Love, Diamonds, and Spades (Cactus Creek #2)(40)

Rylan studied his worried expression. “What do you mean if things got out and got ugly.”

“The deadbeat dad thing,” guessed Quinn. “Am I right?”

“Gold star for Quinn. But there’s a little more to it. I know it’s going to be hard for you to believe, and I don’t blame you, Brody does finally seem to have gotten his shit together a little. At least enough to be stable. He’s seeing someone who’s a pretty good influence on him. He’s in gambler’s anonymous. And on the music front, he’s on a few good-sized tours and concerts.”

Cam scrubbed a tired hand over his face. “The thing is, he had to hit rock bottom first before this turnaround. It wasn’t that long ago, too. Ever since, I’ve been worried that it would take just one thing to send him on a tailspin that even I won’t be able to pull him out of.”

Despite everything, Rylan could see at least that this man cared a great deal for his brother. “So you were worried that with the media coverage on Cooper, someone might dig a little and find out about Brody abandoning him.”

“Not just abandoning him, but also treating Quinn like total garbage.”

Cam’s eyes were filled with sorrow, regret, and definitely shame. “I know what happened with that loan shark before Brody skipped town. I didn’t know about it until way too late. Quinn, you have to believe that if I’d known, I would’ve gotten you out somehow. I would never have left you in that position.”

She nodded. “I know. But I knew you were covering a lot of his debts already. Between the two of us, that brother of yours has several lifetimes of shit to apologize for. But I never faulted you for what Brody did to me, or what I had to do to get myself out.”

Cam shook his head. “You were always stronger than anyone I ever knew, Quinn”

“I appreciate that.”

She reached over for the contract and held it up. “We’re not signing this, Cam. You know it’s not right. But I know you’re worried about your brother. He doesn’t deserve it, but I give you my word that I’ll be your insurance policy. If it does trickle over to your world somehow, I’ll step up and do what I can to keep the backlash as little as possible.”

“Quinn, I can’t ask you to do that. I’d never ask you to do that.”

“But you were willing to ask the man I love to sign over a song he wrote for my son, your nephew. The boy he clearly loves.”

He dropped his head into his hands. “Shit, when you put it that way.”

“Did you think I was going to put it any other way?”

“No. Which is why I tightened the screws as much as I did with Rylan. I didn’t want him to bring you along.”

Quinn chuckled. “Still scared of me?”

“Always.”

She studied him for a beat. “You listened to the words, didn’t you? To the song.”

“Yeah.”

“And you were honestly okay with letting Rylan sign over that song to Brody?”

“I listened to it after. And no, I wasn’t okay with it after I heard the lyrics that Rylan had written.”

Cam sighed. “For what it’s worth, I really didn’t come here with this plan in place. That’s why I needed a few days to get the contracts. I listened to it yesterday.” He glanced over at Rylan. “I made changes to the contract after that. The contract was built to protect Brody’s reputation but it would’ve protected your rights to the song, even from my brother.”

“Too little, too late, Cam,” said Quinn.

Rylan smiled over the echoed words that had come to mind when he’d first met Cam.

“So I repeat,” she stared Cam down. “I’ll be your insurance policy. He may be the last person on earth I ever want to see or speak to again, but thanks to his little swimmers and his stupid reliance on the pull-out method, I have Cooper. And I’d never trade any pain or hardship or * ex for any second I’ve spent being Cooper’s mom. If it’ll keep Brody from hitting rock bottom, I’ll smile on camera and I’ll do what I can to help you keep his ass out of the fire.” She ripped the paperwork in half. “But you’re not touching this song.”

“Goddamn, my brother really is the stupidest man alive for letting you get away. And every day, you prove me right. I’ll take your deal. I’d be an idiot not to.”

Rylan growled. “Hold on. I don’t want you having to stand there and do any of that, honey. I can write other songs. You should never have to defend that * or paint anything he put you through in any other light but the truth.”

Quinn looked at him for the first time that day. Her hand squeezed his. “If I know Cam, he’ll work like hell to make sure it never comes to that. So I wouldn’t worry. But either way, I’m not letting you tarnish that song. I meant what I said about the man who wrote that song.”

His heart hammered in his chest, his veins filling with hope like pure adrenalin. “Still?” he asked hoarsely.

“We’ll get to that in a bit. Let me finish with Cam, first.”

Rylan fought back a grin.

Cam wasn’t as subtle. He chortled out loud. “God, I’ve missed you. You’ve grown up to become a hell of a woman.”

“Flattery never worked on me. Right now, I’m still pissed that you put Rylan through what you did, and that you even thought about going behind my back to broker a deal that affects me.”