Beautifully Hurt (Beautifully Broken)

by Michelle Heard

  “Have you planned anything?” he chuckles.

  I shake my head, giving him a grin. “Kinda flying by the seat of my pants.”

  “No shit.” Dad shrugs. “You have to ask Josh for his blessing.” He turns to face me and then locks eyes with me. “You promise him you’ll protect and love his daughter until your last breath.”

  I nod.

  “And when Josh gives you his blessing, you thank him for the beautiful woman he’s giving to you.”

  “I will.”

  “Get that done, and for God’s sake, buy a ring. Don’t you dare propose without one.”

  I let out a burst of laughter. “Of course.”

  I pull my phone out of my pocket, and it has Dad asking, “Who are you calling?”

  “Josh… to ask for his blessing.” Dad begins to frown, and it has me explaining, “He’ll only be back the day before Quinn’s birthday.”

  “Right.” Dad gestures for me to continue.

  I bring up my contacts list and select Josh’s number.

  He answers after a couple of rings, “Hey, how’s Quinn doing?”

  I let out a chuckle. “She’s doing very well. The store’s opening was a huge success. I’m sure she told you.”

  “Yeah, I hate that I couldn’t be there.”

  “I made a video for you. When you’re back, you can watch it with her.”

  “Damn, thanks, son.”

  I clear my throat. “There’s something I want to ask you, and I hate doing it over the phone –”

  Josh interrupts me, saying, “If you’re going to ask for my blessing, you had it the day I let Quinn move in with you.”

  I keep quiet for a moment as his words sink in, then a broad smile stretches over my face. “I still want to ask you.”

  Josh’s chuckle comes over the line. “Okay. I’m listening.”

  “Mr. Drake,” I start, my heart beating faster even though he already said yes, “I want to marry your amazingly talented and beautiful daughter, and it would mean a lot to me if you gave your blessing.” I clear my throat, then continue, “I promise I’ll always protect her with my life, and I’ll love her with every beat of my heart. But, most importantly, I’ll do my best to be the man she deserves.”

  “Damn, son,” Josh chuckles, then he teases me, “If I wasn’t straight, I’d say yes.”

  I let out a burst of laughter. “So what do you say? You want to become my father-in-law?”

  “I’d be honored, Eli.”

  I swallow hard as emotion builds in my chest. “Thank you for Quinn.”

  “You’re welcome, son.”

  We end the call, and I take a moment to breathe through the emotions.

  “If you’re getting choked up from asking Josh, you’re going to cry like a baby when you ask Quinn,” Dad chuckles.

  “Right.” Then I grin at him. “Time to go buy a ring.”

  Chapter 26

  QUINN

  I smile when Finlay gets off the bus. Her guitar hangs over her right shoulder, just the way I remember her. She has an incredible voice and has always loved music.

  “Finlay,” I call as I walk closer, a wide smile on my face.

  Gosh, I’ve missed her.

  “I made it,” she laughs, looking exhausted from the long trip.

  I hug my cousin tightly to me, saying, “I’m so glad you’re finally here.”

  Finlay wraps her arms around me, and for a good minute, we just hold each other.

  When I pull back, Finlay wipes a tear from her cheek, then she gives me a trembling smile. “I’m glad too.”

  “I hope those are happy tears,” I say, giving her a worried look.

  “Yeah. Of course.” Her smile widens. “Let me look at you.” Her eyes drift over me, then they lock on mine again. “Dang, girl, you just keep getting prettier.”

  I gesture at her light brown hair that has natural blonde highlights and her gray eyes. “You’re one to talk.” Then I notice how skinny she is. “I’ll have to feed you, though. Don’t they have food in Napierville?”

  Finlay just smiles as we move closer to the bus to collect her luggage. I grab two bags while Finlay gets the other one, and as we turn around, Ethan comes toward us to help.

  Nina’s taking care of my bakery, and Alex had to help Eli at the hardware store, so I asked Ethan for a ride.

  Finlay takes a step back, her eyes going wide.

  I let out a burst of laughter. “Ethan is Eli’s brother.”

  “Oh.” She looks thoroughly uncomfortable, and I assume it’s because she’s shy like me. It runs in the family.

  I grew up around the Jackson’s, but I can see how meeting one of them for the first time can be intimidating.

  “Thanks, Ethan,” I say as he reaches us. “This is my cousin Finlay.”

  They glance at each other before Ethan reaches his hand out to her. “Nice to meet you.”

  Finlay hesitates, but then she shakes his hand. “Same.”

  He takes the luggage from us, and heading to his truck, he places it in the back, then straps the bags down.

  He glances at Finlay. “Gonna keep the guitar with you?”

  “Oh… yeah.”

  We all pile into the truck, and an uncomfortable silence falls around us. I glance over my shoulder, giving Finlay a smile.

  Just as I turn back in my seat, Ethan says, “Seat belts.”

  I let out a chuckle. “You sound like Eli.”

  Ethan grins at me. “Dad ingrained it into us.”

  “You should stay for dinner,” I say. “I can ask Eli to get us a couple of pizzas on his way home.”

  “In that case, I’ll definitely stay.” Ethan glances in the rearview mirror, then says, “Quinn said you’re from Chicago?”

  “Yeah,” she murmurs.

  Ethan shoots a look my way, a slight frown on his forehead.

  I give him a reassuring smile, then ask Finlay, “Did you manage to get everything into storage?”

  “Ah… no. I needed to get out of Napierville. Dad said he’d have it taken care of,” Finlay explains.

  “Dang, was it so bad staying there?” I chuckle.

  “You have no idea,” she mutters.

  Ethan brings the truck to a stop in front of the house, and then he helps us carry the luggage inside.

  “The first guest room,” I say, giving him a thankful smile.

  I turn to Finlay. “Welcome.”

  She glances around, and it has me proudly saying, “Eli built the house.”

  “Wow, he sure knew what he was doing,” Finlay says as she walks into the living room. “It’s a lovely home.”

  Ethan stops at the entrance of the living room. “I’m just going to head home and shower. I’ll be back in time for dinner. Oh, remember extra cheese.”

  When I start to walk toward him, he says, “I’ll close the door on my way out.”

  “Great, see you later. Thanks for your help.”

  Only when we hear the front door shut does Finlay say, “Please tell me he’s the scary brother, and Eli is the nice one.”

  Letting out a burst of laughter, I say, “You’ll see, they’re both really sweet. Intense, but sweet as pie.” Taking hold of Finlay’s hand, I pull her up the stairs. “Let’s get you settled.”

  Walking down the hallway, I gesture to our left. “You’ll have your own bathroom. It’s through there.”

  I tug her into the guest room, then say, “I hope blue’s still your favorite color.”

  Finlay glances at the baby-blue bedspread. “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”

  “We wanted you to feel at home. The last thing I want is you leaving again.”

  Finlay’s eyes drift over my face. “How are you holding up?”

  “Every day, it gets better. I still miss Katie.”

  Finlay comes to give me a hug. “I’m really sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

  Hearing the regret in her voice, I hold her tightly. “You’re here now.”

  Pul
ling apart, we begin to unpack her clothes and personal belongings.

  “So, are you going to help me at the store?” I ask as I hang one of her dresses.

  “Yeah, but beware, I’ll probably eat all your profit,” she chuckles, finally seeming to relax.

  “If it means you putting on some weight, I’ll just have to bake more muffins.”

  Finlay gives me a nervous glance. “Ah… so I’ll probably only stay here until I can find a place to buy.”

  “Do you have enough money? There’s no rush. You can stay here as long as you want, and there’s always Dad’s house.”

  “Don’t think I’m ungrateful because I’m not,” Finlay says. “I appreciate all of this, but I want to get settled and make a home for myself. Dad said he’ll pay for the house, then he’ll have a place to crash when he’s home.”

  “I guess we’ll have to go house hunting for you then.”

  Just as we shove the bags under the bed, we hear a truck pull up to the house, and it has me saying, “That must be Eli. Come, I’ll introduce you.”

  Finlay hesitates, and I grab her hand, pulling her behind me. When we come down the stairs, the front door opens, and Eli comes in. He places his keys in the bowl we have on a stand by the door, then smiles at us.

  “Finally, I get to meet you. Quinn’s been excited since you said you were coming.” He gives her a warm smile.

  Finlay tugs her hand free from mine and stays partially behind me. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me stay here. You have a beautiful home,” the words burst from her.

  Eli’s smile grows. “You’re welcome. If you need anything, just let Quinn or myself know.”

  Finlay nods, looking nervous as hell.

  “Don’t worry. I used to be the same around Eli, but you’ll get used to him.”

  “Is that so?” Eli asks, giving me a playful grin.

  “I couldn’t even form a sentence around you,” I remind him.

  “True.” Eli comes to press a kiss on my lips.

  “I invited Ethan for dinner… shoot, I forgot to ask you to get pizzas for us.”

  “Don’t worry, babe,” Eli says, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I’ll get them to deliver.”

  Smiling, I wrap my arm around Eli’s lower back, then I glance at Finlay, saying, “See why I love him so much?”

  ELI

  Turning on the lamp on the bedside table, I lie down on the bed. I close my eyes, and then a smile spreads across my face as I think of the ring in the safe.

  I got it yesterday, and it’s taking a lot to not give it to Quinn before her birthday.

  Six days.

  Damn, I can’t wait.

  Quinn comes out of the bathroom, and switching off the light, she walks to her side of the bed and climbs onto the mattress.

  She pulls the sheet away from my body, and it has me grinning. “What are you doing?”

  “You’ll see,” she whispers with a teasing tone to her voice.

  Quinn takes hold of my sweatpants, and when she pulls them down my legs, I instantly start to harden.

  She crawls back up and then straddles my thighs.

  “You need to undress, and you definitely need to move higher.”

  She lets out a chuckle. “What happened to being patient?”

  “Baby, when you have me naked, patience goes out the window.”

  She lets out a soft burst of laughter, then traces a finger from my hip to my cock. I have to grab hold of the covers to let her have control.

  My eyes jump between the love on her face and her fingers wrapping around my cock. Then she leans forward, and I hold my breath as she sucks me into the warmth of her mouth.

  “Fuck,” I hiss.

  Thinking of Finlay sleeping down the hallway from us, I regret not making my bedroom soundproof.

  Quinn sucks me deep, and my hands dart to her hair, grabbing fistfuls of her silky strands.

  “Quinn,” I groan as she shows me the meaning of heaven.

  When I get close to reaching my climax, I pull her away.

  “Take off your clothes, baby,” I whisper as I reach into the drawer for a condom.

  While Quinn quickly undresses, I roll the latex onto my cock, then I say, “Straddle me again.”

  She climbs over me, and I place my left hand on her hip, taking hold of my cock with my right. I position myself beneath her, then whisper, “Sink down on me.”

  Quinn’s pussy takes me to the hilt, and I struggle to breathe for a moment from how good she feels wrapped around me.

  “God, baby,” I groan. “Ride me.”

  Quinn places her hands on my chest, and then she starts to move, her eyes locked on my face.

  “So good,” I praise her, my fingers digging into her hip as I have to fight the urge to throw her onto her back and fuck her senseless.

  Quinn starts to move faster, rubbing her pussy against my pelvis.

  My right hand darts up to the back of her neck, and I pull her down on top of me as I start to thrust into her. Her mouth crashes against mine, and the kiss turns hot real fast, our tongues dancing, our lips kneading, and our teeth tugging.

  I thrust harder, my hips working to keep the pace.

  “Eli,” Quinn moans against my mouth.

  I roll her onto her back, and bracing my hands on either side of her head, I start to pound into her, branding her pussy with my cock.

  “Fuck, baby,” I groan, my muscles straining as my pleasure starts to build.

  Her body tenses, and her lips part. I crush her mouth beneath mine, in time to swallow her cry as her orgasm sweeps through her, making her convulse beneath me.

  Feeling her pussy clench around my cock, ecstasy pulses through me as I empty myself.

  When we both come down from our pleasure, I kiss her deeply, my heart expanding to the point of almost bursting with love for the woman beneath me.

  Breaking the kiss, my eyes find hers, and then I tease her, “You’re really getting good at this.”

  She lets out a chuckle making me slip out of her. “I have a good teacher.”

  “Yeah?” I ask as I roll onto my back.

  “An impressive one,” she says, her tone playful.

  Getting up, I walk to the bathroom to dispose of the condom, then I head back to bed and crawl under the sheet with Quinn.

  She snuggles against my side, resting her cheek on my chest.

  “What do you think of Finlay?”

  I shake my head. “Not a topic I want to discuss right after I was deep inside you.”

  Chuckling, she whispers, “Sorry.” Then she glances up at me. “But I’m curious.”

  My chest vibrates as I let out a burst of silent laughter. “She seems okay. A bit on the quiet side.”

  “She’ll open up when she gets to know you better,” Quinn says. “Like I did.”

  “It’s important to you that we get along.”

  She nods. “Yeah.”

  “I’ll do my best to make her feel at home,” I assure Quinn. Tightening my arms around her, I add, “Anything to make my woman happy.”

  She starts to draw random patterns on my chest, then lets out a contented sigh. “You make me unbelievably happy, Eli.”

  Reaching over to the bedside table, I switch off the lamp. I turn onto my side, holding Quinn against my chest as I take a deep breath of her hair.

  “If you could have one wish, what would it be?” I ask.

  “Just one wish?”

  I nod. “Yeah, just one.”

  Quinn doesn’t hesitate to answer, “A kiss.”

  Frowning, I ask, “Why a kiss?”

  “Not just any kiss, Eli.” She burrows deeper against my chest. “One day, when I’m old and wrinkly, I want a kiss from you.”

  “Why then?”

  “It will mean we grew old together, and that’s all I want.”

  Her answer hits me right in the heart, and then a broad smile spreads over my face.

  “I’ll see what I can do to make
your wish come true.”

  Chapter 27

  QUINN

  Opening the oven, I pull a tray of mini cakes out. The cupcakes are such a hit that I’m trying to add more of a variety.

  The bell at the door jingles, then I hear Finlay greeting a customer, “Morning.”

  Recognizing the voice, I set the tray down before turning to Mrs. Chapel, who I know from experience, can be challenging to deal with.

  She gives us an overly sweet smile. “I want to place a private order.”

  “Sure,” I say, and walking closer, I swipe the notepad up.

  “It’s Maddy’s bachelorette next Saturday. Can you make cupcakes with little penises on them.”

  My lips twitch, and I bite back the laughter. “Ah… I can try. How many do you need?”

  “Two dozen.”

  “When will you collect them?”

  “Saturday morning.”

  I nod as I write the order down. “Can you give me a contact number?”

  Mrs. Chapel recites the number, then she gives us her overly sweet smile again. “Thanks, girls.”

  When she walks out of the store, Finlay glances at me. “Your first order of penis cupcakes?”

  I begin to laugh. “Should be interesting.”

  “I bet,” she mutters.

  I walk back to my tiny kitchen at the side of the store and add glitter to the stars I made from icing.

  “Want to go look at a couple of places after work?” I ask.

  “Yeah. Sure.” Finlay’s quiet for a moment, then she asks, “Do you think there’s anything near the beach?”

  “We can check. Ethan got a house right on the beach. He’s been working his butt off, though. The place was one storm away from falling apart.”

  “Yeah, anything but that. I can’t even fix a plug.”

  “Eli’s really good at things like that. Ethan and Alex as well. I’m sure they’ll help if you need something fixed.”

  “I’d rather get a place that doesn’t need any work,” Finlay says.

  I glance over my shoulder and see that she’s staring down at her hands, her shoulders slumped.

  “Everything okay?”

  Her eyes dart to me. “Yeah. Of course.” When I keep looking at her, she adds, “You know me. I’m just adjusting to the new environment.”