* * * * *
Frank and Ellen put the finishing touches on the huge centerpiece intended for the bride and groom’s table. Behind them, a small contingent of hotel staff were setting out white plates, gold flatware, and crystal stemware on the pink draped tables dotting the ballroom floor. Near the center of the room, a pastry chef and her two assistants were assembling the wedding cake.
Ellen laughed inwardly as she thought of what her coworkers at First National Bank of Durham would say if they could see her now. The formal suits and high heels had been replaced by jeans and Crocs. Instead of working her way up the corporate banking ladder, she was selling flowers. Was this a waste of the MBA she’d worked so hard to get? Some people would say so, but Ellen wasn’t among them. She’d felt trapped in her previous job. With each increase in salary, more and more had been expected of her. The pressure to keep performing at a high level had been enormous. The long hours and skipped meals gradually took their toll on her health. She knew something had to change.
When a letter arrived from an attorney’s office in St. Marys, she had no idea that change was exactly what she was going to get. Violets are Blue had fixed her career problem; now she just needed to work on her personal life. A picture of Quinn appeared in her mind. She couldn’t deny that he appealed to her and not only because of his sad history. There was something romantic about meeting one’s teenage crush after such a long time. Whether or not anything would come of it was unknown, but she definitely wasn’t too young for Quinn now. And from some of the glances he’d sent her way when he thought she wasn’t looking, he wasn’t unaware of it.
“The Wicked Witch from the West is about to rain on our parade,” Frank hissed in her ear.
Pinning a smile on her face, Ellen turned around to greet the mother of the most troublesome customer to ever step foot in the shop. “Good morning, Mrs. Shaver.”
The woman’s entire body bristled with irritation. “It is not a good morning, Miss Sterling. I just came from the church. One of the candelabras fell over and some of the bows on the pews are missing. If this situation is not rectified immediately, you’ll be hearing from my attorney.”
If that attorney was Mark, these two deserved each other. “My assistant and I will be heading over there in five minutes. Rest assured, Mrs. Shaver, everything will be perfect when your daughter walks down the aisle.”
“I hope so, for the sake of your business. I have many friends in St. Marys.” With that threat lingering in the air, the woman turned and walked away.
“What could have happened?” Frank asked.
“Candelabras don’t fall over by themselves. Those two boys we saw running around outside had some fun after we left. No worries; we’ve got time to fix it.”
“How will we keep it from happening again?”
“We’re going to stay there until the guests arrive.”
“That’ll put us behind at the next wedding.”
“A little maybe, but we’ll be fine. There isn’t as much to do at the other church.”
“She knows they did it,” Frank added on the way to the van.
“Of course she knows; but in this business, as in many others, the customer is always right.”
“We just have to get popular enough that we can pick and choose our customers.”
Ellen put her arm around his shoulders. “I like how you think, Frank.”
It only took them about thirty minutes to get everything corrected. Mrs. Shaver appeared just as they were finishing. She again expressed her disappointment in the professionalism displayed and regretted that she’d be unable to recommend Violets are Blue to anyone else. Ellen refrained from pointing out that this was hardly a loss. If Mrs. Shaver’s friends were as hard to get along with as she was, Ellen was better off without them.
* * * * *
Quinn spent the morning washing and waxing the Chevelle and ignoring Jase’s exaggerated compliments on Ellen. He’d seen enough to know his brother wasn’t interested in her. This was Jase’s attempt to find out what Quinn thought. It was a curiosity that would remain unsatisfied. He had no intention of divulging his feelings to anyone.
After Jase finally gave up and left him alone, he finished with the car and went to get in the pool. The water was cool enough to raise goosebumps on his arms, but after a few laps he was warm enough. This was the only place outside his room that Quinn would remove his shirt, and that was only at night. Now that Ellen was living in the cottage, he’d have to swim in a shirt all the time. The scars riddling his back and torso were a grisly sight. Even Jase had paled the first time he’d come upon Quinn walking around shirtless in the house. He couldn’t imagine what a woman’s reaction would be.
Later when he came downstairs dressed for the car show, he heard a childish voice through the open windows. He swung open the door, a smile forming on his lips. “Hey, Winnie.”
“Dr. Phillips! Guess what? I lost a tooth today.” She held out her hand so he could see it.
“Are you going to put it under your pillow tonight?”
She nodded. “Then the tooth fairy will come.”
“That’s right. I was just going to fix something to eat. Have you had lunch?”
“No, but I’m hungry.”
“Where’s your mom?”
She carefully put the tooth back in her pocket before answering him. “Watering the plants.”
“Let’s go ask her if she can spare you for a half hour.” Quinn took Winnie by the hand and led the way next door. Isobel looked up as they approached. “Hey, Isobel. I wanted to know if Winnie could eat lunch with us.”
“That’s fine. Did you rent the cottage? I thought I saw lights on in there.”
He hid a smile. Not much got by Isobel which made her ideal for heading up the neighborhood watch effort. “We did rent the cottage. Her name is Ellen. I’ll introduce you to her sometime.”
Winnie tugged on his arm as they turned to go. “Do you have ham and cheese, Dr. Phillips?”
“I’m sure I do.” They met Jase in the hallway outside the kitchen. “We’ve got company for lunch,” Quinn announced. “Winnie and I are having ham and cheese sandwiches. Would you like one?”
“I’d like two. I’m a growing boy.” Jase crouched down in front of Winnie. “What do you want with your sandwich? An apple, banana or an orange?”
“Apple, please,” she said promptly. “Is Miss Ellen your girlfriend, Dr. Phillips?”
Quinn ignored Jase’s snort of laughter. “No, Winnie. She’s just a friend.”
“Repeating something often enough doesn’t make it true,” Jase said in a low voice.
“It doesn’t make it false, either.”
Jase finished peeling an apple and handed the ring to Winnie who slid it over her wrist like a bracelet.
“Is she nice, Dr. Phillips?”
“Yes, Miss Ellen is very nice. You’ll like her.”
“Is she pretty?”
“Yes to that, too.”
Winnie clapped her hands together. “Then you should marry her and have some babies.”
Jase looked up from coring the apple. “There you go, Quinn. Out of the mouth of babes.”
Quinn continued to make sandwiches.
“Will you think about it, Dr. Phillips?”
“Think about what, sweetheart?”
“Marrying Miss Ellen.”
He tugged gently on the blonde ponytail. “I thought you were going to marry me.”
She shook her head. “I decided I better marry Mr. Jase. He likes to watch SpongeBob.”
Quinn tried to hold in a laugh and couldn’t. “And he’s only a few years older than you, too.” He put the plate on the table and lifted her onto a chair. “Milk or apple juice?”
“Milk, please.”
“I’ll get it,” Jase offered. “I thought you were going to Kingsland today.”
“I am. Do you want to tag along? Terrance at Body Image says there’s supposed to be a Shelby for sale. White with black racing s
tripes and fully restored. I thought you might want to take a look at it.”
“Any idea what they’re asking?”
“Terrance was thinking low sixties.”
“It better be mint for that price.”
“We won’t know until we see it.”
Jase removed the milk from the refrigerator. “I’ll come with you.”
As he took a seat beside Winnie, Quinn envied her simple view of the world. Children never worried about what people thought, and they didn’t dance around the truth. Most of all, they didn’t have to keep things hidden. When they felt something, they could admit it. They didn’t have to pretend things were one way when they were very much another.
* * * * *
Ellen woke long before her alarm sounded, something she attributed to a combination of going to bed early the night before and her excitement about the day ahead. A quick peek through the blinds had her smiling; the blue sky was clear of all but a few clouds, eliminating her fear that inclement weather would affect the proposed trip to Cumberland Island.
After a quick meal of coffee and toast, she disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower before pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The early spring mornings were still too cool for shorts, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring a pair to change into later. From her previous trips, she knew to pack an extra shirt, a pair of socks and a windbreaker. Quinn had sent her a text last night telling her not to worry about food or drinks so she only had to make sure her phone was charged, and she’d be ready to go.
With the hour that she had left before she was supposed to meet him, she made her mother proud and actually did some cleaning. As she vacuumed and wielded a feather duster, she remembered the teenager who would rush through her Saturday morning chores so she could have the afternoon free. Once the last item was checked off the white board hanging in the kitchen, she’d throw a book and some snacks into a shoulder bag and head outside.
The tree in the front yard offered what the house did not; a place where it didn’t matter that her hair wasn’t combed or that she had a hole in her shirt or that she didn’t have a boyfriend to meet at the mall like all the other girls at school. It became even more special when Bethany started dating Quinn. He always arrived early, and her sister always ran late. This meant Ellen had Quinn all to herself for at least fifteen or twenty minutes.
Never in her wildest imaginings had she thought the day would come when she would be the one spending time with him. Her younger self would have been jumping up and down at the thought of being in this position. Ellen’s older self wasn’t so very different. All the things that she’d liked about Quinn when she was thirteen were still there but now she was seeing him through a woman’s eyes. She could better appreciate his generous nature, innate charm, and the courageous way he’d handled a life-changing tragedy.
His only fault was the mistaken belief that his altered appearance made it impossible for him to have a relationship. She valued his friendship enough to want to do something about that. Like Jase, she didn’t want to see him resigned to live alone because of the actions of one woman. But she was also honest enough to admit that she had a more personal reason. She was attracted to Quinn for his own sake.
Her daydreaming almost caused her to be late. Grabbing her backpack and keys, she flew out the front door and almost ran Quinn down. He caught her by the arms just before her head came in contact with his chest. She remembered another time when she shot out the front door like a ball out of a cannon. On that occasion, his reflexes hadn’t been quick enough. The two of them had ended up on the porch floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Ellen had been mortified enough without Bethany pointing out that she was the clumsiest person on earth. Quinn had picked her up, dusted her off, and told her not to worry about it.
“Sorry about that,” she said, the woodsy scent of his aftershave teasing her nose.
“It’s okay, freckles.” He reached to take the backpack from her. “If you didn’t bring sunscreen, I’ve got some in the car.”
“Oh, good. That’s the one thing I did forget.”
As they walked to the Jaguar, Jase came down the steps from the house. “Leaving already?”
“The ferry only runs twice in the mornings,” Quinn told him.
“Don’t miss the last one coming back, or you’ll be stuck there overnight.” Jase’s glance slid to Ellen. “Then again, that wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
Ellen pretended not to see the annoyed glance Quinn sent his brother. “Maybe not for you, but my customers wouldn’t like it. By the way, I forgot to tell you the other night that I talked to my friend about proofreading your book. She said she’d do it. All she wants in return is an autographed copy once you publish it.”
“Not a problem. I’ll get the manuscript to you in the next few days.”
“Is your friend an editor?” Quinn asked as he held open the passenger door so she could get inside.
“No. She’s an English professor. Her name is Faith Thomas. Her daughter Olivia is a patient of yours.”
“I didn’t know Faith was a professor. I wonder if I’ve dangled participles or used the wrong verb tense when I’ve spoken to her.”
“I’m sure we’ve all done that. Luckily, she’s nice enough not to mention it.”
Once they were on their way, he sent her a quick glance. “How did your weddings go yesterday?”
Ellen barely repressed a shudder. “One was a near disaster. Having seen all sides of this business, I’ve often thought it might be easier to elope.”
“I tried to talk Avery into eloping so that we could be married before I left the country, but she wanted a big wedding with all her friends and family.”
This was the first time Quinn had mentioned Avery by name. She hoped it was because he was becoming more comfortable with her. “It must have been hard to leave knowing you wouldn’t see her for months.”
“It didn’t help that she didn’t want me to go. She begged me to back out of my contract, but I couldn’t do it. Too many people were counting on me.”
“The experience could have left you resentful. I’m glad it didn’t.”
“I regret that so many lives were lost for no good reason. None of the people in that hospital were there to further a cause or make a political statement. They just wanted to make the lives of the residents better.”
Quinn pulled into the ferry parking lot and then walked around the car to open her door. When she would have taken her backpack from him, he shook his head. “I’ve got it.”
“You can’t carry both bags.”
“Why not?”
“It makes me feel lazy.”
He laughed as they made their way to the visitor’s center. “That’s too bad. You’re my guest on this little venture.”
“I can’t be a guest. I invited myself.”
“Stop arguing. That’s just semantics.”
Fifteen minutes later they were standing side by side at the railing of an almost empty ferry. “Did you have fun yesterday at the car show?” she asked him.
“Sure did, but Jase had an even better time. He got his own girl magnet.”
“So the Chevelle and the Jag have a roommate. What kind of car did he get?”
“A Shelby Mustang.”
“Is that different from a regular Mustang?”
“It’s basically a higher performing version built for speed.”
“Is this another extreme makeover?”
Quinn chuckled. “No. The Shelby is ready to go and should be delivered within the next couple days.”
“What is it about working on cars that you enjoy?”
“It’s both challenging and relaxing plus I can say what I want without worrying that the car is going to talk back.”
“That’s how I feel about plants.”
“Are you one of those people who talk to plants?”
“I don’t mind admitting it since you’ve admitted that you talk to your car. I also play music.”
&
nbsp; “What types of music do you and the plants like?”
She ran her hand back and forth along the railing. “It depends on my mood. Some days it’s Beethoven and Mozart; some days it’s country. Lately I’ve been listening to Train and Stevie Nicks. You can tell a lot about someone by the music they listen to.”
“Not just music. A person’s entire life can be figured out from what’s on their phone.”
“Now you’ve got me curious.”
“We could have a phone exchange session some evening. We’ll set a timer and see how much we can discover about each other in an hour.”
“I like that idea. I don’t have anything to hide.”
“We all have things we don’t want known.”
Her gaze shifted to the water. “Sometimes it’s not that we don’t want it known; it’s that we don’t have the right person to tell. That’s what’s so intriguing about falling in love. You have the ultimate best friend, someone to whom you can share anything. You don’t have to hold back because you know they’ll love you no matter what.”
He leaned down on the rail, bringing their heads close together. “Do you really believe that kind of love exists?”
Ellen’s glance met his. “Of course it does, and it’s the only kind worth having. Anything else isn’t love at all.”
“There speaks the romantic. Now I know what you were reading when you were up in the tree.”
“Not all the time. I also read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.”
“I read those, too, but only because I had to. I was more into sci-fi. We obviously can’t see everything in one day. You’ve been here before. What’s the best way to see the island?”
“I usually take the trail through the middle. You’re not a typical doctor. I associate physicians with country club memberships and expensive yachts, not working on cars and taking photography classes.”
“I don’t own a boat, and I’ve never been near a golf course. I play in an adult basketball league at the rec center when I have time.”
Yours, With Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 5) Page 7