The Texan's Promise. Jolene Navarro
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Название: The Texan's Promise
Автор: Jolene Navarro
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9780008906252
isbn:
He frowned and looked at the screen. She always answered. He tried again.
His heart raced. Gina was alone with Jonah. Thoughts swirled of all the possibilities. His son was only four; if something happened to his grandmother, he wouldn’t know what to do.
Another call came in. It was a local area code. No one around here had a reason to call him this late.
Controlling his breath, he answered. “Quinn here.”
“Oh, Quinn. I was having a hard time remembering your number.” He relaxed a little at the sound of his mother-in-law’s voice. “We’re fine, but there’s been a little accident.”
The calm was short-lived. “Where’s Jonah? What kind of accident? Why are you calling on someone else’s phone?” A million worst-case scenarios ran through his brain. He knew how life could change in one blinding second.
The rain slammed against the roof as the wind picked up. He couldn’t hear what she said. “Where are you?” His instinct to get in the Land Rover and go to them needed to be controlled. He needed facts. Then he would know what to do next.
“The sheriff has us in his car. He’s very nice.” Her accent started slipping through. She’d been eight when her grandparents had brought her to the States from Japan. Her accent surfaced only when she was tired or anxious.
He wanted to yell at her, but she was talking, so it couldn’t be that bad. “What happened?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Lightning maybe? But there’s a little fire at the back of the house. I dropped my phone when I grabbed Jonah. You aren’t breathing, are you? Son, the important part is that we are okay. So, breathe.”
No, he wasn’t breathing. His son had been in danger, and he hadn’t been there to keep him safe. For a moment, fear of what could have happened gripped him. He had promised his wife that he’d always protect their children. She had died holding their newborn son in her arms.
Now he had two jobs: take care of their family and grow the Yamazaki Marine Foundation, his wife’s legacy. His mother-in-law trusted him with the foundation her husband had started, which had then been expanded under Quinn’s wife’s leadership.
“Quinn. We’re safe and waiting for you here with the nice sheriff. Bye.” She hung up.
He stared at his phone. Gina Yamazaki, his mother-in-law, was counting on him for so much, maybe more than he could accomplish. His wife and her father had been geniuses, way above anything he could do. But with them gone, it was up to him to continue the work they’d begun.
Protecting the oceans around the world hadn’t just been a job for them; it had been their life’s passion. His father-in-law had sold the family business and put all his wealth into the Foundation.
Quinn glanced at the woman who had stirred unexpected thoughts and gritted his teeth. He needed to stay focused on the job. Distractions were dangerous all the way around.
A gentle touch brought Quinn back to the arena. Thunder rumbled, sounding farther away than earlier.
Concern had Belle’s forehead creased. “Is everything okay?”
He lowered his voice so his girls wouldn’t hear. “There’s a fire at my house.”
Belle’s startled gasp caught everyone’s attention. She waved off their questioning glances. “It’s okay.” Her grip on his arm tightened. She leaned closer. “Do you need to go?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Everyone’s fine, right?”
He nodded. “My mother-in-law and son are with the sheriff. I don’t know anything other than that. I need to make sure they’re safe.” He glanced at his girls.
“They can still go with me. I’ll have Xavier follow us out, and I’ll call you as soon as we get there.” She held out her hand. “Give me your phone and I’ll put my number in your contacts. I won’t say anything to them. Is there anything else I can do?”
“Find me a place to live?” he half joked. His kids were homeless in the middle of a storm.
Sorry, Kari. His wife had been gone for almost five years now, but it seemed that every time he turned around, he was finding new ways to disappoint her. He jabbed his fists deep into his jacket pockets, fighting the need to rush out of here, but there was nothing he could do. He gritted his teeth. The girls needed to be in a safe place, too.
“That rental was hard enough to find.” He watched her fingers type her number into his phone. They were strong hands, capable. But gentle when she was soothing a scared horse or a terrified man.
“I might be able to help you with that. We have a few bunkhouses and cabins on the ranch. We’re on the Diamondback Ranch.”
His breath seized somewhere between his lungs and his throat. She couldn’t have said what he thought she said.
“We are a bit out of town, but as you’ve pointed out, there aren’t many options in Port Del Mar.”
Right. It would be ironic if he ended up living there. Should he tell her that was the reason he was in town? He hadn’t gathered all the facts yet, but the Diamondback Ranch had one of the longest privately owned beaches on the Texas side of the Gulf Coast. And it wasn’t developed yet. He was here to ensure it never would be.
Jazz joined them, cutting off anything he might say. “What’s going on?”
“There’s been an emergency at Quinn’s house. I’m taking the girls to the ranch.” Her gaze sought his. “Right?”
He nodded.
“What kind of emergency?” Jazz asked. “Is it medical? Should you go with him?”
He broke eye contact with Belle and looked at Jazz in confusion.
The petite woman pointed to Belle. “She’s one of our county’s backup EMTs and an official Red Cross volunteer. She’s not on call tonight, but she’s the perfect person to have on-site. Xavier and I can drive the girls and horses to the ranch.”
Belle’s hand tightened on his bicep again. The contact shouldn’t have comforted him. “Will that work? I can go with you.”
“Yeah. I need to be there. She says they’re fine, but—”
“I get it.”
Quinn pulled out his keys to unlock his Land Rover and was surprised to see his hands shaking. He had lost the stupid key fob a few months ago. He should have taken the time to replace it.
Belle had gone to get something out of her truck and was now talking to her girls. Raising her head, she made eye contact with him. The keys fell out of his grip. Picking them up, he tried unlocking his door again.
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