Second Time Around Read online

Inside his office, the gray carpet was broken by a deep maroon circle edged in black that matched the marble of his desk. All of it was as stark and cold as his apartment, both done by the same decorator, compliments of Edward.

  He hated the lifeless color scheme, but at the time it hadn’t seemed worth the effort to change it. His energy had been focused on walking again. Walking and trying to forget that his wife didn’t care enough to visit him while he was desperately ill, had in fact taken the opportunity to divorce him and claim the ranch he loved.

  Had Lanie known she was pregnant when he left that night? Even if she hadn’t, she must have known by the time the divorce was final. Known and chosen not to tell him. But then, what was one more betrayal among the rest?

  Quinn moved into the adjoining bathroom and took a bottle of aspirin from the cabinet. In spite of the headache, a sense of exaltation crept over him. He had a son. A child that he and Lanie had created together. Finally, here was a part of her he could love without reservation, a part that no one was ever going to take away from him again.

  He swallowed the aspirin, questions swirling through his mind as he headed for the phone. What was the boy like? Did he know who his father was? Where did he think Quinn had been all these years? Did he look like Lanie?

  Rapidly, he punched in his home number and waited impatiently for Duncan to pick up. He got the answering machine and glanced at the gold clock sitting on his desk. Duncan must be running errands.

  “Dunc? It’s me. Listen, something’s come up. I’ll tell you about it later, but for now, I want you to start packing. We’re leaving for Wyoming first thing in the morning. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, but it could be for quite a while.”

  He looked up as the door opened and Franklin slipped in, then continued with his instructions. “Also, call the airport and have them get the plane ready, then arrange for a car to be waiting on us when we get to Wyoming. See you when I get home.”

  “Did Edward send you?” Quinn dropped the phone back into the cradle.

  “No.” The lawyer sank into one of the leather chairs positioned in front of the desk. “He doesn’t know I’m here. We need to talk, Quinn. I don’t want you walking into that situation blind.”

  “Blind?” He shook his head then winced as the movement sent fresh pain streaking from his temple. “I think this may be the first time in my life I see everything clearly.”

  “Not if you think you can stop your wife from divorcing you.”

  Quinn smiled. “Oh, I know she can divorce me. But I also know I can drag it out for a year or more. And I won’t stop until I have custody of my son.”

  Franklin hesitated. “That’s another thing. You can keep her from getting anything with this trust fund, but what about you? How will you survive if you put all your assets into it?”

  “My mother’s blood may not have been blue enough to suit Edward, but she was smart. She left me enough money to live comfortably, and she tied it up so no one, not even Edward could touch it. I suspect she’d approve of the use I’m going to put it to.”

  He began gathering up papers and shoving them into his briefcase. “How long will it take you to get the trust fund set up?”

  “A few days. Week at the most. I’ll need your signature on several documents before it goes into effect.”

  “I’ll see to it there’s a fax at the ranch. You can send them to me there.”

  “You’re sure this is what you want to do?”

  “Positive.”

  Franklin stood. “In that case, good luck. I hope it works out for you, Quinn. If you need me for anything, I’ll be here.” He held out his hand and Quinn shook it.

  “Thanks, Franklin. I’ll be in touch.”

  As soon as the attorney was through the door, Quinn picked up the phone again and dialed the number for his stockbroker.

  “Tom? Quinn McAllister. I’ve got new orders for you. I’m going to deposit a large amount of cash into my account. I want you to start buying up every share of McAllister Pharmaceutical stock you can get your hands on.”

  Chapter Three

  Quinn watched the Wyoming mountains loom large as the plane banked and began a slow descent in the bright mid-morning sun. Not a single cloud marred the pristine blue sky and he wondered if it were a good omen.

  Duncan appeared from the cockpit, his wide frame taking up most of the space in the passageway. With a relieved sigh, he sank down beside Quinn and fastened his seat belt.

  “Almost there. Pilots have clearance to land. How are you doing?”

  He gave him a wry smile. “No headache, but I’m scared spitless. What if my son hates me on sight? Or worse, what if he’s afraid of me?” His hand touched the scar that ran from his temple into his hair.

  Duncan shrugged. “The scar’s not that bad. If he’s like most kids that age, it’ll fascinate the hell out of him for about five minutes, then he’ll forget you’ve got it.”

  “Kids that age,” he mused. “That’s the problem, Dunc. The last time I was around preschoolers was when I was one, and I wasn’t taking notes back then. I don’t have a clue how to treat him. Maybe I should have picked him up a gift.”

  “No.” Duncan shook his head. “You’re bringing him the only gift he really needs. His father. All you have to remember is not to push him. Let him set the pace. I promise, he’ll be curious enough that it won’t take you long to get to know him. My sister’s youngest is about that age, and the kid never meets a stranger. He can talk the paint off the walls.”

  “Well, since you’re the expert, poke me if I start to do something wrong.”

  “Just relax and be yourself. Kids can spot a phony attitude a mile off.”

  “Oh, thanks. That really helps boost my confidence.”

  Quinn was silent, staring out the window as the plane settled to the ground. Five years. He couldn’t stop his heart from proclaiming he’d finally come home. Would the ranch be the same, or had Lanie changed it to the point where he wouldn’t recognize it anymore?

  He glanced around at the click of Duncan’s seat belt being unfastened. “Did you rent a car?”

  “The only thing they had was a Jeep,” Duncan said. “It should be waiting on us.” He reached into the overhead and pulled out several bags. “You know, being on a ranch will probably be good for that leg. Might even see some improvement. No matter how many hours you spent in the gym, sitting behind a desk most of the day wasn’t helping.”

  “So you told me.” Quinn stepped into the aisle and lifted out several more bags. “At least twice a day, if I remember correctly.”

  “For all the good it did.” Duncan paused as the pilot appeared and opened the door, then went past him into the warm sunlight.

  Quinn stopped the pilot as he turned back toward the cockpit. “Jack, when are you heading back to Chicago?”

  “In the morning. It’ll take most of the afternoon to service the plane. Duncan booked a room for us at a motel near here.”

  He nodded. “Have a safe flight back.”

  “Thank you, sir. And you have a pleasant vacation.”

  Duncan was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and Quinn glanced at his watch as he joined him. “Let’s grab something to eat before we head out. I don’t want to get there right at lunch time.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  * * * * *

  “I’ve never been to the mountains before,” Duncan commented as they headed north on Antelope Flats Road, leaving the town of Jackson behind them. “It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic. It kind of feels like they’re falling on you.”

  “I think most people feel that way at first. You get used to it.” Quinn looked out at the majestic peaks of the Grand Tetons, Rendezvous Mountain towering in the distance. Snow still covered the higher slopes, the sun causing the white powder to glimmer with sparkles of light.

  “I guess you spent a lot of time here when you were growing up. Strange, but Edward never struck me as the type of person who would enjoy a
place like this.”

  Quinn smiled sardonically. “He didn’t. It was my mother who loved it. My grandfather bought her the ranch as a wedding gift. Until she died, we stayed here every summer and holiday.”

  “And this is where you met your wife?”

  His wife. A strange tickle of emotion ran through Quinn. He’d spent every day since the accident trying to make himself believe that Lanie was no longer his wife. But she had been, even if they hadn’t realized it, and Duncan’s words brought all those possessive instincts surging back to life. His wife, his child.

  “Yeah.” He traced his scar with one finger. “Although at first she was just a pest. She was only fourteen. I was eighteen. Her parents had died a few months before and she’d moved in with her grandparents, the Howells. Their place was next to mine, so we were neighbors.” For the first time in years, he let himself remember the night he’d met Lanie, and a smile played around his lips as he related the incident to Duncan…

  ~~~~~

  Who would have thought prim, proper Susie Morsten would be so hot, so uninhibited? Or maybe she just got her rocks off because they were practically in public. He knew some women did, had even participated with a few of them, although he personally preferred privacy.

  Yeah, it sure looked to be a good summer, even if he’d had to blackmail Edward into letting him spend it here in Wyoming. His father thought he should work at the company, waste his last few months of freedom before college started in the fall.

  For once, Quinn had stood up to him, threatening to withdraw from college if he weren’t allowed to spend summers at the ranch. And for once, Edward had realized he wasn’t bluffing. He’d meant every word. His father hadn’t given in gracefully, but he had given in and that was the only thing that mattered.

  Trying to ignore the burning ache in his groin, he glanced around the dark balcony of the only theater in town. There were only a few couples scattered through the seats, most preferring the bottom floor. As far as he could tell, no one was paying any attention to them.

  While Susie’s panting breath slowed, he kept his hand cupped on her. Her head was buried in his neck, his free arm around her shoulders, his hand inside her blouse as he teased a plump nipple.

  As soon as he was sure she’d recovered enough, he let his fingers do the walking. Instantly, she arched into his hand, another moan quivering from her lips.

  “God, Quinn. Are you trying to kill me?”

  “If you want me to stop, just say the word,” he murmured.

  “No,” she gasped. “Don’t stop. There. Oh, yes, Quinn. Yes.”

  A high-pitched, mocking voice came from right behind them. “Oh, yes, Quinn. Yes. Don’t stop, Quinn.”

  Quinn froze.

  “Man, you two are so disgusting. Why don’t you get a room? Hasn’t it occurred to you that some people would actually like to watch the movie?”

  He turned his head enough to identify the small figure as female. From her size, a very young female, although her words indicated she might be older than she looked. “Go play with yourself, kid.”

  “At least, if I feel the urge, I’ll do it in private,” she shot back. “Watching that kind of stuff could warp my delicate psyche, you know.”

  In spite of his irritation, Quinn couldn’t stop his lips from twitching. The kid had a smart mouth on her, that was for sure.

  “Come on, Quinn. Let’s get out of here.” As they stood Susie shot a glare at the girl. “You breathe one word of this, Lanie Stewart and I’ll know where to come looking.”

  Even in the dark, he could see the girl’s gray eyes widen in mock innocence. “Leaving on my account, Susie? You sure ‘Studly’ here can walk with that boner?”

  Damned if the kid wasn’t right. He could barely walk. He didn’t need to look down to know the bulge in his jeans was really obvious. Trying not to hobble, he followed Susie down the aisle, still chuckling over the kid’s remarks. He pitied the man who had to handle that one when she was full-grown…

  ~~~~~

  Duncan was laughing out loud by the time he finished the story. “When Lanie found out I lived next door, she spent the rest of the summer driving me nuts. Followed me everywhere, always smarting off about something. Almost ruined my love life, popping up at the damnedest times. But we wound up friends. Maybe because she didn’t know anyone else,” he mused.

  Friends right up until the time he’d realized that Lanie had done something no other woman had ever done to him before. She’d made him fall in love with her. It hadn’t been a stunning revelation, captured in a single instant of time. It had been a gradual thing, building up over the years as she’d matured. Looking back, he suspected a part of him had fallen in love with the flat-chested, skinny-as-a-rail kid he’d met that first summer.

  Now they had a child together. A child he was on his way to meet for the first time.

  * * * * *

  Lanie braced herself, leaned down, and snagged Zack around the waist as he darted past her, heading for the back door. “And just where do you think you’re going, cowboy?” She lifted him onto her hip in spite of his struggles to get free, and inhaled the sweet little boy aroma.

  “Mama!” His bottom lip extended in a pout. “I want to play with the puppies.”

  “Nap first, puppies later.” She ran a hand through the black hair that was so like Quinn’s.

  “But I promised Daisy I’d be back.”

  “I’m sure Daisy will understand. She’s probably got the puppies asleep by now, anyway.”

  His pout increased. “I could wake them up.”

  “That’s some lip you’ve got there. Think I need to help you hold it?” When he nodded, she gently grasped the bow shape with her thumb and index finger, causing Zack to collapse in giggles. It was a game they had played since he was a baby, and it never failed to make him laugh.

  She deposited him on the floor, giving him a playful swat on his tiny jeans-clad bottom to head him in the right direction. “Upstairs with you, sir.”

  “But I’m not sleepy.”

  Lanie smiled, knowing he’d be out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. “Tell you what. If you don’t want to sleep, you don’t have to, but Mr. Jingles is tired and he can’t rest without you. Why don’t you lie down with him for a few minutes and then you can get back up.”

  Mr. Jingles, a colorful harlequin made from parachute silk, was one of the first toys he’d ever had, and was still one of his favorites. When Zack had started walking, she’d only had to listen for the sound of the bells on the dolls shoes and hat to know where her son was currently located.

  Zack looked at her suspiciously. “You promise?”

  “Cross my heart.” She made an X on her chest.

  They had reached the stairs when the sound of a vehicle on the driveway drifted through the open windows at the front of the house.

  “Company!” Zack yelled with glee, making a U-turn and racing out the front door.

  Lanie sighed as she followed at a more sedate pace. She’d never get him to take that nap now. Unless it was Jared. He could get Zack to do almost anything. She hadn’t been expecting him until later tonight, but maybe he’d decided to stop in between calls.

  She heard the motor die. It didn’t really sound like Jared’s truck, she decided. For that matter, it didn’t sound like any of the vehicles she was familiar with. She quickened her pace and pushed the screen door open.

  Zack was standing uncertainly halfway between the porch and the black Jeep Cherokee, and a tingle of anxiety ran over her as she moved closer. Her son tended to be way too trusting of strangers.

  “Zack.”

  He ignored her, his gaze fixed on the Jeep as the passenger door began to open. The windows were tinted, and she could barely make out the shape of two people inside, but suddenly she knew. Even as Quinn unfolded his body from the seat and stood, her heart slammed into her throat.

  Zack. Oh, god. He wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready for this. Somehow she kep
t her feet moving until she was standing behind her son. Shakily, she rested a hand on his shoulder, as much to comfort herself as him.

  “Quinn. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  Quinn felt like he was drowning. Each breath was labored and he’d broken out in a sweat. One hand gripped the top of the door so tightly his knuckles turned white. He couldn’t take his eyes off the little boy in front of him. Zack. Lanie had called him Zack. His hungry gaze devoured every detail from the miniature boots to the thick mop of black hair. He didn’t look like either Lanie or himself, Quinn realized. Instead, he was a mixture of both. His wide gray eyes and firm chin were definitely Lanie’s, but that dark hair and straight nose mimicked Quinn’s own. He ached to hold him, to just touch him, but he knew instinctively it would be the wrong thing to do right now.

  Zack studied him just as intently, and Quinn fought for control. Leaning down slightly, he smiled. “Hi there, Zack. Do you know who I am?”

  The little boy nodded. “You’re my daddy. Aren’t you busy anymore?”

  “Busy?”

  “Mama said the reason you never come to see me is because you’re real busy.”

  A wave of dizziness swept over him, threatening to bring him to his knees. “No,” he said softly. “I’m not busy anymore. I don’t plan on being busy for a long time. As a matter of fact, I thought I’d hang around here for a while, if that’s okay with you.”

  “I have to ask Mama before I invite guests to stay.” He was leaning back against Lanie’s legs. “Who’s he?” He pointed at Duncan, who had come around the Jeep.

  “This is a good friend of mine. His name is Duncan.”

  Duncan held out his hand for Zack to shake. “Hi, Zack. How’s it going?”

  “Okay.” Zack released his hand and stuck one finger in his mouth before suddenly remembering his earlier mission. He looked back at Quinn. “I’ve got puppies. Want to go see them?”

  Lanie cupped his cheek. “Not right now, sweetie. I need to talk to…your father…first. Why don’t you take Duncan to see them?”

  The little boy looked up at Duncan. “You want to see my puppies?”