Chapter Two

“Two country breakfasts, eggs over easy, brown toast, and two coffees, John,” Quinn said in a single breath, pulling a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet.

“No prob, be out in a minute, Quinn,” John said from behind the register, handing Quinn his change a moment later. John and his wife owned the country diner in downtown Red River. It hadn’t been remodeled since it was first established in the fifties, but it was clean and the food was usually simple but good. It had become a kind of landmark in the town.

Quinn weaved his way past the tables of chattering people, walking to an empty booth near the window. He was preoccupied with his own thoughts as he sank into one of the vinyl, orange booths beside the window. He glanced down at his watch. His younger brother, Jake, should be here any minute. Though they worked together day in and day out in the family business, they spent a lot of their spare time together, too. And both of them knew Monday morning breakfast at John’s was their “thing.” Their youngest brother, Evan, was an ER surgeon in the city, and they rarely saw him during the week.

Despite his better judgment, Quinn allowed himself to reflect on his reunion with Holly on Saturday. He stared out the window as the rain poured down, giant raindrops forming endless rings in the puddles. But all he saw was Holly. He ran a frustrated hand through his damp hair. She had lived up to the promise she had shown at eighteen. No, she had surpassed it, by far.

She was cute and witty and smart at eighteen. At twenty-eight, she was gorgeous, sharp, and…wounded. He had seen Holly exactly twice in the last ten years, and both times it had been for a funeral. As much as she’d tried to hide her pain, he saw it in every expression on her face, heard it in every syllable in her voice. She was no longer the carefree girl he remembered, the girl that had offered him her heart. And then there was Ella. He knew about the tragedy with Jennifer and her husband, and that Holly was now Ella’s guardian. But what he hadn’t counted on was how he would react to Ella. Or seeing Holly and Ella together. Hell, he admired Holly for stepping up and rearranging her life for her niece. He didn’t know what he’d do if he lost either of his brothers, let alone having to become a parent at the same time. She was brave, and she had as much guts as anyone he’d ever met. Not for one second had she let on that she was scared of anything. Except the mice, he thought, smiling slightly.

But his smile faded quickly. A part of him wished he could be that same man he’d been when she’d left ten years ago, before either of them had been hit with loss. He wished he could offer her what she needed. Because the first thing he’d wanted to do when he saw her was kiss her. Kiss her and taste her, and see if the reality of Holly was better than the fantasy. That need hadn’t diminished. Even with mashed banana across his face, the only thing he’d felt like doing when she approached him with those wipes was tugging her into his body and kissing her. Exactly what he would have done ten years ago, if she hadn’t been so young.

“Man, it’s pouring out there!” Jake said, shrugging out of his navy raincoat with their company logo branded across the back and sliding into the booth across from him. Quinn pushed his thoughts aside and tried to look nonchalant. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss Holly, babies, or feelings with Jake.

“Yup, supposed to rain all week,” Quinn said, frowning as a slow, irritating grin emerged on his brother’s face.

“You’ve seen Holly already, haven’t you?”

Quinn leaned back in the booth with a sigh. “How did you guess?”

“You look horrible,” Jake said with an unabashedly amused laugh.

Quinn ran both hands through his hair, glancing over at the bar, wishing the coffee would arrive. Jake knew a little too much about his feelings for Holly. His brother knew everything that had happened—and everything that hadn’t. And Jake had been the one who told him to go after Holly when she left for college. But Quinn hadn’t listened. Instead, he’d let Holly go her own way, and he’d gone another. And now they were both back here, alone.

“So, how did it feel seeing her again?”

Quinn blinked, staring at his brother, looking for a hint of teasing. He saw none. “What kind of question is that?”

“What?” Jake asked, shrugging his shoulders.

“It’s a bit on the feminine side, don’t you think?”

Jake scoffed. “Look, buddy, if you wanted feminine conversation, I’d ask you what she was wearing, if she’d had any work done, and if she’s gained any weight since you last saw her.”

Quinn gave a snort of agreement. “Okay. Fine. Yeah, she looks pretty damn good, in case you’re wondering.”

“Yeah, I was wondering, actually.”

Quinn leaned forward. “Well, you don’t need to.”

“Don’t need to what?” Jake asked, his lips twitching slightly.

“Don’t need to wonder.”

Jake grinned and held up his hands. “Hey, no need to go getting all riled up, Quinn. She’s all yours, buddy—the last thing I need in my life right now is a high-strung woman.”

“She is high strung, isn’t she?” Quinn mumbled under his breath.

“Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. Did you read the scope of the project report she sent over yesterday? She made notes on her own notes. You’re in for it,” Jake said, glancing up as their food arrived.

Two chipped plates filled with runny eggs and greasy strips of half-cooked bacon slid across the linoleum-topped table, along with cups of coffee that swooshed over the rim.

“What the hell?” Jake muttered, looking down at the plate.

“John, did you make this crap?” Quinn called after the hastily retreating figure.

“Yeah, Joanne got pissed off and told me to do the cooking,” John yelled across the diner, his reply earning a few snorts of laughter from the other patrons. “Look, sorry, fellas, lots of problems this morning.”

“That is why I’m never getting married,” Jake quipped, as John’s heavy figure scurried around the busy diner.

“Yeah, you’re a smart man. Look, I’m going to be at Holly’s today if you need to reach me. Got a full day lined up,” Quinn said, pushing aside the plate with a shudder after trying the runny eggs.

“According to that list, you might as well clear your schedule for the next two months,” Jake said, and then gagged as he tried the eggs.

“Yeah, it’s a hell of a reno to get done in eight weeks,” he replied. Over the years, Quinn had expanded the family business beyond renovations. In fact, they rarely did home renovations anymore. But he’d never turn down the opportunity to help Holly.

“This should be interesting,” Jake said with a smirk and shoved the offensive plate of food away.

“Interesting isn’t exactly the word I’d use,” Quinn said under his breath.

“You haven’t spoken to her in how long?” Jake asked, sipping his coffee.

Quinn scowled at his brother for a moment before answering. He couldn’t remember the last time Jake had asked him so many questions that weren’t work-related. “Years. Doesn’t feel like it, though. But it doesn’t matter, anyway,” Quinn added quickly, looking out the window again. He scowled so Jake would stop talking.

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not interested,” Quinn answered in the most surly voice he could muster.

“Yeah, right.”

Quinn glared at him.

“Why aren’t you interested?”

“You know why.”

“No, I don’t. I know you’ve had a crappy few years. And I know Holly’s been through a lot. So maybe—”

“Maybe you should mind you own business, Jake,” Quinn growled. He clenched his jaw and broke Jake’s heavy gaze.

“Maybe you should stop being so defensive. Maybe it’s time you moved on with your life, man,” Jake said.

“I have moved on. That doesn’t mean I need to get married or have a kid. I like being single. What about you? You’re not married.”

“I’m not getting married until I’m at least forty-five. No need to ruin the best years of my life with a wife and kids.”

Quinn took a deep breath and reminded himself never to enter this type of discussion with Jake again.

“Besides,” Jake said with a wide grin, “you’re the one who’s old.”

Quinn cursed at him, and then smiled in spite of himself as Jake laughed. He could never stay mad at either of his brothers. Jake had issues, but he’d changed, and Quinn knew he could always count on him. He knew both his brothers had his back. They’d been there for him when it had mattered most.

“Now, now, Quinn Manning, your mama would not have approved of that cussing.” The overly shrill voice, combined with the utter boldness of the intrusion, could only belong to one person: Mrs. Eunice Jacobs, Red River’s longtime town gossip.

“Oh, I know, Mrs. Jacobs. I keep telling my brother over here to watch that foul mouth of his.” Jake shook his head in mock disapproval, ignoring Quinn’s glower.

Quinn looked toward the offensive voice and tried to conceal his shock at the woman’s bright purple raincoat with giant floating pineapples printed all over it. The vivid colors in her coat, combined with the nauseating breakfast and Jake’s inquisition, made him want to hurl.

“Sorry if I offended you, Mrs. Jacobs. I didn’t realize someone was standing so close, listening to our private conversation.” Quinn softened the reprimand by giving the plump elderly woman a wide smile. He needed to get the hell out of here—fast.

“Oh, that’s all right, dear. I know you’re a nice boy. You should just remember to go to church more often, sweetie.” She patted his hand and smiled, her bright red lips glowing like a neon sign in her pale face.

Jake snorted into his coffee.

“I hear that Holly Carrington is back in town.” So that was it.

Jake leaned back in his seat while a massive grin spread across his face. He was obviously taking way too much pleasure from the exchange.

“Yes, she is,” Quinn replied in a guarded voice.

Mrs. Jacobs swooped down close to him at the table, her owlish eyes peering into his. Quinn fought the urge to cover his face with his hands and hide under the table.

“Is she back for good?”

He took a sip of coffee, trying his absolute hardest to be polite. “Appears that way.”

“She was such a sweet girl,” Mrs. Jacobs said, still in his personal space. Quinn pressed himself further into the booth.

“Still is.” Damn it.

“Really? And she always was a looker.”

“That’s what I was just telling him, Mrs. Jacobs,” his brother said, nodding vehemently.

Quinn kicked Jake under the table. Hard. He wished he’d been wearing his steel-toed construction boots.

“You know,” Mrs. Jacobs continued, absolutely oblivious to the tension at the table, “she might not mind that you’re divorced. It’s nothing to be too ashamed of in this day and age, Quinn. And after what happened to poor Jennifer… You know, it takes quite a woman to step up and raise a child by herself. Especially a child that’s not her own. I think it’s time you started looking for happiness again. You always were such a nice boy,” she said with a sigh, patting him on the shoulder.

Quinn inhaled slowly and tried counting to ten.

His brother finally had pity on him, it seemed. “Mrs. Jacobs, isn’t that your sister walking in?” The elderly woman snapped her head in the direction of the door.

“Oh, it is. I’ll see you later, boys!”

Quinn watched the woman bustle over to her sister. “Thanks,” Quinn said with a shudder. “Who knows how long that conversation could have run.”

“Yeah, well, no one deserves that—especially on a Monday morning. But now, old Eunice did raise an interesting point. Did you tell Holly about Christine?”

“She knows I was married. And I’m sure she knows I’m divorced.” Quinn slammed down his cup a little too hard and the black coffee splashed onto the table.

“But you didn’t actually talk about it.”

“Why would I? Seriously, your questions are irritating as hell. Are you watching daytime TV or something?”

Jake ignored him. “So where is Holly staying?”

“At the house.” Quinn braced his arms wide on the edge of the table. How hard was it to have a peaceful breakfast?

“The whole weekend?” Jake nodded his head.

“Yeah. Would not leave,” he said with a frown as he remembered her adamant refusal to spend the night somewhere else. It was the most difficult thing he’d done in a long time, driving away from her and the baby in that empty house with a storm raging. She was a hell of a lot more stubborn than he remembered. The power had come on shortly after he’d finished assembling the crib—the one that had needed a wrench and a power drill, which luckily he’d had in his truck. He’d gone around testing the appliances, the water in the kitchen and bathrooms, ensuring that everything was in working order. And then he’d left.

Jake shook his head and made a tsking sound.

“I don’t have time for this crap,” Quinn said under his breath as he rose to leave. “And I would think for someone who’s dropped their pants as many times as you, you’d know a little more about women. You don’t ‘let’ them do things. Not Holly, anyway. Like anyone has a choice with that woman. Besides, what Holly does with her life is not my business. And I’m not looking to make it my business,” he growled.

“Right,” Jake said with a nod and a grin.

“I’m not going to say it again, Jake,” Quinn said, trying to convince himself as well as his brother. “The last thing I need is a woman in my life—especially one with a baby. So drop it.”

For a second, Quinn saw a flash of pity fire across his brother’s face. But Jake knew him, and he knew the last thing he’d accept was anyone’s pity.

“Holly’s not just any woman.”

“Seriously, Jake. I don’t want a woman in my life. Besides, all of that was a long time ago. She was young and had no idea what she wanted.”

“No, I think she was pretty clear that she wanted you.”

He never should have told Jake anything about Holly. Quinn turned his head away, thinking back to Holly’s last night in Red River. She’d been naïve and trusting—and told him that she loved him. He knew, looking into her eyes, that he loved her, too, but never said the words aloud. He didn’t want to be the guy to hold her back. She’d been too young to know what she wanted for the rest of her life.

Jake’s waving hand in front of his eyes jerked him back to their conversation. Quinn cleared his throat and focused. “Holly needed to go away to school, Jake. I wasn’t going to make her stay here and miss that opportunity. She was eighteen—no one knows what they want at eighteen. Yeah, so she’s back—but she’s built a life for herself now that doesn’t include me. And I don’t want a baby. I don’t,” he said with a low voice, bending down closer to the table. He didn’t deserve a baby. But he couldn’t admit that aloud to his brother. He knew Jake would just try to convince him that it was stupid to think that way. There was a reason men didn’t talk about their feelings with each other. It was damn awkward.

“Quinn?” Jake asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Quinn sighed. “Yeah?”

“Ten bucks says Holly will have you eatin’ out of her hands in twenty-four hours,” he said with a smirk.

Quinn wished he could punch him. Instead, he stalked off, his brother’s chuckle following him out the door. He didn’t bother zipping up his raincoat; the rain suited his mood.

He stopped on the sidewalk outside the diner and glanced down at his watch: seven thirty in the morning. Maybe he should bring coffee to Holly. He walked back into the diner, not bothering to look in Jake’s direction and ignoring the fact that he heard his name and Holly’s as he passed Mrs. Jacob’s table of animated elderly women.

He ordered two coffees to go.

“Have a good day, buddy. Leave the ten bucks in my truck,” his brother called out to him in a voice thick with laughter as Quinn reached the door with his coffees. He cursed under his breath. Sometimes he really hated living in a small town.

…

Holly groaned and rolled over in her sleeping bag as the forceful knocking on the front door continued. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was too painful to contemplate moving. The rain pounding against the roof and windows incessantly was a mere whisper compared to the hammering going on in her head. What a horrible weekend. She had slept for about four hours last night—four miserable hours—thanks to what seemed like a conspiracy between Ella and what sounded almost certainly like mice. Holly did not know how it was possible that Ella knew exactly when Holly was about to drift off to sleep, and then decide that was the moment she should wake up. And after changing her diapers, giving her a bottle, and walking her around the house, Holly had been forced to buckle her into the car seat at two o’clock in the morning and drive around Red River to get Ella to finally fall asleep. It had been four a.m. when Holly gathered the courage to move a sleeping Ella from the car seat to the crib, and then she crawled, exhausted, into her sleeping bag on the hard wooden floor beside the crib in the living room.

The knocking continued. She stretched and groaned, looking at her watch. Seven forty. Her body ached. She had been on her own with Ella for twenty-four hours and she was already failing.

A quick glance at Ella proved she was still sleeping soundly in the crib Quinn had assembled. As she’d watched Quinn put together the complicated crib, having to go out in the rain to get tools from his car, she’d been secretly relieved that he’d insisted on doing it for her. It made her think of all the times she’d watched him from her bedroom window as he’d helped her grandfather around the old house. He’d always been there for her grandparents, for her. She had thanked him—though perhaps she didn’t admit that there would have been no way she could have assembled the crib without any tools…or at all. Holly tiptoed out of the living room and carefully shut the French doors behind her.

She had spent the entire weekend scrubbing the first floor of the house, giving the old place a cleaning her grandmother would have been proud of. But she was glad it was Monday. Monday meant she could get this show on the road, and then get back to her life in Toronto. Back home, everything ran smoothly—thanks to Mary. Holly had been able to keep up with her work schedule and then come home at night and spend some quality time with Ella. Claire was back in town today, and Holly was looking forward to both moral support and help with Ella.

As Holly approached the door, she saw Quinn through the sidelights. She quickly darted away from the window before he saw her. She looked down in horror at her pajamas. Skating penguins weren’t exactly the kind of nightwear she wanted Quinn to see her wearing, but she hadn’t expected him to be here first thing in the morning. She crossed one arm in front of her. She should have slept with a bra on. Quinn noticed everything. She quickly tried to straighten her hair. Maybe he wouldn’t notice the penguins.

“Are you going to open the door, or put on lipstick?” Quinn called out impatiently through the glass.

The last thing she wanted was him thinking she was inside primping for his arrival. Holly swung the door open. Geez. It should be illegal for a man to look that good this early in the morning—he was all tall lines and hard muscle, combined with a face more handsome in reality than memory.

“That’s a lovely way to greet someone,” she said, tightening her arm around her chest while trying to ignore the old Quinn-effect. It was even harder to do at this time of the morning and without caffeine.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” he asked, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling as he winced. She wished he’d go back to being arrogant, because compassion from him was as tempting as homemade ice cream on a hot day.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving one hand in the air and stifling a yawn.

“I brought coffee,” he said, handing her a cup.

This was getting dangerous. “Thanks.”

“Glad I could help,” he said with a slight smile. “So, how was your weekend?”

“Wonderful,” she said proudly and took a sip of the steaming coffee.

His eyes wandered over her, and everywhere they landed she felt a traitorous heat sweep over her. “Liar. I’d say you haven’t slept in days.”

“Gee, thanks. You always were one for compliments.”

“You’re as gorgeous as always, Holly. You just look tired, that’s all,” he said with a low chuckle.

She ignored the praise and the flash of heat that accompanied it. “I need some fresh air. And if that baby wakes up before I finish my coffee, I’m going to poke my eyeballs out with a dull fork,” Holly said under her breath as she slipped on her shoes and went to stand on the porch with Quinn. She quickly grabbed the baby monitor handset so she could hear if Ella cried. It was pouring outside, but the big veranda easily kept them sheltered and dry. She looked at Quinn, who was staring at her with a barely concealed smile.

“Here, why don’t you put my coat on. We wouldn’t want those penguins to get wet,” he said, smiling as she choked on any chance at coming up with a clever rebuttal.

“They were the only pajamas I could find,” Holly lied, looking down at the bright flannel. Actually, all her pajamas were a variation of some sort of flannel, but he didn’t need to know that.

Quinn placed the coat around her shoulders. She put her arms through the sleeves, and the warmth of his coat engulfed her like a cup of hot chocolate. She settled on the top step next to his side and stared out at the falling rain. The effect he was having on her was powerful enough without having to look directly at him. They sat together in silence, sipping their coffee and watching the rain pelt the ground. It had been a long, long time since she’d been able to just sit and watch the rain falling. And it had been even longer since she and Quinn had sat together on these steps.

Quinn’s deep voice broke the silence. “So all the trades should be here soon, and then hopefully by tomorrow morning we’ll have a bunch of quotes that you can look over. This place will be cleaned and ready to go by tonight, too,” he said, taking a sip of coffee and turning to look at her.

“Well, half the cleaning is already done,” Holly said. She frowned when Quinn cursed under his breath, looking upward.

She sat up a little straighter. “Seriously, it needed to be done.”

He shook his head, and she could see the twitching in his jaw as she stared at his strong profile. “I’m not even going to bother responding to that, Holly.”

“Suit yourself.” Holly sniffed, looking into her cup.

“You haven’t slept a wink, have you?” he asked. This time he wasn’t laughing at her. In fact, he looked oddly sympathetic. Tender, even. His voice was deep and smooth, and it coursed through her body like sweet, pure honey. And his face was far too close to hers. She could see the tiny lines at the corner of his blue eyes, and she wished for a second she knew the moments that had placed them there. She made the mistake of glancing at his mouth. For a man that radiated such masculinity, his mouth was very sensual. She quickly turned away and stared out at the overgrown front lawn littered with sodden leaves.

“You’re so easy to read,” he said, his lips hinting at a smile when she looked over at him.

She leaned away from him. “Really? You know what I’m thinking?” This should be interesting. There was no way he could know.

“Yup,” he said with a short nod.

She raised an eyebrow, challenging him. “Okay. What am I thinking, then?”

“You’re thinking I’m a hell of a lot better looking than you remembered,” he said with a slow, cocky smile that made her burst out laughing. It reminded her of the old Quinn. The one who always teased or made her laugh. And sitting here on the veranda with him made her ache for those days. She turned her head to look at him, letting herself indulge in the fantasy that their easy conversation was still relevant to their lives today.

“Actually, I was noticing the gray hair around your temples. Are you pushing forty yet?” she asked, sitting taller, pretending to examine his head. What she didn’t add was that she found the few gray hairs very attractive, adding a sense of maturity that she didn’t remember when she last saw him. She knew his exact age and birth date, and he looked more physically fit than a man ten years younger.

Quinn leaned closer to her, and she could see the laughter in his eyes. Her heart was beating wildly as he smiled at her. “I’m only thirty-five.”

“Oh, right. We always were in different decades, weren’t we?” Holly murmured while smiling.

Quinn’s deep laugh drowned out the sound of the rain. “Yes, well, aren’t you going to be entering this geriatric decade soon?”

“I still have more than a year to prepare myself,” she answered, refusing to acknowledge that a part of her was elated that he knew her age. You’re so juvenile sometimes, Holly. She needed to end this. She had to stop flirting with him. She needed to focus on the house, get the reno done, and get out of Red River.

“There, um, may actually be mice in the house,” Holly said stiffly, changing the subject.

Quinn sighed. “I suspected as much. Don’t worry, the pest control company is one of the first people on the list this morning,” he said, taking a swig of coffee, but not before she noticed his grin.

“Good. Great, I mean. I can’t have mice scurrying everywhere when prospective buyers are looking around,” she said with a short laugh. She didn’t want him to think that she was completely petrified of the hideous little creatures that scurried around without warning. Better he thought it was just a business concern. Holly looked over at Quinn when she realized he hadn’t answered. His profile was stiff, his strong jaw tense.

He cleared his throat. “You’re selling the house?”

“Of course. I thought you knew that.” Holly felt her chest constrict.

He gave a shake of his head. “Nope. Didn’t know that. So you’re going to gut your grandparents’ house, renovate, and then sell it?”

The revulsion and censure in his voice made her stomach churn. “Yes,” she affirmed stiffly. She had to keep her temper in check.

He finally turned to look at her. “That’s a little cold, don’t you think?”

Holly felt her stomach drop. “Cold?”

He nodded, his features taught and unrelenting, as his eyes stayed focused on her. Judgment was stamped across his face as clearly as a stop sign. He had no way of knowing how torturous being here was. Wherever she walked in the house, she collided with ghosts of the people she loved most in the world. She stared into his blue eyes and wanted to tell him, but there were things too close to her heart, words too painful to ever voice aloud.

“So, do tell, Quinn. What should I do? Move back to this little town, with a baby, without a job, and live in a dilapidated old house?”

“Red River is a great place to raise a kid.”

“If you are employed.”

“Why even bother to renovate, then? Why don’t you just sell it and spare us both the misery of having to go through a renovation together?”

Holly’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, well, excuse me. I never realized I was so repulsive to be around.”

“Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Holly.”

“I believe you’re the one who said ‘misery,’ not me. And you know what else, Quinn? I’m not cold. You want to know what’s cold? How about you getting married a year after I left, after I asked you to wait for me. That’s cold,” she spat out, standing, separating herself from him.