Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  She trotted alongside them as Dr. Peterson wheeled Quinn toward the clinic. “Of course not,” she said. “I’m here for you.”

  When they got inside, Dr. Peterson shot rapid-fire questions at Larissa, and she explained what happened from her perspective.

  “And how long from when he screamed until you got him breathing again?” The doctor asked.

  Larissa shook her head and shrugged. “It felt like forever, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes.”

  Nurse Betty, Dr. Peterson’s wife and partner in the clinic, checked Quinn’s vital signs while the doctor made notes about Larissa’s story. “He’s running a fever,” Betty reported.

  “He ran one all night,” Larissa said. “I did my best to get it lowered, but I’m afraid of an infection in his head wound or something. Maybe his lungs, I—”

  Dr. Peterson held up a hand to stop Larissa, who was beginning to sound panicky again. “We’ll take good care of him, don’t worry. Betty, start an IV. He needs to be hydrated and we have to get his pain under control so we can get him on the x-ray table.”

  Once Betty had accomplished that and attached a bag of fluids to the line, the doctor injected something that soon eased Quinn’s pain and made him feel as though he were floating.

  “Whatever that is, Doc, keep it coming.” Quinn closed his eyes, enjoying the first sense of relief he’d had since falling.

  “Morphine,” Peterson said. “Works every time. Now, let’s get those pictures before it wears off.”

  “Can Larissa come?” Quinn asked.

  “Not to x-ray. She has to wait here.”

  “Don’t worry.” Larissa squeezed his shoulder. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

  Chapter 17

  John McCallister walked into the clinic while Larissa waited for Quinn to get back from x-ray. “What the hell happened?”

  Larissa widened her eyes, surprised at his harsh tone. He usually seemed so calm and in control. “The horses ran off. Quinn tried to call for help but fell and hit his head.” Okay, that simplified everything that happened in between those two events, but John didn’t need every detail.

  “Is he going to be okay?”

  Larissa shrugged. She thought this feeling of helplessness would go away once the helicopter had come to rescue them. Instead, it had deepened. Everyone seemed to think she should have the answers. “I sure hope so, but you’ll need to ask the doctor.”

  John lowered himself into the chair next to her, running a hand across his eyes. “Susan’s been out of her mind with worry ever since Brad called to say the horses showed up without you guys. We shouldn’t have forced you into a date. This is our fault.”

  By that reasoning, it was also their fault she’d slept with a man she hardly knew, their fault that she might be falling for him. She kept telling herself she knew better than that. She couldn’t really care about someone she’d know such a short time, but Quinn sure made her feel special and sexy and wanted. She hadn’t had that for a long time.

  “Please don’t apologize for making Quinn take me out. We had a nice time until the storm came.” Well, and a bit after the storm, but that was definitely too much information.

  John looked at her and his gray eyes, so like his son’s, pierced into her. “It went... well?”

  She smiled. He sounded surprised. “Quinn showed me his artwork and even sketched a picture of me.” Her smile faltered. “Dang it. I left it there in all the confusion.”

  “He showed you his artwork?” If anything, John looked even more surprised. “He doesn’t even think I know about that cave. I’ve been so worried since he stopped going there and I saw how he tucked away all his old paintings and sketches.”

  Larissa wondered if she should tell John how much pressure Quinn felt coming at him from the family. It probably wasn’t her place. “He said he wanted to take up drawing again. He wants to sketch me on the beach.”

  John’s shoulders relaxed and he smiled. “Perfect. That kid needs balance. I hope you stick around, Larissa. He needs someone like you in his life.”

  Well, at least she had that stress out of the way. It was always easier if a man’s family approved of the person he dated. Not only had they initially set them up, it seemed the McCallisters would be perfectly happy for Larissa to continue dating their son. “I plan on it, sir.”

  ***

  Betty wheeled Quinn back into the examination room. Larissa had stayed, as promised, but his dad also sat next to her.

  “What’s the verdict?” John asked. “Is his leg broken?”

  Betty shook her blond head. “Carl’s going to look at the x-rays and then will come explain it to you. We took pictures of his lungs and his leg. Hopefully we can figure out what’s going on with the fever, too.”

  Larissa stood from her chair, crossing the room to hold Quinn’s hand. “I’m glad you’re taking the fever seriously,” she told Betty. “It was frightening, not being able to help him more.”

  Quinn felt ridiculously happy that Larissa remained so devoted to him, but some of his happiness was marred by the fact that his pain was already returning after having moved on and off the x-ray table. “Do you think you could give me another shot of that happy juice?”

  Betty laughed. “Sorry, but it’s way too soon. I promise to give you more as soon as it’s safe. Try to stay still, okay? Carl will be right in.”

  With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

  As soon as it clicked shut, John leaned forward in his chair, his face etched with worry. “I’m sorry, son,” he said. “I shouldn’t have forced you into this, but the weather was supposed to hold. I never imagined you’d get hurt.”

  Quinn squeezed Larissa’s hand and smiled at his father. “Dad, introducing me to Larissa was the best thing you could have done.”

  “I tried to tell him that,” Larissa said.

  Quinn laughed. “That you’re what’s best for me?” he teased.

  She winked. “Why, yes, of course that’s exactly what I said to him.”

  John shook his head but chuckled. “Okay, I can see that I have nothing to feel guilty over.”

  “Nope,” Quinn agreed. “However, you might have to cover for me at work for a few days. I’m not going to be much up to walking around for inspections when this next batch of guests leave. I can, however, work on that project to get the island more energy efficient, since I just have to sit at my desk for that.”

  “Don’t worry about work,” John said. “It can keep. We’ll figure it out later.”

  Easy for him to say, but Quinn did worry. Although he loved spending time with Larissa and would try to make her a priority, something he had failed at while being with Camille, that didn’t mean he wanted to leave his father hanging. He might have finished the expense report early, but plenty of work remained.

  “I’ll still do what I can,” Quinn insisted. “Anything that can be done in the office, I’ll handle.”

  “We’ll see, but that’s not the most important thing right now. You will take some time off,” John ordered, narrowing his eyes. “If nothing else, you’ll need to have more time to date this lovely young woman.”

  Before Quinn could respond, a tap sounded on the door and Carl opened it, walking into the room with a clipboard in his hand. “Good news.” He grinned. “Nothing is broken and I see no evidence of pneumonia in your lungs. I think the fever was a reaction to the trauma, but I’m going to put you on antibiotics just to be safe.”

  “But what about his leg?” Larissa asked. “If it isn’t broken, what’s wrong with it?”

  Carl pulled the rolling stool out from the corner of the room and sat down. “Without doing an MRI, I can only give my best guess.”

  “Which is what?” she asked.

  “I think he’s pulled the muscles and the tendons in there, hyperextending it like he did. I’m hoping he didn’t actually tear the tendon, or I’ll have to send him to a specialist. For now, I have a list of ph
ysical therapy exercises he can try on his own.” Carl glanced at Larissa. “And I think regular massages might get him back on his feet faster.”

  “Certainly,” she agreed. “In fact, I can help him with the exercises too.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” Carl pulled a few printed pages off his clipboard and handed them across to her. “Here’s what you need to do. I’ll go over them with you before you leave, but if there are any problems, we’ll need to send him across to the hospital on the main island for an MRI.”

  ***

  Larissa wished she could do something more to help Quinn as he struggled to learn how to use the crutches the doctor supplied for him as they left the clinic. The brace Dr. Peterson provided would stabilize Quinn’s knee, but he certainly couldn’t walk on it yet.

  Helping him was a big responsibility to take on, considering she hadn’t done much rehab work except for a few sports injuries. She would just have to do her best. If things became too difficult, Dr. Peterson would send Quinn to the hospital. But she really hoped she could help him. Besides, it gave them an excuse to spend more time together.

  John pulled open the door to Quinn’s hotel room, sweeping his hand out to indicate they should go in front of him.

  “Damn this leg,” Quinn grumbled. “Getting to the office is going to be tough until I figure these crutches out.”

  Larissa frowned. “I think you should take a few days off.”

  “I agree,” John said. “Let’s get you situated and then I’m off to give your mother the good news that you’re safe.”

  Larissa dropped the sack of pain pills and antibiotics on the table, whistling slightly as she looked around Quinn’s home. As sparse and small as her room was in the employee living quarters, Quinn lived entirely differently. Funny, considering he was always in the office from everything she’d heard, so likely didn’t spend much time in his lavish suite. It seemed like a waste for him to have so much and not be around to enjoy it.

  Artwork hung on the walls, though none of it had the distinct look of Quinn’s own paintings. The front room branched off into the dining room and kitchen, and a hallway led back to what Larissa could only assume must be the bed and bath. It was as nice as any five-star luxury place she’d ever been in, and more what she had expected John and Susan to live in rather than the old farmhouse they owned.

  John settled Quinn onto the couch and grinned at Larissa. “Kind of overwhelming, isn’t it? All the guest rooms look like this in the hotel areas. The private bungalows are even more luxurious.”

  Heat flooded up her neck and cheeks. She practically had her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she looked around. She must seem so unsophisticated to Quinn’s family. It was a wonder they wanted her to date their son.

  She forced a smile. “It’s a lot different from the place I’m staying, or your and Susan’s house.”

  “I keep trying to get Quinn to build a place of his own up the beach, but...” John raised his eyebrow, giving Quinn a disgruntled look.

  Quinn groaned. “Dad, really? You’re going to hassle me about this now? You know I like being close to the office. Living away from the resort means using more gas, and it’s expensive to get fuel here. It’s not cost effective for me to build a house.”

  “Makes sense,” Larissa agreed.

  Quinn flashed a grin. “See? Larissa has good sense. She’s the perfect addition to our family.”

  Nerves fluttered inside her stomach upon those words. What was he saying?

  “Well,” John said, “it’s a good thing we hired her then and made her a part of it.”

  Oh. Duh. The McCallister family that they were always going on about. He didn’t mean...

  Larissa struggled to control the conflicting emotions and embarrassment racing through her. It wouldn’t do any good for Quinn to figure out what she’d thought—hoped for—when he said that.

  “Okay, son.” John patted Quinn’s shoulder lightly. “You’re in good hands with Larissa, and I’m going to leave and tell your mother what’s happened. Do you guys need anything?”

  “You can’t just pawn me off on Larissa,” Quinn protested. “She might have things to do today.”

  Didn’t he want her here? Things might have seemed perfect back at the waterfall, but Larissa questioned her wisdom in sleeping with Quinn so quickly. It seemed, now that they were home, he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure he wanted to be with her.

  “I’ll be happy to help you out today, Quinn, if you want me to.”

  He glanced at her sharply, and Larissa knew he heard the edginess in her voice.

  Darn. She hadn’t meant to take that tone, but she was confused now and it made her angry. She thought they were a couple now, since they slept together and he’d said all those nice things to her. Besides, she’d warned him she wasn’t a one-night stand type of woman.

  “Why wouldn’t I want you to stay with me?” he asked, frustration clear in his tone. “You should know, though, I turn into an asshole when I’m in pain, and that shot has worn off completely. I thought they were giving me another, but must have forgotten. You might not want to be around me until I feel better.”

  Larissa took in a deep breath. What a fool she was, thinking everything was about her. Though she was the one to end her last relationship, Jacob’s speedy exit did a number on her self-esteem and the way she assumed men saw her worth. Quinn wasn’t Jacob. She’d do well to remember that.

  “I’ll get you a pain pill.” Larissa walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to search for a drink.

  In the living room, John said his goodbyes and left by the time Larissa poured a glass of filtered water and took Quinn the medicine.

  Once he swallowed it down, she sat next to him on the couch, careful not to disturb his leg.

  “I’m sorry for implying you didn’t want me here.” She kept her eyes on the floor, afraid to see Quinn’s reaction. “I told you I don’t sleep around, and now I’m feeling foolish and vulnerable. Stupid, right?”

  “Hey, don’t say those things. I want you here.” Quinn’s arm circled her shoulder, even though he groaned softly with pain, and he pulled her into his chest. He stroked a hand across her head soothingly.

  While Larissa wanted him to say something more to ease her fears, make some sort of promise about the future, he didn’t speak again, but simply held her. Knowing how businesslike Quinn was, that was probably the best she could hope for. He might have the heart of an artist, but he was all businessman, and they were in the real world again.

  It was okay though, really. It felt good to be with him, and knowing he wasn’t freaked out by her admission of weakness made it all that much better. Maybe he wouldn’t pour his feelings out to her, but he was a good man and kept reaffirming what she’d thought at the waterfall. She could easily fall madly, deeply, completely in love with Quinn McCallister.

  She wished she knew whether he felt the same.

  Chapter 18

  The last two weeks had been hectic for Quinn. He had tried to balance his time between being in the office and working on rehabilitating his leg. Luckily, when he saw Carl this morning, the doctor had agreed Quinn could stop using the crutches as long as he kept the brace on. It seemed a trip to the big island to see a specialist wouldn’t be necessary.

  His dad tapped on the office door, walking in without invitation. “I don’t see the crutches against the wall. Does this mean you got good news today?”

  Quinn nodded, barely looking up from the report he worked on. “I’ve got the all clear to walk again.”

  “And we have Larissa to thank for it.” John settled into the chair across from Quinn’s, not seeming to take the hint that Quinn was busy. “Why don’t you guys come out to the house for dinner tonight? Everyone else is coming, and Mom wants to get the whole family together.”

  Quinn finally looked up from the file, trying to suppress a sigh. “I know Sydney just got back from New York, but I have a lot of work to catch up on, Dad. Larissa has
massage clients today, and I figured I’d work late.”

  John frowned. “I thought you liked that girl.”

  Like was a mild term. Quinn thought about the past two weeks and the time they’d spent together during the afternoons for his therapy. Larissa had a nurturing, loving side that he missed having in his previous marriage.

  “I do like her. Missing one family dinner doesn’t mean we’re breaking up.”

  John steepled his hands across his mouth, tapping both index fingers against his lips. He stared intently at Quinn.

  Quinn tried not to roll his eyes. Classic John McCallister intimidation tactic. It was the look he used to convince Quinn to give up his plans to be an artist and work in the office instead. He refused to be cowed today.

  “I’m working on those changes to our energy consumption.” Quinn kept his tone level—showing John any signs of impatience could mean a longer lecture. “This is important, Dad. We stand to save a lot of money, all while running a greener operation here. Project Green wants an answer within two weeks or they’ll take a different job. We won’t be able to get them out here until late next year if that happens. I have a lot of research to do in the meantime.”

  “You know I want those changes as much as you do if it makes financial sense,” John replied, “but you have to eat dinner anyway, right?”

  Unable to do anything but agree without looking like a petulant child, Quinn nodded.

  “Burn the midnight oil later. Come introduce Larissa to the family as your girl. You’d better make sure she knows she’s special if you want to keep her.”

  John stood and left the office, not waiting for Quinn’s reply.

  His father knew him too well. After a guilt trip like that, Quinn would never hear the end of it from any of them if he didn’t appear at that dinner.

  Picking up his new cell phone, he texted Larissa to tell her about their dinner plans.

  ***

  Janie whimpered when Larissa pressed into a particularly tight muscle.