****
Quinn had to pray for forgiveness after leaving Reid alone last night. Now, she needed to apologize to him. She’d abruptly left the room last night without an explanation. His assumption that she’d named JJ after Joe had stung. She’d wanted JJ to be as different from his father as he could.
Reid was sitting on the couch, messing with his phone. His blanket was folded and placed on top of his pillow, both lying on the table.
She took a seat at the opposite end of the couch and turned to face him. “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her, brow furrowed. “For what?”
“I got upset when you said you thought JJ was named after Joe. I mean, it’s a logical thing to think. I’m just a bundle of nerves right now, and it shocked me.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” He set his phone aside. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I know how Joe hurt you, and it was a foolish question.”
“No. No. I shouldn’t have gotten upset about it. It’s really silly. No hard feelings?”
“None.” He smiled, and suddenly, it was hot in the cabin. Her stomach flip-flopped in response to the heat.
“Okay. I’m going to see if I can find a sermon we can watch.”
“Great.” His tone told her he thought it was anything but great.
She and JJ watched the service while Reid did whatever he did at the kitchen table.
The church she had chosen to watch sang some of her favorite worship songs, and then, the preacher gave his message on being too far gone for God to use. He referenced Saul, who would become better known as Paul. God had led her to the right service to impact Reid.
She’d heard some huffs from Reid’s direction, and at one point, he went to the bathroom and shut the door a little more forcefully than he had before, but he didn’t slam it. She’d hazard a guess that he was listening from the kitchen and the preacher had gotten close to home.
The rest of the day was spent like a normal family would spend a Sunday afternoon—watching television, playing games, sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine. Except, they weren’t a normal family or a family at all. Reid was really good with JJ. Could she have been wrong about staying single? She wanted to avoid the hurt she might endure when another man she loved left, and she’d used the excuse of protecting JJ to justify her reluctance. But what about what JJ needed? He needed another person in his life to love him. To teach him. It wouldn’t have to be a stepfather but just a role model.
Could Reid be that for JJ? He was strong physically and emotionally. He was kind, smart, and compassionate. Things she wanted JJ to develop.
Maybe, Reid would stay after everything was over. If not for her, for JJ. She’d fallen for the man.
Quinn left Reid in the front room, fiddling with the antennae on the television, while she got JJ ready for bed. Once he was settled in, she made her way to the kitchen. She distinctly remembered seeing Mrs. Stevenson put hot chocolate in one of the grocery sacks.
She made a cup for herself and one for Reid, then took it to him. He was sitting on the couch.
“Thank you.” He took the cup she offered.
She sat on the opposite side of the couch and pulled her legs up under her. A black-and-white Western movie was playing on the television.
“Sorry.” He nodded at the TV. “It’s the only channel I could get to come through.”
“This is perfect.” And she meant it.
“A fan of cowboys, huh?” He took a sip from his mug.
He had no idea. “I’m a fan of anything that’s not a cartoon.” She laughed.
“Ah, mom life.”
“Yep. My life revolves around cartoons, toys, dirt, and boogers. It’s nice to have some adult time.”
“Boogers?” He wrinkled his nose. The action softened the rough planes of his face. He was quite handsome.
“You have no idea.” She shrugged.
He laughed. She liked the sound of his laugh. She took a drink, and the chocolate slid down her throat, warming her from the inside out.
