by Rachel Hanna
The thought of that turned her stomach. She couldn’t let her mother live with her. There was no way. Her home was her sanctuary, and she was an organized person. Type A. Everything had to be in its place.
Her mother would destroy her life just like she had as a kid.
Thinking that way made her feel incredibly guilty, but truth was truth. She couldn’t let her mother ruin her whole life yet again.
After locking up, Quinn walked her to his truck and opened the passenger door for her. A momentary thought flitted through her mind of the fact that Rio had never once opened a door, any door, for her.
“So, where to exactly?” Quinn asked as they pulled out of the parking lot. It had just started to get dark outside, but it would be pitch black by the time they reached the hospital.
“Just get me to I-85 and I’ll direct you from there,” she said, buckling her seatbelt and looking down at her phone. She dialed Estelle’s number.
“Hello?” the older woman said, sounding as if she had already been asleep. It was only a little before eight o’clock, for goodness sakes.
“Mrs. Goodwin, this is Kelly Cole.”
“Oh, hello, Kelly. Thank goodness you called. Your mother is having fits at the hospital. You know, my granddaughter, Olivia, she works at the hospital as a nurse. Says your momma is yelling at the staff and wanting to go home…”
Kelly had to interrupt her. Estelle was known for her sharp tongue and fast talking. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said over her. “I’m on my way. Can you let your daughter know?”
“Sure, honey. Will do,” Estelle said before hanging up the phone without warning. The woman must have been eighty years old now, but she sure didn’t sound like it.
They rode in companionable silence for awhile before Quinn finally started talking.
“So, your mom lives in Atlanta but you live in Whiskey Ridge. Any reason why?”
“Are people supposed to live near their mommies their whole lives?” she asked. “Or is it because I’m a woman that I’m expected to care for my mother no matter what I want?”
“You’re like talking to a porcupine sometimes,” he said, shaking his head.
“Talk to a lot of porcupines, do you?” she muttered under her breath.
“Why don’t you like me?” he asked. She could see a quirk of a smile in his silhouette against the growing darkness outside.
“Never said I didn’t like you.”
“But you don’t. I’m a pretty good judge of people, and you definitely don’t like me.”
She sighed. She was tired of fighting this guy. “Well, I like peace and quiet and order. Your business has completely wrecked that for me and my customers.”
“Really? Have you paid attention lately? I mean really paid attention?”
“What do you mean?”
“Kelly, your customers are joining my classes. The moms of my students are coming downstairs during class and taking yoga at your place. Several have had massages or facials. Have you looked at your books? I think my business has actually added to your bottom line.”
She wanted to argue, but now that she thought about it, he might be right. Dang it.
“I liked the silence,” she said softly.
“Then maybe that says something about you and not me.”
“Excuse me?” she said, turning in her seat and crossing her arms.
“Well, pardon me for saying so, but what I see is this beautiful young woman who’s walling herself off to the world for some reason. There’s enough time for silence when we’re dead. Life’s for the living.”
“Did you buy a quote book or something?” she asked, rolling her eyes and turning back to face the front.
And then she remembered he’d called her beautiful.
“And the sarcasm… Jeez… sometimes people are just trying to help you. Don’t be so defensive.”
“Any other personality traits I should work on?” she asked, pretending to take notes on her phone. “Do I smell?”
“Yes.”
“What?” she asked with a laugh.
“You smell… like lilies and lilacs and roses all mixed together.” He said it so low she almost didn’t hear it. And then she ignored it.
“So, what brought you to Whiskey Ridge, Mr. Question Asker?”
All of the sudden he got quiet. There was an air of discomfort in the car, almost darker than the night sky. She heard him swallow, hard, before he started to answer.
“My wife died.”
Her heart sank. She felt so bad for him. For snapping at him. For being sarcastic.
“I’m so sorry, Quinn.”
“We were married for five years. She died a little over a year ago.”
“So you came here to… start over?”
“Kind of, I guess. I had a karate studio in Tennessee, so it just made sense to start one when I got to Whiskey Ridge. It’s what I know how to do, and it’s what I love. It’s helped me start to heal.”
“I understand. What was her name?”
“Penny.”
“Penny,” she repeated. She wanted to ask how she died, but she stopped short since it was really none of her business at all. They were just small talking, not giving long life stories.
“So, what’s up with your mom?”
“What do you mean?”
“I could hear that Estelle woman’s message on your phone. Why do you keep the volume so loud? You’re going to go deaf. Anyway, I could hear her saying your mom couldn’t stay there and you know why.”
Ugh. Now she had to ‘fess up.
“My mother is a hoarder.”
“Like on those TV shows?”
“Worse probably.”
“Huh.”
“Huh?” she said.
“What?”
“That’s all you have to say? Don’t you want to make fun of me or judge me?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because my mom is a freaking hoarder!” she said.
“Kelly, that has nothing to do with you. Is that why you didn’t want me to take you to Atlanta?”
“Partially,” she admitted. “I’ve been judged my whole life because of my parents. I worked hard to build the life I have in Whiskey Ridge. No one knew me there when I came to town, and I liked it. I could be who I was.”
“And who is that?”
“I don’t know anymore,” she said softly before she leaned her head back, closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence.
Chapter 8
When she opened her eyes again, the lights of Atlanta were on the horizon. Quinn had turned the radio on at a low volume and was listening to contemporary country. She wasn’t a fan of country normally, but something about it felt soothing right now.
“Have a nice nap?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Sorry. I guess class wore me out,” she said, adjusting her hair and nonchalantly touching the corner of her mouth to check for drool. No drool.
“I think you’re suffering from mental exhaustion, Kelly,” he said.
“Maybe.” She told him to get off at the next exit as they made it to the edge of the city. “Turn right up here just after the gas station.”
They pulled into the hospital parking lot a few moments later. Kelly tried to gather herself, but she had a hard time. Normally, she saw her mother and got to go home. This time her mother would be coming with her, and that thought scared her to death.
“Ready?” Quinn asked softly, obviously picking up on her anxiety. She nodded and opened her door before he had a chance to make it around the other side of the truck.
An older woman sat at the front desk of the ER.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, ma’am. My mother is here in the ER. Her house burned… Edie Cole is her name,” Kelly said as the woman typed something into the computer.
“I’ll buzz the door. She’s in room eight,” the woman said, pointing to two large double doors to her left. Kelly looked at Quinn.
“You wa
nt me to stay out here?” he asked. She knew she should say yes, but for some reason she couldn’t. She was tired of dealing with major life events alone.
“No. Come with me. If you don’t mind, that is.” She stared up into his beautiful hazel eyes and felt her legs start to go weak again. Maybe he was right - she was exhausted.
“I don’t mind at all. Let’s go,” he said, putting his hand on the small of her back as he guided her toward the door. Something about the way he led her made her feel safe for the first time in her life.
They walked down the corridor, and Kelly was unable to keep herself from glancing into the rooms as she passed. Sick people, kids with broken arms, a man doubled over with abdominal pain… And then, room eight. Door closed. Her mother inside. She stopped.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said softly, turning away from the door.
“You can do this, Kelly.” He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. “Everything will be alright.”
And she believed him. She had no reason to, but she did. He reached for the door and opened it to reveal Edie sitting on the side of the bed, arms crossed and obviously ready to leave.
“Well, for Christ’s sake, it’s about time you showed up!” her mother chided as she stood up and grabbed her purse from the chair next to the bed. “Who the hell is this?”
Quinn chuckled. “Mother, honestly! Stop being so rude. This is my friend, Quinn, and he drove me here because my car broke down.”
“Did you let it run out of gas again, Kelly? Remember when you did that in high school and Mr. Evans had to drive all the way…”
“Mother! Stop! Can we stop talking about random crap and get to the point? Your house burned to the ground because of all of your precious belongings!” Edie’s face went white.
“To the ground?” Oh no… Kelly had no idea that her mother didn’t know the whole story yet. She felt horrible about blurting it out like that, but maybe her mother needed a reality check.
“Yes, Mom. To the ground. It’s a total loss,” Kelly said quietly as she sat down in the chair across from her mother. Edie slid back down onto the bed.
“What am I going to do?”
“I don’t know just yet, but I do know you’ll have to come home with me for awhile. I came… actually we came… to get you.”
“I can’t go home with you. We’ll kill each other!” Edie said.
“Mom, neither one of us has a choice tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll start making some plans, but for now we need to go. I’m springing you out of this joint,” Kelly said, summoning a small smile and reaching out for her mother’s hand.
Edie smiled back, giving Kelly a glimpse of the mother she’d always wished she had. “Then let’s go.”
After signing more forms, they loaded up in the truck and started toward the interstate when Edie suddenly piped up.
“Take me to my house,” she demanded.
“Mom, it’s late and…”
“I don’t give a damn what time it is! I need to see it for myself!”
Kelly looked pleadingly at Quinn knowing he must’ve been exhausted after teaching classes all night and then driving hours in the dark. “Do you mind?”
“I don’t mind at all, Kelly,” he said with a smile as he reached out and stroked her hand for a brief moment. It sent chills up her spine.
She gave him directions to the house which was just a few blocks away. When they pulled up, one of the fire trucks was still on the scene, cleaning up the area of the street where they’d been parked. The three of them got out of the car and stood beside the fire truck.
“Can I help you?” a young fireman asked.
“No. Thank you. This is my mother’s house,” Kelly said. Edie stood beside her, staring at the house with her mouth hanging open. It was definitely a total loss.
“My God…” was all Edie managed to breathe out.
“I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am,” the fireman said before he went back to work.
And then they drove toward Whiskey Ridge, and Kelly wondered how many more times her life would change in the blink of an eye.
* * *
The drive was fairly quiet as Edie fell asleep in the back seat of the large pickup truck. When she suddenly woke up about thirty minutes from home, it was to announce her inability to wait to go to the bathroom. It was after midnight, but Quinn stopped at the nearest gas station he could find.
“I’ll be a little while. I ate tacos for dinner… before my house burned down,” she announced as she got out of the truck and headed into the convenience store.
Kelly covered her eyes and shook her head in embarrassment. Quinn laughed.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know why she feels the need to announce her digestive issues in such detail,” Kelly said.
“It’s okay. I find it pretty humorous, actually. She definitely doesn’t have a filter between her mouth and brain, huh?”
“Never has. I think the drugs did something to her because my grandma said she was pretty normal until then.”
“Drugs?”
“Oh yeah. Lots and lots of them. Her and my father.”
“You’re an amazing woman, Kelly Cole,” he said with a smile. She finally looked at him.
“Why do you say that?”
“Look at what you’ve accomplished and how you’ve turned out even though you were raised in that environment. Amazing.”
“Well, I don’t feel so amazing these days,” she said, leaning her head against the back of her seat.
“We all go through rough times, but you’ll make it. And you’ll be better for it,” he said.
“How are you so sure?”
“Because I’ve done it. I thought I would die when Penny died. I thought I would never be able to get out of bed again. Never smile or laugh again. I felt so guilty the first time I wanted to laugh at a TV show, but then I realized she wouldn’t want that for me. She would want me to go on, so I did. And you will too. Whatever has you so anxious inside… so sad… you’ll come through it.”
Before she could respond, her mother reappeared, banging on the window for Kelly to unlock the door. Quinn chuckled again and they were on their way home.
* * *
As they entered the city limits of Whiskey Ridge, Kelly could feel her stomach tighten into a knot. Her mother was coming home with her. She had nothing. No clothes, no possessions, for the first time in many years. But given the chance, she would accumulate more stuff as fast as she could.
“Where to?” Quinn asked.
“Oh, turn left at the stop sign. Then right onto Sycamore. My driveway is the second one on the right,” she said, pointing toward her house in the dark hours of the early morning. By the time she would get her mother settled in, the sun would be coming up.
“You mean down here?” Quinn asked as he slowly turned down the first road.
“Yes…” she said, wondering why he was double checking with her when she’d just said it thirty seconds ago. Maybe he wasn’t listening because he had to be tired. Poor guy.
“Just checking,” he muttered. She glanced in his direction, and he suddenly seemed tense but she didn’t know why. There was no smile, no relaxed look on his face.
“Are you okay?” she whispered, not wanting her loud mother to jump into the conversation.
“What?”
“You look tense.”
“Nah. Just very tired,” he said, the smile appearing back on his lips. But it looked forced, and there was almost a painful look in his eyes. She was too tired to think much of it tonight, but maybe she would ask him tomorrow.
Tomorrow. It was already tomorrow. What would she do about work? And her car? Ugh.
“Right here,” she said, pointing as he drove closer to her driveway. She heard what she thought was his breath catch in his throat, but then her mother piped up out of nowhere.
“Damn! We’re out in the boondocks, Kelly! Why on God’s green earth would you want to live way out here?”
“Honestly, mother… Do you ever stop?” she groaned, rolling her eyes as Quinn slowly pulled down her driveway. Even in the dark, he seemed to be gripping the steering wheel with all his might. Maybe he had to poop.
Quinn stopped the truck and turned it off as Kelly got out with her keys in hand. He opened the door for Edie and helped her down out of the vehicle.
“Why is this blessed thing so damn tall?” Edie complained as her feet touched down on the driveway.
“Closer to God,” Quinn said with a half hearted chuckle. Edie didn’t smile and walked toward the front door.
“I need to hit the bathroom again. Where is it?” she asked before Kelly had even opened the door. Once she did key the lock, Edie pushed past her and headed into the house.
“On the left, mother,” Kelly called as she turned around to face Quinn. She closed the front door and looked at him wearily. “Listen, thank you so much…”
Quinn waved his hand in front of his face. “No problem. Really. I enjoy long night-time drives to the city,” he said, a hint of a smile coming back to his face.
“And older female hoarders with irritable bladders?” Kelly asked.
“Love them especially,” he said. “So, can I ask you something?”
“I suppose…”
“Does this mean we can call a truce now? Maybe actually be friends?” He gasped and put his hand over his mouth as if he was in shock. Kelly chucked him in the arm.
“Fine. I guess you’re not so terribly bad,” she said, smiling a little more than she’d imagined was possible during the wee hours of the morning. Part of her would rather stand on the porch all night, flirting with Quinn Maverick, instead of dealing with her crazy mother in her house.
“Well, goodnight, Kelly,” Quinn said, backing up toward his truck.
“Goodnight,” she said, closing her door and wishing she could leave with him.
“Who’s he?” Edie asked as soon as Kelly closed the door. She could see his headlights slowly backing out of her driveway through the living room window. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath before turning to face her mother.
