Two Wrongs Make a Right (15 page)

His pulse skipped again. Apparently she wanted to spend as much time with him as he did with her. Damn, this weekend would be too short. He already dreaded Monday.

~~*~~

After dropping Dak off at his truck, Quinn texted Megan and Raynie to tell them she was spending the weekend with him. They assumed it was Justin, and texting wasn’t a good way to break that news. She also told them no contact from this point. They’d have to wait until she got back home for a full report. No need to deal with the gazillion questions they’d be sending. Not while she was with Dak.

He’d told her it’d take thirty minutes to get to his place, so she tried to enjoy the scenery and the luxury of the rental car as she followed him. If she could turn back the clock by twenty-four hours, she could undo all the damage up to this point. And it was a lot. Rushing out of the club had been the best decision, and if it’d worked, she wouldn’t be in such turmoil. But one mind blowing kiss, and she was a goner, unable to form a coherent sentence.

After this weekend, they’d part ways and never see one another again. In the ten years Megan had worked at Galaxy, Quinn had never crossed paths with Dak. And from the route he was taking, she’d never shopped or socialized in the same area. No, after tomorrow, he’d be the best memory she had, and no man could ever measure up to him. That was nobody’s fault but her own.

He took a right on a gravel road and she followed. After traveling about a mile, behind a stand of Texas ash trees, she saw the house and lost her breath. A two-story structure, logs, stone and glass, with a wrap-around porch. She’d never seen anything so beautiful.

The garage door opened, and he pulled his truck inside next to an old Jeep. Parked to the side was another older pick-up. Quinn stopped and waited for him to tell her where to park. He motioned her to one side, then came to help with luggage.

She stepped into the warm sunlight and took in the whole place. Barberry and butterfly bushes bordered the veranda. A porch swing moved in the breeze. Some type of hound dog ambled down the steps. He moved so slowly she wasn’t sure if he’d make it. The pooch looked as if he might stop to take a nap.

“Well hello,” she said to him.

“Don’t mind Homer. He’s harmless.”

Quinn went to meet him half-way, and the dog rolled onto his back. She scratched his belly. “Is this what you want?”

Homer didn’t move.

Quinn stood and gazed at the front of the cabin. “This is beautiful.”

“Let’s go inside.”

Once they did, the first thing she noticed was a wall of animal heads. He was a serious hunter. Finally, a flaw.

Fifteen minutes later, with the inside tour finished, he led her to the back deck. She stepped to the railing and gazed out across the small lake. Two mockingbirds swooped and fussed at Homer, now curled onto a cushion in the corner.

“So what do you think?”

She turned to look at him and tears filled her eyes. He had a perfect life. Well, nothing was perfect, but he came as close as anyone she’d met. A great job. Wonderful family. Breathtaking home. And she’d done something terrible. Lied about everything. Risked being pregnant with his child. She was a horrible person. The worst of the worst.

“It’s the most wonderful place I’ve ever seen.” She wiped at a tear, thinking he probably assumed it was from being overcome with his house. He had no idea a string of lies already as long as Homer’s tail caused the waterworks. “Thank you for bringing me here and letting me see it.”

He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. “I built the place myself and seeing your reaction, makes the three years it took worth it.”

“You built this? You must be so proud. Such an accomplishment.”

He tipped her chin up and kissed her. “Thank you.”

She wanted to run away. Get out of there before she got any deeper into his life. But if she told him now, what would he do? Mount her head on the wall? Understandable. She’d used him for breeding purposes, so she’d fit right in.

She pointed to where Homer was sleeping. “In that corner, you should plant pink and purple morning glories, and over there, zinnias.”

“Zinnias?”

“They’re my favorite, because you have to pick them to keep them blooming. That way, you’d have flowers both inside and out all summer.”

“Maybe you can come back and do that for me.”

As warm as it was, a chill ran over her, and she couldn’t remember ever hating herself more.

Hours later, Quinn sighed when Dak rolled off her, and rid himself of the condom. This was the first time in her life, she’d felt so connected to a man. The way her head fit in the space between his neck and shoulder was like it was made for her. She slid fingers across the dragon tattoo on his bicep. “This is sexy.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, well thank God I was sober enough to pick out something masculine. I could have ended up like one of my buddies with a unicorn and rainbow. For the rest of the tour, the guys never let him live that down.”

She pulled away from him and propped on her elbow. “So you were in the service?”

“Yeah.”

“And this.” She rubbed her hand across his scar. “Did you get shot?”

“Yeah, but not while I was with Uncle Sam.”

She didn’t want to pry, so she gave him a minute to volunteer an explanation, and he did.

“I made a mistake and hooked up with a woman who lied. Jealous boyfriend showed up. But it was a long time ago. I learned a hard lesson. Too bad all women aren’t like you. Honest, and trustworthy.” He kissed her again. “That’s why I didn’t have a condom. I don’t pick up women in bars. But, I’m glad I broke that rule last night.”

Quinn hung her head. “Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say because he’d broken his promise and ended up with another liar in his bed. Her chest tightened with all the secrets lodged there. They squeezed the air from her lungs.

He closed his eyes, and she figured he’d finished talking, so she curled into him and tried to push her sins away, but the effort just made them worse.

Inside the bedroom, his breathing was soft and steady while outside, a storm brewed. Unable to drift off for the last hour, she’d listened as the rumbling moved closer. Guys were so different. Following sex, they wanted sleep, and women wanted anything but that. Even if she had been drowsy, the bed was too crowded with Dak on one side, and guilt on the other. The emotion tortured her. If she could make it until Monday morning without falling apart, it’d be a miracle.

The remark about her returning to help plant flowers made her heart ache. Never seeing him again would be her penance for the horrible thing she’d done. Pregnant or not, the deal was sealed. The story he’d shared concerning how he’d gotten the scar made things worse because she had committed the same transgression. He just didn’t know it yet.

She eased out of bed and crept down the hall. Being close to him magnified her misdeeds. The opportunity to tell him the truth had passed. Why hadn’t she come clean when they got to the hotel room? Easy answer. Partly because she was afraid of how’d react, and because she didn’t want him to leave.

She grabbed a chenille throw from the end of the sofa and wrapped it around her shoulders. Standing at the wall of windows looking out to the deck, where a few hours ago Dak grilled hamburgers and she played with Homer, she admitted life felt perfect here. Like she’d fallen into a fairy tale. She loved Dak’s lifestyle. Laid back and simple. He took pride in his ability to close marketing deals and create something as beautiful as this house.

Opening the door, she stepped out onto the deck. Lightning streaked across the sky and reflected in the water. If lucky, God would strike her dead, and end her misery before Dak found out what a wicked person he’d brought here. The night sounds had either gone silent, or the thunder drowned them out. The wind whipped at her blanket and lifted her hair in every direction.

The door behind her squeaked and in a second his arms were around her. “What are you doing out here?”

“Even a storm is beautiful from this view.” She tightened her cover, but he slipped it off and pulled her toward the chaise.

“Come here.”

He lay back and pulled her down on top of him. He was already hard, and had on a condom. Her heart raced. Thunder moved closer, and the wind picked up, but she didn’t care. He was inside her again and all she could think was how he made her feel.

Fifteen minutes later, she lay pressed tight against him, and thought about her life before this weekend. Now that she had a comparison, thank goodness Brad dumped her. A lifetime with him would have been a terrible existence. Every fantasy about Rico, Justin, or any other man didn’t compare to this moment.

Dak twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “You want to go fishing tomorrow?”

A drop of rain tickled her ankle. “Sure. But we’d better go inside before we get wet.”

“It’s a spring storm. It’ll pass quickly. Let’s get dressed and go for a ride.”

“Are you kidding?”

He stood and brought her with him. “Nope. I’m going to take you for a midnight drive in the country. I’ve got a place I want to show you.”

While Quinn dressed, rain poured, and Dak rattled around in the kitchen. By the time she joined him, he’d packed a small cooler, and the storm was letting up. He took a set of keys from a hook near the front door, and they made a dash to the old truck parked by the side of the drive.

He cranked the engine, whipped the truck around, and drove away. Quinn didn’t know where they were going and didn’t ask. She trusted him enough it didn’t matter. Wherever the destination, she’d be safe with him.

The passing landscape was rural with no street lights, and the last segment of the trip took them down a narrow winding road. She estimated they’d traveled close to fifteen miles by the time Dak made the last turn and arrived at a gate. Even though it was dark, stars winked as angry clouds floated away.

“I’ll open it, and you drive through,” he said.

He got out and Quinn took the wheel. Once she was on the other side of the barrier, he closed it behind them and she moved to let him reclaim his spot. From that point, potholes and bumps jostled the old truck, and the undercarriage squeaked and cracked with the stress.

Within a few minutes, they topped a rise. Dak pulled to the side and killed the engine, but not the lights. He took a quilt from behind the seat and spread it in the truck bed. Setting out a bottle of wine and two glasses, he opened the music app on his phone. The golden oldie,
Because You Loved Me
, by Celine Dion, drifted into the night. Quinn’s heart lurched. Tears filled her eyes, and she was thankful for darkness. He took her to the front of the truck, pulled her into his arms, and they danced. When the song ended, they went to sit on the tailgate again.

“Lie back and look at the stars,” he said.

For a moment, neither spoke. He laced his fingers in hers and she thought she’d die on the spot. No man had ever done anything so romantic. For a few seconds, joy forced the regret away. “This is amazing.”

“Yeah. Nothing but sky. When I was a kid, my brother and I camped out here. I’ve always loved this place.”

“Do you own it?”

“My parents do. If it was light, you would have seen their house a little ways back down the road. You want some wine?”

“Sure. Thank you for bringing me here. Makes me feel like we’re the only two people in the world.”

He pulled her into his arms again. “Right now, we are. And before we go back to my place, we’re going to drink wine, do a little tailgate talking, more headlight dancing, and make love in the moonlight.”

Quinn looked at the clock and the numbers blurred. She squinted and focused. Four a.m. Then she remembered falling asleep in Dak’s arms under the stars. They’d been back home for an hour, and while he snored, she struggled to sleep. It was already Sunday. Their last day together. Pain knotted in her throat, and the thought of leaving brought tears.

She deserved it. The agony, guilt, regret. All of it. The scar on his chest served as a constant reminder of how a lie damaged a person. For the first time since the ordeal, he’d put faith in another woman. Another liar. If he ever found out, he’d hate her.

He shifted, and pulled her into his arms without waking as if it was the most natural thing to do. Funny how in a few short hours, she felt at home in his embrace, in his house, in his life.

What was she going to do? She’d met the perfect man and screwed it up. Mother wouldn’t be surprised. She expected her daughter to fail and once more, Quinn didn’t disappoint.

She ran a hand over her belly, and decided if she wasn’t pregnant, she’d tell Dak the truth, and beg forgiveness. If he didn’t, she’d live with it. She’d have no choice. She didn’t want to think anymore. Her brain was tired. Guilt did that. An endless swirling black hole of despair sucked the life out of her. With that final horrible thought, sleep came.

At ten o’clock, she rolled to her back, and watched the overhead fan spin fleeting shadows across the ceiling. A true comparison of her emotions. Spinning out of control, and soon to disappear from his life, like a flicker of sunlight. God, she must be losing her mind to compare herself to fans. Where was Molly when she needed her?

Dak was missing from bed, so she assumed he was drinking morning coffee on the deck, and enjoying nature. She put her feet on the floor, steeled her shoulders, and concentrated on making the most of the few hours they had left.

After dressing in jeans and a tee-shirt, she headed down the hall. Just as she expected, he sat on the back porch, mug in hand, Homer by his feet. For a moment, she imagined being a part of that snapshot every day, but Molly thumped her upside the head and pulled Quinn from the daydream. Her alter ego made her promise to concentrate on fun for the rest of her stay and stop wishing for something that would never happen.

She opened the door, and he turned to look at her. “Hey, Sleepyhead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The fish will wait. You still want to go, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. I’ve got some biscuits, frozen waffles, or cereal. Any of that sound good?”