The Girl Who Doesn't Quit (Soulless Book 12)

by Victoria Quinn

  “I never said it wasn’t a big deal. But it’s still early in the game, and more often than not, research doesn’t go the way you want. So, I haven’t gotten my hopes up just yet.”

  The driveway filled up with cars, and soon the entire family was there.

  Bear was swimming in the lake, chasing fish. Dad was at the grill, flipping burgers in his black apron. Derek was teaching Little Deacon and Cam to fish at the edge of the dock, while Ryan sat in my mom’s lap in front of the fire. He had a stick in his hand, and he would burn each marshmallow until it dissolved in the fire. Mom would just put on another one, and he would do it again and again.

  Dex carried Jeffrey in the baby sling in front of his chest, a beer in his hand.

  It was perfect—like every other time we came to the lake house.

  When the sun was gone and the crickets sang their song, we gathered around the fire, all of us having marshmallows on sticks.

  Well, except my dad.

  Most of the babies were asleep, bundled in blankets on top of someone’s chest.

  Dad had his hand on Mom’s thigh while she held Ryan in her arms. “We did pretty good, huh?”

  She smiled as she looked at him. “Because you’re so damn fine.”

  He gave her a dark look with a slight grin. “Not as fine as you.”

  I looked away because that was TMI for me. Jeffrey was asleep in his sling, so cute with his chubby cheeks. He had a beanie on his head to keep him warm. “I can’t wait until the fireworks tomorrow.”

  “Me too,” Dex said. “This is my favorite time of year. Well, besides Christmas.”

  “How’s your practice?” I asked.

  “Busy,” he said. “It’s always busy. And then I got two babies at home, a sexy wife, and a dog.”

  “Where is Riley?”

  He nodded farther down the deck.

  Bear and Riley were asleep in the same dog bed, getting some warmth from the fire.

  “Aw, that’s so cute.”

  “Bear is gonna get laaaaaaid.”

  “Shut up, they’re cousins.”

  “Bear doesn’t care if she’s his cousin or not.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Don’t be gross.”

  He chuckled and drank his beer. “What’s going on with you? I’m sorry we don’t see each other as much as we used to. With two little ones, it’s just hard.”

  “I understand, Dex. Don’t worry about it.”

  “No, you don’t understand,” he said with a chuckle. “When you have kids of your own, then you will understand.”

  “You really make me excited about it…”

  “Nah, it’s great. It’s harder for Sicily because she’s the one who has to be awake all night.”

  “Wow, you’re a dick.”

  “Come on, I have to sleep well every night. I literally stop people’s hearts.”

  “Okay, okay…that’s fair.”

  “I do the cooking and dishes, though. Plus, all the loving when the kids are asleep…”

  I smothered his mouth under my palm. “Okay, enough. Mom and Dad are on their honeymoon over there, and now you’re being gross.”

  He pushed my hand away. “Because we’re in love, Daisy. When you bring Mr. Right around, you’ll be doing it too, and I’m going to give you as much shit about it as you’re giving me.”

  Dad took Derek and the kids fishing in the morning, and then the rest of us went on a hike. Mom told me she used to go on hikes with Dad when Derek was little, and Derek would search the trees in the hopes of finding a bear.

  “I thought Derek was smart?” I asked. “Who wants to find a bear?”

  She chuckled. “He was fearless. Found a lot of interesting bugs, though.”

  When we returned to the cabin, I hit the fridge and got a cold bottle of water and downed the entire thing before I headed to the back patio. My dad and brother were back from fishing, and the grill was smoking, smelling like a mixture of juicy burgers and fish.

  I shut the glass doors behind me and noticed the guys gathered around the barbecue.

  I had to do a double take.

  Because Atlas was there.

  Or am I losing my mind right now?

  My eyes narrowed on him, seeing him in shorts, a t-shirt, and Keds. He had sculpted and toned legs, and his arms looked strong as always. The stubble was gone because he must have shaved that morning.

  Dad didn’t look at me because he was so absorbed in Atlas, giving him smiles in their conversation. My brothers talked to him too, like they were all old friends.

  When I gathered my bearings, I walked over. “Uh, what are you doing here?”

  Dad stopped talking and stared at me.

  My brothers both looked at me, silent at my outburst.

  When Atlas looked at me, he wore a look I’d never seen before—like he was uncomfortable.

  I realized how rude I’d just sounded. “Sorry, that didn’t come out right. Just surprised to see you, is all.”

  Dad flipped the burgers. “I invited him.”

  I glared at Dad with pure menace.

  Dex nudged me in the side, trying to get me to snap out of it.

  I was so annoyed I didn’t know what to do—except go to my mom to vent. I turned around to do just that.

  I stepped into the house. “Mom?” When she didn’t answer, I looked through the glass doors and saw that Atlas had followed me.

  Oh no.

  “Mom, where the hell are you?” I went to the foot of the stairs and looked up, realizing she was probably in the shower.

  Atlas caught up to me. “I thought he told you I was coming.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and faced him. “That’s a reasonable assumption.”

  His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked at me, a little wounded. “I’ll go if you want. I didn’t realize this would make you so uncomfortable.”

  I glanced past him, seeing my dad and brothers looking through the glass to stare at us. They didn’t even try to act like they weren’t watching. I grabbed Atlas’s wrist and pulled him out the front door with me. “Come on, let’s talk.”

  We went to the front of the cabin where the driveway full of vehicles was. A little farther out, a sea of pines provided adequate shade and relief from the summer sun. I was still in my workout leggings and sports bra, my hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. The sweat still dampened the roots of my hair, and my skin probably glistened with perspiration. Basically, I looked like shit.

  We made it to the trees, and I turned around.

  Atlas stood there, his hands in the pockets of his shorts, one foot slightly in front of the other. He stood tall and exuded confidence.

  “It’s not you, okay? I’m just annoyed with my dad right now.”

  “Really? Because it seems like the reason you’re annoyed with him is because he invited me here.”

  “Because he’s trying to be Lady Whistledown or something.”

  Both eyebrows rose. “I’m not following here.”

  “He’s trying to set us up.”

  Now his eyebrows rose higher, like that was a genuine surprise to him.

  “A couple days ago, we were playing chess, and he was like, ‘Oh, Atlas is a fine young man and shit.’” I impersonated his deep voice. “And then he was like, ‘You’re compatible, and he’s hot and crap.’ Like, what? He didn’t tell me he invited you, so this is part of his evil scheme.”

  He gave a slight nod, his eyes dropping for a moment. “Your dad wants you to go out with me?”

  “Ridiculous, right?”

  He shrugged. “I mean, that’s quite the compliment.”

  “Maybe for you. But it’s humiliating for me. I can get my own dates. I want you to understand I’m not some loser who can’t get laid, because trust me, I can. I get laid all the time.”

  A slow grin crept on to his face. “I’m sure you do.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything, but since he upped his game, I had to come clean. I’m sorry about all this. I’
ve never been embarrassed by my family, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. I’m sure you’re uncomfortable, and I’m sorry about that.”

  His eyes stayed down for a moment before he shook his head. “I’m not uncomfortable.”

  “Well, thanks for being understanding about this.”

  He looked into the trees for a moment, his brown eyes the color of the pines around us. “Why don’t we?”

  “Why don’t we what?” I asked. “Leave? Sounds pretty tempting right now…”

  “No.” He focused his stare on me, his intense eyes piercing into mine. “Why don’t we give this a try?”

  Stone-faced, I just stared.

  “They’re right…I am hot.” A handsome smile moved on to his lips. “And I’m not going to lie…you’re very hot.”

  “Que?”

  “Are we…are we speaking Spanish now? Yes, muy caliente.”

  I tightened my arms over my chest, speechless.

  “We have a lot in common. We get along well—”

  “I thought you hated me.”

  “I thought you were a pain in the ass, yes. I guess you still kinda are, but I enjoy it now. You’re insanely smart, and I told you I like smart women. It makes sense.”

  “Okay, when I told you all this, I did not expect the conversation to go this way.”

  “And when you pulled me out here, I didn’t expect to learn that your father actually thinks I’m good enough for you. That’s damn flattering. So why don’t we give it a try?”

  “You’re my boss.”

  He shrugged. “Who cares? There’s no rule against it.”

  I was running out of reasons.

  He wore a grin, but this time, it was smug.

  “I need to think about it…”

  12

  Atlas

  The guys and girls broke off into two different groups.

  Daisy sat on the couches on the other side of the deck with her mom and sisters-in-law, probably talking about what had just happened.

  I sat beside Dr. Hamilton and his two sons. Derek looked just like him, and Dex was a better mixture of him and his wife. Derek kept an eye on the kids as they played together on the deck.

  “After I started that internship program, there was increased interest at the company. A lot of really bright people begin their careers that way, and it’s given me the opportunity to cherry-pick the talent I’m looking for.” Derek spoke between bites of his burger. “It takes a village for innovation, which is true. The company has grown significantly because of the program, and if Emerson weren’t there to help me, I’d drown.”

  “And you somehow manage to fit in a book here and there along the way?” I asked, impressed.

  “That’s my wife’s doing,” he said. “She loves my books, so she would never let me stop writing.”

  Dex munched on a couple chips that were sitting on his plate. “Derek was a huge asshole until Emerson walked in. Night and day, man.”

  Derek glared at him.

  “What?” Dex asked innocently. “You were.”

  “At least I wasn’t a pussy,” Derek snapped. “Too scared to practice medicine until yours came along.”

  I turned my head and looked at Daisy with her family, wearing cutoff jean shorts with a pink halter top, sunglasses on the bridge of her nose.

  Dr. Hamilton scolded him calmly. “Watch the language in front of the boys.”

  “I think Ryan has the right to know that his father was a douche.” Derek teased his brother like they were still kids living under their father’s roof.

  Dex shook his head. “Rather be a douche than an asshole.”

  I was already aware of both of their careers, and I’d seen them in interviews online, but I didn’t expect them to be this laid-back. It was a vacation, but they were chill like regular people. Instead of taking the opportunity to brag about how accomplished they were, they teased one another.

  Dr. Hamilton gave Dex a gentle kick. “Knock it off.”

  Dex went back to eating his chips.

  Derek looked at me. “Dad told me about the research you guys are doing. Sounds promising.”

  “I think so,” I said. “We saw encouraging results in mice every single time we ran the tests. Substantial growth—growth of healthy tissues. The impact it could have on humans would be life-changing. People wouldn’t have to live with a chronic disease and be on oxygen, or, worse, develop cancer.”

  “Atlas has done most of the work on this project,” Dr. Hamilton said. “By the time I get there, he’s already done for the day.”

  “Just because I have to head to the clinic,” I explained, not wanting the glory I didn’t deserve.

  “He’s modest,” Dr. Hamilton said. “The first time I interviewed him, I knew I was in the presence of greatness.”

  Derek stilled and gave a slight nod. “Wow.”

  I really didn’t deserve his praise. Derek was a rocket scientist, and I could never do that.

  “It’s no wonder why you and Daisy butt heads,” Dex said. “She likes to be the alpha. She grew up with a bunch of boys, so she’s used to doing her best to outshine us. That’s what she’s trying to do with you.”

  “We don’t butt heads anymore,” I explained. “We work well together now. She’s my favorite colleague, actually. Whenever I need someone to brainstorm a patient with me, she’s my first pick. She’s…really smart. And she cares.”

  Dr. Hamilton gave a nod after he chewed his bite. “She’s very special.”

  “And the favorite,” Derek said.

  “Totally the favorite,” Dex added.

  Dr. Hamilton didn’t deny it.

  Something happened with one of the kids, and a tantrum ensued.

  “Little Deacon, what’s going on?” Derek set his plate aside and went over to his sons, trying to resolve the issue with his kids.

  The third one continued to play like nothing happened.

  Dex grinned with pride. “That one’s mine. Derek doesn’t like the fact that he’s not the only one with cute kids anymore.”

  The third kid pushed another one over and took his toy.

  Dex’s face turned stark white. “Ryan, what the hell was that?” He set his food aside and joined Derek on the deck.

  Dr. Hamilton finished his salmon burger then wiped his hands with a napkin. “The nice thing about being a grandfather…it’s not my problem.”

  All three kids started to cry.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, you already paid your dues.”

  He took a drink of his beer and stared at the lake. “Are you and Daisy okay?”

  “Yeah, we’re good. But I have to ask something.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Are you inviting me to things just to set me up with your daughter?” It was flattering, but it was also disappointing because I thought his intentions were genuine. It had seemed like he was invested in me as a person, as a friend.

  He turned to look at me, putting down his beer at the same time. “She told you.”

  “Yeah.”

  “The answer is no. Our relationship is independent of that suggestion. I invited you here because I wanted you here. I thought you’d enjoy my company as well as my sons’. The reason why I didn’t tell her you were coming was because…I just didn’t want her to make the wrong assumption about my intentions.”

  “Thanks for explaining that to me.”

  He moved his hand to my shoulder and gave me a pat before he looked at the lake again.

  “I’m flattered that you suggested that to her.”

  He grabbed his beer and took a drink. “I stay out of her personal life as much as possible. I did the same with my sons, but I was a little more involved in that because we’re all men. It’s different with her, as much as I wish it weren’t. It was really uncomfortable for me to mention it to her, and I could tell it was uncomfortable for her too. But I just wanted the suggestion on the table, some encouragement, is all. If you guys are just friends and have no interest in eac
h other, that’s fine. We can forget about it.”

  “Well…I asked her out.”

  Dr. Hamilton turned to look at me, his eyes narrowed in surprise before they filled with excitement. “Her response?”

  “She said she had to think about it.”

  He grinned then looked forward again. “Good.”

  It was dark out, and everyone was waiting for the fireworks to start.

  Most of her family had blankets and chairs on the dock so they could have the best view possible. Bear and Riley took the couches that everyone had vacated. Daisy was still in the house, and I waited for her to come out so I could actually talk to her.

  She stepped out and shut the glass door behind her, a cookie in her hand.

  “You’re going to avoid me until I leave?”

  She took a bite of the cookie and chewed it as she stared at me. “I don’t have an answer yet.”

  “That’s fine.” I broke off a piece of her cookie and popped it into my mouth.

  Her eyes narrowed. “How dare you?”

  “How dare you not bring me one?”

  Her eyes narrowed more, then she went back into the house and retrieved an extra.

  With our cookies, we left the patio and headed to the dock.

  Then the fireworks started, a boom hitting the sky, colors flashing in the darkness.

  She halted and almost dropped her cookie. “Oh god, that would have been bad.”

  “I would have gotten you another.”

  “You mean gotten yourself another because I would have taken yours.”

  “Why would I let you take my cookie when you haven’t agreed to go out with me?”

  She forced an angry look, but since it wasn’t genuine, it was just cute. “That’s how it is, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  We stood together and ate our cookies as the fireworks exploded in the sky. The kids cheered, bundled in blankets, enjoying a traditional Fourth of July.

  I finished my cookie and brushed off the crumbs by wiping my hands together.

  With her arms crossed over her chest, she stared at the sky, the colors reflecting in her eyes.

  It was meant to be a glance, but it turned into so much more.