She sized James up. What kind of trouble was she inviting if she did what she was considering?
She looked at the time on her cell phone. Just after ten, and she was fifteen minutes from the diner where her sister was waiting to go over some of the details for tomorrow’s party.
“Just putting this out there, and I completely understand if you would prefer to hang around here, but…did you want to tag along with me until you hear some word? I’m meeting my sister at this diner, where you can grab something to eat. It’s only a fifteen-minute drive away so, this way, if you get the okay to take off, you can have the car bring you back here in no time.”
“Well, I am pretty hungry, and if you don’t think I would be in the way or anything…”
He grinned, appearing entirely too happy over the sudden state of events. If she hadn’t seen the concern on the pilot’s face herself, she’d have thought he’d maneuvered the whole thing.
Lord help her. She wasn’t sure what she was more worried about, his impression of her humble hometown, the eccentricity of her family and friends…or her family and friends’ impression of him.
“Since I finished off the last of the M&M’s, I suppose I should at least feed you.”
He smacked his hands together. “Let’s go then. Does this mean I’m going to meet the lovely Sabrina?”
She narrowed her eyes. “She’s twenty-four, pal. If you try anything with her, you’ll find yourself left on the side of the road in the Coeur D’Alene National Forest.”
“I think I’ll be able to control myself. All set?”
She studied his outfit of light khaki pants, a white long-sleeved linen shirt, and brown leather loafers that probably cost more than the entire monthly rent she and her roommates paid. “I’m guessing that your luggage is probably going to contain more of the same clothes you’re wearing?”
“If you mean do I have anything more appropriate for a lumberjack or a mountain man, I’m afraid not. It didn’t seem entirely appropriate for the beaches of Cabo.”
“Then I guess we should go.”
She slid on her black jacket and leather gloves before wrapping the purple cashmere scarf around her neck. With a worried glance James’s way, she took the lead to the door and stepped outside. She stopped short when a cold, biting gust of wind nearly took her breath away. Pulling the jacket tighter around her, she gripped the rail and slowly descended the steps until she was on firm but icy ground.
Three seconds later, a curse streamed from James’s mouth, and she glanced over in time to see his nice Italian loafers flying out from under him as he reached the bottom step even as he managed to right himself by grabbing the rail. She bit her lip to stop the smile that wanted to stretch across her face at seeing the usually GQ suave playboy fumble in what was obviously outside his usual element.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
James felt like he was sliced in half, the cold was so sudden and biting. How anyone could function when the wind chill alone had to put the temperature well under zero degrees, he wouldn’t know. It had to be, maybe…minus five?
He slid into the warmed town car and took a look at the temperature reading.
Huh. Thirty-two degrees. Fahrenheit.
Well, that didn’t take into account the wind chill, so he might still not be off the mark. He sat still and erect, fighting the need to shiver just to get the blood moving again, but he knew from the smug smile on Quinn’s lips that she would enjoy that too much. He forced himself to relax instead, leaning back into the seat, his leg crossed over his knee.
While Quinn gave their driver the directions to where they were going, he stared out the window. The sky was gray and gloomy, painting everything in a smudgy charcoal. The surrounding mountain range, however, almost appeared deep blue as it soared around the small valley.
He supposed it was rather beautiful. That was, if he stayed in the well-heated car and avoided the five-foot-high snowbanks that lined the sides of the road.
He glanced back at the company’s Gulfstream sitting on the side of the tarmac waiting to be pulled into the hangar for inspection before turning to meet Quinn’s gaze. There was uncertainty in her dark brown eyes, and he grinned, hoping to convince her nothing would go amiss. Besides, now that the invitation was there, he was beyond curious to see how this town, her family, and her friends had made Quinn Taylor into the woman she was.
And a little more time with the woman wouldn’t be too bad, either.
The drive was peaceful and quiet as Quinn was lost in her thoughts, leaving him to enjoy the view outside the car. It wasn’t too long before they passed the sign reading Entering Eureka, Population 7,131, and he leaned forward to see what it might bring.
It was, quite honestly, breathtaking.
The small town rested not only on the shores of a glittering lake but at the base of several surrounding snow-covered mountain ranges. All it needed was an opening in the clouds and the sun shining down for it to be almost perfect.
He was aware of Quinn’s attention on him and he glanced over. “It’s beautiful.”
It seemed to be the right thing to say as she smiled and looked outside again. “It is. Every time I come home, I tell myself that same thing. You should see it in the summer, when everything is vibrant and green and the boats are out on the lake.”
“I’m sure it’s just as pretty.”
They arrived on a small street that appeared to be the main artery of the town. The car slowed down to allow people to meander across the street. The storefronts were carefully maintained two-story structures that ran one end of the block to the next. He spotted a local hardware store, a movie theatre, a pizza shop, a coffee shop and bakery, several boutique shops, and even a brewery that made it clear that, although it might be small, the town was lively and burgeoning.
They pulled into an open parking spot in front of the Eureka Diner. “I’ve texted Sabrina, so she’s already inside waiting for us. Remember what I told you,” she added in warning.
“Best behavior. Scout’s honor.”
Again, the cool temperature cut right through his linen shirt, and although the sidewalk was freshly cleared of snow and salted, he still found himself skating across its surface in his flat, non-tread Italian shoes. A gurgle from behind him had him glancing back suspiciously at his companion. She smiled innocently, though.
The diner they stepped into was fairly busy for the middle of a workweek. The scent of hash browns and bacon wafted around them, making him realize again that, other than a Twinkie and half a bag of microwave popcorn, he hadn’t eaten anything of substance today.
A small brunette with blue eyes and dark brown hair the same color as Quinn’s hopped up from her seat at one of the booths by the window and came bounding over. “You’re here, finally! I can’t tell you how worried I was that something was going to come up and you wouldn’t make it.”
Quinn and the woman who could only be her sister hugged for a quick second before turning their attention to him. “Sabrina, this is James Thornhill, my boss. James, this is my sister, Sabrina.”
“A pleasure.” He offered his hand to the younger Taylor girl, who was a couple inches shorter and a little curvier than her older sister. She was cute. And her grin was immediate as she shook his hand. Nothing like the reserve of her older sister.
“Nice to finally meet the tyrant whose business seems to take up all of my sister’s time these days.”
“Guilty. But that should all change now that this deal we’ve been working on is almost done.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Knowing my sister, she’ll immerse herself in some new make-or-break project soon enough. She likens herself to some sort of crusader. It’s part of an irksome martyr complex she suffers.”
“You’ll have to forgive my sister,” Quinn said, looking exasperated. “She’s a writer, so she errs on the side of dramatics. Kind of like some other person I know…”
They took a seat in the booth, the girls on one side
and he alone and under their scrutiny on the other. “A writer, eh? What kind of writer?”
“I write for the Eureka Examiner right now and dabble a little here and there…” The sisters shared a grin before Sabrina changed the subject. “Quick status update. The lead guitarist for the three-man band has the flu, and they’re trying to find a backup in time for tomorrow night, but it doesn’t look promising. They gave us a name of a DJ we might want to reach out to as a precaution. There’s also been a delay in the shipment at the florist, leaving a question as to whether we’ll be able to have peonies as the centerpiece on the tables. Oh, and Aunt Bea called and left a rambling message apologizing for not being able to make it to the big party.”
Quinn gasped. “Did they hear it?”
“Fortunately, I caught that one before Mom could and I erased it. There’ve been a few other close calls but I think we’re safe. With the winter carnival, they’ve been too busy to notice much of anything. They spent most of this morning down at the lake watching them put the finishing touches on the floats.”
“Floats? As in…parade floats?” James asked, interrupting the flow of conversation.
“It’s Eureka’s annual winter festival this week,” Quinn explained.
A winter carnival. The idea was intriguing. “What exactly happens for this winter carnival?”
“Oh, lots of things,” Sabrina said, excited. “Besides the parade of lights, the Eureka ski resort holds some winter events on the slopes, including a race and a torch parade and a laser light show. There’s also the food fair and beer-tasting fest at the brew hall followed by a live music concert at the local dive bar tonight. Tomorrow will be family bingo night, sleigh rides, Mom and Dad’s party, of course. Oh, and there’ll be the usual exhibition show later this evening from our very own Eureka Roller Derby Girls.”
“Roller Derby?” Now he was really intrigued. “They still do that sort of thing?”
“Oh, you’d better believe it. In fact, Quinn here—ouch!”
“You don’t need to share all those boring details with James, Sabrina.” Quinn’s face was suddenly infused with color. “Why don’t we go ahead and order so he gets a chance to eat something before his pilot calls—”
“Wait. I have to know. Come on, Sabrina,” he said, seeing the glacial expression Quinn was shooting her sister. “Tell me what you were about to say about Quinn, here.”
Her sister smiled unapologetically. “Just that Quinn was Eureka Roller Derby’s top jammer all three years she was on the team. She’s practically a legend.”
Now he couldn’t wipe the grin that stole across his face as he stared at Quinn, who, despite the murderous gleam in her eyes, was flushing profusely. He tried to imagine the practical, no-nonsense Quinn in the full Derby girl uniform, maybe some black fishnet stockings under a pair of tiny bike shorts, some bright striped socks or leg warmers over those shapely calves…a not entirely unattractive image. Hell, a quite enticing one.
“Do you think your parents might have some pictures of your sister during her heyday? I mean, I don’t think I could believe it unless I see it for myself.”
This time a booted foot smacked him square in the knee and he winced. Quinn smiled sweetly at him.
“Why, if it isn’t Quinn Taylor,” said a woman around Quinn’s age with short almost-black hair and a nose ring and wearing a shirt and apron with the moniker of the diner emblazoned across them. “I figured I might see you this weekend, what with the shindig you’ve got planned for your folks.”
The server looked over to him and her mouth went slack.
“Hello,” he said.
“Mandy, this is James Thornhill. My boss.”
The woman’s brows shot up. “How…chummy,” she said in a tone that made James feel as if he ought to come to Quinn’s defense.
“Yes, I’m afraid that while giving Quinn here a lift back home, my plane took a bit of a beating and needs some servicing. But I can assure you, after my lunch, the folks of Eureka will be rid of me and Quinn can enjoy her much-earned vacation.”
The woman nodded slightly but she still appeared skeptical.
“I’ll have the French toast with a side of bacon and a Coke Zero,” Quinn said tersely.
This seemed to bring the woman’s attention back to the task at hand, and she wrote down their orders and left them a minute later.
“Great,” Quinn said, giving her sister a disgruntled look. “Had you mentioned that Mandy works here, I wouldn’t have risked coming here. How long do you think we have?”
“With Mandy? We should probably head out now,” Sabrina said and laughed.
“Am I missing something?” James asked. “How long do you have until what?”
“This is a small town, James,” Quinn said patiently. “Not a lot happens here, and when it does, the news spreads like wildfire. And we just ran into the biggest gossip of them all.” She glanced around. “I don’t see her. She’s probably on the phone now. Should we try and beat it?” she asked Sabrina again.
“I’m still at a loss here.”
“Mandy no doubt is spreading the alarm that Quinn’s not only in town, but she’s here with…you. A guy being chauffeured around town in a fancy black car, who shows up in an outfit more appropriate to the Mexican Riviera than Eureka, Idaho, and who also dropped the fact he owns an airplane… That’s newsworthy here.”
“Well, it doesn’t exactly belong to me. It’s a company plane, you see.”
“Yes, I’m sure they’ll appreciate that distinction,” Quinn said wryly. “Anyhow, the idea was to surprise my parents with my arrival, and the longer we sit here, the more we risk that someone’s going to spill the beans I’m back in town—which won’t go over well if they hear it first from anyone else.”
“It also wouldn’t help that our mom’s a terrible cook and she takes a certain…umbrage that people might prefer the diner’s food to hers.”
“Which we do. So…should we head out?” Quinn repeated.
“On the other hand, you might as well enjoy the food while you can,” her sister said. “It might be the last decent meal any of us will get today.”
Quinn sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” She leveled an earnest look at them both. “But eat fast.”
Chapter 11
Forty-five minutes later, with no news yet from his pilot, James and Quinn and their driver were heading to Quinn’s parents’ house with Sabrina leading the way in an old blue Chevy truck.
Near the outskirts of town, they followed a narrow road that turned onto an even narrower snow-covered lane. The Chevy slowed as Sabrina hung a right, then followed a long driveway that led them to a homey-looking two-story log home with a dark green pitched roof. It wasn’t nearly as enormous or fancy as the two homes he’d glimpsed from the road, but it had its own charm. Not to mention that, from the angle of the house, he could see that it was in close proximity to the lake.
“So you’re okay with this? Me meeting your parents?” James asked, since Quinn had been wringing her hands the entire drive.
“Of course. That is, if you’re okay with meeting them?” She sounded uncertain, something he wasn’t used to hearing from her.
“I look forward to it.”
Her sister had already climbed out of the truck and was making her way up the path to the door as he pushed his car door open. Quinn’s hand on his arm stopped him. “I just want to warn you in advance. My family can be a touch…eccentric.” She bit her lip again as if she was debating telling him something else but finally released his arm. “Okay, we’d better get inside.”
The driver already had her carry-on, which he left at the door before returning to the car. James took a moment to speak with him as she made her way to the front door, where her sister was already pushing open the door.
“Mom? Dad? I have someone here to see you guys!”
“Someone is here?” The voice was female and coming from the back of the house. He followed the two women as they headed down the hallway
and stepped into a great room with large cathedral ceilings and a two-story window that faced out onto the lake. “Who on earth would be making their way to see us now…”
The older woman he guessed to be in her late fifties to early sixties stopped short when she caught sight of Quinn. She was tall and slim like her daughter, with the same dark brown hair, only cut shorter, and it wasn’t hard to tell they were related. The woman let out a loud squeal before rushing forward.
“Bill!” the woman shouted. “Get in here! You won’t believe who is here!” Her mom stood back and looked her daughter over. “How I’ve missed seeing your face.” As if just sensing another person in the room, she glanced over to James, her eyes bugging out. “Oh. I didn’t realize… And who did you bring with you?”
She said it in such a way as to imply his relationship was something more romantic.
“James, this is my mom, Cindy. Mom, this is my boss, James Thornhill. You remember me telling you about him?”
“All good things, I hope,” James said and stepped forward to take her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Taylor.”
“Please, call me Cindy.” She stopped suddenly and took a moment to study Quinn before returning her gaze to him. “Wait. I don’t understand. You and your boss are here…together?”
“What’s this?” an older man maybe somewhere in his mid-sixties bellowed as he stepped into the room. He sported a thick mustache on his upper lip almost as if to make up for the sparse light brown hair on his crown. But it was the suspicion and shrewdness in his light green eyes that glared at James almost as if demanding to know who the hell are you that James was watching. “You’re dating your boss?”
“No,” Quinn practically shouted as she flushed scarlet. “James was on his way to his own vacation in Mexico, but when I missed my flight, he offered to get me here on the company jet. He’s only here now because he’s waiting to hear word from the pilot that they can take off again. I’m afraid we hit some turbulence that necessitated maintenance on the plane before it can take off again.”
Crazy for the Boss (Crazy in Love Book 1) Page 8
