Chapter 30 #2
Bands constricted around Quinn’s chest. Irony slapped him across the jaw: he didn’t want his mom to leave.
“Why doesn’t he just stay here?” He realized he was clenching his jaw as he said it.
So only the threat of a divorce got his dad’s sorry ass in gear?
Totally jacked-up. All of Quinn wanted to protect his mother from having her heart trashed again, even if he had to protect her from his dad.
“This place may be as big as a hotel, but it’s hard to miss anything that’s happening under this roof.” She winked, and he began stammering a protest. If that didn’t give him away, the flush heating his cheeks certainly did.
“Your father and I have years’ worth of dirty laundry to air, and I expect the volume will get loud. I’d like privacy when I blast him,” she added.
Despite his constricted heart, Quinn let out a laugh. “I hope you hit him with both barrels!”
The sly smile and twinkling eyes returned to his mother’s face.
“Oh, I fully intend to! Three years is a long time to keep things bottled up.” She sighed.
“But being married to someone twenty-some-odd years is a long time too, and as your dad correctly points out, we’ve had far more good years together than bad. ”
“Why didn’t you tell me this was going on?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was reluctant to give him so much as a hello when he first called.
In fact, Sarah caught us on the phone, and I hung up quicker than a kid about to get busted doing something naughty.
” A little chuckle bubbled up, then her tone sobered again.
“I wasn’t sure—I’m still not sure—if there’s anything left between us that’s salvageable.
I don’t know what the future holds for your dad and me, but after giving it a lot of thought, I have to do this.
Besides, I have nothing left to lose by talking to the man. ”
Yeah, you do. Your heart.
“I know what you’re thinking, Quinnie. Yes, your father walked out on me—on us—once before.
But I’m a little wiser, a little more independent now, thanks to you and Sarah.
I know what I want and what I don’t want.
Just because I’m prepared to hash things out with him doesn’t mean all’s forgiven and we’re getting back together again as if nothing happened.
” She covered Quinn’s hand with hers. “So? What do you think?”
“Does it matter what I think?”
“Yes. Very much.”
A warm spot had been pulsing in his chest when she’d said he and Sarah had helped her become more independent. Now it downright thrummed. “I guess … if this is what you want, Mom, I’m behind you. I just want you to be happy.”
Tears glossed her eyes. “You’ve grown into a good man, Quinn, and I’m proud of you. Adulting isn’t for the faint of heart.”
He laughed to keep his own tears at bay. “Does this mean I finally graduated?”
She patted his hand. “With honors.”
Suddenly, his thoughts detoured to Sarah, and a thought struck that made his heart wobble. “If you and Dad decide to patch things up, you won’t need Sarah anymore.” And I won’t have a reason to keep her here.
“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. Let’s keep the status quo until I have a better idea how things with your dad are going to play out. In the meantime, Sarah can continue staying here. You two will have the place to yourselves.” Another conspiratorial wink.
Mom totally knew what he and Sarah had been up to. Oddly, his shoulders eased with a modicum of relief. Then his mind leapt to him and Sarah having the run of the house. Alone. Or would she want to return to Gage’s?
A bolt of awareness jarred him. “What time is it?” He snatched his phone from the counter. “Fuck!” She’s an hour late!
His mother gasped. “Quinn Anthony Hadley, you’ve been so good lately—”
He corralled his galloping heart. No texts, no calls.
“Swear jar. I know. I’ll take care of it later,” he mumbled.
He rose, found his socks and shoes, and began pulling them on while his mind scattered in a dozen different directions.
Keys. Jacket. Mom. “Will you be all right on your own for a little while?
“Yes, of course. But where are you going?”
Not wanting to worry her, he tossed out the first thing that came to mind. “I forgot I promised Sarah I’d … get her a new 3-D puzzle since I finished her last one. I want to have it here before she gets back.”
“But the stores aren’t—”
“Governor Polis said they can reopen with a limited number of customers.” He ignored the bewildered look playing over his mother’s face, giving her a kiss on her cheek before jogging to the garage.
“Don’t forget a mask,” his mother called.
In the truck, he hit Sarah’s number. After one ring, it went straight to voicemail. He hit the number again and listened to the same damn message as he threw the vehicle into reverse and backed out. He slammed the truck into drive and tore out to the street.
During the frantic trip to Nelson’s, he tried Sarah’s number repeatedly.
“Come on, come on! Pick up!” he hissed, but Sarah didn’t answer.
He left her a few messages, telling himself her phone might have died and she didn’t have a charger.
Why hadn’t he thought of that before? But she would have been home by now, dead phone or not. Maybe her car died too.
He hit Nelson’s number, trying to keep his voice casual when his buddy answered. After the obligatory greeting, he got down to it. “Sarah was gonna head over to your house at some point today, but I don’t remember when. Have you heard from her?”
“Not yet. She said she’d text me once she was done checking things out.”
“So the last time you heard from her was—”
“Yesterday afternoon sometime?” A note of suspicion was creeping into Nelson’s voice, so Quinn gave him a quick, “No big deal. Thanks, man,” and hung up.
He pulled in front of Gage and Lily’s house behind a gray Mercedes SUV. Parked cars crowded the narrow street, but Sarah’s Jeep was nowhere in sight.
“Fuck!” He pounded the steering wheel. “Where are you, Sunshine?”
Maybe she’d driven the Jeep a block away because there hadn’t been any spaces open.
In the meantime, he’d check the house. What if she fell, was hurt inside?
He switched the truck off and grabbed his phone.
Leapt out and slammed the door. Rounded the hood.
Ran up the walkway and peered in a window.
Jogged the perimeter of the house, peering in more windows.
There were no signs of Sarah or Archer.
Panic welled inside him. Where could she have gone? Metro Denver’s population was over three million. Where the fuck should he start looking?
He stood at the back corner of the house, absently scanning the yard while he grasped at possibilities.
A picket fence and building framed the back edge of the lot.
A garage! He raced along the outer line of the fence until he reached the detached building.
A flash of teal caught his eye, and he slowed his steps.
Sarah’s Jeep was parked off the alley, stashed behind the garage. He approached cautiously, peeking in the windows, trying the door handles. Locked up tight, and still no signs of Sarah or Archer.
A sound like a low whoof drifted toward him, but he couldn’t tell where it came from. He circled the detached garage until he found the service door. He turned the knob, poised to open it, when a shriek from the house wrenched his attention that way. His blood turned cold.
He lunged through the gate and ran across the yard to the back door.