by Amy Brent
“I never thought I’d end up back in Coral Springs,” I said, finally speaking, “At least not like this. But with everything that’s happened, everything with the property I…I know I can make this work. I have to.” I shook my head, letting out a deep breath. “I can’t fail again. Jonah, he thinks it’s a secret, but I know. He used every penny in his savings account to pay for my college, and I royally fucked that up.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Leo interjected.
“It’s worse. Believe me,” I let out a rough chuckle but there wasn’t any humor in it, “I have to prove to him that I was worth it. I have to prove to myself that I’m not a failure.”
Leo went quiet, giving my hand a squeeze where he still held it in his.
“For what it’s worth, I know you’re not a failure. I know you’re worth it.” His whispered words reached me, wrapping around me and warming me all the way through. I’m not sure how long we sat there, holding hands in the dark, waiting for Jonah to leave before we could sneak back out again but one thing was certain. I knew. Even if Leo was going to end up hurting me in the end, I was going to enjoy every minute with him while I could. Because the truth was, he was worth it too.
I smiled softly to myself as I thought of Lily’s love potion. Maybe it had worked after all.
Chapter 16
Quinn
“You don’t understand, Quinn. I can’t do that.”
“No, you don’t understand Mr. Howards, I know for a fact that you sold this same exact drywall to my brother for half the price you’re trying to charge me. Now, either I buy it for the same cost or I’ll take my business over to the Ludwig brother’s, got it?”
“Come on, Quinn. Give me a break here. You’re only buying two cases of drywall. I can’t give you that big of a discount. I’ll run myself out of business.”
“Well, you should have thought about that before trying to price gouge me.”
“Price gouge!” Eddy Howards spluttered, his round face going even redder as I pulled out my phone, pretending to punch in a number and held it to my ear.
“Mr. Ludwig? This is Quinn over at the Mayhew property. Remember that drywall order you said you could fill? Great, I’ll go ahead and–.”
“Wait! Just…wait a minute, Quinn,” Eddy mopped his brow with one hand before giving me a grimace that spelled victory, “It’s yours. I’ll sell it to you at the same price as Jonah, just…don’t go around telling people I gave you a commercial pricing, alright?”
I barely held back the triumphant grin as I slipped my phone into the back pocket of my shorts and nodded.
“Don’t worry, Eddy. I know how to keep my mouth shut.” I did smile this time, but I tried to soften it. A little at least, “I’m a good customer too. Loyal. You’ll get all my business for the rest of the property renovations…” Eddy’s expression lifted and I almost felt guilty as I continued, “As long as you give me the same discount across the board.”
“Across the…are you kidding me, Quinn? I swear you really are trying to run me out of business.”
“Please. We both know you’re still making a profit on all these materials.” I quickly took the invoice from him and signed at the bottom before he could change his mind. I handed it back and Eddy took it with a look of chagrin on his ruddy face.
“I’ll have the drywall delivered out here later this week.”
“I need it tomorrow, Eddy.” I held my breath as his brows lowered, thinking I’d pushed my luck a little too far but finally he gave in with a sigh.
“You got it. Tomorrow morning. I’ll have the guys bring it by.”
I held back the grin until he had gotten back into his truck and driven halfway down the long, tree-lined driveway before throwing my head back on a cackling laugh. I spun in a mini circle, kicking rocks up with my boots but I didn’t notice. I was still grinning as I headed back up to the property.
We were two months into the renovations on the property, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged. The old ranch house had grown on me over the past weeks of hard work, quirks and all. And oh boy, there were a lot of quirks. The burst pipe in the upstairs bedroom. The water damage in the kitchen. The leaky roof.
The old place certainly had more than its fair share of problems, but now, as I looked around at the roughed in walls and bare wooden beams of the foundation, I could practically see how it would look, finished and beautiful. Exactly as I imagined it the first time we had visited the dilapidated place with that realtor.
The thought of it reminded me of Jonah’s deadline, but I still had four months. Four months to finish reconstruction and start booking our first customers for the summer. Four months to do the impossible.
“Not impossible. Difficult, yes,” I muttered to myself as I closed the door behind me, “But not impossible.”
Just as the door closed the sound of a crash coming from upstairs echoed through the empty farmhouse. At least, it was supposed to be empty. I was the only one working on site today and I took off running in the direction of the sound.
It led me to the turret, a section that had been added on by my eccentric grandma. Its rounded tower reached all the way to the third floor, a spiral staircase leading up to the top room. I had plans to turn it into a honeymoon suite, the one of a kind stained glass window that had somehow survived intact overlooking the entire property and even the springs themselves.
I reached the top of the stairwell and pulled open the door, grabbing a broom as I walked in. The room was completely gutted, with only beams and a few stray sheets of ply board covering the floor and a hole in the ceiling big enough to drive a car through.
It only took me a few moments to find the cause of the noise. There was only a round hole in the wall where the stained glass window had been, and multi-colored glass lay scattered like confetti around the room. Something, or someone, must have broken it. I crept forward, the broom still clenched in my hand and then I saw it. The black beady eyes. The pink nose and pointed face. It opened its mouth and let out a vicious hiss that sent me scurrying back to the door.
I slammed it shut behind me, my heart racing as I pulled out my phone and instinctively dialed the number. A few moments later, a deep voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Leo? Thank god. It’s Quinn. Listen, I’m at the ranch. Something happened. I need your help.”
I had barely gotten the words out before he was answering.
“I’m on my way, sunshine. You just sit tight. I’ll be right there.”
***
Leo
“Quinn? Quinn, are you up there?”
“Here, Leo! I’m up in the tower.”
“Damn it, sunshine,” I muttered to myself as I started sprinting up the spiral staircase two at a time, “The floor isn’t finished yet. And the hole in the roof still has to be patched. I told you it’s not–.”
“Safe. Yes, I know.” She rolled her eyes in my direction as I reached the top platform. I let out a breath of relieve that I hadn’t known I was holding as I saw her safe and unharmed. From her frantic phone call for help, I had thought the worst, my imagination working overtime as I’d driven over here. Pretty sure I had broken every speed limit on the way but all I could picture was Quinn hurt or injured or trapped or god knows what else all alone out here. It made a man crazy, thinking like that.
“What happened? Are you hurt?” I rushed towards her, noticing for the first time the broom she had clutched in her hand like a weapon.
“No, I’m not hurt. Not really.”
“Well then, what’s the emergency?” I ran my hands over her without even thinking, still unconsciously looking for any injuries, anywhere she might be hurt but I didn’t see any blood or broken bones. The fear that had all but paralyzed me on the way over finally started to dissipate.
Quinn gave me a bashful look before grabbing the door handle. But she didn’t open the door, not yet.
“I was just coming in downstairs when I heard a crash up here. I came up to see what it was and found…something.”
“What exactly did you find?”
“Here,” She said, offering me the broom and a pair of gloves, “You’re going to need these.”
Dubious now, and more than a little confused I took the broom and the gloves, slipping them on before gesturing for her to open the door already.
She nearly cringed as she did, flinching as if she expected some terrible monster to come charging out after them.
"Quinn, what the hell is in there?" I asked as I crept inside, but I'd barely gotten the question out before I saw it. A slow grin spread across my face that turned into a full belly laugh a moment later. "A possum? All this for a little possum?"
“Just…get it out of here. Please?” Quinn was still standing frozen by the door as if she was afraid to get too close to the thing in case it attacked.
“Don’t worry,” I said, still chuckling, “I’ll rescue the princess from the big bad possum.”
“Very funny, Leo.”
“I thought so.”
I glanced around the room, more worried about falling through one of the open floor beams than the wayward animal, and a moment later found what I was looking for. Grabbing the box, I made my way carefully to the middle of the room where it was hunched, shivering.
“I think you scared him just as bad as he scared you,” I muttered, walking slowly towards him. I set the box on a solid piece of floor beside me before bending down. As slowly as I could I reached forward, at the last minute grabbing the scruff of its neck and got it in the box before it could cause any more damage.
I was still chuckling to myself as I closed the top and carried it back to the door. Quinn cringed as I drew close.
“Can you take it outside? Let it go far, far away from here.”
“It probably has a family close by. Don’t know what it was doing up on the roof.” I shook my head as I walked out, “I’ll be back soon.”
It didn’t take long to drive several miles away from the property, releasing it back into the woods that surrounded the springs and make my way back. I walked inside to find Quinn still upstairs, cleaning up the glass from the broken window. It took me a moment to realize that she was crying.
Normally, I’d run as far and as fast as I could in the opposite direction when I see a crying woman. But seeing Quinn like that, heartbroken and upset, my feet were moving before I’d even made the decision. Towards her.
I kneeled down next to her, careful of the shards of glass and wrapped her in a tight hug.
“Hey, sunshine. It’s okay. It’s just a window. We can get a new one.”
“I know. It’s just…it was so beautiful. One of the few parts of this place that were still intact, a part of my family that was still…alive. I know that sounds stupid–.”
"No, it doesn't," I murmured, holding her even closer. "It doesn't sound stupid at all. I understand, and listen, Quinn," I leaned back enough so I could meet her tear-stained gaze, so she could see the seriousness in mine, "I promise I'll do whatever I can to help, whatever it takes to get it fixed."
“It can’t be fixed, Leo,” She whispered, giving me a soft shaky smile, “But thank you. For the promise, anyway. It means a lot to me.”
I just hugged her again before letting her go once more. I glanced around the room. “Well, that beast sure did make a hell of a mess for such a little guy.”
Quinn let out a watery laugh. “Little! The thing was huge. It could have killed me.”
“Yep, I’ve heard of tons of possum related deaths in the area. Tragic, really.”
Quinn elbowed me in the ribs, both of us laughing for a moment before turning back to the shards of glass.
"What's going on?" A new voice echoing in the room had both of us jumping and I turned to see Jonah, still in his work clothes, bright orange vest and all, as he leveled a pointed stare around the room, finally landing on us.
“Jonah! What, uh, what are you doing here?” Quinn stuttered as she carefully got to her feet.
"I had a bunch of materials left over from the job site we just finished up. Thought you could use the leftover paint."
“That’s great! Thanks–.”
“What happened here, Quinn? Looks like an explosion went off.”
"I was working downstairs and heard a noise. It was a possum. It…It broke the stained glass window. The one grandma had made especially for this room." Quinn's voice hitched, still choking back tears but she sounded strong as she continued, "I called Leo and he came and helped get rid of the thing. There's no saving the window, though."
“Sorry about the window, Quinn. I know that meant a lot to you,” Jonah said sympathetically, but then his voice changed, hardening a bit as he spoke again, “Why didn’t you call me?”
“What?” Quinn tilted her head in confusion.
“Why did you call Leo? Why not me? I could have helped you.”
“Oh, well, um,” Quinn’s eyes widened as she scrambled for an answer, “I knew you were at work. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Wasn’t Leo at work too?”
“I was on my break.” I quickly interjected, giving Jonah my best I’m innocent look. Quinn nodded in agreement but Jonah was still looking at us suspiciously as he turned to show Quinn the materials he brought.
I stayed there for a long moment even after they had gone, a jolt of something tripping through me. Part joy, part trepidation, that Quinn’s first instinct had been to call me when she needed help. What the hell did that mean?
But there were no answers for me in the empty room. With a confused sigh, I got to my feet and walked downstairs.
Chapter 17
Quinn
I breathed deep, inhaling the scent of the flowers and herbs that had overtaken the garden patch behind the house. The sun was breaking through the tree line that surrounded the edge of the property casting dappled rays of light that danced amongst the overgrown vines.
The garden was more weeds than flowers now, but I could see some bright pink and red blooms peeking out from beneath the brush. And over there, a patch of yellow roses that still clung stubbornly to life.
It filled me hope, and fierce happiness, seeing that resilient bloom. Just like me. A survivor. Blooming despite everything else. I leaned down to smell the fragrant petals, breathing deep and let out a startled squeak at the feel of hands on my hips. I glanced behind me, grinning as Leo pulled me close.
“Hey, sunshine.”
“Hey back.” I was still smiling as I turned my head back to meet his, kissing him with all the joy and sweetness that filled me. We still had a long road ahead, but I felt confident. I could make this happen. I had to.
"I saw you out here from the window and I thought, mmm, now that's a flower that I'd like to pluck," Leo whispered the words roughly in my ear and I laughed, low and sweet before turning in his arms.
“I should get back to work. Only three and a half months left before Jonah’s deadline.”
“You’re gonna work yourself to death if you keep going like this, Quinn. Take a break. Relax,” His breath was warm against my ear and it sent shivers racing down my body, pooling thick and wet between my thighs, “I can help you relax.”
“I’ll just bet you can.”
I looped my hands behind his head, pulling him in for another kiss, this one slower, more sensual as he drew me deeper under his spell. All it took was one touch, one taste, and I was lost.
He picked me up in his arms and I held on tight to him, our mouths never separating as he laid me back down on a nearby patch of grass. I barely noticed the overgrown wildflowers surrounding us. Every atom in my body was only focused on him. There wasn’t room for anything else.
I gasped as his hands danced down my sides and he took advantage, his tongue sweeping inside my mouth to tease mine. I drew the kiss even deeper, pulling him down on top of me but after
a moment he was moving again.
Leo’s mouth drew a teasing trail of soft kisses across my jaw and down my neck, making me writhe beneath him as a sweet languorous feeling filling my body until it felt like I was moving in warm honey.
I blinked my eyes half open at the feel of his warmth leaving but the heavy-lidded look he shot me heated me back up again. He started at my feet, easing off my boots before sliding his callused palms back up my calves, the back of my knee, the sensitive skin of my thighs. Leo didn't stop until he reached the button of my shorts, unbuttoning them with an infuriating slowness before sliding them down my hips.
Piece by piece he stripped me. His brows were furrowed in concentration and his dark eyes drank in the sight of every new inch of skin that was revealed as I lost my top, and then bra, and finally the little lace scrap of panties until I was completely nude beneath him.
I reached out to return the favor but he stopped my hands.
“Well, that’s not fair,” I pouted, “You get to see me naked. I should get to see you.”
“Not yet, sunshine,” Leo said on a hoarse chuckle. He looked up at me, wicked and so handsome it hurt, “I’m dying for a taste of you.”
