“Oh, he decided to stay in town? That will be nice for you.” Already Vicki had suspicions about the man, hearing he was staying in Quinn Valley after not visiting all this time. She’d always figured if he ever did show up, he’d make a quick appearance to ease his guilty conscience, find out if his grandma had any money or anything worthwhile to leave him, then head back to Boise, never to be seen again.
The fact that he was sticking around for a bit made her wary. She wanted to believe he was doing it out of love for his grandma, and Vicki hated how she automatically thought otherwise, but she couldn’t help it. She cared about Margaret and was determined to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
“I’ve got to do rounds with Brooke when she gets here, so I’ll pop back in then to see if your grandson is here, so I can meet him.”
Vicki went over and reached out to squeeze Margaret’s hand. The older woman smiled up at her from her recliner as she gripped Vicki’s hand with both of hers. “I can’t ever thank you enough for finding my Mitchell for me. He’s all I have left, and I know you have your concerns about him, but I know my grandson. It might be a few years since I saw him as a boy, but I can see the good is still in him. Just give him a chance.”
Guilt slammed into Vicki as she realized Margaret had noticed her worries about the man. She needed to try harder, for Margaret’s sake.
“I will. I promise.”
With one last squeeze of Margaret’s hand, Vicki turned to head back into the hallway where she’d left her med cart. She’d likely have to miss her coffee break to catch up on her morning duties after taking so long to visit with Margaret, but she didn’t mind. Her thoughts were already on the next jobs she knew she had to do, and she slammed right into the hard chest of someone who smelled like a glorious mixture of woodsy soap and manly cologne.
If she hadn’t believed the knock on her head the other day had rattled her, she did now. Only someone with a serious head injury would notice something like how good a man smelled when she’d just about knocked him to the ground.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you…” Her voice trailed off as she stepped back and looked up in horror at the poor man she’d run into. As soon as her eyes locked onto the bright blue ones sparkling down at her, she groaned out loud.
“You really should pay attention to where you’re walking.” She only now realized his hands had grabbed onto her arms to steady her when they’d collided, and they were still holding on.
She pulled herself free and stepped back into the room, absently reaching up to touch the butterfly bandage she’d used to cover up her previous wound.
“I see you didn’t need stitches.”
Of course, her movement had drawn his eyes to her head, although to be fair, it’s not like she could hide it. Every resident and staff member had asked her about it today, constantly bringing back the horrifying memory of her performance leaving the grocery store. She’d played it cool, telling everyone she’d just had a little fall and it wasn’t anything serious.
But here stood the one person who knew exactly what had happened, so she couldn’t even pretend otherwise.
“Mitch, is that you? Vicki, this is my grandson.”
Of course it was.
Vicki was certain the universe was playing some kind of sick joke on her.
She leaned back against the wall next to the doorway as he stepped into the room and went over to bend down and place a kiss on Margaret’s cheek. The woman’s face was so full of love and joy as she looked up at the man beside her.
“Mitch, this is Vicki Quinn, the nurse I was telling you about. She’s the one who found you and left the messages.”
His smile spread across his face as he took a couple of steps back toward her. If not for the fact she’d made a complete fool of herself in front of him, not to mention that she didn’t trust him at all, Vicki knew he was exactly the kind of guy she could seriously fall for. But that wasn’t happening any time this century.
Apart from her natural suspicions, the moment she’d been looking forward to with Margaret, meeting this person who meant so much to her, had been ruined. For some reason, Vicki had wanted to make a good first impression on the grandson who meant the world to Margaret.
That possibility had been crushed along with her escaping oranges.
“So, you’re Vicki Quinn. The way my grandma has been talking about you, I was expecting someone who bore a closer resemblance to Mother Teresa.” He put his hand out as he grinned down at her. “Mitchell Bailey. I’m glad we finally get to meet in person.” He laughed and shrugged. “Well, I mean, meet knowing who each other is, and not just chasing runaway groceries across a parking lot.”
“Oh no! Vicki, you’re the woman Mitch had to help at the grocery store? Is that how you hurt your head? Oh, dear, I never imagined it would have been you.”
Now, Vicki was sure even Margaret was having a hard time controlling her laughter. Apparently, Mitch had thought the story entertaining enough to tell his estranged grandmother as soon as he’d arrived. Surely, he could have found more important things to discuss, like where he’d been and why he hadn’t visited all these years.
But Vicki wouldn’t ask him about that now, not in front of Margaret.
“Yes, unfortunately my cart got caught in a spot in the broken cement and I went over. But lucky for me, your grandson was right there to pick me up and make sure I was okay.” She gritted her teeth in annoyance as she pretended to be appreciative of his help.
“Well, I’m glad you’re both here now. I know you need to get back to work, Vicki, but would you join me and Mitch for supper tonight? I know it’s a lot to ask of you since you’ll be done with work. And looking after a feeble old woman so she can go out for a meal isn’t the most relaxing way to spend your evening, so I will pay you for your time.”
Vicki crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “Margaret, you don’t need to pay me anything, you know that.”
She’d taken Margaret out a couple of times since she’d moved into the nursing home, knowing that without someone there to assist her, she could never possibly get out on her own. Other residents had family who took them out from time to time, so Vicki had always felt bad for Margaret.
“At least let me pay for your meal. Mitch has offered to take me out before he has to leave tomorrow.”
Vicki knew how much this outing would mean to Margaret. She let her glance move to Mitch who was leaning against the wall by his grandmother. He smiled at her, and she noticed a little dimple, just like the one all the men in her family had. Except his was on the opposite cheek.
She gave her head a quick shake, silently telling herself to get a grip. There was no need to be noticing the little things about this man that made him attractive.
“If you’ll come with us, I promise I won’t mention anything about our first meeting. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
The fact that he knew how humiliated she was, made it even worse. Why couldn’t he just believe it was no big deal at all to have witnessed her fly over the top of her shopping cart?
“I will join you. For Margaret. I know how much she’s been looking forward to you being here.”
The smile that lit up the older woman’s face was worth the embarrassment she knew she’d have to endure for the entire evening.
But, when she saw the smile widen on Mitch’s face, she couldn’t help the little flutter in her stomach.
Turning to leave the room before she made any more of a fool out of herself, she told herself none of this was her fault. Being the last Quinn cousin standing was playing tricks on her mind, making her notice anything appealing about any man she met.
That was all it was. Nothing more than a reaction to her now epic single status among her entire family.
Well, this last Quinn wasn’t going to fall hard and fast like the rest of them.
At least not for a man like him.
Chapter Three
Mitch held the door and placed his han
d on his grandma’s back to steady her as she stepped into the restaurant. Vicki was on the other side holding Margaret’s arm as she maneuvered her walker through the opening.
Immediately, the assorted smells of delicious food hit him and made his stomach growl loudly in anticipation. He’d stopped for a taco earlier in the day at the truck he’d seen by the hotel, but that was all he’d eaten. By the amount of people already seated, Vicki had been right when she said Quinn’s was the best restaurant in town.
“Hey, Vicki. I have your table ready for you over here by the window.” A woman led them over to their table, and as they passed by other diners, Mitch had to laugh to himself at the amount of people who seemed to know Vicki. He figured having a name like Quinn, in a town called Quinn Valley and walking through a restaurant named Quinn’s, it was pretty much a given that she’d be well known.
He’d only been in the small town for a few days now, but he could already appreciate the different lifestyle to what he’d known in Boise. Things seemed to move slower here, and you were more than just a nameless face in a crowd.
It was funny how you could grow up not realizing how different life could be away from what you were accustomed to. He vaguely remembered being in Quinn Valley a few times as a kid to visit with his grandparents, and he’d always loved how nice the town was, but that was before his parents’ divorce. After that, everything had changed, and he hadn’t been back since.
“Now, you both order whatever you want. I want to pay for your meals.”
“Grandma, you don’t need to do that. I think the least I can do is buy your supper before I have to leave tomorrow.”
His eyes moved to Vicki where he was almost certain he’d heard a small grunt, and he noticed she was nodding her head as she pretended to read her menu.
He had the feeling that Vicki didn’t like him very much since meeting her earlier today, and he didn’t think it was just because of their first encounter in the parking lot. Although he still wasn’t sure why she was annoyed with him over that when he’d truly just been trying to help her. When he’d seen her fly over the top of that cart, he was sure she was going to have a more serious injury than she did.
“And, since I know Vicki is going to need her money to replace her eggs and oranges, I’m more than happy to pick up the tab for her too.” He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped as Vicki dropped the menu to glare at him across the table.
“You promised there would be no more mention of the grocery store.”
His grandma shot him a stern look too. “Mitchell Bailey. You know a gentleman doesn’t embarrass a lady like that.”
He put his hands up in surrender, even though he wasn’t able to pull the smile from his face as he looked at both women staring at him. “You’re right. I apologize. So, to make it up to you both, you can let me pay for the meal without arguing.”
Vicki scoffed and lifted her menu back up. “Oh, you won’t have any arguments from me.”
Mitch strongly suspected the beautiful woman he was looking at was now making sure she found the most expensive item on the menu. But, for some reason, he didn’t care at all. He found himself enjoying her company despite the slight attitude from her that he assumed was more from her embarrassment of their first meeting.
And even though he’d sworn off ever being in any kind of serious relationship with a woman which could possibly lead to marriage, he had to admit he was drawn to Vicki. He couldn’t quite figure it out because he’d met his share of good-looking women before and none of them had ever intrigued him like she did.
His eyes landed on the large gash on her forehead that was starting to heal. A bruise was forming around it, and she’d taken the white bandage strips off to come out tonight. She’d tried to pull her hair forward enough to cover it a bit, but it was still noticeable.
Even with her injury, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman in the restaurant.
Vicki looked up and caught him staring, but thankfully, their waitress chose that moment to come over to the table. A smile lit up her face as she turned away to place her order.
“Hi, Tina. You look like you’re busy in here tonight.”
The waitress nodded and laughed. “Same as every night. You just missed your grandma. She was in with her friends earlier, chattering about all the Quinn Valley news.”
Vicki laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m certain I know exactly what they were all chattering about. Me. The only Quinn grandchild she hasn’t been able to watch fall in love and either get engaged or married in the last year. I have her complete focus now.”
Tina chuckled as she pulled out her notepad. “I might have overheard your name being mentioned a couple of times.” Tina looked around the table at everyone. “So, what can I get for, you guys? Bethany is cooking tonight because we’re short-staffed, so you know anything you order will be cooked to perfection.”
Vicki clapped her hands together as she placed her menu on the table. “Well, I’ve been craving Quinn’s famous filet mignon. And can you ask Bethany to throw in a few grilled mushrooms on the side?”
She wasn’t meeting his eyes as she ordered her sides, but the smirk on her face let him know how much she was enjoying ordering the single most expensive item on the menu.
He closed his menu with a flourish and set it on top of hers. “That sounds delicious. I’ll have exactly what she’s having.”
His smile grew as he watched hers fade. He knew she’d been hoping to annoy him, and it somehow had backfired. He didn’t care what she ordered. He’d pay for it without complaint because the truth was, he knew how much Vicki had done for his grandma. And even though he might not have thanked her properly, he appreciated everything she’d done to bring them back together.
His own guilt was something else he’d have to deal with at a later date.
“How about you, Grandma? You can have the same, if you’d like.”
Margaret shook her head and continued to read the menu she held. His stomach clenched in sadness when he noticed how much her hands shook. Vicki had noticed too and reached over to hold the menu still, so it was easier to read. She did it with such compassion and without making a big fuss, which would embarrass his grandma.
“The chicken pot pie is really good here, Margaret. That might be something you’d enjoy.”
His grandma smiled with relief. “That sounds perfect.” She handed the menu to Tina who gathered the rest up and headed to the kitchen. “I have trouble swallowing some meats, so it’s best if I choose foods that I can manage better.”
Once more, guilt hit him knowing how much his grandma had been dealing with on her own. As her grandson, he should have known she had trouble eating certain foods. Vicki knew, and had easily suggested an option she knew Margaret could handle.
“You both have no idea how nice this is, to have the chance to get out with the two people who mean the most to me in this world. And, I must confess to having an ulterior motive in asking you to join me tonight.”
He looked at his grandma in confusion. What could she possibly have wanted from them both being here?
“And, I hope you’ll both hear me out and not be too upset with me for making this request.”
Vicki turned to face him suspiciously. Obviously she thought he was somehow involved in whatever his grandma was hinting at. He just shrugged to make sure she knew he was just as clueless as she was.
“What is it, Margaret? Is everything all right?” Vicki leaned closer and took his grandma’s hand, concern covering her face.
“I’m fine. Well, except for the fact we all know soon enough I’ll be confined to a wheelchair or a bed and will be completely dependent on others to care for me.” She gave a sad laugh but smiled at them both to ease the pain of her words. “And that’s why I’m asking you to do something for me before that happens. I know you’re both busy, but this is important to me, and I can’t do it on my own.”
“Grandma, what is it? Just tell us. I’m sure we can help
you.” He knew in that moment, no matter what she asked, he’d do it. Shame washed over him for being absent from her life for so long, no matter what his reasons had been.
Nothing that had happened had ever been his grandma’s fault, yet she was the one who’d paid the price.
“Well, when I married your grandfather, he had a bit of a falling out with his family back home. We never returned, and the only time I got to see my parents was if they came to visit me. I had no brothers or sisters, and I quickly lost touch with everyone else. One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is home. I never got to see my childhood home again, or my grandparent’s house where I spent so much time.”
Mitch tried to remember if he’d ever heard anyone talk about where his grandma had even come from before moving to Idaho.
“It’s in South Dakota. A little town called Promise. I don’t even know if anything is still there. But, I want to go back one more time to see it, if I can.”
Her face was filled with such hope and joy as she spoke about her childhood home. How could he ever say no to her? But that was a bit of a long drive for someone in her condition, and he worried she might not be able to do it.
“I know it’s a lot to ask of you both. But, Vicki, you know as well as I do, that if I don’t have someone to take care of me along the way, I would never be able to make the trip. You’re the only one I trust to look after me.”
His grandma had obviously thought everything through. She knew with her needs, someone would have to provide her with the extra care.
“And, Mitch. I want you to be the one to take me. You’re the only family I have left, and I want to share this place with you. It’s where your family came from. It would mean the world to me if I could show it to you.”
He didn’t know what to say. Of course he would take her. But if Vicki said no, he knew he couldn’t do it on his own. And since he got the impression she didn’t care much for him, he wasn’t sure she’d be willing to take time off work to spend it on a road trip with him.
Healing Hearts: Quinn Valley Ranch Book 27 Page 2