Quinlan: Foster’s Pride – Lion Shapeshifter Romance (Foster's Pride Book 3)

by Kathi S. Barton

  The cannonball she did into the water made the kids laugh. She did too. Cass asked her if he could take care of her messages, and she nodded to him. Before he picked up the phone, however, she put her hand over his.

  “We’re not kidding about not having two pennies to rub together, Cass. I’ve been broke for so long I don’t have any idea what I’ll do if I ever get fixed again. The kids, they’re all I focus on right now. They’ve gone without more than any child has. This money, it’s not going to be to give us a better home, a nice car, or even a trip or vacation. It’s going to put food on the table. Coats on them when it’s cold. Shoes that I don’t have to pick up at the secondhand store. We need this more than just for the money, but for us to feel like we’re human again.” He kissed her cheek as he picked up her phone. “What was that for?”

  “You couldn’t have said anything better to make me want to fight for you as hard as I can. Thank you.” He walked away, putting in the code for the messages. However, he was only a few feet away when he returned. “This isn’t from a bill collector, Lily. At least the first one isn’t. It’s from Missy Tyler. Do I have your permission to record these?”

  “Yes. Do I want to know what she is saying?” He shook his head and told her not today. “Yes, at least not today anyway. Thank you for that. I didn’t even know she had my number. Is it bad?”

  “No. Don’t think of it as bad. Just think of it as more information we can use in court. She was notified that we’re taking her back to court. She’s what you might call venting.” She told him there was a lot of that going around today. “I heard. Rogue will be here sometime tomorrow. Loman is talking to her now.”

  Lily wanted to talk to her sister too. To tell her that things were moving along. But she also knew Rogue couldn’t talk to her about her job, more than likely what she was venting about. The one and only time her sister had vented to her was bad enough. She didn’t have any idea how Rogue was able to be as carefree as she seemed all the time and have to deal with the job she did.

  When dinner was called, her kids got right out of the pool without complaint. She wanted to tell them they were great for not doing that when Billy sat beside her. Smiling big, she told her that since there was a pool here they could use all the time, they didn’t have to hate getting out of it.

  “I love you, Mom.” Lily told her she loved her as well. “I know you do. I feel it in everything you do. The way you keep things from us when you’re upset. But I wanted to tell you I don’t just think of you as my stepmother. I don’t know that I ever did after Dad introduced us to you. But you’re my mother in all ways. Missy, what I plan on calling her from now on, was never there for me. Never came to my room at night and kissed me on the forehead like you do. She never worried over a temperature I had. Not one time did she ever go to something I was doing in school. You’ve been there for all of us when you really didn’t have to be.”

  “Yes, I did.” Billy shook her head. “Then you have to tell me why you don’t think I need to be with you as much as I do.”

  “The moment my dad was killed, you could have walked away. You could have said, ‘This is too much for a single person to take care of.’ But you didn’t. And when Missy took everything away from us, you—you didn’t say it was too hard. That you had a son of your own that you needed to care for. That’s another thing. You never treated us any different than you did Gabe, even though he’s your biological son. I love you for that and so many other things I cannot even list. There are so many. You have given us more in the last few years than our biological mother gave us in all our lives. I love you for that and will forever. Mom. The word means so much more to me than it ever did since you’ve come into our lives.”

  When she walked away, Jane sat back down. She was crying, her beautiful cheeks red from them. When Jane blew her nose, she told Lily how much she had loved that. How, no matter what happened from now on, Billy and her other children had a place in her heart just as much as her other great-grandchildren. Then she left her there.

  Lily was so touched that she had herself a good cry as well. They loved her. Not because they needed to, but because they wanted to. She wanted to hug them all up and hold them right then. But she knew it would embarrass them. Instead, she girded up her loins, as Rogue was so fond of telling her to do, and went into the house. Things were better. Not in any monetary way, but they were better for her all the same.

  Chapter 2

  Quin was never so glad to see his bed than he was tonight. It had been a long day and an even longer night with the animals he’d had to take care of at the Windle farm. It hadn’t taken him long to discover that the animals, all of them, had to be put down. It was dealing with the children, who loved the animals, that had taken the most out of him. He had asked the mister why he’d waited so long to call him.

  “Got no money, Doc Quin. That’s the sad truth of it. Got us some insurance for the kids and all, but nothing out there for the cows and chickens. I surely do hate that you have to put them down, but there wasn’t any way I was going to be able to afford to pay for meds for them when I got me five kids that need it more.” He told him he still should have called him. “My missus, she told me I should have before it got so bad. But I knew you’d have to put them all down. I knew in my bones that it would hurt the kids more than if I were to keel over and die myself.”

  The man had been heartbroken for his children. The cows, ten of them, had been too old to milk for some time, but the kids, he’d seen, had loved them too much to let them go to the butcher. Now there was nothing to do but burn the bodies and hope they’d find some other animal to love.

  There had been seventeen chickens, ten cows, two horses, as well as a plethora of other farm animals, including a goat and a small lizard. The goat and the lizard had been saved, but nothing else. The infection had spread from animal to animal in less time than it would have taken for him to come out and get them vaccinated.

  Before he left, he handed Mr. Windle all the cash he had on him.

  “I can’t take that from you. You done already came out here and did this for us, and I got no way of paying you.” He told him it was for the children. To take them out for a pizza or something. “That would be fine. Right fine, I think.” The man wiped at his tears with his handkerchief. “I’m a good man, Doc. I didn’t mean for this to happen. But it just got away from me.”

  “I can see that, Mr. Windle. I’ve already made a couple of calls to Mr. Luma and Mr. Sheppard. They’re going to cut out a couple of their cows for you to use as milkers. I’ve already been there to give them their vaccines. You make sure you call me for anything you might see. I’m not doing this as charity, I promise you. But I might need you some time to do something small for me, and I want to be able to depend on you. All right?” Windle nodded, looking at his kids. They were well mannered, polite, and cleaned up. They were also well-fed and good kids. It was one of the reasons he was helping him. “You come by the house sometime too. I know my momma would love to see you and your family. You know how she loves kids.”

  “She does. She did a good job raising you boys too, if you don’t mind me saying, despite you having a bastard as a daddy.” He told him he didn’t mind. “Thank you, Doc. I surely do thank you from the bottom of my heart for this. You just call me. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

  Now here he was, trying to make his body relax enough where he could at least get a couple of hours’ sleep before he had to go and see his family. Not that it was a hardship to see them, but he knew there were some guests in town, and he didn’t want to be in a bad mood because of his job. Beast, his cat, jumped up on the bed with him and got on his back. That, he thought, was what he needed, and he let sleep take him under.

  When he woke, it was bright in his room. Thinking he might well have overslept and trying to work up the idea that he should be upset, he got up to take another shower. As he was letting the water just ru
n over him, Loman spoke to him.

  Are you all right? I heard what happened out at the Windle farm. That’s not easy, I’m betting. He told him what he’d found when he got there. I heard about it from his wife when she was here. I’m at your house, in the kitchen. You’ve got a cook now. I don’t know which one of the sisters did it, but you do. Mrs. Windle sent you over six apple pies for your help. I’m being the best brother I can be and having a few slices of one of them for you. Throwing myself on that bomb, so to speak.

  Thank you ever so much. He laughed. Washing up, he stretched as he worked the shampoo out of his hair. Have your friends shown up yet? I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet them. But duty called.

  Rogue’s sister and her kids are here. Rogue, like you, was called away with work. She’s going to be here sometime this afternoon. The FBI is bringing her straight here in one of their choppers. He asked what she did for them. She photographs crime scenes. While that sounds like no biggie, she’s really good at it. So good that when she asked them for a specialized camera to work with, they got it for her immediately. They use her photos in court, and no one disputes her findings.

  She sounds a good deal like you when it comes to taking pictures. Loman told him she was intense. And you’re not? I’ve seen you taking pictures of crap, Loman, and you’re stiff as a board. I have no idea how when you take a picture, you can make it look so beautiful. You’re very talented too.

  Thanks.

  Quin turned off the water and grabbed a towel.

  Sorry bro, but I’m going to take all the pies home with me. These are wonderful. I wonder if she’s using Mom’s recipe. I think I’m going to go and find someone selling blackberries, now that I think on it. I’d love a cobbler with some homemade ice cream. How about you?

  Quin’s belly rumbled, and he wanted one right now, with a huge scoop of homemade vanilla, his ice cream of choice. Getting dressed in a pair of shorts that were almost ready for the rag pile and a T-shirt from college, he made his way barefooted to the kitchen. True to his word, his brother was eating one of the pies.

  “You’re a pig.” He didn’t even bother denying it but nodded at him. Then he introduced him to his new cook. “Good to meet you, Mrs. Barclay. Do you know which person sent you to my home?”

  “Brook Foster. She told me that any man worth his salt can cook, but there isn’t any reason for it if he hires someone to wipe his butt too. She’s a very vocal person, I think.” They both laughed. “I’m glad to be here. All you men—she got cooks for the rest of you single brothers. Told me to tell you that so you could let your brothers know. I like it here. If I make you a list of stuff I’ll need, how do I get it to you? Oh, my husband is going to do the butlering things for you. He likes being able to dress up, so you know.”

  They made arrangements for her to be able to order for his house. Quin didn’t know how much to have her order, but he figured if she knew Brook, she had told her how. He was having his second slice of pie with whipped cream, the real stuff when he heard a helicopter go overhead.

  If he’d not seen his brother when he heard it, too, he wouldn’t have believed how his entire body had changed in that second. Excitement like he’d never seen before not only had Loman smiling, but he was nearly giddy with it. Standing up, he did a dance around the room and even danced with Mrs. Barclay. Loman asked him if he’d go with him to pick her up, and Quin not only said he would but nearly didn’t change into something more presentable. Quin was putting on his shoes as he got in the car.

  “Why are you in such a hurry? She’s going to be here for a while, I guess.” Loman told him how long it had been since he’d seen her. “I guess I can understand your excitement then. Seven years is a long time. But that means it’s a solid relationship if you can get this excited about seeing someone after this long.”

  “Damn it.” Quin asked him what was wrong now. “Ronan picked her up before I could. Now I have to share her with everyone else when I see her. He was taking the kids out for ice cream and heard her coming in. I’m to go to Don’s house where her sister is.”

  Turning around, they headed back to town. It wasn’t that far, but it was a good distance if you had to walk. Quin asked his brother if he thought Cass was going to win the suit for Rogen’s sister.

  “Yes. I do. He took a few phone messages for Lily earlier. Missy, that’s the ex-wife’s name, had called Lily. I went out and got her another phone, so she’d not have to hear what that woman is spewing at her. I guess she’s really pissed off that Lily is going to try and get her things back. She threatened her to the point where she and the kids are going to hang out with one of us when they go into town now.” He also told him about Billy, the oldest daughter. “It might just be a passing phase for her. I don’t know a great deal about fifteen-year-old girls, but if you could take her with you or even to your office, it would be a great favor to me.”

  “Sure. I’d love to.” He thought about having a girl at his office. While he didn’t care one way or the other if someone wanted to tag along with him, he didn’t want to have to put up with some girly girl in his office. He might even think of ways to let her see the dirtier side of veterinary care. “Have you thought of what will happen if this woman—either of them, I guess—turns out to be a mate for any of us?”

  “I have given that a great deal of thought, as a matter of fact. I would be thrilled to no end to have one of you married to my best friend.” Quin laughed until he realized Loman was serious. “What? You don’t think you would like a woman who is a combination of Brook and Parker? Scary thought, I know, but you couldn’t do any better than Rogue. She’s about the most loyal and best friend I’ve ever had in all my life. And she saved my life.”

  “When?” He just shook his head. “You’re going to have to tell me after saying that, Loman. I mean, was it a figurative saving or literal?”

  “Literal. She saved my life, and I’ll never be able to pay her back. She also got me on the right path to working in college. If not for her, I would have dropped out. That would have been a bad decision on my part. I have a lot to be thankful for about her. So does Cass.”

  Quin thought about that all the way to his brother’s home. Whatever was going on with this woman, if she saved his family, he couldn’t help but like her.

  As soon as they pulled into the drive, Ronan was right behind him. The kids went to Rogue like they’d not seen her in years instead of only a few days. He got a kick out of the way she interacted with them too. She was no holds barred with them, telling them all she was back from the worst crime scene she’d been to in a long while. It took her hugging them and being dragged to the front of the house before he was able to follow. Christ, she was beautiful.

  About halfway to the house, his cat felt trouble. Moving closer, looking around, it wasn’t until Parker spoke that he understood the trouble was right in front of him rather than out in the open like he’d thought.

  “Hello, Rogue. It’s been a very long time.” Rogue didn’t move. Didn’t speak either as she looked at Parker. “I’ve been trying to reach you. I wanted—”

  “This is Parker? The one you were telling me about?” Rogue only nodded at her sister. “Rogue, I had no idea. I never knew what her last name was. She never mentioned it to me either.”

  “Why were you trying to reach me, Parker? Did you have more things you wanted to get out of me to tell the press? Or were you going for blood this time?” Parker told her she wanted to tell her she was sorry. “Too little too late, I’m afraid.”

  When Rogue turned to leave—that was all he could think she was doing—she knocked them both to the ground. When she landed on top of him, Quin knew his brother was going to be happy. Rogue was his mate. And she was spitting mad.

  ~*~

  Pacing because she had no other outlet for her anger, Rogue kept staring at the man who was sitting in front of her. He was there to put some stitches in her
leg that had opened up when she’d fallen on him. She wasn’t sure how she felt about a vet putting stitches in her, but right now, she wanted to get out of there.

  “You said you have a house.” He told her he did. “And this house, does it have a back yard? One where no one will hear me if I were to scream and curse for about three days?”

  “No one will hear you, no. Is this about Parker?” She growled at him, which usually worked with other people she was pissed off at. “I’m not sure if you’re doing this because you’re angry with me, but I didn’t do anything wrong in this. I was just standing—”

  “Parker hurt me. Not just mentally, though that was bad enough, but she went to the newspapers and told them I was a flake. Not that wording, but I nearly lost my job and all I’d been working for until then. She nearly ruined me.” Quin told her Parker never went to the papers. “And how the hell would you know this? You weren’t around when this happened. Or are you talking to her?”

  “Yes, I’m talking with her and her husband. Apparently, Parker is crying, and it’s bothering Don. Like it’s bothering me that you’re bleeding. If you’d allow me to either heal you or stitch you up, I’d feel so much better, as would my cat.” She sat down on the couch and stood up again. “I’m not sure you’re aware of this or not, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to get you sewn up.”

  “I’m well aware of it. Let’s go to your house.” He stood up to follow her, and she was surprised when he said they could walk to it. “I thought you said no one would hear me if I were to scream and rant.”