11. Quinn
11
QUINN
T he next day, Quinn walked up the path to her parents’ little house in town, feeling completely out of sorts.
And it didn’t help that she hadn’t slept well.
The awkwardness of dinner with Beau at The Village Green, followed by the surprisingly intimate fast-food feast on the moonlit hillside had left her feeling emotionally whiplashed. By the time she got home, all her senses were reeling, and she felt like she’d had about ten cups of coffee.
And the craziest part of all was that there had been a moment in the truck last night when she was certain that Beau Wilson was actually going to kiss her.
Don’t be stupid, she scolded herself inwardly.
She knew she was being silly. But that hadn’t stopped her from having strange dreams of flying among the snowy trees with Beau below, laughing and waving to her.
This is what you get for having so much junk food right before bed.
Whatever the reason, she had to get herself together, and fast. After bumping into the reigning queens of Trinity Falls last night, she figured she was running out of time before her mom wandered into town, or someone called her parents to ask about Beau.
“Well, somebody’s up early,” her mom declared, opening the front door.
She had a coffee cup in her hand, so she’d probably been sitting in the front window, having her coffee and watching the world walk by , as she liked to say.
“Hey, Mom,” Quinn said.
“I guess you’re always up early though,” Mom said, not leaving a moment of empty air space for Quinn to fill. “That’s what I get for having a daughter who wants to be a farmer. No late nights for you, huh?”
“Nope,” Quinn agreed, smiling.
“Your father is making pancakes. Isn’t that nice?” she said, pulling Quinn close and lowering her voice like she was letting her daughter in on a secret. “Make sure to fuss over him, because you know he doesn’t cook much now that you’re grown and out of the house.” Then she pulled back and called into the house. “ Honey, guess who’s here to visit bright and early in the morning?”
Quinn smiled and followed her mom into the bright living room and into the combination kitchen and dining room. She would never forget the year Mom and Dad had the wall taken down and the new cabinets put in. Quinn had been in eighth grade and completely uninterested in the project until the wall was actually down and she noticed how much bigger and nicer both of the small spaces seemed without a wall between them. It really had been worth the hassle, even if she hadn’t loved doing their dishes in the upstairs bathtub that month.
“Hello, Quinn,” Dad said with a gentle smile before turning his eyes back to the griddle.
That was probably all he would say for a while. Mom always did most of the talking, and Dad’s gentle presence had always been more like an anchor—keeping them all in peaceful waters.
“So, what are you going to do with yourself now, Quinn?” Mom asked, plunking herself down at the little kitchen peninsula with her mug. “You can’t work all the time, you know. All work and no play, and all that.”
That was basically the perfect opening for her to mention she was dating Beau Wilson. Quinn opened her mouth to break the news before she could chicken out.
“ Oh, ” Mom said before she could say a single word. “I almost forgot to tell you that the neighbors are thinking of fencing the yard. They came over to let us know, so I asked why, and they said they’re getting a puppy. Can you imagine? Their kids are grown. Who would want a puppy now?”
“People love animals, Mom,” Quinn said, smiling.
“Oh, I love animals too, sweetheart,” Mom said immediately. “Of course I do. But a puppy? When you’ve finally gotten to a stage in life where you can buy a nice couch?”
“Want me to have a word with them?” Dad offered, winking at Quinn.
“Oh, Howard,” Mom sighed. But she was smiling. Her parents were a match made in heaven.
“So, what are you up to this weekend?” Dad asked. “Besides eating pancakes with us?”
“I… uh… I went on a date last night,” Quinn said, looking down at her hands.
She was pretty sure they would know she was lying. After all, they had raised her. But it wasn’t a total lie. She had definitely gone out last night.
“ Really?” her mom said. “With who?”
“ With whom? ” her dad muttered to himself.
“What’s that, Howard?” Mom asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Nothing, dear,” he said, smiling and blinking at her with his best innocent look.
“Well?” Mom said, laughing and turning back to Quinn. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Beau,” Quinn said, clearing her throat when she realized her voice was pitched up way too high. “Beau Wilson.”
“ Really?” her mom asked again, leaning forward now. “Did his mom set you up?”
“No,” Quinn told her. “Why?”
“No reason,” Mom said. “I just thought she might have, since you’re working for her. That boy was awfully popular back when you were in school, wasn’t he?”
“He was,” Quinn said, nodding. “I mean he was ahead of me, but yeah, I think so.”
“I guess he’s finally ready to settle down with a nice quiet girl now, huh?” Mom asked, reaching out to pat Quinn’s cheek.
Quinn held still, though she felt some of the floaty, happy feeling she’d had all morning fading away.
But Mom wasn’t saying anything but the truth. Beau Wilson had been athletic and popular, and his time in the service had only made him more so, as far as she could tell. Quinn, on the other hand, had been practically too shy to speak, and she hadn’t changed much. The only real reason they would ever be dating was on a dare, or for some kind of scheme.
“Any man would be lucky to date our Quinn,” Dad piped up from behind the stove. “And Beau Wilson is in a good position to appreciate how wonderful she is, since she’s running his family farm. He gets to see her doing what she loves best.”
Dad might not talk much, but he always knew just what to say when he did open his mouth.
“You’re right, Howard,” Mom said fondly.
Quinn hopped up and gave Dad a little hug from behind and a kiss on his shoulder.
“Want some help?” she asked him.
“You could grab us some plates,” he said.
“So where did Beau Wilson take you?” Mom asked as Quinn headed to the cupboard for plates.
“The Village Green,” Quinn replied, grateful to have something to do with her hands. She set three plates on the counter and turned to grab silverware.
She expected her mom to explode into some gossip about the place. Instead, there was silence. When she turned back she could see her parents exchanging a look.
“What?” she asked.
“Isn’t that place expensive?” her dad asked.
“It seems like he’s serious about you,” her mother said at the same time.
She fought her instinct to brush it off, and instead, nodded and carried the plates and silverware over to the table. She wasn’t going to get a better opening than that. If she was going along with this plan, she might as well be all in.
“We had a nice time,” she said softly. “I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
That part was easier, because it was completely true.
“He has a little girl, doesn’t he?” Mom asked, her brow furrowed.
“Yes,” Quinn said, unable to keep the genuine smile off her face. “Her name is Zandy. She’s four and she’s really awesome. He has full custody right now while her mother is away.”
Mom nodded, eyeing Quinn thoughtfully.
“That’s really great, honey,” Dad said after a moment. “Bring them around sometime. We’d love to see them.”
“His mother is very nice,” Mom said, like she was making a shopping list. “The family shares your interests, and they’ve got that farm, so they’re not going anywhere. And clearly he likes children. Beau could be a good match for you, Quinn, a very good match.”
Quinn bit her lip, trying not to be offended that her mom was acting like they were going to trade her off with cows and a dowry, like a bride from another century.
But she doesn’t need to. I’m trading myself off for some land.
The thought was so unexpected that half a giggle escaped her mouth before she stopped herself and tried to cover the sound with a cough.
“Are you all right?” Mom asked.
“Yes,” Quinn said. “Yes, I’m fine. Anyway, they invited us over for Thanksgiving. I know we always do it here?—”
“Of course,” Dad said right away. “We’ll be there.”
“Find out what we can bring,” Mom said. “It will be nice to see Anne-Marie. She can use some extra company this year, I’m sure.”
Quinn nodded and swallowed over the lump that was suddenly forming in her throat. She knew her parents loved having a quiet Thanksgiving at home, but they were both ready to drop the idea instantly to support the new relationship they thought she was in.
How can I lie to them about this?