Authors: Cerian Hebert
“Not like the new lodge at Long Knife Creek?”
Quinn chuckled. “Am I crazy? What sane
person wouldn’t want to live in a place like Jacob’s gorgeous lodge? A person
could be spoiled rotten there. I prefer simple. A dishwasher is as extravagant
as I’d want to get, because I hate doing dishes. Never mind having to clean up
after myself. Some days I just want to leave my boots in the living room or my
hat tossed on the table. God forbid I do something like that when we have
guests. I’m forced to be neat and tidy. Totally against my nature.” Quinn glanced
at him, hoping he wouldn’t be totally turned off by her confession.
Craig just grinned and nodded. “Would
Emerald be simple enough?”
Quinn remembered Emerald as it had been
when the Lynch’s lived there. A comfortable old farmhouse. Well loved by its family.
“It would be an honor,” she replied. “To
bring it back to how it should be—”
“It’s going to take a lot of work, but
despite the state it’s in now, the house is habitable and the barn is
acceptable for the stock there. Room enough for a more, so your own came come
over. Looks like Ted wanted to expand, given the number of stalls he added.
Paddock fences are sturdy enough. I’ve already taken the cattle and the horses
that didn’t need to be there, but most stay. I’ve hired some more help and
they’ve been fixing the place, repairing the fence line further out. Cleaning
the mess that Ted left behind.”
“You sure you don’t want to find someone
who’s done this for years?”
“I’m sure you’re up for it. I wouldn’t
ask if I thought you couldn’t. Doc Tolson thinks you’re plenty capable.”
Warmth filled Quinn’s heart. She highly
respected the old vet and if he had confidence in her, that was just about the
best recommendation around. “I would love to give it a shot, Craig. I couldn’t
imagine a better start—well, maybe over at the old homestead, but I’m a
realist.”
Craig named a figure for her salary. “It
would be higher, but you get the house and stalls for your own horses included.
I want you right on the property.”
Quinn grinned. This was just falling in
her lap. Maybe now she could actually start stashing money away to restore her
own bit of Long Knife Creek Ranch.
“And I’ll hire on some help for you. I’d
rather you just be concerned with the breeding and training instead of the
stall mucking and feeding.”
Quinn nodded slowly, her head in a bit
of a spin. This all was a little surreal and she had to pull herself back to
earth. Of course, when she did she found herself gazing at Craig, and that in
itself, was pretty heavenly.
Craig’s voice drifted through that sweet
haze. “We need to get over there sometime and really take stock of the ranch.”
More alone time with Craig. She was
doomed.
The sound of high-pitched squeals from
the living room took her mind off her thoughts and brought her solidly back to
reality.
“My goodness, what are you letting them
watch?” Quinn got to her feet and headed toward the living room, Craig right
behind her.
“I let Marisol pick it out. I pushed
the limit and let her take a PG-13 movie.”
In the living room, all four girls
huddled together underneath one blanket, their eyes wide and staring at the
screen as the latest teen heartthrob entered a particularly spooky looking
house.
Quinn patted Craig on the back. “Good
one. Now you’ll have four girls with nightmares tonight. You couldn’t find a Disney
movie, maybe?” she asked in a low voice.
“I’m new at this slumber party business.
Next time I’ll know better.”
Marisol tore her attention away from the
movie and threw them a look. “Dad, can we have our sundaes now?”
Quinn and Craig returned to the kitchen,
leaving the girls to their scary movie, and tackled the dessert making.
This was fun, she thought, as she
carried the first two bowls out. If only she hadn’t missed this growing up.
After delivering the last two, she
returned to the kitchen. Craig was fixing two more bowls, one piled high with
every available topping. He finished it off with a generous pile of whipped
cream.
“I think you forgot a few ingredients,”
she commented drily, but flashed him a grin.
“You can never have enough toppings.”
“Um, going to save any of that whipped
cream for someone else?”
Craig glanced up from the bowl, his eyes
narrowed. “Why, you want some?”
“If there’s any left.”
Craig stopped filling his bowl and shook
the can. His gaze didn’t leave her and one brow rose, a wicked gleam sparkling
in his eyes.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He took a step toward her.
She took a step back.
“Seriously,” she pleaded.
“I don’t know. I think you need some.”
Before she could retreat any further,
Craig’s arm snaked around her waist. His other hand held the can, ready to
press the stem. Quinn laughed and tried to pull away, but he held her tight.
She reached to try to get the whipped cream away from him, but he had a good
foot of height on her. She couldn’t reach anything higher than his forearm.
It only took a moment before she
realized the position they were in; their torsos pressed closely together, his
hand planted firmly on her hip. Closer than when they’d danced.
Sobering, she lowered her arm, and tried
to get her mind away from the woodsy scent of his cologne and his solid, warm
chest pressed against her.
One glance at him erased the
lighthearted moment. One second his eyes sparkled with laughter, the next a
fire burned in them, serious and full of desire.
All her efforts to keep him at arm’s
length, to deny what she felt for him went out the window, along with her good
sense.
The can of whipped cream clattered to
the counter and his other arm pulled her closer, nearly off her feet. She put
her arms around his neck to keep from falling.
The perfect position for him to dip his
head and take possession of her mouth.
The kiss at the barbeque was chaste
compared to the liquid heat that poured from him. Strong, demanding, yet
inviting, she gladly sank into it. She pushed her hand through his hair and
pressed against him so there’d be no question about her feelings. No
backtracking or denials. No way to pretend they’d slipped up this time.
She should’ve pulled back, ran from the
Shady H. Never return. Instead, she put everything she had into the moment and
accepted what Craig offered.
The kiss lost some of its ferocity as
they tested and tried, but even though the flash of fire had eased, the passion
turned hot and steady. His fingertips spread the sparks and ignited her skin.
This would be it. She’d burn into a tiny pile of cinders, but at least it would
be a happy and fulfilling way to go.
Squeals from the other room sank into
her head, pushing past the diaphanous curtains of desire. Reluctantly, she
broke the kiss and pushed away from him.
They needed to remember where they were,
what they were supposed to be doing. What the heck kind of chaperones were
they? They were the ones in need of the chaperone.
“Your hair,” she said breathlessly. “I
kind of messed it up.” With newfound familiarity and boldness, she reached up
and ran her fingers through it again, this time to neaten it.
Craig took hold of her hand and brought
it away. He rested it against the counter. “I guess we can’t brush this one
aside.”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen. I came
over here with the best intentions.”
Craig chuckled and squeezed her hand. “I
have no doubt.”
“I don’t want things to get complicated
or uncomfortable.”
“No, ma’am. I don’t either.”
His short answers drove her crazy. So
did the lazy smile on his face and his hooded gaze, still simmering with
desire.
Desire for her. The thought sent her
mind reeling. What could she say?
“Oh boy,” was all she managed.
Craig lifted a hand and touched her
cheek. He opened his mouth to say more when one of Marisol’s friends burst
through the kitchen door.
“We need popcorn,” she declared, then
stopped dead.
Heat crept into Quinn’s cheeks as
Craig’s hand dropped away.
Caught.
He recovered first and Quinn admired his
skill and speed at doing so.
“No problem. How many bowls?”
“Um, one, I guess.”
Quinn turned away and started clearing
up the mess from the sundaes. A heavy silence weighed down on everyone, broken
only by the sound of popcorn exploding in the microwave. Finally, Bonnie left,
clutching the big bowl.
Quinn slumped against the counter. “My
God, that was close. You don’t think she suspected?”
“That we were making out a moment ago?”
He said it with a grin.
“Craig, shh. They’re going to hear you.”
“What? That’s what we were doing.”
Quinn chuckled. This was a side of Craig
she’d only dreamed existed. Where there had been desire only minutes ago now
had been replaced with a playful gleam in his eyes.
“You’re making light of this, but if
they start talking about us out there, well, Marisol might not appreciate it.”
“Okay, fine, you’re right. For the sake
of propriety and my daughter’s dignity, we’ll go out there and be good adults.”
“Thank you.”
“But, Quinn, I promise it’ll happen
again. When we don’t have to worry about interruptions.”
A thrill sliced through her body. The
look in his eyes sent her heart into a maniacal dance.
At a loss for something to say, she
grabbed her bowl of half-melted ice cream and walked from the room, leaving him
to follow.
***
Playing the role of cool, well-mannered
grownup promised to be a challenge now that Craig had gotten a taste of Quinn’s
passion. He’d been thinking about her far too often lately and now he’d tossed
himself into her, lock, stock and barrel. He knew that detangling himself from
these feelings would be a full-time job. Not that he had any plans to.
Discovering this passion was too pleasant to give up.
Still, neither he nor Marisol had had to
think about a new woman in their lives. No one had piqued his interest before.
He’d always believed he wasn’t ready to step toward a new romance.
That had changed.
He studied his daughter, huddled with
her friends, eating popcorn and staring with rapt fascination at the movie. She
was settling in, something he didn’t think she’d do so quickly. She liked Quinn,
but how would Marisol feel about Quinn being a romantic companion in his life?
Maybe if they worked their way there, one day at a time, she’d get used to the
idea. Even welcome it.
Until then, he’d play it cool, at least
when Marisol, or anyone else, was around. In private, well that was a different
story altogether.
The movie ended and Marisol jumped to
her feet. Her eyes were wide and a little spooked, but she grinned.
“Can we use the karaoke?”
The other three girls let out a chorus
of “pleases” and Craig gave in. While Marisol grabbed her CDs, he set up the
equipment. Within minutes, music filled the room with Marisol and Bonnie
starting them out. They stood in front of their audience, singing a pop song
with all the drama two confident ten year olds could muster. Craig sat next to Quinn
on the love seat. He didn’t miss the way their thighs touched, nor did he miss
the fact that she didn’t move away it.
By the time all four girls had sung one
song each and were working on repeat performances, an unexpected guest strode
into the living room.
Bonnie and the other girl she sang a
duet with stopped and stared, open-mouthed, at Robby.
Craig’s first reaction was annoyance.
Robby wasn’t the type to drop in on the family unannounced. He usually had
something better to do with his Friday nights. Craig concluded that Quinn drew
Robby to the Shady H.
Next to him, Quinn tensed. He stopped
himself from taking her hand in comfort.
“Hey, I thought I heard some great
singing and I had to see who was doing the entertaining.” Robby flashed the
girls a brilliant smile.
“Uncle Robby.” Marisol gave him a hug
and proceeded to introduce him to her starry-eyed friends.
“I hope you don’t mind me crashing your
party but I was in the area.” Robby’s gaze fell on Quinn and his eyes narrowed
a bit.
Reluctantly, Craig got to his feet. This
was no place to start anything with his brother, not in front of the girls.
“Can I get you a drink?”
“Got a beer?”
Craig nodded and headed to the kitchen.
Robby took the seat he’d abandoned, putting his arm behind Quinn with a
familiarity that Craig both envied and disliked. To his relief, Quinn shot
Robby a scowl and sat forward.