Tin Queen
Page 31
I put my hands by my ears and made the sound of an exploding bomb.
He laughed. “You’ll catch on.”
“Yes, you will,” Janice said.
“Thank you for everything,” I told her. “I’m really looking forward to working with you.”
She sat a little straighter. “Likewise.”
“Okay, Winnie.” Pops slapped his hands on his knees. “Let’s go grab some lunch. Then I’ve got to get to my own office, and I’ll let you come back here and settle in.”
“I’ll be here when you get back.” Janice squeezed my arm as we shuffled out of my office.
Pops simply nodded, maintaining his distance. Tonight, when I wasn’t Chief Covington and he wasn’t Mayor Covington, I’d head to his house and get one of his bear hugs.
“How about we eat at The Eloise?” he suggested as we made our way outside.
“The hotel?”
He nodded. “It would be good for you to spend some time there. Get to know the Edens.”
The Edens. Quincy’s founding family.
Pops had promised that the fastest way to earn favor with the community was to win over the Edens. One of their relatives from generations past had founded the town and the family had been the community’s cornerstone ever since.
“They own the hotel, remember?” he asked.
“I remember. I just didn’t realize there was a restaurant in the hotel these days.” Probably because I hadn’t spent much time in Quincy lately.
The six trips I’d taken here to participate in the interview process had been my first trips to Quincy in years. Five, to be exact.
But when Skyler and I had fallen to pieces and Pops had pitched the job as chief, I’d decided it was time for a change. And Quincy, well . . . Quincy had always held a special place in my heart.
“The Edens started the hotel’s restaurant about four years ago,” Pops said. “It’s the best place in town, in my opinion.”
“Then let’s eat.” I unlocked my car. “Meet you there.”
I followed his Bronco from the station to Main Street, taking in the plethora of out-of-state cars parked downtown. Tourist season was in full swing and nearly every space was full.
Pops parked two blocks away from Main on a side street, and side by side, we strolled to The Eloise Inn.
The town’s iconic hotel was the tallest building in Quincy, standing proudly against the mountain backdrop in the distance. I’d always wanted to spend a night at The Eloise. Maybe one day I’d book myself a room, just for fun.
The lobby smelled of lemons and rosemary. The front desk was an island in the grand, open space, and a young woman with a sweet face stood behind the counter, checking in a guest. When she spotted Pops, she tossed him a wink.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
“Eloise Eden. She took over as manager this past winter.”
Pops waved at her, then walked past the front desk toward an open doorway. The clatter of forks on plates and the dull murmur of conversation greeted me as we entered the hotel’s restaurant.
The dining room was spacious and the ceilings as tall as those in the lobby. It was the perfect place for entertaining. Almost a ballroom but filled with tables of varying sizes, it also worked well as a restaurant.
“They just put in those windows.” Pops pointed at the far wall where black-paned windows cut into a red-brick wall. “Last time I talked to Harrison, he said this fall they’ll be remodeling this whole space.”
Harrison Eden. The family’s patriarch. He’d been on the hiring committee, and I liked to believe I’d made a good impression. According to Pops, if I hadn’t, there was no way I’d have gotten my job.
A hostess greeted us with a wide smile and led us to a square table in the center of the room.
“Which of the Edens runs the restaurant?” I asked as we browsed the menu card.
“Knox. He’s Harrison and Anne’s second oldest son. Eloise is their youngest daughter.”
Harrison and Anne, the parents. Knox, a son. Eloise, a daughter. There were likely many more Edens to meet.
Down Main, the Eden name was splashed on numerous storefronts, including the coffee shop I wished I’d had time to stop by this morning. Last night’s antics were catching up to me, and I hid a yawn with my menu.
“They’re good people,” Pops said. “You’ve met Harrison. Anne’s a sweetheart. Their opinion carries a lot of weight around here. So does Griffin’s.”
Griffin. Did he say Griffin?
My stomach dropped.
No. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a mistake. There had to be another Griffin, one who didn’t live in Quincy. I’d specifically asked him last night if he lived in town and he’d said no. Hadn’t he?
“Hey, Covie.”
So busy having my mental freak-out that I’d slept with not only a local man, but one I needed to see me as a professional and not a backseat hookup, I didn’t notice the two men standing beside our table until it was too late.
Harrison Eden smiled.
Griffin, who was just as handsome as he had been last night, did not.
Had he known who I was last night? Had that been some sort of test or trick? Doubtful. He looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him.
“Hey, Harrison.” Pops stood to shake his hand, then waved at me. “You remember my granddaughter, Winslow.”
“Of course.” Harrison took my hand as I stood, shaking it with a firm grip. “Welcome. We’re glad to have you as our new chief of police.”
“Thank you.” My voice was surprisingly steady considering my heart was attempting to dive out of my chest and hide under the table. “I’m glad to be here.”
“Would you like to join us?” Pops offered, nodding to the empty chairs at our table.
“No,” Griffin said at the same time his father said, “We’d love to.”
Neither Pops nor Harrison seemed to notice the tension rolling off Griffin’s body as they took their chairs, leaving Griffin and me to introduce ourselves.
I swallowed hard, then extended a hand. “Hello.”
That sharp jaw I’d traced with my tongue last night clenched so tight that I heard the crack of his molars. He glared at my hand before capturing it in his large palm. “Griffin.”
Griffin Eden.
My one-night stand.
So much for serendipity.
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Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading Tin Queen! This series has been an amazing journey for me as a writer, and saying goodbye to these characters is bittersweet. The Clifton Forge crew will always hold a piece of my heart. When I introduced Dash in The Clover Chapel, I had no idea that years later, we’d be here. That I’d love the Tin Gypsy books so incredibly much. For everyone who’s been with me to the end of this series, thank you!
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Special thanks to my editing and proofreading team: Elizabeth, Julie, Karen and Judy. Thank you to Hang Le for the cover. Thanks to my agent, Kimberly, and the team at Brower Literary. And my publicist, Nina, and the team at Valentine PR. Thank you to the fantastic bloggers who read and promote my stories.
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A massive thanks to the members of Perry and Nash. I love that you love the Tin Gypsies. I am so grateful for your daily encouragement and the joy you bring to my life.
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To my friends and family, I am so blessed to have you all. Thank you for being the best support squad in the world.
About the Author
Devney is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Washington with her husband and two sons. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.
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