Chapter 30 #2
This morning at yoga
Why?
Shouldn’t you know where your wife is?
What’s going on??
Ford:
Relax
Addison:
Say that to my face
Um, I’d pass on that because for being such a tiny thing, she could throw a punch like…well, like she had five older brothers who’d taught her how to throw a punch.
Addison:
I don’t have time to sit around and wait for your slow-ass, old-man texting skills
I’m showing some guests to their cottage
Aiden’s doing a supply run
Don’t touch anything except the package while I’m gone
I mean it!
I’ll know if something is out of place
I rolled my eyes but tossed my phone on the seat and drove toward the inn, my fingers drumming on the steering wheel. I wanted to see Quinn now. Wanted to tell her all the things I loved about her while I was buried inside her, kissing away every one of her insecurities.
But it wasn’t going to be that easy, and I still had no idea how to approach this. And since I had absolutely zero impulse control, I took a roundabout way to avoid driving past our cottage because if I saw her car there, I’d be tempted to stop and go in half-cocked without a plan.
Instead, I drove the long way. Most of the cottages were occupied now—a far cry from only a few months ago—but it’d been a relief to the whole family.
It was more work for us—Aiden and Addison, especially—and I wasn’t sure how long we’d be able to continue on with just us running the show. But for now, we made it work.
By the time I pulled into the parking lot in front of the main inn, I still had no idea what to do about Quinn.
No idea how to go about winning her back.
But I shoved that aside as I parked next to a rental car in front of the main inn.
A Be Right Back sign hung on the inn door, but I knew from experience it wouldn’t be locked, so I made my way inside.
It was quiet, unsurprisingly since both Addison and Aiden were gone. She didn’t tell me where she’d stowed the package, so I headed to the check-in counter first, my steps faltering when I saw someone standing there.
“Can I help—” I started, my words cutting off when the man turned around to face me.
Quinn’s father stood in front of me, a too-bright smile on his face. It was the first time I’d seen him since Quinn and I had gotten married…since she’d shared the devastating stories from her childhood, with him featuring as one of the villains.
Where once I would’ve seen an overly polished man who was obsessed with his appearance—his perfectly groomed hair, freshly shaven face, and name-brand items from head to toe—now all I saw was her abuser.
What he’d done to her might not have been physical, but his words had hurt her just as badly as a blow would have.
“Mr. Cartwright,” I said, my voice cool.
“Oh, I think we’re probably beyond that, all things considered.” He winked at me, like we were both in on a secret. “You can call me Brock.”
“I don’t think so. What can I do for you?”
He sniffed, clearly not used to people not fawning over him, and shifted on his feet.
“Well, I’m hoping you can help me find my daughter.
She hasn’t been returning my or her mother’s calls, and we’re worried about her.
Since she wouldn’t pick up the phone, I had to take some time out of my schedule to fly up here and make sure everything was okay. You know how she can get…”
I folded my arms over my chest and leaned back against the counter. “No, I don’t think I do. Why don’t you enlighten me?”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, you know. Always so dramatic. Making a bigger deal out of everything than it is. She does love to play the victim.”
This motherfucker…
“You think she’s the one who plays the victim,” I said, tone flat.
He blew out a long-suffering sigh and shook his head.
“Afraid so. She’s been doing it since she was little.
Her mother and I have tried to get her to stop—honestly, it was embarrassing.
Well, I’m sure you know what that’s like now.
Being—” he cleared his throat, giving me a once-over “—married to her.”
“Oh, I know exactly what she’s like.”
Beautiful and kind and strong and stubborn and committed and determined and soft in all the perfect ways and loyal and giving and a million other qualities I couldn’t even detail.
“Exactly, so you know she’s—”
“I’m not sure what you think is going to happen here,” I said, cutting him off. “Or if you thought somehow I’d be stupid enough to take your words at face value… As if my wife hadn’t confided in me all the awful, fucked-up things you’ve been doing to her for years. But I—”
“Whoa, whoa. Now wait just a minute.” He held out his hands, as if that would be enough to calm me down, his face a mask of concern that was pure bullshit.
“I don’t know what she’s told you, but you have to take what she says with a grain of salt.
Girls like her say whatever they need to to get the attention they aren’t going to get otherwise because… well, you know.”
“No, I don’t know.”
“She’s—”
“You think I’m just going to let you stand here and insult my wife?” I pushed off from the counter and stepped toward him. “Go ahead. Try it again.”
He held up his hands in placation, the corners of his mouth turned down.
“Look, I’m sorry if you were offended by what I said.
I just want to talk to my daughter. I haven’t seen her in months, she’s not answering our calls, and then last night, I find out my best friend died at her hands.
” He shook his head, his facade cracking for a moment as anger overtook his features.
“Well, it wouldn’t surprise me if she just let it happen.
She’s always hated him, even when he gave her a handout so she could work at his clinic.
God knows he could’ve found a dozen other more qualified physicians to take her place. ”
“Get out,” I said, my voice hard as I pointed to the front door.
“Excuse me?”
“Get the fuck out, get back in your rental car, head to the airport, and fly home. If you think I’m going to let you within breathing distance of Quinn, you’re out of your mind.
I don’t want you here, and it’s obvious neither does she, so I’m not letting you anywhere near my wife.
Not now, not ever. Not when I’m around.”
“You can’t stop me from seeing my own daughter.”
“The fuck I can’t.” I stood to my full height—I had a couple inches on him and quite a bit of muscle, and I was damn well going to use it—and stared him down.
“If she says she wants to see you, then I’ll support her, but that hasn’t happened.
So it’s time for you to get out before I call the sheriff and let him know you’re trespassing on our family’s property. ”
He breathed out a forced laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
“Can’t I?”
“How am I supposed to talk to her if she’s not answering?”
“Maybe take that as the hint it is—your daughter doesn’t want to speak to you anymore.”
“Well, she can’t just—”
“She can, and she did. And it’s about fucking time because you’ve been abusing her for too long. Don’t contact her again. If she wants to be in touch with you, she will be. Do we understand each other?”
His demeanor changed so fast, it was almost like a switch being flipped. One minute, he was all confusion and remorse, and then next, he was glaring at me, his eyes hard and jaw tight, hands clenched at his sides.
But I wasn’t moving. In fact, I wished he’d take a swing at me so I could lay him out.
He could try to intimidate me all he wanted, but it wasn’t working.
This waste of space thought I was going to let him within a ten-mile radius of Quinn?
I didn’t fucking think so. Not when he was only going to pile more stress on her shoulders.
Not when his only intention was to tear her down.
When he finally realized I wasn’t budging, he sneered at me. “You can keep her. She’s been nothing but an embarrassment from day one.”
The only thing that kept me from decking this asshole was the fact that if I were in jail for assault and battery—and there was no way this motherfucker wouldn’t press charges—I wouldn’t be able to find Quinn and make things right between us.
“I’ll gladly keep her. For the rest of my life, if I’m lucky.”
Finally, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the inn, his tires screeching in his quick retreat.
What an absolute piece of shit. I felt like I needed a shower after that ten-minute interaction just to wash off the slime.
And Quinn had put up with that for more than thirty years.
Put up with it and somehow still turned into the woman she was. The woman I loved.
I made a quick detour to the back office in search of the package, finding the small box on Addison’s messy desk.
Without reading the label, I opened it to find a small black box inside, shock registering as I lifted the lid and pulled out what was inside.
I stared at the item for long moments, turning it this way and that, a tiny detail making me shake my head as hope swept over me for the first time.