Jane laughed even harder now. “You and home improvements?”
“It’s not my strong point, but I’m learning.” Riley smiled, relieved that her sister had thawed a little. “I’m also trying my hand at this strange new concept of friendships. It’s scary but refreshing.”
“Who are you and what have you done to my sister? What’s next? Dating?”
Riley’s smile widened as she thought of Quinn and their moment on the couch. They’d almost kissed. Almost. “No, I’m not dating,” she said, wondering what Jane would say if she told her she had a crush on a woman. “What about you? Do you have a new man in your life?”
“No. I tried the whole internet dating thing, but being a single mom, it’s not easy. Men run for the hills as soon as I tell them I have a child.”
“Typical,” Riley said with a huff. “Well, maybe you’ll meet a nice man when you visit me in Mystic. People are really friendly here. Or, as I said, I could come to Orlando. I miss you, Jane.”
“Sentimental too now, huh?” Jane hesitated, clearly puzzled by Riley’s revelations. Riley had never taken the time to talk to her on the phone like this. Their interaction usually consisted of short messages to confirm a meet-up or a quick call on birthdays and holidays. “Okay, sis. We’ll come and visit. I miss you too, believe it or not, and I want to check if you’re okay because you don’t sound like yourself at all.”
“I’m okay, I promise.” Riley’s shoulders dropped as she sank back on the sofa and propped her feet up on a pillow. “And you? How’s work?”
“Busy, busy, but I shouldn’t complain, as I only work part-time,” Jane said with a chuckle. “They offered me a full-time contract as a resident nurse in a home, but I prefer to spend more time with Mindy. Paul has been paying alimony, so all in all, it’s not too bad.”
“Are you on speaking terms again?” Riley asked. “It’s been four years since you got divorced, right?” That was another thing she felt guilty about; she hadn’t been there for Jane when she went through her divorce. She hadn’t understood what loneliness meant until now, and it hurt to think that Jane must have been so lonely during that period.
“We’re civil, but that’s about it. He’s moved on, I’ve moved on. At least we have Mindy, so it wasn’t all wasted time.”
“I can’t wait to see her again.” Riley genuinely missed her niece, and she imagined she’d grown a lot since last time. “I’ll make sure she has her own big-girl bedroom.” She paused, anticipating asking the dreaded question. “And Dad? How is he?”
“Not too bad,” Jane said to her surprise. “He’s living a healthier life now. I’ve practically forced him to eat better, he goes out for walks every day, and he’s got help at home twice a week. The doctor thinks he can still live a normal life as long as he takes care of himself. You should call him. He’s been asking about you.”
“I will.” Riley cleared her throat. “I should have called him sooner.”
“True. But better late than never. He’s not going to be around forever, you know. Especially with his heart condition, it’s tricky, so you need to make an effort or you’ll regret it one day.”
“Yeah.” Riley sighed. “I’ll call him.”
“Good. Anyway, Mindy is calling for me, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back to discuss our visit.” Jane yelled something at Mindy, and before Riley could get another word in, the line was cut off. She blew out her cheeks and braced herself for the next phone call, then dialed her father’s number.
30
QUINN
Under the stacked-up furniture was a small safe. It was wedged under a bedframe, right at the back of the basement, and Quinn’s name was written on top with a black marker. It was heavy, but Quinn had managed to move it upstairs, and she’d tried several combinations that included birthdays and other memorable dates, but none of them worked. She’d called her brother and her parents to update them on the situation, and at Riley’s invitation, they were coming over to inspect the contents of the basement tomorrow. They couldn’t give her any clues as to what the safe combination might be, but they’d been terribly excited to hear the news, especially her mother, who still felt bad about the fallout with her father—Quinn’s grandfather—after they’d lost her beloved restaurant as a result of his bankruptcy. It wasn’t about money anymore, though; Quinn suspected her mom was hoping for something to remember him by now that he was no longer with them. At a loss for ideas, she tried another code—a random one this time, of course to no avail.
“Any luck?” Riley asked. She placed a bowl of soup and some bread on the desk.
“No.” Quinn’s mouth watered at the sight of the fresh baguette. “Wow. Thank you. I haven’t had one of those in a while.”
“Why not?” Riley asked. “It’s from the bakery in town. It’s nice to have one nearby—one of the perks of small towns, I suppose.”
“It’s a fantastic bakery, but I can’t go there anymore. I had some beef with the owner.” Quinn already regretted mentioning it, but it was too late now, and Riley would find out at some point, as people still wouldn’t seem to stop talking about it. “I had an affair with his wife,” she said, wincing as she saw Riley’s smile drop. “It was years ago, but needless to say, he never forgave me.”
Riley arched a brow at her. “You had an affair with his wife? Do you make a habit of having affairs with other people’s wives?”
“No, I don’t.” Quinn met her eyes. “And I promise, it’s long over.”
“I didn’t mean that. I don’t care if it’s over. I…”
Quinn regarded her and detected a hint of jealousy in her voice. “Are you sure you don’t care?” Riley didn’t answer, so she continued. “It ended four years ago, and she moved away. Rebecca lives in New Orleans now, with her new partner, but as you can probably imagine, I avoid the bakery like the plague.”
“Right. Understandably.” Riley met her eyes. “Well, you can ask me to get bread for you anytime.”
“Thank you, that’s very sweet.” Quinn scooped a piece of baguette through the creamy broccoli soup and smiled as she tasted it. “It’s delicious. Did you make it?”
