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“I’ll be down at the dock in time for the class.”
With that, he turned to head back to his grandfather’s office, but Trent grabbed his arm.
“You’re not going back in there, are you?”
Quinn looked his brother in the eye. “Whatever Chandler is up to, he’s handling us in the worst possible way by getting all of our backs up. Especially when not one of us would ever let the family down. Someone needs to set him straight and remind him of that fact.”
With a nod, Trent let his arm go. “Just try to keep your cool, okay?”
Instead of barreling back into his grandfather’s office, Quinn decided to take Trent’s sage advice and cool down first. As a successful businessman, he knew anger was like cancer—it spread and did nothing to diffuse a situation, only made it more rotten.
Quinn was drawing in a deep breath and unclenching his hands when Didi’s voice came into focus.
“Your grandchildren take after you, Mr. Rockwell.”
Quinn shook his head. The poor woman didn’t have a clue that opening her mouth about them to the old man was the kiss of death.
“I didn’t hire you to talk or evaluate my family,” he heard his grandfather reply. “I hired you to heal me so I can get back to work and run this resort.”
As if Chandler hadn’t said a word, Didi continued. “They’re just as tough as you are. Just as determined.”
Quinn’s eyebrows went up at her retort. Does she want to be put on the next boat back to Greece?
“You’re right that they’re certainly determined,” Chandler agreed, much to Quinn’s shock. Even more shocking was the undeniable sound of approval in his grandfather’s voice.
“And just as devoted to their family,” Didi pushed.
She really must want to be fired as soon as possible. Quinn was sure that family bit was going to push his grandfather over the edge, but it wasn’t Chandler who spoke next; it was Didi.
“You know they’re doing this for your son, don’t you? For Griffin and the island residents, not for you.”
The old man harrumphed. “It’s time for you to take my blood pressure.”
Quinn’s anger and need for another confrontation suddenly diffused, and he turned back to the elevator, replaying what he’d heard over and over in his mind. Didi clearly had a spine of steel, but what had surprised him most of all was the fact that his grandfather didn’t refute what she’d said about him and his siblings.
He found Trent in the lobby, talking with Krista, one of the receptionists at the front desk. Quinn waited impatiently for Trent to finish talking, feeling as though every passing second widened the fissure between him and Shelley.
When Trent finally turned to him, Quinn said, “I just overheard something I need to share with you guys. Where is everyone?”
“They’re having breakfast in the café. What did you hear?”
“Let’s go find everyone else. I’ll tell you once we’re all together.”
The café was bustling with guests eating breakfast and waiters and waitresses, wearing white tops and black slacks or skirts, working efficiently to deliver food on large round trays. Quinn had never worked as a waiter, as many of his friends had when they were growing up. He’d always worked on boats, where he’d soaked up as much knowledge as the captains and deckhands would share. It was during those afternoon and evening hours that he’d learned how to fix engines and check riggings and just about everything else having to do with boats, with the exception of actually sailing.
His father had taught him how to sail when he was a boy, and he treasured those memories. From his very first sail, Quinn had fallen in love with the wind and the sea and the strength of the bay. When he was out on the water, everything felt brighter.
Just like when I’m with Shelley.
Quinn hated knowing he’d wasted his morning dealing with his grandfather when he should have been at her cottage to apologize as soon as she woke up. Even now he was losing time when he could have been running down to her cottage to see if there was any chance that she was still there.
“I thought you were heading down to the dock,” Sierra said when he and Trent got to the table where the rest of their siblings were sitting.
“I need to talk with you guys first about something I just heard Chandler say to Didi.”
“Before you do,” she said, the expression on his sister’s face clearly telling him that she wasn’t at all looking forward to more discussions about their grandfather, “I’ve been dying to ask you about Shelley. I’m meeting with her this afternoon to talk about her café. She seems really great. And after you swept her out of my restaurant so fast yesterday, we’re all wondering what’s up with you two.”
