Leaving Bluestone (17 page)

They talked about the shower plans for a few minutes longer than Lily had initially intended, but she wanted to make sure her friend was doing all right before she left the house.

On the short drive to the bar and grill, she imagined herself pregnant.  When she reached the bar, she walked into Quinn’s with a smile on her face.

“What are you so happy about?”

“Seeing you, of course.” She took her usual spot at the end of the bar. “You are going to Trinity’s baby shower this weekend, right?”

He made a face. “Not really something I wanted to do.”

“It’s a co-ed baby shower.”

“Is that somehow supposed to make it better?”

She stuck her tongue out at him and took the glass of pop he offered. “For me, it will. Come on, Leo’s your best friend. Don’t leave him hanging around with a bunch of women.”

“I’m not that good of a friend,” he said with a smile, and walked to the other end of the bar.

***

But he was. He sat by the gas fire pit on the deck with the men a few days later, drinking coffee. Through the glass door he watched Lily, who protested being able to do girly stuff, doing just fine with the girly stuff. She and Beth had decorated the table and the counter with blue tablecloths, and had a spread of food that would appeal to both genders—wings and meatballs and finger sandwiches and chips and veggies. They’d constructed tiered cupcakes to resemble a cake, and there were pictures of stuffed animals, and real stuffed animals, everywhere. Trinity looked gorgeous and happy in the big middle of it all, and Quinn couldn’t help sneak a glance at his friend as he watched the woman he loved with pride written all over his face.

What would that feel like, that permanence, that depth of connection, knowing the woman you loved was having your child? He hadn’t even managed to tell Lily he loved her, hadn’t even done as she asked those weeks ago, hadn’t taken down the for sale sign. What kind of asshole was he that he kept sleeping with the woman he loved but couldn’t make a commitment to her?

Just then she looked up from serving spiced cider to Joan and smiled at him through the window. Maybe it was time to take down the sign, tell her he loved her, put a ring on her finger.

Maddox nudged him. “I know that look.”

“What look?” Quinn asked.

“The one where you’re scared shitless because if you don’t do something, she could walk away, and if you do something, well, hell, your life will change.” Maddox gave him a look. “Your life could use some changing.”

“Doesn’t last, though, this feeling,” Quinn said. “In my family, the only one happily married is the one who’s been married less than ten years. The rest of them don’t even talk to each other.”

“Well, that’s a choice. My folks have been married almost forty years. When I was young, I remember them flirting and teasing. It was embarrassing when I was a teenager, but I understand it a lot more now. Getting Beth to go along with it is something else, though. You know she had a bad enough example.” The singer rested his forearms on his knees as he cradled his mug between his hands. “I thought the two of you had something when I first got here, but that would have just been a mistake, wouldn’t it? You’d never talk to each other.”

Quinn snorted.

“Lily is the one who’s perfect for you. And the one who’s perfect for you will save your life, man. Trust me. I know.”

***

That night Lily sat on his lap with her long legs folded over his, wearing his shirt and nothing else as he kissed her throat.

“I have a surprise for you,” she said, angling her head to encourage him.

“I like surprises.” He slid his hands up her bare thighs to her naked ass.

“I’ve been on the pill long enough. We don’t have to use a condom anymore.”

He drew back to look at her. He hadn’t known she was on the pill. That implied some sense of permanence, didn’t it? Yet he couldn’t be too scared by the implication when it meant he could be bare inside her. Just the idea had his breath hitching, and he tumbled her onto her back.

“You’re sure?”

Her eyes clouded a moment and she frowned. “I’m not trying to trick you, Quinn.”

“That’s not—I’ve never had sex without a condom.”

Her face softened and she reached up to caress his cheek. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.” And with a shift of her body, she brought him into her.

He let himself be swallowed by the sensations for a moment, the heat, the slickness, and felt like a virgin all over again, fighting for control of his body before he began to move. He couldn’t believe how incredible it felt, skin on skin, delicious friction, her body clasping, so slick and tight. He shifted and looked into her eyes, saw her smiling.

“Amazing?” he managed.

She laughed and reached up to kiss him. He cupped his hands under her ass, settling deeper into her.

“I’m not going to last,” he warned.

In answer, she lifted her hips. He drove himself into her, losing himself in the experience, her body gripping him like a fist, and he exploded in her, adding to the heat, staying deep until he emptied.

And when he was done, he stayed for a few minutes longer because he could, then brought her against his side and kissed her forehead, her cheek, her mouth. When he fell asleep with her in his arms, he dreamed about a log house on the lake, and Lily with her stomach rounded with his child.

Chapter Eleven

The nights were the only times he saw her anymore, as she worked on the Christmas arts and crafts festival. On top of that, people were missing the movie nights and baseball games from the summer and bugging her to think of something to entertain them, like she was everyone’s mother. So while she wasn’t busy on the launch—ice-up was a few weeks out, and then she’d be overseeing the distribution of the ice houses—she was working on the festival and the community Thanksgiving dinner, and collapsing into bed with him every night.

“My folks are coming for Christmas,” she said one night when he reached for her.

“Okay.” He hadn’t seen them since early in the summer. “Is there something I should do? Does this, I mean, do you want me to stop coming over?”

She cupped her hand over his cheek. “Just like a man to wonder if he’s going to get laid or not. No, you can still come over. My parents know I’m a big girl.”

A flush heated his face. “I meant—do they know we’re together?”

Her smile gentled. “They know. I do talk to them.”

He resisted the urge to ask what they thought about their vivacious daughter with the sullen barkeeper. He didn’t really want to know.

“They’re not going to—expect anything?”

“Like what? A ring on my finger? They may try to nudge you in that direction.”

Some of the light went out of her eyes and she shifted away, making him wonder. Did she want a ring? Of course she did. Her best friend was married and pregnant. Beth, also her age, was engaged. And they’d been sleeping together for three months. Her thoughts had to drift in that direction.

“Lily.” He stroked her hair against her back.

“I was going to ask if you would invite your family.”

He stilled. “Are you crazy?”

“They could stay in my cabins. It’s going to be hard for them the first year without your father. They might really enjoy themselves here in Bluestone.”

“I could care less.”

“Quinn. It’s important.”

He slanted a look at her. “Not to me. You’ve met them, Lily. You really want to subject your family to that?” Another thought occurred to him. “Or is it to keep me busy while you’re off with your family?”

“No, of course not. I want you to spend time with my family, too. But maybe if your family gets to know you, gets to know what you enjoy, you can get along.”

“You can’t fix us, Lily. It’s too late.”

“It’s not too late until they’re gone.”

That gave him a twinge, and he curled upright and got off the bed. “The answer’s no. I’m going to go home.”

“Don’t be mad, Quinn.”

“I’m not. I just—not feeling very romantic right now.”

“When do you ever?” she teased. “Just horny.”

“Yeah, not that, either.” He stopped at the bedroom door and turned back to her. “I’m not mad. I just—really don’t want to think about them.”

She folded her arms behind her on the pillow and eyed him. “And what do you suppose you’ll do when you go home?”

She was right, of course, but he turned and left anyway.

***

Thanksgiving morning was cold and rainy, but Quinn was at the bar and grill early setting up the tables and wondering how in hell his place became the Bluestone community center. It wasn’t because he was sleeping with the organizer of this damned thing—he’d fallen into her trap before he’d fallen into her bed. They’d held out hope that the uncommonly warm weather from last week would hold and they could celebrate outside, but Mother Nature had decided to crowd Quinn a little more, possibly to see if he would lose his mind.

He hadn’t returned to Lily’s bed since the discussion about bringing his family here. He wasn’t mad, but he didn’t want to open up the conversation again. They’d talked, but she hadn’t brought it up again, hadn’t mentioned the lonely nights.

He missed her. Tonight he was going to drag her home, or follow her home and make everything right. For now, he’d do whatever she told him to do, and pray for this day to be over.

Then she came through the door backwards, carrying the biggest damned turkey he’d ever seen. He crossed to her, set the bird on a nearby table, took her face in his hands and kissed her.

“Wow,” she said, laughing when he lifted his head.

For the first time he saw Trinity, Beth, and several other women were behind her, similarly laden. He and Lily hadn’t been affectionate with each other in front of anyone, though everyone knew they were sleeping together. He hadn’t really thought his kiss would end up being the gesture that invited everyone into their business.

Trinity led the way past them with a grin. “We have work.”

But the rest of the morning, Lily smiled across the room at him, even as she bossed him around.

Then people started pouring into his bar, sitting at all the tables he’d set up, lining up along the bar to serve themselves from the turkeys he and Leo carved, the rows of casseroles prepared by different families, organized ruthlessly by Lily. Trinity’s brother, the preacher, offered grace, and everyone stood together to hold hands, then they sat at the tables.

After the clean-up—not so bad with everyone pitching in and taking home their old dirty dishes—Lily was swaying on her feet.

“All right, enough,” Quinn announced to Beth and Maddox, who were still helping. Leo had taken the very pregnant Trinity home hours ago. “The rest will wait. This one won’t go home until we do, and she’s done.”

“We can finish,” Lily protested as Maddox and Beth bundled up, but her words were slurred.

“Tomorrow,” he said firmly, and shooed out the other couple before helping Lily into her coat. Holy hell, her muscles were as limp as noodles. “Going to make yourself sick pushing yourself like this.”

“I like it.” Her voice was muffled as he wound her scarf around her face and tugged her beanie over her hair.

She leaned against the door as he put on his own coat, scarf and gloves, then he urged her out of the bar and locked up.

***

When he woke, he reached across the mattress before opening his eyes, but he was alone. He sat up as the sunlight streamed through the high uncovered windows in her bedroom. Had the fool gone back to the bar to finish cleaning?

The room was warm, but he was still reluctant to leave the comfort of the bed. Unusual—he used to be the one who had trouble sleeping.

He found her in the living room on her couch, wrapped in a blanket as she hunched over the coffee table, notes everywhere.

“What’s this?” he asked, padding to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

“Layout for the arts and crafts festival. I’m trying to mix it up, you know? Pottery next to jewelry next to fabric goods, that kind of thing.”

“I thought Trinity’s mother was helping with this.”

“She is, but I couldn’t sleep.”

He came up behind her, coffee cup in hand, and kissed the top of her head. “I might be able to come up with a remedy for that.”

She gave him a distracted smile and moved a few more notes around.

“Lily. Come back to bed with me.”

“I can’t. I have my period.”

Well, hell. There went that plan. But, “Come let me hold you anyway. I’ve missed you.”

“You’re the one who wasn’t feeling romantic.”

“But I am now.” Maybe if she lay down in his arms, she could sleep, let her mind rest. He tugged at the blanket playfully.

She tugged back, scowling over her shoulder. “Go ahead if you want. I’ll be in later.”

Somehow he knew she wouldn’t. She was too wrapped up with being in charge, and had no room for him now. Unexpectedly stung, he headed in to shower.

***

The first day of the festival was beautiful, temperatures in the fifties, which made it a bit nippy in the shade, but the sun was shining and glorious, unusual for two weeks before Christmas. Lily was running around enough to keep warm. Trinity had said she would help but wasn’t feeling well. Of course she wasn’t—she was about a million months pregnant and looking ready to burst. She hadn’t seen Quinn all day, but he was probably busy in the bar with the spouses of the crafters, and the people who had come from nearby towns to shop for Christmas. Maybe she’d go in there and take a load off for a bit. She had her cell in her pocket, and all the crafters had her number if they needed her.

She was heading up the steps when the phone rang. When she looked at the display, it wasn’t an unfamiliar number—it was Trinity.

“Hey, lazy,” Lily greeted.

“Do you know where Leo is?” her friend’s panicked voice demanded.

“No. What? Are you okay?”

“My water broke. God, what a mess. I need Leo, please, Lily. He’s not answering his phone.”