for her and her family. If you know anything that might help us keep those kids safe—”
“Fine,” Old Quinn said. “I’ll talk to the bear.”
Allie smiled. “You can talk to us both.”
“Nope.” Old Quinn shook his head.
“Seriously?”
“Sean, take Miss Allie out on the front porch. Keep her company while Campbell and I talk.”
Allie narrowed her eyes. “You’re an old sexist, Joe Quinn.”
“Never claimed different. I’m as scared of an angry woman as any old man, but there are things you don’t need to know, and I’m not gonna tell Campbell if you’re here. You want the information or not?”
Allie considered whether she wanted to leave the two men alone with each of them glaring at the other, but Sean took her hand and lifted her from the couch.
“Come on. Let’s go look at the fascinating rocks.”
She frowned at him.
“Hey, they’re kicking me out too.” Sean winked at her and she let him help her up.
“Fine.”
Allie cast one last look at Ollie as she headed out the door, but his eyes were glued to the arm Sean had wrapped around her waist.
The two men couldn’t be more different. Sean was as charming and flirtatious as he was talkative. He’d left the Springs when he was just eighteen and hadn’t been back more than a few times. Ollie was quiet and steady, his presence and reputation in Cambio Springs as solid as the rocks that surrounded them.
Sean led her onto the porch and then off it, wandering a little distance to a picnic table under a clutch of cottonwood trees. He sat down and pulled her to his side, leaning against her shoulder with his own.
“How you doing with all this?” he asked her. “I haven’t talked to you in a while.”
“Okay, I guess. I’m… numb. I feel like it’s him. I don’t know why, it might not be, but—”
“I feel the same way. And… it fits.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whoever it was died about ten months ago, is that right?”
“That’s what Ted thought.”
“I talked to her and Alex about it.”
“And?”
Sean sighed and Allie leaned her head on his shoulder, at ease with him in a way she’d never been with Ollie.
Sean wasn’t like a brother—he’d always been too much of a flirt for that—but his affectionate, teasing nature made Allie comfortable. He was sweet with all his female friends, though she knew he was probably a terrible boyfriend.
“You and Joe…,” he started. “It’s hard. Because I got Joe, in a way. He never really wanted to be here, but unlike me, he wasn’t willing to work to get out. He did love you, Allie. He just wasn’t capable of being the man you deserved.”
She bit her lip to keep her temper. “He hated me at the end, Sean.”
“I know he wasn’t a good guy. He was a jackass to you and the kids. I’m just trying to tell you that once, he did love you. And I know he loved the kids, even though he was a shit dad. In his own way, he loved them.”
“What does that have to do with the body?”
He put his arm around her and said quietly, “Because I don’t think Joe would have left them for this long if he could have come back.”
Allie closed her eyes because it was the truth that had been lurking in the back of her mind that she didn’t want to admit.
Yes, her ex was a bastard. Yes, he was a crap husband.
But he did love his kids.
She blinked back tears and felt Sean’s arm squeeze her shoulders.
“You know that, right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I think he knew you guys were through. But he’d have come back to see the kids if he could have.”
She nodded and saw Ollie coming through the front door, eyes searching for her. He spotted them under the cottonwood trees and marched over.
“Why’s she upset, Sean?”
Sean’s back went straight. “We’re talking.”
“Yeah? That doesn’t answer my question.”
Allie wiped back tears. “Ollie, stop.”
“You’re laughing and teasing her all the time, but the minute you get her alone, she’s
“Fine,” Old Quinn said. “I’ll talk to the bear.”
Allie smiled. “You can talk to us both.”
“Nope.” Old Quinn shook his head.
“Seriously?”
“Sean, take Miss Allie out on the front porch. Keep her company while Campbell and I talk.”
Allie narrowed her eyes. “You’re an old sexist, Joe Quinn.”
“Never claimed different. I’m as scared of an angry woman as any old man, but there are things you don’t need to know, and I’m not gonna tell Campbell if you’re here. You want the information or not?”
Allie considered whether she wanted to leave the two men alone with each of them glaring at the other, but Sean took her hand and lifted her from the couch.
“Come on. Let’s go look at the fascinating rocks.”
She frowned at him.
“Hey, they’re kicking me out too.” Sean winked at her and she let him help her up.
“Fine.”
Allie cast one last look at Ollie as she headed out the door, but his eyes were glued to the arm Sean had wrapped around her waist.
The two men couldn’t be more different. Sean was as charming and flirtatious as he was talkative. He’d left the Springs when he was just eighteen and hadn’t been back more than a few times. Ollie was quiet and steady, his presence and reputation in Cambio Springs as solid as the rocks that surrounded them.
Sean led her onto the porch and then off it, wandering a little distance to a picnic table under a clutch of cottonwood trees. He sat down and pulled her to his side, leaning against her shoulder with his own.
“How you doing with all this?” he asked her. “I haven’t talked to you in a while.”
“Okay, I guess. I’m… numb. I feel like it’s him. I don’t know why, it might not be, but—”
“I feel the same way. And… it fits.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whoever it was died about ten months ago, is that right?”
“That’s what Ted thought.”
“I talked to her and Alex about it.”
“And?”
Sean sighed and Allie leaned her head on his shoulder, at ease with him in a way she’d never been with Ollie.
Sean wasn’t like a brother—he’d always been too much of a flirt for that—but his affectionate, teasing nature made Allie comfortable. He was sweet with all his female friends, though she knew he was probably a terrible boyfriend.
“You and Joe…,” he started. “It’s hard. Because I got Joe, in a way. He never really wanted to be here, but unlike me, he wasn’t willing to work to get out. He did love you, Allie. He just wasn’t capable of being the man you deserved.”
She bit her lip to keep her temper. “He hated me at the end, Sean.”
“I know he wasn’t a good guy. He was a jackass to you and the kids. I’m just trying to tell you that once, he did love you. And I know he loved the kids, even though he was a shit dad. In his own way, he loved them.”
“What does that have to do with the body?”
He put his arm around her and said quietly, “Because I don’t think Joe would have left them for this long if he could have come back.”
Allie closed her eyes because it was the truth that had been lurking in the back of her mind that she didn’t want to admit.
Yes, her ex was a bastard. Yes, he was a crap husband.
But he did love his kids.
She blinked back tears and felt Sean’s arm squeeze her shoulders.
“You know that, right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I think he knew you guys were through. But he’d have come back to see the kids if he could have.”
She nodded and saw Ollie coming through the front door, eyes searching for her. He spotted them under the cottonwood trees and marched over.
“Why’s she upset, Sean?”
Sean’s back went straight. “We’re talking.”
“Yeah? That doesn’t answer my question.”
Allie wiped back tears. “Ollie, stop.”
“You’re laughing and teasing her all the time, but the minute you get her alone, she’s
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