Page 33 of Quinn

He bobbed his head at her and holding the menu, looked over the edges at her. “You go do you. I’ll be fine.”

Oh how she hoped so. At first her brother had seemed so relieved to be in Texas, but things weren’t coming together the way she’d imagined. Something was bothering him, she knew it, could feel it in her bones, but didn’t have a clue what to do or say about any of it. Was it the lack of therapy, or had moving him here been a mistake? And who was that letter from that seemed to have nudged him into a darker place? Taking a second to give him a fast kiss on the cheek, she spun about and chiding herself for worrying too much, returned to the kitchen, catching Quinn watching her. When their eyes met, his expression softened. She wondered if that kiss still lingered on his lips the same way it had on hers. More than once she’d been tempted to lift her fingers to her mouth and make sure she hadn’t dreamt the whole moment. Though if she were honest with herself, except for her concerns over Danny, everything else in her life right now seemed like a dream. What had she done to deserve this place, this man?

The crowds had thinned. To Quinn’s amazement, even though the restaurant officially closed at 9 p.m., at 8:55 folks were still coming in to be seated. From the murmurs he’d heard, the restaurant was going to be a huge success. It already was.

From where Quinn sat with his family, he’d noticed Danny slip in quietly and settle in a small corner table. When he’d stood to invite Eloise’s brother to join them, his aunt, the mind reader that she seemed to be, grabbed his wrist and shook her head.

If there was one thing he’d learned as a kid and been reminded of as an adult, it was never argue with Aunt Eileen—you will definitely lose. So he’d kept one eye on Danny, and enjoyed his meal with his family. Now that everyone else at the table had said their good-nights, thanks to the long drive back home and children rising early in the morning and dragging their parents out of bed, maybe now was the time to approach Danny.

A second dessert in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, he weaved his way to the corner table. “I’ve been abandoned. Mind if I join you?”

Having kept his back to the Farradays most of the night, Danny glanced over his shoulder and spotted the now empty table. He hesitated a bit longer than Quinn would have liked, but finally nodded. “Sure.”

“Thanks. I’d have looked awfully silly all by myself at that big table, and I’d only get in the way if I retreated to the kitchen.”

“Everyone seems to be having a good time.” Danny fiddled with a dessert spoon.

Quinn nodded and stabbed at his crème brûlée with his own spoon. “Have you tried this?”

“Not here, but I’ve had El’s crème brûlée. It’s definitely five stars.”

“Six,” Quinn deadpanned, delighted to see a twinkle in Danny’s eyes that matched the twitch in his smile.

“You like her, don’t you?” Danny said.

“Of course I do. Everyone likes your sister.”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” The smile had slipped, but the darkness in his eyes had disappeared. He was in protective big brother mode.

Holding his spoon over the creamy dessert, Quinn heaved a sigh and looked up at Danny. “Yes. I like your sister.”

Their gazes level, Danny studied him longer than Quinn liked. “You do know, if you hurt her, I’ll see to it there’s hell to pay.”

“I’m not going to hurt her.” The words tumbled out before he even had time to think about it. If anything, he was more worried that she’d give up on Texas, go back to Chicago or some other place more exciting than this corner of the world, and leave his heart shattered in itty-bitty pieces.

Danny suddenly leaned back, his shoulders the most relaxed that they’d been all night, his eyes pensive, serious, and suddenly sparkling. “You love her.”

It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway. Until now, he hadn’t wanted to admit that even to himself, but this was no time to be kidding anyone. Not her brother, and not himself. “I’ve never met anyone like her.”

“They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Danny offered his first sincere smile in days.

“Not to be trite, but like the movie said: She had me at hello.” He debated whether or not to pry, but everyone had been tiptoeing around Danny for days. “Want to tell me why you sat all by yourself?”

“No.”

“Okay.” Quinn stabbed at his dessert again, afraid to look up. “You got a problem with me and your sister?”

The silence hung so long that Quinn raised his gaze to meet Danny’s. Dark eyes, lacking all light stared at him. Danny was fighting his own private battle and Quinn didn’t have a clue what to say or how to help.

“No.” Danny heaved a sigh. “I think this is where my sister belongs.” His gaze darted around the new restaurant. “Here, in Texas. Here with you.”

Something in Danny’s tone raised the hackles on Quinn’s neck. “And you? Do you belong here?”

His gaze dropping to the dessert again, Danny stared long and hard before blowing out a slow shallow breath. “You know, I think I may have a dessert after all.”

Quinn didn’t know what demons the man was battling. He wished that he, his family, and Eloise could talk Danny into giving Hannah and the horses a chance to ease whatever troubles seemed to be fighting him. Quinn understood that they needed to be patient, but he couldn’t help but think something was bringing Danny down and if he gave up on his sister and this town, it would break Eloise’s heart, and Quinn wouldn’t be able to handle that. Somehow, he had to find a way to help save Danny from himself. He just had to.

Chapter Fifteen

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