She’d meant it. She just didn’t know if she could do it. “You hurt me, Quinn. Badly. I know when to stop throwing myself at a guy and move on.”
“What if I ask you not to go?”
She waited for a long time, but he didn’t say anything else. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“I want you, Maddie.”
She pushed past him, her heart crumbling in her chest. “I want you, too, Quinn. But you know what? That’s not enough. I want a lot of things that aren’t good for me. And right now, you’re just another thing I have to avoid.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“SELL IT TO QUINN for $100,000,” Maddie said to Laura.
There was silence from the other end of the phone. “Are you sure?” the Realtor finally asked. “You could get at least $150,000 for the land.”
“No, I want Quinn to have it.”
Laura cleared her throat. “I thought you needed more money.”
“I do.” Maddie looked down at the check on her kitchen counter. “I got the cash from the insurance company for the building, and that will help. I’ll get the rest when…” Her throat closed and she struggled to compose herself. “When you sell the house,” she said. “Put it up for sale.”
“The house? Aren’t you going to live there?” Laura asked.
“My plans changed. I’m heading back to Chicago.”
“Really? What about Quinn?”
Maddie blinked rapidly as she stared out the window. That’s what happened when you lived in a small town. There were no secrets. “I’m not staying in Otter Tail.”
“Oh. Well, then, I’ll need to come out and take a look at the house.”
“I’ll drop the key off on my way out of town.”
“That soon?”
“Yes.” Better to make a clean break to minimize the pain. “I’ll see you this afternoon.” Maddie flipped her phone closed.
She traced her finger over the writing on the check from Eversure Insurance Company and told herself she was stupid to feel so bereft. She should be happy. Her most immediate problem was solved—Hollis would be able to repay her IRA. There would even be a little left over for the most delinquent of Maddie’s contractor bills.
When the house sold, she could pay off the rest of her debts.
But all she felt was sorrow.
She folded the check carefully, put it into her wallet and set her purse next to the front door. Alongside the rest of her belongings, waiting to be loaded into her SUV.
She wasn’t running away. She had business back in Chicago. Things she needed to do. She wanted to see Hollis—her friendship with Delaney and Jen had reminded her how much she missed her old friend.
Maddie walked through the house again to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind. She finished in the library, and her eyes went to David’s desk. Maybe, once she found a place in Chicago, she’d drive back here and pick it up.
David had meant it for her, after all. He’d wanted her to have it.
He’d meant for her to live with it in this house.
The desk belonged here, even if she didn’t. Every choice came with a sacrifice.
She sat in the chair she’d pulled up to it and stared out the window. At the view she wouldn’t see while she was working. She wouldn’t watch the seasons change.
The surface of the desk was like glass beneath her fingers. She pictured David, writing down what she’d said about desks. Talking to Delaney about making it.
She pulled out the first drawer, and it slid open quietly and effortlessly. The scent of freshly cut wood drifted up to her. One by one, she opened all the drawers, imagining what she would have put into each of them. Imagining David doing the same as he designed it.
A piece of brown leather sat in the bottom drawer, and she reached down for it. Delaney must have accidentally left something in the desk.
As Maddie pulled it out, she stilled. This hadn’t been left by mistake.
She set the leather carefully on top of the desk and unrolled it. It was a small tool belt holding a hammer, four screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and a ruler. The tool belt David had given her the first summer she’d spent in Otter Tail.
The hammer stuck in its loop when she tried to pull it out. Just like it always had. The head was rough from pounding countless nails into countless pieces of wood. At the beginning, most of them had gone in crooked, but David had shown her how to pull the nail out and start over. By the last summer she’d been in Otter Tail, she’d been able to drive a nail straight and true.
The smaller of the Phillips head screwdrivers wasn’t ever going to work right. She’d worn away the ridges, trying to use it on the wrong-sized screws. The larger of the flat-head screwdrivers had a chunk missing from the handle. One of her earliest attempts to use the hammer had gone awry.
Every year, she’d asked David if she could bring them home with her when she left for the summer. David had always told her that they belonged in Otter Tail, so they’d be waiting for her when she returned.
Maddie leaned back in her chair and looked at the remnants of her childhood as she wiped away tears. David had given her the tools, but they represented so much more that he’d given her. Love. Possibilities. A sense of belonging.
She replaced them in the tool belt and folded it carefully. The desk needed to stay, but the tool belt was going with her.
It took less than fifteen minutes to load her car, check the house one more time and lock it up. She stared at the key, hanging on the tarnished red cherry key chain that said Door County. David had used that key chain for as long as she could remember.
She slid the key off and put the keychain into her pocket. She would take that back with her, too.
The house fairly glowed in the sunlight, and she memorized every detail as she stood in the front yard. The bleeding hearts and peonies she’d planted were bright splashes of color against the yellow house.
They added to the curb appeal. Maybe the place would sell faster.
By the time she got to Laura’s, she’d managed to swallow her tears. She handed the real estate agent the key, gave her a hug and got back in her car as fast as she could. Maddie focused on the road as she headed south on County S. She didn’t want a last look at Otter Tail. She was carrying enough memories with her.
Give me a second chance.
That one would be the hardest to forget.
As she passed the last house and flashed past fields of soybeans, she glanced at the passenger seat, where she’d put the tool belt. David’s voice whispered through her head. “With the right tools, you can fix anything.”
She stared at the road through suddenly blurry eyes. Did she have the tools to fix what had gone wrong in her life?
She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay in Otter Tail. She wanted to make a life with Quinn.
So why was she leaving?
Because she was scared. As scared as he was.
Just as afraid to take a chance.
She eased her foot off the accelerator. She was protecting herself as much as Quinn had been.
She didn’t want to live in Chicago. She wanted to live in Otter Tail. With him.
Gravel crunched beneath her tires as she pulled onto the shoulder of the road and stopped. She stared at the endless field of soybeans. Was she really thinking about going back? About opening herself to rejection, taking the chance of being hurt again?
Could she do it?
That’s what David would have told her to do.
She took a deep breath and turned the car around.
Her hands shook as she accelerated.
She was going to fight for the life she wanted.
She was driving way too fast when a black truck flew past her. She glanced in the rearview mirror, then slammed on her brakes.
It was Quinn.
He slowed down. Turned around. Pulled up behind her SUV.
As she got out, her legs trembled. So did her hands. She hid them behind her back.
Quinn leaped out of the truck and slammed the door. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“I was headed to Chicago.”
“You’re driving the wrong way. Did you forget something?”
“Yes, I did. I was going back for it.” She shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.
“What did you forget, Maddie?” He moved in close.
She took a deep breath and jumped off the cliff. “I forgot you. I thought I was being strong by walking away, but I don’t want to leave you, Quinn. I want that second chance you asked for.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I love you. I’ll give you all the time you need to figure this out.”
“You think I can change?”
“If you want something enough, you can do anything.”
He reached for her hands and intertwined their fingers. “Ask me what I was doing out here, driving like a bat out of hell.”
“Tell me.” Her heart began to pound.
“I was chasing you.” He slid his hands up her arms to her shoulders. “I was going to follow you all the way back to Chicago if I had to. I wasn’t going to stop until I caught you.”
“Why, Quinn?”
He looked around at the field to the east, the dusty road, the black-and-white Holstein cows staring at them from behind a fence on the west side of the pavement. “This isn’t exactly the romantic scene I had in mind, but I love you, Maddie. I have for a while.” He wiped a tear off her cheek with his finger. “I fell in lust with you the night you walked into the Harp. I turned around and saw you standing at the end of the bar and my heart stopped. Then you opened your mouth and took on J.D., and I started falling in love.
“Please give me a second chance. It’s not easy for me to open up, but I swear I’ll do my best. And if I backslide, I’m counting on you to let me know.”
“Quinn.” She stepped into his arms and cupped his face with both hands.
“I’ll keep your heart safe, Maddie.” He kissed her gently, a tender brush of his mouth over hers.
“I know you will,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I won’t hurt you, sweetheart. I promise.”
She leaned back so she could see his face. “Yes, you will. And I’ll hurt you, too. But making up will be a lot of fun.”
“Making up? I’m not sure how that works. I’ve always left before there’s anything to make up for.” He smoothed his hand over her back, then slipped it beneath her T-shirt. He touched her as if he was memorizing every bump of her spine, every curve of rib, and his fingers lit tiny fires beneath her skin.
His mouth found hers, and she tightened her grip on him. She felt him holding back, trying to go slow, so she nibbled on his lower lip, then soothed it with her tongue. When he groaned, she swept inside.
“Kiss me like you mean it, Quinn,” she murmured.
He eased her against the back of her SUV and kissed her again. She pressed closer and felt the tension in his muscles, his struggle for control. She wrapped one leg around his and arched into him.
His kiss turned wild, almost desperate, and she felt herself being pulled under. When she wriggled, trying to get closer, he slid his hands between them and covered her breasts. “Am I getting the hang of this ‘making up’?”
“Not quite,” she gasped. “But you’re almost there. Keep trying.”
She shoved his T-shirt up and ran her palms over the hard muscles of his chest. A car zoomed past.
“Maddie,” he said against her mouth. “Another minute and I’m going to tear your clothes off. We need to stop.”
“You’re right.” She slid her hands down to his rear end. “We wouldn’t want to shock the cows.”
He grabbed her arms and brought them to his chest, where he trapped them between their bodies. “I’ll follow you back to your house,” he said.
A long time later, they lay tangled together in her room, their bodies cooling, her heartbeat slowing. They’d nearly fallen off the tiny twin bed from her childhood a couple of times.
“So I figure you’re going to want to live here in David’s house,” he said, drawing lazy circles on her back as she sprawled against him. “We’ll sell my house, and we can use that money to pay the rest of your bills.”
Her heart lurched. “Wait a minute. Haven’t we skipped a step here?”
“Hmm? What step?” He caressed her bare butt cheek, and desire surged through her again.
“Like talking about the future.”
“Isn’t that what I was just doing?”
“You were making assumptions, Quinn. You’re supposed to ask.”
“Ask what? If you’ll marry me? Isn’t that what we’ve been discussing?” He slid his hand down her stomach, and she drew in a sharp breath.
“In some circles, it’s considered important to actually say the words.”
He lifted himself up on one elbow. “All right. Are you going to marry me?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Is that right?” His hand slipped lower. “How long will it take?”
“I’m not sure,” she panted. “I’ll let you know.”
Ten minutes later, she was trembling on the brink of another climax. He slowed his rhythm. “Done thinking?” he whispered.
“Quinn!” She tightened her legs around his waist. “Please! Don’t stop.”
He moved in and out again, excruciatingly slowly. “Tell me.”
“Yes,” she gasped. “I’ll marry you.”
He surged into her and she bowed off the bed with a sharp cry. He followed her, groaning her name.
When she could speak, she said, “That was just mean.”
She felt him grin. “I’ve been trying to get the upper hand with you since the first night you walked into the Harp. Looks like I’ve finally figured it out.”
“Two can play this game, you know.”
He lifted his head and kissed her. “A guy can hope.”
THE NEXT NIGHT SHE WALKED into the Cherry Tree wearing her skirt. As she donned her apron, Quinn backed her against the wall, standing so close she could feel the heat pouring off his body. “You’re wearing that skirt again.”
“You’re really observant,” she said with a grin.
“You wearing anything beneath it?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Go out in public without underwear? That would be very naughty. Do I look naughty to you?”
She stepped away from him and picked up a tray. She felt him watching her, and when she glanced over her shoulder, his smile promised that he’d pay her back later.
She couldn’t wait.
Laura Taylor spotted her and smiled. As Maddie passed her, the Realtor touched her arm. “I’m so glad you changed your mind,” she whispered.
“Me, too.” Maddie glanced at Quinn, who was still watching her, and her heart beat faster. It would speed up whenever she saw him, she suspected. Even when they were grandparents.
“Hey, Maddie, I heard you’d quit,” Jen said, bumping her hip. “I’m glad the rumor was wrong.”
“I’ll be working here until I find a newspaper job in the area,” Maddie said.
“So you’re staying?”
“I am.”
Jen whooped and dragged her over to Delaney. Maddie was in the middle of discussing the possibility of Delaney making kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities for the houses she was trying to sell in Chicago when Quinn slid his arm around her waist.
“You’re monopolizing her,” he said to Jen and Delaney. “You need to learn to share.” He tugged her closer, steering her toward the bar.
“I love you, too, but people are waiting for their beer.” She gave him a quick kiss, trying to ease away.
“They won’t mind waiting another few minutes.” He tightened his hold on her. “Hey, everyone, I have an announcement!” he yelled.
It took a few moments for the voices to settle down. Someone turned off the boom box, and suddenly the restaurant was quiet.
The crowd started clapping, and Mike Foley yelled, “I thought she was a smart woman.”
Over the laughter, Paul called out, “What about running for mayor, Quinn?”
“My future wife and I will discuss it,” Quinn said, dropping a kiss on her hair.
He let her go, and pulled a bottle from beneath the counter. It was a bottle of Jameson, about half-full. The glass was burned in one or two places, and soot was smeared on the neck.
“There’s a shot of Jameson here for anyone who wants it,” he said. “On the house.” He lined up glasses on the bar and poured some of the amber whiskey into each. When that bottle was empty, he tossed it into the trash and opened a new one.
Someone snatched Maddie away, and she was passed from one person to another, each hugging her and telling her how happy they were for her and Quinn. When she finally made her way back to him, he kissed her again.
“You think David would approve of us getting married?” he murmured.
“I think he planned this all along,” she said. “I think that’s why he broke his promise to you. He was trying to get us together.”
Quinn smiled slowly. “David always was devious.”
“He told me once that if I gave them a chance, I’d like the people in Otter Tail. He was right.” Maddie touched his cheek. “I love you, Quinn.”
“I love you, too,” he said, kissing her again. He ran his hand down her hip. “Now let’s talk about this skirt.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4673-1
AN UNLIKELY SETUP
Copyright © 2010 by Margaret Watson.
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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