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QUINN BECAME MORE agitated by the second as he walked behind what had to be the slowest family in the world while trying to get off the plane.
He’d tried to bury himself in work on the flight, but his mind was drenched in thoughts of Shelley’s smile, her laugh, the way she touched him, inside and out. She was everywhere. Every thought, every scent sparked memories of something they’d done together or something she’d said.
He’d gone into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face in an effort to center his focus on the work that he needed to be completely on top of, but when he’d looked at himself in the mirror, it was as if he was finally seeing himself—and what he really wanted—for the very first time in his life.
Yes, he’d worked his ass off to build his corporate empire, but what good was it if he couldn’t be with Shelley? He already knew he didn’t want to be like Chandler, a resentful old man whose true love turned him away because he was a workaholic. And he’d vowed to never put disappointment in Shelley’s eyes again, either.
Damn it, there was no way in hell that she was going to play second fiddle to his job. She deserved to come first, and she was going to come first.
Starting now.
When he finally broke free from behind the other passengers, the first thing he did was make a quick call to his fleet manager to arrange for a private plane back to the island—one that he found out was closing its doors in a matter of minutes. Quinn ran through the airport, weaving through the crowd. He reached the gate with less than a minute to spare, the door closing behind him as soon as he took his seat.
All it had taken was one short trip off the island for him to realize that he was done putting work ahead of starting his life with Shelley. He knew how much he loved her. And he knew he was capable of changing whatever he needed to in order to keep from hurting her and to give her the fulfilled and happy future she deserved. He didn’t need to be stuck in Annapolis, missing her every single second, to prove to himself that she was what really mattered. He already knew that.
Stuck in Annapolis. A week ago he’d felt stuck on the island. Shelley had not only opened his eyes to the beauty of the island he had once found too confining, but she’d also made him realize he needed something more than a shipping empire to fill his soul. Shelley had also reminded him of the importance of family.
Trent’s parting words came back to Quinn as the staff did their final preparation for takeoff: I was young and stupid. What’s your excuse?
Even though Trent’s marriage had failed, his brother clearly seemed to recognize that it wasn’t because love was fundamentally flawed, but because Trent and Reese had been barely more than kids when they’d gotten married. Which also meant that Trent had seen Quinn’s leaving the island, and Shelley, as a mistake before Quinn had. Everyone had probably seen it, but they respected him enough not to rush or push him.
Maybe now it’s time to let your heart have a turn at living, was what his mother had said before dinner. Abby Rockwell had always been wise. But never more than when she was gently counseling him on finding—and keeping—true love.
Before the flight staff made everyone turn off their devices, Quinn dialed Rich’s number and drew in a deep breath, mentally preparing for his business partner’s anger.
“Where are you?” Rich barked. “The driver said he can’t find you.”
“He’s not going to find me. I’m on a flight back to the island.”
“Quinn, you can’t be serious.”
“Dead serious.”
“What about Joseph? We’ll lose him.”
Quinn still loved the company he’d started from little more than an idea and the gumption to succeed. He’d given years of his life to building the shipping empire that he and Rich now treasured. But Quinn had only so many hours in the day to give—and now he wanted to give lots of those hours to Shelley. What’s more, he also now knew that he needed to be on the island as much as he wanted to be there.
How could he have thought it was fair to leave when his family was doing exactly what they’d committed to doing? And who knew he’d learn the most important life lessons of all from the naked beauty he’d seen flitting about in the cove the night he’d arrived on the island?
Quinn hadn’t known if he believed in fate before he met Shelley, but now he believed that things did happen for a reason. In this case—his leaving the company was actually the perfect way to get Joseph to stay.
