“Aunt Cammie’s pure class, Dad. You couldn’t give me a bigger compliment.”
My lips twitched despite the awkwardness of the moment.
“Doughnuuuuuut.” Angus banged the island top with his palm. “It’s just sitting there all holey and lonely without my belly to keep it company.”
“Angus, I said one and only one. Heather, there’s something called tact. Have you heard of it?”
“Tact isn’t for the bold, Dad. I aim to be bold in life.”
“Why only one? That’s doughnut discrimination.”
“Nice word vocabulary, Angus!” Heather raised her arm over the island and her brother high-fived her.
The absurdity of the conversation had the laughter bubbling out of me before I could stop it.
When I was done, wiping amused tears that were probably a release from the culmination of weeks of emotional upheaval, I found all three McQuarries staring at me. Well, Angus kept side-eyeing the doughnut.
Heather was outright grinning.
Quinn’s expression was pained.
My heart turned over in my chest. We couldn’t spend the day with his children with Thursday night hanging over us. “Quinn, can we speak in private?”
He nodded. “Come with me. Heather, make sure Angus doesn’t have another doughnut.”
“But they’re like wee yummy life ring buoys.” His son ogled the plate of baked goods.
I tried not to laugh again as I followed Quinn out of the room, down the hallway, and into what was clearly the utility room. He closed the door behind us.
“How do you cope? Angus is so funny.”
“I know. It makes it hard to say no to him.” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. “You wanted to talk?”
Leaning against the cabinetry, I sighed. “I’m sorry about yesterday morning. I shouldn’t have left like that.”
“Why did you?”
Remembering our promise to be honest, I forced myself to admit out loud, “Because it would have felt … real. Waking up next to you. Here. It was different in Oban in the hotel …” I shrugged, not able to fully explain my meaning because I wasn’t even sure what I was so afraid of anymore.
“Then that’s what you say. You say, ‘Quinn, I need to go home.’ You don’t sneak out like you’re ashamed we had sex.”
“I’m not ashamed. I would never be ashamed of sleeping with you. Confused. A bloody mess of emotions, aye. But never ashamed.”
He scrubbed at his beard, eyes washing over my face. Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry, Quinn. I’m really sorry for doing that.”
His expression softened. “All right, then. We’ll put it behind us.”
“Thanks.”
“We better get back because Heather would rather let Angus eat a dozen doughnuts than put up with his commentary on why he should be allowed a second one.”
Chuckling, and relieved he’d forgiven me, I followed Quinn back to the main living space.
In the end, he split another doughnut with his son while Heather and I ate the other two.
Then, Quinn’s sneaky and way too clever daughter had us sit at the table to play a game that involved asking questions about each other.
