“Hey!”
“It’s true! I want you to finish something,” he shouted—and Ian never shouted. “Just once, I want you not to walk away because something got tough. Here’s a bit of news for you, Son: not everyone gets their way all the time, and they don’t all take their toys and go home.” He huffed and raked a hand through his hair. “That’s not who I raised you to be and that’s not who your mom wanted you to be.”
Quinn took a shaky breath. “Oh man…”
“She said you were her toughest—and she meant it in the best possible way. You do hate to show weakness and sometimes that’s a good thing. Other times, well…not showing your weaknesses is what makes you weak. Make her proud, Quinn. Show her, and the whole world, how tough you are.”
“What if the business fails? You know, on its own, because I’m not as good as I think I am?”
“What if it succeeds?”
Quinn frowned. “Things fail all the time, Dad. Even with all the attention in the world.”
“That’s true. But then you can look back and know you did everything possible and gave it your all. And when that’s the case, no one can look at you like you’re a failure.”
They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes. Ian walked around the shop, touching tools and simply checking things out. He turned back toward Quinn. “Martha and I had dinner with the Hannigans last night.” He almost smiled at how Quinn paled, although he wasn’t sure if was the mention of Martha or the Hannigans that did it. “It was kind of nice. We barbecued and played cards and just visited.”
A weak smile and a nod were Quinn’s only response.
“By the time we got done talking about all of you kids and how everyone is, half the night was gone. Bobby’s thinking of transferring to South Carolina,” Ian said with a shrug. “He says it’s just time for a change.”
“Good for him,” Quinn mumbled.
“And we talked about Aidan and Zoe planning their Australia trip, Aubrey’s pregnancy, Riley’s music, Owen’s promotion, Darcy’s school, your shop, and…Bobby’s move…” He paused and sighed. “Hard to believe there are so many of you.” Once again, his son’s reaction was pretty funny. “Oh, I know who I forgot.”
Quinn seemed to perk up.
“Stanley.”
“Excuse me? Who’s Stanley?”
“He’s Martha’s French bulldog. He’s the funniest little thing!” Ian chuckled. “Honestly, that dog has the personality of a human. I never considered myself a dog person, but he has me reconsidering. Sometimes I think he’s going to just get up and talk to me!”
The poor boy looked deflated. “That’s nice, Dad.”
“Anyway, I guess I should be going. Martha and I are going to the movies tonight.” He pulled Quinn close and hugged him. “Think about what I said.”
With a nod, Quinn said, “Okay. I’ll make some calls and get those cars in here.”
Ian shook his head and patted his son on the arm. “You don’t really think this was all about some cars, do you?”
“Hell no. But I’ve got to start somewhere, don’t I?”
* * *
Life was moving on—just barely.
Hugh had finally closed on the property and Anna had received her commission. It was really quite exciting to get that large of a check. After paying off some bills, she put another chunk into savings and then knew what she needed to do next.
Picking up the phone, she called the car dealership she knew Quinn had purchased her car from. After thirty frustrating minutes, she wasn’t able to convince them to let her pay off the car. “Well, now what?” she murmured. A knock at her door had her looking up just as her brother walked in.
“Hey, squirt! What’s going on?” he said with an easy smile. He kissed her on the head and noticed her frown. “Seriously, what’s up?”
She explained the situation about the car. “I know I don’t have to do anything, but I need to. Every time I get in the damn thing I think of Quinn.” She looked up at him helplessly. “What do I do?”
Bobby quietly studied her. “This is just a suggestion, but…”
“But?”
“I’m going to be out of town for a while, so why don’t you take my car?”
She looked at him oddly. “Why? Aren’t you taking it with you? You’re only going to South Carolina, not South America.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, but…I’m sort of ready for a complete change. I already have a new car picked out, and the financing is good to go without using my car as a trade-in. So why don’t you take my old car and give the Honda back to Quinn.”
Unable to help herself, she lowered her gaze to her hands. “I don’t think I could handle seeing him, Bobby. Not yet.”
His arms came around her as he hugged her tight. “No worries there. I’ll drop the car off.”
Anna immediately lifted her head. “Oh…no. I don’t want you to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll just use it as an excuse to start a fight with Quinn.”
“So? He deserves it! Dammit, Anna, I hate seeing you like this!” He looked like he was about to say more and then stopped and seemed to relax. “You know, you should come with me to South Carolina.”
“Are you crazy? Why?”
“I would think it was obvious—you need a fresh start too. Look, I don’t want to upset you but it needs to be said. This is a small town. You’re not going to be able to avoid Quinn forever. There’s gonna come a time when he moves on and, true to form, he’s not going to give a damn if it hurts you.”
“He wouldn’t—”
“Just stop, okay? Are you prepared to run into him and one of his bimbos?”
She sighed with irritation. “Do people even use that term anymore?”
“Trust me, I’m toning my choice of words down to be nice. Think about it, Anna. If you stay here, there’s always going to be that possibility. The two of you have been in each other’s pockets since you were kids. He’s always going to be there—or here. With this new shop he’s got, it seems like he’s going to be here even more than he used to be. He’s not traveling as much and he’s not in a rush to go anywhere. How are you going to handle it?”
“I don’t know, Bobby!” she shouted. “But that doesn’t mean I want you to go to the shop and pick a fight with him!”
He huffed with frustration. “Fine. I won’t fight with him. I promise. I’ll drop the car off, give him the keys, and leave.”
“You promise? Really?”
“Unlike some people, I’m not looking to make you upset on purpose, Anna. I may be a jerk a lot of the time but not to you.”
She rolled her eyes. “You did not just say that.”
He chuckled. “Okay, fine. I’m a jerk to you too, but this time I promise not to be. It’s part of my whole makeover.” He smiled. “You inspired me.”
“And why are you suddenly giving yourself a makeover?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been here my whole life, kiddo. It’s the same thing day in, day out. I’m just ready for something new. Nothing’s happening for me here. You said the same thing about yourself when you left the pub.”
“How do you know something’s going to happen for you in South Carolina?” she asked quietly.
“I don’t. But I’m willing to give it a shot.” He pulled her in and kissed her. “Come on. Give me the keys and I’ll take care of this car thing right now.”
“How will you get home after you leave the shop?”
“I’ll give my partner a call.”
“Wait…you have a partner? Since when?”
“Since about a month ago.” He made a face. “There have been some changes in the precinct and I feel like I’ve taken about ten steps backward.”
“Ah…so there’s more to this makeover story than meets the eye.”
“Sort of. Anyway, I’ll get a ride. I don’t want you to worry about it.”
Slowly, Anna went and got both sets of car keys and handed them to Bobby. “I’ll walk out with you and clear all my stuff out.” Together they walked outside, and within five minutes, she had her few meager belongings in a pile on the grass.
“You sure about this?” Bobby asked.
“It’s the last tie to him,” she said and cursed the fact that she was close to tears.
Bobby pulled her in for one last hug before getting in the car and driving away.
* * *
“What the hell do you mean?” Quinn angrily tossed a rag aside as he approached Bobby Hannigan.
“I thought I was pretty clear, dude. Anna doesn’t want the car, so I’m bringing it back for her.”
Everything inside of Quinn went cold.
Then he looked at Bobby’s smug face and that instantly changed. “You talked her into this, didn’t you?”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Shaughnessy, but it was her choice. She even tried talking to the dealership first about paying the car off, but they wouldn’t let her do it.” He glared at Quinn. “I’m sure you had something to do with it.”
“Hell yeah I did!” Quinn snapped. “The car was a gift to make her life easier! If she knew she could just swoop in and take over the payments she would have done it sooner.” He cursed. “She needs a car, Bobby. You know it and I know it. Just…convince her to keep it. I’ll transfer the payments over to her if she really feels so strongly about it.”
Bobby shook his head. “She already has another car and she doesn’t want any reminders of you. For once, do the right thing and just let her have her way.”
Even though Quinn knew Bobby was right, it still irritated the hell out of him. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?” he finally asked.
Bobby laughed darkly. “Believe it or not, I’m not. You think I enjoy seeing my sister this upset? I really thought this was going to be the one time you proved me wrong.” He shook his head. “I thought for her…”
Quinn looked away.
Bobby shoved him on the shoulder to get Quinn to face him. “Hey, I’m not here to gloat and it doesn’t do shit for me to be proven right. I would have put up with your sorry ass forever if it made Anna happy.”
“Yeah…well…now you won’t have to.”
“You just don’t get it, do you?” Bobby said in disgust. “All these years and you haven’t figured it out.” When Quinn just stared at him, he continued. “Ever since she started crushing on you in the seventh grade, I’ve wanted to kick your ass. At first, it was just on principle. My sister liked you, and you didn’t like her in return. Then the older we got, and the more she refused to move on, I started to resent you. By now I should hate you, but all I can do is pity you. You’re the one who’s going to miss out on an amazing life, because there’s no one better than my sister.”
Quinn couldn’t have uttered a word even if he’d wanted to—his throat was so tight he almost couldn’t breathe.
Bobby tossed the keys at him, which he readily caught.
“Most guys would kill for what you had,” Bobby said, almost with a hint of sadness. “And they wouldn’t have been stupid enough to let it slip away.”
When Quinn was alone in the shop, he looked at the keys in his hands and closed his fist around them. He’d gotten all of his clothes back, Anna had quit the softball team, and now she’d given back the car. Short of hiding in the bushes with a pair of binoculars, he had no excuse to see her. And what was worse, no one would talk to him about her, either. It was almost as if they were all trying to make him crazy.
He’d seen Aidan and Zoe several times over the last few weeks, but no matter how many hints he’d dropped, neither of them had talked about her. Even after Bobby’s little speech, Quinn was no closer to knowing how Anna really was other than her not wanting the damn car.
He’d respected her wishes and kept his distance—everyone thought he was doing it of his own free will, but he wasn’t. No one could possibly understand how hard it was to stay away.
Just as no one could possibly understand how much he really did love her.
Could barely breathe without her.
Hadn’t slept in weeks because of her.
Tossing the keys on his workbench, he stalked across the garage and out the door, locking up behind him. He needed to get out and clear his head. He needed to get out and find something to do that wouldn’t have him thinking of Anna. Aching for Anna.
He cursed. There was no such thing and he knew it.
He could drive from one coast to the other and back again and nothing was going to be better. Nothing was going to be right. Unfortunately, he knew he had to keep moving forward. The pain he felt was self-inflicted and he had to learn to live with it.
He drove through town in his truck. It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon. No traffic. No distractions until…
He’d have known that blond hair anywhere.
Sitting at a table of one of the café’s that had outdoor seating, he saw Anna. Carefully, he pulled over and just…watched. He knew it was wrong and creepy, but it had been so long since he’d seen her that he couldn’t stop himself.
She was sitting alone, talking on her phone. Even from this distance, he could see she was sad. She was laughing at something, but Quinn knew her well enough to know her heart wasn’t in it. He knew her body well enough to know that her fidgeting was because she wasn’t comfortable. The constant toying with her hair was because its length was annoying her. When her shoulders sagged, he wanted nothing more than to jump out of the truck and go over and hold her.
Quinn watched as she put her phone down on the table and looked around. He hoped she didn’t see him. Then she stood and smiled at someone…a guy. What the hell? She was sitting there waiting for a guy? Like a date? He’s sitting there like some lovesick puppy and all the while she’d been waiting for her new boyfriend?
Unable to watch anymore, Quinn pulled back onto the main road and drove away.
* * *
“Congratulations,” Anna said with a bright smile. “You’ve bought yourself a house!”
She had been saying that phrase a lot lately and found that it was fun to see the smiles on her clients’ faces. Anna had been on a bit of a selling streak. In the last month, she’d sold four houses on top of closing on Hugh’s property. She still didn’t love real estate, but right now it was being very good to her. Sitting at the café table, enjoying the sunlight, she collected all the paperwork and put it in her folder.
Dan Michaels leaned back in the chair and smiled back at her. “It certainly looks that way.” He paused. “I can’t thank you enough, Anna. You really listened and found me my perfect house. How about we go out and celebrate?”
Celebrate? Hell, it had been weeks since Anna had wanted to celebrate anything. It was one thing to not see Quinn when he was traveling or when they were each away at college, but this? This variation they had going on, where they were deliberately not seeing each other, was slowly killing her.
Her smile fell slightly but she forced herself to keep her tone light. “I wish I could but I’m supposed to meet up with some friends after work for drinks.”
“Anyone I know?”
She should have said no, but her mouth got away from her. “Aidan Shaughnessy and his wife, Zoe.”
“Oh, wow. I haven’t seen Aidan in years. I heard he’s got a construction company now.”
Anna nodded. “He’s the best in the area.”
“I considered calling him if I didn’t find what I was looking for and seeing if he could custom build something for me. Looks like I won’t have to now.”
“I’m really glad you like the house, Dan. It’s beautiful.”
“Listen,” he began as he leaned forward, “I know this sounds forward but…would yo
u mind if I tagged along? I really would like to see Aidan, and even though I don’t need a house built, I do have some business projects in the works that might be of interest to him.”
Her immediate thought was to tell him no, but how could she deny Aidan a potential opportunity for his business? So with her smile—stiff though it may be—still in place, she agreed.
“I do need to run by the office and get these processed. Why don’t you follow me and we’ll go from there?”
Dan readily agreed and Anna was thankful to have a few minutes to herself. Back at the office, Dan sat and made some calls while she finished with the paperwork. When she couldn’t delay any longer, she went into the ladies room and freshened up and then walked out to tell him she was ready.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the pub’s parking lot—separately—and Anna was relieved to spot Aidan’s truck already there. For some reason, she was uncomfortable with the entire situation. She didn’t really want to be out, and she certainly didn’t want to be out with Dan, but Zoe had been after her pretty much since the breakup to leave the house and engage in life again.
So here she was. Engaging in life.
And hating it.
Dan walked over and met her as she was climbing from the car. “I don’t think I’ve been here in years,” he said with an easy grin, taking her hand to help her. “I actually came here for my twenty-first birthday and had my first official, legal drink.” He chuckled. “A bunch of us came here and drank until they threw us out. It was a great little bar.”
Anna chuckled. “Well, brace yourself. It hasn’t changed much.”
Together they walked in and she stiffened slightly when Dan’s hand rested on the small of her back as they made their way through the crowd toward where Aidan and Zoe were sitting in a booth.
“Hey!” Zoe said. “Glad you made it.” She looked past Anna and her eyes landed briefly on Dan before zeroing back on Anna as if to say, “WTF?”
Always My Girl (The Shaughnessy Brothers) Page 23