26. Quinn
Quinn sat on the loveseat with Beau the next day, smiling as she looked around the room.
After all the worries and stress of the weeks that came before, everything had come together so beautifully last night that it took her breath away every time she thought about it.
And today finally felt normal, even though it was anything but a regular day. The only mystery was that someone had rung the bell while they were eating breakfast, causing everyone to look up in surprise. Anne-Marie had scurried to the front door as if she was in a race to be sure she got to it first. But she had come back to the kitchen a moment later, patting her apron pocket, and when Beau asked who it was she told him it was just a neighbor checking in.
They had all enjoyed a hearty farmhouse breakfast before Bree and Travis headed for home with promises to visit soon.
Then Irene had called on video to congratulate the happy couple, wish them all a Merry Christmas, and watch Zandy open the present she had sent for her.
Quinn was relieved to meet Irene and see that the outgoing young woman was nothing but happy for the idea that Beau had found love again. It hadn’t worked out between them, but their continued friendship was clear, and Quinn felt proud that they had found a way to continue on that was clearly so positive for Zandy. She made a promise to herself to find ways to include Irene in Zandy’s life as much as possible while she was away, if only by talking about her or looking at photos.
After the call, it was time for the rest of the gifts. The adults enjoyed their simple exchanges, but watching Zandy exclaim over her presents was the best gift of all.
Now, wrapping paper covered the floor and Zandy sat in a pile of it, using the colorful castoffs as set pieces for the epic adventures of her new superhero figures.
The little girl’s energy hadn’t flagged for a moment all morning, and Quinn was pretty sure she was especially happy to have so many people in the house, all focusing on her and giving her lots of attention.
Quinn’s parents sat on the sofa and Beau’s mom perched in her rocker across from them, the three smiling and looking so at home that it was almost like the Allens had always spent their Christmases with the Wilsons.
“You okay, Quinn?” Mom asked.
“I was just thinking how nice this is,” Quinn admitted. “I’m so glad everything worked out this way. It almost doesn’t seem real.”
“Well, you’re awfully lucky it is real, young lady,” Mom teased her.
Quinn nodded and winced. Beau let her know he’d already come clean with his mother the night of the storm. And she’d told her dad. It didn’t seem right for Mom to be the only one left out. Besides, Quinn wanted her life to be built on a foundation of truth from now on—and that meant owning up to past mistakes. So, she had taken a deep breath and pulled her mom aside this morning to let her in on the whole failed plan.
“I know, Mom,” Quinn said. “I’m going to do better. I have every reason to do things the right way.”
Her eyes automatically went to Zandy, and she heard her mom sigh contentedly.
Things had worked out very, very well.
“Oh, would you look at that,” Anne-Marie said suddenly, pointing to the tree. “There’s one more present. Beau, why don’t you take a look?”
Sure enough, there was a small, wrapped gift tucked between the branches up near the top of the tree. Quinn had no idea what it was, and she was pretty sure it hadn’t been there earlier.
Beau stood and headed over, plucking the little package out of its hiding spot.
“What’s this?” he said, turning it over in his hand. “It has my name on it.”
“Open it up,” Mom suggested.
He carefully ripped the paper, and when the gift was in his hand he got a funny look on his face.
“Keys,” he said, holding them up a set of keys hung from a small plastic ring that was shaped like a tow truck.
“Wait. These look like…” he breathed, turning to his mom. “ The shop ?”
She smiled and nodded slowly.
“But, how?” he asked.
“You’ve always been so protective of me,” his mom said softly. “Of everyone you love. You’ve spent your whole life making sure to never disappoint anyone you care about.”
Beau’s expression turned pained, but he nodded in acknowledgment. His mother was right. Quinn hadn’t known him long, but she already knew the big man was protective and willing to help the people he loved at all costs. Her heart ached at his sad smile.
“You didn’t even tell me that you were thinking of buying Max’s place,” Anne-Marie went on gently. “Or that it was what you really wanted. Was it because you didn’t want to let me down about the farm?”
Beau nodded slowly.
“Beauregard Wilson, the only way you could ever disappoint me would be to choose a life that made you unhappy,” Anne-Marie said firmly, her eyes flashing with emotion.
Beau nodded again, his eyes filled with the same emotion as hers.
Beau’s mom was the other buyer?
It made sense, but it was still hard for Quinn to get her head around.
“Now, when your Dad passed, there was some insurance money,” she went on. “And after I paid off the loan we took for the barn roof, I wasn’t sure what to do with the rest. I knew I wanted to invest it in your future somehow. And I think that shop will do very nicely.”
“Mom,” Beau said softly, shaking his head in wonder. “I’ll do everything I can to make your investment pay off.”
“Zandy will have two family businesses to choose from now, or she’ll forge her own path,” Anne-Marie said, smiling up at him as tears ran down her cheeks. “Either way, enjoy it, and make us all proud.”
“I will, Mom,” Beau said, dropping to his knees in front of her chair and wrapping his arms around her waist.
Quinn blinked back her own tears at the sweet sight in front of her.
“Grandma, why are you crying?” Zandy suddenly asked, scrambling up to go to her. “Did you get hurt?”
“Oh, sweetheart, no,” Anne-Marie said, smiling. “I’m crying because I’m happy. Grownups do that sometimes.”
“Come on in here, guppy,” Beau added, and Zandy’s frown turned into a smile as she snuggled into their arms.
“This is a pretty nice family you married yourself into,” Dad said, winking at Quinn.
“I think so too, Dad,” she told him, hopping up to wrap her own parents in an impromptu hug.
* * *
The rest of the morning passed peacefully. After lunch, Zandy fell asleep in her grandma’s lap, which gave Quinn an excuse to take over with cleanup. Beau followed her into the kitchen a few minutes later.
“You don’t have to help,” she told him as she scraped plates into the trash. “It’s nice to be up on my feet after a couple of quiet days.”
“My restless farmer-girl,” Beau teased her with a smile that made her blush.
“Tell me you aren’t feeling the same way,” she teased him right back. “Or were you built to sit on the sofa all day?”
“No way,” he told her. “The minute she put those keys in my hand I started itching to get over there and poke around the shop.”
“Well, we’ll have plenty of time for that starting tomorrow,” Quinn laughed. “Or whenever she makes settlement on the place.”
“I still can’t believe Max came out here on Christmas morning to give her a set of keys,” Beau said, shaking his head and grinning.
“That was the neighbor checking on us,” Quinn realized out loud.
“Mom still surprises me,” Beau said. “And today, I think… well, I’m less worried about her than I have been since Dad died. I’m glad she’s retiring now that I know she’ll really be okay.”
“You’re a good man, Beau Wilson,” Quinn heard herself say softly as she dried her hands and turned around.
“Better than before,” he said, his voice deep with emotion. “I’ve always tried to take care of the people around me, but you inspired me to stake my own claim.”
His eyes were as blue as the summer sky, the bright color lighting up her heart along with his words.
“I’m going to try to be better too,” she told him earnestly. “For our families and for you.”
“There’s not one thing that I would change about you, Quinn Wilson,” he told her. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
A happy little shiver went through her at the sound of her new name on his lips.
The next thing she knew he was pulling her close and bending to steal a kiss.
And although she had been pinching herself all morning, there could be nothing more real and solid in the world than the warmth of her husband’s mouth pressed to hers, and the certainty in her heart that the love they shared was the truest thing she had ever known.
***
Thanks for reading Soldier’s Fake Fiancée!