“So, we’re both single parents and we’ve become friends. I know you’re leaving soon. I’m not looking for...” She dropped her eyes. “I’m making a total mess of this, which is obviously one of the many reasons I don’t date.”
“What does this have to do with dating?” Now he was totally confused.
With a dramatic sigh, she shifted back and lifted her chin. Suddenly she became very interested in the ceiling of his Land Rover.
The silence went on too long. “Belle? What’s going on?”
“I had the lame idea that we could go on a date, but not a real date. Nothing big and fancy. I just haven’t ever been on a date, and since we’re friends, I thought you might be a safe place to start. Like a practice run.” With a straining noise, she buried her face in her hands. “This is so humiliating. I shouldn’t ever be allowed out in public with adults.”
“You’ve never been on a date?” He didn’t know there were new places in his heart that could break. She had no clue how adorable she was, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings again. After the orca comment, he needed to be extra careful. “You’ve been married and had two children. How does that happen?”
“Small town. Sad to say that it didn’t take much to impress me. Jared and I hung out on the beach, cruised Main Street. We never went on a formal date, not even prom—I’d already had Cassie by then. But I thought we could... I could ask you. I don’t want to do anything stupid and I’m not sure what...”
“Are you asking me if you can ask me on a date?”
Parking in front of his cabin, he killed the engine and sat there. She shifted; her fingers tangled.
He could keep his mouth shut a few more days. Not saying anything about the Commissioners Court or the fragile coastline she owned. They could go out as friends and pretend to have a normal life and enjoy the evening. Like two normal adults without heaping piles of baggage.
Belle had never been on a real date. There was no justice in that.
He hadn’t been on a date since... Maybe it had been too long for him, too. He should make himself move on.
Muscles from his chest to his gut tightened from the inside out and every nerve in him screamed no. He didn’t want to move on without Kari. He studied the woman sitting next to him. She was the first to have him seeing a life beyond his wife.
He wasn’t prepared for the old feelings Belle stirred to life. And now she sat staring out the window, pretending she hadn’t put herself out there for rejection.
It would be easier if he said yes. Easier in this moment, but not the long run. If he wanted his children to be adults with integrity, it started with him.
And if he had any chance of saving this relationship between them, of keeping her as a friend, he had to tell her the truth.
“My first instinct is to say yes. Yes, we should go on a date. We’re friends and I would love to spend more time with you.”
She crossed her arms over her middle. “I hear a huge ‘but’ somewhere in that sentence. It’s okay. You don’t have to let me down easy. I’m tough.”
Tough because life had made her that way. He wanted to reach over and make everything right for her. To kiss her until the world didn’t matter.
She deserved to be completely loved. But he wasn’t that man.
&
nbsp; “It’s not about us. We need to talk about the reason I’m here in Port Del Mar.”
A frown pulled at her forehead. “I thought it was for research on the Gulf Coast.”
“It is. We’re researching and investigating all the undeveloped land in this area of the coast and working to find ways to protect it from ever being developed.”
Her head tilted in confusion at first. Then her eyes went wide, and she gasped, seeing the implications immediately. “You came to take the ranch?”
He couldn’t look at her. “No, but the Diamondback has one of the last clean strips of coastal shore that hasn’t been developed yet. When we found the ocelots, it was a huge bonus.”
Eyes narrowed, she studied him a bit before speaking. “But if the land can’t be developed, then I can’t sell. No one will spend millions on land they can’t build on.”
“Right. These guys are losing their natural homes forever due to land being overdeveloped. We must protect our natural resources. Once they’re gone, there’s no going back.”
Her hand went to her chest as if to slow a rapid heartbeat. “But it’s my land. You can’t do this.”
“I’m sorry, Belle. But those orphaned cubs and the nesting sea turtles are all the proof I need to go forward with a petition to keep the land untouched. Your ranch is the perfect natural refuge. They’re already here. I’ll be presenting at the next county meeting with information about the endangered species this area serves. I’m looking for them to restrict use of the land.”
The look of betrayal in those gray-green eyes hit him hard. This was not what he wanted.
Quinn banged his head against his seat. There had to be a way to make this work. He should have known that today’s good mood couldn’t last.
Of all the days to lose Belle’s friendship, this would be it.
Soon they would have to join the kids and act like everything was fine.
This was one of those moments when he didn’t want to be an adult.
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