Coming Apart at the Seams

by Jenna Sutton

  He already had a new plan, and it involved moving to San Francisco and taking on the role of Teagan’s subordinate before he assumed a more permanent and enjoyable role. When he didn’t answer, Letty looked up. She cocked her head, her gray bob swinging against her ears.

  “Nick?”

  He decided to broach the subject of his relocation gently. He didn’t know how she would react to the news.

  “Quinn’s getting married, and he asked m-m-m-me to be a groomsman.”

  Letty smiled. “That’s a big honor. When’s the wedding?”

  He told her, and she raised her brows. “That’s fast. Is Amelia pregnant?”

  Nick laughed, shaking his head. “I d-d-don’t think so. I think he’s afraid she’ll get away.” He shifted on the stool. “Quinn offered me a job, too.”

  Letty tossed the carrots into a yellow Fiesta bowl. Grabbing a tomato, she began slicing it into quarters.

  “What kind of job?”

  He told her about the endowment and the museum, and her blue eyes lit up. “What a great opportunity for you!”

  Nick smiled. Letty had such a loving, generous heart, and he was lucky she’d made room for him in it.

  “It’s in San Francisco.”

  She nodded. “I assumed so.”

  “Come with me?” He waited a beat before hitting her with the big guns. “It’s closer to Vanessa.”

  Letty’s oldest daughter was working on her master’s degree in architecture at the University of California-Berkeley. Kyla, meanwhile, was in Ohio at Miami University, and Ben was in Nick’s hometown attending Syracuse.

  Letty smiled. “Do you think Teagan will want a live-in housekeeper?”

  Chapter 24

  Teagan eyed Amelia’s pink-and-white-striped apron. It had two rows of ruffles around the hem, and “Domestic Goddess” was embroidered across the chest in dark brown thread.

  It was cute, but it wasn’t something Teagan would have expected Amelia to wear. Her thoughts must have been evident on her face because Amelia smiled and gestured to the apron.

  “Quinn bought it for me,” she explained, leaning against the kitchen island. “It’s an inside joke.”

  Teagan nodded, settling herself on one of the barstools grouped around the soapstone bar. She had stopped by Quinn’s house, or rather Quinn and Amelia’s house, to discuss the job offer he’d made to Nick.

  She had to convince her older brother to either rescind it or transfer responsibility of the museum project to Cal. Although she had little hope Quinn would agree to withdraw the offer, she didn’t see why he’d balk at letting Cal take the lead on the project. After all, Cal was in charge of global marketing and communications, and the museum project made just as much sense for his department as it did for hers.

  When Teagan had arrived at the Victorian, Amelia had let her know Quinn was playing basketball with Cal at their gym. The other woman had invited her in, and Teagan had reluctantly agreed to wait for her older brother.

  Teagan liked Amelia, and she hoped the two of them would eventually become friends. At one time, they’d been friendly and heading that direction, but right now, their relationship was more than a little strained.

  If Teagan were honest with herself, she would admit the strain was all her fault. In fact, she’d almost destroyed Amelia and Quinn’s relationship, and neither her brother nor his future wife was very happy with her right now.

  Without Quinn’s knowledge or support, Teagan had hired Amelia to revamp Riley O’Brien’s women’s division. She’d never expected her brother and Amelia to fall in love.

  From a physical perspective, Amelia was relatively unremarkable if you didn’t take into account her long, curly red hair. She was short and had a somewhat pear-shaped body. Her brown eyes were ordinary, and her face was covered in freckles like the typical redhead.

  Most people would agree Amelia was cute but certainly not pretty. And she definitely wasn’t stunning like the other women Quinn had dated in the past.

  But when Teagan had introduced Quinn to Amelia, her older brother had almost gone into a trance. He’d been completely and totally enthralled with the petite redhead. Amelia, for her part, had been equally fascinated with Quinn, although she’d tried to hide it.

  When Teagan had realized Quinn and Amelia were attracted to each other, she had made the most of it. She’d thrown them together every chance she could, hoping to soften Quinn enough to accept the redesign.

  She’d manipulated both of them, never imagining their attraction would move beyond sex to love. And it was definitely love—deep, soul-sucking O’Brien love—the same kind of love Teagan had felt for Nick.

  Amelia straightened, clearing her throat and pressing her lips together. Teagan tilted her head, wondering why the other woman looked so distressed.

  “Teagan, I know things have been . . . tense between you and me.” She swallowed deeply. “I love your brother. I love him more than I’ve ever loved anyone, and I don’t want to start my life with him with a cloud hanging over us.” She drew in a deep breath. “Can we try to be friends? Or at least pretend, for his sake?”

  Like most little sisters who adored their brothers, Teagan had doubted any woman would be good enough for Quinn. But as she stared into Amelia’s brown eyes, she considered the possibility that she might have been wrong.

  Amelia loved Quinn as much as Teagan did, maybe more. And the other woman might be average in the looks department, but she definitely was special.

  “We don’t have to pretend, Amelia. I want us to be friends, too.”

  Amelia’s mouth fell open, and Teagan frowned. Had she really expected Teagan to rebuff her?

  “I owe you an apology,” Teagan admitted. “I’m sorry I put you in such a difficult position.”

  Amelia snickered a little, and Teagan cocked her head. The other woman clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “I’m sorry,” Amelia replied, her cheeks cherry red. “Your brother is a terrible influence on me. When you said ‘position’ . . . well, never mind.”

  Teagan grinned, more than convinced Amelia and Quinn were going to be very happy together. A second later, she sobered, realizing she owed the other woman more than an apology. She owed her an explanation.

  “Amelia, I need to explain why I did what I did.”

  “You already explained. I understand what you were trying to do.”

  Teagan sighed. She hadn’t been entirely honest with Amelia about the reasons for the redesign.

  “I was worried about the company’s future, and I did want to be able to wear Rileys and look good in them. But the redesign was also about Nick.”

  Amelia knew something was going on between Teagan and Nick because she’d seen them kissing several weeks ago. The Titans had been playing the San Francisco 49ers, and since Nick had been suspended for helmet-to-helmet contact, he’d been watching the game from Riley O’Brien & Co.’s suite in the new stadium.

  If Teagan had known Nick would be there, she never would have attended the game. But she’d arrived late, and he had already been there.

  Teagan hadn’t wanted to attract the notice of her parents or her brothers, so she’d bided her time until she could slip out. She should have headed directly for her car, but she’d needed to use the restroom, so she made the trek to the ladies’ room.

  Nick had been waiting for her in the hall when she emerged. She had ignored him, or at least she’d tried to, but he backed her up against the wall, pressing his hard body against hers.

  He’d stared into her eyes, and she waited for him to say something—anything—but just like always, he had been silent. She’d tried to duck under his arms, but he shoved his big hands into her hair and settled his mouth on hers, tracing her lips with his tongue until she let him in.

  She had wante
d him so badly, but somehow she came to her senses and told him to stop. And just as he had lowered his head again, Amelia interrupted them. Teagan had begged Amelia not to mention what she had seen to anyone, and Amelia had promised to keep quiet.

  “I’m confused,” Amelia admitted. “What does Nick have to do with your plan to revamp the women’s division?”

  “When I came home from Boston, I was not in a good place emotionally. I was having a hard time forgetting . . .”

  No matter how hard Teagan had tried to move forward with her life, she had thought about Nick and their baby all the time. She’d marked the months that passed by how far along in her pregnancy she would have been or how old their baby would have been.

  Even her dad’s cancer hadn’t been enough to take her mind off Nick and everything she’d lost. She had been a mess until the day she picked up a fashion magazine and read an article about the best and worst women’s jeans.

  Rileys had ranked as the absolute worst, and Teagan had been embarrassed and dismayed. But for the first time in months, her thoughts and emotions hadn’t been focused on Nick.

  She had purposefully shifted her focus—her obsession with Nick—to the women’s division. And when Quinn had ignored her ideas to revamp it, she’d become fixated on figuring out a way to make it happen. She had transferred her anger and disappointment from Nick to Quinn, and in doing so, she had damaged her relationship with her brother and almost wrecked his relationship with Amelia, too.

  Tears dripped down her face, and she brushed them away, embarrassed and angry she still was so emotional about something that had happened years ago. Amelia rounded the bar and wrapped her arm around Teagan.

  “It’s obvious something bad happened between you and Nick. I’m here if you want to talk about it, but you don’t have to explain.”

  She squeezed Teagan lightly. After a moment, the shorter woman pulled away and met her eyes.

  “Will you be my bridesmaid?”

  Teagan sucked in a surprised breath. Her brother’s fiancée had a much more forgiving nature than she did.

  “Are you sure? Aren’t you still mad at me, just a little?”

  “How can I be mad at you, Teagan? You’re the reason why I’m here today, wearing an obscenely large diamond ring and only weeks away from marrying a man with a good heart and a great butt.”

  Teagan laughed soggily. Amelia was going to be a fabulous sister-in-law.

  “Your engagement ring is gaudy,” she agreed. “And Quinn does have a good heart. But I have no comment on his butt.”

  “I’m a lucky girl,” Amelia said, laughing softly.

  “Is Ava Grace your maid of honor?”

  Ava Grace Landy was Amelia’s best friend. The country music star also had introduced Teagan to Amelia.

  “Yes. She’s flying in later tonight to spend Christmas and New Year’s with us, and then she’ll be back in late February to help with the final wedding plans.” Amelia glanced at the clock on the microwave. “Quinn’s going to be home soon.” She patted Teagan’s back. “Go wash your face, you look like a raccoon.”

  Teagan hopped off the stool and did as Amelia instructed. When she returned to the kitchen, she found Quinn and Amelia kissing as if they hadn’t seen each other for months.

  She cleared her throat, and Quinn held up his forefinger as he continued to kiss his fiancée, indicating he needed a moment. Teagan sighed loudly in exasperation, and Amelia jerked away from him, her face flushed.

  “I’m sorry! I didn’t hear you come back into the kitchen.”

  “You were busy,” Teagan said, waggling her eyebrows.

  Quinn stepped behind Amelia and wrapped his arms around her. He looked over her curly head to meet Teagan’s eyes.

  “What’s up, T?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about asking Nick to head up the museum project.”

  Amelia squeezed Quinn’s forearms to get his attention. She winked at Teagan.

  “I need to get the guest room ready for Ava Grace. Teagan, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Quinn patted Amelia on the butt, watching her as she left the room. He turned back to Teagan, eyebrows raised.

  “So what’s on your mind?”

  Teagan took a deep breath. This conversation was critically important to her sanity, and she couldn’t afford to mess it up.

  “I’m not sure Nick is the best choice. And I’m sure he’d understand if you told him that you had reconsidered your offer.”

  “I disagree. I think Priest is perfect for the job.”

  “Why?” she asked, trying to keep the desperation from her voice. “He doesn’t have any experience. He doesn’t have a background in museum planning or museum studies.”

  Quinn frowned. “Priest is a smart guy. I’m sure he’ll be able to figure it out.” He shrugged. “We were planning on hiring experts to help us anyway. He can manage them.”

  Teagan nodded. She wasn’t going to argue about Nick’s intelligence because she agreed with Quinn. She just didn’t want to work with him.

  Quinn cocked his head, his blue eyes narrowed. “Do you have a problem working with Priest?”

  Teagan widened her eyes, pretending confusion. She shook her head. “No, of course not.” She hoped Quinn would be fooled by her acting. “I just want to make sure we honor Grandma Vi’s wishes and create the very best possible museum. That’s all.”

  Quinn smiled, his eyes glinting under the recessed lighting. “You’re going to be involved in every aspect, T. You’re going to supervise him, remember? You can be as hands on as you want.”

  Teagan pushed back images of being hands on with Nick. She couldn’t handle seeing him every day, closed in a small office with just the two of them. It would kill her.

  “Well, actually, I wanted to talk with you about that, too. My group is really busy right now, and my plate is overflowing. I was thinking it might be better for Cal to take on the museum project.”

  Quinn shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned his behind against the kitchen counter.

  “Cal’s busy, too, T. He has as much on his plate as you have on yours.”

  “You’re right,” she said, trying to be agreeable. “Cal is really busy. Maybe it would be better to postpone the project until one of us has more time.”

  He huffed out a laugh. “There’s never going to be a good time for this project. And you know things are only going to get busier.”

  She nodded, trying to think of what else she could say to change Quinn’s mind. Maybe she could provoke his possessive nature.

  “Are you sure you want Nick hanging around the Riley O’Brien offices? You know how women act around him. He’ll probably be a huge distraction.” She paused meaningfully. “I know Amelia thinks he’s good-looking.”

  “I’m not worried,” Quinn replied, his lips quirking in a small smile. “She likes me better.”

  He gazed at her, his eyes speculative. She worked to keep her face impassive, afraid of what her big brother might see.

  “You’re a woman. Is Priest a distraction for you?”

  You could say that.

  Chapter 25

  The O’Brien family Christmas tree surely rivaled the one in the White House. Teagan stared up at the Douglas fir, which had to be at least twelve feet tall. It dominated the formal living room in her parents’ house, where everyone had gathered to open presents.

  Hundreds of ornaments covered the lush evergreen. Some were homemade, some outrageously expensive. But each one had a special meaning to someone in the O’Brien family.

  Christmas was an all-day affair in the O’Brien household. It started with Christmas breakfast, followed by a frenzy of gift giving and then a huge dinner. After stuffing themselves, the family spent the evening either watching holiday movies or playing games. More often than not, they all fell asleep on t
he sofas in the family room.

  Teagan’s father walked up beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He pulled her to his side, squeezing tightly.

  “Merry Christmas, baby girl.”

  “Merry Christmas, Daddy,” she replied, easing her arm around his waist and leaning her head against him.

  Teagan was relieved she couldn’t feel his ribs beneath his oatmeal-colored sweater. He’d lost a lot of weight while he battled colon cancer and was just now starting to put back on some of the pounds he’d lost.

  “Are you ready to open presents?” he asked, his eyes bright instead of dull like they’d been for the past couple of years.

  “Of course. I was ready to open all of them last night.”

  Her dad laughed. “Weren’t you satisfied with the one you opened?”

  When Teagan was seven years old, she’d begged her parents to let her open just one present after they’d returned from Christmas Eve Mass. They’d refused, telling her that she had to wait for Santa Claus.

  She hadn’t liked their answer, and she’d snuck downstairs in the middle of the night and opened all her presents. To add icing to the Christmas cookie, she’d hidden all her parents’ presents so they couldn’t enjoy them.

  She had been a little brat. But instead of punishing her, Teagan’s parents had created a new tradition, and now everybody got to open one present of their choosing on Christmas Eve.

  Is it any wonder I’m so spoiled?

  Teagan’s dad gave a contented little sigh, drawing her attention from the tree. She pulled back to look up at him, since he was nearly a foot taller than she was.

  After surgery, several months of radiation, and three rounds of chemo, her dad’s cancer was finally in remission. It had been a long, ugly road, and he’d suffered tremendously, along with everyone who loved him.

  Teagan had done her best to be supportive during his treatment. She’d attended doctor’s appointments with him, driven him to his radiation appointments, and kept him company while he received his chemo. Cal and Quinn had done the same thing.