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Chapter5
“We’re having guests over for dinner this evening.”
“Who?” Quinn opened her eyes.
After helping her dad for a few hours, she’d lit the fire and was stretched out on the rug before it. On her belly lay her father’s faithful companion and ancient mutt, Levi. Until two seconds ago, they’d both been blissfully alone and dozing in the warmth.
It wasn’t often Quinn had absolutely nothing to do, but in that moment she did and was enjoying it—or she had been.
“Pearl and her nephew. He’s a businessman and visiting with her at the moment. A very handsome young man who lives alone. Pearl said he needs to meet new people and that as you were home and likely feeling the same way, she’d bring him over for a meal.”
Levi raised his head off her belly and shot her mother a look that she loosely interpreted to mean, go away, we’re resting.
I hear you, buddy.
Quinn rolled to sit, taking Levi into her arms as she did, then regained her feet. She felt like she needed to be vertical to have this conversation. In fact, any conversation with her mother, she needed to be alert. You never knew what she’d throw at you next.
When she’d come home from Ryker this morning, she’d found her mom in the kitchen. After slapping down the cookie container Luke had given her, she’d let her know she was really annoyed about what she’d done. Her mother had told her to stop being dramatic, and that she’d only been showing kindness to a man who had saved Quinn’s and Ivan’s lives.
Taking criticism was not in Shelly Harper’s makeup. She could also take deflecting to the Olympics if it was a national sport.
“This better not be another attempt at matchmaking, Mom. I told you that wasn’t cool to give those cookies to Luke Trainer today. It was embarrassing, and I’ll never be able to look the guy in the face again.”
“Of course it’s not.” Her mom waved her words away. “And Luke is a lovely boy. I was just thanking him for helping with the fire.” Shelly scratched behind Levi’s ear, and he made a little rumbling noise in his throat.
Quinn narrowed her eyes. Shelly Harper was a master manipulator and often did it with a sweet smile on her face so no one actually understood what she was about. But her children and husband understood. They’d had years of practice.
“Let me make this really clear, Mom. I don’t want you to play matchmaker with me. I can look after myself.”
“Of course you can, dear. Now you go on up and change into something that at least has a bit of color in it. Maybe a touch of makeup too.”
“No.”
They stood toe to toe eyeing each other.
“Why do you have to dress like a boy? Why can’t you at least make an effort if we are having guests over for a meal?” Her mother was glaring at her now.
“I like the way I dress.” Most of the time. Strangely, for the first time in a long while today, she’d thought about maybe buying something with some color in it.
“Someone emptied the goats’ water trough today.”
“What?” Both women looked at Quinn’s dad, who hobbled into the room. He was now in a moon boot after a visit to the hospital earlier.
“Someone emptied the trough.”
“Someone?” Her mother raised a brow. “You probably forgot to replace that stopper when you emptied it to clean it, Ivan.”
“I did not forget,” her father said slowly.
“Well someone did, and it wasn’t me,” her mother said.
Was her dad’s memory going?He seemed the same to her, but then she wasn’t with him all the time.
A knock on the door interrupted them.
“I’ll get it.” Quinn watched her father limp away.
“We need to get him to the doctor for that checkup,” Quinn said.
