Quinn's Honor
Page 2
Without another word, the leader shot into the crowd, then screamed as a bullet from Jack’s gun ripped through his neck. An instant later, the other outlaw hit the ground, his body riddled with bullets.
No one spoke as Brodie and his deputies moved forward, checking both bodies, then holstering their guns. Quinn turned to his cousins, letting out a shaky breath.
“Appears they’re dead, lads.” He glanced at Big Jim, whose drawn face grew pale as a hand came up to grip his chest. Quinn saw the blood seconds before Big Jim’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground. A loud scream burst through the room.
“Papa!” Emma rushed forward, dropping next to her father. She lifted his head and placed it in her lap. “Papa, Mama and I are here.” She looked up, her gaze locking on Quinn, her face streaked with tears. “Papa, please… Don’t leave us.”
Chapter One
MacLaren’s Circle M Ranch
Two months later…
“I thought we’d never see you happy again, lad.” Colin tipped the glass of punch toward Brodie, then took the flask Quinn offered, adding some much needed whiskey. They stood in the living room of the largest MacLaren ranch house, which had been built to hold every member of the family for large Sunday suppers and special occasions. Today, they came together to celebrate the marriage of Brodie and Maggie. “I know you thought you’d done what was honorable in letting her go, but it’s obvious neither you nor Maggie would’ve ever been happy without the other.”
“My decision to send her away seemed right at the time. It didn’t take long to realize I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.” Brodie watched his new bride as she talked to one set of relatives after another. The glow on her face made his chest constrict in love and pride. He’d never imagined this day when he arrested her for murder a few months earlier. Brodie leveled a serious look at Blaine and Quinn. “Now it’s time you two eejits found good women and settled down.”
Quinn grimaced. “Ach, marriage is fine for you and Colin. It isn’t what I’m looking for—not for a good long while.”
“Aye. I’ve no interest in any lass leading me around.” Blaine’s back straightened at the appearance of two women he didn’t think would make it to the wedding.
“Sorry, lads. I agree with Brodie. It might do you two good to find a decent woman.” Spotting Sarah, Colin set down his empty glass. “I’m off to spend time with my wife.”
“I will say, if I thought she’d be interested, I’d stake a claim on Emma Pearce,” Blaine said. “She is one bonny lass.”
Quinn choked on his drink as his gaze moved around the room, landing on Emma and her mother.
“You all right, lad?” Brodie slapped him on the back, chuckling at the evil look from Quinn. “It’s time I joined my bride.” He took a step away, then turned back to Blaine, lifting a brow. “I hear the Pearce women have taken on quite a bit with Big Jim still laid up. They may welcome an offer to help…in case you want to claim her, lad.” Brodie chuckled at the way Blaine’s jaw dropped at the suggestion.
Blaine watched him walk away, considering his words. “Perhaps I should talk to Mrs. Pearce, find out—”
“If any of us helps, it will be me.” Quinn didn’t know where the words came from or why he said them out loud.
“You?” Blaine’s eyes widened as he took a good look at his cousin, seeing something more than the disinterest he expected. “Are you interested in the lass, too?”
“Nae. As I said, I’ve no interest in settling down. My thoughts are on Big Jim and Gertie. They’ve been good to us since your da and mine were murdered. It’s time to find out what we can do for them.”
Blaine studied Quinn’s face, noticing a spark in his eyes he’d never seen before. They’d never fought over a woman, and Blaine had no intention of Emma being the first. If his cousin had an interest in her, he’d step aside. No lass was worth causing trouble with family.
“If you do this, lad, be careful. Emma’s a special lass. It wouldn’t do to dally with her, then move on.”
Quinn took a menacing step forward, his nostrils flaring. “I have no intention of dallying with her,” he ground out.
Blaine held up his hands, palms out. “I want no trouble over this.”
Quinn took a step away. Lifting a hand, he waved off Blaine’s comments. “Ach, you’re right. They’re almost family. I have no interest in the lass.” She’d never have me anyway, he thought as he watched Sam Covington walk up to Emma and her mother. She leaned toward him, commenting on something he’d said, causing Brodie’s deputy to rear his head back with a roar of laughter. An unaccustomed flash of jealousy ripped through Quinn, then disappeared in an instant.
Blaine clasped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you talk to Mrs. Pearce? She might be more open than Emma to an offer of help.”
Quinn nodded. “Aye. She can be one stubborn lassie.”
Sam listened to Emma explaining the challenges of running the ranch with her father still bedridden. Finding her open, sincere, and quite engaging, he wondered at how no one seemed to be courting her. If he could get his thoughts off one particular MacLaren woman, he might be tempted. Unfortunately, his interest lay with someone he couldn’t have and shouldn’t even be thinking about.
“Brodie tells me your ranch is north of theirs.”
“Yes, it is, Mr. Covington. The MacLarens recently bought a large section of land from Juan Estrada, which is north and to the east of us.” Her gaze drifted past Sam to Quinn, who stood next to Blaine, staring right at her. Lifting his arm, he touched a finger to his brow in a silent salute. She couldn’t stop her lips from curving into a smile.
“Seems you’re surrounded by MacLarens on three sides.”
When she didn’t respond, Gertie nudged her arm. “Emma, Mr. Covington was speaking to you.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just, um…thinking about something. What did you say?”
“Only that your property is surrounded by Circle M Ranch.”
Sam turned at the sound of a distinctive laugh, knowing who he’d see. Bracing himself for the reaction he suspected, his body tensed when he saw Jinny MacLaren, her face animated as she spoke to Nate Hollis. He shouldn’t care. Shouldn’t wish it were him standing next to her instead of his fellow deputy. Forcing his attention back to Emma, he schooled his features, offering a polite smile.
“It is. In fact, I heard the family is trying to talk Brodie into coming back to take a more active role as the ranch expands. Would you then become sheriff, Mr. Covington?”
He froze. Brodie had never mentioned the possibility of returning to the ranch, and Sam had absolutely no desire to become the sheriff. The deal he’d made with Brodie was for six months, and the time was almost up. After he fulfilled his obligation, he’d be on the first steamboat to Sacramento, then on a train east. Nothing and no one could change his mind. Then he heard Jinny laugh again.
“I think you’d make a wonderful sheriff.” Gertie nodded as she spoke.
“Thank you, Mrs. Pearce, but I haven’t spoken to the sheriff about him leaving.”
“Hello, Deputy Covington.” Sam’s breath hitched at the sound of Jinny’s voice. Shifting, he made a slight bow.
“Miss MacLaren. I trust you are doing well.”
“Yes, I am.” Looking around him, she smiled at her good friend. “Hello, Emma, Mrs. Pearce. It’s so good to see you. How’s Big Jim doing?”
Sam stood next to Jinny long enough to enjoy the soft scent of lavender, listening to her enthusiastic tone as she talked with Emma. The longer he stood there, the more mesmerized he became.
“Hello, Sam.”
Quinn’s greeting shook him out of the trance, a state he often found himself in when around Jinny. Welcoming the chance to move away from her, he turned, extending his hand.
“Quite a wedding the MacLaren women put on for Brodie and Maggie.”
“They do know how to plan a shindig.” Quinn glanced over Sam’s shoulder at Emma, who refused to meet his gaze.
Biting back a smile, he saw her eyes narrow, lips pursed as she worked to keep from moving her attention to him. Quinn had known for years she had feelings for him, although she’d never spoken of them. Instead, she pushed him away, kept a wall between them that hadn’t existed when they were younger. He prayed she’d never seen the same desire in his eyes. Keeping his distance kept him from admitting how he felt, something he could never risk doing. What he could do was offer his help.
“Excuse me, Sam. I need to speak with Mrs. Pearce.”
“It’s time I head back into town and relieve Jack anyway. I appreciate being included in the party.”
“You’re always welcome, Sam.”
Emma shifted on her feet, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach as Quinn turned from Sam and stepped next to her mother. Without acknowledging her, he leaned down, whispering something in her mother’s ear. Nodding, Gertie touched Emma’s arm.
“I need to speak with Quinn for a spell.”
“I’ll come with you, Mama.” She hoped her stringent tone worked.
“No need, Emma. Stay here and visit with Jinny. You’ve had so little time together since your father was shot.”
Crossing her arms, Emma sent Quinn a venomous glare, the message clear. She knew he had purposely excluded her from the discussion. Sending her a bland stare, he feigned innocence, taking Gertie by the arm and escorting her outside.
“Now, Quinn MacLaren, tell me why I have upset my daughter by coming out here with you.”
“I’m certain Big Jim would welcome the additional help, Quinn. We’ve been trying to find a foreman to replace the one who left a few months ago. I never thought it would take this long. Poor Emma has done her best to fill in, but she’s young and doesn’t yet have the respect of the men.”
Even though he disagreed, he understood how the men felt. Few men were cut out to be a foreman, let alone a young woman of nineteen. No matter her experience, she would have a harder time being accepted as a boss.
“She’ll disagree, but there’s a lot Emma doesn’t know. Maybe if Jimmy hadn’t died…” Gertie’s face took on a pained look as her voice trailed off. He knew she and Big Jim still felt the acute loss of their only son.
Quinn’s throat tightened as he tried to swallow the loss he still felt at the death of his friend. Jimmy would’ve been twenty-three, the same as Quinn, if he hadn’t died in a freak accident while searching for strays. His death had never made sense to anyone. Smart and cautious, Jimmy didn’t take chances and could outride almost anyone. The only explanation providing any measure of peace was his horse had been spooked by a cougar or snake. Still…
“It won’t be easy for Emma to accept you on the ranch.” Gertie tapped a finger against her lips, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Of course, I could tell her you’ve agreed to be our foreman until Big Jim recovers.”
“I don’t want your money. I just want to help for a short time.” He didn’t know how much time he could spend away from Circle M. With Brodie in town, his family couldn’t take on all the work Quinn did.
“If you help, you’ll get paid.”
“But—”
“Not another word on it, Quinn, or we’ll walk back inside and pretend we’ve never had this conversation.”
Crossing his arms, he stared down at the woman who was older than his mother and stood close to a foot shorter than him. He’d never underestimate her, though. Gertie Pearce had more grit than most men he knew.
“I’ll have to get my uncles’ approval.”
“You leave Ewan and Ian to me.”
Quinn chuckled at the image of her cajoling his tall, broad-shouldered uncles into letting him leave Circle M to help out. “I’d like to hear that conversation.” Quinn supposed he could give his wages to his uncles, allowing them to hire another ranch hand, something they’d been talking about.
Gertie didn’t respond. Instead, she poked a finger at his chest. “It will be your job to figure out a way to work with Emma.”
“It won’t be easy.”
Gertie’s eyes flickered, a smile curving up the corners of her mouth. “Nothing worthwhile ever is.”
“Are you all right, Emma?” Jinny watched her friend’s face twist into a frown, wishing she knew the cause. “Did Quinn say something to upset you?”
Emma huffed out an exasperated breath. “Of course not. Your cousin couldn’t possibly say anything to anger me. He never says anything to me at all.”
Jinny sighed, understanding Emma’s frustration. “Come on. Let’s get some food. I want to hear all about Big Jim and how you’re doing.” Jinny took her elbow, parting groups of relatives and friends as they made their way across the room.
As they approached the table, she spotted Sam talking with Caleb and Blaine several feet away. A hint of irritation, along with a rush of excitement, passed through her when he lifted his gaze, nodding to her. Instead of responding, she turned away, hoping the heating of her face didn’t show. Jinny knew she had to find a way to stop her heart from skipping a beat each time she saw the man.
Emma leaned toward her, lowering her voice. “I think Sam might have an interest in you.”
Jinny scoffed. “He’s being polite. Brodie is his boss and I’m Brodie’s sister. Of course he’s going to be courteous to me.”
Passing Jinny a plate, Emma shook her head. “It’s more than that. He watches you when he thinks you aren’t looking.”
Placing a spoonful of vegetables and slices of meat on her plate, Jinny turned her face away from Sam. “Emma, think about what you’re saying. A man like him would never find me appealing as anything other than a casual friend.” Leaving the table, they found seats along one wall of the living room, as far away from Sam as Jinny could get. “Besides, I overheard Brodie and Colin talking about him. Sam only plans to stay in Conviction a short time, returning home this spring. I don’t know the details, but he’s paying back a debt to Brodie by being a deputy. When the commitment is over, he’ll leave.
“Now, enough about him. I want to hear about you…and Quinn.”
“Quinn?” Emma laughed. “As I said, the man barely speaks to me. We see each other at church, special occasions, and once in a while in town when I ride in for supplies. Anyway, I have no interest in him.”
Jinny studied her friend, seeing the lie on her face. “You aren’t fooling me. I’ve known you too long.” She scooped up some vegetables, chewing slowly, her gaze moving toward Sam, then shifting away when she saw him watching.
“He’s your cousin. You know what people say about the way he spends his Saturday nights. Do you really want me to have an interest in him?”
Jinny bit her lip, the mischief gone from her face. “I suppose not. He does have a wild side.”
“I doubt he’ll ever consider settling down, and why should he? He, Colin, and Blaine practically run your ranch. Quinn has his pick of women, and no responsibilities beyond his work.”
“You make my cousin sound like a worthless reprobate.” Jinny knew she sounded surly, but he was family.
“You know that isn’t what I mean,” Emma breathed out. “It’s just, well…he isn’t someone who occupies my thoughts. I’m fortunate I don’t have to see him every day the way you do.” Taking a bite of still warm bread, she settled back into her chair. She wouldn’t go as far as to express her thoughts on how arrogant and pigheaded Quinn could be. As Jinny knew all too well, those were traits owned by more than one of the MacLaren men.
“Look who’s coming back inside.” Jinny nodded toward the entry.
Quinn had Gertie’s arm through his as they cut a path toward the two young women. His expression seemed wary, while Gertie wore a smile, something she hadn’t done often since Big Jim had been shot.
“Your talk must have gone well, Mama.” Emma didn’t look at Quinn. Standing, she touched her mother’s arm. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you some food.”
“Oh, I’m not hungry right now. I have the most wonderful news.”
“All right. Tell me what it is, Mama.”
“We’ve found ourselves a new foreman.”
No, no, no, Emma’s mind screamed, suspecting where this was going, wanting nothing more than to run from the room. She shot a quick look at Quinn before turning her attention back to her mother.
“Who?”
She nodded behind her. “Quinn MacLaren.”
Chapter Two
“Certain, are you, about working at the Pearce ranch?” Quinn’s uncle, Ewan, Brodie’s father, continued to saddle his horse, sparing his nephew a slight glance.
“Aye, I am. Big Jim spent a lot of time with us after Da and Uncle Angus were murdered. He even brought over a few of his men to help with branding. Mrs. Pearce spent days with Ma and Aunt Kyla, helping with cooking, laundry, watching the wee ones. We owe them.”
“Aye, and that’s the only reason your Uncle Ian and I are letting you go. Colin and Blaine also believe it’s right of us to help them until Big Jim is fit to start working again.” Ewan shook his head, chuckling as he led his horse out of the barn. “With you there, Gertie’s hoping he might follow Doc Vickery’s instructions and stay in bed longer.”
Following Ewan outside, Quinn shot a look at Colin, Blaine, and Caleb, who stood by their horses, waiting to hear the decision. “Then I’ll leave this afternoon.”
“And the Pearce lass? Have you thought of how you’ll work with her?”
Ewan’s question didn’t surprise him. Anyone who knew Emma understood her desire to take over the Pearce ranch one day.
“It won’t be easy. She’s a stubborn lass.”
Ewan laughed. “That she is, lad.” Sobering, he turned a serious gaze on his nephew. “You have a big job ahead of you. Stepping in for a short time won’t be easy. You must earn the respect of the men, which I doubt will be a problem. Earning Emma’s may take more time.” Swinging up onto his horse, Ewan rested his hands on the saddle horn, taking one more look at Quinn. “I’ll not hear of you disrespecting her. Do you understand me?”