She nodded, and he helped her place her good foot in the stirrup.
Once she was settled, he swung up behind her. No woman had been so perfect in his arms other than Kari. Now he held Belle as the horse slowly plodded its way to the ranch house, and he wanted to hold her closer.
Soon she would know the whole truth and there would be no chance of a relationship between them. He would have to tell her everything before long.
By the end of summer, he would be in South America, and she would hate him.
* * *
“Izabella, wake up.” A deep male voice was too close. Blood rushing through her veins, she sat up. Blinking, she felt her thoughts tumble in her brain. Why was she asleep in a car?
Quinn. He had carried her. A groan escaped.
Not many men could make her feel petite and feminine, but he had. Seriously, how did he do this to her?
At least it was just a sprain. She would be back to work in the morning. The doctor had given her some painkillers that knocked her out. Those were a no go. They wouldn’t be crossing her lips again.
“How are you feeling?”
“The kids?” Her brain was so foggy.
“They’re in town with Selena and Xavier. Elijah has the ranch covered.”
She managed to nod. “The receipts. Give them to me.” She reached for her purse. “I’ll pay you back.”
“It wasn’t that much.” He shrugged.
“I don’t need charity. I’ve always paid my own way.”
He mumbled something about stubborn people, then nodded as if he agreed. Eyes narrowed, she glared at him with suspicion. “Give me the receipts. All of them.”
He ignored her and slipped out of his Land Rover. Then he reappeared at her side.
She would have insisted he hand them over right now, but she was tired, and her body ached. He unbuckled her and lifted her into his arms.
This again? His breath caressed her ear. Why was he carrying her this time? She weighed too much. She closed her eyes and melted in his arms. It wasn’t fair that he was the one that made her feel safe. It must be the meds. Before she could protest, he had her on the sofa.
Nestling into the soft blankets and pillows, she rested her eyes. Those receipts would be hers soon.
Petting the sofa, she sighed. “I love you.”
“What?”
“I was talking to my sofa. Quinn, you must stop carrying me around. I’m too heavy. Why...?” She tried to finish the thought, but her brain wasn’t working. This was why she never took meds. She hated any type of weakness.
Her eyes closed again. Jerkily, she forced them open. There was no time for sleep.
Quinn. Twisting, she looked up and saw that he was sorting the meds the doctor had given her. He couldn’t be real. And that jaw, she wanted to trace it, with her lips. Her eyes went to the little bones at the base of his neck. She didn’t even know what they were called, but man, his were amazing.
How did he have her thinking about bringing a man into her life? With him, maybe...maybe she could... She sat up. Then grabbed her head.
Oh. That was too fast. Resting her head on the sofa, she looked at the ceiling for a while before closing her eyes.
Quinn might be nice and helpful now, but he wouldn’t stay that way.
Showing weakness, even to her brother and cousins, put everything she had worked for in jeopardy. Arms braced on the edge of the sofa cushion, she pushed up, but then pain shot up her leg.
Strong hands held her shoulders. Quinn gently eased her deeper into her little nest.
“Do you need something? You know, it’s okay to ask for help.” He pointed to her Bible on the coffee table. “Even Jesus asked His disciples for help.”
She laughed. “Yeah. They also disappointed Him. They argued about His purpose. They fell asleep. They denied Him in His moment of greatest need.”
“Wow. Okay.”
She didn’t want to debate scripture. Her brain was too muddled. Eyes closed, she fell into the mound of pillows. “No more painkillers.”
“Izabella.” The rough whisper tickled her skin as his hand brushed her hair. “You need to let others take care of you occasionally. You can’t do it all by yourself all the time.”
She just needed one more minute; then she’d get up. “Quinn, thank you for your help, but I’ve got it.”
He chuckled. “I know you do.”
“I’m fine.”
Leaning back, he smiled. Not the big, flashy trust-me smile, but one that said he understood. Her heart flipped. No, no, no. “You take care of everyone. Who takes care of you?”
Moving forward, he was inches from her face. She could see the ocean in his eyes as they searched her. “You’re strong, but you need someone who takes care of you.” His eyes dropped to her mouth.
She held her breath. She might have even moved closer to him. She was going to kiss him.
Frozen, they hung in midair. She closed the space and, just as their lips touched, the back door slammed, and they jumped apart. “Mom!”
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. What was wrong with her? Brain fog. The meds.
She took a deep breath and cleared her head of negative words. No one was going to make her feel less than ever again. Not even herself.
“Belle, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He stood. Moved away from her.
Good. Distance was what she needed. Lots of it. Trusting him was too risky, but apparently, she couldn’t trust herself, either.
Once the meds were out of her system she would be back in the saddle and in charge.
She’d help him with Jonah’s birthday party, then cut all ties to Quinn Sinclair.
Chapter Seven
“Daddy. Hannah has my tiara!” Meg screeched from behind him. His three children were in the second row. Belle’s girls were in the last bench seat. He’d been given kid duty when Belle and Gina had left earlier to set up Jonah’s party on the pirate ship.
It had been a crazy couple of days. The problem with the missing cattle on the ranch had her busier than usual, and he’d been buried in research and data, trying to determine their options before approaching the De La Rosas.
“I traded her my eyepatch.” Hannah clung to the tiara as her sister reached across Jonah to take it off her head.
“Did not. You gave me the eyepatch.”
“Stop. No fighting on my birthday.” Jonah covered his ears. “No fighting.”
“Meg, get into your seat and tighten your seat belt.” Quinn gave them his best dad voice. “We don’t have time for bickering. Hannah, you wanted to be a pirate for Jonah’s birthday. So, wear your eyepatch and be happy.”
After giving up her crown, Hannah huffed and crossed her arms. “But I want to be a princess pirate. Why can’t I be both?”
“You can be,” Cassie added from the back.
“Not without a crown.” Meg slipped the tiara on and fixed her hair.
“You picked the pirate costume. It’s Jonah’s birthday, and we get to be on a pirate ship. There will be a treasure. Forget the costumes and enjoy the adventure. Your mother always said that joy and jealousy could not coexist inside you,” Quinn said.
“I’m not jealous!” Hannah pouted.
“What does that mean?” Lucy and Cassie asked at the same time.
Quinn frowned. He hadn’t thought ahead as to how to explain something Kari had said all the time. “Jealousy. You want something someone else has, and they don’t want to give it up. Hannah is upset and in a bad mood because she wants what her sister has. Which happens to us all. It’s normal. But if you stay upset, you won’t have any fun at the party. That’s where the ‘no joy’ comes in. If you stay focused on what you don’t have, then you miss out on the fun everyone else is having sailing on a pirate ship. Worse, because of your bad mood, no one else can have fun, either. Do you want joy or bi
tterness?”
Hannah nodded. “I’m sorry, Meg. And Jonah. I want everyone to have fun today.”
Cassie leaned forward, hand on the seat in front of her. “Mr. Sinclair, can we call Rosie? She has tons of princess stuff, along with fishing and cowboy gear. Maybe Hannah can borrow one from her. She’ll be at the party.”
All five pairs of eyes looked at him in the rearview mirror.
Jonah lifted his new boots in the air. “I’m a cowboy pirate. Hannah can be a pirate princess. Can I have a cowboy hat?”
Quinn passed his phone to Hannah. “Sounds like a plan. But if she says no, we are all good with that, too. Be nice.”
“Yes, sir.” They all smiled. He savored the moment. Most of the time, he doubted his parenting skills. Kari had always seemed to know the right answer, and as the girls got older, he knew they would miss her even more. For now, he was going to enjoy the win of watching his children work together instead of fight.
The dock came into view, and he sat lighter in his seat. Belle would be here. She and Gina had left earlier to gather the last-minute party supplies, pick up the cake and set up.
He’d missed her. Her ex had to be a raging idiot. How could a man walk away from her and those two girls?
He’d give anything to have his wife back; not just for himself, but for their children. Kari had made an impact on the world.
Belle was strong, compassionate, and gave to other people without thought to herself. Really, how did a man have that kind of woman as a partner and mother to his children and leave? Worse, leave her with scars? That wasn’t love. Did she understand that? The urge to find the guy and knock sense into him burned at his gut.
But Belle wasn’t his to protect. As much as he admired her and... He sighed and switched gears on that thought. He couldn’t go there.
There shouldn’t be any thought of her in his head. He’d almost kissed her.
He hadn’t kissed another woman since the day he’d met Kari in the library. That was supposed to be his last first kiss. She had been his forever girl, so how could he even be thinking of Belle this way?
He needed to stay focused on the mission of their foundation. And there it was—another reason that becoming emotionally entangled with Belle was a bad idea.
It was time to tell her why he was in Port Del Mar. He’d gathered enough information and was ready to move forward. She wasn’t going to like it, but he had to be up-front with her. She had people looking at the place. He couldn’t avoid the conversation any longer.
“She said she already has several, so I can pick one.” Hannah handed him his phone.
How had he missed the whole conversation? Belle was not good for him or his focus. The excitement in the car was tangible.
“We’re here,” Cassie announced, and they all cheered as he maneuvered into a parking spot close to the pier. At the end of the dock was a ship with a tall mast.
The kids climbed out one by one.
Jonah stood still. “Is this really for me?” He looked at Quinn.
An unexpected knot had formed in Quinn’s throat. “Yeah, buddy.” He had to grit his teeth to control the burn in his eyes. He should have been prepared. With a hard swallow, he nodded and rubbed his son’s hair. “This is a special day. It’s the day you joined our family, and we want to celebrate big. What better way than a pirate ship?”
Gina had been right. He had to make a shift in his mind. This could no longer be the day they lost Kari. Jonah deserved for it to be the day they gained him. Kari would want that. He had all the other days to grieve her. Their anniversary, her birthday. “It’s your day, Jonah.”
Meg hugged him. “Mama loved going out on boats. She would think this was the coolest.”
His eyes stung. “Yes, she did.”
Cassie took Jonah’s hand. “This is going to be so much fun! I’ll show y’all around.”
All five rushed ahead. Quinn followed. Cassie was so much like her mom. Taking care of others and making sure everyone was included.
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Hey, Quinn. I haven’t had a chance to thank you for getting my stubborn sister to the clinic.”
“Not a problem. Glad I could help. And you’ve done more for my family by providing the ship for Jonah’s birthday party. We’ve never done anything this big. It’s going to set high expectations.”
“Belle told me how hard the day is for you, but your little man is going to have a good time, I promise. Carlos and the crew always put on the best show.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. We’ve always been on the move with my job, and the kids haven’t spent more than a year in the same town. This means a great deal.”
“Childhood memories shape us as adults.” Elijah wasn’t looking at him, but at the faux pirate boat swaying in the water. “Jazz says I bought this ship as a redo of my own childhood. She’s probably right. She usually is.”
Up ahead, Belle was helping the kids board the ship. She waved at them. Elijah stopped. “Speaking of not-so-stellar childhoods, Belle was on the same ride as me. Our uncle, well...he didn’t provide the most supportive home environment. Saying my sister’s life has not been easy would be an understatement. Our mother was worse but then dumped us. We don’t even know who our fathers are. Then there was her husband.” His jaw flexed. “She protected him longer than he deserved. Strength is at her very core, but don’t make the mistake of thinking she won’t break.”
“I’m not sure where you’re going with this, but there’s nothing between your sister and me. We’re two single parents helping each other out.”
Elijah raised both eyebrows. Quinn looked to the water. What had the other man seen that would make him doubt that statement? “I have a great deal of respect for your sister, but she’s made it clear she’s not interested. I’m in town long enough to get my job done. Then I’m moving on. I—” Why was he even defending himself? “Don’t worry about your sister. She can take care of herself.”
“I won’t ever stop worrying about her. So, how long will you be in town?”
“Somewhere between three to six months.”
“She knows you’re leaving?”
“Yes. We haven’t discussed the details, but like I said, there’s nothing between us. No need for us to talk about it.”
Another skeptical look, then Elijah turned and followed the kids. “Then come along, matey, and let’s get this adventure underway.”
A slight breeze touched his face. Tilting his head to the sky, Quinn watched as the clouds moved and re-formed. How long was he going to keep moving the kids from town to town? The girls had already started talking about the friends in Port Del Mar they didn’t want to leave.
He remembered his fifth birthday, and he wanted his son to have good memories. Memories they could use to build a new future.
Was that the reason kissing Belle and spending more time with her was in his head? It was time to move on with life?
Denial roared. He wasn’t ready to let go of Kari. He would always be her husband. He didn’t want another woman in his thoughts, in his kids’ lives. Not that it mattered. Once he told Belle the truth, there was no future for them.
No matter how it played out, for one of them to get their way, the other was going to have to lose. A relationship would never survive that kind of conflict.
A new stuffed horse, Buck II, tucked under his arm, Quinn followed Elijah to the boat. It had taken a while for him to track one down, but it was the last gift Kari had given Jonah, and he wasn’t ready to leave her behind.
* * *
Belle held the last cupcake. Should she? Should she not?
“Come on,” she whispered to the sweet treat. “All the kids are gone and there’s one Jolly Roger left alone. Abandoned. It’s clear that you were meant for me, right?” She hadn’t had any sweets all day and it was all about moder
ation. And if she didn’t eat it, it would go to waste.
A hand landed on her shoulder and she gave a sharp scream. The cleanup crew stopped and looked at her. Heat rushed into her neck and face. She had been caught deep in conversation with a jelly-filled cupcake.
Quinn’s hearty laughter didn’t ease her embarrassment. He held his hands up, palms out, as if to prove he was harmless. “Belle, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
But would he judge her? Let her know that she was way past the age of eating birthday cake? She closed her eyes. Frank’s and Jared’s opinions didn’t matter. Even if it meant the cake would go straight to her hips.
Lowering the cupcake, she grinned at her own ridiculousness. It didn’t matter what he thought about her eating habits or her hips, either. “You didn’t scare me.” She shrugged. “It was just a guilty conscience.”
“Guilty? You don’t have anything to feel guilty about. I’m in your debt.” He placed his hand over his heart and bowed. “This was so much better than anything I could’ve come up with. Than anything that we’ve ever done before. And you’re still here cleaning up. I can’t believe Jazmine and Selena volunteered to take all the kids to the ranch.” He lifted his box of party leftovers. “It might not be the right thing to say, but cleaning up is so much easier without the kids’ help.”
“You are so right. Jazz and Selena are awesome like that. Selena would have twelve kids if she could.” She glanced at the little dessert with longing. She had vowed never to allow a man to make her feel bad about herself, and yet here she was, self-conscious about eating a cupcake in front of him. He probably wouldn’t even notice.
She lifted the tiny cake and pulled at the paper lining. “I can’t take all the credit. I mean, my brother does own the pirate ship. He makes it pretty easy to have spectacular birthday parties.”
Quinn pointed to the red-and-black cupcake. “Are you gonna eat that or talk to it?”
Why was she holding herself back just because he was here? “We were having a meaningful conversation.”
He leaned against the mast and crossed his arms over his chest. “Really? So, what kind of philosophical conversations does one have with a miniature pirate cake?”
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