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Quin all but sputtered as her mind went places it had no business going, and all her feminine parts perked right up at the thought.
“And this investigation. You’ll work in conjunction with Child Protective Services from the Department of Human Services. The assigned CPS social worker will contact you. There is to be no direct contact with Mr. Tate unless you are present.”
The cop side of her brain finally overrode the rest. “Wait. What does that mean, exactly?”
“What it means—exactly—is that you need to work closely with Mr. Tate. He is not to be disturbed by CPS or any law-enforcement agency involved in this investigation. You’re point, Kincaid. You take any questions directly to him.”
Quin stared, working hard to keep her mouth from gaping. She finally uttered, “Are you kidding me?”
“This is not something to kid about.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
“Yes, there is a but, sir. I’m scheduled for vacation time next month.”
“Then you better get busy and find the mother, determine if Mr. Tate is the biological father and round up any other pertinent information.”
She sat there, staring, her brain emitting nothing but white noise as it tried to wrap itself around the situation.
“Dismissed, Kincaid.”
Quin rose, pivoted and headed for the door. The lieutenant’s voice stopped her just as her hand touched the knob.
“FYI, Kincaid. No leaks. If any information beyond what DPS releases about this investigation gets out, it’s all on your head.”
Her mouth felt numb, just like her semicoherent brain, but she muttered, “Yes, sir,” then exited. But the lieutenant still wasn’t done.
“You need to get out to Mr. Tate’s ranch and talk to him, Kincaid. Welfare check on the baby and all that. ASAP.”
Oh, whoop-de-do. She had plans for today and none of them included driving to Timbuktu to deal with a spoiled star. Except there was a baby involved and seriously, what single guy was truly capable of 24/7 child care?
First, she had to locate directions. Then she’d just drop in on the man himself. And give him a piece of her mind.
Five (#u2b75e558-cbc6-5eb7-8215-ea4157e80927)
When Quin pulled up in front of Deacon Tate’s gorgeous log home, she found a driveway full of vehicles. She parked at the end of the line and trudged past a dark-colored Dodge Challenger. She noted the manufacturer’s badges. It was an SRT Hellcat HEMI muscle car—a model that cost almost as much as she made in a year.
The next vehicle was far less flashy—a black Ford Expedition, platinum edition. A white four-wheel-drive Ford F-250 pickup with the emblem for Barron Exploration plastered on the door was parked close to the walkway leading to the front door. Next to it was a Lexus LX 570, its metallic pearl-white paint almost blinding in the bright winter sun.
So much for confronting Tate alone. Quin marched up the fieldstone walkway and stopped at the double-wide wooden doors. She looked but couldn’t find a doorbell, nor was there a door knocker—just a numeric keypad. Using the heel of her fist, she banged on the door.
A muffled voice called from inside. She pounded the door again. And waited. She had her hand on the handle when the door was jerked open. Off balance, she fell into a hard body. Muscular arms gripped Quin’s waist, steadying her. Heat spread from strong fingers, radiating through her Kevlar vest to tease her skin.
She looked up into a pair of star-sapphire eyes and got a little lost in their mysterious depths.
“Don’t just stand there, Deacon,” a woman’s voice ordered. “Let the poor girl in.”
“Certainly.” A boyish grin teased his mouth, and Quin’s heart did a funny little flutter kick. “Please come in, Trooper Kincaid. We were just having breakfast. Are you hungry?”
She was so focused on his mouth that her brain went to the one place she didn’t want it to go. She blinked to break the spell he’d cast. Quin once again considered the effect this man had on his female fans, and she frowned at the thought of the lingerie collection he and his bandmates probably laughed about.
“Quin?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Of course you are, hon. Come on in and sit. I’ll get you a plate.” The feminine voice came from inside the house and wasn’t asking.
Quin watched Deacon walk through the large open living area toward a fabulous kitchen. Like the rest of the house, it looked as if it should be the centerfold in a decorating magazine.
“Don’t dawdle, hon. Food’s gettin’ cold.”
As Quin trailed in Deacon’s wake, she studied the other people gathered around a granite island that looked big enough to land a small plane on. There were three men, two of whom she recognized from the previous night, and an older woman. The family resemblance was strong.
Deacon stopped at one of the bar stools and pulled it out for her. She settled on it and a plate heaped with bacon, sausages and eggs appeared in front of her. Deacon snagged flatware and a napkin—cloth—for her use.
“Share the biscuits and gravy, Cooper,” the woman said. “I’m Katherine Tate. I take it you’ve met my sons Deacon and Dillon. These are two of my other sons, Cooper and Bridger. Coffee or something else t’drink?”
Her head was spinning a little. “Oh, coffee, please.”
“Cream or sugar?”
She glanced at the oldest of the men present, though he wasn’t old. Quin guessed him to be in his midthirties. “A little sugar, please, and vanilla creamer if you have it.” She offered a tight smile to the men’s mother. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Tate. I’m Quincy Kincaid. I’ve been assigned by OHP as liaison on this case.”
Katherine’s eyes narrowed. “Case? This isn’t a case, Miz Kincaid. This is a little girl. Who has a name.” At that moment, a soft mewl issued from a soft-sided criblike thing Quin hadn’t noticed upon her arrival. “I’ll get the baby, Deacon. Finish your breakfast before it gets cold. And take your hat off, Miz Kincaid.”
Quin removed her hat and set it on the stool next to her. Ignoring the stares from Deacon’s brothers, she concentrated on the food in front of her. She forked eggs into her mouth and chewed carefully. The silence filling the room was so thick she could have been wearing earplugs. She couldn’t even hear the four men breathing and that was saying something.
The stalemate broke when Katherine Tate returned, the baby slung easily on one hip. Quin supposed that after seven sons, Mrs. Tate would have had lots of practice with infants. Transfixed, she watched as Deacon’s mother did a sort of slinking, rocking walk toward them. The woman was suddenly right there standing between her and Deacon.
“Here.” Mrs. Tate thrust the baby forward and Quin braced for it, figuring she was meant to be the recipient. But Deacon’s mom passed Noelle to him. Feeling idiotic, Quin let her arms fall to her sides and swiveled to stare at her plate.
“She’s clean. I’ll fix her another bottle but you feed her this time. Eat fast.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Deke muttered around a mouthful of biscuit.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“Yes, ma’am.” This time his voice was clear, his mouth empty.
Quin was fascinated. These men were all adults—well, all but Dillon maybe. He looked like a big man-child and she suspected that since he was the baby, he got away with everything. But it didn’t matter that they were grown and held impressive jobs; this woman owned them. Then again, it was rather cute the way they got all goofy and treated her with respect. They weren’t like Quin’s brothers in any way, shape or form. Then again, she and her siblings hadn’t grown up in the lap of luxury like the Tates.
Deacon scraped the last bite of eggs and potatoes off his plate, chewed vigorously and swallowed. She couldn’t take her eyes off his mouth or his throat. And she was impressed by the way he had the baby propped up on his lap and was holding her so confidently in the crook of his left arm.
Mrs. Tate handed the bottle and a clean dish towel to Deacon. “I’ll clear your plate. Go feed our little girl.”
“You sure you don’t wanna feed her, Mom?”
The woman looked aghast and wagged her index finger in his direction. “I only fed her this mornin’ because you hadn’t had your coffee, Deacon. I did my time with the seven of you. You’re on your own now.”
Quin stiffened when she realized Mrs. Tate was staring at her, the look in the older woman’s eyes speculative. She slid off the stool and picked up her plate to carry it...somewhere. The sink?
“Just leave it, hon. Coop and Bridge are on dish duty.”
The two brothers groaned but it was a good-natured sound, and Dillon gloated. His mother pointed at him. “You need to go get the trash in the nursery and take it out.”
“Aw, Mom,” Dillon protested.
She leveled a look at him that made Quin straighten her spine and bite her tongue to keep from offering to do it just so the woman would stop glaring.
“Quin?” Deacon called to her.
Whew. A reprieve. She hurried into the great room and stood near the large leather chair Deacon occupied. Noelle was draining her bottle with vigorous sucking noises. This was Quin’s chance to tell him what was going to happen and then leave. “Do you have a moment to talk? We have to get some things straight.”
He arched a brow and nodded toward the end of the couch nearest his chair. “So talk.”
Quin settled herself on the couch, cognizant of being the focus of attention—everyone’s attention. “As I mentioned when I arrived, I’m the law-enforcement liaison in this case. We’ve started the investigation into the baby’s circumstances. Once we locate the mother—”
“Do you think you will?”
“Will what?”
Deacon glanced down to hide his grin. He enjoyed knocking the stodgy trooper off balance. She had a script and every time he threw her off, she got flustered. He liked the color in her cheeks and the snap of blue fire in her eyes when she got angry.
“Find Noelle’s mother.”
“Of course we will. It’s just a matter of time. Then DHS will do an evaluation and a determination will be made taking into account the results of the paternity test.”
“You think she’s unfit because she left Noelle with me.” Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have sounded so accusatory but something in Quin’s tone rankled.
“That’s not up to me to decide.”
“But you have.”
“Look, Mr. Tate—”
“Deacon.”
“Mr. Tate.” She glowered. “The woman left her baby out in the cold next to your tour bus claiming you are the father.” She studied him through narrow eyes. “Though there might be a possibility you’re the father, pending the test results, we just don’t know. What I don’t understand is why a single man, and a—a...” She waved one hand and bit out the next words like they tasted bitter. “A rich superstar would insist on accepting custody of a baby that might not be his.”
Noelle started sucking air. Deke pulled the empty bottle away, settled her on his shoulder and patted her back until she burped loudly. He pushed out of the chair and stared down at Quin. “It appears that Noelle’s mother knows me better than you do.”
Cuddling the infant against his shoulder, Deke walked to the kitchen and settled on the bar stool he’d vacated earlier. Noelle was cooing and nuzzling against his neck. He was ticked off at Quin and her preconceived notions. What she thought she knew about him was obviously gleaned from scandal rags and cheesy entertainment shows on TV. He should just ignore the irritation but something inside him really wanted this woman to like him.
Yeah, fat chance of that.
His mother brushed past him, pausing a moment to whisk hair out of his eyes, the gesture both oddly endearing and annoying. He watched her roost on the couch next to Quin, looking every inch a Southern matriarch. His mom wore jeans, Western boots and a turtleneck sweater, but from her demeanor, she might as well have been wearing a designer dress and pearls.
The two women began to converse in low voices and Deke couldn’t make out what they were saying over the noise his brothers made cleaning up. His mother’s gaze danced between him and Quin, which made him a little nervous. Okay, it made him a lot nervous. Katherine Tate was a plotter, especially where her boys were concerned.
Thinking to tell his brothers to keep it down, he glanced around just in time to see Bridger nudge Cooper’s shoulder.
“If I ever catch Mom lookin’ at me the way she’s lookin’ at Deke, especially with a pretty woman in the room, I’m headin’ for the hills.”
Cooper grinned. “Smart man. I’d be right behind you.”
“So what are we gonna do?” Bridger glanced at Coop.
“Sit back and enjoy the show.” Cooper tossed his dish towel over his shoulder and leaned against the counter, crossing his ankles and arms.
“Y’all know I can hear you, right?” Deke scowled at them.
His brothers burst out laughing. Dillon, approaching the back door and holding a plastic bag at arm’s length, jerked his head around. “What’s so funny? What’d I miss?”
“You’re too young to understand,” Cooper teased.
“Seriously? You’re going to pull that crap on me now?” Dillon waved the sack to emphasize his point then gave Deke a sideways glance. “They’re right about one thing. She is pretty. Think she’d go out with me?”
Bridger smirked. “Naw. You’re too young for her.”
“Hey, I’m twenty-two. I’m right at the peak of my sex—”
“You boys do know that Trooper Kincaid and I can hear you, yes?” Katherine didn’t need to raise her voice to be heard.
“Yes, ma’am,” four voices replied in unison, with Dillon adding, “Well, do you? Because she’s really hot.”
Bridger rolled his eyes. “Dude, we can’t take you anywhere. You do realize that you’re bird-dogging the woman our big brother is interested in, right?”
“Not to mention you’re a baby,” Cooper added. “She wants a real man, not a pimply-faced—”
Dillon shoved Coop. “I don’t have pimples!”
Deke wanted to bash all three of his brothers. This was normal behavior anytime two or more Tates shared the same space, but today he needed a huge helping of regular normal to deal with the trooper. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. She looked stern in her dark brown uniform and black leather Sam Browne belt, but he caught a hint of humor around her eyes. At least he hoped it was humor. Did she have a boisterous family like his? That would be a good thing. She’d understand the ribbing and his frustration.
“I still think she should go out with me.” Dillon was a persistent little bugger.
“Then you think wrong. She thinks you’re too young,” Quin called out. She didn’t even look their way but her voice carried.
Was she teasing Dillon? That made Deke feel like a fool because he was suddenly jealous of his little brother. He needed to get some space and think through this situation—and this woman. She was not his type, not in any way, shape or form. Except it was turning out that she was exactly his type in every way, shape and form. He was so screwed.
Six (#u2b75e558-cbc6-5eb7-8215-ea4157e80927)
“Pay no mind to the boys, Quincy.” Katherine Tate gave her an inquisitive look. “I may call you Quincy, yes? Trooper Kincaid is so...harsh.”
Quin nodded out of habit. Mrs. Tate was one of those women so used to getting her own way she’d likely steamroll over any protestations Quin might make.
“Do you have family, Quincy?”
