“Brandon was always inclusive of everyone, right? He didn’t see differences in people. He hadn’t designed a wheelchair accessible entrance yet, but I know he would have eventually. He’d want all kids to have the ability to enjoy this beast of a tree house.”
Savannah’s mother reached up to stroke Quentin’s arm. After all the trouble she had given Savannah all those years ago about dating the town “riff raff,” Savannah could hardly believe that they had formed this close relationship.
Miracles truly could occur.
And she got to live in the midst of them.
Chapter Sixteen
Cuddling into Quentin’s sweaty skin, Savannah suddenly remembered the things she wanted to tell him.
Every time she started to speak, he changed the subject in such a delicious way, she lost track of her thoughts again.
Joey was having a sleepover at Savannah’s parent’s house—her mother had insisted. Savannah had almost fainted from the shock, but Quentin had hinted that this wasn’t the first time. Apparently her mother had developed a soft spot for little Joey.
Nana Robby made a point of saying she would be visiting a friend at Hampton Beach for the rest of the weekend, so they had the entire house to themselves.
They even locked Rocco in the other room with a giant treat ball stuffed with peanut butter. No disruptions.
Savannah couldn’t remember the last time her body tingled so much. Her skin had become so sensitive that the tiniest movement or slightest rush of air had her shivering in delight.
“You had something you wanted to say?” Quentin looked up at her as he nuzzled her belly button.
“Yes, but you need to get up here.”
He obliged, capturing her lips and stroking her in other places.
Mustering every bit of strength she possessed, she pushed him away.
His pout was perfect. To soothe his wounded pride, she flipped over and leaned on his chest. She kissed his chin, then his ear.
“You’re my defibrillator, you know.”
“I’d argue that you’re mine. You certainly know how to shock my heart.”
“You’re the healer. You helped me heal. You help others heal. I just need to make sure you understand something.”
He pushed himself up so he was leaning against the backboard, suddenly serious.
“What’s the matter, Peaches?”
“As much as you feel the need to heal people, I need you to know that I’m okay. I do need your love, but I don’t need you to fix me.” She shifted away from him slightly, half-expecting him to be offended.
“What’s there to fix?” He put his arm over her shoulders and pulled her to him. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. You are my inspiration for wanting to heal people. Not because I need to fix you, but because I want to help. Just like you help everyone you meet. Don’t grunt at me. You think you’re such a loner, but you don’t see the trail you leave behind. Everyone who has ever had any contact with you is left feeling uplifted, even when you have suffered.”
“So not true.”
“You want to argue about it?”
“No.”
She settled into his embrace, turning so she could play with his light chest hair.
“I have something else to tell you.” She whispered.
“You’d better not be confessing that you’re secretly married or something.”
“Not unless you drugged me and dragged me to Vegas.”
“Hmm, why didn’t I think of that?”
She slapped him playfully.
“I wanted to let you know that I’ll be donating bone marrow.”
“Was there an error with the test results? That’s great, Peaches!”
“No error. I’ll be donating to a ten-year-old girl somewhere out west.”
“That’s amazing! You’re amazing.” Quentin’s arms cradled her. She had never looked for comfort from a man in the last decade—only physical release. She couldn’t believe how easily she had learned to enjoy his touch again. She hoped she’d marvel every day for the rest of her life.
“The people at the donor bank said it’s really unusual to match so quickly.”
“They’re telling the truth.”
“I guess it helps me to feel like I’m doing something good.”
“Peaches, this is meant to be. You intended to donate to your mother. She has already found another match. And now you have matched with someone, too? Incredibly rare. Definitely meant to be.” He cupped her chin and lifted her face toward his. “This is your chance to forgive yourself. Miss Molly would say that Healing Springs struck again.”
“I don’t know about that, but something in this town has definitely made my life better.”
“The fresh air?”
“Yeah, that too.”
“The irresistible men?”
“One of them, anyway.”
“The hot sex?”
“Hmm, have I had any of that yet?”
He lifted her leg so she’d straddle him and slapped her ass.
“Guess I’ll have to remind you.”
“Promise?”
“On one condition.”
“There are conditions to getting an orgasm? What kind of agreement have I entered here?”
“I think you’ll find the terms favorable. I hope so, anyway. You only have to swear to love me forever. To be my partner in crime. To let me try my hardest to keep that gorgeous smile on that beautiful face.”
“Is that a proposal?” She joked. His face turned even more serious. “I was kidding.”
“I wasn’t.”
She looked away.
“I’m not saying you should marry me this minute—though if you wanted to, I wouldn’t say no. But I intend to marry you. Soon.”
“Quentin—”
“Shh. You know you want to.”
“I do. It’s just—”
“There’s nothing to say after ‘I do.’”
“I don’t know if I can give you what you need or want.”
“You already do.”
Tears spilled out even though she squeezed her eyes tight.
Quentin wiped away her tears with his two big thumbs. His gentle voice soothed her in unimaginable ways.
“If you decide you want children, great. I’ll be on board. If not, I just ask that you love Joey like he’s your own. Your life doesn’t have to change at all—you just have to share it with me.”
“I do love him, Quentin. I love him so much. He has completely captured my heart. He glued together fragments that I thought had long ago disintegrated.”
“He’s good like that.”
“He’s just like you like that.”
Quentin kissed her again, exactly like she wanted him to. The sneaky devil slipped himself inside her, too, and she wasn’t surprised to realize her body was fully ready and accepting of his intrusion.
“Actually,” he muttered against her lips. “I have to amend what I said. You do have to change one thing.”
She stiffened, then groaned. She really wanted to move against him, but she had to pay attention to what he was saying.
“As the love of my life, I fully disapprove of your bar habits. If you’d like to dress up in stilettos and tight clothes, it should be me you’re seducing.”
She laughed out loud, relieved that he was playing.
“I’m not kidding.”
“As long as you’re a good boy, you’ll have nothing to worry about.”
“Oh, I’ll be good,” he growled. And then he rolled her over, pinned her hands above her head, and showed her just how good he could be.
Epilogue
Savannah shook her head and gestured for Quentin to move the picture over to the left. When he had it perfectly lined up, she smiled and admired their work. The framed photo collage of Joey and Rocco playing was the perfect decoration for her brand new gourmet dog food store, scheduled to open in less than a week.
“Hey, I know I promised I
wouldn’t mention it again for a while, but it has been a few months and we haven’t finished the paperwork.” Quentin pulled her in for a hip-to-hip hug—the kind she liked the best. He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then teased the corners of her lips before delivering the kiss she needed from him.
“Are we sure?” She searched his face for clues. Did he really believe she could do this?
“I thought so, but if you’re not ready…”
“I am. I’ve waited long enough to give back to the world. There are so many kids who need homes, and you have that giant house just begging to be filled.”
He kissed her again.
“We could do the dog rescue instead, if you want.”
“And risk the wrath of Joey? He’s been begging for a sibling. And I love the idea of taking in foster kids.”
“Then it’s settled.” Quentin stared in her eyes. She’d never get tired of this shared intimacy.
“Oh, and I forgot to tell you. I got a call from my lawyer today—Merry withdrew the custody suit. After not showing up for the visit we had arranged, she must have realized it wouldn’t go her way.” She could hear the relief in his voice; could feel his muscles relax.
“Good! She never should have done that.” Savannah hugged him tight. “I still can’t believe she didn’t show. Good thing you decided not to tell Joey. I just wish things could be different for him. I know he needs his mom.”
“Yeah, she has no idea what she’s missing. He’s a great kid and deserves so much better. Good thing he has better now.”
“I could never replace his mom.”
“Have you noticed his nightmares have stopped? He didn’t know his mother, so he couldn’t miss her. He only missed the loving female influence he fantasized about. You have filled that role for him. You are his mother.”
“I couldn’t be more proud. And no stretch marks! Easiest delivery ever.”
Quentin pinched her butt, making her squeal.
“Alright, mister. Back to work. We still have to set up the doggy feeding stations.”
“I still can’t believe you got this past the Board of Selectman. It was one thing to propose a store where you sell the food, but a drop-in doggy restaurant? Unbelievable.”
“I have my charms.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Come in the kitchen and I’ll remind you.”
“The kitchen? You naughty girl.”
“It’s just you and me, right? How often does that happen?”
“Not nearly often enough. You locked the door?”
She nodded, biting her bottom lip in what she hoped was a seductive manner. He lifted her up, carried her to the kitchen, and showed her the best use for a stainless steel counter.
Stay: Chapter One
“If you turn down the dare, your picture goes up on the wall.”
Ava O’Connor tensed at the thought of her supposed-to-be-innocent kindergarten-teacher face being plastered to the Wall of Shame for all to see.
“Jake, you’d make an exception for me, wouldn’t you?” Ava did her best to smile sweetly, but she had a feeling she looked more like she had swallowed something sour. Like her pride.
“Sorry, kitten.” The bartender didn’t look sorry. In fact, he looked downright pleased. “You know the rules. You enter the closet for three minutes and everyone gets a free round of drinks, or you decline the dare and you live on my wall for eternity.”
“Not fair.” The urge to stomp her foot in protest welled within her, but she stopped herself before her inner child came tearing through the room. Not even inner children belonged in bars.
“Karly, I swear I’ll kill you.” Ava glared at her so-called best friend. “It’s bad enough you know I can’t turn down a dare, but knowing that I couldn’t allow my face to be on that wall even if I could say no… Shame on you.”
“Just get your ass in there and I won’t pick out the nastiest guy in the room.”
“Make sure he’s a non-smoker. I do not want to kiss an ashtray.”
“Suddenly you have high standards.”
Ava tossed a Jake’s Lounge coaster at Karly.
“You’re a terrible best friend.”
“You won’t say that when your three minutes in Heaven are up. Now go. The lights are flashing. I have to find someone willing to kiss your prudish face.” Karly shoved Ava toward the neon-framed door. “Come on, this is better than getting married. Get going.”
Karly slapped Ava’s butt as Ava dragged herself toward the door. Why had she deviated from her normal Friday night routine of ice cream on her couch with a chick flick and her dog for company? She had made it this far into her twenties without having to endure this humiliation.
So much for best friends having your best interests at heart. Karly had sworn this would help Ava get over the sting of being dumped so terribly by her fiancé. Karly felt it was the perfect night to go out, since this was the day Ava was supposed to get married.
Okay, after six months maybe she did need to rejoin society.
But not like this.
Ava closed the door behind her and began to panic. She hadn’t even grabbed a mint!
Heat burned her cheeks.
She puffed into her closed hands to see how badly her breath smelled. The faint scent of rum and Coke reassured her—at least she hadn’t had the blooming onion appetizer yet.
Three minutes. How bad could it be? There had been plenty of decent-looking guys in the bustling Friday night crowd. Surely Karly would choose well.
Not that it mattered to her what the guy looked like. She judged men on more than their surface appearance. Besides, she wasn’t breeding with the guy. Just a kiss. An anonymous, one-time, never-to-be-spoken-of-again moment of mortification.
Ava’s throat began to close as a horrifying thought crippled her ability to breathe.
What if a student’s dad was chosen?
She’d have to resign!
She’d have to move!
She’d have to go into the witness protection program!
The door opened and closed before she could escape. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. The air thickened as the guy settled into the small space.
He didn’t smell unpleasant, she supposed. In fact, there was something dangerously familiar about his particular fragrance. A woodshop—that’s what it was. He smelled like wood. And the clean smell of someone who had recently showered.
A strict no talking rule applied, which felt incredibly awkward. Ava’s belly clenched. Was she supposed to just reach up and feel until she found his lips? Or was he supposed to make the first move?
She didn’t want to mess up this dare. Any missteps and she’d be on the Wall of Shame. And this mystery guy—now that the challenge had been accepted—would be on the wall alongside her. Everyone in Healing Springs would know that they had been in this closet together. Generations of people would gawk at them.
Unable to endure the apprehension any longer, Ava leaned forward for a kiss. She kissed his chest.
Super.
His rough-textured hand found her chin and positioned her face. Her body stirred. This was way too familiar for her taste. She had to get this over with before any more memories surfaced. Her history with men was deplorable—she had no need to relive any of it.
Mystery man’s lips touched hers, and something zinged inside her. The kiss took on a life of its own. She lost control and began clinging to his arms like her life depended on it.
The loss of control was mutual. Their tongues met and danced and she knew without a doubt that the mystery man was no mystery. The only mystery, in fact, was why the hell he was in town.
***
The second the buzzer went off, Ava pushed Cole out of the way and stumbled out of the dark. The normally dim lights of the bar mocked her with their brightness as her pupils adjusted. Her heart thundered, making her wish she could rip it out and fling it at Karly.
“Whoa, slow down, sista.” Karly reached out to steady Ava. “Ba
d kisser?”
“The worst,” Ava lied, her chest rising and falling with each angry breath she took. “Why him?”
“I saw him checking you out earlier. And he’s fucking hot. Figured he’d be the perfect reintroduction to the world of lust.”
“It was a terrible idea.”
“Damn. Never would have guessed. Hell, if he hadn’t been ogling you from across the room, I would have been on him like an ant on a picnic lunch.”
The thought of Karly moving in on Cole made her even more angry, though she had no right to be.
“He didn’t try anything naughty, did he? That’s against the rules.”
“No, just a kiss.”
Calming down, Ava was able to hear the rowdy yahoos as the round of drinks were served. Random people kept patting her on the back. She didn’t dare to turn around. She couldn’t chance seeing Cole again.
“I’m done.” Ava slumped into her stool, burying her head on her shaking arms. She turned to look through her wavy hair at Karly, who rubbed her shoulders in empathy that was coming too late.
“I’m proud of you for giving it a try. Next time I’ll pick a better one.”
Ava shot up in her seat. “There will not be a next time.”
Karly threw her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay! No more dares. But give me another chance, will you? I can do better. Maybe that guy over there.”
Against her better judgment, Ava looked.
“Way too young. And way too male. Come on, I did as you asked. Can’t I please go home now?”
“One dance, and then we’ll leave. Even though I haven’t even scored a free drink yet.” Karly pouted. “This is how I shall sacrifice for you.”
Karly’s lips lifted in the corner as she raised her eyebrows for effect.
“I’ll buy you a drink,” Ava offered.
“Yeah, but will you put out after?” Karly laughed as Ava rolled her eyes. “Didn’t think so.”
“And hey, I went into the closet so you could have a stinking free drink. Where’s your gratitude?”
“You know what I mean.” Karly looked past Ava, searching the crowd. “It’s not a night out if at least one hottie doesn’t buy me a drink.”
Not Over You (Healing Springs, Book 1) Page 17
