Through His Eyes

by Nikki Ash

  “Fine, what I meant was…in the future, try to keep it down.” His nose scrunches up and his body visibly shivers. It takes me a second, but once I understand what he means, I flush with heat.

  “Oh my God!”

  “Hey! That’s exactly what you were screaming earlier,” Willow says with a giggle that has Jax hitting her with a hard glare. “Sorry, not funny?” She laughs some more.

  “You don’t think maybe you guys are moving a little too fast?” Jax accuses. “You only met him like two weeks ago.”

  “You are aware I’m a grown woman, right? I’ll be forty in a few months.”

  “I just don’t want to see you rush into anything,” Jax says in his brotherly tone. “He’s young, Quinn.”

  “I’m ten years younger than you,” Willow says with a frown.

  “You’re supposed to be on my side,” Jax hisses, and I laugh.

  “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’ve thought a lot about this for the last couple weeks, since the day I met Lachlan and he asked me out, and I want to see where things go with him.” And then I add, “And I’m going to find a place for Kinsley and me.”

  “What?” Jax glowers. “Why?”

  “Because it’s time. We were only supposed to stay here until I got back on my feet. Thanks to the money I received from Rick’s death, even if my photography business wasn’t doing well, which it is, I can afford my own place.”

  “We’ll miss you,” Willow says, “but we understand.” She pats my hand with hers and stands. “Come on, grouch,” she says to Jax, who is now pouting like a child.

  “Are you guys coming to Kinsley’s soccer game?”

  “Of course.” Jax huffs. “And since you’re taking her from us, I’m going to have to make more room in my calendar to see her.”

  “You know I’m going to find a place close by. Don’t act like that,” I tell him. “I’m not taking Kinsley away from you. I’m giving you guys some privacy, while trying to finally become independent. Wherever we move won’t be far, and you know you can take her anytime.”

  “I’m sorry,” he says, “I know you’re right, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  Eleven

  Lachlan

  When I get to the soccer field, I locate Quinn right away, and then I notice, sitting with her are both her brothers and their significant others. And surrounding them are a shit ton of little girls running around. Unsure of how Quinn feels about public displays of affection, when I get over to them, I go straight for Kinsley, who is standing near them but kind of off to the side.

  “You ready for your game?” I ask, kneeling down next to her.

  “You came!” she exclaims, throwing her tiny arms around me. “I’m really nervous,” she admits softly, reminding me of her mother.

  “That’s okay. It happens to the best of us,” I tell her. “But don’t worry, once you’re out there, the nerves will go away and you’ll kick ass.” I’m well aware I’ve just cursed, but I’m hoping it will distract her.

  She lifts her head from my shoulder and backs up. “You owe me a dollar.”

  “Damn it,” I say, reaching into my pocket.

  “Now two!” She laughs, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation. I hand her the two dollars, and she runs them over to her mom, her nerves gone for the moment. “Can you hold these, please?”

  “Sure,” Quinn tells her daughter.

  Everyone wishes Kinsley good luck and then she runs out onto the field.

  “Hey,” I say, having a seat next to Quinn on the blanket.

  “Hey,” she says back. When all the other adults around us go quiet, Quinn says, “What?” with an exasperated huff.

  “You could at least introduce us to your friend,” Celeste says with a knowing smirk, as if she hasn’t met me several times when she’s come by the shop to visit her husband, and sometimes to even help out.

  “Umm…what are you guys looking at? You already know Lachlan,” Quinn says, sounding annoyed.

  “Well, yeah,” Willow says, “But not as your…” She looks over to me. “What exactly are you?” She quirks her head to the side, and I bust out laughing.

  “He’s my…friend,” Quinn answers, at the same time, I say, “I’m her boyfriend.”

  Everybody laughs as Quinn’s eyes bug out of her head. “Baby,” I whisper, leaning into her so only she can hear me. “What I was doing to your pussy with my tongue only a few short hours ago definitely makes us more than friends.”

  Quinn gasps, her sexy neck turning that beautiful shade of pink I love, and Celeste chokes on the water she’s drinking. Oops…at least, I didn’t think anyone could hear me. Oh well.

  “Did I mention I’m moving out of the townhouse?” Quinn says to no one in particular, in an attempt to change the subject. Celeste gasps, and Jase curses under his breath.

  “And in with Lachlan?” Celeste clarifies.

  “What? No!” Quinn says, realizing her comment was vague and made everyone jump to conclusions. “I’m moving on my own, with Kinsley.”

  Jase’s shoulders drop in relief, and I chuckle. “Damn, would it be so bad if she was moving in with me?” I joke, and Jase and Jax both glare my way, which only has me laughing harder.

  “We’ll be talking later,” Jase says, pointing a finger in my direction. Quinn’s eyes widen in shock, maybe fear, but once I lean over and squeeze her thigh, she calms.

  We spend the next hour watching Kinsley play soccer. None of the kids are really good, but I guess you can’t expect them to be at five years old. One kid makes a goal, and another blocks one. Kinsley runs back and forth, kicking the ball a few times. A kid from the other team kicks a goal, and another one attempts one, but it gets blocked. When the game is over, the kids crowd around the coach who tells them they did a good job and passes out drinks and snacks for them.

  I’m watching Kinsley open her drink and snack, when I hear Quinn yell, “Oh no!” She jumps up from her seat on the ground and rushes over to Kinsley. Concerned something has happened to her, I follow her over.

  “Kins, sweetie, you have to remember,” Quinn says, her voice laced with worry.

  “I’m sorry. I only forgot for a second,” Kinsley tells her with an adorable pout.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, coming up next to Quinn.

  “Kinsley is allergic to raw fruit.” Quinn holds up the juice box. “It doesn’t contain a lot of natural fruit, but I’d rather not take the chance. When she was a baby, I gave her fresh peaches and her lips puffed up. I rushed her right to the emergency room, but by the time we arrived, she had rashes all over her and was having trouble breathing. I’d never been so scared in my life. After running tests, they said she has OAS, meaning she’s allergic to certain types of fruit.”

  “So she can’t eat any fruit?” I ask. I had no idea a kid could be allergic to stuff like that.

  “If it’s cooked she can, but not raw,” Quinn clarifies. “She has an emergency Epi-pen I keep in my purse, and one at school, in case she eats something by mistake that causes an allergic reaction.”

  “Too bad you’re not allergic to vegetables,” I joke, giving Kinsley a playful wink.

  She laughs. “I’m allergic to carrots!”

  “Only raw,” Quinn adds with a laugh. “It’s mostly fruits, but she is also allergic to carrots.”

  After everyone tells Kinsley how amazing she played, she thanks everyone for coming and hugs a couple of her cousins. I let Jase and Jax know I’ll see them at the shop later since I only work a half day on Saturdays.

  Once everyone has left, and it’s only the three of us, I pull Quinn into my side and whisper, “Can I take you ladies to lunch?” so Kinsley can’t hear. A slow smile creeps up on her lips and she nods. Inside, I’m fist bumping myself. Every time she says yes, it feels like another victory in my book, another step to completely winning her over.

  We head over to a café nearby to eat lunch. Kinsley spends the entire meal going over her game play by
play, asking us what we thought and what she thinks she can do better next time. Afterward, Quinn offers to drop me off at the shop, since she and Kinsley are going to go meet with a friend of hers who is a realtor to show them some houses.

  When I step into the shop, both Jase—who rarely ever works on the weekends—and Jax are waiting for me. “Back office,” Jase grunts. Willow, who is pretending to dust the front desk or some shit, looks up and mouths Good luck.

  “Make it quick,” I tell them, “I have an appointment at noon.”

  “What are your intentions with our sister?” Jax asks, getting straight to the point once we’re seated.

  “To get to know her.”

  “You’re aware she’s almost forty, right?” Jase adds.

  “So, what? She’s too old to date? To fall in love? You planning on making her live the rest of her life alone?” I quip. When they both look at me like I have a third eye, I say, “Look, I like Quinn and Mini-Q, and I have every intention—”

  “Wait, who’s Mini-Q?” Jase asks, cutting me off.

  “Kinsley.” I smile. “You know? Because she’s a mini version of her mother.” I picture them both at lunch earlier, and how they rolled their eyes at the same time when I cracked a cheesy joke, and the way both their eyes lit up over the sundae I surprised Kinsley with for playing a good game. One has black and the other blue, yet when they smile, they sparkle similarly.

  “True.” Jase nods in agreement. “Okay, go on.”

  “I like them both, and I want to get to know them. I can’t promise I won’t ever hurt Quinn because I don’t know what the future holds, but I can tell you right now, I would never do anything to intentionally hurt either of them. She told me about that fucker, Rick, and—”

  “She told you about him?” Jax asks, shocked.

  “Yeah…and if he were still alive, I would fucking kill him with my bare hands.” Jase and Jax both grin.

  “All right,” Jase says, “I like you, and it’s obvious you like our sister, but if you hurt her…”

  “I know,” I tell him, not needing him to finish his sentence. If I hurt her, I better be ready to find another job. But the fact is, if I hurt that woman in any way, I would never stay where she would have to see me. The last thing I want is for Quinn or her daughter to ever be hurt or sad in any way, let alone me being the cause of it.

  Twelve

  Quinn

  I’m sitting on my couch with my phone in my hand, trying to decide what to do. After we left from having lunch with Lachlan, the plan was to meet with my friend Jenn, who is a realtor. I took photos of her wedding a few years back, and we hit it off. Unfortunately, she texted and apologized, asking if we could please reschedule for tomorrow due to a last minute emergency. I texted her back I understood and told her tomorrow would be fine.

  Then Kinsley begged me to spend the night again with her cousins. When I called Celeste, she told me she invited her over and forgot to mention it. Apparently they’re going to the movies to see some new Disney flick. I offered to join, but Celeste told me to enjoy another night to myself.

  I’ve thought about texting Lachlan to see what he’s up to, but I don’t want to appear too clingy. It’s not like we’re dating, and even if we were, I imagine couples his age aren’t attached at the hip twenty-four seven. Although, he did refer to himself as my boyfriend to my family, so there’s that…

  Putting my phone away, I grab my iPad and pull up the book I’m currently reading. I’m not even through the current page when the front door swings open—much like it did last night—and in walk Jax and Willow.

  “Hey!” Willow says, stopping in front of me. “Kinsley asleep?”

  “She’s actually sleeping over at Celeste and Jase’s again.”

  “Wow! Two nights in a row with no Kinsley. What are you going to do with yourself?” she jokes. “You should come out with us.” Instantly, my head is shaking of its own accord, but Willow raises her hand to stop me. “It’s been over ten years since you’ve been out. I remember when I first started at Forbidden Ink… before Rick. You used to be the life of the damn party.”

  “That was a long time ago.” I was still in my twenties…Practically a lifetime ago.

  “So what?” She waves her hand dismissively. “Put on a sexy dress and some heels, and come out with us.”

  “I was actually thinking of texting Lachlan,” I admit.

  “Well, then you can surprise him because he’s going to be there,” Jax says, coming back down the stairs in a fresh outfit. “His cousin Declan surprised him by flying back in today from Ireland, and we all decided to go out to welcome him home.”

  “You know his cousin?”

  “Yeah,” Jax says. “He hangs out with everyone.”

  “I don’t know…” What if he gets annoyed that I showed up there without letting him know? What if he’s out with someone else? The thought makes my stomach sink. Just because we’re getting to know each other and he gave me the best orgasm of my life this morning doesn’t mean I can just show up and stake a claim on him.

  “Stop overthinking this,” Willow says. “C’mon, let’s get dressed. You can put on a little makeup and brush your hair.” She laughs at her own joke as she grabs my hands and pulls me up.

  “I should at least text him so he knows I’m coming,” I insist.

  “Okay, so text him. Let’s go!”

  An hour later, dressed in a black off the shoulder dress and black heels with makeup on my face, and my hair curled into loose waves, I walk into Assets, an upscale night club in the Upper East Side. I texted Lachlan to let him know I was coming, but he never texted me back. I’m assuming he couldn’t hear his phone over the bass of the speakers in this place.

  Following Jax and Willow through the throng of people, I glance around the club for Lachlan, seriously hoping I didn’t make the wrong decision in coming here. Any time I would offer to accompany Rick on his trips or to his business dinners, he would get a huge attitude, telling me I was too clingy, and if he wanted me to go, he would ask. I know now that a lot of the reason for his reaction was because he was cheating on me, but I still can’t help but question everything I do now. Lachlan is young and carefree. The last thing he probably wants is an older woman dampening his fun.

  “Stop overthinking this,” Willow repeats as we approach a table that is filled with people. Immediately, I spot Evan and Gage, who work at the tattoo shop. From working there as their receptionist on and off for years, I’ve become good friends with both of them. Since I don’t know who the other men and women are, and I don’t see Lachlan anywhere, I head over to Gage, who smiles when he spots me walking over.

  “Well, look who it is!” he shouts. “Am I seeing shit, or is it really Quinn Crawford in a dress, at a club?” He stands and embraces me in a hug.

  “Yeah, yeah!” I laugh, and it feels good. I forgot what it was like to go out, without my daughter, and act like someone other than a mom. “How about you come with me to get a drink?” I might as well get a little bit of alcohol in my system to help me let loose.

  “Gage!” a petite, brown-haired woman squeals, sidling up next to him and putting her arm around his waist—clearly staking a claim. “Who’s this?” She bats her mascara-covered lashes, and I stifle a laugh. I’m probably a good fifteen years older than her. She must know I’m hardly competition.

  “I’m Quinn,” I say politely, “Jax’s sister.” I nod toward my brother who is leaning over and taking a shot from the center of Willow’s chest. Gross!

  “Cool!” she exclaims. “I’m Courtney, Gage’s girlfriend.” Realizing I had no idea Gage has a girlfriend, I suddenly feel like a horrible person. Even after Rick died, I didn’t really make a huge effort to stay in touch with the people I used to be close to. Sure, I see Gage when I visit the shop—which isn’t really often because I’m always working or taking care of Kinsley—but I haven’t taken the time to find out how his life is going, what he’s been up to. I was so relieved to be out from under
Rick’s hold, yet I never took the time to put the pieces of myself back together again like I promised myself I would do. I’m functioning, I’m mothering, I’m working, but I’m not actually living.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I tell her. I’m about to excuse myself to get a drink when Evan comes over and gives me a hug.

  “It’s been awhile, woman!” he yells over the music.

  “I know,” I agree, pulling back.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me?” an Irish accented voice says. When I look over, I spot a guy, similar in features to Lachlan—same green eyes and ginger hair, but a much shorter beard. He’s also a bit shorter than Lachlan, but not by much. His accent is a tad bit more pronounced than Lachlan’s, but still nowhere near as heavy as the Irish people in Sons of Anarchy.

  “Declan, this is Quinn, Jax’s sister.” Declan’s eyes widen fractionally, and I briefly wonder if Lachlan has mentioned me.

  “Nice to meet you,” he says, just as a woman comes over and puts her hand on his forearm. She looks almost identical to him, only more feminine. “This is my sister, Riley. She’s in town, visiting.”

  “Hey, I’m Quinn.” I give her a small wave.

  Another female comes over on the other side of Declan and gives his cheek a kiss. “Hey, baby, I was looking for you.”

  “Sorry, I came over to meet Jax’s sister, Quinn.” He tilts his head my way. “This is Venessa.” When he doesn’t give her a label, she frowns but doesn’t say anything.

  I give her a five finger wave as well. “I’m going to go grab a drink from the bar. Does anyone want anything?”

  Everyone who’s paying attention shakes their head, so I head over to the bar by myself. I’m halfway to it, when I spot Lachlan standing over in the corner of the bar with a young, blond woman. He’s leaning against the side of the bar, and she’s standing extremely close to him. Her hand is resting on his forearm, but he’s not touching her. I can only see their profiles, but they look to be in the middle of an intense conversation.