Ignoring the mail and the energy drinks, he reached into the refrigerator for a water bottle. As he unscrewed the lid, he glanced at the calendar on the wall and winced. How could he have forgotten Terry’s birthday? It didn’t matter that he’d been in St. Petersburg, Florida, for the past week at a physician’s conference. He should have remembered. This was his sister, for goodness sake. He didn’t have the excuse of a wife and kids or anyone else to worry about, unless he counted Jase.
If he had to forget someone’s birthday, why couldn’t it have been Avery’s? She was the person Quinn wished he could erase from his memory forever. But such a thing was impossible; every time he looked in the mirror he remembered.
When he reached the landing on the second floor, a door at the end of the hall opened and his brother appeared.
“Hey, man. Have a good time?”
Quinn laughed. “I guess you could say that. I wish I could figure out how to stop you from ordering Chinese.”
“It’s the perfect remedy for writer’s block. Did you get over to the beach?”
“There wasn’t time.”
Jase threw up his hands dramatically in a gesture reminiscent of their mother. “I can’t believe you spent spring break in Florida and never once went to the beach.”
“I’m a little old to be interested in co-eds, and in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m more likely to scare them away than attract them.”
“Oh, come on. Girls love a guy with a tattoo.”
“I’m sure they do. It’s the scars they have a problem with.”
“You’re going by the opinion of one woman. Not all females are as superficial as Avery. I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’re better off without her.”
“Your opinion is based on the fact that she didn’t laugh at your jokes.”
“My opinion is based on what she did to you.” He stopped and looked at Quinn speculatively. “I saw her at the gym this morning.”
Which meant she was in town visiting her parents. Hopefully, he wouldn’t run into her. “That’s nice.”
“Nice wasn’t the word for it. She actually had the nerve to ask me how you were doing.”
Quinn smiled faintly at the anger threading his brother’s usually dreamy voice. “What did you tell her?”
“That it was none of her business.”
“I bet that went over well.”
“The shocked look on her face was the best part of the whole thing. Why does she want to know anyway? She didn’t care when it mattered. I’ll never forgive her for that.”
Quinn was having trouble with that himself. He’d never forget the look of revulsion and horror that passed over Avery’s lovely face when she saw him. It was emblazoned on his mind like a brand.
“It doesn’t do any good to dwell on it,” he said finally.
“You’re right.”
“How’s our new tenant?”
Jase smiled wolfishly. “She wouldn’t be difficult to warm up to.”
“Just make sure your efforts in that direction don’t result in a restraining order.”
“My only interest in her is inspiration. Since meeting her, I’ve rewritten my main character.”
Quinn laughed. “I definitely want to see this person. But right now, I’ve got something more important to worry about. I forgot Terry’s birthday is tomorrow.”
“I did, too. Get her some flowers from both of us. There’s a florist over on Warner Street. I forget what it’s called, but I’ve used them a few times.”
This coherent and logical response surprised Quinn. Jase usually inhabited a different world from everyone else. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll run by there at lunch. Hopefully, they can do something while I wait.” He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “I’ve got a full day of patients tomorrow. If I don’t want to fall asleep in the middle of an appointment, I need to get to bed.”
“No sleep for me. I’ve got a book to finish. Time to raid the 5-hour energy pack.” With a grin, Jase swept past him.
Quinn’s smile faded as he continued on his way to his room. It was ironic that Avery should ask about him given that yesterday was the one-year anniversary of their break-up. During the long weeks when he lay in a foreign hospital wondering if he’d ever get back home, he relived every moment of their time together. Knowing she was waiting on him is what got him through all the painful surgeries and treatments. He could deal with never being the same again because Avery loved him. Nothing could change that.
That piece of foolish thinking had been proven false quickly enough. Avery wanted no part of the man he’d become. Her rejection was a painful lesson in the limitations of human love. He and Avery didn’t dwell within the pages of fiction or in movies where these situations just magically worked themselves out. In the real world, there were complications that nothing could overcome.
* * * * *
The slamming of a door woke Ellen from a deep sleep. Grabbing her phone, she glanced at the screen. Six-fifteen. She still had an hour before she needed to get up. Closing her eyes, she had almost fallen back asleep when she heard a yelp of pain followed by fierce mutterings. What was Jase doing out there?
Sitting up in bed, she peered through the slats in the blind. About twenty yards away a man who definitely wasn’t Jase was sprawled on the ground with what appeared to be a Saint Bernard on top of him. She could just make out his words.
“Down, Max, down. Sit; there’s a good boy. I’m happy to see you, too.”
He managed to get to his feet at last. Then he whistled for the dog and started jogging toward the street. In a few seconds, he disappeared. Was that Jase’s brother? There hadn’t been enough light from the rising sun to see the man’s features, but he was definitely tall.
By the time she’d taken a shower and eaten breakfast, the mystery of the man’s identity was forgotten. She’d been up past midnight last night unpacking. Which is why she’d wanted to sleep in this morning. Her muscles were still aching from carrying what seemed like a hundred boxes into her new place. Thankfully, Frank and his roommate had moved the heavier furniture.
At a few minutes past seven, she heard the whine of the garage door followed by the hum of a well-tuned engine. This was a timely reminder that she needed to get going as well. Spring was in the air and so were weddings. She dreaded the meeting with Mark’s fiancé tomorrow. Hopefully, he wouldn’t feel the need to come with her.
By the time she exited the cottage, the car was long gone, but Jase was there to greet her. He looked even worse than the first time she saw him.
“Are you okay?” she asked in concern.
“Couldn’t be better,” he assured her. “I finished my book this morning. Now I’m going to sleep for the rest of the week.”
“How long have you been awake?”
“A little over sixty hours. When the muse is upon me, I must obey.”
“Was that your brother I saw on the driveway this morning?”
Jase nodded. “He never misses his morning jog.”
“Hopefully I can meet him before too long.” She opened the door to her car. “Congrats on finishing your book and enjoy your well-earned sleep.”
“Thanks, Ellen.”
When she entered the shop, Frank was already there, an apple fritter in his hand and a huge container of coffee at his elbow.
“I’ll never understand how you stay so slim,” she said, pushing the box of pastries to the side.
“I have a superfast metabolism. You’ll never guess what happened.”
“I probably won’t so you better tell me.”
“Christy broke up with me last night.”
Ellen opened the notebook in which she kept all her customer notes. “How did you let that happen?”
“Let it happen? I’d like to know what I could have done to prevent it.”
Thinking of the situation with Mark, she said, “Probably nothing. When someone wants out, it’s best to let them go.”
“I’ve put all this time an
d effort into a relationship, and she tells me she’s not looking for anything serious right now like I was a practice round for the real thing.”
“I know this sounds corny, but it’s her loss.”
Frank threaded his arms through the straps of his backpack. “Thanks, boss. I’ll be back around two. I finished all of today’s orders so you can relax, eat one of those five-hundred calorie fritters, and steel your nerves for Miss Mallory Shaver.”
“She wants her wedding day to be perfect. I understand that.”
“With the divorce rate the way it is, she’ll probably get a second shot at a wedding day in about ten or fifteen years.”
“Don’t be so negative.”
“I can’t help it. My parents didn’t even have the decency to wait until I was in kindergarten to find out they made a mistake. I spent my childhood bouncing between two extended families, neither of whom really wanted me there.”
“All the more reason to make sure you pick the right person.”
Frank grabbed another fritter and headed to the door. “I can’t even pick the right girlfriend.”
Ellen had no good advice to give him. She thought she’d found the right guy until she caught him in one too many lies. “You better get moving. Professors don’t like students walking into class late.”
Once she had the shop to herself, Ellen checked the contents of her refrigerated cases, making a list of what she needed to order. She was unpacking boxes of porcelain bunnies and eggs in baskets in preparation for Easter when the glass door of the shop opened and closed.
“Welcome to Violets are Blue,” she said as she swung around. The smile on her face froze into place as her eyes fell on the man making his way toward the counter. The steel gray eyes, strong jawline and knee-weakening smile were just as she remembered, but the left side of his once handsome face was a network of jagged scars and puckered skin. Ellen forced back the tears that threatened. If it was true that it was a small world, it was equally true that it could be a cruel one. What terrible thing had happened to the young man whose kindness she’d never forgotten?
* * * * *
Quinn’s steps slowed to a crawl as he maneuvered around the various glass displays that seemed to be everywhere. He felt like the literal bull in the china shop. A flicker of movement caught his eye. He stopped mid-stride, a faint smile settling on his lips as he recognized the awkward teenager in the woman walking toward him. Her dark hair was shorter, just touching her shoulders, but her eyes were the same intense blue. Any second now, the smile on her pretty face would fade. It’s what usually happened when he ran into someone who’d known him before the accident.
“Quinn! I can’t believe this! How are you?”
“I’m great, Ellen. Wow, you’ve grown up on me.” There was a superficial resemblance to her sister Bethany, but Ellen’s features were softer and her smile was many degrees warmer and more genuine.
“That’s what happens after fifteen years.”
“Has it been that long? Man, that makes me feel old.”
“Think of all that experience you’ve got.”
“I try not to think about that. How have we not run into each other before now?”
“I’ve only been back in the area since last summer. I inherited this business from my aunt. When I left St. Marys to go to college, my family moved to Alabama. My parents are still trying to get over me giving up a job at a bank to become a florist.”
“If it makes you happy, that’s all the matters. No sense working your entire life doing something you don’t enjoy.”
“That’s what I tell myself when they all gang up on me.”
“Are they still doing that?”
“I’m the baby of the family. No one wants to believe I can take care of myself.”
“I understand their dilemma. I can still see you up in that tree, an apple in your hand and a book in your lap.”
“I miss those days. Life was a lot less complicated then. What are you doing here?”
His lips twitched. “I need to order flowers.”
“I figured that. I meant in St. Marys. I’m not the only one who went away to college.”
“After medical school, I came back to work at the clinic with my dad.”
She nodded. “So you did become a doctor. I remember you talking about it.”
“Was there ever any doubt? I come from a long line of eminent physicians. I also inherited my father’s absentmindedness. I forgot my sister’s birthday is today. I’m hoping some flowers will keep me out of trouble.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“This isn’t really my area of expertise. What do you suggest?”
She tapped the end of a pencil against her cheek. “I could do an arrangement of pink and white roses.”
“Terry loves pink. Let’s go with that. Could you do them while I wait? I want to sneak them in her office while she’s at lunch.”
“Sure. Have a seat. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She disappeared through a curtain into a room at the back of the shop.
As Quinn looked around, he couldn’t help thinking about the coincidence of running into Ellen after all this time. He hadn’t seen her since the day she showed him the picture of Bethany and Dalton. He wouldn’t go so far as to say it was a defining moment in his life, but it did hurt. He’d been almost as angry with her as he’d been with Bethany.
Ellen’s actions tarnished the image of the girl he loved. In his mind, she was nearly as culpable for the demise of his relationship with her sister as Bethany herself. A person who would stoop to spying and taking pictures wasn’t so different from one who would cheat on her boyfriend. From the distance of a thousand miles as well as the distraction of college, he came to realize that his reaction to Ellen’s part in the incident had been wrong. She’d only been trying to help him.
At the time, he thought Bethany’s betrayal was the worst life could throw at him in the way of relationships. That incident paled in comparison to what awaited him with Avery.
“Here you go,” Ellen said, breezing back into the room and setting a crystal vase on the counter between them.
Quinn gave it an appreciative glance. “It looks great, Ellen. Terry will love it. What do I owe you?”
“I don’t charge old friends.”
“That’s no way to run a business. How much?”
“I’m not going to take your money.”
“You’re still as stubborn as I remember.”
“Sure am; so you might as well put that wallet back in your pocket.”
“That’s not how this is supposed to work.”
“How about this? You can treat me to a pork sandwich at Rafferty’s sometime. Then we can catch up on what we’ve been doing for the last fifteen years.”
Was she serious? Or blind? Hadn’t she seen the scars on his face? Women weren’t exactly lining up outside his door waiting to go out with him. “Um, sure,” he said, still trying to wrap his head around this. “When are you free?”
“Tomorrow night would work for me. I could meet you there at five-thirty.”
“Tomorrow night is fine for me, too,” he echoed. “Thanks for the flowers. You saved me from Terry’s wrath.”
Quinn walked to his car in a haze of disbelief and confusion. What had just happened? He hadn’t spent an evening with a female other than his sister since Avery, and there was a good reason for that. No amount of group therapy sessions or positive thinking was going to change reality. The woman he’d been engaged to marry had found his appearance so intolerable she cancelled their wedding. Why would Ellen want to spend time with him?
* * * * *
Quinn might have left the shop, but he was still very much on Ellen’s mind. The tears she’d held back trickled down her cheeks. The good-looking teenager she remembered was no more. How had it happened? Was anyone else in his family involved? The questions had trembled on her tongue, but couldn’t be asked.
The slamming of the back door meant Frank had retur
ned. Ellen wiped frantically at the moisture on her cheeks. A few seconds later, he burst through the curtains with his usual exuberance.
“I’m back.”
“Did you skip your Business Law class again?”
“Not this time. My teacher didn’t show.”
“And instead of going home, you came to work. What did I do to deserve so faithful an employee?”
“I’ve actually got an ulterior motive. I need to leave early on Wednesday.”
“That’s fine. Wednesdays are kind of slow anyway.”
The opening of the shop door ended this conversation. Frank sent her a cheeky salute before disappearing into the workroom. Ellen went to meet her friend.
“Faith! What are you doing here? I’ll be at your house four hours from now.”
“Landris had a meeting with the realtor next door. His sister Taryn and her husband are thinking about buying a house on the beach. It seems like all we’ve been doing lately is going to couple’s showers and weddings. Taryn got married in October, and Landris’s brother Trent got married a few weeks ago.”
“Is Olivia at school?”
“She gets out at two today. I hope you like cheesecake brownies. She and Landris made three dozen last night.”
“There isn’t a dessert that I don’t like.”
“Are you moved into your new place?”
“Sure am. It’s like being in my own home. I may never want to leave.”
“I appreciate you watching Olivia for us tonight. Marly usually does it, but she’s having a tough time with morning sickness.”
“Bethany was the same way. It lasted almost three months.”
“My sister Felicity never got sick at all, not with any of her pregnancies. My mother kept telling her how lucky she was.”
The shop door opened again, this time to admit Frank’s favorite bride: Mallory Shaver.
“Excuse me, Faith. I need to help this customer.”
“Go ahead. I want to look at those cute Easter bunnies in your window. I know Olivia would love to have one.”
Yours, With Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 5) Page 3
