Love, Diamonds, and Spades (Cactus Creek #2)(35)

Just a few short months ago, if you’d asked her what her fantasy day-off would consist of, she would’ve absolutely said the spa. But when fantasy became reality, she’d discovered that relaxation was highly overrated. There was no doubt in her mind that she’d have preferred to have been at home just watching a movie and eating mini homemade pizzas. With her two favorite people.

It was a revelation she was still trying to grasp the full weight of.

Not today though.

Checking the time, she popped one last spoonful of food in her mouth and then ran to grab a quick shower before Rylan had to head out.

Feeling a little country today, she belted out her favorite country rock tune while gloriously using up all the hot water. These were exactly the sort of things she never took for granted—the half hour to eat and sing in the shower, all the while knowing that Coop was alright. Rylan made sure she had that every day if possible. And she was grateful to him for it every day.

That said, she didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness. Sprinting out of the bathroom, she hightailed it down the hall to her bedroom.

Where she ran smack dab into a mountain of muscles.

Her fingers flexed into his sides on reflex. And when she looked up, the burst of hunger burning in his eyes nearly consumed her whole.

His gaze ran over her face as if he were seeing the first blades of grass in spring. “You didn’t tell me you could sing like that.” God, his voice. She’d missed hearing his smoky voice curl around her, and deepen the longer she stood in his arms.

Belatedly, his words registered and she blushed. She never let anyone hear her sing. Back when she was younger, she and Penny used to sing in the community choir, but she’d long since stopped training her voice. “Did I sound like a drowning cat?”

Smiling affectionately at her, he shook his head. “You sounded like a sea siren, sugar.” His eyes traced over her lips. “Your voice is every bit as beautiful as you are.”

Slowly then, he rested his forehead against hers, murmuring so quietly she almost didn’t hear him, “So damn beautiful.”

Every cell in her body was screaming at her to just tilt her lips up to his, to take the kiss they were both dying for.

“I better head out, sweetheart.” He squeezed her hands gently. “See you at the fundraising auction tomorrow.”





CHAPTER FIFTEEN


THE NEXT NIGHT, the small post-fundraising auction gathering at Ocotillos was already in full swing by nine p.m. Seemed like the entire town had turned out both for the auction and the after-party at Ocotillos. Rylan couldn’t have been more thrilled. They’d raised a ton of money for Coop, and Quinn was now looking genuinely content, almost completely at ease, for the first time in a long while. It was like the avalanche the universe had piled on her shoulders had finally lessened, if only for a few short hours.

That’s all that mattered.

Not the widening pit in his heart that ached to be filled whenever he was around her but couldn’t drag her to him for a kiss.

Not the sharp sense of loss he felt every time he left her home to spend the rest of the night wishing he could just be there holding her while she slept, making sure that she slept.

Not the feeling of wanting so badly to tell her how freakin’ much he missed her and wanted to spend the rest of his life loving both her and Coop.

No, this right here, this was all that mattered.

All of a sudden, he needed a breather. After quickly making sure she was still okay, and still smiling, he went outside to grab a moment alone to collect his thoughts.

It didn’t last long.

“Excuse me, do you know where I could find Quinn and Cooper?” asked a deep voice with a hint of an accent Rylan couldn’t quite place.

Looking over at the man in the designer suit, Rylan asked none-too-politely, “How do you know Quinn and Cooper?”

The man shifted his eyes from the brewpub, then back to Rylan. “Let’s just say, I’m an old acquaintance.”

When the man turned back to him fully, Rylan realized he was looking at a grown-up version of Cooper. “Shit. You’re Brody aren’t you? Cooper’s dad.”

Rylan waited exactly half a head nod as confirmation before he grabbed the man by his throat and dragged him to the side alley. “You’re a far way’s from Europe, Mr. Deadbeat Dad. What the hell are you doing here?”

Brody knocked Rylan’s hands away. “Back off, man. I’m here to talk to Quinn. Family matters.”

Rage rushed through Rylan’s veins so fast he was afraid for one second there that he truly was going to murder the man.

My family.

Quinn and Cooper were his family, not this asswipe’s. He wasn’t going to let this toxic piece of shit anywhere near Quinn or Cooper.

“Don’t you ever use Quinn and the word family in the same sentence again. You’re not family. You’re just the * who cheated on his girl, and left her to give birth to raise her son on her own. You’ve never sent her a single penny to help with Coop’s medical bills, and you’ve never even sent him a frickin’ birthday or Christmas card.”

“Look, it was the best thing for them both when I left. If I’d stayed, I would’ve screwed up their lives,” said Brody, suddenly looking and sounding almost…regretful.

Too little, too late. “Just get the hell out of here.”