Yours, With Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 5)

by Delaney Cameron

  He chuckled. “I wish someone had shown me. Thanks for dinner.”

  “We should really be thanking Isobel. She supplied all the food.” Before she could lose her nerve, Ellen reached for his hand. “I’m glad you’re back, Quinn. I missed you.” When his hand turned to grip hers, she felt a surge of happiness inside. It was a small thing, but it was a positive response.

  “I missed you, too.”

  “Do you mean that?”

  He looked shocked by the question. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

  “I don’t, either,” she said softly as she let him go. “Goodnight, Quinn.”

  Chapter Six

  When he walked through the door of his house, Quinn was vaguely aware of two things: the somber strains of Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor” and the aroma of hazelnut coffee. These were sure signs that Jase had begun a new project. His steps took him to the kitchen where he automatically flipped through the pile of mail on the counter, but he wasn’t seeing names and addresses.

  He was remembering how his body throbbed with awareness when Ellen took his hand, and how a hundred fireworks lit the sky of his brain when she said she missed him. Either one of those would have been sufficient to give him a sleepless night. The combination would likely affect him for days.

  When he got upstairs, the door to Jase’s room was closed which meant Quinn could avoid the inquisition, at least temporarily. He turned in the opposite direction and entered his own room. After unpacking his suitcase, he walked into the bathroom. Ellen’s shirt was still hanging over the towel rack, but Quinn had little doubt that his secret was out.

  Jase was no fool. When he searched the laundry room and came up empty, he would have known the likely whereabouts of the shirt. Why hadn’t he mentioned it when they spoke earlier? This situation was ready-made for the kind of teasing his brother specialized in.

  By the time he got out of bed the next morning, Quinn was convinced that he’d read more into Ellen’s words than she meant. She couldn’t possibly have missed him in the same way he missed her. Thankfully, his busy day would give him something else to think about.

  After making his rounds at the hospital, he drove to the clinic to see his morning patients. Just before lunch, Kelly stuck her head inside the door of his office.

  “There’s someone here to see you.”

  Quinn looked up from his laptop. “Who is it?”

  “Avery.”

  He slowly removed his glasses and sat back in the chair. Anger and resentment erupted inside him. This was the woman who’d had her engagement ring delivered by the postal service rather than face him, and yet when she finally decided to see him in person, she came to his office instead of somewhere private, like his house. Quinn had no doubt the news of her visit would be all over the clinic in less than an hour.

  At his hesitation, Kelly went on. “I’ll be happy to tell her you’re not available. In fact, nothing would give me more satisfaction. Just say the word.”

  The indignation in her tone brought a slight smile to his face. Although only a few years separated them, Kelly extended to him the same motherly protection she showered on her children. “The damage is done so I might as well get it over with. Send her back.”

  “Zander and I are going to Angelo’s. Do you want us to wait on you?”

  Quinn doubted that Zander wanted him along. His nurse was more than a little interested in his secretary. “No. I’ve got an errand to run. I’ll pick up something while I’m out.” If he had any appetite left after meeting with Avery. His insides were already churning, and he hadn’t even spoken to her yet.

  “Okay. See ya later.”

  While he waited for Avery, he removed his lab coat and hung it on the rack in the corner. It had been a year since he’d seen her, a circumstance made possible by her extended absence from town. Immediately after the cancellation of their wedding, she’d gone to stay with her grandparents in Daytona Beach. He hadn’t known of her return until Jase mentioned running into her at the gym. So why now and why here?

  Just as he dropped back in his chair, Avery strolled through the door. Other than her hair being slightly longer, she looked exactly the same. He slowly rose to his feet once more, but he didn’t say anything. He watched as her eyes roved over his face quickly before falling to the level of his chest. She still couldn’t look at him. It wasn’t as devastating as before, but it still bothered him. How could it hurt when he didn’t love her anymore?

  “How are you, Quinn?”

  “Never better,” he quipped, wishing he’d allowed Kelly to get rid of her when he had the chance. He indicated the chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”

  She sat down on the edge and moistened her lips. “I wouldn’t have bothered you if it hadn’t been important.”

  That drew a short laugh from him. “I never doubted it.”

  Her brows drew together. “Can we at least be civil to each other?”

  “If I’d wanted to be uncivil, you wouldn’t have made it past Kelly.” He knew by the rise of the color in her cheeks that his remark had hit home.

  “Believe it or not, I was actually thinking of how this would affect you, too.”

  “Then get on with whatever it is you came to say.”

  “A few months ago I met someone. A medical student. Ironic, isn’t it? I told myself that I’d never get involved with anyone in the medical field again.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice.”

  She went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “When Nicholas applied to do his residency here, he didn’t know about me and you. It’s too late for him to change now. He’s due to start in a month. Naturally, he’s worried that you might make trouble for him.”

  If Quinn was a vindictive person, they’d both have a reason to be worried. “You obviously agree with him, or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “I have every reason to be concerned. Things didn’t end well between us, and I know how I’d feel if I was in your place.”

  Quinn leaned forward on his elbows. “Let’s get one thing straight; you would never have been in my place. As for your boyfriend, the only thing he needs to worry about is his ability as a doctor. That’s where my interest in him begins and ends. But none of us will escape the gossip. Too many people here know the story.”

  “And they’ll all be taking your side.”

  “I don’t know what they’ll do. I don’t discuss my personal life at work.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to cut this short, but that’s all the time I can give you today.”

  Avery stood up and walked to the door. “I appreciate you seeing me.”

  “If you need to talk to me again, contact me outside the office.”

  Again her cheeks flamed with color. “I don’t foresee any reason for that.”

  He certainly hoped so. This meeting had been bad enough.

  A few minutes later he was walking to his car. The fact that Avery had a boyfriend wasn’t what made him so angry. Any regret he might have felt at losing her had been mitigated by her actions. What was creating havoc inside him now was that the woman who singlehandedly destroyed his personal life was poised to adversely affect his professional life, too. Was he never going to escape her?

  * * * * *

  Ellen finished her deliveries by early afternoon, returning to the shop just as Frank was getting ready to leave for his evening class.

  “A guy just called,” he said, holding out a slip of paper. “He’s proposing tonight and wants a dozen reds. He’d like to pick them up around five.”

  “That’s what I call waiting until the last minute.”

  “Let’s hope after all this she says yes. By the way, we’re running low on ivory pedestal candles. There’s only a few left in the back, and we’ll need about twenty for the McPherson reception.”

  “I’ll order more before I leave. We’ll have them by Thursday. Good luck on your exam.”

  “Gracias, senorita.”


  Frank had only been gone a few minutes when Matt came strolling through the door. He settled his sunglasses on his hat and glanced around the shop until he found her.

  “There you are! Hiding behind the tulips! How’s my favorite florist today?”

  “I’m great. You looked good in that pink shirt last night.”

  He laughed. “Thanks. Olivia suggested I get a pink cover for my prosthesis. I’m not sure I want to go that far in the name of team spirit.”

  “Are you finished mowing for today?”

  “Yep. I wanted to get something for Darcy. She had an episode last night after she got home from the theater.”

  “Oh, no! Is she okay?”

  “Yes. I tried to talk her into staying home from work today, but she said she was fine.”

  “I admire her so much, Matt. It can’t be easy living with something like that.”

  “She’s one of the bravest people I’ve ever known.”

  “Coming from someone who served in a war, that’s high praise. What can I get for you?”

  “Daisies. They’re her favorite flower.”

  “Give me about ten minutes to put something together.”

  “There’s no rush. She won’t be home for another hour.”

  It didn’t take long to arrange a large bunch of cut Shasta daisies in an oversized yellow pitcher. Matt smiled when she sat it on the counter in front of him.

  “She’s gonna love this.”

  “She’ll love them because you gave them to her. What most men don’t realize is that it’s never about the flowers; it’s the thought behind them.”

  “Thanks for doing them on such short notice.”

  “No problem.”

  “I’ll be at your place on Thursday. It takes me almost all day to do Quinn’s yard because of the garden.”

  “I can imagine. The trimming alone must take several hours.”

  “I have to do it myself. The part-timers on my crew don’t have the patience for that sort of thing. Not to change the subject, but are you and Faith seriously going to miss your ten-year high school reunion? Aren’t you curious to see everyone and find out what they’ve been doing?”

  “I can find out anything I want to know on social media. I don’t want to spend an entire evening being asked over and over if I’m married and how many kids I have. Every time someone I grew up with comes in to order flowers, it’s the same.”

  “I guess that would get old. I get tired of explaining what happened to my leg.”

  “If I had a boyfriend, I might be tempted to come; but I’m a little lacking in that department right now.”

  “You’ve got time to get one. The reunion isn’t until the end of July.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  After Matt left, Ellen went into the storage room to check her stock of candles. She hadn’t been completely truthful with Matt. Her disinterest in the reunion was only partly because she was still single. Most of it stemmed from the fact that her high school experience hadn’t been that memorable. She’d been something of a nerd, painfully shy, and socially awkward. Those three things hadn’t made her popular with either sex. She wasn’t sure what had been worse: being made fun of or being ignored. Either way, she didn’t want a trip down memory lane.

  * * * * *

  Following that disturbing visit with Avery, the rest of Quinn’s day was busy, but blessedly routine. After confirming with Kelly the time for the hitting lesson with Samuel, he made his way home. There he found Jase in the driveway washing the Shelby, effectively blocking the entrance to the garage.

  “The Chevelle could use a wash, too,” he said as he got out of the car.

  His brother grinned. “No time for that. I’ve got a date.”

  “The pet store girl again?”

  “Nope. This is someone I met at the post office.”

  “I thought you’d already dated all the singles there.”

  “Shelby just transferred here from Brunswick. When I heard her name, I knew she was the one.”

  “The one for what?”

  “You know, the woman I’m supposed to marry.”

  “You’re basing your future happiness on the fact that she shares the same name as your car?”

  “You can’t ignore signs like that, Quinn.”

  “Stop signs are the ones you can’t ignore. Shelby’s name is just a coincidence.”

  “I suppose you think Ellen moving into the cottage is a coincidence, too.”

  “Well, it’s certainly not a sign of anything.”

  “What about that shirt hanging in your bathroom?”

  Quinn’s lips twitched. “That was an effort to avoid conversations like this. It obviously backfired.”

  Jase laughed. “No, Quinney, it’s a sign, too. There’s some pizza left in the fridge.”

  He wondered what Jase would consider Avery’s visit to be. He’d find out soon enough when he told him, but it could wait. No use spoiling his brother’s evening. “That’s good because I didn’t get any lunch.”

  A half hour later when Quinn came downstairs the only thing left of Jase was the overpowering scent of Axe body spray lingering in the air. After opening a window in the kitchen to get rid of the smell, he picked up the bag of stuff he’d purchased at the sporting goods store and headed to the garage to find his baseball glove. Kelly arrived not long after with Samuel and Chelsea.

  The dark-haired ten-year-old boy jumped out of the minivan and came running up to Quinn. “Hey, Dr. Phil.”

  Quinn laughed at the shortening of his name. “Hey, Samuel. Are you ready to do some hitting?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve got my bat with me.”

  “Good. Grab that bag of practice balls for me.” Quinn glanced at Kelly and Chelsea. “Hello, ladies.”

  “Hello,” Kelly said. “We’re going to take a walk around your neighborhood.”

  “If you see a Saint Bernard, don’t be alarmed. It’s just Max, and he’s harmless.”

  As he and Samuel made their way to the rear of his property, his eyes were drawn to the garden. Inevitably his thoughts went back to Avery. Meeting her again had done more than make him angry. It also reminded him of everything he’d tried so unsuccessfully to forget and reaffirmed all his worst doubts and fears. He didn’t want to think she still retained the power to injure him, but every time she wouldn’t meet his eyes, it was like reopening a wound that had just begun to heal.

  * * * * *

  In the lull before closing, a harassed-looking young man blew through the front door of the shop with a force that almost took it off the hinges. Ellen cringed as she waited to see if the glass would survive.

  “I’m terribly sorry,” he said, catching the door before it slammed shut. “I didn’t mean to push it that hard.”

  “That’s okay. How can I help you?”

  “I called earlier about a dozen red roses, but I won’t be needing them now. My girlfriend and I had a huge fight on the phone. She hung up on me and won’t return my calls.” He started to pace back and forth, running his fingers through his hair. “I have dinner reservations and everything. What am I going to do? Eat by myself?”

  “Call the restaurant and reschedule the reservation. That will give you time to work things out with your girlfriend.”

  “What about my flowers?”

  “I’ll give you a refund.”

  He stopped pacing and looked at her. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because life doesn’t always go as planned.”

  “You’re being very nice about this. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “If I do manage to fix things with Angie, I know where we’re coming for our floral arrangements,” he said as he left.

  Ellen couldn’t help laughing. The trials of young love, as her mother would say. In ten years, that guy and his girlfriend would probably be joking about what happened today. She resumed her work at the computer until it was time to leave. When she arrived at Quinn’s house ar
ound six-thirty, she noticed a silver minivan parked behind the Jaguar. She didn’t have long to wonder who it was. When she emerged from her car, she saw a woman and a young girl sitting on the steps leading to the sunroom.

  “You must be Ellen,” the woman called out, coming over to meet her. “I’m Kelly, Quinn’s secretary, and this is my daughter Chelsea. He told me that he’d become a landlord.” She pointed to the logo on Ellen’s shirt. “Violets are Blue did the flowers for my wedding. That was over twelve years ago. My marriage didn’t last, but at least the floral shop is still in business.”

  “The shop belonged to my aunt. When she died last summer, she left it to me.”

  “Did you know she was going to do that?”

  “No. It was a surprise, but it came at a good time in my life.”

  “We’re here because Quinn is helping my son with his hitting. I feel awful imposing on him like this; especially after the day he had. One of the other doctors called in sick, and Quinn had to take care of those patients as well as his own. On top of that, his ex-fiancé showed up and insisted on seeing him. I know what I would have told her.”

  Ellen felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. “Why would she come to his office? You’d think she’d want to see him in private.”

  Kelly glanced down at Chelsea. “Darling, will you go get my water bottle? I think I left it on the bench in the garden.” After the little girl was out of earshot, Kelly glanced back at Ellen. “I didn’t want to say anything else in front of her. Quinn mentioned that you were a friend of his so I assume you know what Avery did to him.” At Ellen’s nod, she continued. “I wish she’d stay away. She’s caused him enough trouble.”

  “Maybe she changed her mind and wants to get back with him.”

  “I’m not sure what good it would do her. A man doesn’t forget that kind of treatment.”

  Chelsea came back empty handed. “I couldn’t find it, Mom.”

  “That’s okay. I might have left it in the car.”

  “Dr. Phil and Samuel are behind me. They just finished.”

  Ellen looked beyond Chelsea and met Quinn’s smiling glance. No one would have known from looking at him that anything out of the ordinary had happened. She’d only seen him even slightly out of control one time. As long as she lived, she’d never forget those gentle kisses on the beach.