The Cowboy's Valentine

by Donna Alward

  He took Amber’s hand and they made their way to the house. It took longer than he expected, because Amber got sidetracked by the chicken coop and fence, and had to go watch the hens peck around with their necks jutting back and forth. The rooster crowed and she giggled as she stood on the bottom rung and peered over the top. “Why don’t we have chickens, Daddy?”

  He’d never considered it. “I don’t know.”

  “We should have chickens. They’re funny.”

  One hen came over and looked them over with a beady eye, her head tilted to one side as if to say “What are you lookin’ at?” Amber giggled.

  The Bramstocks were the kind of farmers who were self-sufficient. They made their living with beef, but they also kept chickens, a few hogs and had a giant vegetable garden in the summer. He remembered years ago when Eileen Duggan had kept a huge garden. Joe had never found the time or the motivation to keep it up after she died.

  “Come on, munchkin. Let’s see the puppies.”

  “Okay.” She took his hand again and hopped off the fence, and they went up the stairs to the front door and knocked.

  Sue answered the door with an apron covering her jeans and sweatshirt. “Quinn! Good to see you. Come on in.”

  It smelled like apple pie in the house and his stomach growled. But he was soon distracted by a series of yips and shrill barks.

  Sue grinned. “I’ve got the pups in the mudroom while I bake. There are four of them, about fourteen weeks old, and mature enough they are getting in my hair and under my feet. If you want to scoot over to the side door, I’ll meet you there.”

  Quinn and Amber did indeed scoot. The ground was soft from the mild weather and the snow mixed with mud under their feet. Quinn got Amber to stomp hers off as best she could before they stepped inside the mudroom where Sue’s husband, John, left his outerwear and boots.

  “Oh!” Amber squealed at her first glimpse of the puppies, which were bigger than Quinn had expected. She dropped to her knees, utterly fearless, and was immediately mauled by brown-and-black bundles of fur, complete with pink tongues ready to kiss their new admirer.

  He couldn’t help but laugh.

  “They’re a little excitable yet,” Sue said. “But house-training has been going pretty well. They’re smart dogs.”

  “You said they’re a shepherd/retriever cross?”

  “That’s right. So they’ll be a good size, but a really nice temperament. I love them.” Sue reached down and gave the mama a pat. “Xena here is so loving, but when a stranger comes in, her guard dog tendencies take over. I like that. I feel safe, but she’s not an aggressive dog. Know what I mean?”

  “I do.” And he liked the idea of Lacey having a protector, especially when he wasn’t there anymore and she was in the house alone.

  “Daddy, this one likes me!”

  Three of the puppies were roughhousing in the middle of the floor, but a fourth was climbing into Amber’s lap. His fur was a dark tan color, with black markings around his eyes, ears and feet. “He’s a handsome boy, that’s for sure,” Quinn agreed.

  Amber hugged him close and he certainly didn’t seem to mind. “He’s funny. And his paws are huge!”

  “He’ll grow into them,” Quinn answered, knowing that they wouldn’t be puppies for long. Already they’d lost the little-ball-of-fur look to them.

  Another one jumped up on Amber’s lap, kissing her face. “Can we get two, Daddy? Please?”

  Oh, no. Quinn shook his head. “Remember. Just one today...”

  “For Lacey. I know.” Her face fell a little. “But I love this one, too. And she is his sister. Sisters and brothers should be together, shouldn’t they?”

  It was hard to argue with that. “Honey, we can’t have two puppies at the ranch.”

  “Why not?”

  He was scrambling for an answer when she was distracted with playing again and he was saved. He looked over at Sue, who was watching him with an amused expression. “I know,” he said, sighing. “I have a hard time saying no.”

  “She’s a good kid, Quinn. And I understand how hard it is. I think it’s got to be even worse when you’re a single parent.”

  He nodded. “Look, our house should be ready in a few weeks. Any chance of you holding the girl until then?” He kept his voice low, so as not to give Amber any false hopes.

  “I can probably do that.”

  “Just don’t let on to Amber. We’re still staying at Crooked Valley while the repairs are being done. She’ll get her puppy fix there for a while. Probably more than she realizes.”

  “No problem.” Sue and Quinn went over details like what dog food she was using and how much, if he had a crate and leash and all the other things he’d need. The crate he’d borrowed from Kailey’s family, who kept a couple of border collies. The leash and collar he’d bought in town at the department store, along with a couple of ceramic dog bowls.

  He took along the little bit of paperwork from the vet so they had a record of vaccinations, and the recommended age for neutering. Amber crawled out from beneath the mob, begging for the honor of sitting with the puppy on the drive home.

  In very little time, they were back out in the truck, the puppy secured in the crate on the front seat, which Quinn had pushed all the way back. Amber was pouting, but when they got to Crooked Valley he clipped on the leash and let Amber take the pup for a quick pee before introducing him to Lacey.

  He was suddenly nervous. He picked up the puppy and carried him to the front door, then opened it, because since that first morning the door had been unlocked during the day. He was hoping to tell Lacey himself, but Amber raced ahead, muddy boots and all, crying out “Lacey! Lacey! We gots you a puppy!”

  Lacey came around the corner, tugged by an excited four-year-old. Her eyes got huge as she saw Quinn with the puppy in his arms. “You really did. Holy shit.”

  Amber halted abruptly. “You said a bad word.”

  Lacey’s cheeks flamed. “Sorry.”

  She was immediately forgiven and Amber smiled again. “We got you a puppy, Lacey! Isn’t he cute?”

  Still she didn’t say anything, and Quinn felt a sense of unease slide through his body. Maybe this hadn’t been the smartest move. “Amber, can you go to the truck and get the bag of stuff?”

  “Okay, Daddy!” She opened the door and then looked back at Lacey. “Wait’ll you see the dog bowls me ’n’ Daddy picked out.”

  She slammed out of the foyer.

  “Quinn?”

  He swallowed. Hard. “He’s a shepherd/retriever cross. Three and a half months old, partially house-trained and guaranteed to be a sweetheart.”

  Tentatively she reached out and touched the soft fur. The pup wriggled excitedly, so Quinn put him down on the floor but kept him on the leash.

  “Why would you do this? A dog?”

  He stood up again, met her gaze. “You gave up everything. You said it yourself...the house, the kids, the dog and the picket fence. But you don’t have to, Lacey. This can be your home, you see? The fences are here...maybe not the picket ones you imagined, but they’re your legacy. And the dog...he’ll be great company for you. You’ve lost enough. I just wanted to give something back to you.”

  To his relief, tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. “Well.” She laughed, emotion filling her voice. “You are a man of surprises, Quinn Solomon. That’s a lovely thought. Truly.” The pup pulled on the leash and gave a sharp bark. “But a puppy?”

  “If you really don’t want him, I guess I could take him back to Sue’s.” Or his house. He was pretty sure Amber wouldn’t mind, but he was still disappointed that his gesture wasn’t welcome.

  “Oh, it’s not a case of wanting! He’s awfully cute.” She smiled hesitantly. “I just...I’ve never had a puppy before. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
>
  “Never?” Relief rushed through him. Was that all?

  She shook her head. “I always wanted one, but Mom was afraid of dogs.”

  “Well, this one’s yours if you want him.”

  They shared a long look, and then Lacey sat down on the stairs. As soon as she did, the puppy rushed over and started to climb up on her.

  She gathered him up on her lap, started to laugh when he began licking her face...and then got a strange look of horror.

  Amber rushed back in with the shopping bag.

  “Um...we’re going to need some paper towel,” Lacey suggested, putting the dog on the floor again. “And I need new pants.”

  “Eeeew!” Amber wrinkled her nose. “Bad puppy!”

  Lacey laughed. “Aw, he was just excited. Puppies pee a lot. If he’s going to stay here, you’re going to have to keep your eye out for puddle accidents.”

  “Yuck!” Amber suddenly seemed disenchanted.

  “He’s a baby,” Lacey explained. “Do you remember when you had to be potty trained?”

  Amber nodded, though Quinn wondered if she actually did remember such a thing. “Well, doggies have to be house-trained so that they go to the bathroom outside. I might need your help with that.”

  “You need me to help?”

  Lacey was winning over his daughter like a champ, not that she needed to try hard. It was so clear to him now. There was a reason she’d come here. And that, as far as he could tell, was to put a little sunshine back into his life. He wanted to be able to do that for her, too.

  “Sometimes. Especially if I’m busy. And puppies have a lot of energy. He might need some playtime with toys, so he doesn’t chew things.”

  “I can play with him!”

  “Well, phew. That’s a load off my mind, kiddo.” She laughed. “But first, could you grab the roll of paper towel?”

  Amber rushed away.

  “You have a real way with her,” he said, down low.

  “Kids are people, too. They like to feel needed and important. As far as the dog, I don’t know if I want to thank you or strangle you.” The pup was sitting pretty as you please now, still on the leash. “But he is awfully cute.”

  Quinn stepped forward, ignoring the pull of the leash. “Lacey, you deserve to be happy. Stop punishing yourself.”

  “Quinn, if you did this to change my mind...”

  Had he? He didn’t think so. Though perhaps he had, just a little. Not to blackmail her, of course not. He wasn’t into trying to buy someone’s affections. But if he could make her see that the kid thing didn’t matter...

  “I did it because I didn’t think you’d do it for yourself. And because a dog can be a great companion.”

  “Because I’ll never have my own kids.”

  Frustrated, he heaved out a breath. “That’s not what I said.”

  “Here you go, Lacey!” Amber came back with the towels, ripped off a few sheets and handed them over.

  “Thank you, sweetie.” Lacey wiped up the little puddle on the stairs. “I’ll be right back. I need to change into some sweats or something.”

  She disappeared up the stairs, while Quinn waited at the bottom, not sure how to handle her latest accusation. All he’d wanted to do was give her something she’d always wanted. To see her smile.

  Why did women always have to invent motives for everything?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lacey’s hands trembled as she pulled the sweats out of her dresser drawer. A puppy! Of all the romantic gestures she might have expected, this was the last thing she would have thought of. But there he’d been, standing in the doorway with the most adorable puppy she’d ever seen cuddled in his arms.

  She was scared to death. Puppies were a lot of work! She didn’t have to have owned one before to know that. But she was also incredibly touched. It was only the knowledge that Quinn wanted more kids that held her back from falling into his arms. The temptation was there, but in the end she knew the truth would come out, just as it had with Carter. They’d pretend it didn’t matter until they couldn’t pretend any longer. She wasn’t sure she could stand to watch another man she loved walk away.

  She peeled off her jeans and hung them over the shower rod to dry and pulled on the soft sweatpants. They’d have to get the dog settled and then think about dinner. It would serve to take her mind off her latest failure: she’d been told she’d hear by today about the job she’d interviewed for last week. The phone had been silent, so she assumed that the position had been given to someone else.

  Back downstairs, there was a clanging sound coming from the living room. Quinn was assembling a wire dog crate, and Amber was dancing around with the dishes in her hands, wondering where would be the best place for “puppy” to eat.

  Lord help her, it felt like a real family.

  * * *

  THE ENCHANTMENT WITH the “real” family evaporated quickly. Amber didn’t want to go to bed before the dog, but wanted to stay up until they decided on a name. Quinn put his foot down, which resulted in the tears and wails of an uncharacteristic tantrum. Lacey’s ears were still ringing when she took the pup outside for what felt like the tenth time. At bedtime, she put him in his crate in the living room, but she wasn’t in bed five minutes when she heard him whining and crying. Quinn heard it too, and suggested that the puppy might need company. There was no way she was sleeping on the sofa, so Quinn took the dog, crate and all, and moved it to her bedroom.

  She was nearly asleep when the whining started again. Lacey was half-tempted to let him out of the crate and on the bed, but she didn’t want to get into that habit. Finally, she turned on the radio on her phone that was plugged into the dock, and set the volume low. That, at least, calmed the puppy.

  At four in the morning the whining was more of a yelp. She pushed on her slippers and clomped downstairs with him, reaching for the leash on the hook by the door and letting him outside. Aggravated, she stared at Quinn’s closed door with a fair bit of hostility. The reality of puppies was very different than the idea of all that cuteness.

  She’d gone back to sleep, but when Quinn got up at six-thirty, she stuck her head under a pillow to blot out the sound of the shower. Pup heard the noise and started bouncing around in the crate. Where on earth did he get all the energy?

  She didn’t let him out of the crate until she’d had a quick shower and had pulled on a pair of comfortable jeans and an oversized hoodie. Once more, she trotted outdoors with him on the leash, then came back in just as Amber was coming down the stairs.

  “Can I feed him? Please?”

  “Sure. Be my guest.” Amber could feed the dog while Lacey made much-needed coffee.

  “Come on, dog.” Amber sent Lacey a disapproving look. “He needs a name.”

  “I’ll decide on one today, I promise.”

  “I can help.” She set her chin defiantly.

  Lacey hesitated. It was as plain as the nose on her face that Amber was already in love with the dog. That she was feeling proprietary. Had Quinn truly thought this through? What would happen when they moved back to their house and the dog stayed here? Could she really do that to Amber? In her head she knew it probably wasn’t smart to give in because she felt sorry for the little girl. But her heart...how could she let Amber start to get attached and then break them up?

  Quinn came down the stairs and took one look at her before veering off to the side.

  “Rough night?” he asked, his voice innocently calm.

  “You could say that.”

  “Aw, he just needs to adjust. He probably missed the other dogs last night. New place and all that.”

  “Great.” She took a sip of her fresh coffee and closed her eyes for a moment. Amber was chatting away to the dog as she put a scoop of food in the bowl. “Quinn,” she said quietly, �
�what happens when you move back home? She’s going to hate to leave him.”

  “We talked about it. She knows she can see him whenever she’s here.”

  “You think that’s going to be enough?”

  He frowned. “Don’t worry about Amber. Anyway, we need to stop calling him ‘dog’ and ‘puppy.’ You come up with a name yet?”

  She had, though she felt kind of silly about it. “When I was a kid, I read this book that I loved. There was a dog in it, and he was always getting into scrapes but helping people out. I know, it sounds lame, but he was great. His name was Ranger.”

  Quinn laughed. “I think I remember that book. The dog was even a shepherd, if memory serves.”

  “He was.” She felt a little sheepish. Really, a kid’s book? But there it was. “I always thought if I got a dog, I’d call him Ranger.”

  “You’re sentimental,” he observed, a grin tugging at his cheek. “Who’da thunk it?”

  “Smart-ass,” she murmured.

  “What do you think, Amber? Lacey’s going to name him Ranger.”

  Amber wrinkled her nose. “I like George.”

  Quinn caught Lacey’s eye, then looked at Amber. “Well, Lacey gets to do the honors because Ranger is her dog, right?”

  “I guess.” Amber looked so crestfallen that Lacey couldn’t help but offer a compromise.

  “What if his middle name is George? You have a middle name, don’t you?”

  Amber nodded. “Amber Marie. After my mama.”

  It was impossible for Lacey to remain emotionally immune to the situation. “So what if we called him...Ranger George Duggan? What do you think?”

  Amber giggled. “That’s a long name for a dog.”

  “He’s an important dog.”

  “Can I take him outside?”

  Quinn looked at Lacey for permission, which she gave. “Okay,” he agreed. “But on his leash, and only for fifteen minutes. When I call you to come in, you need to come in. You have to get ready for school.”