Texas Rebels: Quincy Read online

  “I’m sorry you’re angry,” she said, and he didn’t respond. “Not going to talk, huh? You take stubbornness to a new level.”

  He turned his head to look at her and wanted to laugh. He felt like a heel. They would always be friends and he didn’t understand why he was being so testy. Then he did. He didn’t want to be her friend. He wanted so much more, but loyalty to his brother and family kept him silent.

  “The doctor should be in any minute. He’s viewing the X-rays.” Reaching through the railing, she touched his hand and everything he felt for her slammed into him like a sucker punch. He drew a deep breath and wanted to move his hand, but she entwined her fingers with his and he was lost. With her other hand she stroked his forearm and his heart galloped like a wild steed. Her touch made him crazy and he wanted to reach for her and hold her against himself, to feel her softness against his hardness. To know every inch of her and—

  The doctor came in and interrupted his chaotic thoughts. “Good news, Mr. Rebel. There are no fractures or breaks. You’ll just be in some pain for the next few days. Try to keep working your shoulder and not let it get stiff. From what you told us and from our exam, we don’t believe you hit your head. You passed out from the pain. I’ll write a prescription for some pain pills.”

  “I don’t need any pills.”

  The doctor lifted an eyebrow and walked out. A few minutes later, Quincy and Jenny were on the way back to the ranch. They didn’t talk much. He just wanted to get home and end this terrible day. Jenny drove to Grandpa’s house and they got out and were met by a family mob.

  Elias, Falcon, Egan, Jude, Grandpa and his mother were waiting. It was overwhelming. Someone would think he was really sick the way everyone was acting.

  He sat on the sofa, not saying a word. His mom sat beside him and touched his forehead with the back of her hand. Jenny had done the same thing. Jenny? Where was she?

  “You need to lie down, Quincy,” his mother said. “I’ll bring supper over later.”

  “There’s no need to do that,” he told her. “We have plenty of food here. You’ve worked all day and you don’t need to be waiting on me. I’ll rest tonight, and tomorrow I’ll be back in the saddle.”

  His brothers laughed and he wanted to hit them. He leaned back on the sofa and let their voices go right over his head. Was Jenny in the kitchen? Or had she left? If she’d left, that meant she was saddling her horse to ride home in the dark. He suddenly got to his feet and headed for the door.

  “Quincy!” voices shouted behind him.

  “I’ll be back in a minute!” he told them and walked straight toward his barn.

  The moonlight lit a path for him and the air held an early chill of fall. His arm ached, but he steadily made his way inside the barn and into the corral where Jenny was tightening the cinch on a saddle.

  “You don’t need to be riding at night. I’ll take you home.”

  She swung around. “Oh, Quincy, you scared me.” She went back to saddling the horse. “I’ll be fine. I’ve ridden in the dark before and I need to get Sassy home.” She turned to face him. “And you need to be resting.”

  “Don’t start again.”

  “Okay. You’re in the mood for an argument, so let’s have one. You’re upset because I forced you to go to the ER. Sorry, it’s just the way I am. If you have something to say, just say it and then I’m going home to people who appreciate me.”

  Some of his anger dissipated. “I appreciate you. And thanks for helping with the bull and taking care of the problem with the mares. I’ll look into it tomorrow.”

  She moved closer to him. The dazzling moonlight and the serenade of crickets combined with her nearness wove a hypnotic web. “Well, Quincy Rebel, is that an apology?”

  “Could be...”

  She touched his face with her hand, stroking it lightly. His thoughts became jumbled and he felt sure he was dreaming.

  “I like you, Quincy.”

  “I like you, too.”

  “Let’s stop fighting, then. Kissing is so much better.” She reached up and touched his lips with hers and the night faded into a moment of pure fantasy. His fantasy. His arms encircled her waist and he drew her closer and closer, not even thinking about his arm or the pain. All he thought about was her and her touch and the moment he first kissed the woman he loved.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and his lips took hers in a kiss that rivaled the heat of a blazing fire. All of his feelings came to the surface as his lips tasted her sweetness. She opened her mouth and he deepened the kiss to a level he needed. The kiss went on and on and there was no one but the two of them in the whole universe.

  Slowly, she drew away and he felt empty and lost. She swung into the saddle and rode out of the corral. He looked after her and thought that maybe she was a mirage. That he was really dreaming. But dreams were never that good.

  * * *

  AS THE MORNING light peeped over the tall oaks, Jenny sat on the back stoop, trying to sort out her chaotic thoughts. She loved Quincy. How could she have missed that? And he had kissed her as if he felt the same way. Could Quincy have feelings for her, too? Her mind was ablaze with possibilities, especially after that explosive kiss. She could still feel his lips on hers—taking, yet giving everything she needed. Sweet and gentle and caring. Yet strong and masculine and evocative.

  She wrapped her arms around her waist. Could there be a future for them? Probably not. Since she’d been involved with Paxton, he would never ask her out or anything like that.

  But after she’d initiated the kiss, he’d kissed her back. And then some. What did that say? She was naive about affairs of the heart, but Quincy had to have feelings for her. Didn’t he?

  White Dove frolicked in the field with Sassy and Jenny knew she would never return the horse now. And when the thought ran through her mind she knew she had strong feelings for Quincy. How strong she wasn’t sure, but she was willing to find out. There was just one little problem. Were her feelings a rebound thing or were they real? That was what scared her to death. She didn’t want to hurt Quincy. She wanted to love him with all her heart, and not just because her heart was broken.

  What was she going to do?

  Just then, her cell buzzed. She quickly reached for it on the stoop in case it was Quincy. It wasn’t. It was Paxton. She stared at the phone, wondering if she should answer. She had no desire to talk to Paxton, but she couldn’t deny that spark of excitement in her chest. Old habits died hard.

  “Hey, babe, how you doing?”

  Jenny frowned. “Why are you calling me? The last I heard you were engaged.”

  “I was just worried about you. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  This was the Paxton she knew. He could apologize better than any person she’d ever met. All the anger she had after hearing of his engagement seemed to have evaporated. She wasn’t angry or hurt anymore.

  She’d ignored or forgiven Paxton’s bad behavior so many times she’d lost track. When they had an argument and he would leave for the circuit, she’d get a call just like this. “Hey, babe” as if nothing had ever happened. And she would fall right back into his arms.

  But not anymore. She would not go down that road again. Her heart was full of a new kind of warmth, and she wanted to give her feelings for Quincy a chance. Paxton still had a piece of her heart, though.

  “Why are you calling?”

  “I wanted to tell you I scored a ninety on White Lightning in Denver. That’s the best I’ve ever ridden.”

  “Did you hit your head?”

  “What? Hell, no.”

  “Why do you think that would be something I’d want to hear?”

  “Stop being angry, Jenny. You’re always interested in how I score.”

  “I’m not angry anymore.”

  “You sound different.” />
  “I am. I’ve finally grown up and accepted that you and I have no future. You were right.”

  “Jenny, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  Her heart didn’t even skip a beat like it had so many times when he’d apologized. “You’ve already told me that.”

  “Jenny—”

  “I’m happy you scored a ninety and I hope you make it to the National Finals Rodeo. You’ve worked hard and you deserve it. But, please, don’t call me anymore. I’m moving on, as you have.”

  “Okay, babe. I’ll talk to you down the line.”

  She clicked off and stared at her phone. So easy. Yet a part of her, and she hated to admit it, was still hanging on to that young love that had gotten her through her teenage years. But it would not keep her from loving again.

  The screen door opened and her dad came out. “Girl, what are you doing out here? I thought you were still sleeping.”

  “I was just thinking.”

  He came down the steps and stood there staring at her, leaning on his cane. His old worn hat was pulled low, shading his eyes. He had just turned sixty-two, but he looked much older with his white hair and stooped figure. His hair had turned completely gray two weeks after her mother had died.

  “Last night you said Quincy got hurt. Are you worried about him?”

  She shook her head. “He’s going to be fine. A little grouchy, but fine. Paxton just called me.”

  “Oh, goodness, not again.”

  “How do you know when love is real, Dad? How did you know your love for Mom was real?” Her dad really wasn’t a talker and she had no idea why she was asking him these questions. She was just conflicted about her feelings for Quincy and Paxton, and the only way to sort them out was to talk.

  He placed both hands over the top of the cane, looking off into the distance at the horses in the pasture. “When I was in high school, I met a girl who I thought was ‘the one,’ as you kids call it. We made plans to get married and then one day someone told me they’d seen her with someone else at a party. It turned out to be true. She was seeing two guys at the same time. That was it for me. I was off women for a long time. I was twenty-six when I met your mom. She was buying kolaches at the Wiznowski Bakery. She was like a magnet and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. The next week, I met her at the grocery store and found out she was staying in Horseshoe with a family friend and going to nursing school in Temple. I was smitten with her and six months later we were married. Nine months later, Lindsay came along and then we were blessed with you. We didn’t have a lot, but we were happy. She didn’t deserve to go so early.” His voice cracked on the last word.

  Jenny got up and hugged him.

  He wiped away an errant tear. “Or at least not before me.”

  She wanted that kind of love. One that would last into eternity. The problem was she wasn’t completely sure how she felt about Quincy, and she didn’t want to encourage a relationship because she didn’t want to hurt him.

  Her dad patted her shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. Your heart will lead you in the right direction.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I’m going to check on the cows and, when Lindsay gets up, we’ll put out some hay.”

  “Okay.” She sat back on the stoop and made a decision. Until she knew what she wanted, she’d stay away from Quincy. He was too nice a man for her to hurt.

  Chapter Eight

  Quincy had a restless night. His arm and ribs ached and burned and he was forced to take a couple of Tylenol just to get some rest. Damn bull! When he pulled on his shirt, it was tight across his left shoulder, which meant his arm was swollen. But it wasn’t going to keep him from working.

  In the kitchen he found Elias cooking breakfast and Grandpa giving instructions. “Look who’s cooking,” Grandpa quipped when he saw Quincy. Elias wasn’t known for his culinary skills.

  “Eggs, bacon and biscuits are on the stove if you want food,” Elias said, and sat down to eat what he’d piled onto his plate.

  Quincy filled a cup with coffee, feeling he was going to need a lot more to start the day.

  “How are you this morning?” Grandpa asked.

  “A little sore, but fine.” He filled a plate and took a seat at the table.

  “Jenny’ll be over here to make it all better.” Elias had a smirk on his face.

  “What was Jenny doing here yesterday?” Grandpa wanted to know.

  “Yeah, Quincy. We’d like to know.”

  Elias loved to pick and pick until he got a reaction, but Quincy wasn’t reacting. Last night was still very vivid in his mind and he was trying to work through all his conflicting thoughts. Everything he ever wanted could come true. That frightened him because by doing so he could hurt someone he loved. Life was hell sometimes, but he wasn’t backing away from his feelings for Jenny.

  He got up and headed for the door without answering Elias.

  “Where you going?” Grandpa called. “You’re hurt and you’re not supposed to work today.”

  Quincy kept walking.

  “Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?” Grandpa asked as Quincy closed the screen door. He wasn’t in a mood to be mollycoddled.

  Breathing in the fresh country air, he relaxed as he walked to the big barn. His boots left tracks in the morning dew coating the grass, and the wind fanned his face with a welcoming breath. There was no place like home.

  Leaning against the pipe corral, he watched the bull, who seemed fine munching on feed in a trough. They’d take him back to the herd in a couple of days. He then let his horses out into the pasture, keeping a close eye on Prairie Flower and Snowbird. They weren’t fighting with each other, so Quincy made his way to the office.

  On the way his cell buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket, wincing as a pain shot up his arm. It was Paxton. A load of guilt blindsided him.

  “Hey, Quincy, I heard you had an encounter with a bull. Don’t you know you’re supposed to get out of their way? They’re bigger than you.” Evidently, his brothers had been talking, spreading the news.

  “Yeah, I learned that the hard way. Just a few aches and pains that I’ll get over quickly.”

  “Have you checked on Jenny?”

  Quincy clenched his teeth until his head hurt. Why did everyone think he could solve their problems? “I saw her yesterday and she was fine.”

  “I talked to her, too, and she seems different. She’s not mad at me anymore.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “No, I just don’t feel good about the way I hurt her.”

  Quincy closed his eyes and counted to three. “How are you and Lisa?”

  “She’s in California and I’m in Colorado. That says it all. I don’t like this long-distance relationship.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you about that.”

  “Just watch out for Jenny.”

  He took a deep breath. “No, Pax, I’m not looking out for Jenny. She’s not my responsibility. Nor is she yours. Jenny can take care of herself and it’s time for you to let go.”

  “Yeah. Take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you later.”

  Quincy slipped the phone into his pocket with a sigh. Last night was just a dream because it couldn’t be his future. He could never hurt his brother. Even though Paxton was with Lisa at the moment, Quincy couldn’t take his relationship any further with Jenny because it would cause irreparable damage within the family.

  He was relegated to office duty for the day, which he hated. But he didn’t complain because his shoulder was hurting. He answered the phone, did paperwork and midday he went to check on his horses again. Everything was normal. He was about to go back to the house when Jenny walked into the barn. All his resolutions and good thoughts disappeared without a flickering doubt.

  Her
hair was up in a ponytail and pieces of hay were in it. He’d seen her like this many times. She and her hair had this constant battle. It was one of the small things he loved about her. She didn’t care how her hair looked, but it drove her crazy when it got too bushy or hung in her face. Jenny was so wrong for him in so many ways, but his heart had a hard time adjusting to that thought.

  “Hi,” she said, and a moment of tension sneaked in because of last night.

  “Hi, Jenny Rose,” he replied, and pointed to her hair. “You have hay in...”

  “Oh, crap.” She shook her head, but some of the hay didn’t budge. He didn’t point that out.

  She held up something she had in her hand. “I have an ice pack for your shoulder.”

  “I don’t need an ice pack.” He didn’t mean to be defensive, but they needed to keep their distance, and defense was the only way he knew how to do that.

  She glared at him, her dark eyes flashing a message he knew well. He wasn’t fooling her for a minute. “How do you feel?”

  “Fine. A little stiff, but fine.”

  “I’d like to look at your arm and ribs, please,” she said. “As a nurse,” she added quickly.

  “Jenny...”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Less attitude would be helpful.”

  He didn’t want to fight or argue with her so he sat down on a bale of hay and unsnapped his shirt. She sat down beside him and gently touched the bruises. Her fingers were as soft as down feathers as they stroked his skin. He remained tense, unyielding to her touch, but other parts of his body weren’t so accommodating.

  “Are you experiencing any pain?”

  “A little.” He didn’t lie because he knew as a nurse she would know that he was.

  “This is an ice pack and it will help the swelling and the pain. You just fill it with ice and...”

  “I know the drill.”

  She sighed. “Quincy, I thought we’d reached an understanding last night, or are you just grouchy ’cause you’re in pain?”