Chasing a Legend
Page 20
Jimmy glanced up from making his sandwich, his eyes traveling around the room in search of something to explain Quinn’s “busy” excuse. Finally, he landed on the television and Quinn’s face immediately flushed as he realized what he would see. “Oh, sweet baby Jesus, are you watching the Real Housewives by yourself, Quinn? Oh, please, please tell me you’re watching the Real Housewives by yourself. I’m going to send out a mass email to the entire family and tell them that’s why you missed Sunday dinner. You don’t even have to get me a Christmas gift after that—this will be the best gift I’ve ever received.”
“Don’t you dare.” Quinn jumped up and grabbed for the remote, turning off the television. “It’s not me. Kiera recorded it.”
“KIERA?” Jimmy called out loudly, as if she’d reply from another room. “WE’VE GOT PUPPIES!”
“She’s not here,” Quinn said, his teeth gritting as he realized his excuse had just fallen flat. Okay, so he was watching a girlie television program. Nothing else was on, and it reminded him of their nights on the couch together. He was salting his wounds and he knew it, but come on, it had been barely a few hours.
He deserved the sulking time.
Jimmy’s brow lifted. “So, you are watching it without her.”
“You’re being a real ass right now, Jimmy.”
“We shouldn’t fight in front of the children.” Jimmy gave a few more pieces of deli meat to the puppies at his feet. “Don’t listen to your new daddy, little J.D. and Turk,” he cooed at the dogs.
“I am not their new daddy,” Quinn balked. Most days he could barely take care of himself. “Not even close.”
“The man who watches Real Housewives isn’t swayed by cute puppies? Shocking.” Jimmy smirked as he finished making his sandwich. Dropping it onto a plate, he moved to the stool next to Quinn. It took him a second to sit comfortably with his utility belt and gun around his waist, but he managed to figure it out and turn his attention back to Quinn. “All right, so what’s going on? The truth, Q.”
Quinn watched his brother eat, wondering how much he should tell him. There really was no point in hiding it. The entire neighborhood of Woodlawn, including his family, would know within the next day or two. That’s just how things worked around here.
Sighing, he resigned himself to his fate. “Kiera and I are over.”
Jimmy paused midbite. “What? When? You guys were so lovey-dovey at the show last night.”
“This morning. She was accepted into a really great fellowship program in Seattle starting in a month, so she’s moving back there.” Quinn felt his stomach turn at the thought, but pushed it away.
Jimmy’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit, are you moving to the West Coast?”
“No, of course not.” Quinn shook his head. “I’ve got Legends and the family. I’ve lived here my whole life—I’m needed here.”
His brother put down the sandwich, sighing. There was a darkness in Jimmy’s expression that Quinn had been seeing more and more often. He seemed tenser lately, and if Quinn wasn’t feeling so overwhelmed with his own emotions today, he’d have pried further. “I don’t know a goddamn thing about women or relationships, but you know what, Q? Watch your girlie shows. I won’t tell a soul.”
Quinn chuckled lightly, appreciating how kind his little brother always was. He was the silent hero in the family, cleaning up all their legal messes without complaint and faithful to a fault…sometimes literally. “Let me guess, that’s your Christmas present to me?”
“You know me so well, it’s like we’re brothers or something.” Jimmy finished the rest of his sandwich. “But in all seriousness, man, I’m sorry. And if you want to take some time to yourself, I’ll cover for you with the family.” Jimmy’s radio crackled from where it sat holstered. He glanced sideways at it, a look of foreboding flashing over his face so briefly Quinn almost missed it before it was replaced with a smooth smile. “Oh, and Ma said, if you’re not dead, you need to change your ringtone for her.”
Quinn burst out laughing, his head tilted back. It was just like his family to bring him a smile in his darkest moments. And puppies.
Chapter 26
“Is there a Dr. Finley here?” A tall, brunette woman dressed in a hospital security guard uniform walked up to the nurses’ station counter.
Kiera raised her hand from where she was standing behind a seated nurse, both looking at the computer screen in front of them. “Uh, sort of. That’s me.”
“A messenger service dropped this off at the guard desk for you,” the young security guard said, holding up a small green box up for her to see.
Stepping around the counter, Kiera came out and took it from her. “Oh, wow. Thank you for bringing this. I’m so sorry—I know delivery isn’t your job.”
The woman smiled, shrugging it off. Despite the very unforgiving attire, she was obviously athletic and definitely gorgeous. There was an excitement in her eyes that was infectious, and Kiera wondered why their paths hadn’t crossed more. “I don’t mind. Today’s actually my last day. I start at the police academy tomorrow.”
“Wow! Congratulations! That’s so weird, too, because it’s my last day, as well,” Kiera said, tucking the package under her arm and reaching one hand out to shake the woman’s hand. “Oh, I didn’t catch your name? I’m Kiera.”
“Sophie.” The woman shook her hand with a smile. “That’s crazy we’re leaving the same day. Police academy for you, too?” she teased.
Kiera laughed, knowing Sophie was kidding. “Seattle.”
“Good to meet you, Kiera. Anyway, enjoy your package. Have a good night!”
The young woman headed back down the hallway, a bounce in her step. Kiera envied her enthusiasm at the start of a new venture in her life. While Kiera was doing the same, moving to Seattle in just a few days, nothing felt great about it. Sure, the fellowship was a dream—more than a dream, actually. It was everything she’d ever wanted for her career, for her future.
But when she’d made those plans, she hadn’t factored in a love life. She hadn’t factored in Quinn. She hadn’t factored in heartbreak.
Several weeks had passed since they’d split, and they had barely spoken. A few text messages here and there to be polite, to return keys…that was it. It was strange how simply something so complicated like love could end. All boiling down to a few shared belongings and keys, and then there was nothing left to show for what had been the most meaningful relationship of her entire life.
None of it was what she wanted to say. None of it made him hers again.
She’d gone over every possibility in her head, but Quinn had been right. The moment that acceptance letter had shown up, she’d felt it in the pit of her stomach. It was over.
Her mother had been wrong—she couldn’t have both. She couldn’t have the dream career and the dream man. If she’d stayed for Quinn, she’d regret missing this opportunity for her career, and while she hoped she’d never resent Quinn for that…she honestly didn’t know. Being a doctor was all she’d ever wanted in her life for so long.
As young as she still might be, as many years as she still had to go in her training, she’d already seen the immense joy of meeting someone in their worst moment and carrying them through to the best. Kiera loved to bring hope to people, to her patients and to their families. She loved to help people overcome their medical struggles and take back control over their own bodies. That’s who she was able to be for her patients, and even who she’d been for Quinn.
When Quinn had first started physical therapy with her, he was in tears and a shell of his former self. He was a slave to his body and everything it could no longer do. With time and hard work, she’d shown him how to regain those functions, his independence, and the very core of who he was. He’d returned to the loving, silly, lively man she’d known her whole life, and Kiera had fallen head over heels in love with both the broken man, and the man behind those scars.
How ironic that their relationship both started and ended in tears.
Lifting the small object into her hand, she realized that there was one change. It was now fastened to a delicate silver chain, the length of a necklace. Her thumb rubbed over the smooth, cold surface and she thought she understood what it meant now. One half shrouded in darkness, the other left empty.
He was grieving, and she was gone. Or maybe she was grieving, and he was gone. She wasn’t sure which, but either way, her chest ached at the thought.
Lifting it to her chest, she fastened the chain around the back of her neck and let the heart dangle like a pendant over her scrubs. Kiera reached back into the box and pulled out the card that had been tucked under Quinn’s heart.
Dear Keeks,
I made this for you years ago, and it should be with you, even if I’m not.
Merry Christmas,
Q
Tucking the note quickly back in the box, she clutched the entire thing to her chest and walked briskly down the hallway. She ducked inside a dark storage room to her right and closed the door behind her, letting the tears fall in private, away from where the nurses would see her. She had cried so much over the last few weeks, but she wasn’t about to let it affect her work. Kiera refused to show weakness in such a male-dominated industry, even if she was going to be at this program only a few more days before moving to Seattle.
Just as quickly as the tears fell, the familiar anger rushed through her. Shoving her hands through her hair, she felt the ache of frustration at wanting what she couldn’t have, or what Quinn was refusing to give her. Fury consumed her at how trapped she felt, how miserable she was without him, or how angry she was at him and the world for giving her everything she’d ever wanted and then taking it away.
The loudspeaker crackled overhead. “Dr. Finley to the ER. Dr. Finley to the ER.”
Kiera quickly wiped at her face and shoved the necklace into the pocket of her scrubs. She was not about to be caught crying in a closet on her last day here—talk about going out with a whimper.
This was her job, her passion. This was all she had left, so she was damn well going to do her best at it—if not for herself, then for her patients.
Chapter 27
“I’m all for women’s rights and everything, but for fuck’s sake, Clare, there’s a line and you’ve crossed it.” Kane grimaced, leaning against the desk Quinn was trying to work at in the back office of Legends. He was holding the little black-and-white puppy in his palm up against his face, their noses touching. “Isn’t that right, J.D.?”
“Don’t involve the dog in this,” Clare huffed from the chair across the room where she was breastfeeding Murphy, a blanket discreetly covering herself and the baby. “You make ice cream from regular milk—why can’t I make it from breast milk?”
“I don’t know! It’s just weird!” Kane continued, placing J.D. back in his lap and petting him. “Where does it end, huh? What’s next—titsicles? Boob nog? Stop the madness, Clare.”
Quinn couldn’t believe his brother and sister-in-law had been arguing over the possible uses of breast milk for the last five minutes. He didn’t give a shit what Clare did with her boobs, and he’d freely admit how badass she was as a mom, but he wanted all of them out of the office so he could work. “Can you guys please go have this thrilling debate somewhere else?”
Kane glanced at him. “Hey, Q, tell me something—if Clare did make breast-milk ice cream, would it be creepy if I tried some? Since she’s our sister-in-law and all that?”
“You’re not eating a single bite of my breast-milk ice cream!” Clare laughed, switching Murphy from one breast to the other and repositioning, still under the cover.
“What the fuck?” Rory looked among the three of them as he walked in just in time to hear Clare’s declaration. The brown puppy was cradled in his palms. “Kane, are you asking my wife for her breast milk?”
“Well, I’d like to say no, but it does sort of appear that way,” Kane admitted, laughing as he shrugged it off.
“THAT’S IT!” Quinn jumped to his feet as his volume raised. He couldn’t take their babbling a second longer. “Get the fuck out! Everybody, GET OUT.”
“Quinn!” Clare admonished, tucking the baby against her chest as she stood and headed for the door. “There’s no need to yell around a baby.”
“Or puppies,” Rory added, holding up the brown puppy, Turk.
A wave of guilt passed over him. He didn’t normally behave this way, but his emotions were all over the place lately.
“Seriously,” Kane said, agreeing with Clare as he began to follow her out of the room, taking both puppies with him. Quinn had brought both dogs to work over the last few weeks to help socialize them until he could figure out a new home for them. Of course, his family had pretty much stolen them and it looked likely he wouldn’t need to find a home for them, at all. “No need to be an ass,” Kane continued. “You’ve been real prickly lately—I am not a fan of this new Q.”
Quinn ignored Kane’s remarks, knowing full well it was mostly his dry humor.
Rory lingered in the doorway for a moment. “You doing okay, Q? I know the last few weeks have been tough, since Kiera.”
“This has nothing to do with Kiera,” Quinn replied, eager to shut that down fast. He couldn’t think about her. “I’ve just got a lot of work to do and could use the quiet.”
“Well, I’ll let you get to it, but if you want to talk, I’m here for you, baby bro.” With that, Rory left the office and Quinn was alone.
Plopping back down in the chair, Quinn realized he didn’t feel any better than he had when the office had been packed. He turned back to the computer he’d been working on and stared at the screen, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what he’d been doing.
Quinn stood up again with a loud sigh. Maybe something from the smoothie bar would wake up his brain. Heading down the hallway away from the back offices, he entered the main floor of the gym. Kane and Rory were already in one of the octagons, about to start sparring. He could see Kieran on the weight machines, benching an impressive amount. Nora was on the sidelines watching Kane, and Quinn waved at her.
“That’s so funny, Flynn.” Casey’s crooning voice reached Quinn’s ears as he turned the corner. Casey was behind the smoothie bar, her hair and makeup way too dolled up compared to the apron and name tag she was sporting. “I mean, you’re just soooo funny. I love it.”
Flynn stood on the other side of her, drinking from a white foam cup. “I guess so,” he said nonchalantly. “This smoothie is fantastic.”
Quinn rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt. Slowing his steps as he approached, he tried to ignore the fact that his cousin was seriously hung up on the Neanderthal who was constantly encroaching on his job.
“You know, Flynn,” Casey began. “I don’t have any plans toni—”
And that was enough for him.
“Casey, for fuck’s sake. He’s an employee of the gym.” Quinn glared between the two of them, irritated that he felt like a chaperone at a school dance. Nothing seemed to be going well today and every second that passed, his irritation level was increasing. “You cannot ask him out.”
“What?” Casey blinked rapidly, leaning back from the counter, seemingly flustered. “I wasn’t—”
Flynn laughed a deep, thick laugh that matched his burly appearance. “That’s not what’s happening here, Quinn. I promise. I’d never date her.”
Casey’s face fell so far, he could almost feel her devastation. “Oh.”
Quinn turned on his heel so fast, he was barely aware of the fact that his fist was flying through the air aimed right at Flynn’s jaw. When his knuckles met Flynn’s face, a loud cr
acking sound filled the gym. Flynn shouted in surprise, clutching his face, blood trickling from his lip.
“WHAT THE FUCK, QUINN?” He wasn’t even sure who said that, because he was quickly grabbed from behind by both Rory and Kane, each pinning one of his arms and pulling him away. “Dude, seriously?”
“What the hell was that for?” Flynn groaned, wiping at his bloody mouth.
Quinn felt shaky, unsure himself of what had possessed him to punch the guy. The moment he’d seen Casey’s face, the hurt in her eyes at Flynn’s rejection, he’d snapped. It was like looking in a mirror at how he felt about Kiera, and he couldn’t handle seeing his little cousin experiencing it, too.
“You said you’d never date her,” Quinn started to say, not entirely sure that reasoning held up.
“Uh, yeah, because I’m engaged already,” Flynn shot back before heading in the direction of the locker room, probably to wash his face.
“Oh.” Quinn’s face flushed as his brothers let go of him. He turned to face them. They must have left the dogs with someone else because there was no sign of them.
“Seriously, Q, what the hell?” Rory asked, his tone as severe and unrelenting as the anger on his face.
Kane just tossed his hands in the air, along with a slight chuckle. “I mean, that was stupid as fuck, Q, but damn, you still got a serious hook.”
“Sorry.” He didn’t really mean it, but he didn’t really want to deal with an interrogation, either. Quinn turned to Casey, still behind the counter, her mouth open as if she was still trying to understand everything she’d just seen. “I’m sorry, Casey. I thought he was insulting you.”
Coming to her senses, she closed her mouth, shrugging her shoulders. “You know what? I don’t even mind. He never mentioned a fiancée once in the months he’s worked here. It’s not like I was being subtle—how could he not get it? Hell, punch him again for all I care.”
Kane laughed, but Rory seemed less than amused with all of them.