The Cowboy's Valentine

by Donna Alward

  And then she remembered the way their eyes had met at the bottom of the stairs and got that swirly, tingly feeling.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  Kailey grinned and perched on the edge of the desk. “I thought you’d never ask. We’d like to hold a raffle on the night. Carrie agreed to look after getting some items, but we’d need someone to look after the cash. You, being the money person and all...”

  “I should be able to do that.”

  “Great. I’ll tell Carrie.”

  “What about Amber?” Lacey zipped up her bag and looked up at Kailey. “If it’s at a bar, where will she go?”

  Kailey smiled. “We have that all figured out. Amber’s going to spend the night with her grandmother in Great Falls. Quinn takes her up there most Sundays anyway. They’ll be able to manage for one night.”

  “You’ve got it all figured out.”

  “It’s been in the works since the fire. That’s what we do here. Look after our own.”

  Lacey wondered if she was considered “one of their own” or if she’d been gone too long. Joe Duggan had been a big part of this community, but that didn’t necessarily extend to grandkids who hadn’t given him the time of day.

  “Well, just let me know what you need me to do and when.”

  “Of course.”

  “When would you like me to start with the books?” Lacey got up from the chair and put her bag on her shoulder.

  “Day after tomorrow? Payroll is next week, so you can get the hang of the system before that. If that works for you.”

  Lacey smiled. “Lucky for you, my schedule is pretty wide-open.”

  Kailey walked Lacey back to her car, but before Lacey got in, the other woman put her hand on the window. “Lacey...don’t say anything about this to Quinn, will you? He’s so proud.”

  “I won’t.”

  “He’s been hurt a lot. Thanks for trying to help him out. I know it means a lot to him.” She fidgeted for a second, shifting her weight on her feet before meeting Lacey’s eyes. “Look, I don’t want to pry into what’s going on over at the ranch, but he’s a good-looking guy and you’re young and pretty and you’re spending a crap ton of time together. I wouldn’t want to see either of you hurt, and honestly I think Quinn has a ways to go before he’s over Marie, you know?”

  Lacey’s face burned hot. “It’s not like that...”

  “I’m looking at you, Lacey, and I’m seeing that it could be. Just be careful. There’s a little girl to think of, too.”

  Lacey’s chin went up. “I know that. And it’s really not like that, Kailey. I appreciate you wanting to protect him...”

  “Not just him. Both of you.”

  “Well, that’s kind of you. But there’s nothing to worry about. I’m not going to be staying at Crooked Valley forever and before you know it, he’ll be back in his house and it’ll all go back to normal.”

  She smiled. Tightly. Felt like a complete liar even though she meant every word.

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Kailey smiled back at her. A genuine smile. It hadn’t been a warning or a threat. Kailey was simply looking out for someone she cared about, with concern and not jealousy or anger. She was a really nice woman, and Lacey wondered why Quinn hadn’t snapped her up in a hurry. Clearly they were very close.

  But perhaps Kailey was right. Quinn simply wasn’t ready. Maybe he wouldn’t be, not for a long time. Besides, a man like him deserved someone like Kailey, who was in the same business and liked the same things and could give Amber brothers and sisters. She wasn’t capable of any of that.

  “I’ll see you later,” she said quietly, and got into her car as Kailey stepped back.

  As she drove away, she wished she could muster some resentment for their young, pretty neighbor. But it was hard to resent someone who was one hundred percent right.

  * * *

  THE MEETING WITH Kailey and trip to the Brandt operation got Lacey thinking. Who had been looking after the Crooked Valley finances? Had Joe been doing it before he died? Was it Duke? Quinn? Was there a particular reason why the Duggan ranch didn’t seem as prosperous as the Brandts’? She was home all day anyway. She could always take a look at the books.

  She found Duke in the horse barn, in a stall with a big gelding who was currently standing patiently while Duke wielded a hoof pick. “Hey, brother.”

  He looked up briefly. “Hey, yourself. What brings you to the smelly part of the property?”

  She laughed a little. Duke had never been one to mince words, mixing a bit of humor with the little barb of accusation. “Hey,” she replied, “I don’t actually mind horse smell. Much.”

  “Don’t listen to her, Chief,” he instructed the horse. “She doesn’t mean to be insulting.”

  He let go of the foot and wiped the pick on his pant leg. “Seriously. What brings you to the barns? Is everything okay?”

  She nodded, stepped back as he opened the stall door and came out into the corridor, latching the hasp behind him. “It’s fine. I was over at Kailey’s today. They’re going to hire me to do some bookkeeping for them.”

  Duke’s face lit up. “Hey, that’s great!”

  “Don’t get too excited. I haven’t had any other nibbles and it’s only a few hours a week.”

  “Still. You have to start somewhere.” He started walking down the corridor and she followed, all the way down to where the tack and feed were stored. There was a mini-office, nothing as big as at the Brandts’, but with a bar fridge, coffeemaker, drop-leaf table and a few cast-off chairs, and behind that a half bath with a toilet and sink.

  “You want a coffee?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  As Duke poured the black liquid from the pot—who knew how long the brew had been on the burner—Lacey grabbed a granola bar from a basket on the table. “Listen, Duke, I was wondering. Who does the books for the ranch?”

  He turned around and put a mug in front of her, then took cream from the fridge and put it beside the cup. She added cream. A lot. It still barely changed the color of the coffee. She could hardly wait to see what it did to her stomach lining.

  “Quinn, mostly. Apparently he was helping Joe with it for the last year or so, and took it on when Joe died. He’s the manager. It made sense. Besides, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  He sat down across from her, took a sip of his coffee and winced. “Why? You offering?” His eyebrows went up hopefully.

  “I thought I could take a quick look is all.” She’d been hoping it had been Carrie or someone else paying the bills. Sure, she and Quinn had been getting along just fine. But if she started poking around in ranch business, she knew he’d have a few choice words for her.

  It probably wasn’t worth it.

  “Never mind,” she said, sitting back in the chair and eyeing the coffee with distrust. “I don’t want to make waves. Quinn probably knows what he’s doing.”

  “You worried about stepping on his toes?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Duh. We have this truce thing going on right now, considering we’re living in the same house. It’s for Amber’s sake, really. I can just imagine he’d be really happy to hear me suggest improvements to the accounting system. Ten bucks says he’ll say something like we’ve always done it this way and that’ll be that. It’s just...”

  She halted, frowned.

  “It’s just what, Lace?”

  She looked at her brother. He wasn’t scowling. He was completely interested in whatever she was about to say.

  “When I got to Kailey’s, I could see the difference in the two places,” she said honestly. “And it’s not that Crooked Valley is run-down, by any stretch. But it doesn’t look like the Brandts’, either. It looks...tired. Is it because things fell behind as Joe got older? Finances? I just w
ondered if there was something there that could be adjusted so maybe...”

  “I get what you’re saying. It wouldn’t hurt to have you take a look, anyway. Quinn’s busy enough without having to do all the office work. If there’s a way to make it easier...”

  “No problem.” She forgot her reservations about the coffee and took a long drink, shuddering at the bitter taste. “God, Duke. How long has that been on the burner?”

  He shrugged. “I dunno. Since seven? Maybe eight?”

  She pushed the cup aside. “Anyway, and it’s not that I’m a big chicken or anything, but I think it would be better if you brought this up with Quinn. He’s less likely to be defensive if it comes from you.”

  “I don’t see why. If it were me, I’d be thrilled to have someone help out with the books.”

  “But it’s not you. Look, Duke, this doesn’t change anything. I’m still not interesting in owning a third of the ranch. Quinn knows it. It makes him defensive.”

  To her surprise, Duke stayed quiet. In fact, ever since she’d moved in, he hadn’t pressed her about the ownership at all. Maybe he’d just been too preoccupied with work and his new bride and pending fatherhood that he’d let it go.

  “Quinn loves this place. He’s been here a long time.”

  Lacey huffed out a sigh. “He wasn’t like that with you, though, was he? And you weren’t going to stay here, either.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Lacey. Besides, you guys seem to get along okay now.”

  “We came to a truce because of the current situation.” Which was the truth, but not all of the truth. Not that she’d breathe a word to Duke. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing for him to know that she actually wanted Quinn’s approval?

  Not that she’d admit it to anyone besides herself.

  “If it makes you feel better, I’ll talk to him about it later. Then the two of you can figure out a time to sit down and have a look at what’s what.”

  “Okay. I’d better head back inside. Are you and Carrie coming for dinner tonight? I put pulled pork in the Crock-Pot. There’s plenty.”

  “We’ll see. I’ll call up and let you know.”

  She was to the door before Duke’s voice followed her. “Hey, sis?”

  She turned around. “What?”

  “Thank you. For looking after us, for looking after Quinn and Amber. For the record, Carter was a stupid ass to give you up. You care about people. You nurture them. He never appreciated that.”

  She swallowed tightly, touched by Duke’s words, saddened, and on the verge of telling him the truth. But she couldn’t somehow. Not that it was a big dirty secret or anything. It just made her feel like such a failure. Like such a...waste.

  “Thanks, Duke. I really appreciate that.”

  “Anytime, shrimp.” He winked at her, reverting to the nickname he’d given her when they were little kids. “I know I was gone for a long time, but I’m trying to make up for it now.”

  She’d forgotten what it was like to have a close family, to have a big brother to look out for her. It was a sweet, warm feeling. It stayed with her as she walked away and out of the barn. It was a feeling she dared not get used to, or else she might decide she didn’t want to leave...

  Chapter Seven

  Quinn made his way from barn to house through a bitter wind that sent snow stinging against his cheeks. He’d taken Amber to school since the forecast was for random snow squalls throughout the day, but damn, it was only February and he was ready for spring. By spring—real spring—his house should be fixed and he and Amber could move back into their own home. He still hadn’t told Amber the truth about their belongings. Most of them were gone. The smoke damage had been too intense. She’d been so upset about the fire in the first place that he hadn’t wanted to add to her distress.

  But it was hellish at times, staying here at Crooked Valley. It reminded him of things. Reminded him of how it used to be when he was married. For nearly two years he’d raised Amber on his own. He’d gotten used to having to cook meals, clean the house, do the laundry in addition to everything else. It wasn’t that he didn’t do those things before, either. He and Marie had shared the load. Always.

  Sharing was different than being the only one left. Way different. And the truth was, it was really nice to come in after a long day and smell supper cooking and find a pile of fresh laundry on his bed. He didn’t want to get too used to it. Lacey Duggan certainly wasn’t here to take Marie’s place. No one could do that.

  The snow had drifted over the front steps again so he grabbed the shovel and cleared them off before stomping up the steps. He wasn’t looking forward to the next hour. Lacey might be Martha Stewart around the house but she was still the woman who was not sticking around, who cared little about the ranch that was his livelihood. He was worried about Amber, too. He didn’t want her to get too attached if Lacey was only going to leave again. Amber had been through more than enough.

  The number one thing he’d tried to do since losing Marie was protect Amber from any more pain. Lacey was nice, and kind, and he owed her a lot for all her help. But what was best for Amber had to come first. The strange feelings that kept cropping up had to be tamped down. He didn’t want to “move on” and even if he did it wouldn’t be with someone who wasn’t planning on sticking around.

  Which made the task ahead even more unpalatable. Duke had asked him to show Lacey the books, to see if she could lend a hand. Duke had asked before if they should get a bookkeeper, but Quinn had refused. They didn’t need to spend more money when he could do it himself.

  Once she saw that they were just riding the line between red and black, she wouldn’t want anything to do with the ranch for sure.

  He walked in the door and was greeted by a smell that brought his mother’s sour cream coffee cake to mind. It only made him more grouchy. Lacey was always baking something tasty, making herself indispensable. Hell, Amber thought the sun rose and set on her and talked about her more than her preschool teacher, whom she loved. It was just like when Lacey showed up here at Christmas. Perfect Lacey this, perfect Lacey that. The big difference was he’d been biting his tongue the past few weeks because she’d helped them so much since the fire. It would be damned rude to be anything but grateful. And polite.

  In stocking feet, he stepped into the kitchen and saw the cake cooling on a rack. Clean dishes were stacked neatly in a drying rack in the sink, a damp tea towel forgotten on the countertop. He picked it up and folded it lengthwise before hanging it over the handle of the stove door. And then she stepped into the kitchen, carrying an empty laundry basket, and his heart did this weird dance in his chest.

  Yeah, there was this, too. And it was damned inconvenient. Lacey Duggan was beautiful. It wasn’t like he could help noticing. Especially since they were living in the same house.

  She smiled when she saw him and it was like the room lit up. For God’s sake, he was an idiot. They wanted entirely different things. She turned her nose up at what he valued and still, he saw her in a pair of fine-fitting jeans and a soft hoodie with her hair in a ponytail and his stupid body responded like a damned teenage boy. On the heels of those feelings came the heavy drag of guilt. Marie had been the love of his life and he was still mourning her. It wasn’t fair that his body and mind kept betraying his heart by focusing on someone new.

  “I’ll be with you in a sec. Duke said you wanted to meet this morning so I could have a look at the books.”

  “I have some time.”

  “Let me just put this away.” She headed for the laundry room at the end of the hall. “Did you know I’m going to be doing some accounting for Kailey?”

  Her voice carried back and he let out a big breath. “No.” Come to think of it, she might have mentioned it last night over dinner, but he’d been too preoccupied to pay much attention.

  She came b
ack, tightening her ponytail as she walked. “My first work since getting laid off. Hopefully it’ll turn into a few more jobs as word gets around.”

  “And then what?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll have to decide when the time comes.”

  “Are you still looking for full-time work?”

  She frowned at him. “Of course I am.”

  “And so what if you move? What will you do with those clients you’ve set up?” She was looking at him funny, like he’d asked a ridiculous question. But it wasn’t ridiculous at all. “Will you just leave them high and dry when you take off for your next job?” Will you leave us high and dry too? he thought. Will my daughter cry at night again because someone else she cares about goes away?

  Lacey stepped back. “Quinn, would you like to do this another time?”

  “No. Let’s just do it and get it over with.”

  He knew he sounded short, but he was frustrated, dammit. Frustrated at not being in his own home, frustrated at all the work there was to do, frustrated that nothing ever seemed to be permanent. Why the hell did things have to change all the time?

  And through all that frustration was Lacey, so young and pretty and more cheerful than he deserved, and he was starting to like her. Too much. And one day soon, she’d be gone, too. It was startling to realize that his days would go back to being somewhat gray and colorless when that happened.

  Goddammit. He’d fallen under her spell as surely as Amber had. His daughter wouldn’t be the only one to miss Lacey when she left, or when they moved back to their house. And that wasn’t what he wanted at all. He wanted things back to normal!

  “Do you want some cake?” she asked gently. “I could make you a cup of coffee, take it into the office.”

  “No, I damn well don’t want any cake.”

  Her lips hardened and her eyes snapped at him. “Fine. Let’s get this over with, then. Should be fun.”

  It was easier to deal with snippy, angry Lacey. Far easier than when she looked at him with soft eyes and full lips and that hint of pink in her cheeks.