“No.” His parents weren’t due home until next month. Time for some of the dust to subside.
Quinn strode to his side and plucked the phone from his hand. “Ma, it’s Quinn. Dallas needs to take his medication and have a sleep. No, there isn’t anything you can do by rushing home. Dallas is his usual testy self.” He paused. “No, I intend to wait with Dallas and do some work. Take care.” Quinn ended the call.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” Dallas said.
Quinn ignored him and stalked into the kitchen. He returned with a glass of water and three different pills. “Take these.”
When Dallas opened his mouth to argue, Quinn said, “I’ll ring Ma back and tell her she needs to come home.”
Dallas cursed and flung out his hand, unable to withhold his wince of pain. “Give me the damn pills. I guess a few hours of knock-out sleep won’t hurt.”
“Go to bed,” Quinn said. “It’s quiet here, and since they don’t need me at the pub, I’ll stay for a few hours. I have an appointment at four and will stay until then.”
Dallas swallowed the pills and heaved himself to his feet. “I don’t need help,” he snarled when Quinn took two steps toward him. “Fuck, sorry.” He wiped the sweat from his brow. “Help yourself to anything from the kitchen.”
“It’s a nice place.”
“Yeah, Laura and I like it here. We’re gonna have barbeques in the garden during the summer.”
“Dallas, don’t bite my head off, but how do you know you can trust her? Her sisters caused hell for me with their lies.” Quinn slipped his arm around Dallas and helped him down the passage to his bedroom.
Dallas perched on the corner of his bed, waiting for the pain to subside before he attempted his boots. “We met when she had a flat tire, and I offered her a ride to Clare. She ended up staying with me at the cabin, and we’ve been together ever since. She’s not like her sisters and brother. Once you know her better, you’ll see what I mean.”
“But—”
“Look, I worry about the age difference between us, the wealth of life experience. You don’t think I haven’t wondered if her parents are responsible for the attack. It was so random. I’m sure I’ve seen the guy who slugged me in the pub a couple of times. Then there’s the graffiti and the emails about the debt owed. True, it points to the Drummonds.”
“But you don’t think Laura is a part of it.”
“My heart says that,” Dallas said, attempting to toe off his boots. “Damn, can you assist please?”
Quinn removed his boots and helped Dallas out of his jacket. “What about your head?”
Dallas stilled. “Hell! That’s the part that’s worrying. I love her, but your past history with the Drummonds keeps fucking with my mind. Because you justhaveto keep harping on it. Then there’s Maria. I worry I’m setting myself up for another bloody fall.” He rubbed his good hand over his face and groaned. It felt as if his head was stuffed full of cotton wool. Damn pain pills.
“But—”
“No! Damn, I had all this sorted in my mind before the mugging. I’ve had too much time to think, and you’re not helping by adding your opinion at every opportunity. Everyone needs to butt out so Laura and I can work things out ourselves.”
Maria watched the house from a concealed spot behind a tree. She stamped her feet, jammed her hands in her pocket and cursed under her breath for forgetting to grab her waterproof jacket. The cold spring blast still sweeping New Zealand kept bringing low temperatures. The accompanying sleet showers sucked for surveillance.
The rumble of a car engine had her straightening to blend into the shadows. The car slowed and turned into a driveway farther down the road, the engine dying seconds later. Long minutes ticked past. Lights flickered on in the house and her tension faded to a low-level hum. A neighbor. Nothing to worry about.
“Damn, Quinn,” she muttered. “How long are you going to stay?”
She waited, rubbing her hands together and huddling into herself to keep warm. What seemed like hours later, Quinn drove away, leaving Dallas in the house alone.
After checking the road in both directions and studying each of the surrounding houses for nosey neighbors, she felt safe enough to scuttle across the road and slip down the driveway. She’d watched Dallas and the woman and knew the hours they came and went. She’d studied the locks and figured she’d get inside without problems.
Her hand trembled when she reached for the doorknob, her fingers numb with the cold. When the knob turned in her hand, a spurt of surprise escaped her in a soft croak. She inched the door open, head cocked to listen.
Not a sound.
She stepped into the house and closed the door. Warmth hit her chilled face, the contrast of temperatures bringing a tingle to her features, her fingers and toes. The scent of coffee enticed her, and she followed it to the kitchen. Still no sign of Dallas. No matter. She’d grab a coffee and forage for food before approaching Dallas.
He’d loved her. Surely he’d help her now, once he learned of her troubles. Besides, she’d seen the other woman slap him in the pub. She hadn’t been game to get too close since she knew they were keeping an eye on the pub, watching for another chance to get Dallas.
None of this would’ve happened if Dallas had listened to her at the start, if he’d accepted her apologies, taken her back. Dallas wouldn’t have got hurt.
