The Baby Contract

by Amy Brent

  Never again. It can’t happen again. I don’t know why, but that thought cut through me sharp and painful. I cleaned the glasses, my mind full of Quinn, and a heavy feeling in my chest at the thought of never kissing her again, of never seeing her smile directed at me. Damn. I truly was fucked.

  ***

  Quinn

  My hands had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel as I drove past the familiar streets of downtown Coral Springs and further. The cute shops and well-kept houses transformed into older buildings, slowly growing more rural and spread apart. Farms, dotted with industrial factories and warehouses and sometimes a farmhouse with faded and crumbling barns. Cows and horses grazing on the emerald green grass. But there was something else as well.

  Jonah had said the town had changed while I'd been gone, and now I could see it. A small motel had cropped up, proclaiming the Coral Springs, the town's namesake, as a ‘must see destination!' and even a hiker's retreat with guided tours of the surrounding forest and the small waterfall that fed the springs.

  It was hard to believe that people would pay good money to see the springs. Me and Jonah used to play in it as kids, sometimes finding odd coins or catching the small frogs that hopped around its banks.

  One time, when I was seven or eight, I’d begged Jonah to take me out there but he’d been busy. I’d decided to go by myself. I’d been there a hundred times before and knew the way, so I packed my Barbie backpack and off I went.

  It was a good thirty-minute trek the part of the springs that cut closes to the trailer park where we'd lived but to me, it had felt like an epic quest. I'd felt so brave, walking there by myself. So grown-up.

  I’d played for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, not noticing until it was too late that it was darkening fast. One moment it was daylight, and the next I’d glanced up and seen nothing but darkness in the woods around me.

  I remember how scared I was. How I cried because I couldn’t find my way home in the dark. So I sat there, alone and afraid, praying that my mom and dad would come find me and rescue me.

  I waited. And waited. And waited. They didn’t come. A few hours later I saw the light of a flashlight getting closer and I knew. My parents had finally come to save me. The light came closer and I rushed forward. It wasn’t my parents. It was Jonah.

  He had taken my hand and held it the whole way back to their trailer. I had walked inside, at least expecting a tearful reunion, for my mom and dad to fawn over me and tell me how much they missed me and how worried they had been. My parents had been passed out on the ratty couch. They hadn’t even known I was gone.

  The memory cut through me and I was surprised to find myself blinking back tears as I pulled down the long, tree-lined drive that led to the main house of the property. I wasn't sad about their deaths. I couldn't be. But still, I had to wipe away several more tears, sniffling back the rest as I parked.

  I would deal with the emotional fallout later. I couldn’t think about it now. I had a property to look at, and a brother to calm down. Jonah had called me three more times since I’d left Leo’s apartment.

  The reminder of Leo had the memory of his odd behavior rising up in my mind. He’d basically kicked me out of his place. I shook my head. Another thing I’d have to figure out later. Because Jonah was already stomping towards me a pleasant looking woman in a business suit and pumps trying to keep up behind him.

  I took a deep breath before stepping out of the truck.

  "You're late," Jonah said shortly and I gave him a falsely bright smile.

  “So good to see you too, big brother. Me? Oh, I’m doing just fine. Thanks so much for asking. And how about you? Still dealing with that stick up your ass I see.” I softened the words with a hug that he grudgingly accepted and I could see the other lady hide a smile behind her hand, but not before I caught it. I shared a conspiratorial look with her before stepping back.

  “Well, are you going to introduce me?” I asked after a moment with a pointed look at the woman still standing a few feet away and was surprised to see Jonah blush, actually blush! And stammer out a stream of words.

  “This, ah, yes, this is Jenny. Jenny Camden. She is the realtor who’s handling the transfer of the property. Jenny, this is my sister, Quinn.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Jenny said with a smile and humor shining in her eyes as she shook my hand before readjusting the leather-bound binder she held in her arms, “Well, are you two ready to see the place?”

  Excitement shot through me and I knew Jonah felt the same and we both nodded eagerly, following down a short walking trail and around a copse of trees to reveal our first look at the ranch house. It was…awful.

  Awful. Terrible. Horrible. I had expected some damage from the years of neglect but this was worse than even my most gruesome imaginings. The realtor must have seen our disappointment written on our faces because she shot us an apologetic look.

  “The Mayhew ranch has been neglected for nearly twenty years. There’s bound to be some…disrepair.”

  “Disrepair?” Jonah echoed, and I cringed at the hopelessness in his voice. I knew that we were in dire financial straits and that he’d hoped the property would be enough to bail them out. But this pile of rotting wood and timbers wasn’t worth the material it was built out of.

  It seemed to be crumbling as we looked at it, but that didn’t deter the realtor from pasting on a brave face and leading us closer. The land itself was pristine. Nearly twenty acres of field and woods, with direct access to the waterfall, the springs itself cutting through the western half.

  Besides the house, there were a few dilapidated barns that were on their last leg and I nearly cringed as a stiff wind blew through. I could hear the groaning sound as the flimsy structures moved in the breeze.

  “Ready to see inside the main house?” Jenny asked, far too cheerfully considering the state of things.

  “Is it even safe to go in there?” Jonah asked dubiously and I had to agree but the realtor just nodded.

  “I had an appraiser come out. The foundation is solid. As is the roof, even though there are several leakage problems. As long as we’re careful, it’s safe to look around.”

  “Yes,” I said firmly, “We’re ready.”

  Jonah rolled his eyes in my direction. He had already chalked this up to another failure in his mind but something was starting to glimmer on the edge of mine. I couldn’t put my finger on it yet, but it was there. Real, and hopeful.

  We followed Jenny around to the back of the house. The front porch was completely caved in and we walked into what I was pretty sure used to be the kitchen. It was hard to tell past the layers of dust and plaster covering everything, and then there was the claw foot bathtub in the middle of the room and the massive hole in the ceiling.

  The realtor gave us another apologetic look. “There were also some leaks in the bathroom. The floor gave way under the weight of the tub.”

  “Uh huh. I can see that.” Jonah grimaced, wiping his hands on his jeans. Every step we took just kicked up another cloud of dust though. “Shall we continue on this magical tour?”

  Jenny showed us the rest of the house. Two stories, plus a turret that stretch up to a third and overlooked the entire property. Seven bedrooms. Three bathrooms. A full basement, even though it had completely flooded a time or two.

  As we walked, Jenny and Jonah wondered further ahead as I trailed behind them, excitement filling me with every step. My entire life, I'd wanted to own my business. Be in charge of my own decisions. Be my own boss. I could practically see the possibilities come to life as I looked around the grand room, a massive stone fireplace dominating one wall. This was it. This was my chance.

  I knew I had to prove myself after what had happened. After I had failed so terribly at college. But I knew how to run a business and turn a profit. Hell, I’d been doing that since I was a kid with my first lemonade stand.

  As Jonah followed the realtor outside I took one
more minute, staring around the crumbling, dilapidated old sprawling house, my plan crystalizing in my mind like a strike of lighting. This was it. It was crazy, but it could work if I had the chance. Turn the old place into a bed and breakfast. Give tours of the springs. If the town really was changing as much as Jonah said, it would be the perfect opportunity.

  How the hell are you going to convince Jonah? I shrugged off the thought. I could figure that out later. He’d never been good at saying no to me, and I’d just have to make sure that my plan was foolproof. As I walked outside, I was brimming with excitement.

  “…I have a client that’s interested in the land. He’ll probably tear down the existing structure and develop.” The realtor was saying as she handed Jonah a card, “I’ll let him know you’re interested in selling.”

  Jonah stared at the card as she walked away, getting into her sensible sedan and driving off. My excitement dimmed at the overheard words, but my resolve firmed as I stomped forward.

  "We can't sell," I said shortly.

  Jonah just turned to me with a shrug. “What the hell else are we going to do with this place? At least this way, we can make a little money, even if it’s not as much as I’d hoped for.”

  A grin spread across my face, “I might have a few ideas.”

  Chapter 9

  Quinn

  “Lily, don’t be mad. I’m sorry I haven’t called you yet but I’m here now. Doesn’t that count?” I shot my best friend Lily Ballis a hopeful smile, holding out a box of sugary red fish candy as a peace offering.

  Lily had her back turned to me, a stack of books in her arms that she loaded onto the cart to be refiled on the shelves. She worked at the library in downtown Coral Springs. It suited her perfectly. She’d always preferred fictional people to real ones.

  “You’ve been in town for days and didn’t even bother to say hi, or let me know you were coming back.”

  “I know! I’m sorry, Lil. I brought your favorite to apologize.” I held out the candy again as Lily looked over her shoulder, her eyes latching on to the box. With a grin, she snagged them from my hand, tossing a few into her mouth and chewing happily.

  Lily gave me a long look, but then sudden humor and that kindness that was solely hers burst to life in her blue eyes.

  “I suppose you’re forgiven.”

  “Of course I am,” I shrugged, “You are terrible at holding a grudge. The longest you’ve ever stayed mad at anything is ten seconds.”

  “That’s not true!”

  "Of course it is," I said on a laugh, the next instant we were hugging, both of us laughing and for a moment I was back in high school. Quinn and Lily. Inseparable best friends.

  “So, what is it that you want?” Lily asked, a smile still curling her lips.

  “What are you talking about? Can’t a friend just come bring Swedish fish to another friend?”

  She shot me a knowing look. “It’s a bribe and you very well know it.” Lily shrugged, taking the bag of candy with another laugh, “You might as well just tell me what it is.”

  “Okay, you might think I’m crazy–.”

  “Quinn Moore? Crazy? Never!” Lily put her hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture that I chose to ignore.

  “But I’m not,” I took a deep breath, laying it all out, “Something big has happened.”

  “How big?”

  “Big! Really big. And I’m still,” I took another inhale, struggling to find the words for a moment, “I’m still not sure how I feel about everything.”

  “What’s everything, Quinn? Start from the beginning.” Lily put the books down, giving me that look of hers, that look that could see everything about a person good and bad, but never judged. It was one of the things I admired most about her. She could look at a thing from every angle, even if she disagreed with it.

  “Okay. I was arguing with Jonah–.”

  “That’s nothing new.” Lily interrupted and I gave her a stern look but continued.

  “We were arguing because I flunked out of my college classes and got kicked out for have drugs in my room–.”

  “What? Quinn, you got kicked out? Drugs? No wonder Jonah was pissed off.”

  “That’s not the point, Lily. Do you want me to tell you the whole story or not?”

  “Yes, sorry. Go on. No more interruptions. But we will come back to the whole flunked out of college and drugs thing.” Lily made the motion of zipping her lips closed and throwing away the key and I rolled my eyes. She was still the same old Lily.

  “So, we were arguing when the doorbell rang. It was some lawyer who said that my grandfather had left some property to my mom, but she’d never taken care of it. Big surprise.” I snorted at that. No one was surprised, least of all me.

  “He said that since my parents were gone, the property was passed on to the next living relative, Jonah. We went to look at the place, Lily. There’s so much potential! I mean, it’s completely run down but with a little elbow grease I can get it up and running again. The foundation is solid. There are some water problems but I can fix that. I’m going to turn it into a bed and breakfast, Lily! My own business! But I could really use some extra hands getting things started. What do you say?”

  Lily stared at me for a long moment after I finished giving my speech, her blue eyes wide and filled with that damned kindness again. Suddenly she was moving forward, wrapping me in another bear hug.

  “Oh, Quinn, I’m so sorry,” She said, her voice full of sorrow, “I know you weren’t close to your parents, I mean, they were total assholes to you and your brother, but I’m sorry. That must be an awful way to find out. How did it happen? Are you going to have a service? I can bring my sage oil, it’s very calming. And my amber crystals. They’ll help dispel any negative energy so you can grieve properly.”

  I pulled back enough to give my best friend an incredulous look, not wanting to admit how much her words affected me. I still didn’t know what the hell to feel about the news of my parent’s death, but I knew grief wasn’t it. Anger, sure. Disgust, absolutely. But grief? I didn’t think so.

  “We’re not having a service. It happened months ago. My mom overdosed and crashed the car. They both died instantly,” I repeated the words numbly, but forced them to the background, clinging to the excitement that had filled me earlier, “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Will you help me?”

  “With?”

  “The bed and breakfast! Weren’t you listening? This is the perfect opportunity. I’m going to convert the property into a profitable business, and then Jonah won’t have to worry so much and I won’t be such a failure.” I didn’t realize the truth of the words until they were out of my mouth, how important it was to me to prove myself. Not just to Jonah, but for myself as well.

  "Of course I'll help," Lily said immediately and I sighed in relief. "I can see if the Brewer boys can lend a hand. And Charlotte. And Maybe Finn, if he's not busy."

  I grinned at Lily, giving her another impulsive hug. “Thanks, Lil. The more the merrier.”

  “What about Jonah?” Lily asked, and my smile dimmed.

  “What about him?”

  “What does he think about your plan?”

  I swallowed hard, trying to put on a brave face. “I’m about to find out.”

  It was a short drive from the Library down the street to Lucky's, where I knew my brother always hung out when he wasn't working himself to death. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help wondering if Leo would be there, or how he'd react to seeing me after the way he left so abruptly the last time we were together.

  That’s not important now. Stay focused on the plan. Right. The plan. I had to stay focused. I tried to keep that thought at the forefront of my mind as I opened the door and walked inside to the dim interior of the bar.

  It took me a moment for my eyes to adjust after the bright sunshine outside but after they did I caught sight of Jonah. He was sitting in the middle of the bar, a full bee
r in front of him but it looked untouched as he stared at a small card, turning it over in his hands. It was probably the realtor's card.

  I hated the worried expression on his face. For as long as I could remember, Jonah had always worried about something. I knew my plan had a shot of taken away that worry once and for good. Now, I just had to convince him that I could make it work.

  "Hey, big brother," I said as I plopped down on the stool next to him. He gave me droll look.

  “Hey, little sister. Funny seeing you here. What is it this time? Money? Well, that ain’t going to happen.”

  “Why does everyone assume I always want something.”

  Jonah gave me another pointed look and I shrugged.

  “Listen, I did actually want to talk to you about something.”

  “Of course you did.”

  “No, listen Jonah. I’m serious. I have a plan.”

  One of his eyebrows raised dubiously but I kept on going, “After walking through the big house with the realtor, I realized something. We can make a profit from it!”

  “You’re right. We can. And we are,” Jonah said, flicking the card in his hand. It was the realtor’s, “By selling it.”

  “No. That’s where you’re wrong.” I tried to put more confidence in my voice than I felt, “by turning it into a bed a breakfast.”