Chapter 20
“Okay, what’s going on?” Knox asked Greer, the Rose sisters, Kale, and Nabi when everyone sat down with a sandwich from the shop down the street from Quinn’s office.
Quinn had been wondering the same thing. Her bag was now in Knox’s car and her home was taped off. A lunch date wasn’t on her mind.
“Nabi and I need to get to the computers in Quinn’s office. We want to plant a little spyglass to let us look around when they’re online,” Kale explained.
“Isn’t that illegal?” Quinn asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, which is why the two people with diplomatic immunity are doing it,” Greer told her as she calmly munched on a pickle.
“And we’re the distraction,” Miss Lily told her with a big grin. They looked so happy that it made Quinn smile.
“So, Knox, you go back to work. We’ve got Quinn for the afternoon and I’ll take her to girls’ night. You can pick her up from there.”
“Oh,” Quinn said, trying to hide the disappointment from her voice. Sleep was sounding really good right now. “Won’t I be a danger to you all?”
Greer smiled as if Quinn were a child. “Don’t you worry.
Girls’ night is probably the safest place in the world for you.
I have three guns on me right now and I’d love a good reason to shoot someone with all these hormones.
Sophie designs weapons and lets us try them out.
Then there’s Abby who can take down an entire government single-handedly. You’re good.”
Quinn looked to Knox who nodded in agreement. “You will be safe. And I’ll see you around eight. I won’t stay late at guys’ night.”
Quinn looked at her watch. Seven hours. How much can happen in seven hours?
Quinn stared in shock as Neil’s head disappeared into the depths of Miss Violet’s enormous bosom. Juniper was recording it on her phone. Archie paled since Miss Violet promised he’d be next. Karson’s eyebrows were so far up they almost disappeared under his hair swoosh.
“Who are you people?” Archie stuttered.
Quinn cleared her throat and plastered on a big smile. “This is my friend, Greer. And these are her great-aunts: Miss Lily, Miss Daisy, and Miss Violet.”
“And who are they?” Karson asked of Kale and Nabi.
Miss Lily reached up and pinched Karson’s cheek. Hard. “Those are our nurses. They don’t speak much English, but they’re nice to look at and they have a portable AED in case we have a heart attack.”
Everyone turned to look at them. Kale held up a laptop case that had AED written on the side of it in big letters. Then the “nurses” were dismissed. No one would look at the help.
“Now, Quinn didn’t tell us she worked with such handsome men,” Miss Lily cooed, drawing their attention as Kale and Nabi slipped into the conference room where the men had left their computers open. “Come over here and tell us about yourselves.”
Before Quinn’s old team could look back, they were each attached to a senior citizen who was leading them to the break room.
“We brought plenty of dessert for you boys,” Miss Daisy told them.
“And some special tea, just for you three.” The look Miss Lily wore was slightly scary even though it was a smile.
Greer took Quinn’s arm and moved the door so that they blocked the guys in the breakroom. It wasn’t hard to do with Greer’s very large, very round belly. The tea looked good, but Greer stopped her from getting any with a slight shake of her head. “You can have some tonight,” she whispered.
Okay. What was up with the tea? And why were the Rose sisters pushing it on them, making sure their cups were always full? The desserts were passed around and the guys were drawn into the grandmotherly chitchat. The Rose sisters played to their egos as the glasses of tea kept being refilled.
“Is Archie slurring his words?” Quinn whispered to Greer, who nodded.
“He’s a lightweight. He’s only had one glass. That’s hardly enough bourbon to get a man that drunk.”
“Bourbon?” Quinn hissed.
“What do you think makes the tea so special?”
“Karson, I must say you are so smart. I can see you leading your own team very soon,” Miss Daisy said, patting his hand as if he were a young man who just scored an A on a test. “Have some more tea.”
“I should have already been leading my own team.” Karson sent a glare over his shoulder to Quinn.
“Hey, I’m doing a damn good job as the team leader. I should be here, running this place too.” Neil slammed his glass on the table and Miss Violet quickly filled it.
Then the real interrogation started. That’s not what they’d call it, of course.
They’d say it was just a friendly chat. But the Rose sisters, in all their grandmotherly innocence, extracted information from them about their daily routines, their jobs, their personal lives, their finances, their families, with practiced ease.
They even had Archie crying by the time Kale and Nabi joined them.
“They’re talking about his childhood pet,” Greer whispered. “I wrote down all the information if you need any help with passwords.”
Quinn turned to them in surprise. “They did this on purpose?”
“Consider yourself lucky they didn’t do it to you. They got Annaleigh good,” Greer said with a smile. “That’s Holt’s new wife. Got her drunk at the café where she told them all the things she wanted to do sexually with Holt.”
“Why would they do that?” Quinn asked.
“First, to make a more educated bet on when Holt and Annaleigh would get engaged. There’s a whole betting app that they run.
The winner gets a cut and the house, then they get a cut.
Then every Christmas, the Rose sisters, along with Poppy and Zinnia, sit down and give away the money to people in need.
Sometimes it’s buying a car for someone, paying tuition, medical bills, getting a new roof put on a house, paying rent for a year, or down to buying winter coats and toys. ”
“That’s amazing.” Quinn paused and then looked at them. “Am I being bet on?” Greer looked at her as if she were disappointed that it took Quinn that long to put things together. “Oh my God! What are the bets on?”
Kale pulled up his phone and turned it to her. She scanned all the bets and stopped on her name. There she found over three hundred people had placed bets on the date and time of Knox proposing.
“Well, at least I guess they approve of me dating him. How did I escape the interrogation?” Quinn asked.
“Knox has been talking about you since college. Plus, Ahmed ran a detailed search on you. We know everything down to the last time you donated blood. Now, who’s ready for girls’ night?”
Girls’ night was everything Quinn and Helena would do when they got together, but times ten.
Well, times twenty because there were so many women here.
Helena would love this. Quinn met all the Davies and Parker women along with several friends.
Cady had welcomed them to the distillery where they all gathered in the area where Cady hosted weddings and conferences.
Quinn was sitting with Greer, Mila, Sloane, Abby, Kate, and Stella.
They were all so nice and welcoming. But after meeting Abby, Quinn could understand what Greer said about her being able to take over a country.
She was very nice, but under her smile was an attitude of complete confidence that was rarely seen.
“Nolan came to pick up a new tree for his house,” Stella said as all eyes turned to Abby. “He said he broke up with his girlfriend.”
“That one didn’t last long,” Sloane said with a frown.
“He’s the firefighter, right?” Quinn asked, making sure she got it right.
Abby nodded. “He was the first boy brave enough to date me. My father is very intimidating, but Nolan bravely asked me to date him anyway. It was just a high school thing and only lasted a short time, but we were lucky enough to stay friends. He’s a great guy.
I hate that he hasn’t found the one yet. ”
“He’s a perfect example of nice guys finishing last,” Stella told the table as everyone nodded except for Abby.
“Yes, he’s nice. But don’t forget he’s a badass of his own. First my father, then running into burning buildings. He needs a nice girl, but not a pushover,” Abby told them.
“Good thing Sebastian is bringing some new people to town. I think Nolan is running out of options,” Greer said, frowning.
“Are you upset about that?” Quinn asked, unsure of why Greer seemed upset. Gianna had been really nice. “No, I’m sad Nolan hasn’t met his person yet.”
“Hey ladies.” Quinn looked up at the group of women who were joining them. “I’m Sophie. Then this is Layne, Willa, and Tilly. You already know Reagan, but this is her twin, Riley.”
“It’s so nice to meet you all, but I’m starting to wonder something. Am I the only one not pregnant?” Quinn asked since she was the only one in that group drinking bourbon.
“Cheers,” Cady called out as she and Delaney toasted each other from a nearby table.
“I’m not pregnant. Do I look pregnant?” Abby asked, then slowly frowned. “Wait, am I pregnant? What day is it?” She pulled out her phone and then let out a breath. “Nope, don’t think I am. Got a couple of days to go.”
“We’re in the not pregnant club. Much to my mother’s annoyance,” three other women said, joining them. “I’m Piper. This is Camila and Evie.”
“Wyatt is starting to ask if I want another baby,” Camila said. “Ruth isn’t even walking yet. Hold your horses.”
The women laughed, except for Greer who looked, well, mad again. “Are you sure, you’re okay, Greer?” Quinn whispered.
“No, I’m freaking pissed off.” That quieted down the whole group. “I get one night. One, where my beloved husband isn’t watching me like a pot about to boil and this happens.”
“What happens?” Quinn asked knowing she was missing something as the other women looked on sympathetically.
“I go into freaking labor. My water just broke. Sorry about that, Cady. If you get me a mop, I’ll clean it up.”
Quinn wanted to jump up and race to the car, but no one else seemed in a hurry. “How far apart are the contractions?” Abby asked.
“Like eight minutes.”
“Ohhhh,” all the women said at once, smiling with relief.
“You have plenty of time. I can make you another mocktail,” Sophie told her.
“Yeah, I’d like that. I texted my mom. She’s with the aunts at the café. She’s going to pick up my bag from home.”
“The jig will be up then,” Piper said. “You know Sebastian has your house security wired to notify him at the drop of a leaf.”
Greer shrugged again. “Mom said not to worry. She and the aunts would take care of it.”
“Well, I did hear that the new group of Belles has been initiated. Thank goodness that under Tandy’s leadership they seemed to occasionally remember they’re a charitable group,” Ariana told the group as if Greer wasn’t sitting there in labor.
“Although, Tandy and Andy are getting married so she won’t be in the Belles much longer. ”
Sophie set down a mocktail in front of Greer and leaned down to whisper to Quinn that the Belles were technically a charity group of single young women but that their main focus of “charitable activity” was husband-hunting.
When the women married, they joined the Keeneston Women’s Group and actually did help the community.
“So, we have a new batch of women we need to get to know. Hopefully this group understands husbands are off limits,” Cady said, looking annoyed.
Quinn listened to the gossip as they continued to chat. Every time Greer winced, they’d all look at their phones or watches. Drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, were poured and even Quinn forgot about the labor for a while.
“Well, G, I think it’s time,” Ariana told her. “We’re down to five minutes apart for a solid hour.”
“Want me to call Sebastian?” Piper asked.
“Gosh no. My mom texted that she has the bag and is back at the café waiting for my text. Someone text the moms and tell them we’re on our way.
Once I get settled, I’ll text Sebastian.
Otherwise, I’ll be the one arriving at the hospital via helicopter and I’m afraid Sebastian might be a little demanding, when push comes to shove. ”
“Bless his heart,” a chorus rang out.
“Come on, Quinn. You can ride with us,” Mila told her, motioning for her to follow.
“Where are we going?” Quinn asked as she grabbed her purse and followed the group.
“To the hospital. Babies are a big deal here,” Sydney, the famous former model turned business mogul and designer, told her.