“It all looks delicious.” Riley handed him her plate, and he filled it with marinated artichokes, mozzarella, caper berries, mortadella, and tomato salad. There was fresh rosemary ciabatta on the table with olive oil and pesto, and a selection of grilled vegetables. She closed her eyes as she took a bite of the mozzarella, followed by a sip of the full-bodied red wine Rob poured her. “You’re right,” she said. “This is heavenly.”
“You’ve come on a good night.” Mary passed her the grilled vegetables and the bread so she could help herself. “We normally keep it simple. It’s easier with the kids.”
“I don’t want that. I want pizza,” Tommy complained.
Lila looked at her brother and nodded. “I want pizza and ice cream. I haven’t had ice cream since—”
“Since yesterday, so stop sulking and eat your vegetables,” Mary said through a mouthful as she pointed her fork at the children. “One day, you’ll both learn to appreciate good food, and you’ll thank me for not raising you on bland beige deep-fried garbage.” She turned to Quinn and Riley and studied them with curiosity. “So, tell me. What’s been going on with you two? You look…” She chuckled as she glanced at the kids to make sure they weren’t listening in. “Cozy.”
Riley noted she was leaning into Quinn and backed away a little. She hadn’t realized she’d been doing it all along, as it had become a comfortable habit. She loved the body contact, the warmth it brought her, and how it made her feel to have Quinn close. The urge to constantly have her near was a new and wonderful sensation, but it was also out of character for her, and seeing Mary stare at her like she could read her mind startled her a little. She waited for Quinn to reply, but Quinn looked equally taken aback, so she smiled goofily at Mary and kept silent while Quinn did the same.
“Okay, that says enough.” Rob laughed. “Whatever this is, I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah. It’s clearly not meant for kids’ ears,” Mary chipped in. “Let’s continue this conversation later.”
“What’s not meant for kids’ ears?” Tommy looked at them quizzically. “Tell me! I’m not a baby!”
“Okay, Tommy. You’re right, you’re not a baby,” Mary said. “It seems that Aunt Quinn and Riley like each other. That’s what we were discussing.”
“But they’re friends.” Lila’s innocent look was incredibly sweet as she stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth. “Of course they like each other.”
“It means they have sex, dumbo.” Tommy rolled his eyes at his little sister. “Women can have sex too. Ilse and Patty in my class have sex all the time.”
“Oh, do they now?” Quinn laughed. “Are you sure about that? They’re only eight, right?”
“I’m sure. They told me so,” Tommy said matter-of-factly. “They kiss each other on the mouth. It’s gross.” He stuck his index finger down his throat and gagged. “And now they’re in love. Eww!”
“How are the renovations coming along, Riley?” Rob tried to change the subject, clearly shocked by how clued-in his son was. Lila was giggling and kept repeating the word “sex,” while her poor father had broken out in a sweat.
Although Lila’s antics did make her chuckle, Riley attempted to ignore her, following her parents’ lead. “Very well, thank you,” she said. “My sister and my niece are coming to visit, so I’m trying to speed up the process. Why don’t you come over when she’s here? Her daughter is the same age as Lila, so they can have a play date.”
“Yeah, we definitely will. Did you hear that, Lila?” Mary asked, trying to distract her daughter from the new word she’d learned. “Riley’s niece is your age. You can play together.”
“We can do sex.” Lila was giggling so much she almost fell off her chair. “Sex, sex, sex!”
Tommy nudged his sister. “Stop it, you’re gross.”
“Oh, boy.” Mary sighed and covered her face in her hands. “And so it begins…”
“She’ll get bored of it soon enough,” Rob said optimistically.
“I doubt it. She’s been repeating the word ‘flirting’ all week.” Mary got up to check on her lasagna in the oven. “How do other parents deal with stuff like this?”
“There’s only one way…” Quinn pulled Lila onto her lap and started tickling her until Lila screamed. “I’ll tickle it out of her!”
Riley laughed as she watched Quinn and her niece together. It was a beautiful, sweet sight, and she felt a warmth deep in her core, a new sensation that she couldn’t quite dissect. Something about seeing Quinn being so great with children pulled at her heartstrings and sparked thoughts she’d never entertained before. What would Quinn be like as a mother? What wouldshebe like as a mother? She pushed those thoughts to the background and parked them for later. She had enough to process as it was, and even beginning to think about such a serious subject was too much for now.
53
QUINN
The little townhouse in the city center of Mystic was picturesque and had lots of character. Wedged in between a coffee shop and an artisan candle shop, the two-story property had two bedrooms and a roof terrace that looked out over the high street.
“It’s sweet, right?” Lindsey tapped the mantel over the fireplace. “It doesn’t get any better than this. It’s rare that houses come up for sale on the high street, so you’re lucky your bestie is a realtor.”
“Yeah, it’s really nice.” Quinn liked the exposed brick walls in the living room and the open fireplace that would be cozy in winter. The en-suite master bathroom had a spacious bath and a walk-in shower, and the recently renovated farmhouse kitchen was charming and in excellent condition.
“And you know what the best thing is?” Lindsey pulled her over to the window and pointed to the realtor’s office opposite. “Look, that’s my desk right there. We can wave at each other!”
