None of those exasperated feelings made it past the entrance of St. Marys Pediatric Clinic. A doctor couldn’t afford to be distracted. Sick children took precedence over everything else. When the last patient had been seen, he finished his notes and spent a few minutes talking to his nurse, a young man who’d recently come to them via the military.
They were joined by Kelly who reminded him that her son’s baseball game started at five-thirty. Quinn hadn’t forgotten; he just wished he hadn’t committed to going today. He was physically tired from his trip and emotionally frustrated by his inability to keep Ellen in the proper place in his mind: that of a friend. However, he wasn’t going to disappoint his secretary or her son.
When they arrived at Lakeside Park, he was amazed at how much had changed since his little league playing days. The wooden bleachers that had been a haven for splinters had been replaced with shiny metal ones. Each field had its own bullpen, batting cage, and updated scoreboard. Another surprise was the uniforms. It appeared little league had joined the pros in getting rid of knee pants and stirrup socks. That was one change Quinn wasn’t sure was an improvement.
He probably wouldn’t have seen Ellen if it hadn’t been for the foul ball. It was all the more disturbing because this was the last place he expected to see her. Once he confirmed that it was indeed her sitting next to Faith Thomas watching a softball game on an adjacent field, he hadn’t been able to focus on anything else. It didn’t matter that his vision was obscured by a chain link fence and a distance of thirty yards.
Later when she walked to the concession stand, he was afforded an even better view. His excitement quickly turned to irritation when he saw the man in line behind Ellen reach forward and touch her shoulder. When he realized who the man was, his fingers unconsciously tightened around the cup of soda in his hand. He tried to tell himself that the protective feelings welling up inside him were prompted by concern and not envy or jealousy. After all, Ellen might not know that Adam Tillerson was something of a player. But the longer he stared in that direction, unable to turn away, he knew that something more than concern was at work here. The cheering of the crowd brought his attention back to the game.
“Samuel’s coming up to bat,” Kelly told him. “I hope he doesn’t strike out this time. He gets so upset. I hate to sound like a whiny mom, but I don’t think our coach is very good with kids. He talks to them like they’re in high school. I wish I could help, but I never played sports, and Samuel’s father is too busy with his new wife. There’s another reason for me not to like him.”
Quinn waited patiently for her to finish. He and Kelly shared the unenviable position of having been abandoned by someone they loved. His situation might be dismal, but he knew hers was worse. His profession brought him into contact with many women in her position, left to care for their kids while their husbands moved on with someone else. It was hard enough raising children when you were married; he couldn’t imagine trying to do it alone.
“You should have said something sooner. Bring him over to my house tomorrow, and I’ll work with him.”
They stopped talking to watch Samuel. Quinn noticed right away that the little boy wasn’t holding the bat correctly and had his feet too close together. Those were two simple things that could be fixed. A few glances in the opposite direction confirmed that Ellen had returned to the bleachers alone. He couldn’t stop her from meeting other men; he just preferred not to know about it. This was yet another sign that his efforts to keep her in the friend zone were failing.
The ending of the game came too soon. He turned to help Kelly step down from the bleachers and walked with her to the visitor’s dugout to await Samuel’s appearance. After congratulating the little boy on a good game, he headed toward the parking lot. As he rounded the far side of the concession stand, Ellen walked out of the bathroom. She stopped dead at the sight of him, the color coming and going in her face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
He couldn’t help smiling at the surprise in her voice. “I just finished watching a game.”
She smiled sheepishly. “That was a silly question, wasn’t it? Why else would you be here? I was doing that, too. Faith’s daughter Olivia was playing tonight.”
“Are you going home now?”
“Right after I give Faith the bestseller I’ve been carrying around all day. When did you get back?”
It took him a few seconds to pick up on the reference to Jase’s book. “This afternoon. I went straight to my office to see patients before coming here. I feel as if I haven’t stopped since I left St. Marys on Friday.”
She shifted from one foot to the other. “Isobel insisted I take some of the food from Winnie’s party. If you’re hungry, I’ve got sloppy joes, potato salad, baked beans, and birthday cake.”
He should refuse, but he knew he wouldn’t. All she had to do was look at him, and he was toast. It didn’t matter how many long talks he had with himself or how bittersweet it was to spend time with her.
“That sounds good to me.”
“If you don’t mind waiting, we can walk out together.”
He’d wait forever if it would change anything. “I’ll be right here.”
* * * * *
As Ellen retraced her steps to where Faith stood by the bleachers, she could hear the beating of her heart, pounding away in her chest as if it was being played by a demented drummer. She’d never reacted this vividly or violently to a man before.
Faith looked up from her phone as Ellen approached. “We’re going to grab something to eat on the way home. Do you want to come with us?”
“Thanks for asking, but I just this minute made plans to have dinner with someone else.”
“Oh, you’re going out with Adam? I thought you said you didn’t like him.”
“Not Adam. I ran into Quinn.”
Faith’s smile grew. “And he asked you out?”
“Well, technically, I asked him to dinner at my house, which is really his house, if you know what I mean.”
“I do know. You two seem to share quite a few meals together.”
“We live on the same property.”
“So it’s just convenience?”
“At this point, yes. I’m not saying I wouldn’t like it to be more, but Quinn has been through a lot with his accident and then his broken engagement.”
“I know a little about men who’ve had their hearts broken. Trust doesn’t come easily for them.”
Ellen knew there were more than trust issues to overcome with Quinn. He was extremely insecure about his appearance. Women didn’t hold a monopoly on wanting to be attractive to the opposite sex. It was just as important for a man to be comfortable with his looks and believe he was appealing.
“No, it doesn’t.” She reached into her bag. “Here’s the manuscript. Jase told me it’s a historical novel set in the 1700s. This is an extra copy so you can feel free to get out the red pencil and tear it to shreds.”
Faith laughed as she took the thick folder. “Not a problem. Once I start reading, the English professor part of me kicks in. I’ll call you when I’m finished.”
“I appreciate you doing this, and I know Jase does, too.”
“I love this kind of stuff. I even talked Landris into letting me proof his scouting reports.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t difficult. Other than Matt, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man so devoted.”
Faith’s head turned toward the field where Landris was surrounded by a group of little girls hanging on his every word. “I think men who’ve been treated badly in the past make the most devoted husbands. They don’t take anything for granted and have a better understanding of all the little things that make a relationship work.”
“It’s getting them to open up and let you get close that’s so difficult.”
“You’re right; it can’t be forced. It has to happen naturally.”
“Which is the point where I came in. I need to go before Quinn thinks I changed my
mind.”
“We don’t want him to do that.”
Ellen hadn’t taken ten steps back in the direction of the concession stand when Adam stepped in front of her. What did he want now?
* * * * *
After checking his messages, Quinn looked across the park to see where Ellen was. She was talking to Adam again. The guy was relentless. He’d already given her his phone number. Wasn’t that enough for today? Apparently not. He just kept talking to her, but whatever he was asking, he wasn’t getting. Ellen shook her head and pointed in Quinn’s direction. Adam glanced over his shoulder and then back at Ellen. He said something else and this time Ellen nodded.
Feeling like an eavesdropper, Quinn turned in the opposite direction. Whatever was going on between those two was none of his business. Instead of doing an impression of a stalker, he should be texting his mother. He knew how she worried about him. She’d almost lost him once already.
“I’m back in town, safe and sound.”
“Thanks for letting me know. Don’t forget you’re taking me to Sea Island on Wednesday evening for the Audubon Society meeting.”
He was unlikely to forget something she’d been reminding him about daily for the last week. “I’ll pick you up at four.”
“We’ll never make it, Quinn. Not with traffic.”
“I made it in forty-five minutes last time.”
“You also got a speeding ticket.”
“I got a warning; that’s not the same thing. How about three-forty-five?”
“Okay, but if we’re late, you’ll hear about it for a long, long, time.”
“Duly noted.”
As he put his phone back in his pocket, Ellen appeared in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth was turned down and her eyes were like blue chips of ice. Someone was in trouble.
“How can one man be so dense?” she asked in a low, angry voice.
“I’m not sure. What did I do?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “I wasn’t talking about you. Let’s get out of here before he finds me again.”
“Who’s ‘he’?” he asked, even though he already knew.
“Adam Tillerson. He went to high school with you.”
“Don’t tell me he’s another of Bethany’s old boyfriends.”
“It’s worse than that. He’s one of mine. I met him during the summer between my junior and senior year when he was home from college. I let the thrill of being asked out by an older guy go to my head. It wasn’t long before I figured out that he was only interested in one thing.”
Quinn shook his head. “I can’t believe your parents let you go out with him in the first place.”
“They didn’t know anything about it. I used to meet him after I got off work.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“It was out of character. I’d never done anything like that before, and after what happened, I never did it again.”
“A painful lesson we all have to learn.”
“It was painful, all right. I kicked him in the stomach.”
He laughed. “That probably lessened his enthusiasm.”
“It did. I never heard from him again. That’s why I’m shocked that he was so friendly today.”
“Maybe he wanted to apologize.”
“He should have started with that instead of asking if we could get together. I did the polite thing and took his number when I ran into him at the concession stand. Then on my way back to you just now, he stopped me again, this time to ask if we could go somewhere tonight. I told him no. He asked why. I said I already had plans. Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time on him. I got here late so I’m parked all the way at the back.”
“I’m on the first row. I’ll give you a ride to your car.”
* * * * *
When they arrived at Quinn’s house, Ellen met him in the space between the cars. “Jase is welcome, too, if he wants to join us.”
“I’ll pass along the invitation. Let me put my things inside and change out of these clothes.”
“I’ll start getting everything ready.”
Once inside the cottage, she redid her ponytail and pinched some color in her cheeks before going to the kitchen to get out the food. Was it possible to faint from sheer anticipation? If so, at least she had someone who knew what to do about it. She laughed at the picture of Quinn walking in to find her stretched out on the kitchen floor. A loud knock on the door brought her back from a vision of him reviving her with a kiss.
“Come in,” she called out, hoping he could hear her. The door opened, and he came in alone. She put her trembling hands to work setting the table.
“Jase already ate,” he said as he came up beside her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Only if he had a pill in his pocket that would slow her pulse and her breathing. “You can fix the drinks. I made strawberry tea yesterday if you’d like to try it.”
“I’ve never had strawberry tea, but it sounds good.”
“It’s sort of a tradition in my family; for spring, that is. When I was little, my mom would take me and Bethany to this farm where you could pick your own fruit. Strawberries always came first followed a few weeks later by blueberries.”
He took the two glasses she held out to him and filled them with ice. “I think I know the place you’re talking about. Is it in Kingsland?”
She nodded. “That’s it.”
“I saw the sign when I went to the car show.”
“It was fun to fill up our little buckets. Of course, we ate almost as many as we picked. I’d love to do that again sometime.”
“I’ve never done anything like that.”
Ellen laughed as she sat down at the table. “Then it’s about time you did. You won’t believe how much better things taste when they’re freshly picked.”
“Obviously my childhood was somewhat lacking. I’ll have to speak to my mother about it.”
“We should go this weekend. I’ve only got one wedding, and it’s late on Saturday afternoon.”
Quinn looked amused as he helped himself to a sloppy joe. “You’re like Winnie; when you want to do something, you want to do it right now.”
“As my mother loved to tell me growing up, ‘he who hesitates is lost’. We’re probably too late for the strawberries, but the blueberries should be ready.”
“I do like blueberry pancakes.”
“I like them, too, as well as blueberry muffins and blueberry pie. I’ll call tomorrow and find out their hours. Did Freya get into any more trouble after her adventure in the garden?”
“She chewed up some magazines that Jase left lying on the floor in the living room, but at least it wasn’t the furniture or another of my dress shirts.”
“Speaking of your shirts, I gave Jase the one I borrowed from you the other night. I ran into him on Saturday morning. He looked in the laundry room for mine, but he couldn’t find it.”
Quinn glanced at his plate. “I’ll look again after I get home. Jase isn’t the most observant person.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I don’t have lots of others to wear.” She carried their plates to the sink. “Would you like more tea? Or I can make coffee.”
“I’m fine right now,” he said, coming to stand on the other side of the dishwasher. “Did Winnie have a nice birthday?”
Ellen nodded. “Jase came over toward the end. When he walked in, a hush came over the room and then the giggling started. I’ve never seen so many girls look so awestruck. It reminded me of those old clips of Beatles concerts.”
“It’s a good thing they were all under eight, or he would’ve been asking for their numbers.”
“He reminds me of Bethany. She never saw a guy she didn’t like. By the way, Winnie loved the charm bracelet you got her. How did you ever think of that?”
“My secretary’s daughter has one, and she’s only a year older than Winnie so I thought it would be a good gift idea.”
She closed the dishwasher
and dried her hands. “Is that who you were watching tonight?”
“No. It was her brother Samuel. I felt bad for him. He had a rough day at the plate. Kelly’s going to bring him here tomorrow after work, and we’ll see if I can help him. Which reminds me that I need to find my glove and pick up some practice balls from the sporting goods store. I’d prefer not to have our session break any windows or send me to the hospital.”
“Do you ever do anything for yourself?”
He looked embarrassed. “Kelly is the daughter of one of my mother’s closest friends. Her husband left her a few years ago. While she was at home taking care of his two kids, he was having an affair with his twenty-year-old secretary. Needless to say, Kelly never saw it coming and came close to having a nervous breakdown when she did find out. I helped her get a position at the clinic. A few months ago when my secretary left to get married, Kelly filled her spot.”
“It breaks my heart to hear things like that. How could her husband just abandon his family?”
“Because he’s only thinking of himself. If a man is fortunate enough to have a wife, he should do everything in his power to keep her. Those vows he takes when he gets married should mean something.” He glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. “I should go. I still have some paperwork to do before I can call it a day.”
“I’m dreading the rest of the week. It’s the start of prom season. Along with the orders I know about, we’ll have a last minute deluge of frantic boys who forgot they were supposed to order a corsage for their date. It happened in the fall during homecoming.”
He pushed away from the counter and walked toward the door. “I was one of those frantic boys. I made things worse by sticking my date with the pin when I tried to attach the corsage to her dress.”
As Ellen trailed behind him like a small shadow, she remembered how their previous evening together had ended. She was fairly certain this one would end the same. Since Cumberland Island, Quinn had locked up his emotions tighter than Fort Knox.
“You’re not the only one. I always ask the boys if they want me to show them how to do it.”
Yours, With Love: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 5) Page 11