“It’s looking good,” he said. “Is Quinn around?”
The older woman’s eyes danced. “You and Quinn have been spending a lot of time together, haven’t you?”
Uh-oh.
“Gus said she brought you leftovers on Sunday.” She grinned.
“Beverly, hush,” Calvin said.
“She’s around here somewhere, Grady. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”
Grady doubted it.
A peppy girl with a red ponytail made her way over to him. “You came.” She smiled up at him, her eyes big and blue. “I’m Lucy,” she said, probably sensing his inability to place her. “Quinn’s friend. Best friend, really. We’ve known each other our whole lives.”
He nodded.
“She likes you,” Lucy said.
Grady was pretty sure his face went blank. “No. She doesn’t.” He tried not to remember the way she’d felt in his arms, the way he’d inhaled her, the scent of her shampoo—strawberries—filling him with a feeling he’d never experienced before.
He’d been trying to erase the whole thing from his head since he walked out of here Sunday. So far, he was doing a pretty crummy job.
“Quinn’s prickly,” Lucy said. “But she’s worth the fight.”
What was this—a running theme? Was he going to have to fight for everything now?
“She made it pretty clear where I stand,” Grady said. “I’m just here to work.”
Lucy’s face fell. “I never pegged you for a quitter, Grady Benson.”
He looked away. “Do you have a job for me?”
“Quinn’s in the back. I think she might have a job for you. I’ll go check.” And with that, Lucy walked away.
Grady made his way through the maze of people who’d come out to help Harbor Pointe’s favorite daughter—the woman everyone seemed to love. He couldn’t blame them. Quinn might be prickly, but she was the best person he’d ever known.
And while a part of him wanted to fight for her, like Lucy said, another part of him knew the truth: no matter how much he changed, he would never be good enough. Not for her.
Quinn had slipped away to the back room as soon as she saw Grady’s SUV pull up in front of her shop.
He came?
She was sure he’d go see Judge about having his community service assignment changed. He’d ask to wash dishes at Hazel’s or clean gutters around town. Anything would be better than being here, with her.
But here he was, walking up to her door.
She turned a circle now, trying—failing—to regain her composure.
It was just a kiss.
A mind-blowing, knee buckling, when-can-we-do-it-again kiss.
And the answer was, of course, never. They could never do it again.
Lucy’s face appeared in her doorway. “You’ve got a new helper.”
Quinn turned away. The combination of Lucy’s incredible perception and Quinn’s inability to lie made this all a very bad scenario.
“What is wrong with you?” Lucy hissed. “What are you doing back here?”
“I’m just tidying up,” Quinn said, wondering when she became the kind of person who used the word tidying.
“What is really going on with you?”
Quinn groaned. “Don’t do that, Lucy.”
“Do what? I’m your friend. You’re obviously not telling me something.”
Quinn faced her. “There’s nothing to tell. Can you have Grady unload the two boxes out there and just set everything on the counter? We’ll arrange it all once it’s unpackaged.”
Lucy stood in the doorway for too many seconds. “You’re hiding something. You know how I know?”
Quinn assumed the question was rhetorical.
“Because you’re terrible at it.” She took a step closer. “Did something happen with you two?” Thankfully, she kept her voice low.
Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. “It was nothing.”
Lucy gasped. “I cannot believe you didn’t say anything at breakfast.”
“Well, I was a little preoccupied, what with losing my chance to see my mother and all.”
Lucy’s face softened. “I know, and I’m sorry about that, though if you really want to see your mom, there are other ways.”
Quinn dropped into the chair behind her desk. “I don’t want to see her. I want her to see me.”
The realization nestled itself inside of her. She didn’t even want to talk to her mother. She just wanted to prove to the woman that she made a mistake in leaving them behind.
And now she couldn’t.
“We can figure all that out later, but right now, you’ve got an incredibly good-looking Olympic skier in your shop. And he’s not here for me.”
Quinn looked up sadly. “He’s here because the court ordered him to be here.” It was true, more or less, though helping with the shop wasn’t exactly part of his community service.
Lucy squeezed her shoulder, then slipped out of the back room, leaving Quinn alone, in hiding, and wondering how everything in her perfectly comfortable life had been turned upside down so quickly.
The day wore on and Quinn did a really good job of avoiding Grady. There was the time they’d both reached for the same box, but that had been easily remedied because at almost the exact same time, the FedEx guy showed up.
She’d never been so thankful for a FedEx delivery in her life.
More than once, Lucy had prodded her about whatever it was that had happened between the two of them. Hailey had shown up with lunch from Hazel’s for all of the workers, though Quinn noticed Grady chose his packed lunch instead.
He packed his own lunch?
By late afternoon, her help had thinned out, but the shop was beginning to look exactly like it had in her mind. How would she ever repay these people for donating their time to make this all happen?
Even Grady, though his time wasn’t exactly a donation, had been a huge help. She could be angry with him and grateful to him at the same time, couldn’t she?
A few times, she’d caught him looking at her, but she would not be swayed by his piercing eyes or that perpetual smirk that played at the corner of his mouth.
Quinn spent the entire day hyperaware of where he was, of whom he was talking to, of what he was doing. She made general announcements to give him tasks instead of instructing him directly. She was being childish, and she knew it.
She forced herself to stop thinking about Grady and start thinking about tomorrow. Her grand reopening. It was a big day for Forget-Me-Not, and for her.
Why couldn’t she keep her mind focused on that?
Around 4 p.m., Judge wandered in. His face brightened when he met Quinn’s eyes. “Look at this place.”
She pulled her hands away from the display she was styling and met him at the center of the store, so much more put together than it had been that morning. They’d fashioned the gifts into the most beautiful displays, making it easy for shoppers to see all the possibilities.
“We aren’t done yet, but it’s almost there.” Quinn let him pull her into one of his usual fatherly hugs.
“I love it. Love how you’ve put your own spin on it. The place has never looked better.”
Quinn smiled. “Never?”
Judge’s eyebrow winched up slightly. “Never.”
The compliment made her feel better than it probably should’ve. “Did you just stop by to say hi?”
“And to check up on our favorite Olympian.” Judge’s deep baritone had only ever been warm and inviting to Quinn, but she could see how the man might be intimidating if he were sitting on the other side of the bench. “Where is Mr. Benson?”
Quinn was surprised she couldn’t pinpoint his exact location—she’d known it practically all day—but when she scanned her little shop, she couldn’t find Grady.
“He was just here,” she said.
Judge looked around, then half shrugged. “Don’t see him now.”
“Is he in trouble?”
He eyed her. “Depends. Is he keeping up with his community service?”
“Yes, Judge,” Quinn said. “He’s actually been an exceptional worker.”
“That so?”
“I haven’t seen the boy take a single break today,” Beverly chimed in. “He must really like our girl.” She slid an arm around Quinn, who suddenly felt claustrophobic.
The last thing she needed was their matchmaking. She shrugged herself out of Beverly’s grasp. “Let me see if he’s in the back.”
Judge nodded, then turned toward one of the displays. Outdoor garden decorations. That wouldn’t keep him occupied for long—Judge wasn’t exactly the gardening type.
She slipped into the back room, checking the bathroom and her office, but Grady wasn’t back there.
Why had Judge chosen that exact moment to come in? Why couldn’t he have stopped by earlier when the man was hauling old shelves and bookcases up from her filthy basement?
More importantly, why did she care? If Grady had skipped out early, he’d pay the consequences. That wasn’t her fault.
And yet, despite everything, it wasn’t what she wanted.
She pulled out her phone. She’d text him quick, see if she could find him. But before she could get a word typed, she spotted him in the alley out back, behind the shop, phone to his ear, pacing back and forth.
She made her way through the back door, pulse racing because she knew she couldn’t avoid him for another minute, not if she wanted to keep him from making things worse for himself.
As soon as she opened the door, she heard him, though his back was to her.
“I can’t even believe you’d bring that up, Pete,” he said. “I’m telling you what I want. What I need. If you can’t get on board with that, then I’ll find someone who can. It’s not like you’re doing a whole lot for my career right now anyway.”
There was a pause.
“That was true, when I was on top. Now that I have to fight my way back, you’ve all but disappeared. You’ve already quit on me.” Another pause. “I don’t care what the reporters are saying—listen to what I’m saying. I’m not done yet. And I’m getting back on that team.” He spun around and saw her standing there.
Why hadn’t she slammed the door or cleared her throat or something? Now she looked like she was eavesdropping.
“I gotta go.” Grady held her gaze as he pulled the phone away from his ear.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . .”
He looked angry. Or maybe something else—hurt?
“Everything okay?”
“Just taking a short break, boss.” He moved past her, toward the door.
“Judge is in there.” She stopped him just before he pulled the door open.
Grady turned. “Why?”
“Checking up on you, I think.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Great.”
She followed him inside, the echo of his phone call playing on repeat in the back of her mind. He wasn’t giving up. He was going to fight?
That was good, right?
“There you both are,” Judge said when they reappeared.
“Sorry, sir,” Grady said. “I had to take a phone call. Thought it would be best to go outside.”
“I see.” Judge eyed the younger man for several unnerving seconds. “Miss Collins tells me you’ve been an exceptional worker.”
Grady shot her a sideways glance, which she did her best to ignore. “She did, did she?”
“High praise from Quinn,” Judge said. “Our girl isn’t known to color the truth.”
“No, she’s certainly not,” he said.
Quinn took a step closer. “Grady’s helped out a lot, Judge. We started with the Winter Carnival, but he also volunteered to help me get the shop ready for my reopening.”
“Just trying to be useful, sir,” Grady said.
Judge looked skeptical, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything because the front door opened and a flush-faced Jaden walked in. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Late for what?” Quinn asked. “I didn’t expect you here.”
“Not for you, Aunt Quinn,” Jaden said. “For Grady. He’s training me.”
“He’s what?”
“I needed a training partner,” Grady said. “Someone to keep me accountable. It’s hard to wake up at four thirty.”
“I wake up at four thirty every day,” Judge said.
“Of course you do.” Grady laughed. “I am not so disciplined, sir.”
“But this is what it takes to compete. Hard work and not quitting when it gets harder.” Jaden punctuated his revelation with a nod.
“Is that right?” Judge looked impressed.
“He said he wanted to learn. He wants to compete, and I thought maybe I could help him,” Grady said.
Quinn tried not to let that quell her anger, and yet, just looking at Jaden standing there, eyes all wide with expectation, she knew this was no small deal. Her nephew was training with an Olympian—for free—and it had nothing to do with community service.
Well, darn it. She’d wanted to stay mad at him forever. How was she supposed to do that now?
“He’s welcome to take a break anytime he wants to,” Grady said. “But I can’t. I’ve wasted too much time already.” His eyes found Quinn’s.
“No way. We’re doing this,” Jaden said. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“I can’t leave yet,” Grady said.
What was he saying? That it was up to her? Shouldn’t he be eyeballing Judge?
“So, let me get this straight,” Judge said. “You took this young skier under your wing with no coaxing or prodding from anyone else?”
Grady glanced at Quinn. Had she coaxed him? If she had, she hadn’t meant to. “Take my nephew skiing” was not the same as “Become Jaden’s personal trainer.”
“I prodded him,” Jaden said. “I’ve never had a real coach before.”
“I’m not a coach,” Grady corrected. “Just an older skier.”
Judge and that eyebrow again. Looking at Grady with something Quinn almost thought resembled admiration. “Say what you want, son, but you are a coach.”
“Right now, he’s just a slacker,” Jaden said. “We’ve got a trail run.”
“Only if the boss says it’s okay,” Grady said. “I can come back after dark—make sure everything is set up and ready for tomorrow.”
Quinn was still trying to make sense of the way this whole scenario had turned what she thought she knew on its ear. “Uh, sure. Go ahead.”
“Thanks, Aunt Quinn.”
She and Judge watched as the two of them disappeared out the front door.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Judge said. “It would seem Harbor Pointe has had a good effect on him after all.”
She glanced up and found the older man’s eyes tender.
“Why’d you make him stay, Judge?” she asked. “I mean, there’s a chance he won’t make the Olympic team now.”
Judge put a hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes, Quinn, we have to get out of our comfort zone in order to see what else God has for us.”
The words hung there, heavy like a cloud thick with rain too stubborn to fall.
“Grady was used to doing things a certain way. I felt like shaking that up a little might knock some sense into his head. We only find out what we’re really made of when our backs are up against the wall, you know.”
She looked away.
“Sometimes our biggest setbacks turn out to be our greatest blessings.” Judge gave her shoulder a slight squeeze. “Looks great in here, kiddo. I’m mighty proud of you. We’ll all be here to help you celebrate tomorrow.”
She nodded and watched him go, but his words lingered.
Was it time to see what she was made of?
CHAPTER
26
THE HELPERS HAD ALL GONE, and the shop was quiet, leaving Quinn alone for a few minutes with thoughts she wished wouldn’t come.
She stood in the mid
dle of the neatly packed, perfectly styled shop and snapped a photo. She wanted to remember this day, to mark it fresh in her mind. Maybe even to allow it to replace her old memories of Forget-Me-Not and the woman whose buoyant laugh often invaded her mind.
She was ready. The shop was ready. Why did she still feel so unsure?
She gathered her sketches, her portfolio, her laptop, and stuffed them all in her bag, whispering a gentle prayer that felt more like making a wish on a star.
“Please let this be a success.”
She walked over to the Forget-Me-Not wall of memories. Mimi’s gold and clashing wooden frames had all been replaced, along with their previously haphazard arrangement on the wall. Now the photos were encased in brand-new white frames with thick white mats and hung with great care.
There was one empty frame, which she would fill after tomorrow’s festivities with an image to commemorate her grand reopening.
The image of her with her mom and Carly caught her eye. Maybe she shouldn’t have included it on the wall. Maybe it was time to put it away and accept the fact that she wasn’t coming back.
Maybe being disqualified from the design competition was confirmation of that.
She touched the face of the little girl in the picture, looking up at a mother who’d made her world come alive. Why did everything have to go so terribly sideways?
Before the knot in her throat manifested itself in tears she absolutely did not want to cry, she heaved her bag up onto her shoulder, turned off the light, and walked out the back door.
She’d do better with a little space between her and the flower shop.
She parked her car in front of Carly’s small bungalow and turned off the engine. She’d barely had time to check in with her sister since the ski trip, but she was curious about Jaden’s “training.” Was Carly aware he was getting up so early and spending so much time with Grady?
She had to admit, it had surprised her, almost endeared her to him a little bit, but her practical side argued with that emotion. What if Grady filled Jaden’s mind with Olympic dreams—or worse, stories of his own escapades?
Quinn headed up the walk and knocked on the door, pushing it open as she called out her sister’s name.
“Back here!” Carly must be baking.
Just Let Go Page 24
