Chapter 24

Less than an hour later, Quinn left the courthouse alone and hurried down the sidewalk to her car. She pulled the door shut behind her, leaned back against the seat, and let out a shaky breath.

The hearing was over, and she couldn’t believe how well it had gone.

Having Michael Brennan there had been a godsend. He was smart and succinct, answering the judge’s questions and making Monty look like a fool.

She’d allowed herself a tiny fist pump at the best part of the hearing when Michael had slipped in the fact that Monty had never paid a dime in child support nor claimed Max as his child until the week prior.

Rock must have filled Michael in on their history, because he seemed to know all the right things to say about what kind of mother she was and about the safety and security of the home that she, her dad, and her brother provided for Max.

He’d been amazing, and from the way Monty had skulked out of the courtroom after being ordered to pay back child support, she figured that she wouldn’t be hearing from him again anytime soon.

She crossed her fingers and started the car. With everything going on the past few weeks, she still hadn’t taken it into the shop, but Logan had put in a new battery, and it had seemed to be running fine again.

Rolling down the window to let out the summer heat, she headed toward the Triple J Ranch. She had Rock to thank for all of this. And she needed to do it in person.

She called her dad on the way out of town and gave him the good news. He said he’d bring Max home that night. She didn’t bring up the subject of him paying off Monty. They’d have plenty of time to talk about that later, and she didn’t feel like picking a fight with him now.

Pulling into the driveway of the James’s ranch, she noticed that Rock’s truck was next to the barn. Her pulse quickened at the thought of seeing him again.

Stop it, she told herself. This was just about a simple thank-you. Nothing more.

Nothing had changed since the last time she’d seen him.

He was still leaving, still going back to Denver, back to the team. And she was still being left behind.

That hadn’t changed.

But he had come through for her. He’d been there when she really needed him.

And she did owe him her thanks.

Could she have thanked him over the phone? Probably. But she didn’t want to dissect her reasons for showing up at the ranch in person too closely. She felt too good, too happy about the results of the hearing.

And he was the one she wanted to share that happiness with.

Vivi’s car was parked in front of the porch steps, and she came out of the house, carrying a Crock-Pot, her hands covered in colorful oven mitts. “Quinn, darlin’, I heard the good news. I just got off the phone with Hamilton, and he told me that the judge dismissed that idiot’s claims.”

Dang, word did travel fast.

Vivi nestled the Crock-Pot in the box of dish towels that sat on the front seat of her car, then stood to give Quinn a hug. “I’m so glad that it all worked out.”

“Thank you.”

“Listen, honey, I have to get this chili down to the church, but if you need me, I can wait, make some coffee, and sit a spell with you.”

“No, really. Thank you, but I’m okay. You go on. I really came to see Rock. To thank him for sending the lawyer. He made all the difference.”

Vivi nodded as she circled the front of her car. “I’m glad. But Rock’s not here. He went to Denver first thing this morning. He said he had some errands to run and a meeting with his coach. He should be back before too long. He called a couple of hours ago from the bank and said he was almost finished, then he was headed back up the mountain.”

“The bank?” A bad feeling rumbled through her stomach. Surely he wasn’t considering Monty’s threats. “What was he doing at the bank?”

Vivi shrugged “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. That boy can take care of his own finances. It’s got nothing to do with me.” She opened the car door, then gestured toward the house. “You’re welcome to wait for him. I just made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Help yourself. I know how you used to love those.”

“Thanks. I think I will wait for a bit.” Quinn waved, then walked up the porch steps and into the house.

Wandering through the living room and into the kitchen, the smell of chocolate chip cookies in the air, she was flooded with memories of being in this house as a kid, sitting at this table and having cookies and milk with Rock.

That was before.

Before the remodel—before the house and the boy who lived in it had changed.

The renovations were amazing though. At least of the house.

She plucked a cookie from the cooling rack and nibbled on it as she wondered if the boy hadn’t changed as well—hadn’t gone through his own renovations and improvements.

He really had come through for her today.

Not just in sending her Michael Brennan, but by giving him all of the ammunition he needed to support her against Monty’s claims. Rock must have spoken highly of her to Michael for him to have all of that information.

She wandered around the kitchen, wishing he would hurry up and get home already. Pulling out her phone, she tapped the screen to call his number.

She heard the ring in her ear at the same time that a ringtone sounded from a phone sitting on the counter in the kitchen.

She recognized the phone as Rock’s, and a lump formed in her throat at the ringtone that played when she called his phone. It had been their song in high school.

Crossing the kitchen, she looked down at his phone and smiled at the simple Q that came up as her contact information. She hung up, watching the screen as it changed to his wallpaper of the team’s logo.

A text message box was at the top of the phone, and she let out a small gasp as she read the message that was labeled from Coach Sullivan. She could read only the first words of the text, but they were enough.

I refuse to accept your resignation. Call me as soon…

Resignation?

Had Rock really quit the team?

Was that the meeting he had with his coach that morning? She’d assumed it involved setting the timetable for when he would be healthy enough to return to practice.

She sagged against the counter, her mind and her heart trying to comprehend why Rock would quit the team, why he would give up the thing he loved so much.

There was only one reason he would quit and give that all up.

Well, two, really.

Her and Max.

She stood staring at the text message, the other half of the cookie forgotten in her hand, as her heart battled it out with her head.

The choices seemed like many, but really, there was only one.

And that was to stop thinking, stop analyzing every decision, and just act.

Shoving the rest of the cookie in her mouth, she left Rock’s house, hurrying down the front steps and to her car.

One of her favorite songs was playing on the radio as she pulled out of the driveway—a song that spoke of warm summer nights and riding in the truck next to the one you love. She turned up the stereo, singing along as the dust flew behind her on the country road leading away from the ranch.

She was on her way to find Rock. She didn’t know how, but she knew she couldn’t sit and wait for him one more second. She had to move, to act, to run—whatever it took to find him and fling herself into his arms.

They’d waited so long, so many years to finally be together. She knew in her heart that if she just drove toward him, she would find him. They would find each other.

Busting out the last line of the song, she sang with joy in a pure, clear voice, grinning from one ear to the other, her chest bursting with happiness.

But her grin faded as the song played its last notes and the engine of her car sputtered and died.

“What? No,” she cried, slamming her palm against the piece of crap car’s steering wheel.

This couldn’t be happening.

Just moments ago, she’d felt like the universe was working for them, guiding them to each other, and now she wondered if this was the true sign. The sign that said as much as she and Rock thought they should be together, that it wasn’t meant to be.

Climbing out of the car, she slammed the door shut and gave it a swift kick. “You piece of crap,” she yelled, her euphoria gone, blown away like the dust on the side of the road.

Forget it.

She was going home.

This was too much. Too hard. Screw the whole damn thing.

Leaving the car on the side of the road, she pulled off her heels and strode down the shoulder, walking away from Rock’s ranch and toward her own.

* * *

Rock slowed the convertible, shielding his eyes from the sun as he drove down the dirt road toward the ranch.

He shook his head.

No way.

It couldn’t be.

He pulled up next to the gorgeous blond who was marching down the road, her high heels hanging from her fingertips as she kicked up dust with every barefooted step.

“Hey there, darlin’. Need a ride?”

She turned her head, her eyes going wide, then blinking back the tears that suddenly appeared there. “Rock?”

“Hey now. None of that. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I mean, everything’s wrong. I mean…oh hell, I don’t know what I mean.”

Rock leaned across the seat and pushed open the door. “Get in.”

The seat held a white plastic bag from a fancy kitchen store in Denver, and she picked it up to sink into the luxurious seat.

Holding the bag in her lap, she took the bottle of water Rock offered her and tipped it to her mouth, drinking thirstily, then handing it back. She peeked into the bag. “What is this? Why did you have to drive all the way to Denver to get a mixing bowl?”

“It’s for my mom. It’s a long story.” He draped his hand around the back of her seat. “Tell me what’s going on with you?”

There was another item in the bag, and she pulled it out and held the zippered money bag embossed with his bank’s name on it out to him. “First, tell me about this. Is it what I think it is?”

Dang it.

“Wellll, why don’t you tell me what you think it is.”

“I think, I’m afraid, it’s money that you’re planning to use to pay Monty off so he’ll leave us alone.” She unzipped the bag and gasped down at the strapped fifty dollar bills. “Holy crap. How much is this?”

“It’s not that much. It’s only twenty thousand.”

“Only?”

“Yeah. He asked for fifty.”

“Fifty?” Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open. “He asked you for fifty thousand dollars?” she stammered.

He nodded. “Yeah, and I considered paying it.”

“You did not. That’s crazy.”

“That’s nothing. A drop in the bucket to what your and Max’s happiness is worth. I would pay ten times that much to know that asswipe was out of your lives.”

She shook her head as if trying to comprehend what he was saying. “Monty told me he asked you for money and my dad had paid him off before, but I had no idea it was that much. Is that how much my dad paid him the first time?”

He winced. “No, and I’m sorry you found out about that. I know Ham was just trying to protect you and Max. Your dad originally gave him ten thousand, so I figured if I offered him twice that, he’d take it and run. But this time, I’m going to get a guarantee that he’s gone for good.”

“No. I appreciate the thought and that you went to all this trouble, but no. I can’t let you do this.”

“Quinn, the money means nothing to me. You’re what matters, you and Max. I would pay anything, do anything for you.”

“But—” she started, but he held up his finger and set it tenderly on her lips.

“Don’t say anything. Not yet. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about this, thinking about nothing but this—about you, and Max, and my life, and how empty it feels without you in it. The life I lead in Denver is full of excitement and parties and late nights, but I feel like I’ve spent several years chasing after something that was always just out of my grasp. But now, the last few weeks that I’ve been here, with you and with Max, I feel like I’ve found what it is I’ve been missing, what it is I’ve been chasing all this time. And it’s you. It’s family. I know I’ve made mistakes in the past, but I’m trying to show you that I’ve changed. That nothing is more important to me than you and Max. Not the money. Not even hockey. In fact, I had a meeting with my coach this morning, and I quit the team.”

“Rock, you can’t. You love hockey. It’s part of who you are.”

“But I’m nothing without you. My life is nothing without you in it. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I love you, and I want you, you and Max, in my life. More than anything else.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the other purchases he’d made that morning. Handing her the small, flat box, he said, “Open it.”

Her hands were clasped in her lap, her fingers twisted together as she stared at the box. “What is it?”

He grinned. “Just open it.”

She took the box gingerly from his hand and gasped as she lifted the lid. A silver chain lay nestled on the black velvet inside. Hanging from the chain was a diamond-encrusted pendant in the shape of a key. “It’s beautiful.”

“I told you that I had better taste now.” He pointed to the necklace. “That key is just a substitute for the real one.”

Her brow furrowed. “The real one?”

“Yeah, the real one that goes to the house I’m going to build you. We can pick a spot, anywhere on our land, and I’ll have your dream house built on it. That way we’ll be close to both our families.”

She stared at the key, her lip trembling, then drew her gaze back to him. “No. You can’t. I can’t. I can’t let you give up hockey, give up your career for me. It’s what you love.”

“You’re what I love. And it doesn’t matter. I would give up anything for you.”

“But why? I never asked you to give up hockey for me.”

He shook his head, confused at her statement. “But it’s the reason I left. It’s the thing that came between us.”

“No, it wasn’t. The thing that came between us was your big head and how full of yourself you were over becoming a professional athlete. You acted like you were better than me and that you’d outgrown me. It wasn’t about the sport itself. I never asked you to choose between me and hockey. You don’t have to quit the team to be with me, with us. All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, is for you to let me be part of that life with you. You don’t have to give up what you love to be with me, with us. Just let us share it with you. Let us be with you. You don’t have to move up here. We can move down to Denver to be with you.”

“You would do that? You would leave Creedence? You would leave your dad? Your brother?”

“Of course I would. I’ve just been waiting for you to ask me to.” She shook her head, letting out a small laugh. “It’s not like it’s that far away. And we can come back to visit. Besides, we’ve spent the last eight years living with my dad and my brother. Believe me, I’m fine moving out.”

He chuckled with her, then opened the box and pulled the necklace out. “Okay, consider this the key to my house in Denver, and we’ll put the dream house on the back burner until I retire. Then we can move back up here.” He slid the chain around her neck and fastened the clasp.

She looked down at the necklace and gingerly touched the key-shaped pendant. “I love it.”

“I’m glad. But it’s not quite complete. It’s missing the heart.” He reached back into his pocket and pulled free the second box he’d purchased that day. “The necklace also represents the key to my heart. You’ve always had it, and you always will. But what’s in this box represents our lives. Yours, mine, and Max’s.”

Her eyes were wide as she stared from the box to his face and back to the box again.

“Wait,” he said, opening his door and climbing from the car. He circled around the back end and opened her door, then knelt in the dust on the road where he first saw her a few weeks ago, dressed like a pirate and riding a bicycle, and still as beautiful as she had always been.

She’d made his heart start beating again that day, and now it pounded hard against his chest as he looked into her gorgeous brown eyes.

He held up the small box and opened it to reveal a heart-shaped diamond ring. “Quinn, my life is nothing without you. I have never loved anyone the way I love you, and I don’t want to spend another day of my life without you in it. I already gave you my heart a long time ago, but now I want to make it official, for the whole world to see. Quinn Rivers, will you marry me?”

Bringing her hand to her mouth, she gazed at the ring, and her eyes filled with tears. The diamond sparkled in the Colorado sun.

Lifting her head, she nodded, a smile breaking across her face. “Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.” She leaned forward, throwing her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to his.

She tasted like chocolate, and strawberry lip gloss, and the love of his life.

She pulled back, gazing into his eyes, uncertainty shining in hers. “You know I come as a package deal.”

“Of course. And I’m going to do everything in my power to be the best dad I can be, to make Max feel like he’s my own son. Monty’s not interested in being his dad. He didn’t find religion or come back to make amends. He heard about you and me being together again, and he thought he could run a con, score some cash off me. And I’m still planning to offer him the money, but with the condition that he lets me officially adopt Max.”

Her breath caught as she gasped in surprise, then her smile returned. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

He offered her an impish grin. “You know what I like to say, go big or go home.”

She threw back her head, letting out a burst of laughter, then she kissed him again, a tender kiss filled with love and joy.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she drew back and grinned. “I’m here with you, the man I’ve loved since I was fourteen years old, the man I plan to marry and love until the day I die. So for me, I’m already home.”

The End…

…and just the beginning…