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“You’re welcome. It was entirely selfish, though since I wanted you to call me back sooner,” he answers and I laugh again.

“Noted. How was your day, besides the boring stakeout?”

He sighs. “Okay, I guess. Went looking for Clay but didn’t find him, which is pretty typical.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Yesterday. I had to bail him out of jail, then we got into it and he ran off.”

My heart aches for him. “What did you fight about?”

“Uh…” he stutters before sighing. “My past is dark and complicated, Quinn, and I don’t want to scare you off.”

“I know a thing or two about dark and complicated,” I whisper, tears welling up in my eyes. “In fact, I might have you beat.”

“Now that, I doubt, but maybe you’d think about getting dinner with me and telling me about it?”

My heart skips a beat as butterflies race around in my belly. “Oh… I don’t…”

“Don’t give me an answer yet, okay? Just think about it and know that whatever is in your past, I can handle it.”

Dr. Jeffers’ comments from earlier pop into my mind and I suck in a breath. “I suppose I could think about it.”

It’s not a yes but it’s not a no either and it feels like a monumental first step for me.

Chapter Six

Quinn

My phone rings, rattling across the table top as I look over my binder for the children’s fundraiser and I scoop it up, smiling when Willa’s name flashes on the screen.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey, boss lady. How are you feeling?”

I lean back in my chair and sigh. “Oh, you know, like I got hit by a truck.”

“Isn’t that joke getting old?” she asks, barely holding back her laughter and I shake my head.

“No, never.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree.”

Laughing, I stand up and walk into the kitchen. “Oh, fine, ruin all my fun. So, what’s up?”

“I’m just wondering if I’m going to see you in the office on Monday?”

“Yeah,” I answer as I grab a bottle of water from the fridge. “I can’t afford to take anymore time off with the hospital fundraiser so close.”

“Did the doctor clear you?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I saw him this morning.”

“Good. Are you going to need a ride in the morning?”

Stopping in the middle of the kitchen, I breathe a curse and look toward the front door. “I totally forgot that I don’t have a car anymore.”

“So, is that a yes?”