Second Time Around (20 page)

A gasp escaped her lips as she saw the buckle. Made from polished silver cut in an ornate pattern, it was inlaid with bits of turquoise in the shape of a cornflower. More raised flowers adorned the leather and her name was done in block letters on the back.

“Quinn, it’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. Thank you.”

“Sam Two Crows says it’s gen-u-ine leather,” Zack piped in. “And he made them by hand. We watched him put the names on.” He pointed to his own waist. “Me and Dad got one, too.”

“So I see.” Quinn’s was a more masculine match for the one she held, but Zack’s buckle was silver with a gold cowboy riding a bucking horse.

Quinn’s hands were already working her current buckle lose. “Let’s see if it fits.

Sam said he could adjust it if we needed him to, but it looked right.” He pulled her old belt free and dropped it into the bag.

Instead of having her turn so he could thread it through the loops on her jeans, he reached around her, making sure her body was leaning against his. Helplessly, she put her hands on his chest to brace herself and gazed up at him.

“I’ll take any excuse,” he murmured. He dipped his head and kissed her again.

“There. A perfect fit.”

11From the look in his eyes, she had the impression he wasn’t talking about the belt.

“It does seem that way.” She smiled at him. “Thank you, again.”

Two women had stopped at the booth and she turned to talk with them. They appeared to be more interested in Quinn than in the contest or the ranch, but he wasn’t paying attention to them. He had shifted to study the back of the booth. Instead of bare wood, it was covered with an oil painting of the ranch in vivid colors designed to draw interest.

As soon as the women moved on, he glanced at her. “Who did this?”

“One of the local artists. She’s really good. We have an art festival every fall and her work always sells out.”

“An art festival.” He shook his head. “I still can’t believe how many tourists are here. We actually saw someone with dreadlocks and a nose ring talking to a guy wearing chaps and spurs.”

Lanie chuckled. “Tourists winter a lot better than cows, McAllister, and these days, we can make more money on them.”

“Why do you even keep cows?”

She shrugged. “The tourists we take on the campouts expect to see them.” She picked up a brochure and handed it to him. “See? We advertise that they get to live like the cowboys did, which basically means we round up the herd beforehand, and they get to ride herd on it. You’d be amazed at how seriously these people take the job.”

He was thumbing through the brochure with a great deal of interest. When he saw the name on the front, he gave a low whistle. “This travel agency is nationwide. And you’re listed with them?”

“Yes.” She couldn’t keep the smug tone out of her voice. “They contacted me a few months after I started the trail rides and offered to list us. It really did wonders for the business. Until then, the only advertising we’d done were some posters nailed up in all the surrounding towns. They even print up the brochures every year.”

“Doesn’t it eat into your profit? Something like this must be expensive.”

“Nope. We haven’t spent a penny. They said the cost is made up through their clients.”

A frown briefly furrowed his brow, then he shrugged. “I guess they know what they’re doing.”

“They sent a guy out to take pictures last year.” Zack commented. “There’s even one of me and Mom.”

Lanie ruffled his hair. “Mrs. James, their local agent, would like me to turn the ranch into a real dude ranch, but running a hotel isn’t my cup of tea. I’d rather keep the ranch private.” She checked her watch. “Have you seen Sherry? She’s supposed to take over at noon.”

Quinn put the brochure back on the stack. “She’s with Duncan. They went to grab some food before they headed in this direction. Hungry?”

11“I passed hungry two hours ago. I’m starved.”

“Tell you what. Zack and I will go hustle them along and save a table for us. What do you want to eat?”

“Everything.”

He laughed. “You got it. Ready to go, champ?”

When Zack extended his arms, Quinn swung him back to his shoulders. “See you in a few minutes.”

* * * * *

Quinn and Zack hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes when Sherry and Duncan showed up. The scent from the bags of food they carried had Lanie’s stomach growling.

“You can take off,” Sherry told her. “We passed Quinn and he said you were about to collapse from hunger.”

“He’s right. God, that smells good.”

“Here.” The blonde reached into a bag and handed over a few French fries. “That should give you enough strength to make it to the picnic grounds.”

Munching on the windfall, Lanie strolled down the board sidewalk, pausing when some jewelry caught her eye, then moving on. Food first. She’d have time to see all the displays this afternoon.

All the food booths had been set up in the park at the far end of town, the hundred or so trees offering shade to the diners. And from the look of the crowd, everyone was taking advantage of it. Each table was crammed to capacity, and she scanned faces rapidly searching for Quinn.

Stepping off the walk, she stuck the last of the fries in her mouth. He had to be here somewhere. It was simply a matter of finding him.

She’d started toward a heavy line in front of a concession booth when someone gripped her arm. Smiling, she turned. “I was starting to think you’d—” Her smile faded abruptly as she stared into Jared’s angry face.

“Jared. I thought…”

“I know what you thought.” His grip on her arm tightened. “I may not be Quinn, but I want to know what’s going on, Lanie. I was watching you with him earlier.”

Disbelief widened her eyes as she stared at him. “You were spying on us?”

“It wasn’t hard to do when you weren’t making any effort to hide it,” he snapped.

“You were acting like a couple of lovesick teenagers.”

Running a hand through his hair, he made a visible effort to calm down and failed.

“You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”

Every muscle in her body stiffened. “Jared—”

12“No, don’t lie to me. I could tell by the way you touched each other.” His fingers dug in as he gave her a tiny shake. “How could you do that to us, to me, after you promised?”

“Jared, you’re hurting me.” She struggled briefly to free her arm but he didn’t seem to hear her. “Please. We need to talk, but not here, not like this.”

“God, McAllister warned me but I didn’t listen. I should never have stayed away from you this last week.” A look of panic flashed across his features, gone so fast she wasn’t sure she’d seen it before he lowered his head.

“I’m sorry.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I shouldn’t have tried to talk to you now. But I almost went crazy when I saw you together, Lanie. I miss you and Zack.

You’re the only family I have here, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Guilt streaked through her. How could she tell him it was over between them when he was hurting so badly, when all this was her fault? She couldn’t. Not now. It would have to wait until they were alone, until he’d calmed down.

“It’s okay,” she murmured quietly. “Just let go of me.”

“I think you better listen to her, Harper.” Quinn’s voice came from behind them, his words edged in steel. “Unless you want all your fingers broken.”

Jared dropped his hand as though she’d burned him. All the blood had drained from his skin, leaving his face white. His jaw clenched and released spasmodically.

“Stay out of this McAllister. It’s none of your business.”

“Now that’s where you’re wrong, Harper.” Amber flames kindled in his eyes.

“Anything that happens to my wife is my business, and you’d be smart to remember that.”

“Quinn.” Lanie put her hand on his chest. “Please. It’s okay. He wasn’t hurting me.

Don’t cause a scene.”

He gazed down at her for a moment, then gave a curt nod. “Get out of here, Harper, while you still can. And if you can’t be civil, then stay away from Lanie.”

Without a word, Jared turned on his heel and stalked off. Lanie watched him until he vanished amid the throng of people, her heart aching for him. If he was this hurt now, what would he feel when she told him it was over? Abruptly, she turned away from the thought.

“Where’s Zack?” She scanned the crowd anxiously, praying he hadn’t overhead any of the conversation.

“With Buck and Ruby, saving our seats. Are you okay?” He curved a hand around her nape. “If he hurt you—”

“He didn’t. Really, I’m fine.” Gingerly, she rubbed her arm. “Can we forget this happened?”

He studied her a second longer. “What set him off?”

12She sighed. “Us. He was watching us earlier. I guess it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out we’re sleeping together. He was just so upset and hurt, Quinn. I don’t think he knew what he was doing.”

“Well, you said he’d figure it out as soon as he saw you. Looks like you were right.”

“Being right doesn’t help.” She tilted her head and looked up at him intently. “Did you warn Jared to stay away from me this last week?”

“No. I haven’t talked to him at all. Why?”

“Just something he said. It didn’t make much sense.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that McAllister warned him but he didn’t listen. Are you sure you haven’t talked to him?”

Quinn’s eyes narrowed, and he turned to gaze in the direction Jared had gone.

“Positive.”

12Chapter Seventeen

Lanie glanced at her watch, then checked the people still milling on the street. The crowd had thinned out as darkness fell. Another thirty minutes and she could close the booth down and go home.

If possible, today had been even busier than yesterday. Or maybe it only seemed that way because she’d pulled the afternoon shift. Thank heavens there were only two more days left of the four day event. It would take the rest of the week to get ready for the trail ride and campout.

At least all this work gave her an excuse for avoiding Quinn. She lifted a hand to her upper arm, wincing at the resulting pain of her touch. The bruise had gone from an angry red to a deep purple and black, and she was terrified of what he’d do if he saw it.

The last thing she wanted was for him to find Jared and do something rash. Jared was her problem and she’d handle him her own way.

Leaving a few brochures out, she gathered up the rest and locked them underneath the counter so they’d be handy in the morning. Two of the girls she’d hired would be manning the booth for what was left of Frontier Days, but she would have to stop by and check on them periodically.

“Lanie?”

She spun at the familiar voice, her eyes widening. “Jared. What are you doing here this time of day?”

“I hoped I’d find you alone.” He sighed and stepped closer to the counter. “I’m leaving, Lanie, but I had to talk to you first, to apologize for yesterday.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Only for a week.” He gave her a sad smile. “I wouldn’t get to see you anyway, and I need some time to think. The vet in Jackson offered to take my calls while I’m gone.”

“When will you be back?”

“Sunday morning.” Gently, he touched her arm. “I hurt you yesterday, Lanie, and it’s killing me. I can’t let anything like that happen again.”

“Don’t, please. You didn’t intend to hurt me, Jared.” She covered his hand with hers. “I know that. This whole trial marriage thing has been harder on you than it has on the rest of us combined, and I hate that. You don’t deserve to go through this.” She took a deep breath. “When you get back Sunday, we need to talk.”

He stared at their hands for a second, then turned his palm up and curled his fingers around hers. “I guess we do. There’s something I should have told you long ago.

Maybe it’s time.” He kissed the back of her hand then released it. “I have a plane to catch. I’ll see you Sunday afternoon.”

12A dull ache settled in her middle as she watched him walk away, shoulders slumped. He already knew what she was going to tell him. For the first time in four years he hadn’t told her that he loved her.

* * * * *

“Well?” Duncan arched an eyebrow as Quinn walked into the kitchen.

“It was Tom.” Quinn couldn’t stop the grin on his lips. “As of market’s close Friday evening, I own fifty-four percent of McAllister Pharmaceuticals. Tomorrow, I’ll have Franklin add it to Zack’s trust fund. By the middle of the week, he’ll be the richest four-year-old in the country.”

“And you’ll be nearly broke.” Duncan scowled at him. “What are you going to do if this,” he waved a hand in the air, “doesn’t work out?”

“It will.” He shrugged. “But either way, as the executor of the trust fund, I’ll be president of the company until Zack is old enough to take over. That includes a decent salary so I won’t starve by any means.” He laughed. “I may even be able to afford you.”

Duncan looked down studiously at the cup of coffee in his hands. “About that. I’ve been doing some thinking, Quinn. You really don’t need me anymore. All your surgeries are done, and whatever work your leg still requires, you can do on your own.”

Shock rippled through him. Whenever he’d thought about the future, Duncan had always been there. He was the brother Quinn had never had. The idea that he would leave was inconceivable. “You’re quitting?”

A smile lit Duncan’s eyes. “Yes. But not right this minute. I have to stick around long enough to see how everything works out.” He sobered. “Just because I don’t work for you doesn’t mean I won’t be there if you need me, Quinn. But you’ve got your own life to live now. You’ve got a wife, and a son, and a company to run.”

There was a slight hesitation before he spoke again. “The truth is, I’ve been hiding behind you to keep from having to make a decision about my own life. When Tracy died, I didn’t know what to do, how to keep going. You gave me a reason. But it’s been five years now. It’s time for both of us to stand on our own two feet.”

“What will you do?” The sadness that washed over Quinn made it hard to speak.

“I’ve saved almost everything you paid me and invested a lot of it. I think I’d like to settle down in a small town, maybe even here in Watson, and open a business. I’ve been looking the place over and they don’t have a sporting goods store. With all the tourists and the winter sports, I could probably make a good living at it, and there’s an empty building on Main Street that’s the right size. And I won’t give up physical therapy entirely. I’m sure once I send my credentials to the area doctors I’ll be able to pick and choose the cases I want.”