* * *
Acid burned in her stomach.
This good-looking single dad had been too good to be true. It was all about him and what he wanted. Just like her ex-husband and her uncle. “You’re trying to take my ranch from me.”
“No. I just want to protect the shoreline.”
“By stopping me from selling it. I can’t save my ranch if I don’t have that option. You even met the Realtor I’m listing with. You used me.”
“Belle, don’t. I didn’t—”
They both jumped when someone banged on his window. “Daddy. Come here. The ocelots are awake. We want to feed them.”
A tight smile on his face, he opened his door. “Okay, sweetheart. We’ll be right there.”
Hannah ran back to the cabin, yelling at everyone else. He turned to Belle, the forced smile gone. “Belle. I wasn’t expecting you or the connection we—”
Hand up, she stopped any more words. “Don’t. Your children need a home, and I’m not going to kick you off the property. But I would appreciate it if you’d stay away and not talk to me.”
“What about the mornings?”
She groaned. He knew her weakness. “Are you using your children to—”
“No. The morning routine has become important to us...them. I’ll stay out of your way, but don’t punish them because you’re mad at me.”
“Daddy!” Hannah was back on the porch, this time surrounded by all the other kids.
Quinn gave Belle a long look, like this was somehow her fault.
She was the difficult one, right? The one who caused problems and didn’t know her place. That had been said to her more than once.
She closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to give him that power. She hadn’t done anything wrong. Her family needed her to be strong and fight anything that threatened them. And fight she would.
“Daddy, hurry!”
He didn’t break eye contact with her. She had to turn away and blink back the burn in her eyes. No crying. She shook her head, then got out of the Land Rover.
He sighed. “I’m coming.”
Pausing at the side of his vehicle, she adjusted her ponytail. Why was she upset? She’d known how it would turn out. He was charming and pulled her in, then...wham!
Idiot must be stamped across her forehead.
She was not going to give up on the ranch. She’d call Xavier and Elijah. Damian didn’t talk much, but he knew a lot of legal stuff. Maybe he’d help her.
Why did it hurt so much? She was smarter than this. Tall, good-looking cowboys were bad life choices. Always had been, always would be. Instead of learning her lesson, she’d asked him on a date. He had to be laughing over that.
“Mom!” Cassie called out to her, and just like everyone else she followed Quinn into the cabin.
All the kids had gone very quiet as Quinn took them through the feeding. He gave each of the kids a job to help feed the cubs.
It wasn’t fair; he made her feel like the bad guy. She agreed that the natural land and habitat were important and needed protection. But her family needed protection, too.
It had been her job alone to make sure her family had a place to call home. They had all left her at one point, but she made sure they all had a place where they could heal. She couldn’t lose the ranch now. Elijah and Xavier were solid now, but Damian was still lost in his own world of pain.
What would he do if they had to walk away from the ranch? If they couldn’t get the capital to make the ranch financially solid, where would she go?
The land was in her blood. It had given her reason to get up and stand on her own.
Jazz entwined her arm with Belle’s, interrupting her thoughts. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? I mean, he loves his kids, takes care of his mother-in-law. She even likes him. And he loves animals. It’s time you stepped out of your safe little box and asked him out.”
She wanted to ignore her. Since Jazz had teamed up with Selena in the “Find Belle a Man” project, they had been pushing her to the edge. They meant well, and she knew it came from love, but they needed to put an end to it.
Jazz went on. “Your kids get along, and he lives right here on the ranch. Since we can hardly get you off Diamondback, he’s perfect.” She squeezed Belle’s arm.
“I did ask.”
Her sister-in-law’s eyes widened, and she gasped. Elijah and a couple of the kids close to them turned. “Everything okay?” Elijah asked, bringing Quinn’s attention to them.
Heat climbed Belle’s neck, and she hung her head.
Jazz waved them off. “It’s fine.”
Then Jazz hugged her closer and whispered in her ear, “I’m so proud of you. Where are you going?”
“We’re not. He’s not interested.”
“What?”
“Shhh.” They were all looking at them again. “Please, not here. I’ll tell you everything later.” She wasn’t ready to go into the whole ranch problem until she’d done some research.
Elijah came at them from one side, and Selena, with one of the triplets on her hip, joined them from the other. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
“And why are we whispering?” Elijah kept an eye on Quinn and the kids. “You ladies are scaring me.”
Could the ground just open and take her? For years she had wanted her family together and close by, but now she realized she didn’t know what she’d been asking for.
“Everything’s fine. Jazz is just being dramatic. We’re here to see the ocelots. They’re extremely rare, and few people get to see them.”
Elijah didn’t look like he was going to let it go. “Is it the ranch? Did something happen with the rustlers they caught? Are you having problems?”
“No. Well, not anything you don’t know about. We’ll talk later.”
He nodded, then studied his wife with concern. “Are you okay?”
Jazz was coming out of her first trimester, and Elijah tended to hover.
“I’m fine. I was asking—”
Belle glared at Jazz.
“Oh, yes. I was just... Well, everything’s fine.” Jazmine took Oliver from Selena. “I want to see these baby wildcats.”
The babies that might have cost her the family ranch. But nothing was going to change right now, so Belle put her smile in place and went to her daughters.
Quinn’s large hands were gently feeding one of the cubs. Her heart kicked against her chest. It was so scarred it should be numb by now. Not feeling anything would make life easier.
Quinn placed the little cat in the crate with its sibling.
Elijah came up behind her and took her elbow. He had his phone in his hand and gently pulled her away from the group. “Do I need to know what you and Jazz were talking about?”
She frowned. “No. Really, Elijah, don’t overreact. It was no big deal.”
“You sure it isn’t connected to our mother?”
She pressed her lips together tight to stop herself screaming at him. “Why would it have anything to do with our mother?”
“I don’t know.” He held up his phone. “Xavier texted me. She’s at the main house and is looking for you.”
Chapter Nine
The world didn’t make sense. Elijah’s image blurred, and his words bounced off her brain as nonsense.
“Quinn.” Her brother waved Quinn over. “Would you drive Belle to the main house and stay with her until the visitors are gone?” The word visitors came out as a sarcastic snarl.
“What’s wrong? Is it the visitors?” Confusion was deep in each wrinkle on Quinn’s forehead.
Processing what her brother had said, Belle turned from Quinn to glare at Elijah. “No! I’m not going alone. If I have to talk to Celia, you will be with me.” Her throat was dry. “She’s your mother, too.”
Elijah had the nerve to pull her close and
rest his forehead on hers. “I can’t.” His voice was low and rough, as raw as jagged glass. “I’m sorry, but my insides are a jumble of dark thoughts, and I need a chance to clear my head and be prepared before I stand in the same room as her.”
What about my insides?
With a deep inhalation, he cleared his throat. “Find out what she wants. I’ll take Jazz and Rosie home. Then I’ll come back you up. Please, Belle. I need the time to process. She didn’t even ask for me.” His deep, steady voice cracked. “She was just looking for you.”
She sucked in air to stop from crying out. Why did that woman still have so much power to hurt them? “Maybe I need time to process, too.”
“You’re the strongest of all of us. You always have been. We wouldn’t have survived without you. I promise, I’ll be back tonight, and we can send her and her latest guy on their merry way. She has no business being here.”
She bit her bottom lip, holding back tears. Why did she have to be the strong one all the time? Just for once, she wanted someone to take care of her. The one time she thought she’d found a Prince Charming, he turned into a bullfrog. A mean one.
“Okay. But I don’t promise to play nice. What if she’s here for her part of the ranch?” She was being attacked from all sides today.
With a deep breath, he took a step back. “Xavier and Damian own most of the land. You’ve kept it running for years now. We’re not going to let her come in and take over. I’m sorry I can’t go with you, but I know my limits and...” He blew out a hard breath. “I don’t like the way I’m feeling right now.”
Her hand still in his, she squeezed it before letting go. “I’ve got this for right now. But I’m counting on you and Xavier to join us soon. I’ll text and let you know why she’s here.”
Quinn was watching them, a neutral expression on his face as he watched the family drama.
She turned from them and went to the door. “I don’t need an escort.”
“I drove you here.” In a few long strides, he was beside her, then looked at Elijah. “What about the kids?”
“We’ve got them covered,” Elijah replied. “Stay with her. Someone gave Jonah a croquet set for his birthday, so we’ll set that up. I’ll take the girls home with Jazz and Rosie. Belle?”
Elijah called to her as she opened the screen door to the back porch. She paused at the threshold but didn’t look at him.
“I promise, I’ll come back and stay with you until that woman leaves. We aren’t letting her back into our lives.”
Unable to talk past the knot in her throat, she nodded. She jogged down the steps and cut across the small yard. The air was heavy. Rain was hanging in the air, but not falling. She needed to run. The land around her blurred. Her mother showing up couldn’t be good.
“Belle.” Quinn was next to her. “Are you okay?”
She didn’t want to talk, so she nodded and kept walking. A gentle touch stopped her. “My car’s there.” He pointed in the opposite direction. “Unless you want to walk to the house.”
She didn’t know what she wanted other than she did not want to see her mother. Once again, everyone had left her to deal with the mess. Except for Quinn. Why was he still here?
With a shake of her head, she moved to his Land Rover. Then she stopped. “You don’t have to drive me home.”
“I drove you here. You don’t have your car.”
She looked over her shoulder. “I can walk.” Maybe it would clear her head.
“If you want to walk, that’s fine. But I’m walking with you. Which is it?”
She sighed. “Why are you helping me?”
“We’re friends. I don’t understand why your mother being here is so upsetting, but this is not a happy family reunion. It’s not something you should be left alone to do.”
But she was alone.
Without another word, she climbed into his car. At first, they sat in silence, which suited her.
“There’s something I don’t understand. If this is so traumatic, why is he making you go alone? She’s his mother, too.”
“It’s complicated.”
“I’m starting to hate that word. You seem to be the one fighting everyone’s battles. He’s a grown man.”
She didn’t like the judgment she heard in his voice. “He’s an alcoholic. It’s been almost six years that he’s been sober. It’s best if he can avoid high levels of stress and conflict. He was with our mother longer and has more memories of her. That’s not a good thing. He’ll be fine. He needs a little time to get through the emotions before he sees her. That’s what I’m doing. It’s an exploratory mission. I’ll go in first and gather the info so that we know what we’re dealing with and what to do from here.”
“It seems to me that a great deal of the work and worry for this family falls on your shoulders.”
“Well, you’re in town to shut down my family ranch, so I’m not sure you have any right to have an opinion of my family.” Pressing her lips together, she forced herself to stop talking. Staring out the window, she crossed her arms. She knew that was rude, but she didn’t have the energy to play nice. Not with someone who wanted to ruin any chance she had of making the ranch a success.
“You’re right. I overstepped. Sorry. You seem to shoulder an uneven amount of the burden of the ranch problems.”
“They help when they can. My uncle made it hard for them to be on the ranch. Since his death, they’ve been much more involved. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to hang on this long.” She couldn’t look at him. “I don’t know why you care. You’d be happy if I failed. Maybe my mother being here is perfect for your plans.”
Trusting him had been too easy and now she was paying for it.
She gasped, then jerked toward him. Had he set her up? “Her being here doesn’t have anything to do with you, does it?” Elijah had sent Quinn thinking he would support her. Had they played right into his hands?
“No.” He pulled up to her house but didn’t cut the engine. “You have no reason to trust me. I withheld the reason I was in town, but other than seeing her name on the public records, I don’t know your mother. I’ve never communicated with her in any form. When we walk in there, I’m on your side.”
She snorted.
His jaw flexed, and his knuckles strained as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. A sure sign he was angry with her. Biting her lip, she regretted the noise she had made. Her uncle and Jared had both hated it when she snorted.
She’d never seen evidence that Quinn could be violent, but maybe some men were better at hiding it.
With an unexpected movement, he turned to her, hands in front of him. Out of old habits of survival, she flinched and pressed her back to the window. She looked down. Then hated herself. She said a quick prayer, then lifted her chin and made sure to look him in the eyes.
No man was ever going to make her cower again.
But the eyes she met were full of horror. He scowled at her and lowered his hands. “Belle?”
Exposed. He’d seen too much.
“I know you don’t trust me after today, but I’d never hurt you.”
She wanted to tell him it was too late—her stupid heart had let him in when she wasn’t watching—but that would give him power over her. Besides, that wasn’t what he’d meant.
With a sigh, he placed his hand on the leather covering the steering wheel. He studied the land stretched out in front of them. “I’ve never met your mother, but I can tell you that I don’t like her. Whatever happens in there, I’m on your side.”
Great. Now she wanted to cry. She could not walk into the house in this weakened state. “Thank you.”
He turned off the engine and went to open his door.
“Can we sit here for a bit? I need a little time to collect my thoughts.”
“Sure.” His door closed, and he studied
her house. “Belle, you’re a great mother. This home is full of love and welcomes people because of you. Just because she gave birth to you does not make her your mother. A mother should be a blessing, not someone who terrorizes her children to the point they don’t want to meet her.” He turned his attention to her. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“She left me here when I was six. She came back a couple of times. Maybe I was twelve. I don’t remember.”
“Did she call? Write?”
“No. She kept Elijah with her longer. The man she said was his father was in and out of her life, so she used Elijah until a blood test proved otherwise. He was eight or nine. Then he was useless to her. She’s selfish—and you’re right. She doesn’t deserve the title ‘mother.’”
He whistled and shook his head. “I don’t even understand how a parent can—”
“It’s in the past. What I need to deal with right now is the present. I need to find out why she’s here.” She looked at him. “You don’t have to go with me.”
“I’m not letting you go in there alone.”
“Thank you.” That meant more to her than it should.
Deep breath in, then she nodded. “I’m ready.” She stepped out of the Land Rover and moved to the ranch house. Her home now. She wasn’t the scared little girl left behind.
The ground sucked at her feet with each step. She reminded herself that she was strong and independent. No matter what her mother brought to her house, she would survive.
God had her. Everyone else might abandon her, but God held her close. He loved her. If she lost the ranch, that just meant that something else, something better, was waiting for her.
She couldn’t imagine life without the land, but God was in control. Quinn moved behind her and softly laid a hand on her back. She stiffened.
Her heart should have known there was no happy-ever-after for her.
For a brief second, she had dreamed of more with Quinn. But like her other dreams, it was a false hope.
Chapter Ten
Quinn stayed close to Belle as they went into the house. Her mother sat at the kitchen table like it was hers. She was a handsome woman. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but this elegant woman in her early fifties wasn’t it.
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