32. Rosie
Chapter 32
Rosie
“G o on in, honey. She’s awake,” the nurse at the desk explains. “She’s been asking for you.”
I hoist my load of blankets back up my hip and follow Quinn down the hall.
While we were at the hospital yesterday, he helped coordinate Grandma Lily’s transfer to Lakeside Oaks. The hospital called early this morning to say that they would be moving her this afternoon.
Lakeside Oaks is a large brick building nestled by the lake near the edge of downtown Knotty Pines. The medical group Quinn will be working for serves patients here, and while he won’t be on her team, he’ll be able to keep a good eye on her, adding an extra layer of safety. Plus, it’s less than ten minutes from the house and five from the store, which means I can get here quickly if needed.
The place is beautiful, with paved paths through swaying oaks and gardens that lead to a private section of the lake. When Grandma Lily is feeling better, I already know she’ll want to find a sun hat and ask me to take her for a walk by the water.
We’re not there yet. Yesterday, she looked pretty rough, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s not much better today.
Quinn sets down the boxes and two suitcases I packed this morning, opening the door for me. Inside, the wide, round room is bright with afternoon light coming in from the bay window. There are two sectioned-off areas and a space that appears like a common living area between them.
The personal spaces are divided by flowing drapes that hang from the ceiling, giving each the feel of a tucked-away nest despite the machines and monitors. By the drawn curtain, I see that the first living space is empty. Near the made bed is a sitting area and a dresser filled with books and knickknacks, making it obvious it belongs to someone.
My grandma must be in the second.
My eyes widen, and I look at Quinn, confused. I mean, I sat beside him while they discussed this, but I obviously didn’t absorb it.
“They pair scent-tolerable roommates if possible. It aids in recovery, especially with elder omegas. When she arrived this morning, they allowed her to select her room from scent samples,” Quinn explains, shrugging. “Scents are powerful.”
“Speaking of scents,” my grandma’s weak voice sounds, “don’t you two smell lovely together.”
“Grandma!” I laugh, already knowing this visit is about to be top-tier embarrassment.
“Well, come over and introduce your young man. It’s rude when you know I’m stuck in this bed and waiting to see you,” she huffs.
Despite him being around, she’s been so out of it they haven’t properly met. Quinn chuckles, that dimple of his making an appearance, as he sets her bags on a dresser in the corner.I plop down the blankets and let my hands find my hips.
“Behave!” I scold her playfully.
Grandma Lily plucks one of her blankets from the stack and runs it along her face, sighing. “My quilts! How I missed you.”
“Nothing beats your own nesting items,” Quinn agrees, waving a little awkwardly from the end of the bed.
He’s casual today, in a white T-shirt that barely hits the waist of his jeans and a boxy caramel-colored jacket that looks like the coziest thing on earth. Combined with his floppy curls and glasses, he’s somewhere between endlessly adorable and endlessly lickable.
My cheeks heat when I think about last night with all of them. So, that’s awkward.
I clear my throat and look back at my grandma. “This is Quinn, Quinn Kelly, my?—”
“Like the computer fantasy Kelly?” she asks, throwing a dramatic hand to clutch her heart.
“The very one,” Quinn says smoothly, his eyes flitting my way and his voice full of amusement. “Here to convince your granddaughter to give my pack a chance.”
“Computer fantasy is an exaggeration!” I say, narrowing my eyes at her.
“I’m serious! What game do you play? Dungeon Masters? Every time you talk about Kelly, you smile.” She gives him a once-over and raises her brow. “I can see why.”She pats the edge of her bed. “Come sit and visit with me for a while. I have questions.”
“Well, me too! Maybe we can talk less about my dating life and a little more about your health,” I say.
She rolls her eyes at me. “I feel like shit, sugar. It was awful them moving me over here, and about the only thing that makes this damn bed any better is the prospect of a little visit with your beau.”
She’s laying it on thick, but I guess I can’t actually argue. She’s in pain, and I know from experience that hospitals, tests, and procedures all suck. Anything that can get your mind off it helps.
“Fine, I’ll ask the nurse for an update after I get you set up.” I point at Quinn as he pulls up an armchair next to her bed. “Watch yourself with her. She’s more dangerous than she looks,” I warn him, half-serious.
“I’ve got no doubt.” Chuckling, Quinn folds his long form into the chair and spreads out, leaning his elbows on his knees. “All right, ask away.”
“First, tell me why you want to court my Rosie. I want to hear how we got here,” Grandma Lily says, settling back against her pillows with a wince.
“I’ve had a crush on your granddaughter for years, but the first time I really knew I was gone for her was because of her laugh,” he says, completely nonchalant.
My grandma opens one eye, a smile on her lips. “I’m going to love this story. Do go on.”
“She chuckles at my jokes, which is already a miracle, but this particular night was the first time she really laughed. You know the kind of laughing where you can’t stop?”
My grandma hums in agreement. “The best kind.”
“Exactly. That laugh of hers was epic. I couldn’t see her, but I remember thinking that I wanted to always hear that sound.” Quinn doesn’t look at me as he tells the story, but I listen with bated breath.
I don’t have any clue what moment he’s talking about—we’ve laughed together too many times to count—but the way he tells it makes my stomach swoop with butterflies.
How is this man gonna be a dirty talker in the bedroom and sweet-talk my grandma?
Quinn continues to indulge her questions while I pretend not to listen and nearly die from sweetness overload.
By the time I’ve situated her room, Quinn has answered a dozen questions and recounted our whole fate-twisted past few days.
When he gets to the part about being scent-matched to Dane and Nash, my grandma glances at me, her eyebrows lifted. “A ready-made pack moving in right next door, including your Kelly and Nash? Very interesting coincidence indeed,” she says none too innocently.
“I may or may not have found my scent matches and moved in next door while we fix up the house,” I say, shrugging it off while I fiddle with already-sorted items in a drawer. The gesture doesn't save me, because my voice sounds as if I’m one octave away from a screaming fangirl.
“On that note, I’m going to grab us all a little treat and give you ladies some time to settle in,” Quinn graciously says, popping up from his chair. He leans in to kiss my cheek on his way out. “You two are so alike.”
Before my grandma can ask me any follow-up questions, the nursing staff comes in to take her vitals and give her another round of meds. They answer my questions and generally try to ease my anxiety by repeating that she’s doing very well given the circumstances. When they’ve finished, they help me get her into one of her nightgowns from home, holding her steady while I secure her curls in a colorful scarf.
That process wears her out, and by the time she’s back in bed, her nest blankets around her, she’s already asleep. I find my way to the chair and wait for Quinn, using the moment to text updates to Bambi.
The door clicks open, except it’s not Quinn but an older beta gentleman shuffling into the room.
“Hello?” I call.
“Good afternoon. You must be the lovely Rosie your grandma speaks so fondly of,” he says, coming around the partition and offering me his hand.
“Yes, sir, and you must be her roommate?” I ask, getting up so I don’t wake her.
The older gentleman’s gaze flits to my grandmother, and his face softens. “Yes, Beauford Blakey. I’ve been a permanent resident going on two years after my partner passed away… It didn’t feel right going back to our home.”
He looks out the window momentarily before returning to me. “I’ll leave you be and let you get settled in. Just know you don’t bother me. I like the sound of voices. They remind me I’m not alone.” He pats my hand before shuffling to his side of the room.
I settle back into my chair, pulling out my drawing tablet to work on a commission I need to finish. The quiet and my grandma’s scent help to settle the last of my panic from the accident. She’s gonna be okay even though it’s been scary.
I get engrossed in my line work, letting the repetition of my strokes lull me.
The click of the door pulls my focus, and I turn to find another surprise. Dressed in varying shades of hot pink and smelling like a floral shop, my aunt and cousin barge into the room. They survey the space with disgust before spotting me.
“My mother had a fall, and you didn’t think to call us? We had to hear it from your fathers? You spiteful girl,” my aunt, Aster, says. She points a sharp nail at me. “This changes things, and you know it. Your uncle spoke to the lawyer this morning.”
Gods, I always want them to be better, and they never are. I don’t expect it, but it sure would be nice not to be related to such assholes.
My grandmother keeps her distance from her daughters. That started because of me and all the bullshit my mom put me through. The lack of accountability my family had for Marigold was another reason. My cousin was mandated to community service and drug classes, but my aunt and uncles stood by the belief that she’d done nothing wrong. The first year I moved into Grandma Lily’s house was a rough ride of learning boundaries, and she stood by me as I learned to enforce them.
But the divide between Grandma and her daughters has widened since I returned home. By law, as the first omega heir, Aunt Aster is set to inherit my grandma’s pack home. Pack homes and estates always pass through the biological alpha or omega heir, and they believe it should be passed over now .
As a beta, I don’t qualify to inherit a pack house, not while there is a living omega heir. I know—we checked with a lawyer. They’ve been trying to get my grandma out of her house for years now, even though they have no authority other than their own audacity.
It’s not even like my aunt or Marigold need it. But for the last four years, they’ve been arguing that Grandma Lily should be in a long-term facility and her estate should be transferred to my aunt to manage.
I don’t think they even want the house. My cousin and her finance-bro pack certainly aren’t moving in—she’s just spiteful.
“Please leave. You know she doesn’t want you here, and now isn’t the time. I informed my fathers out of respect, but you both know it wasn’t an invitation,” I grit out the words, trying not to lose my shit.
Marigold gives me a scathing once-over, eyeing the combat boots and long, black polka-dotted skirt with disdain. “I see you’re still mooching off Grandma and eating your way through my inheritance.”
“Leave before I call security,” I say calmly, refusing to let her get under my skin.
My cousin gasps. “We’re her family. Nanna deserves care. I know you’re not an omega, so you wouldn’t understand, but?—”
“But nothing. She said leave. Miss Lily needs rest, and you’re bothering me,” Mr. Blakey calls, all the sweetness from his earlier tone missing. He steps around the partition and holds out his hand, clearly showing them the door.
I cross my arms, silently waiting and refusing to back down.
Quinn takes that moment to step into the room, a drink carrier and bag in his hand. He stops abruptly, surveying me and clearly sensing the tension in the room. “What’s going on?”
“My cousin and aunt were just leaving,” I say, trying for calm and collected.
Aunt Aster fumes. “You can’t make us leave, you selfish?—”
Quinn doesn’t let her keep going. “She can.” He fumbles with the bags in his hands, setting them on the nearest surface before coming to stand beside me. His hand snakes around my waist, pulling me closer. “Leave or we’ll make sure you’re escorted out.”
My aunt splutters, completely unused to anyone but me giving her a hard time.
Marigold rolls her eyes and pushes past me. “Come on, Mom, they can’t avoid this forever.” She turns to me,a sickly sweet smile on her face. “Better get packing, BB. Your mooching days are almost up.”
The nickname makes me grind my teeth. I hate when she calls me that—the shortened Busted Bella. When I was younger, she got everyone to call me that, and it gutted me. Now, I just want her to leave me alone.
When they finally take their perfume and dramatics down the hall, I collapse against Quinn and let him fold me into a hug. “I guess you’re meeting all the family today.” I sigh.
Quinn tightens his hold, swaying gently, his purr sweet and soft between us. “What happened?”
It takes me a minute to get myself together. They piss me off and rattle me at the same time. I mean, for people so concerned, they didn’t even ask about Grandma Lily! The freaking nerve.
“My aunt and cousin are threatening court, but that’s nothing new. They want Grandma to give over the estate and move into long-term care,” I explain, voice still full of anger.
Quinn rubs my back. “I assume this is the cousin?” I look up at him, and his expression is full of understanding. “We don’t have to speak about it unless you want to. I got the gist from Nash when he told me about you a long time ago. But I want to be clear what we’re up against.”
It makes my cheeks burn to think about what Nash might have said. “That would be her. The short of it, we were inseparable. Our moms too. Everyone expected us both to be omegas. She presented at fourteen, and I didn’t. It was never the same after that. On our sixteenth birthday, she gave me drugs at a party because she thought they would help me awaken?—”
He wraps me in a hug. “Oh, no, Rosie.”
I take a deep breath and get the words out. “I didn’t perfume, and tests confirmed I never would. The fact that I was a beta was a shock to my family, and it tore us apart. My mother never forgave me for not being an omega, and for a long time, I thought that made me broken?—"
“You’re not broken,” he says adamantly.
The quick way he defends me makes my belly warm. “I’m not, but it took me time and distance to believe it. Some days, I feel like I’m made of cracks ready to bust wide open.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep holding tight.” He sways me gently in his arms. After a few moments, he adds, “That had to be so hard. You’re so strong, but I promise you don’t always have to keep it together.”
“I don’t always want to be strong.” I hug him back, breathing him in.
It wasn’t as hard to admit that out loud as I thought. Maybe that’s because it’s Kelly and I knew he would understand.
When my heart feels steady again,I pull back from our hug. “My aunt and cousin are being spiteful because of our past. I don’t know what they have planned, but it’s never anything good with them. They mostly stick to their side of town. I haven’t seen them since the last time they tried to stir things up about the estate a few years ago.”
Quinn kisses my forehead. “If it’s okay with you, we’ll talk to Dane about it. His Prime is a lawyer, and asking him for advice would make me feel better. He’ll tell us if there’s anything to worry about.”
“Okay.” I blow out a breath, rubbing myself against his chest. “We spoke to a lawyer years ago, but it won’t hurt.”
Do I want to relive any of this with these men? Or ask for Dane’s help? No, I really don’t. But wishing it wasn’t happening won’t make the problem go away. As much as I don’t want to believe it, this injury could change things.
Quinn smells especially crisp right now, and the fresh air scent does wonders for clearing my head. I let him lead me to the small table and chairs in the corner, where I curl up next to him until my grandma wakes back up. We don’t tell her about their visit; instead, Quinn makes us all a bed picnic with tea and pastries.
When we’re finished, he puts on a soft playlist of oldies and pulls a deck from his satchel. “Cards?”
"Never ask me that, hon. The answer is always yes," my grandma teases Quinn.
Mr. Blakey calls from across the room, "Mind if I play?"
Grandma touches her hair, checking her scarf before calling, “Come on then, Beaufort, and pull up a seat.”
My entire heart melts as Quinn shuffles the deck, settling in to hang out with me at the nursing home. He’s really pretty wonderful.
It's a cutthroat series of games with fierce competition. We banter back and forth, hustling one another while we sing along to the playlist until the staff arrives with dinner. And despite all the disasters of the last few days, it’s one of the best afternoons I can remember.