Читать книгу The Texan's Promise - Jolene Navarro - Страница 15

As the sun touched the land the next morning, Belle turned the horses out. She stood at the fence and watched them run. The air was fresh with wet earth, and the sky was clear. No sign of the storm.

She hadn’t ridden the southwest pastures in a while.

Fence day was on her schedule this morning. Starting her daily ritual, she patted the post next to her as she spoke to it. “Oh, Guardians of the Pastures, it’s time to visit your brothers-in-arms in a faraway land.”

She rolled her eyes at herself. Really, Izabella, you need more time with adults. This was what happened to someone who didn’t have time for people.

Selena might be right to worry about her holding conversations with objects. At least they weren’t answering back yet.

“Mom!” Cassie came running around the barn with her five-year-old sister and Frog, their Australian shepherd, close on her heels. That dog rarely left their sides. “We did our morning inside chores. Can we go to Cabin Two? We want to show Meg and Hannah the baby goats.”

Lucy nodded, her dark curls flying around her face. “And the chickens.”

Belle waved Lucy over to her and slipped the rubber band off her wrist and onto her daughter’s unruly hair. “It’s early and Meg and Hannah had a long night. Feed the chickens and gather the eggs. I’ll cook some breakfast and, before we feed the goats, I’ll call and see if they want to come over. They have a lot to deal with, so I’m not sure what their dad wants to do.”

Lucy pouted. Cassie’s shoulders slumped. “But they wanted to feed the baby goats and I told them they could help. They were super excited.”

Before she could say anything, her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Girls, I’m not arguing about this. The chickens are waiting for you.”

Heads down, they moved to the henhouse as if they’d lost their puppies. She shook her head. So dramatic.

Her phone vibrated again. It was Quinn. “Hi, Quinn. Sorry, I was distracted.”

“No problem. I assumed that running a ranch you’d be up already. The girls are driving me crazy saying that they’re supposed to help bottle-feed baby goats this morning. Do you know anything about this?”

She laughed. “We’re going to have to watch our girls very carefully. They’re plotters. Poor Jonah doesn’t have a chance. Cassie told me they’d asked to help feed the goats.”

He groaned. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to them about inviting themselves.”

“I’m pretty sure Cassie organized all of this. She has a knack. I know you have a lot to deal with today. Why don’t you bring them over to the house? In another hour I’ll have breakfast ready. You and Gina can join us. The kids can hang out with me today while you take care of the house.”

“Three extra kids? That’s a lot.”

“Nah. Around here, that’s the norm. Yours are all potty trained and can feed themselves. That’s a bonus. You remember Xavier? He has triplets. Two-year-old triplets. And my brother’s little girl is here all the time, too. She’s six. Yours will fit in fine, and if they don’t, I promise to call.”

“So, it’s okay if we come over?”

“Sure. In fact, I’ll be driving past your place, so I can pick you up—I have to drop some mail off to Damian.”

“Damian?”

“Yes. Another De La Rosa. We’re everywhere. Xavier’s younger brother. He lives in the farthest cabin.”

“Okay.”

With a slight shift in plans, Belle loaded the girls into the old Suburban, gathered the Sinclair clan and went by Damian’s. As usual, her cousin was sitting on the porch, looking as though he were on guard. His two Belgian Malinois sat on either side of him. She hadn’t even heard of the dog breed until he’d come back from the army with one. Now he had two. They were as silent and stoic as their master.

“Stay here. I’m going to give Damian his mail. He doesn’t like strangers.”

As she climbed out, she heard Lucy say, “He likes horses and dogs. He doesn’t like people at all.”

She shook her head. Were they making it worse, letting Damian hide from the world? Everyone was afraid to force the issue. He was safe out here. But was it enough? Would he ever be happy?

A few words, very few, and they were on their way to the barns. Once inside, she loved the sound of all the childish giggles as they took turns bottle-feeding the four goats. A local rancher had given them to her to hand-raise after their mother had abandoned them.

The morning flew by. Before she knew it, all the chores were done, and breakfast was eaten. As she made her way to the stables, Elijah joined her to help check the fences.

Jazz and her daughter, Rosie, were hanging out until after lunch. Then Jazz would be heading to town for a meeting.

The best part was that Gina had volunteered to watch the kids for the rest of the day. Her girls didn’t have grandparents of their own, so they were eating up the attention and already calling her Baba. She would be added to the list of adopted grandparents her girls were collecting. They craved family connections, and Belle was grateful that Xavier’s and Elijah’s in-laws accepted her daughters, too.

Out in the pastures with Elijah, she discovered that the storm had caused more damage than she’d predicted, and they didn’t get home until the sun was close to the western horizon. Horses put away, Elijah headed for his truck, and she went to the back porch. Gina was in a rocker, reading.

“Sorry. We’re later than I thought we’d be. Have you heard from Quinn?”

Looking over her glasses, she nodded. “My car is totaled, but the insurance company is being difficult. Everything in the kids’ rooms is a total loss.” She shook her head. “Every time I start thinking of all the little things we lost, I get overwhelmed, so I’m reading. We’re all safe and have a place to stay. Thank you for your help.”

“De nada. Reading’s a good strategy. It’s one of my favorites. Where are the kids? Are they inside?”

“They watched a movie, then asked to go out to the garden.” She pointed to the large area surrounded by the tall fence.

As Belle headed toward the garden, she planned out the next week in her head. She reflected that ranch work was hard, but it recharged her heart, mind and body. She reached the garden gate. “Cassie?”

No answer. “Lucy?”

She stood in the center of the garden and listened. Five kids should make some noise. “Cassie. Lucy. I’m tired and not in the mood for hide-and-seek.” They loved hiding in the garden. The walls of green bean runners and bamboo teepees were not yet covered with cucumber vines, but it still made for cozy hiding places. It was early in the season, and plants weren’t as solid as they’d be in another month.

They weren’t there. Had they gone inside without Gina seeing them?

She walked through the garden again. It was a quarter of an acre, so there was some space to cover.

She called their names. The back gate was open. Her heart fluttered. Her girls knew better than to take off away from the house without adult permission.

But they had new friends to impress. Standing outside the garden, she called all their names. There was a path that went to the barns. Maybe they had gone to play with the goats.

Her dog was missing, too. That made her feel a little better. That dog would be barking like crazy if anything was wrong. Jogging to the goat barn, she rushed through the doors, calling their names. Nothing.

Don’t panic. They’re here somewhere. The chickens. Kids found chicks irresistible. Deep breaths and long strides got her to the large chicken coop. No kids.

It was time to call for help. Elijah wouldn’t be too far out, and she needed to call Quinn. Maybe the kids had gone to the cabin.

On the way back to the house, she called her brother. He immediately turned around. Then she called Quinn. She’d promised him his kids would be safe with her. She wanted to throw up.

Gina was still in the rocker. Her chin was down as if she was sleeping.

“Gina.” Belle shook her gently on the shoulder.

Sitting straight up, the older woman blinked to clear her eyes. “Everything all right?”

“The kids left the garden. I went to the barns, but they weren’t there. They might have gone to the cabin. Elijah’s on his way, and I left a message for Quinn. I’m going to walk to your cabin on the back path. My girls would have known about the path connecting the house to the cabins. You stay here and keep an eye out. Tell Elijah and Quinn where I am. One of them should drive to the cabin. The other can follow me on the path. Okay?”

Oh, no. Tears were forming in Gina’s eyes. “I thought they’d be okay in the garden.” She stood. “Let me help find them.”

“I need you to stay here. Elijah and Quinn are coming here, and I might miss the kids if they come back to the house. So, stay here.”

Gina walked to the railing and scanned the area. “Okay.”

Jumping off the porch, Belle dashed to the back of the garden and slowly started tracking the path they’d have taken if they’d gone to the cabin.

Cassie was old enough to understand the dangers. What had led them to leave the garden? Something moved behind her. Heart pounding, she turned. Someone was walking through the thicket. Someone larger than a child.

Belle crouched, putting herself in a better position to run or charge depending on what was needed. She had her knife on her belt, but no gun.

The thicket was pushed back, and she saw a black cowboy hat. Clear blue eyes met hers. Quinn.

She stood and sighed. “I’m so happy to see you. You got here really fast.”

His mouth was tight. “I was pulling up to the house when you left the message. My phone is off while I’m driving. Gina sent me this way. Have you seen the kids? How long have they been missing?”

Returning to the trail, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Less than forty-five minutes, longer than thirty.” Her phone vibrated. “Elijah sent a message. He’s driving straight to the cabin. If they’re not there, he’ll get Damian and Xavier on horseback, and they’ll cover more ground. But I think we’ll find them between here and the cabin.” She pointed to some of the shrubs. “The branches are broken, and grass is trampled here.”

She stopped. The thicket was pushed back. “It looks like someone went off-trail.” Crouching, she pushed her way through the smaller area. She was too big for this.

“Did you find something?” He was right behind her.

“Cassie,” she called. Her heart raced.

“Mama. Shhh. You’ll scare them.” Cassie’s voice came from deep in the underbrush, somewhere to the left of her. Belle’s faithful dog, Frog, was flat on her belly, pressed against Cassie. Her brown and blue eyes shifted, then looked away, guilty.

“Cassandra De La Rosa Perez!” She wanted to cry in relief and yell in anger all at the same time.

One of the twins came out of the thicket, her dark blue eyes shining with excitement. “We’ve been tracking kittens. They’re lost and hungry. But every time we get close, they run again.” She put her fingers to her lips. “They’re getting tired. One keeps falling. We want to help them, but they’re scared of us.”

“Sweetheart, you know to leave animals alone. Their mother is probably looking for them. We were scared because you said you’d stay in the garden, but you didn’t. Baba is scared and worried. I was worried. We have Cassie and Lucy’s uncles looking for you.”

The other twin came out holding her brother’s hand. “Daddy, when you see them, you’ll understand. They don’t have a mother. They’re super skinny, and they look sick and beat-up. They need help and we were the only ones around.”

He groaned and tilted his head. “Even more of a reason not to follow them. You should have told Baba and waited for us.” He went around Belle and knelt in front of his children. “You are in major trouble, and we will figure out a consequence. First, apologize to Ms. De La Rosa.”

All three turned to her and said they were sorry for scaring her and leaving the garden.

“Where are these orphaned kittens?” she asked.

They turned and crouched to get through the thick undergrowth. Belle crawled through the little tunnel they had made to follow the kittens. Cassie was sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. Lucy was flat on her stomach. Her arms stretched out in front of her, reaching farther into an area Belle couldn’t see due to the branches and plants.

“Lucy! What are you doing? There could be snakes or all sorts of things that could hurt y’all.”

Cassie looked up at her. Big tears hovered in her gray-green De La Rosa eyes. “Mama. They’re hurt and sick. Lucy’s letting them get used to her so she can get close enough to grab them. Please, Mama. I know we should have told you, but they were running away, and if we didn’t follow, we’d lose them.” The tears fell. Her baby had the biggest heart.

Crawling her way to them, Belle grimaced, sure she was tearing and staining her clothes past repair as she made her way through the thick bush. “Where are they?”

Cassie pointed, and Belle looked through the branches of the shrubs. In a bed of dried leaves, two spotted kittens were curled around each other. The girls were right. They didn’t look like they’d make it much longer.

Quinn was at her shoulder. A strange noise escaped his throat. “Oh, sweetheart. Those aren’t domestic kittens. It looks like you found a pair of ocelots.”

Turning, eyes wide, Belle looked at him. “Here? But they’re endangered.”

He leaned closer. “Yeah, just a handful left in the wild, and they like to hide. The girls are right. These guys have been orphaned.”

Lucy wiggled closer. “I touched one,” she whispered.

“Easy, baby.” Belle put her hand on her youngest daughter’s shoulder. “These are wild animals.”

“But I can reach it now.” Her voice hushed as she focused on the small cats.

After taking off his long-sleeved button-up, Quinn stretched out beside her. That was a major accomplishment. The space was small, and he wasn’t. The undergrowth was cutting at his now bare arms. His cotton T-shirt didn’t provide much protection.

“Can you slowly pull the cub closer to me?”

Lucy nodded, and with her tongue out in concentration, she gently brought the furball closer to them. Everyone held their breaths.

The furball hissed as he wrapped it in his shirt. “Okay. Good job. Can you get the other one?”

She nodded and moved deeper into the thicket. After a little wiggling and slow-motion movement, she handed the second one to him.

“They’re both females,” he said, carefully studying them. “They look dehydrated and malnourished, but they’re definitely ocelots.” His eyes shimmered with excitement. “De La Rosas, you have ocelots living on your ranch. It’s amazing.”

The kids crowded around him. “Can we keep them?”

“No. We can nurture them back to health, but they’re wild animals and need to live in their natural habitat.”

Jonah reached for one of the cats.

“Careful, son. You can look at them, but we don’t want to handle them too much.”

“We found them, and they don’t have parents. We should keep them. We feed the baby goats and raise baby chickens.” Cassie’s eyes were gathering tears.

Belle took her daughter’s hand. “Sweetheart, we have no clue what wildcats need.”

“I’ll call the local game warden and report the ocelots. They’ll need to be released into the wild when they’re old enough. But we might be able to nurse them until then.”

“Daddy can do it. He’s a doctor,” one of Quinn’s girls said.

Belle’s head went from the tiny cats to his face. That was a surprise she didn’t see coming.

“Hannah.” His voice held a hint of warning. Then he glanced at Belle. “I’m not a medical doctor. I have a PhD in marine biology with a focus on coastal habitats. We can get these guys independent and back on their feet, then release them here on the ranch.” When they made eye contact this time, he held it. Like he had something to say but didn’t know how. “Belle, I’m not sure you understand the ramifications. This is a huge discovery.”

He had a PhD and she’d gotten a GED. She had a hard time looking away from him. Could he see her lack of education? Did he just accuse her of being slow?

In the distance, she heard the rumbling of a truck. “Oh.” Pulling her phone out, she dialed Elijah. “We need to call and let everyone know the kids are safe.” With a hard glare at Cassie, she listened to the rings. “Young lady, we will be talking about y’all leaving without a word. There were better ways to handle this.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Once she’d told Elijah the story, he said he’d contact everyone else.

“What’s the best way to tell Gina?” she asked. “She lost her phone. Will she answer the ranch line?”

“I just gave her a new phone.” He read out the number.

Belle could hear the tears in the poor woman’s voice as she explained the situation. Hanging up, she shook her head. Quinn had moved the kids to the path and was slowly heading to the house.

Putting an arm around her daughter, who was too stubborn for her own good, Belle lowered her voice. “Cassie, do you understand how scared she was? How horrible it was when we couldn’t find you? The first thing you will do is apologize to their grandmother.”

Quinn glanced at her, his lips in a tight line. “Hannah. Meg. After last night, this was the last thing Baba needed.”

So much for trying to keep it private. Cassie was clearly upset. “What about Lucy and Jonah? They left, too.”

“They’re little,” both parents said at the same time.

Belle looked at her youngest. “But, Lucy, you know better, too. You don’t leave the house area without an adult.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

One of the ocelots yawned and pushed a paw out of the shirt to touch Quinn’s face. He gently rubbed the kitten’s chin and said words so soft and low she couldn’t hear.

Her heart melted. No, Belle, it doesn’t matter if he is the male equivalent of Snow White. You are not interested in him.

The rest of the walk to the house was silent. Once there, Belle helped Quinn find a cozy box for the babies and helped him gather supplies to feed them.

Quinn firmly set limits on how close the kids could be to the sleeping ocelots. Now all five kids were flat on their stomachs in the living room, their chins resting on crossed arms as they watched the kittens as if they were the most interesting movie they’d ever seen.

“The kittens have to stay with us, because our daddy is the doctor.” One of the twins was already building her case for custody.

“But it’s our ranch and we’ve raised all sorts of animals.” Cassie looked over her shoulder. “Right, Mama?”

“I saw them first, so they’re ours,” Lucy argued. She wiggled closer and Jonah mirrored her action.

“Thanks.” Quinn put his phone in his pocket. The kids continued to debate shared custody, and Gina fussed over everyone, insisting she would feed them all.

“Belle.” He reached for her hand to pull her away from the kids and cats.

She studied his hand interlocked with hers. His was so large it made her look feminine. That didn’t happen often. They fit together well.

Normally she didn’t like to be touched and withdrew, but he was different. Why?

She jerked her hand back.

“Are you all right?” It was either pity or curiosity in his gaze. She couldn’t tell which.

Relaxing her shoulders and letting her arms drop, she smiled. “I don’t like being touched. I was just caught by surprise.”

“Sorry.” He nodded his head at the kids. “I wanted to get out of earshot.”

“Oh.” Heat climbed her neck up to her cheeks. She could feel it but couldn’t stop it. “What’s up?”

“I spoke to the game warden. With my certification, I can keep the kittens until they’re ready for release. Then I’ll work with a local game preserve to make sure they’re safe to return to the wild. You get to tell your girls.” He went to the archway and looked into the living room, where the kids were lined up on the floor. “They won’t be happy.”

“No. But we really don’t need another project, anyway. They’ll be fine, and it will give them an excuse to visit your kids.”

“I’d like to find a time to talk. How about dinner tomorrow night?”

“No. I don’t do dinner.”

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her as if she’d said something ridiculous.

“What? No one ever tells you no?”

Surprise etched his brow, but then he laughed. “I haven’t asked anyone to dinner in a very long time. I was confused when you said you don’t do dinner. As in, you have something against eating in the evening.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks burned again. “I eat dinner, just not with people. I mean, with men.” She groaned. “I don’t date. I want to be clear on the subject. I never go on dates.”

With a nod, Quinn went in to gather his family.

She needed to stay as far away as possible. One finger caressed the ruined skin that ran along her temple. If she had any unruly thoughts about this man, she needed to remember that there was no Prince Charming in the real world. This Cinderella had to save herself.