As they made their way back to his car, he kept his gaze away from the house they had moved into less than a month ago. His goal was to get to know the people of the community and the land. Right now, he wanted his family in one safe place where he could see them and hold them.
With everyone secured, they drove out of town.
“I smell like smoke,” Gina said from the back, next to a now sleeping Jonah. Turning in his seat, Quinn reached over and placed a hand on her knee. Order and control were her happy places. She twisted her wedding ring as she stared out the window.
Belle made brief eye contact. “It’s been a trying night. Once you get settled in the cabin, you can take a nice, warm shower. Jazz is more your size, Gina. She has some extra clothes at the ranch that will fit you. The cabins are one room with a loft. There’s a double in the room with two bunk beds upstairs, and the sofa folds out into a bed. There’s only one bathroom, but it’s big. We’ll get the kitchen stocked for you. You’ll be able to stay as long as you need.”
“How much longer until we’re there?”
“We’re about twenty minutes out of town. Another fifteen, and we’ll be there. It’s the Diamondback Ranch.”
Her eyes went big. “Diamondback? Is that the—”
“It’s your family’s ranch?” He didn’t want Gina to say too much yet. Not until he could figure out what direction they were going to go. There was a lot of shoreline to explore, and her ranch was a part of it. How much of a part?
She took some time answering. He wasn’t sure if it was the weather she was driving through or the question.
“Yes. Frank De La Rosa ran it for the last twenty-five years, but he passed away recently. It’s complicated. He was my uncle—my mother’s brother—but raised my brother and me along with his kids. If you had any dealings with him, I’ll apologize so we can move on.”
Quinn studied the woman driving. This was not going to go well. “We did know of Frank. I had spoken with him on the phone several times.” He had not been a pleasant man and had been putting roadblocks up.
Belle kept her focus on the road. The rain and winds had settled a bit, but it was still rough going. Why would he have had business with her uncle? Did they owe him money, and he was here to collect? Or was it worse? With her uncle, there was no telling.
Her stomach roiled. Everything was still unsettled with the ranch. They were at risk of losing it.
With her uncle’s death and her mother and cousin missing, the estate was a mess. Her mother owned part of it, but they hadn’t been able to find her. It had been over twenty years since she’d abandoned Belle and Elijah, and there’d been little contact since. For all they knew, the woman was dead.
Don’t borrow trouble where there is none. She took a deep breath to settle the nausea before it got out of control.
“Jazz said you’d been in town for almost a month. What brings you to Port Del Mar?” What she really wanted to know was the reason he had spoken with Frank.
“Business. I work in Houston with agencies that deal with marine conservation. Port Del Mar is small, but it’s a rich environment for many of our endangered species and fragile communities.”
Okay, that didn’t sound like it had anything bad to do with her uncle.
“So how long will you be staying?” She glanced at his son. “Cassie and Lucy didn’t say anything about seeing your kids in school. It’s a very small school, but we’re able to attract top-notch educators due to our lifestyle. People love the opportunity to live on the coast.”
“Each assignment is different. This one looks to be six months or so. Due to my work, it’s easier to homeschool.”
“Oh. There’s also a very active homeschool group. You probably already know that.”
“Yeah. They’ve been very welcoming.” He turned and checked on his son and mother-in-law again. He reached out and touched the older woman’s hand. She gripped it, but neither said a word.
The fact that he was so close to his mother-in-law said a lot about the man. It had to be death and not divorce that had separated him from his wife.
Thunder rattled the night, and Belle fixed her gaze on the road ahead. At least he wasn’t here because of some dark deal with her uncle. The last thing she needed right now was more complications with the ranch. She was barely hanging on as it was.
Quickly lifting a prayer of thanksgiving, she stopped the negative thoughts before they became a spiral of doom. There was so much to be grateful for. Her girls were healthy and happy. Their father wouldn’t be a threat any longer. He had built a life in another state.
More important, Xavier was home and Elijah was sober and reunited with his wife and daughter. The people she loved were safe and close in her orbit.
“You’ll be able to stay in the cabin as long as you need. It’s not as big as the house you rented, but long-term rentals are impossible to find. If it won’t work for you, there are more options across the bridge. It’s not that far of a drive.”
“I like to stay in the community where I’m doing the work. Plus, we’re water people. The closer to the water we are, the happier we are. Most of my childhood summers were spent in South Padre. Plus, my kids are used to being close to the ocean.”
Gina leaned forward. “My husband started the Yamazaki Marine Foundation in Houston. Then my daughter took over when we lost him. Now Quinn runs it. The ocean has always been a family mission.”
Lightning danced across the sky, but it was in the distance now. The rumbling of the thunder subdued as she turned into the ranch. A trumpet blared into the car, and Quinn pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“That’ll get your attention,” she laughed, after her racing heart settled.
“It’s the girls.” He lifted the phone to his ear. “Everything okay?”
He waited a bit. “Yes, we’re staying on the ranch. Baba and Jonah are fine, but there was a fire at the house. It’s going to be okay. We’re at the ranch entryway. I’ll explain everything when we get there. It should be soon.”
“Less than five minutes,” Belle told him.
He smiled and nodded at her. “Okay. Yes. Baba and Jonah are fine. I’ll let her know. I love you more. See you in a minute.” With a heavy sigh, he lowered the phone. “Mr. De La Rosa said to meet him at Cabin Two.”
She frowned. “Mr. De La Rosa?” He knew her uncle was dead. “Oh, Xavier?” She laughed. “I’ve never heard him referred to as ‘Mr.’”
“He owns the ranch now, right?”
“His father was Frank, so he and Damian have more rights to the ranch than I do. My grandfather gave seventy-five percent to his son and twenty-five percent to his daughter, my mother.” She tightened her lips. Why was she offering him information?
“But you run it?”
From the corner of her eye, she saw the intensity of his eyes as he studied her. “I manage the ranch. The daily running. We’re trying to locate my mother so that we can...” She wanted to slam her head against the steering wheel. She didn’t talk family business with anyone. If she did, she’d have to explain why they were trying to get their mother taken off all family holdings. She didn’t want to say that she couldn’t