Count on a Cowboy Read online

  Bill looked sympathetic about the situation. “So what do you want me to do with all this food?” He motioned to the truck.

  “Donate it.” Brooke Harper stepped forward.

  “I worked for a large hotel and when we have leftover food from our events, we take it to a shelter or soup kitchen.”

  “Do I take it all? And what about the cake? It’s three tiers with the bride and groom...”

  “Donate everything.” Trent didn’t have time or energy to think of a place. “Bill, you decide where it goes.”

  He glanced toward the barn to see Larry and Ollie getting into the truck and heading out to the gate to greet the guests and send them home.

  Bill snapped his fingers. “St. Theresa’s Catholic Church has a shelter.” He looked at Trent as he pulled out his phone. “Do you think that will be all right with Rory and Diane? I mean, I know they go to the Methodist Church on Grant Street.”

  “I think when it’s a charitable act, it doesn’t matter,” Trent told him. “And since Rory instructed me to handle things, I vote for St. Theresa’s. I really appreciate you doing this for the family.”

  With a nod, Bill walked back to the truck, holding the phone against his ear.

  Trent took Miss Harper by the arm and guided her aside. “I wasn’t able to get ahold of Rory yet, but I left a message for him to call me back. Why don’t you give me your cell number and I’ll call you when I hear from him?”

  She hesitated, her gaze searching his. “I think I’ll hang around for a little while...just in case he calls...soon. Besides, it looks like you could use some help here.”

  Before Trent could argue the point, she walked toward the men and began directing them to specific jobs: folding and stacking the tables and chairs, then loading them on the truck. Since he didn’t want to deal with more questions, he didn’t stop her.

  Over the next hour, the crew of men managed to get everything loaded onto the flatbed. Chet jumped behind the wheel and drove off toward town and the rental company.

  That was fairly easy. Trent grabbed a bottle of water that had been retrieved from the kitchen and took a long drink. He looked around and found Brooke Harper standing at the floral archway. He grabbed another bottle. Determined to tell her it was time to leave, he walked to her, but paused, catching her biting her full lower lip, a frown creasing her high forehead.

  She seemed to have sensed his presence, turning with a smile. “This is so beautiful. It’s a shame to waste all these lovely flowers.”

  He handed her the cold water bottle. “What do you suggest we do with them—ship them off to a hospital?

  “They’d probably appreciate them.”

  She took a drink and Trent watched her slender neck bend back, exposing the smooth skin.

  He quickly turned away to the white arch intertwined with greenery and colorful flowers. He inhaled the soft scent and didn’t know if it was the blooms or the woman. “Okay, I’ll have one of the men take care of the delivery. I don’t want Laurel to have any reminders of today.”

  Brooke turned her head. Her green eyes flashed him a look that reminded him a lot of Laurel. “I’m sorry. She must be devastated.”

  Trent shrugged. “Probably, but I didn’t get a chance to talk to her. She took off to Denver to find him. Her parents went with her. That’s why Rory isn’t here.”

  “Then I showed up and added to your troubles.”

  He didn’t disagree. “This isn’t the best time to announce to Laurel that she has a sister and a biological mother—who gave her up.”

  * * *

  BROOKE WORKED HARD not to look away from Trent Landry. His cowboy hat might have shaded his eyes, but she felt the heat from the rich coffee color. He seemed to be able to reach deep inside her and pull out more than she wanted him to know. But her news wasn’t for him, it was for Rory and Laurel.

  “And that’s why Coralee wants to see her. To explain why she had to give her up.”

  The tall, muscular man’s dark gaze sent her a glaring look. “By signing away her rights, she made a promise not to contact Laurel.” He folded his arms over his chest. “That’s what full custody means. And now she’s breaking it, by pushing herself into her daughter’s life.”

  “She has a good reason.”

  “What, guilt, because she gave her away?”

  Brooke had trouble staying calm, but she knew she had to focus on her mother’s wish. “I’m sure that Rory will understand why Coralee wants to see Laurel this one time.”

  He frowned. “Why, is she dying?”

  Brooke’s chest tightened with emotion. “Something like that. Coralee has early-onset Alzheimer’s.”

  Chapter Two

  “Look, Mr. Landry,” Brooke began, still having trouble reading the man. “I didn’t come here to argue with you. I made a promise to my mother.”

  “It’s Trent,” he insisted.

  She nodded, trying to rein in her frustration. “Trent. Please call me Brooke.”

  He smiled and she quickly lost her train of thought.

  “Okay, Brooke. Why don’t we go inside and sit down? I think we’ve earned a break.”

  Brooke let him escort her up the back steps and through a large mudroom that had a front-loading washer and dryer. On the other wall was a long row of hooks that held a collection of cowboy hats. That was where Trent placed his hat, then motioned her into the next space.

  She paused in the doorway and her gaze searched the farm-style kitchen, including a brick fireplace. Lining the walls were white cabinets with black metal hinges and knobs decorating the fronts. Dark-stained butcher-block counters held small appliances, but left plenty of room for making meals or baking cookies. Oh, my, the room was as big as her entire apartment.

  Suddenly she was second-guessing her decision to come here. But for months, Coralee had begged her, cried about her other daughter, Laurel. The baby she gave away. What if Rory Quinn didn’t care and he threw her off the property?

  Brooke stiffened, feeling Trent’s hand against her spine.

  “Let’s sit over here.”

  He directed her to an oval table in front of a picture window overlooking the pasture of grazing cattle.

  She just realized she didn’t know much about this family. Only what was on the website for Bucking Q Cattle Company. “How many Quinns live here?”

  “There’s just the three of them. Rory, Diane, his wife, and the one daughter, Laurel.”

  Just one daughter that he knows about, she thought, looking out at the incredible mountains through the glass. “It must have been fun to grow up on a ranch.” She turned around to see Trent’s curious look.

  “Yeah, it is, but there’s a lot of work, too.” He went to the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of iced tea. “Looks like Bill left some food here, too.”

  Brooke wasn’t surprised. “I hope you don’t mind, but I also asked him to leave some of the food in the bunkhouse for the men.”

  He stopped pouring the tea and stared at her.

  Was he upset?

  “I mean, they’ve worked hard today. It’s nice that they can have a good meal tonight. Chet talked very highly of Laurel.”

  “They all think highly of Laurel, and yeah, the men were all invited to the wedding.”

  “That’s nice.”

  “You won’t find nicer people than Rory and Diane.”

  She hoped she got a chance to find that out. “You’ve known them for a long time.”

  He nodded. “Years ago, my dad, Wade, and Rory rode the rodeo circuit together. Then when they retired, Rory bought the Bucking Q and Dad came a few years later and bought the ranch next door, the Lucky Bar L. So you can say Rory’s known me since I was born.”

  “If they’d been friends all these years, I bet your dad would know about Coralee.”

  A distant look appeared on Trent’s face. “He might, but he died almost two years ago.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said, hating that she was bringing up sad memories.
<
br />   He nodded. “So am I. Since I’m only four years older than Laurel, I can’t remember something like that. When my folks settled here, Rory was married and had baby Laurel.”

  “I guess I’m just going to have to get answers from Mr. Quinn.”

  Trent brought the glasses to the table, then turned the chair around and straddled it. He took a long drink. “I never asked where you’re from.”

  “Nevada. Las Vegas.”

  “Are you older or younger than Laurel?”

  Brooke froze a second. “Younger.” That wasn’t a lie.

  He studied her closely, then asked, “What do you do in Las Vegas?”

  “Right now, I’m a card dealer, but I just graduated college and I’m hoping to hear soon about a hotel-management position. That’s the reason I can’t stay long. It a great opportunity, especially with the added expense of my mother’s long-term care...”

  Trent arched an eyebrow. “Are you thinking about asking for help from the Quinns?”

  She reared back. “Of course not. Believe me, Mr. Landry, I know very well that Rory Quinn doesn’t owe my mother a thing.”

  She started to stand, but Trent placed his hand on her arm to prevent her leaving.

  “I apologize,” he said. “I’m protective of my friends, and today had to be the worst day to show up here.”

  “I don’t doubt that, and I’m sorry for all your troubles. But I’m here now,” she countered. “And if Mr. Quinn calls you, you can let him handle it.”

  “It’s Rory. Everyone calls him Rory.”

  An ache touched deep in her chest. She would have liked to call the man Dad, but her mother had taken that choice away from both of them.

  * * *

  TWO HOURS LATER, Trent had finished canceling the rest of the wedding services, wishing he could cancel all the curious phone calls from guests, too. He finally turned off the ringer on the house phone, but watched to see if Rory called. Everything else he let go to the answering machine.

  When Brooke went into the bathroom, Trent punched in Rory’s number again. He listened to the ringing until it went to voice mail.

  “Rory, it’s Trent again. Please call me as soon as you can.” He ended the call as Brooke walked back into the kitchen.

  “Did you call Rory again?”

  “Yeah, but he’s still not answering,” he told her.

  “Are you worried about him?”

  Trent shook his head, but he was concerned. What if they’d found Aldrich? The man on the run could be dangerous. “Not the way you think. Rory’s easygoing, but Laurel can get pretty hot when she’s crossed. I wouldn’t want to be Jack Aldrich if she catches up to him. Which I hope she doesn’t since he’s broken the law and might not care how he gets away.”

  “Broke the law?”

  “Jack didn’t just run out on his wedding, he stole from us. He cleared all the money out of our escrow account.”

  She gasped. “Oh, no. He worked for you?”

  “The man was the general contractor hired to build several rental cabins for us. Laurel got involved with him. Jack fed her a bunch of romantic rubbish and the next thing we knew, the whirlwind romance turned into a quick wedding—” he checked his watch “—that should have taken place about an hour ago. The one good thing is that the wedding didn’t happen.”

  Trent stood and walked to the window. He’d already said more than he intended, but soon the news would be all over town. He sighed and looked out, seeing the last of the sun going behind the mountains. Time was running out on what to do about Brooke Harper.

  He turned around and she looked up at him with those wide eyes, as if she expected him to tell her something bad.

  “Where are you staying in town?”

  She looked up at him. “I don’t have a place yet. I drove straight here. Can you recommend a hotel?”

  He’d seen her old car and knew she probably didn’t have much money to waste. Even knowing Brooke’s news could change the Quinn family forever he couldn’t send her away. Besides, he wanted her to stay close, especially because of the possibility she was Laurel’s sister.

  “I know of a place,” he said. “That is, if you don’t mind the sparse furnishings.”

  She wrinkled that cute nose. “How sparse?”

  “Oh, the place has a nice bed and a table and chairs, but no cable or HBO.”

  “I can afford a little more than basic.”

  “But they’re ten miles away in town. I can promise you this place is clean—in fact, it’s brand-new. We just finished our first hunting cabin. I can get you some towels and sheets and a coffeepot, but that’s about all.”

  “You mean stay here at the ranch?”

  With his nod, she hesitated. “How do you think the Quinns will feel about that?”

  “If you’ve been honest about why you’re here, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

  A sudden look came over her face and he caught a slight resemblance to Laurel. Or had he just talked himself into seeing something?

  “As long as it has electricity, the place sounds perfect to me,” she told him. “How much?”

  “No charge for the first night. Then when Rory gets back, hopefully tomorrow, he’ll make a decision about lengthening your visit.”

  Brooke’s gaze darted from his. “I’m not planning on staying that long. I only wanted to see Laurel.”

  “I’d rather you talk with Rory first, especially since as far as I know, Laurel hasn’t been told anything.”

  “All right, I promise not to say anything until I talk to Rory.” She smiled. “And thank you for letting me stay here.”

  He sighed. “Now that’s settled, let’s eat some of the wedding supper. Seems someone should enjoy it.”

  He went to the refrigerator and took out containers of chicken breasts and scalloped potatoes. There were rolls and sides of green beans and asparagus.

  He was suddenly hungry, realizing he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. What about Brooke? When was her last meal? His gaze scanned her slender frame. She’d worked hard, too.

  Yet, he got the feeling she was leaving a lot out of the story about Coralee. Or was it her nervousness from finally meeting her half sister? And if true, how would Laurel take this? She and Diane had always been close. Would this news change that?

  He knew his way around the Quinns’ kitchen, having grown up here over the years The place had been like a second home for him and his brother, Chris. So much had changed since those days. His brother was gone, his parents had divorced and his father had passed away. And he’d finally come back home to exorcise the ghosts. That was still a work in progress.

  He took down two plates from the cupboard and filled them with food, then put one in the microwave. Ten minutes later he was seated across from Brooke.

  “This is delicious,” she told him.

  “I agree. Bill and Bess are the best cooks in town. They also own a diner, the B&B Café, off Main Street. If you’re around long enough, you should stop by.”

  He cut his chicken and ate a piece. “It’s just down-home cooking, but good. I’ve eaten enough MREs over the years to appreciate the real stuff.”

  She stopped eating. “You were in the military?”

  Nodding, he swallowed. “Over a dozen years in the army, Special Forces.”

  “Were you deployed?”

  A sudden sadness came over him as memories flashed in his head. “Three times. When my father passed away, I decided it was time to opt out so I came back and took over running the ranch.” He owed Wade Landry that much.

  He looked at her to discover her watching him. Those emerald eyes were dark with emotion. “I’m glad you made it back home.” She swallowed and said in a raspy whisper, “Thank you for your service.”

  When he’d been in uniform, he’d heard the words many times, but he felt her sincerity. He nodded, then looked down at his plate. His food was cold, and so was his appetite. “I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought.”

  She fought a
yawn. “You piled a lot of food on our plates. Maybe I can save mine for later. Is there a microwave in the cabin?”

  “Yeah. I’ll wrap it up for you to take it.” He stood and picked up her plate, found the foil and busied himself putting her food together.

  This woman was getting to him, and that couldn’t happen. He didn’t know her at all, and that meant she was off-limits.

  So keep your hormones in check. Your first and only job is to protect the Quinns.

  From his experience, trouble came in all kinds of packages, especially tall, slender blondes with big emerald-green eyes that could turn a man inside out.

  He glanced over his shoulder. Not going to happen.

  * * *

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER, Trent pulled his truck in front of the recently completed log cabin. He climbed out and turned on a flashlight to find his way to the front door. He inhaled the scent of fresh-cut wood.

  Maybe bringing Brooke here was a bad idea. She would be out here all by herself. Not that he should have to worry about her, but he did. After unlocking the door, he swung it open, reached inside for the switch and flipped on the lights. The small porch was illuminated and he waited for Brooke as she parked her compact next to his vehicle. She got out and reached into the backseat for a duffel bag, then walked to him.

  “This is nice,” she remarked looking around.

  “I know it still looks like a construction site, but in a few months with all the trees around it will be peaceful.”

  “And isolated.” Just then off in the distance a coyote howled. She tensed.

  “You’re used to a city that never sleeps, so of course this seems cut off from everything, but really it’s not that far from the ranch house. By road it takes longer.” He pointed over the rise. “In the morning if you head that way over the rise, you’ll see the house about a hundred and fifty yards away.”

  “Okay.”

  Taking the bag from her, he pushed open the door to show her the three-room cabin. He turned on another light in the small kitchen that overlooked the living space. There was a dark leather sofa pushed up against the wall, a table and two chairs on the other side. A large area rug covered the floors.