Tara’s phone went off and she stepped away. Nate greeted everyone, then took his leave. Quinn’s chest expanded as he sucked in a long, slow breath. His attention was riveted to the horizon over the hood of her old work truck. Finally, he swung back to her. “Belle, we need to talk.”
“No.” Using her truck for support, she hid behind closed eyes. There was no way she could talk to him as if they were friends.
“Can we go get something to drink at the Painted Dolphin?” he asked. “I shared some information with Elijah and realized I haven’t done a good job of talking to you. I don’t want to give you any false hope, but maybe we can work together and find an alternate plan that works for both of us.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“What I gave them tonight might not get approved. There are members who would rather run me out of town than listen to me. Your mother could undercut you, too. We’d both lose.” He ran his fingers through his already rumpled hair. “What if we worked together? How could we get you what you need while saving the coastline? As a side benefit, we could cut your mother off from having access to the land.”
Xavier crossed his arms. “Is this for real? You’re not just messing with her?”
Quinn kept his gaze on Belle. “I promise I’m doing my best to help us both. Let’s all go to the restaurant and talk.”
Before she could respond, Tara joined them. “Andy said he has some basic information about land trust and is emailing it to you. He’s going to dig a little further, and you should have all the information by the end of the week. Is there anything else you need from me?”
“No. Thank you for looking into it.”
With a nod, Tara slipped her phone into her bag. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned to Belle and her family. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I’m sure this will work out. Quinn’s the best at finding solutions for difficult situations.”
The thumping of Belle’s heart rushed to her ears. He was looking for a solution to their situation? Hope was a very dangerous thing.
She waited, watching his every move as he spoke with Tara and then pulled out his phone.
Quinn was scrolling over the screen. Her jaw hurt from biting down. Was he torturing her on purpose?
“Quinn?” She glanced at Xavier. “What’s going on?”
Xavier shrugged. Selena shook her head. She didn’t know, either.
After what seemed like hours, Quinn looked up at her. The tentative smile wasn’t very reassuring. “I have a proposal for you. Where’s Elijah? It would be better if we could all go over this together.”
Xavier moved closer to her and his shoulder touched hers. “He’s at the Painted Dolphin.” He lowered his head and gave her a look that asked for her opinion.
Patting his arm, she nodded. “That works for me.” At this point, she didn’t want to meet with Quinn alone. Her emotions were unstable, and the last thing she wanted was to break down in front of him. Really, she wanted to run. The betrayal was too fresh.
Was there something wrong with her that she developed feelings only for men who would hurt her?
This wasn’t about her heart. They were talking solutions. Not that they would be ones that worked for her. But they were talking. Avoiding hard facts had never helped in the past.
Like every other obstacle in her life, it only got worse until she decided to charge at it straight on.
She’d waited too long for Jared to become a better man. She’d waited too long to make changes on the ranch.
She didn’t hesitate now. Once she knew what she wanted, she made it happen. She wanted her ranch, and she didn’t want the complication of having a man in her life.
“I’ll meet you there.” She swung the key chain around her finger, then climbed into her truck. She drove away from the three of them without a backward glance. She needed to be alone.
At the end of the parking lot, she gave in and glanced in the rearview mirror.
Quinn was talking with his hands. Xavier didn’t look happy, but Selena had a hand on his chest. She looked to be pleading with him.
Putting her gaze on the road, she turned up the radio as her favorite song, “Voice of Truth,” came across the airwaves. The tears she loathed fell, one lone trail, but then it started a flood, and there was no stopping them.
She patted her truck’s dashboard. “We’ve gotten through much worse than this, right? We’ll keep moving forward.”
Just once, it would be nice not to have to fight for what she wanted. Would it be too much to ask for one battle to go her way, without all the stress?
“God, is there something You need from me? I lay it all at Your feet. I want to fight and keep the ranch, but if You have other plans, then show me those. I just want peace in what You give me. God, let me keep my heart and eyes open to You.”
Chapter Twelve
Quinn stepped into the beachside restaurant that Elijah and Xavier owned. Several brightly colored sculptures of leaping dolphins hung from the ceiling. Large glass panels on one wall were rolled up like garage doors. The deck sat over the water. Boats were coming and going along the pier.
Searching the area, he found the De La Rosa family seated at a long table on the far corner of the deck. Selena was missing.
Elijah had joined them. Quinn was not able to get a read on him.
A waitress had brought a large pitcher of lemonade and bowls of chips and salsa. As the group spotted him, Xavier stood and waved him over.
One advantage of owning a restaurant was obviously that you got to enjoy the best table and service, even at the busiest time of day.
Quinn took a deep breath and made his way over to them. They’d saved a chair for him at the end of the blue-painted planks that made up the table. There wasn’t much trust to be found in any of the unusual gray eyes that stared back at him.
“Where’s Selena? I thought she was coming, too.” She had been the closest he had to an ally.
“As she sits on the commission, she didn’t want any hint of impropriety, so she thought it best if she stayed out of it. She plays by the rules.” Xavier poured a tall glass of iced lemonade. “What did you want to talk about?”
“If we work together, we can find a solution to keep the land in your family and the ranch working.”
Belle crossed her arms over the table and narrowed her eyes at him. “How?”
“Working with the city, county and state, along with some other international organizations, the land can be put in a trust and then zoned to protect the endangered ocelots and sea turtles.”
She leaned back, her face closed off. “How does that help us support the ranch and give us the funds to continue supporting the displaced people rescued by Xavier’s group?”
“That’s the detail we need to work out. What I’m proposing is that the Foundation lease the land that runs along the coast on a long-standing basis. We’ve never done this kind of project before. I’m hoping we can establish a nonprofit branch specifically for this project. It would be a separate organization that would focus on long-term research while protecting the wildlife habitats along this shoreline. The sea turtles and ocelots will have a protected piece of coastal land where scientists can study them. We’d pay for the right to use the land.”
“If it can be developed, we’ll get enough to support the rest of the ranch. How does this plan do that?” Elijah asked.
“It would take a little more time, and you wouldn’t receive as much cash, but between grants and endowments, we could set up a trust. After an up-front lump sum, we would pay a lease. You would still own the land, and it would earn money on a monthly or quarterly basis. If handled carefully, it could also work as an educational site that brings in a certain type of tourist.”
“How much are we talking?” Now it was Xavier’s turn to stare him down.
Taking one of his business cards out of his breast pocket, Quinn wrote a few numbers on the back. “From the preliminary information our lawyer gave me, we could pay a larger amount quarterly than monthly because we’d be able to collect interest on the principle. It wouldn’t be the huge amount you’d get from a developer, but it would be fair.”
He wrote down the larger amount for the up-front payment, then slid the card over to Belle. “We can negotiate amounts once we get more details, but that’s the up-front amount. And you’d keep any money that came from the other visitors. But we’d need to do a study on traffic and impact to certain areas to ensure the protection of the habitat.”
Belle kept her head lowered as her fingers worked the edge of the little rectangle. There was not a single hint of emotion on her face. He had no clue what was running through her mind.
“Belle?” Reaching out, he stilled her fingers. “What are you thinking?”
“I need to talk with the boys.” She glanced at the two men sitting across from her. “Damian needs to be in on this, too. He’s the one with the most legal knowledge.” Handing the card to Xavier, she sighed. “It’s too good to be true. What do you think? Would this be enough to do what we want to help your people?”
Xavier’s gaze swung between her and Quinn. “I don’t want Belle to get hurt. Could this work?” He turned back to Belle. “Would you be okay with this? It’s not as much as if we sold, but it also keeps the land and the ranch in the family, along with giving us extra income. I can also investigate other sources of funding for our project. Along with our other businesses, this might be a good option.” He shrugged. “I don’t know enough to say one way or another yet.”
Quinn waited. She avoided his gaze, staring out over the water.
Elijah swirled his chip in the salsa. “It ties up the land for a long time. Are you okay with that, Belle?”
She popped her knuckles, her shoulders weighted down. He had wanted to lighten her burden, not give her another hard decision.
Quinn nodded. “That’s the point as far as the Foundation’s goals are concerned. We don’t want it developed, but I don’t want to hurt the family ranch, either. We can both win if we come together on this. This is not anywhere near a done deal. It’s an option I want to give you. I’m also open to other ideas you might have. We have less than a month to move forward and get more details.”
Shaking her head, she looked at the card. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because you’re a fighter and the fight should be fair.” He leaned forward but kept his hands from touching hers. “I want you to win.”
He wanted to be her champion and roar into battle for her, but that would be wrong on so many levels. Trust didn’t come easy to her. How could it with the way her mother, uncle and others abandoned and abused her.
“I’m not asking for a commitment. Just the chance to work with you to see if it can be a win for all of us. Will you give me a chance?”
With a glance at the other two men, she nodded. “Okay. But I want you to know that I don’t trust any of this. We need to speak with Damian, and I’ll have our lawyers look at everything.”
“Of course.” Tension that he hadn’t even been aware of left his shoulders.
A cavalry charge came from Elijah’s pocket. “Jazz.” He smiled, then answered the phone. “Hey, babe. Yeah, we’re done. It went well.” He stood and walked away from them.
Quinn stole a peek at Belle to see if she had any problems with that statement. Her face was still neutral. “Belle. I didn’t set out to trick you.” He sighed. “I never meant to make you feel like I was spying on you.”
She adjusted the clip holding her hair. “Okay. So, it’s all just weird timing?”
“It was. I didn’t even know you were the 4-H horse person. Of course, we wouldn’t have been in Port Del Mar if I wasn’t gathering information. Not just your ranch, but the whole area is critical to the survival of several species. Your location just happens to be the best location that is still undeveloped.”
She nodded but didn’t say another word. Her focus stayed on the rolling waves. Xavier twisted his mouth, then shrugged as he spoke. “It does all seem too convenient. Being at the horse club meeting when your house is struck by lightning. Finding the ocelots. The kids becoming friends. Using your kids to infiltrate our family.”
“What? You think—”
She threw her wadded napkin at Xavier. “He’s messing with you. Ignore him.”
Xavier winked at him.
Quinn grinned at his own gullibility. He had always wanted siblings, the camaraderie that came from growing up with people. They had a closeness he envied. The closest he had ever come to that was with Kari.
For a second, he closed his eyes. The familiar images of Kari morphed into Belle. Talk of Diamondback swirled around them. Belle laughed at a joke Xavier made. Even when life was hard, they had each other.
They didn’t notice the turbulence he was going through. This was the reason he and Kari had wanted a big family.
Being only children was something they had both shared. She should be here, helping to raise their children and filling their lives with childhood memories.
Elijah came back to the table, still on the phone. “Okay. Yes. I’ll let him know.” A few more words, then he put the phone away. “Selena and Jazz wanted to make sure you knew to come to Xavier and Selena’s house Saturday. It’s an Easter prep party.”
Belle made a small distressed sound. Not good.
“What’s that?” Quinn asked.
Elijah looked confused. “An Easter prep party is where you make stuff for Easter.”
Quinn snorted. “Yeah, I get that, but what are you prepping? Do you dye eggs? The girls have done that a couple of times.” Had Jonah? He couldn’t remember.
Belle answered, “We don’t just soak the eggs in color. There are all sorts of ways to decorate an egg. We also build our piñata and create the paper flowers we’ll put at the cross after church. The best part is making dozens of cascarones to hide.”
He was sure Belle didn’t want him crashing her family get-together. “Tell her thank you, but we can’t make it.”
Elijah creased his brow. “You have another social engagement? Jazz and Selena come across all sweet and nice, but they are undercover dictators. They weren’t asking.”
“They’re good at telling others what they should be doing. It’s easier to go along with it—and they’re usually right, anyway.” Belle finally turned her gaze to him. “You should let the kids come. They’ll have a great time. It’s a family tradition we do every year.”
“Family traditions?” Not his family, though.
“My kids want your kids there.” She gave him a tentative smile. Not the one he had come to look forward to.
He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her smile. Not that it mattered. Soon he’d be in another part of the world. “Gina can bring the kids.” He paused. “They actually make the cascarones? Is it safe?”
“Yes. The eggshells have been disinfected before they stuff the confetti inside. And they have no problem cracking them over anyone’s head they can reach.”
Xavier laughed. “Coating everyone’s hair with dots of color might be their favorite part of Easter. The bigger the mess, the better. Selena said she invited you the other day when she saw you at the multiples group thing.”
“She did, but I didn’t want to intrude. And I wasn’t sure what it was we were being invited to.”
Belle gave him another forced smile. “Your kids are always welcome.”
He shouldn’t be disappointed that she didn’t include him. It wasn’t like he was ever going to be in a relationship with her.
He needed to stay focused on his job. Now he had new details to work out if he was going to make everyone happy before he left. Soon he’d be planning the next project. Then, before the
weather cooled, they would be gone. Off to a new country.
Normally, that was the exciting part of the job for him. Maybe he was getting old. The thought of moving to another country just made him tired.
Chapter Thirteen
Belle took the box full of colorful tissue paper and silk flowers from the trunk of Jazz’s car. “Is this the last of it?”
Her sister-in-law nodded. “I have the rest in the backyard. The tables are set up.”
Cassie ran across the yard, Lucy and Rosie close behind. “Mom. Do y’all need help? Can we start making the piñata?”
The other two girls jumped and clapped, their excitement bubbling over.
“We should wait for the twins and Jonah. They’re coming, right?” Lucy asked.
Jazz closed the back of her SUV. “They should be here any minute. Let’s get this to the back. I’ve got snacks.” They ran to the deep wraparound porch and disappeared into the large Victorian home.
At the side gate, Belle turned to open the latch. A gust of wind took the top layers of tissue. Dropping the box to save them, she was running them down when Quinn arrived. His kids tumbled out of the car, giggling as they chased across the lawn to help her gather the escaped paper.
Buelita, Selena’s great-grandmother, sat on the porch and laughed at their antics as she twisted stems for the paper roses. Belle’s girls and Rosie came through the back gate to join the chaos. Quinn and his mother-in-law climbed out of his Land Rover and Gina made her way to sit with Buelita while Quinn grabbed the sheets that had gone into the street.
He brought the orange and yellow paper to her. “A game of chase with tissue paper is not what I envisioned for your Easter prep party.”
“It’s the most popular game. It’s trending, you know.” She looked up from the stack of paper and met his direct gaze.
Her breath caught in her throat. His stare went to the depths of her bones.
She didn’t want to feel the loss of possibilities when she saw him. She’d been fine without a man in her life. Not only had she survived, but she and her girls had flourished.
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