"So, you found a new way to overcome your differences, I see," their Auntie Dot said as she stood at the back door holding a pan of water, a big smile on her face. "Hi, Kara. Thanks for settling things."
"Hi, Dorothy," Kara gave a wave. "It was no problem. I grew up with brothers," she explained.
"Well, breakfast is on the house," Dorothy replied.
"No, I don't think so," Kara countered. "I think Quinn is joining us and I think he deserves to pay," she said, looking over her shoulder at the big man.
"She's right, Auntie. I think I'm going to be paying for a while, is my guess," came his dry reply.
Once they sat down to breakfast, not only did Kara see the physical resemblance, but she saw and heard the same bedrock decency and honor. God, she could eat up both of them with a spoon. On the edge of her mind, she kept thinking they reminded her of someone or something. But it wasn't until they both were at the side of Ben's truck and Quinn opened the door as Ben was holding her hand to help her up into the seat that it hit her like a ton of bricks. They reminded her of her fathers. At breakfast, the back and forth banter, and the way they had flirted with her, felt like home. The care with which they had ensured her safety in her high heels as she walked across the parking lot and made her way into the truck made her realize they were doting on her in the same manner that her fathers doted on her mother. No wonder her mother was always smiling!
As was his habit, Ben stole a kiss as he got her settled. Turning to say good-bye to Quinn, she saw a raw look of hunger on his face, before he quickly masked it. What stunned her wasn't that he wanted her. It was that she felt an answering pull. She had started the morning knowing she wanted Ben, that he was the first man, perhaps the only man, she had ever felt this deep attraction to. Now, she was feeling almost an equal level of attraction to his brother. Luckily, Ben missed the byplay as he got into the driver's seat.
Through the open windows, Quinn spoke up. "Um, were you guys headed back to the house?" he asked as he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly discomfited.
"Yeah, why?" Ben asked carefully.
"Shit," Quinn said, looking uncomfortable.
"What?" Ben demanded.
"I picked up the dogs," Quinn admitted. Kara watched the back-and-forth conversation. She didn't understand it, but obviously it was a bone of contention between the brothers.
"Damn it, Quinn, you know we can't keep them. They're Randy's dogs now," Ben clearly admonished his older brother.
"I miss them. They're not getting any younger. Look, I told Kyle he was in charge of Shotbrook II for the next four days while I got you and the taxes in order. They took off this morning. I called Randy, picked up the dogs, and thought I'd find you at home. When you weren't, I dropped off Newman and Redford along with my laundry and came looking for you."
"Great. Look, Kara and I will go back to the house, pack up a lunch, and go on a picnic."
"Newman and Redford?" Kara finally interrupted.
"Yeah, they're great," Quinn enthused.
"Can I meet them? I love dogs."
"Sure, honey, you'll meet them when we pack up for a picnic and a hike," Ben assured her with an absent pat on her knee.
Kara bit her lip. She didn't want to burst Ben's bubble, but there wasn't a chance in hell she'd be hiking in these shoes. She'd let him figure that out when they got back to his house. He just wasn't thinking straight because their plans had been interrupted.
"Quinn, come to the house and take the dogs back to Randy's this afternoon. I plan to take Shotbrook I out tomorrow, so you can bring the dogs back then." Kara knew that was the plan, but she felt her heart lurch all the same. Today and tonight was all they had left before he had to be back out on the boat.
They all met up at the house, and when they got into the house, the dogs made a beeline for Kara.
"Down," Quinn ordered before they had a chance to jump up on her. It was for the best. She didn't want her dress ruined. But she wished she'd been in jeans so she could have played with them.
"They look like a husky mix, what's the other part?" Kara asked Quinn.
"Timber wolf," he answered shortly as he looked at her. Ben shut the door and crouched down, giving the dogs enthusiastic rubs.
"Kara, let me introduce you. This is Redford, he has blue eyes and a limp. This is Newman, he has one blue and is blind in the other." Kara already loved them both. She crouched down and gave them both big hugs. It was obvious that at one time they had been abused. She could see what had to have been whip marks on them, and each had deep scars around their necks from where they had lunged against a thin chain that had bitten into their flesh.
"Kara, watch out for your dress," Ben warned.
"It's just a dress," Kara explained. "It can be washed. Can we all go out and play?"
That's how the three of them ended up playing fetch, minus her sandals, with two Siberian husky and timber wolf mixed dogs in the huge backyard.
"So how did Randy end up with Newman and Redford?" Kara asked as they sat down to pizza. They had ended up choosing to eat in and foregoing the hike when it had finally sunk in with Ben that Kara's footwear wasn't going to hold up.
"Mom went picking blackberries with Levi, must have been eight years ago, when she heard these two barking up a storm. They were chained up near an old miner's shack in the woods that hadn't been used in weeks." Quinn explained.
It seemed like the two dogs knew they were being talked about. They moved closer to the table as if to listen, not even begging for pizza.
"She went back and got Dad, he's amazing with animals, or he was," Quinn corrected himself. "Anyway. He came back with food and water and his sleeping bag. He stayed there for two nights feeding and watering these two guys until he had gentled them enough to get close and take off their chains."
"Of course the youngest kids wanted Dad to bring them home, but he was cautious. So he took them to a shelter, and they stayed there for a while and were eventually sent to live with a woman who works with abused dogs. She helps to acclimate them back to living with humans in a normal setting. It took almost nine months, but after their time with Susan, they got to come home to us."
"God, that's awful and wonderful at the same time," Kara said. "How did they get the names?"
"Dad's favorite movie was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, he loved Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the movie, so that's how he came up with those names," Ben answered. He snuck both dogs some of the sausage off his pizza.
"They sound like they are your mom's dogs, why are they living at Randy's?"
"They love Alice, actually kids in general. So now they're with Randy. But whenever we have a chance to spend time with them, we take advantage. They're not getting any younger," Quinn answered. Kara watched as he too fed the dogs some of his meal.
They spent the afternoon getting to know one another. It wasn't how Kara had expected to spend the afternoon when she had dressed up, but she definitely enjoyed it. Quinn was fun and fascinating. It was clear that he had taken on the role of father figure to the younger boys in the family. Maybe not as much with Ben, but it was still there. The man had "alpha" written all over him.
After their long lunch, Quinn said he needed to take the dogs over to Randy's house.
"It was very nice meeting you, Kara," Quinn said.
"Yeah, I've got to take Kara back to the lodge and let her get cleaned up before bringing her back here for dinner. I plan to grill some steaks," Ben explained.
They all headed for the door and got into the two trucks.
* * * *
Ben and Quinn arrived back at the house at the same time. As Quinn slammed out of his truck, he turned to Ben. "I've got to leave. I'm going to go sleep on Shotbrook I tonight," Quinn said.
Ben opened the driver's side door slowly and followed his big brother into their home.
He listened and could hear drawers slamming in his brother's bedroom, so he meandered down the hallway, trying to gather his thoughts. This was going to take a little bit of finesse. When he pushed open the door and saw Quinn stuffing his clothes into a duffel bag, he decided finesse was overrated.
"What the fuck? Is Kara really that scary?"
"Yes!" Quinn said as he jammed some winter gear into his duffel.
"You realize it's summer, and you're packing winter gear, right?" Ben pointed out reasonably.
"Who gives a shit," Quinn snarled as he took out the down jacket and threw it on the bed. He went back to the closet, yanked out a windbreaker, and shoved that into the bag.
"You don't have to leave," Ben said reasonably.