Second Time Around (7 page)

“How did you get hurt?”

“In a car accident.”

Gray eyes, so much like Lanie’s, looked at him seriously. “Is that why you never came to see me before, ‘cause you had an accident?”

Pain worse than any he’d felt in his life streaked through him and his eyes closed in reflex. “No.” He could barely get the words out. “The accident happened before you were born.”

He opened his eyes and looked at his son. “The truth is, I didn’t know about you until yesterday. Zack, if I had known you were here, I never would have stayed away.”

Zack studied him for a moment. “You didn’t know I was borned?”

“No.”

“Are you going to stay here and be my daddy now?”

“I’m going to be your daddy from now on, no matter where we are.”

3“Does that mean I’ll have two dads? ‘Cause Mama said Jared was going to be my daddy.”

How could he answer a question like that when he planned on doing everything in his power to keep Lanie from marrying her fiancé? “Do you like Jared?”

Zack squirmed until he was leaning back with his head on Quinn’s shoulder. “Jared is great.” His mouth gaped in a huge yawn. “He comes over and plays with me, and sometimes he takes me with him to work on sick animals. He says I’m the best helper he’s ever had.”

Quinn let his arms close around the small body and buried his face in Zack’s hair.

“It sounds like he loves you a lot, and you know something? You can never have enough people around who love you.”

“Do you love me?” His eyelids were beginning to droop.

Involuntarily, Quinn’s arms tightened. “More than anything else in the whole world,” he whispered, his voice scratchy.

“Can I call you Dad?”

“I’d like that.”

“Okay.” He snuggled tighter in Quinn’s arms and his eyes drifted shut. “You smell good,” he murmured. Abruptly, his body went limp and relaxed.

Quinn took a deep, shaky breath, not even bothering to hide the tears that coursed down his cheeks. He knew he should take Zack back to bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go. Not yet. They had lost too much time already. Time that had scarred Zack as surely as the accident had scarred him. Both of them had a lot of healing to do.

No, he amended, looking down at his son’s face. All three of them had a lot of healing to do. He only wished it could be as easy with Lanie as it was turning out to be with Zack.

But he knew it wouldn’t. Even if Jared Harper weren’t on the scene, she wouldn’t trust him. She had been hurt too badly. Somehow, he was going to have to find a way to make it up to her. A way to convince her she still loved him as much as he did her. And he knew she did. She may have buried it so deep that she’d forgotten, but the kind of love they’d shared didn’t just fade with time. God knows, his hadn’t, no matter how hard he’d tried to kill it.

A movement in the doorway caught his attention and he looked up as Duncan stopped.

“That didn’t take long.” He nodded his head at Zack.

“It’s a start, Dunc. I’m afraid it’s going to take a while before he really believes I won’t leave him again.” He kept his voice low enough not to disturb the child in his arms.

“He will.” Duncan hesitated. “I couldn’t help overhearing part of the conversation.

You did great with him, Quinn.”

“I hope so. I don’t want to hurt him anymore that he already has been.”

3“You handled it just right. Well, I’m done in the office. I’d like to start unpacking.

Are you sure your wife won’t mind me staying in the house?”

Quinn smiled ruefully. “She’d prefer both of us completely off the ranch and out of the state right now, but it’s not going to happen. Put your things in the room next to mine. I’m going to stay down here for a while.”

“Okay. If you need me just beat on the wall or something. See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight.”

The house grew quiet around him as he examined his son, trying to memorize every minute detail. Zack’s pajamas were soft white cotton, sprinkled with images of horses and dogs. The pants were twisted around his waist, one leg bunched up around his knee to expose a sturdy shin with a small bruise in the middle.

Even in sleep, the cleft in his chin, a legacy from his mother, was prominent, and Quinn smiled. He’d be willing to bet the boy was just as stubborn as Lanie, too. He didn’t know much about four-year-olds but he suspected Zack was tall for his age.

Gently, he picked up one small hand and inspected it. The fingers were perfect, long and slender in spite of their babyish quality. A Band-aid with big yellow birds and blue monsters was wrapped around his thumb.

The sound of the truck returning impinged on his consciousness, and he listened to Lanie’s steps crossing the porch. Had she made a decision? He braced himself as the front door opened.

She came down the hall and into the room, making it halfway across before she came to a sudden stop, her gaze fixed on Zack. “What happened?”

“Mr. Jingles couldn’t sleep, so Zack and I had a talk instead.” He was tempted to smile, but a glance at Lanie’s face changed his mind. She was pale and it looked as if she’d been crying.

“A talk about what?”

“Why I haven’t been around the last four years.”

“Oh, God.” She shut her eyes briefly. “What did you tell him?”

“A short version of the truth. I think he needs to know that I wasn’t just ignoring him, Lanie.”

She exhaled a short burst of air. “I know. I was going to tell him myself.” Moving closer, she leaned over and reached for Zack. “I’ll take him back to bed.”

“I’d like to do it, if you don’t mind.” She was close enough that he could see her pupils dilate when their gazes met, close enough to catch the scent of her light perfume.

“I think it’s my turn,” he added softly.

The hesitation was scarcely noticeable before she nodded. “I’ll be in the kitchen.

When you’re done, we need to talk.”

So the verdict was in. Now it was time for the delivery. Quinn slid to the edge of the couch and stood carefully, disregarding the protest of his leg while he shifted Zack’s weight. “I’ll be right back.”

3The blankets on the twin bed were still turned back, and he slipped Zack under the covers, tucking them in around the small body. For a moment longer he watched his son sleep, the muted sounds of running water drifting up from the kitchen below. In the dim glow of the nightlight, he brushed the hair back from Zack’s forehead and kissed him.

The trip back downstairs felt like the longest of his life. When he reached the kitchen he paused in the door before moving to the table and pulling out a chair. Lanie was leaning against the countertop, staring out the window.

Quinn cleared his throat. “I had Duncan set up a fax machine and another computer in the office. I’m expecting some papers from my lawyer in a few days.”

She turned to face him, arms crossed over her chest. “You can tell your lawyer not to bother. I’ve decided to give you the three months.”

Elation surged through him. It was all he could do to remain seated and keep his expression neutral. “The papers I’m expecting don’t have anything to do with a divorce or custody suit.”

“Oh.” She suddenly became busy taking out cups, adding tea bags, and pouring water. When she was done, she carried them to the table, placing one in front of him then taking the seat across from him. Her chin firmed and lifted as she watched him. “I think we should set up some ground rules right now, before we go any farther.”

He took a sip of the tea. “You’re right. And here’s the first one. If you think you’re going to spend the entire three months pretending I’m not here, then the deal is off. I want part of your time every day, above what we spend together with Zack.”

Her jaw clenched. “I have a ranch to run. I can’t just drop everything on a whim.”

“I’m assuming the people working for you are competent or they wouldn’t be here.

Let them do their jobs. If you need more help, hire extra people. I’ll pay their wages.”

“I don’t need your money. If I hire anyone, I can pay them myself.” She looked down at the cup cradled in her hands and a flush of red climbed into her cheeks. “I’m not going to sleep with you, Quinn. Sex isn’t part of this agreement.”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on forcing you. Making love to an unwilling partner takes the fun out of it. However, since you agreed to the deal, I do expect an honest effort from you to make this work. Can you do that much?”

Lanie took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’ll try.”

Quinn toyed with the handle on the cup. “And what about Harper? Am I going to be tripping over him every time I turn around?”

Her head shot up and she glared at him. “I said I’d try, damn it! But I’m not going to hurt Zack by keeping Jared away from him. He loves Jared.”

He studied her silently, one brow arched. “I don’t want to see Zack hurt either, so I’ll make this easy. I won’t try to stop Harper from seeing him, but when he’s around, you won’t be alone with him. And there’s one more thing, Lanie.”

“Of course there is,” she muttered sarcastically. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

4Slowly Quinn reached across the table and took her left hand, noting the goose bumps that erupted on her skin with a great deal of interest. “I think it’s time you took that off,” he tilted his head at the diamond engagement ring on her finger, “and put your wedding rings back on.”

Quinn kept his eyes closed, a smile playing around his lips as he drifted on the edge of waking. The bed was warm and comfortable, the scent of breakfast teased his nostrils. Waking up on the ranch again after all this time had memories flooding his mind, but he pushed most of them away, only interested in the ones involving Lanie.

He settled a little deeper into the bed, thinking about the second time he’d seen her. It had been the day after that wild date with Susie Morsten…

~~~~~

Depositing his Stetson on the ground beside him, Quinn settled back on the grassy bank and let his eyes drift shut. He wasn’t crazy about fishing, but it had been the only way he could think of to escape Ethan’s incessant questions about his date with Susie.

His friend had tried to get her to go out with him for years with no success. The fact that Quinn had managed it in less that a week had his nose out of joint.

Fishing had also been a way to evade Jonesy. Even though it was Saturday, the ranch foreman hated to see idle hands. He’d have found something for Quinn to do, and he was just too sleepy to spend the day shoveling manure or mending fences. It had been well past dawn before Susie had let him go, and his body felt like an old sponge with all the water squeezed out.

There certainly was a lot to be said for older women. A smile tilted one corner of his lips. It had been his experience that girls his own age or younger didn’t offer half the pleasure women like Susie did. Maybe he’d continue to see her while he was there.

The hot, midmorning sun soaked into him and soothed him toward sleep. From the tree above came the hypnotic drone of bees busily gathering pollen from the new buds.

Three months before college started. Three months of freedom without Edward breathing down his neck, lecturing about his duties and obligations. Three months on the ranch he loved.

He was almost asleep when the first drop of water hit him on the chin and rolled down his neck. His brow furrowed. It couldn’t be rain. The sun was still shinning. He opted to keep his eyes closed and ignore it.

A whole minute passed before another drop hit him in the exact same place.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes a slit and discovered he was no longer alone.

It took him a second to place her, but when he did, he almost groaned. It was the kid from the movies last night. How she’d gotten that close without him hearing her, he 4didn’t know, but she was sitting beside him on the grass, long coltish legs crossed Indian style.

A pair of flowered cotton shorts covered a one-piece, hot pink tank suit that sagged on her skinny frame. Not a single curve marred the straight lines of her body and her chest was flat as a board. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, lighter streaks of auburn highlights running through it. She had fished an ice cube from the glass in her hand, and was holding it positioned over his chin.

Another drop of water swayed precariously from the end of her fingers as she watched his face intently. Just before it dropped, Quinn’s hand shot out to circle her wrist and push it aside.

Instead of flinching in surprise, she grinned and gestured toward his fishing pole.

“Your bobber has been underwater for the last five minutes.”

“Do I look like I care?” He let his eyes close again. “Beat it, kid.”

“Whip it out.”

An involuntary snort of laughter spurted from between Quinn’s lips. Casually, he propped his elbows behind him on the ground, lifting the upper half of his body as he surveyed her. “How old are you? Ten? Eleven?” She certainly didn’t look old enough to be coming up with sexual repartees.

Her chin squared, a tiny cleft appearing in the center. “I’m fourteen.”

“Bull. You’re too scrawny to be fourteen. You’re still practically a boy.” He grinned as fire kindled in those clear gray eyes.

“I’m fourteen. My birthday was last week. And all the women in my family are late bloomers.”

“Well, go bloom somewhere else. I’m busy.”

“Yeah, I could tell by the way you were snoring.”

“I wasn’t snoring.”

“You were, too. Besides, you’re in my spot. If anyone leaves, it should be you.”

“I don’t see your name nailed to any of the trees.”

“It doesn’t have to be. This is my grandparents’ land.”

“Like hell. This is my land.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re a McAllister?”

“That’s right. And I happen to know the people who own the land that adjoins mine are named Howell, not Stewart.”

“The Howells are my grandparents. Guess that means we’re neighbors.”

“Wonderful. That really makes my day.” He lay back down. “Look, don’t you have any little friends that you can go play with?”

“Not really.” She shrugged. “I haven’t been here long.”

Quinn turned his head and looked at her, curious in spite of himself. “Where have you been?”