Quinn turned to her, and her eyes lowered to Riley’s lips. Licking her own, she shook her head and smiled. “It’s late. I should probably get going.”
Riley nodded. She hated it when Quinn went home at night. Her absence left a palpable sense of emptiness in the house, and she felt restless on her own. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Quinn leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Riley’s cheek. “See you tomorrow,” she whispered, lingering against her before she inched back and got up.
Riley touched her cheek where Quinn’s lips had been and stared after her as she disappeared around the house. She couldn’t ignore what was growing between them much longer. The innocent kiss was doing sensational things to her body, and her cheek was glowing. She sat there, thinking about what could have been. Fantasies filled her mind, as they did every night, and it wasn’t until the lights in Quinn’s narrowboat went on and pulled her out of her thoughts that she realized she was cold. In the distance, she saw a figure passing through the boat, and she wondered if Quinn could see her sitting here in the dark and regretted going home as much as Riley regretted not asking her to stay. It would happen eventually, she told herself. It was as inevitable as the changing of the seasons.
32
QUINN
It felt surreal to see her family in Aster House. Quinn watched her parents and her brother carry the photo albums to her pickup and their cars, going back and forth with boxes. She’d shown them the letter, and they’d talked for hours while they went through the stuff in the basement. Her mother, who rarely talked about Quinn’s grandfather, had opened up for the first time in years and told them stories about when she was younger. Rob couldn’t remember very much, and he loved hearing them.
“There used to be a swing right here,” her mother said, pointing to the big willow that arched over Quinn’s pickup.
“I know. I remember it.” Quinn gave her a smile as she placed a box into the trunk of her parents’ car. “Do you miss it?”
Her mother looked up at the house as if she’d find an answer there, then shook her head. “Not really. Your grandfather and I never saw eye to eye, but that was mainly because I was the rebellious type. I dreamed of a life in the city when I was younger and wanted to get away from nosey, small-town people. I thought if I could prove myself by getting a Michelin-star rating for The Harbor Place, he’d let me open a restaurant in New York City and I’d be out of here.” She shrugged. “But then I met your father, and I never left.”
“Do you still dream about a life in the city?” Quinn asked.
Her mother chuckled. “No, sweetheart. That desire left me a long time ago. When we had you, actually. I figured Mystic was a pretty great place for a kid to grow up. Looking back, it was great for me too. I just didn’t see it at the time.” She glanced over the yard that was now pristine. “I was very lucky, and I should have appreciated it more.”
“Everyone is entitled to their dreams, no matter what age.”
“That’s true.” Her mother smiled. “Riley seems like a lovely lady, and it’s so sweet of her to cook us dinner. Are you two close?”
“Yeah, we’ve become close.” Quinn didn’t dare look her mother in the eyes, so she pretended to rearrange the stuff in the trunk.
“How close?”
“We’re good friends, that’s all.”
Her mother nodded. “I was asking because you seem so natural around each other. It’s almost like you’ve known each other for years.” She paused and narrowed her eyes as she regarded Quinn. “She’s very pretty.”
“Don’t you get any ideas, Mom,” Quinn said, wiping her hands on her jeans. Her brother joined them with a teasing grin, and she gave him a warning look. “Or you.” She didn’t want any of them to know she had feelings for Riley or that there was chemistry between them.
“I just think it would be nice if you met someone special, that’s all.”
“I’m happy, Mom. I’ve told you that a million times.” Quinn patted her back. “Come on, there’s more. Or do you need a rest? Rob, Dad, and I can take care of it.”
“No, I’m fine, honey.” Her mother sighed. “I’ll try to stay out of your business.”
“Thank you.” Quinn pulled her mother into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. “Let’s just focus on what you want to take home. What do you want to do about the furniture? Riley said it can stay here for a while, as we don’t have anywhere to store it.”
Her mother thought about that as they walked back to the house. “It’s yours, Quinn, and it’s your decision. All I want is some trinkets and the photographs, which will be passed on to you and Rob eventually. Other than that, you decide.” She waved a hand when Quinn opened her mouth to protest. “I don’t want to hear another word about it. It’s up to you. Well, technically, it’s up to Riley, as it’s her house now.”
“Riley wants everything to stay in our family,” Quinn said. “We’ve talked about it, and she’s been very clear about that.”
“Then she’s not only pretty but a woman of honor. And I noticed Mary has taken a liking to her.”
“Yeah. She’s helping Riley with dinner. They seem to have hit it off.”
Mary, who was keen to stay out of the family business, had offered to help Riley with cooking, and Quinn heard them chatting nonstop each time she passed the kitchen. The kids were in there too, after examining every inch of the house and running up and down the basement through the passageway.
“Mary is a good judge of character,” her mother mused with a teasing gleam in her eye. “So, tell me more about your new friend. Why have we not heard of her before?”
“We’ve only known each other for a month. She just moved in.”
