Harlequin Special Edition October 2015, Box Set 1 of 2

by Christine Rimmer

  The line went dead silent. Then her father asked cautiously, “Isn’t this a little sudden?”

  She resisted the urge to say something snappish. “I care for him deeply, Dad. It’s what I want.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I am.”

  Another silence. And then her father had the good grace to say that he hoped she would be happy. “I think I’ll wait a few days to tell your mother about your engagement, though.”

  “Right now, Dad, I don’t care if you tell her or not.”

  “Chloe. You don’t mean that.”

  She didn’t argue. What was the point? “I’ll call and let you know about the wedding. It’s going to be small and simple.” Nothing like the three-ring circus in Sonoma when she’d married Ted. “I hope you can come. Quinn wants me to be patient with Mom, so I’m going to give it a little time before I decide whether I’m willing to have her at the wedding.”

  Another deep silence from her dad. Then, “Let’s just see how things go, shall we?”

  Chloe agreed that would be wise. They said goodbye.

  A few hours later, when Quinn came over, she cried a little for her fractured family. He held her and told her it would all turn out all right. Somehow, when he said it, she almost believed it.

  * * *

  Friday morning first thing, Nell Bravo dropped by Chloe’s showroom. Chloe broke the big news and showed off her gorgeous ring.

  Nell said, “So, then. This makes it official. You’re gonna be my sister. And that means we’ll have to bury the hatchet permanently, you and me.”

  “You know, you really scare me when you talk about hatchets.”

  Nell laughed and grabbed Chloe in a hug and waltzed her in and out of the various carpet and flooring displays. Then Quinn’s sister confessed, “I already knew. Quinn told me this morning. And I’m here to find out when you’re breaking for lunch so I can get a table at the Sylvan Inn for you and me and my sisters.”

  Chloe met the Bravo sisters at the Sylvan Inn at one. There were four of them. Clara and Elise were the daughters of Franklin Bravo’s first wife, Sondra. Jody’s and Nell’s mother was the notorious Willow Mooney Bravo, who’d been Frank’s mistress during most of his marriage to Sondra. The day after Sondra Bravo’s funeral, Willow married Frank. He moved her right into the mansion he’d built for Sondra. Frank Bravo’s refusal to observe even a minimal period of mourning after Sondra’s passing caused no end of shock and outrage in the angry hearts of the judgmental types in town, Chloe’s mother first among them.

  Tracy Winham, Elise’s best friend and business partner, joined them, too. And so did Rory Bravo-Calabretti, a cousin to the Bravo sisters. Rory was an actual princess from a tiny country called Montedoro. But Rory didn’t act like a princess. She loved Justice Creek and she was down-to-earth and lots of fun. Recently she’d decided to make her home in America. She lived with her fiancé, Walker McKellan, at Walker’s guest ranch not far from town.

  As a matter of fact, all the Bravo women were lots of fun. Even more so after a couple of glasses of the champagne Nell had ordered to toast Chloe and Quinn and their future happiness together. Chloe never drank alcohol at lunch. After all, she still had half a day of work ahead and she preferred to be alert and clearheaded on the job.

  But today, she drank the champagne—more than she should have. And she had a fabulous time sharing stories about the old days with Quinn’s sisters.

  “Quinn was always so moody,” said Jody, and everyone nodded. “He was mad at everything and just about everybody.”

  “But even then there was a certain sweetness about him,” said Clara, who was Sondra’s oldest daughter and considered the family peacemaker.

  Back in the day, when the two sides of Frank’s family were constantly at odds, Clara was the one who kept trying to get them to make peace and come together. She and Quinn and Chloe were the same age.

  “I remember,” Clara said, “when we were in Miss Oakleaf’s class, first grade. Remember, Chloe?”

  “Yes, I do. Miss Oakleaf was so pretty. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.”

  “Oh, me, too,” Clara agreed.

  “She pinned her hair up in a twist and she always looked so elegant. And she wore high heels and pencil skirts.” Chloe frowned. “Were they even called pencil skirts back then?”

  Clara considered. “Straight skirts, I think. And yeah. Miss Oakleaf was a beauty. Quinn had a big crush on her.”

  “She was patient with him,” Chloe said softly, remembering how he struggled to keep up with the rest of the class.

  Clara remembered, too. “He would get mad and act up and she would talk to him so gently.”

  “And then,” said Chloe, “the Hershey’s Kisses started appearing on her desk every morning...”

  Clara took up the story. “Just a few of them, lined up in their shiny silver foil wrappers, waiting there for Miss Oakleaf on her desk pad at the beginning of every day.”

  “No one knew who was leaving them,” said Chloe.

  And Clara said, “Until Freddy Harmon spotted Quinn in the act. Freddy spied on Quinn through the window, didn’t he, and saw him sneak in and put three Kisses on Miss Oakleaf’s desk?”

  “That’s right,” Chloe replied softly. “Quinn was so humiliated...” She shook her head, aching for the troubled little boy he’d once been.

  Jody said, “The way I heard it, he went ballistic.”

  Clara nodded. “He chased Freddy around the playground till he caught him, and then he beat the crap out of him. For that, Quinn was suspended for two weeks. Looking back on our elementary school years, it seems like he spent more time suspended or in detention than he ever spent in class.”

  They all laughed. They could afford to laugh about it now that Quinn was a grown man who’d built himself a fine, productive life.

  Nell asked, “Remember that time he and Jamie and Dare got into it on the playground?” James and Darius were Clara’s and Elise’s full brothers, Sondra’s sons.

  Elise nodded. “It was two against one. Plus, Jamie and Dare were older and bigger. But Quinn just wouldn’t give up and go down.”

  Rory shook her head. “It’s so strange, knowing him now, to hear what a troublemaker he used to be.”

  “By the time he was twelve or so,” Clara said, “no one would fight with him. By then, they all knew that he would never quit. If you took on Quinn Bravo, it was going to be long and ugly and there would be way too much blood.”

  “But look how he turned out,” Tracy piped up. “Rich and successful, with a beautiful daughter, about to marry the one and only Chloe Winchester.” Tracy raised her glass and everyone followed suit. “To Chloe. You go, girl.”

  Chloe blushed a little. “Aww.”

  Nell shook her gorgeous head of auburn hair. “Chloe. Seriously. You and Quinn? Never woulda seen that coming.”

  Chloe beamed at her future sister-in-law, her heart full of fondness, her brain pleasantly hazy with the champagne and the good family feelings. She really was starting to feel seriously bondy with Nell. Was it only five days ago that they’d squared off in the trailer at Bravo Construction?

  “Heads up, my sisters,” Elise whispered out of the side of her mouth. “Don’t look now, but here comes trouble.”

  Trouble in the tall, thin form of Monique Hightower. Wearing jeans, a silk top and giant sunglasses, Monique had just breezed in the door. She said something to the hostess and then spotted the Bravo women at the round table in the center of the dining room. Slowly, she eased the big sunglasses up to rest on her head. And then she smiled.

  And then she came striding on over. “Hey, Clara, Elise, everyone. Looks like a party...”

  Nell said, “It is. We are celebrating.”

  About then, Monique zeroed in on Chloe. “Chloe.
Well. How’s every little thing?”

  Chloe raised her champagne glass—with her left hand, so that her engagement diamond caught the light and sparkled. “Remember how I told you if I played my cards right, I might have a chance with Quinn?”

  Somebody snickered. Chloe thought it was Elise, but it could have been Tracy.

  Monique’s eyes got wider. “Wow. That’s, uh...” For once, she actually seemed at a loss for words. Chloe savored the moment.

  Then Nell instructed, “Pull yourself together, Monique. Quinn and Chloe are getting married. You need to wish my future sister-in-law a life of love and happiness.”

  Monique sent Nell a quelling glance that had zero effect on Quinn’s baby sister. Nell just rolled her eyes and drank more champagne as Monique trotted out another big, fake smile and a too-perky “Best wishes, Chloe. Quinn’s a lucky man.”

  “Thank you, Monique.”

  Clara, ever the peacemaker, offered, “Monique, why don’t you join us for a glass of champagne?”

  Everyone went dead quiet then. They’d been having such a great time and Monique would have them trying to remember to watch what they said, because anything Monique heard was fair game for her gossip mill.

  Then Monique sighed. “Wish I could. But I got called in early. I need to change and get to work.”

  “That’s too bad.” Somehow Nell kept a straight face when she said it.

  By then, Monique had recovered her equilibrium. “Chloe. That ring is spectacular. And truly, I’m so happy for you.”

  “Monique. What can I say? Thank you again. That’s so nice to hear.” And strangely enough, it kind of was. Chloe had the definite warm fuzzies at the moment. She was crazy about the Bravo women, crazy about Quinn. Crazy about everyone. She was even crazy about Monique, who couldn’t keep a confidence if her life depended on it.

  Champagne at lunchtime? She should try it more often.

  Nobody said a word until Monique disappeared into the kitchen. And then Nell tapped her water glass with her spoon. “So. Engagement party. We need to throw one.”

  Chloe started to protest that they didn’t have to.

  But then again, that could be fun, right?

  How much fun had she had in her life, really?

  Not enough. She’d always been mama’s good girl, a busy little bee, working so hard to do everything right, to get straight As and get into a great college and find the perfect husband to make a perfect life.

  There’d been no time for fun, not when she was so laser-focused on chasing the life her mother wanted for her.

  And after her marriage to Ted? Well, it only went downhill from there. Hard to have fun when your life that looked so perfect on the outside was empty at the core, when you lived with a man you couldn’t trust not to hurt you.

  But now she had Quinn and anything seemed possible. All the good things: passion and tenderness and lots of laughter. And sisters to call her own.

  And, for the first time, champagne at lunch.

  Chloe let Quinn’s sisters plan the party. She smiled and nodded and giggled a lot.

  Nell leaned close to her. “Better cut back on the bubbly, baby.”

  And Chloe giggled some more. But she took Nell’s advice and started drinking ice water. By three-thirty, when they left the restaurant, she was almost sober.

  They filed out to the parking lot. There were hugs and cheek kisses. Chloe thanked them all profusely.

  Nell tapped her shoulder. “You still look a little high. Ride with me. You can get your car later.”

  So just to be on the safe side, she let Nell take her back to the showroom. When Nell pulled in at the curb, Chloe leaned across the seats and hugged her good and hard. “I’m so glad you’re going to be my sister. I never had a sister before.”

  Nell hugged her back. “Well, now you’ve got four—five, including Tracy, who always gets insulted if we don’t include her.”

  * * *

  That evening, Manny went to Boulder to visit his girlfriend. Quinn and Annabelle picked Chloe up at the showroom and took her back to the restaurant to get her car.

  Then she joined them at the log house. They had pizza. And after Annabelle was all ready for bed, they watched Frozen, which Annabelle seemed to know by heart.

  She kept popping in with “Look out!” or “Watch this!” just before something surprising would happen.

  Quinn finally had to pause the movie and remind her that it was no fun to watch a movie when little girls were shouting.

  Annabelle was sweetly contrite. She turned to Chloe. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m not s’posed to do that. But I get so ’cited!”

  Chloe said, “Well, maybe if you don’t do it again, your dad will let us watch the rest.”

  Annabelle turned those big brown eyes on Quinn. “Daddy, I promise I will be quiet.”

  She managed to get through the rest of the movie without a single exclamation. And by the end, she had edged up close to Chloe on the sofa and rested her head against Chloe’s arm. Chloe treasured that small, perfect moment: the first time Annabelle had leaned on her.

  It took a while to get the little girl to bed for the night. Quinn spent twenty minutes or so tucking her in. Then, half an hour later, she came out carrying a ratty blanket and an ancient-looking one-eyed teddy bear and demanded that he chase the monsters away. Quinn scooped her up in his arms, blanket, bear and all. He sent Chloe a sheepish look before heading upstairs to Annabelle’s bedroom.

  “I think she’ll stay in bed now,” he said when he returned a few minutes later. He confessed that he enjoyed chasing monsters. “It’s more of a game with us than anything.”

  “Don’t even think you need to explain,” Chloe reassured him. “It looked like you were both having fun and she didn’t seem scared in the least.”

  “Manny says I’m a sucker for Annabelle’s monster act.”

  Chloe chuckled. “Sometimes being a sucker is a good thing.”

  “I’m going to tell Manny you said that.”

  They sat on the sofa in the living room in front of the unlit fireplace, with the lights on low. He reached over and ran a finger along the curve of her cheek.

  She shivered a little in pleasure, remembering that first night, when he’d come up the hill to her. His daughter had been on his mind that night. “Did she ever have more questions for you about her mom?”

  He idly smoothed a curl of her hair back over her shoulder. “Not yet. Just about every night, I think she’s going to bring it up. But then she doesn’t.”

  “Give her time.”

  “I just hope when she does that I don’t blow it.”

  “No way can you blow it, Quinn. You love her and she loves you. She feels safe and protected. And you give her space, you really do. She’s allowed to be a little girl, to let her imagination run a little wild...” Chloe felt kind of wistful suddenly.

  And Quinn picked up on that. “Hey...” He touched her mouth, traced the bow of her upper lip. “Why the sad face?”

  “I don’t know. I had a great time with your sisters today at lunch. And it kind of got me thinking that I never had much fun growing up.”

  “Too busy trying to please your mom?”

  “That’s right.” She made the edges of her mouth turn up. “But I think I’ll look on the bright side. Your sisters will be my sisters. Did I tell you they’re throwing us an engagement party? Probably at McKellan’s, in the party room upstairs.” The popular pub was owned by Ryan McKellan, lifetime best friend of Clara Bravo. Ryan’s brother, Walker, was engaged to the family princess, Rory.

  “And when is this big event?”

  “Tentatively, Saturday night two weeks from tomorrow. Clara said she’d get with Ryan and call me this weekend to firm up the date, location and time.”

  He h
ooked an arm around her and drew her close against his side. His warm lips brushed her hair. “Did you know that Clara and Dalton are getting married in three weeks?”

  “I did, yes.” Clara had a baby daughter, Kiera Anne, with Dalton Ames, president of Ames Bank and Trust. From what Chloe had heard, Clara had taken her time saying yes to her baby’s father. But anyone who saw them together could see how much in love they were.

  Quinn added, “It’ll be a small wedding, Clara said. Food and drinks at her house afterward.”

  “I heard. Nell said she thought Clara had too much on her plate. So, as soon as Clara sets up our engagement party with Ryan, Nell’s taking over to pull the party together.”

  “You should know we’re going to Clara’s wedding.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You, me, Manny and Annabelle.”

  “I would love to.” She snuggled in, rubbing her cheek against the soft knit fabric of his shirt.

  He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb, and then tipped up her chin so she looked in his eyes. “Hey.”

  “What?”

  “The other night, when you said yes?”

  “Um?” Oh, those beautiful eyes of his. She could just fall down inside them and never come out.

  “You said you wanted it small—and soon. So...” He lowered his wonderful bad-boy lips and brushed a hint of a kiss across her upturned mouth. “What do you say we set the date?”

  Set the date. Her heart contracted. Worse, she was suddenly thinking of her mother, and of Ted. Problems. Unresolved problems. Her problems that she’d yet to deal with effectively...

  But then again, how resolved were things ever going to get with those two? She might never speak to her mother again. And Ted? The best that could happen with him would be nothing. Ever. For the rest of her life.

  So it wasn’t about resolving anything; it wasn’t about closure...

  “Chloe?” Quinn looked at her so tenderly, reminding her suddenly of the little boy who never fit in at school and used to sneak inside before class to leave chocolate candy Kisses for the teacher who’d been kind to him. “So when you said soon, you didn’t mean that soon?” He asked the question gently.