Thankful for Love (16 page)

Which was probably the reason his voice had an edge to it when he answered her question. “I know exactly what I'm doing. Something I haven't done for a long time—living a little bit for myself. Everyone, you included, told me I needed to get back to enjoying life, and I'm finally taking your advice. Not only is Quanna the first woman I've been attracted to in years, but for some odd reason, she returns the feeling. I'll be damned if I'm going to let this chance pass me by.”

“Don't be so defensive. I wasn't being critical. It's a bit complicated, don't you think, with her being your nanny and all? I mean, she's young. She's vulnerable. She's your employee. I don't want to see you hurt her.”

“You don't have to protect ... wait, you don't want to see
her
hurt?”

“Right. Pain from you is the last thing she deserves. Considering how much she's come to mean to my nephews, I don't want to see their relationship screwed up because you two get involved only to have it go sour.”

“We've talked about all that. We're not going to tell anyone, especially the boys, what's going on until we figure it out ourselves. Which won't be easy to do once Daniel and Lucas are home. But I want to try. I care about her. A lot. I want this to work.”

Barbara finished off her coffee. “Then I guess I better leave you alone. You only have the week ahead before you have to begin to juggle your kids with your love life—or is it your sex life?”

“Not that it's any of your business, but like I said, we're trying to figure it out ourselves.”

She slipped off the stool and came around to where her brother stood. “Seriously, Jack, I'm glad you're finally doing something for yourself. And if I can help, let me know. I can always entertain your sons if you want to slip away for dinner or a movie.” She patted him on the shoulder. “I apologize for breaking into your weekend. I promise I won't use my key to come in unannounced again.”

He leaned down and kissed his sister's forehead. “You're a good sister. I don't care what Sam says.”

She swatted him on the arm. “Funny, he says the same thing only with you as the one who badmouths me. Now, walk me to my car.”

She'd started the engine when Jack threw out the question he was almost afraid to ask. “Barb, it doesn't bother you because she's Indian, does it?”

“Now, why the devil would you think it would?”

“Quanna's had nasty comments about her parentage from her neighbor and a few other people, and she's sensitive about it. I told her it wouldn't matter to anyone I knew, but I thought I'd check.”

“Of course it doesn't matter.” She put the car in gear and started to back out. Then stopped and stuck her head out the window. “Now ask me if I'm concerned because she's a lot younger than you are.”

“Okay. Are you?”

“Other than not wanting to see you be the butt of jokes about middle-aged men who fall for younger women, not really. I'll merely say, be prepared for it.”

When he came back into the house, Quanna was sitting on the couch in the living room fully dressed. If her bleak expression was anything like the one she'd seen on his face the morning before, it was no wonder she'd been convinced he was having second thoughts. He hoped to hell she wasn't going to run off at this first glitch in their plan to keep things under wraps.

“She's mad, isn't she, about us being together?”

“No, she isn't. She apologized for breaking into our weekend.” He sat next to her and drew her into an embrace. She was trembling. “It's okay, sweetheart. I told her we want to keep things quiet for a while. She won't say anything until we tell her it's okay.”

“She didn't warn you away from me?”

“We-e-e-l-l.” He dragged out the word hoping to lighten the conversation. It didn't. “She did warn me about one thing. She told me not to hurt you. Didn't quite threaten me, but came close.”

“Oh. Why would she do that?”

“She likes you. She also likes the relationship you have with her nephews. She says I'm lucky to have found you.” He kissed her forehead. “She's right.”

“She didn't try to convince you people will talk because ...”

“Because I'm a middle-aged man and you're a sweet, young thing? Yeah, she mentioned it. But she said she was willing to let it go as long as I was prepared for the gossip.”

“I'm not a sweet, young thing, and that's not what I meant. You know what I meant.”

“Quanna, sweetheart, I keep telling you, none of my family or friends would ever think your being part Indian would make a difference. It isn't who they are.”

“And you've discussed this, have you, with your family and friends?”

“No, not in so many words. But I know them. That kind of prejudice is in the past.”

“I wish you were right. You'd be surprised where it comes out, Jack.”

After another quick kiss, he stood up. “I guess I'll just have to wait for you to see I know what I'm talking about when we tell people about us. For now, can we please eat? I'm starving. I was about to start breakfast when Barb arrived.”

“If you're sure she's not angry about you hooking up with me.”

She started to hop up off the couch, but he caught her by the arm. “Don't say that. This wasn't hooking up.”

“I'm sorry. I know this isn't a hookup. I don't do hookups.”

“So, at least we know two things about what's going on: it's not a fling because I don't do flings. And it's not a hookup because you don't do hookups. If Sherlock's right, all we have to do is eliminate all the wrong answers and whatever we're left with is the truth.”

This time, she did laugh. “Makes as much sense as anything does.” She caught him by the belt loop on his jeans as he started back to the kitchen. “Let me cook this morning. You put some music on.”

• • •

As she cracked eggs and chopped veggies for omelets, the sound of piano music drifted in from the living room. She thought she'd heard the piece before, but she couldn't put a title to it.

She was still trying to figure out if she knew what the music was when the pianist hit the wrong key. It seemed odd such a mistake made it to a recording. She stopped to listen more closely and heard a second discordant note.

Curious, she returned to the living room where she saw Jack at the piano. He was playing for her.

“I think I've heard that music before, but I don't know the name of it,” she said as he made room for her to join him on the piano bench.

“It's Beethoven. ‘Fur Elise
.
' Piano student standard. But I'm having trouble remembering it. Or maybe, more accurately, playing it.” He started to put the cover back over the keyboard.

“Don't. Please keep going. Unless playing brings back bad memories.”

“No, only good ones. We each practiced with my mother for half an hour after school every day. I wasn't crazy about it at the time, but now I realize how much it meant to me to have her undivided attention for that half hour.”

“It meant a lot to her, too, I imagine.”

“She was headed for a career as a concert pianist when she came to Oregon to visit an uncle, met my dad, fell in love, and stayed. She never regretted her decision, she said. But sometimes I wonder. She would have loved knowing how much Paula played, even as an adult. No one's touched the damn piano since she died.”

“You haven't arranged lessons for the boys, have you? Both your mother and theirs would want them to learn, don't you think?”

“Yeah, they would.” He noodled around, playing several scale progressions.

“Maybe once school starts, I can find someone ... we can find ... uh, you can find someone to teach them. I'd be glad to ferry them to lessons, if that's what it takes.”

He slid closer to her on the piano bench and crooked his index finger under her chin. “I like the way it sounds when you say ‘we' can do something with the boys.”

“I don't mean to try to tell you how to raise your sons.”

“You're not. You're helping raise them.” He kissed her. “We better get breakfast going before I start to get ideas about what can be done on a piano bench other than play the piano.”

• • •

In spite of Quanna's shifts at the restaurant, Jack's long days in the fields, and her determination to make her time at the ranch only work, they found time to fit in a movie, a couple dinners, and another horseback ride during the following week. They spent a few more nights together, made love when the mood hit them, which it did with some frequency, and began to learn about each other in ways more intimate than just boss and kid wrangler.

Quanna reminded herself at least once a day it might not last forever. And warned herself that if it didn't, she might not be able to work for him. At least, she didn't think she could. But if she had to leave the Richardson Ranch, she'd be right back where she'd been in the spring trying to find enough money to meet her obligation to her family, finish college, and pay her rent. Then there was the other problem, the one Jack didn't like to talk about. In spite of what he thought, she was sure he'd have family or friends who would never accept her as worthy of him. Being with her could hurt his reputation or give bullies an excuse to harass the boys. She couldn't let that happen.

In spite of all her self-talk, after spending the second Friday and Saturday night at the ranch, she drove back to her apartment on Sunday morning to wait for Jack to call when he got to Portland, knowing the truth. She had fallen for the man. Hard. She also knew it was possible that it all could fall apart, and all she would ever have was two weeks of being loved by Jack Richardson. That might have to be enough even if she wanted more.

• • •

“Hey, sweetheart. Sorry to call so late.” Jack kept his voice low so he wouldn't be overheard.

“You got to Portland okay. That's all that matters. Were the boys happy to see you?”

“For about fifteen minutes. Then they headed down to the basement with their cousins to finish up some video game or another.” He looked over his shoulder to make sure he was still alone. “I had to wait until after dinner and the kids were all being settled in bed before I could sneak out on the deck and call you. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. I hope you don't mind. I brought home one of your shirts to sleep in. I'll return it on Monday.”

He groaned. “You're killing me. I have to sleep alone in a strange bed tonight. I should have brought something of yours with me for company.”

“You'd look silly trying to wear one of my T-shirts, but I like the idea. When will you be home tomorrow?”

“We'll leave in time to be back by dinner. Will you be there?”

“I won't leave until you get here. I want to see Daniel and Lucas.”

“Only my sons?”

“And you.” She laughed. He was always happy to be the cause of that sound.

“Because I definitely want to see you,” he responded.

Their conversation was interrupted by a discrete cough from behind him. Jack did a 180 and saw Sam standing in the doorway leading into the house, a smirk on his face.

“All of a sudden, I'm not alone. I better go. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Safe trip home.”

He ended the call, jammed the phone into his jeans pocket, and waited for what he was sure would be a cross-examination. It didn't take long.

“So,” Sam started. “I hear you had quite a weekend last week. Did you spend
any
time by yourself while the boys were here?”

“How would you know about my weekend?”

“Our beloved sister.” He made a mock surprise face. “You thought she would keep it to herself? How long have you known her?”

“Jesus, after I asked her to keep quiet about it, she called you?”

“Of course she did. It made my day. I've been waiting since I was a teenager for you to come down off your pedestal and join us here on earth. And to make it even better, it happened because you're twisted in knots about a woman just like the rest of us mortal men. I can die happy.”

“I'd be glad to help you reach your goal—the dying part, I mean.”

“No, you wouldn't. Who'd give you advice about your love life if I wasn't here?”

“I can manage my own love life, thanks.”

“So it
is
‘love life' and not ‘sex life.' Barb wasn't sure.”

“Fuck you, Sam. I'm not one of your suspects. I don't have to put up with your cop interrogation tricks.” He tried to push past his brother to get back in the house, but Sam wouldn't let him pass.

“Seriously, Jack, I'm happy for you. When were you going to tell me?”

“I wasn't planning on telling anyone until we've decided where the relationship's going. It was an accident Barb found out.”

“So she said.” He started to open the sliding screen door. “If you won't give me details, can I at least get a hint where you
want
the relationship to go?”

Jack looked Sam straight in the eyes and said, “As far as she'll go with me.”

Sam slung an arm around his brother's shoulders and pushed open the door the rest of the way. “Then I hope it works out for you.”

• • •

Quanna had been waiting for an hour in the living room trying—and failing—to read. No matter how hard she'd tried to concentrate on her book, all she'd been able to think about was how it would play out when Jack and the boys arrived home. Would she and Jack go back to the friendly but professional relationship they'd had before? Or would they have a hard time hiding what had happened over the past two weeks? Would the boys notice something was different? How would Jack handle it if his sons asked questions?

When she heard the crunch of gravel signaling the arrival of Jack's truck, her heartbeat kicked up in anticipation. The front door banged open, and Lucas came running in, throwing his arms around her as soon as she stood and before she could even say hello.