Her Balancing Act: Quinlan O'Connor Book 3

by Alyssa Bailey

  Gently guiding her out of the backseat, he put his arm around her waist and kissed her tenderly. “Let’s go. Doc is waiting for you.”

  “Do I have to?” Cheyenne’s big puppy eyes came out.

  “Yes, lómhara, you do.

  “Really, Quinn, I'm all right.” Cheyenne looked up into Quinn’s eyes that brooked no argument and said, “Let’s go then.”

  “And, Cheyenne?”

  She looked up at his face and said, “I know. It isn’t over.”

  “Just so you know.” He kissed her again in thanksgiving of her safety.

  ***

  Dinner was over. The conversation was full of Cheyenne’s trip into the field. Quinn watched, as Cheyenne had bravely endured the doctor visit. On the way home, she realized that it wasn’t her biggest scare today. He pulled her hand into his as he watched her face take on that panicked look. He knew she must have been reliving the terror she felt as she hit the brake. They talked about how her heart pounded so hard that she couldn’t hear anything but its beat. She was in a safe environment, but she might not feel safe.

  He leaned into her. “You okay, a stór?”

  She nodded. “I just wish we could change the subject.” She wiped her palms on her jeans and rubbed her temple.

  Gideon, the quiet adopted son of Liam and Jocelyn, said, “Need me to teach you how to take those curves, Aunt Cheyenne?”

  “No thanks, sweetie, I’ll just drive your Uncle Quinn’s truck next time I want to go for a joy ride.”

  Quinlan grunted. “You’re assuming that driving is something you’ll be able to do anytime soon, dear.” Quinn cleaned it up for the younger ones. What he wanted to say was, hell no you aren’t driving anywhere. He figured the parents of his nieces and nephews would not appreciate the rainbow talk as his mom called it.

  “Are you grounded, Aunt Cheyenne?” asked eight-year-old Hunter, eyes wide in disbelief.

  “No…Yes.” Cheyenne and Quinn spoke over themselves.

  Hunter was confused, and those fourteen and older laughed. Liam shooed his older children off to clear the dishes and do the clean up before heading off with their friends to take out the four wheelers. He told those under fourteen-year-old Zach to play in the yard before bath time.

  The moms in the group took that time to put their younger ones to bed dragging Kelli along for assistance. When everyone had gone from the room but the men and Cheyenne, the conversation became focused on Cheyenne and the issue at hand.

  Quinn pulled Cheyenne into his lap for comfort and support. He still wanted to feel her close after what happened today.

  Parker sat thoughtfully for a moment and then said, “I think it’s time to bring in my brother. His legal brain might help here.”

  Quinlan agreed. “Yes, and I’ll call our lawyer, Ace as well. He and Chase need to put their attorney heads together in case we find this is not an accident but a crime. We will need to know our options.”

  “Yeah,” Liam agreed, “it’s time.”

  “You know, I think that is the smart move, but I’m worried that will mean Kelli will be brought into it. This is the one time I wish she weren't Chase’s legal assistant. You know, when Kelli smells a rat, she doesn’t get cats or even an exterminator, she simply pulls out the poison herself and goes on a hunt.” He leaned back and crossed his booted feet. “You know I love your sister, but if she gets her hands on this, between her and Cheyenne, they will be in it deeper than a manure farm.”

  “That’s not nice, Parker,” admonished Cheyenne.

  “Yeah, but so true, baby,” agreed Quinn.

  Cheyenne crossed her arms and squinted her eyes as she, threw daggers at the men sitting around her. “I’m going for a walk. I don’t have to listen to this.” Cheyenne made to get up, but Quinn effectively thwarted her attempt.

  “Mhuirnín, I’m sorry. Parker didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” Quinn looked over at Parker as he rubbed Cheyenne’s neck.

  “I’m sorry, Cheyenne, that was mean of me. I promise we will find out what happened. It just might take a little time.”

  “Now you’re going to say I shouldn’t have looked for another client or kept him.”

  Shane, always the peacemaker, jumped in, “Look Cheyenne, I know we kid you, but it really isn’t your fault that this has happened. Honey, we don’t want to dictate to you, but we are all worried. We could have lost you.”

  Quinn’s arms tightened, and he kissed the back of her neck.

  “Except,” Ciarán added, “we did try to advise you to tell Quinn. We now all need to work together to figure this out so that things are back to normal.”

  “Well,” added Liam, “Safe anyway, normal for us is not normal for the next family.”

  Parker snorted, “That’s for sure.”

  “Hey, man, don’t sound too self-righteous, you are only a few months away from joining this craziness we call normal,” added Shane. Everyone laughed, but the tension didn’t break. The sound of pseudo-joviality fell heavily in the apprehensive feel of the room. Everyone that is, except for Cheyenne who smacked her husband’s hard arm. Then she leaped up and started to storm out of the room. Quinn began to reach out to grab her arm when Liam stopped him and indicated that he should let her go.

  When she had left to the sounds of a slammed door, Quinn asked, “Why did you do that?”

  “See, if we make a plan amongst ourselves and not share with our wives, we may have a better chance of it working and keeping them all safe. We have a good chance of you guys getting things done.”

  Ciarán added. “With you the new liaison between the departments, you can work both sides of the street.”

  Liam continued. “I say we make a plan, tell the women we are taking more precautions for a bit and shut activity down around here for the family. They know that higher precautions are what happens when we feel any one of us is in possible danger.”

  “Yeah, they’re used to that, unfortunately,” agreed Shane.

  Parker groaned.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Quinlan.

  “I can tell there is going to be a higher rate of red hot butts around my place because Kelli does not take choice restriction easily. She isn’t going to take any of these stronger safety precautions well, and she doesn’t even live on the ranch. She will be screaming in protest for all the women.”

  Quinlan laughed. “Yeah, mine too. Cheyenne gets a bit testy when I don’t give her explicit reasons she agrees with. But Kelli was raised on a ranch with our parents, and she knows the drill.”

  “Huh, she knew things changed when we had that crazy guy after Katie, and we had to do this. I don’t believe that knowledge, stopped her from pitching a royal fit,” Parker reminded Quinn.

  “Well, count keeping her in line and learning to follow your lead as good practice before you say your ‘I do’s,’” offered Ciarán.

  Parker groaned again. “Guess I get out the strap because I’m not maiming my hand, wearing out her butt.”

  Shane asked, “Are you sure that if you just explain why we need to be more careful with everyone right now and especially Cheyenne, that she won’t just agree?”

  “Yeah, I’ll try that first. But I’m getting out the strap for when she does not want to listen, and she takes Cheyenne off somewhere she isn’t supposed to.”

  The men laughed as they settled down to the issue of taking care of business.

  “That brings me to another area I think we should consider.” Liam continued, “I believe that all the women should have a personal locator beacon as well as GPS in their cars. I’ve got the boys driving now too so I’m having it installed in Jocelyn’s and the boys’ SUV as soon as we can get the mechanic started. I’ll get the vehicles all done if you’re all on board.”

  All the men groaned because GPS would be fine but their women would not want a personal locator beacon.

  “Well, Katie has been saved by one so she would not push back,” said Ciarán but he knew these women figured they were c
apable of handling all manner of problems without help.

  Quinn added, “I think after today, even Cheyenne might go for it.”

  “Okay, then we agree. Now, what are we going to do to make things safer while we find out what happened?” asked Ciarán.

  Chapter Six

  Kelli called Cheyenne three days after the higher level of security was put into place, meaning no going anywhere without an escort. Cheyenne was sorely itching to get off the ranch and just plain sore.

  “How about I come over?” offered Kelli.

  “Yes, please. Quinn left me a ‘meaningful’ reminder when I told him I wasn’t staying home any longer.”

  “Haven’t you learned to do those throw downs on the phone? Never challenge a directive in person. Don’t do it with Quinn or any of my brothers.”

  Cheyenne laughed. “I’ll try to remember that as well as try to avoid it. We did make up, though. He has second shift today.” She soothed her still warm nates as she talked.

  “Lalalala. Too much information, remember he is my brother after all.”

  Cheyenne laughed as she rubbed her bottom. “We are married, silly. I know you aren’t a prude, living with Parker.”

  “Yeah, well, that still can’t be discussed in an open forum without some pretty upset menfolk.”

  “Oh, Quinn’s coming, got to go say goodbye.” She quickly hung up and regretfully removed her hands from her achy bottom before Quinn came in and caught her comforting.

  Cheyenne met him at the bedroom door as he changed for his shift. “Hey, sweetie,” he greeted her with a deeply loving kiss that he held her into until she wanted to forget his work schedule, her plans with Kelli, and jump his bones.

  “Hey, yourself.” She followed him into the room and sat on the bed watching him change. “Honey?”

  “What, baby?”

  “Could I ask you something?”

  He stopped dressing to walk over to the bed and squatted down in front of her. “What kind of question is that? Of course, you can. What’s wrong, muirnín?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I think I need help.”

  “With?”

  “Everything, I think I messed up, and this is too much for me to do alone.”

  He reached his hands to hold her head carefully and tenderly, rubbing his thumbs up and down her cheeks. “This Spencer business?”

  “Yeah,” she nodded.

  “Yeah,” he sighed as he stood to sit next to her on the bed, bringing her into his embrace. “So what are we going to do? I’m investigating the brake line and that intruder mess at the Spencer place, but he had declined to file an official report, although he did let us look at the office, it had already been cleaned. The brake line looks like it was partially cut and torn the last bit, probably by the rough ride in the field. We found fluid at Spencer’s but no real amounts until the main road, where you would have braked.”

  “So you can’t prove anything.”

  “Not yet. We are working on it, I promise. Can’t you see how it makes me want to swaddle you in cotton and lock up the whole place? I have even considered sending you to Da and Mom’s until things get figured out.”

  “I don’t want to quit Martin. He deserves for someone to find out what is happening. I don’t think anyone else will care enough to do that for him.”

  “I know. So let’s work on this together, deal?”

  “I’d love that if you still let me do what I do best.”

  “Sure, if you let me do what I do best.”

  “Deal.” She paused a moment. “I love you. I’m sorry I was so stubborn.”

  He kissed her hard. “I know. But I have tried and true methods to deal with stubbornness.” He stood up. “All right, I really have to get going, or I’ll be late.”

  Shortly after Cheyenne saw Quinlan off to work, Kelli showed up. Cheyenne exclaimed, “I think Quinn and I have a better understanding, and he’s going to let me work so long as I keep to his guidelines. As much as I want to do that, it’s as if United Nations sanctions are in place. I just need to drive into town.”

  “You know that as long as things are going on that can’t be explained we, mostly you, are going to be living under martial law, right?”

  “I know, but I’m a grown woman. I don’t need these types of restrictions in place, and I feel bad because it is my fault everyone else is under house arrest as well.”

  “Nah, we had to do it for Katie and for the Bhaile Haven, and then when someone tried to walk off with Bailey. You just haven’t had to live it until now.”

  “I remember hearing about that. She was more than they bargained for, wasn’t she?”

  “And how. Kicking, screaming, biting, I bet they were glad to drop that little baggage on the ground and run. She was gone all of ten minutes.”

  “But Liam was fuming, and when he called to say everything was okay, I thought he was going to cry he was so relieved,” recalled Cheyenne.

  “Yep and I don’t believe they let those kids go anywhere for about a month without escort. He carried Bailey and Hunter with him everywhere and Padraig never left the house the whole time. Cheyenne, these men take their women and families so seriously that if anything truly happened to any one of them, they would stop the world on its axis if it would help put their own world back in orbit.”

  “I know,” she sighed, “but I really need some unrestricted airspace.”

  “Tell you what. If you are willing to risk a blistered butt, we can slip out in my car and go into town. You can fill in the blanks and let me in on the real scoop. Neither Chase nor Parker is telling me anything. Anytime they start talking, Chase closes the door. At home, if Parker gets a phone call, he goes outside. I’ve already had a run-in with him over this.”

  “Just one? Well, I want you to tell me all about it, and I’ll fill you in on as much as I can. I’ve already gotten my butt smacked every day since this all began and one more day won’t make much of a difference. Do you know that Quinlan has my car keys? Both sets.”

  “So that must mean you got your car back. That is good news anyway.”

  “Yes, it’s back but not fixed and no one wants to do that until they have figured everything out. I said I was going to get it fixed today no matter what anyone said. Yeah, that wasn’t a pleasant scene.”

  Kelli looked over at Cheyenne for a moment. “But you are still going to do it, aren’t’ you.”

  Cheyenne looked surprised. “Of course, they pick it up tomorrow afternoon at four.” She had a grin on her face.

  “He really doesn’t intimidate you, does he?”

  “Who, Quinn? No, he loves me. He would never hurt me. Well, you know, maim me.”

  “Yeah, well he loves me too, but he can do a number on my psyche if he’s on the opposite side of an issue than I am.”

  “Yeah, but he loves you like a sister. I have more power.”

  “Yes, you do. Why do you let him spank you, anyway?” Kelli whispered the question.

  “Mmm, many reasons but one of the most important one is that I agreed to it before we were engaged. And because I like it sometimes.” Seeing Kelli’s face, she quickly added, “Not the punishment ones, those hurt, but the erotic ones, the fun ones, oh yeah. And honestly, there are many more of those than the ugly type.” Cheyenne smiled. “But you do it too. You just said so.”

  “Oh, Lord, TMI. Sister here, remember? As for me? Parker is a lightweight next to an O’Connor arm.” They both laughed.

  “Sorry, but you asked and as for the arm, I bet he’s just getting his stride. I’d wait if I were you.”

  “Okay, enough about our men’s swinging arms. Can we leave now? Where do you want to go?”

  “Well, since he just left, Liam and Ciarán will think that I’m still at home, and if I forward the house phone to my cell, then we should be golden until they physically check on me. That should be after they put the little ones to bed, about 7:30 or 8:00. So if I can be home by seven, then we won’t have a problem.”

/>   “Sneaky. Now why are they checking on you?”

  “You know, to make sure I’m not escaping. No, they’re checking on me to make sure I’m okay. Quinn said that it looks like someone tampered with my car, but they can’t tell where and can’t be definitive. However, it was discovered that I lost my brake fluid on the road home from Spencer’s ranch.”

  “Wow. You’ll have to tell me everything. Let’s go now because that only gives us about three hours and I think it is going to take that long for you to fill me in and for us to get a game plan of our own.”

  “Yes, finally there’s someone who is talking my language. Let me forward the phone and grab my bag.”

  On the way into town, Cheyenne filled Kelli in on all the happenings thus far. “Those lending repayments from Spencer’s micro-investing co-op, Helping Hands, went into one bank account and then after each month’s repayment was made into the account, it is usually divided equally between investors. In rare cases, they didn’t all contribute the same amount. In that case, it went according to how much one invested.”

  Cheyenne paused to see if she had lost her sister-in-law in the explanation, but Kelli did not present with glazed over eyes so she continued. “The investment percentage of the monthly repayment due Spencer, came back to him in his own business account, which included a low fixed interest return on his money. Still with me?” She looked at Kelli who nodded her head.

  “So, this partnership group loans money to a person for business, then when he makes a payment it goes into one account which is then distributed to the investors. Everyone gets their equal share back with interest every month with a few exceptions.

  “That’s it. So now I have to figure out each amount Spencer should get on each contract.”

  She quickly realized as she explained the concept, that she would need to go back over the provisions of each contract open and those closed in the last three years to decide whether Martin was getting the amount of repayment he was supposed to get. The numbers began to go squirrely two years after Mrs. Spencer’s death. She needed to see if he had very many defaulted business owners.

  “That’s why my little plan to personally join this business so I can see firsthand what is happening, is such a risky investment.” She checked her phone for messages, still a bit paranoid, no matter her bravado.