Ransom Canyon (21 page)

A slow smile twisted Lloyd’s face. “How about we talk about this over a drink after the concert? I’m stopping over tonight in Lubbock before I fly out tomorrow. I’ll make great money on this tour, and I might be talked into letting you tag along. It could prove very interesting.”

Quinn turned away, not even bothering to answer him.

Lloyd did what Staten had been waiting for. He took a step toward her. Almost dragging the sheriff with him, Staten blocked the pianist’s path. His right hand doubled into a fist. One blow was all he needed to rearrange the master’s face.

Quinn glanced back and raised her hand, silently stopping him for a second. She’d done what she’d come to do. She’d won. There was no need for him to hurt Lloyd because the man could no longer hurt her.

In that one lost moment, Miss Abernathy seemed to fly in from the wings. The woman who’d told everyone in town how great Lloyd was now looked like an old avenging angel about to rain all hell down on the man.

The curtains began to open as Lloyd snapped, yelling that he was leaving this nothing town and all the crazy hicks who lived in this middle-of-nowhere place. He swore these people wouldn’t know great music if they heard it. It would be a waste for him to play. He was meant for the palaces of Europe, not the crossroads to nowhere.

Miss Abernathy told him to get out, but Lloyd kept yelling, telling everyone in the audience what a waste of his valuable time it would be to play for people who were no more than clods on the earth.

Yancy Grey and a few others stood up and started arguing with the master, claiming he looked ridiculous in his monkey suit and long hair.

Miss Abernathy must have become aware of the fact that her concert might develop into a wrestling match at any moment. She ran out the back door crying. She passed Miss Bees, who was waving her hockey stick at the master, calling him every name she could think of.

Staten pulled Quinn backward into the curtains and hugged her tight. “I’m proud of you,” he whispered. “I’m so proud of you.” He didn’t care about the concert or the riot going on.

She smiled up at him. “Do you think we should save Lloyd before this crowd lynches him?”

“No. He’s digging his own grave. Give him time.”

Staten kissed her gently, then rushed with her to the back door, where a terrible pounding noise had started.

The moment he saw what was happening, Staten froze.

She peeked around him. “What are those ladies doing?”

The pounding was as steady as a heartbeat as Miss Bees swung her golf club against the BMW. “It’s good for working off your anger. Try the bat, Beverly. I’ve already broken the hockey stick.”

Miss Abernathy raised a baseball bat and whacked the taillight out, then giggled “You’re right. I feel better all ready.”

Lloyd must have heard the pounding for he rushed through the open door and started screaming. Apparently the sheriff was already outside in the shadows just watching. Lloyd demanded the officer do something. While the pounding continued, Dan pulled out his notepad to record the complaint.

Staten closed the heavy door to the outside and smiled. The demolition might still be going on, but no one inside would hear it. “We owe these people a concert, Quinn. Play for them the way you played for me the other night. They deserve to hear a real master play.”

“I can’t,” she whispered as he tugged her to the piano.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we don’t need to bring someone in to play beautiful music. We have our own gifted pianist.” He sat her on the piano bench. “Maybe, just maybe, she’ll play tonight.”

Quinn didn’t move. She just sat perfectly still and stared out at the packed house.

Staten waited for her to start. He knew he was taking a big risk, but it was for her. Nothing would remove the horror of what Lloyd had done to her like proving that he hadn’t taken her gift from her.

He waited.

Quinn seemed frozen.

Everyone in the auditorium was silent. They’d all heard Miss Abernathy talk about how Quinn had a great talent. They knew the story about how she’d quit school and returned without giving a reason. They all knew she refused to play in public.

No one in the seats beyond the footlights made a sound.

Taking a deep breath, Staten pulled his arm from the sling and moved to the huge piano. With his big hands on the side, he spun the baby grand around, then he took Quinn’s hand, tugged her to her feet and moved the stool so that her back was to the audience.

When he lowered her back to the bench, he whispered, “Play for me, Quinn. Play only for me.”

Dragging a folding chair onstage so that Quinn could see him and he could see all the people behind her, he waited.

Finally, she straightened her back and lifted her hands to the ivories.

Complete silence greeted the soft music drifting through the air. Slowly it grew until her melody filled every inch of the huge space, circling around everyone in the room.

Staten crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He never stopped smiling as she played.

Deep inside him all the wounds he’d refused to let heal vanished. One shy lady with her gentle ways and magic had coaxed his heart into beating again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Staten

A
N
HOUR
LATER
,
Staten and Quinn sat in the sheriff’s office trying to keep their hands off each other while the sheriff tried to sort out everything that had happened at the concert.

All Staten wanted to do was hold Quinn, but the twenty people crammed into the office and the reception area were in his way. She’d stood up to her demons and won. She’d played just for him, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was gifted or that Quinn O’Grady was his woman.

“I need to talk to you,” he whispered.

“I know. Me, too, but we can’t leave all these people.” Quinn grinned. “I’m afraid this is worse than splashing red soda on everyone. The sheriff looks like he’s thinking of resigning his post. He keeps glaring at us as if he thinks all these people going crazy is somehow our fault.”

“How could it be our fault? We’re the only two in the room who didn’t want deBellome here in the first place. If Miss Bees and Miss Abernathy hadn’t heard what Lloyd said to you, I could have handled him quietly. I would have only broken a few bones.”

Quinn nodded. “Everyone knows Miss Bees has a temper. But I’ve never known of a time where she’s actually hurt anyone, or damaged property. With a swing like hers, she should go pro.”

Staten grinned. “She sure damaged that little car. It’ll have to be towed.”

“I was shocked when Miss Abernathy joined her. In a few minutes they turned from two senior citizens into Butch and Sundance.”

He glanced over at the piano teacher. Miss Abernathy was in handcuffs and smiling. Everyone who walked by got the whole story about how one of her students was a great pianist. She told everyone she always knew Quinn had it in her. The dear seemed to have forgotten her own criminal activity during Quinn’s concert. Miss Abernathy’s back was straight and proud, and she didn’t seem to mind that her silver bracelets were connected and locked together.

She may have only been able to hear the last few minutes of the concert because she and Miss Bees were busy. But she had no doubt that she’d heard a master play.

“We stopped when the sheriff threatened to lock us up,” Miss Bees said to Leo when he passed her a cup of coffee. “I’ve got a temper, and I didn’t like that guy one bit. He seemed to think his car was more important than one of my students, and I won’t stand for that.”

All the teachers in the room nodded their agreement.

“Leo says we’re going up the river,” Miss Abernathy whispered loud enough for most of the room to hear. “Oh, Miss Bees, I don’t think I’ll do well there.”

“Well,” the former physical education teacher said with her head up, “all I got to say is they’d better have clean sheets. I’m not sleeping on bedbugs.”

Yancy Grey and Ellie were down the line of folding chairs from the two delinquents charged with destruction of property. “They don’t have bedbugs, Miss Bees. They spray the cells down.”

“How do you know that, Yancy?” Miss Bees yelled. “You done a world tour of the prison system, have you?”

“Nope,” he said. “I’m just guessing.” Yancy tried to go back to talking to Ellie.

Miss Bees wasn’t finished. “What are you two doing here anyway? Yancy, you and Ellie haven’t done anything wrong. Go home.”

“We’re witnesses,” Yancy said. “I’m just a regular citizen here to do my duty.”

Ellie shook her head. “I didn’t see anything but that funny-looking guy fall down the stairs.”

Staten had been watching them and decided the trip to the sheriff’s office was simply part of their first date. Ellie had had to help get deBellome in the ambulance, but Yancy was tagging along. The two could have left the office, but they seemed to think this was an after-the-performance party. All the others who lived at the Evening Shadows Retirement Community must have a pack mentality.

Dan Brigman stood on a chair. “All right, everyone, I need silence.”

Everyone agreed to give him the floor.

“First, if Mr. deBellome presses charges, I’m going to have to arrest several of you.”

“For what?” Cap yelled from his seat near the door. “All we did is throw out the trash after he tumbled down the stairs.”

Everyone laughed except the sheriff.

“Miss Abernathy, did you knowingly and willingly destroy property?”

The old piano teacher smiled. “I did my best.”

The sheriff shook his head. “What about you, Miss Bees? Why’d you go along with such a crazy action?”

Miss Bees puffed up. “I didn’t go along with anything. I’m the one who started it. I guessed the idiot would hurry out if he thought his car was in danger. Besides, he’s the one who gave me the idea. When he strutted in late to his own concert, he pointed one of his long fingers at me and told me to make sure no one touched his car, like I was working for him.”

Dan looked as if he was aging by the minute. “Look, ladies, I think we can work this out without charges being filed. I can’t imagine the famous Lloyd deBellome wanting it known that two ladies like yourselves got mad enough to do damage. The press would love that story.”

He raised his voice and continued, “What I need to know is which one of you tripped the pianist on the back steps leading off the dock? I was trying to stop Miss Bees from taking another swing while he was yelling that a few of you men were standing in his way.” The sheriff pointed to Cap, Leo and Mr. Halls. “The next thing I knew he was tumbling down the stairs.”

“Where is the bastard anyway?” Cap shouted. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Dan glared at Cap. “You know where he is. Ellie and Yancy loaded him in the ambulance. He’s on his way to the hospital with a broken nose and a busted knee and who knows what else. I suspect a few of his wounds may have occurred while all of you were rushing in to help him up.” The sheriff pointed his finger from one senior citizen to another.

Staten swore that everyone looked guilty, even his granny.

“Now, back to my questions. When the dust cleared, all you folks from the retirement community were standing around. Anyone of you, except Miss Bees, could have tripped him. So, who did it?”

The room was silent for a few seconds, then Mr. Halls shouted, “What’d he say?”

“He wants to know which one of us tripped the bastard,” Cap yelled.

The old principal, dressed in one of the suits he’d once walked the hallways in, stood. “I tripped him with my cane,” he shouted. “I’m the leader, so I’ll do the time.”

“No, you didn’t,” Mrs. Kirkland announced. “I shoved him over with my walker. I was the one closest to him.”

Staten would have told his granny to stop lying, but he wasn’t too sure.

One by one, each resident stood and confessed. Even Miss Bees claimed she swung her golf club, when the sheriff wasn’t looking, and did the deed.

Mrs. Butterfield, who hadn’t been following the conversation, stood with the others and said whatever it was, she was sure she was guilty. Mrs. Butterfield never talked much, but apparently she didn’t want to be left out. She also offered to bring pies to serve at the trial if someone else would provide the plates, napkins and forks.

Dan gave up. “Yancy, help these folks to their cars and see they all get home. We’ll sort this out in the morning.”

“But...”

“No buts, Yancy. You’re my deputy as of right now. Get all these criminals home.”

Yancy didn’t look too happy but seemed to cheer up a bit when Ellie offered to help. One by one Staten watched the old folks leave. They were fighters, rabble-rousers and heroes. He could see why his granny had wanted to live with them. Even at twice his age, they were far more fun to be around than he must be.

When they were gone, Dan collapsed in his chair. “I can’t arrest any of them.”

Staten shook his head. “You going to bring them in one at a time and interrogate them?”

“Nope. It would be a waste of time.” The sheriff propped his boots on his desk. “I’ll drop by and visit with Lloyd tomorrow. When he finds out we had several witnesses to what he said to Quinn, he’ll drop any charges. He can’t prove someone actually tripped him, and his insurance will probably pay for his car being vandalized.”

“Sounds like he’s getting off easy,” Staten said.

Quinn shook her head. “There were enough reporters there that word will get out about him refusing to play.”

Dan nodded. “I think I even saw one getting tape of them loading him up. He was cussing the town, the state and old folks. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone didn’t record him shouting at the audience. It’ll be all over the news by dawn.”

Quinn added matter-of-factly, “He’ll have to cancel some, if not all, of his tour to recover. He’s so vain I can’t see him playing at all until his nose heals. The promoters will probably replace him and sue him for breach of contract.”

“So, you’re saying his career is over?” the sheriff asked.

She nodded. “Maybe so. If he was young, he might outlive the way he acted, but not now. If the school in New York gets wind of how he yelled and cussed onstage, he’ll lose his teaching job, as well. I’ll bet Miss Abernathy will make that call first thing in the morning.”

Dan looked at Quinn and changed the subject. “I’m sorry I was out back and didn’t get to hear you play.”

She laughed, suddenly nervous. “If you had been inside, there’s no telling what Miss Bees and Miss Abernathy would have done.”

Dan leaned forward and took her hand. “If you ever play again, I’d love to hear it.”

“I’ll invite you.” She smiled. “I promise.”

Staten felt a shock of pure jealousy for the first time in his life. If it had happened when he’d been a teen he would have been ready to fight, but at forty-three he knew if he said anything, he’d only look like a fool. Dan Brigman was Quinn’s friend, and he was just being nice. Or at least he’d better be
just being nice
.

Staten stood, took Quinn’s free hand and started toward the door. “If you don’t need us, I think Quinn and I will call it a night.”

Dan’s grin was almost wicked. “I knew you two were a couple when you knocked her door off the frame that day I was in the barn, but I guess everyone in town knows it after tonight.”

Staten didn’t slow as Quinn said, “What day did you knock my door down?”

“Thanks, Sheriff,” Staten yelled back, knowing he’d have to come up with an answer fast.

“Anytime, Kirkland.” Dan laughed.

* * *

Q
UINN
WALKED
UP
the steps to her porch, leading Staten into her little house decorated in a style he would never fit into. She couldn’t stop smiling, even when she finally turned to him.

Staten puffed up like a bear ready to fight. “If you won’t come back to the ranch with me, I’m staying here tonight.” Staten stood his ground. “There will be no leaving you alone tonight, Quinn.”

She lifted her chin. “You’re putting your foot down, are you, Staten?”

“Nope. I’m putting my whole body down next to you. I don’t care if we talk or make love or just go to sleep. I’m going to be with you tonight, and that’s the way it is.”

“I kind of like that idea myself. It won’t be easy with your wounded shoulder, but we’ll make it work.”

Staten looked surprised he won. He didn’t seem to know what else to say. “I can’t do a very good job of undressing you with this arm in a sling. You may have to do most of that yourself.”

“You moved a piano for me. Surely you can remove a few clothes.”

Still frowning, he winked at her.

She laughed. “And if you’re sleeping in my bed, we’re making love. I’m putting my foot down, Staten, that’s the way it is.”

Finally he smiled, obviously knowing she was mocking him. Knowing that his rough demand didn’t frighten her one bit. “Is that an order, Quinn?”

“Yes. If I’m going to put up with you for the next fifty or sixty years, I need to have some say.”

He watched her every move. “How you going to put up with me if you refuse to live in my house? If you won’t come to me, I promise you I could never live in this little dollhouse of a place with its tiny bathroom and kitchen so small we keep bumping into each other.” He smiled. “Correction, the bumping into part isn’t so bad to put up with.”

Quinn wanted to bring an end to the discussion that seemed to have no answer. She tugged her top off and Staten seemed to lose the power to speak.

She waited.

Finally, he whispered, “Your breasts are so beautiful. You are so beautiful.”

She took his hand and led him to the bedroom. While he studied her, she undressed him. Then she stood very still as he placed his hands on her waist and slid her silk slacks and panties down in one movement.

“Don’t hurt your shoulder,” she whispered.

“I swear, Quinn, this causes me no pain in my shoulder. I might have to do it as a regular exercise.”

They moved under the covers so that she rested on his good shoulder.

“I know most folks say I’m a cold man, Quinn.”

“You’ve never been cold with me, just silent sometimes. You’ve always been kind. Maybe not so much in words, but in your touch.”

“I need to say the words, if only once. You deserve as much and more. I want you in my life. I want you living at the Double K. I want to raise our child together and sleep with you every night. I want to see you in white in front of all our friends so we can promise forever.”

“You want a great deal, Staten.”

“It’s not just a need. I’m not alive if I’m not with you. I have to say it all. I love you, Quinn.”

She cuddled against him. “I know, Staten. I love you, too. I have for a long time. You may not know it, but you’re my hero. I might have been the one charging the dragon tonight, but you were the one who stood beside me ready to fight.”

“All the details can be talked about later, Quinn. Now is the time to show you how much you mean to me.”

His big hand moved over her in a gentle embrace. “I don’t want just to be in the corners of your world anymore. You’ve become my entire world.”

All night she’d held herself in check. She wouldn’t cry. She would not allow herself to break. Only now, as Staten began kissing her, she felt tears bubbling from her eyes.