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“Agreed. Now go and do something with yourself.”
“Why do I need to do something with myself if you’re not matchmaking, Mom?”
“Because you’re my daughter, and the way you look reflects on me.”
“Why? I’m an adult now. Stop throwing men at me, Mom, I’m not catching any.”
“Don’t be silly. I’d never do something like that.”
“You are totally delusional,” Quinn muttered.
Shelly smiled and patted her cheek. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Quinn snapped her teeth together and growled as her mother walked away.
“Well, crap, Levi.”
He was slowing down a bit, like his favorite human. Dad and Levi spent most of their days together.
“You got my back, buddy?” She pressed her face into his and breathed slowly. His raspy tongue licked her cheek.
“Quinn, dear,” her mother called. “Go and wash up. Our guests are here.”
She did as she was told in the closest bathroom. Levi trotted along behind her for moral support. After she’d washed her hands and finger-combed her hair without checking the mirror, she went to the lounge without applying any makeup or changing her clothes either.
She was an adult, damnit.
She’d showered after helping her dad pack berries earlier, so she was clean, if not to her mom’s standards.
When she walked into the lounge, it was to find everyone with drinks in their hands and her mother playing hostess to the hilt. On the low table was a tray of elaborate nibbles.
“And there she is!”
Pearl had been one of her mother’s posse forever. She was fit, wiry, and dressed in pink. Tonight’s outfit was a tight-fitting pair of jeggings, fluffy pink leg warmers which she’d always worn, and a sweater to match. Her hair was held back by a wide pink band that had sparkling gems in it.
Totally outrageous like a few of the octogenarians in this town, and yet it worked.
“Come and hug me, girl.”
She’d had more hugs in the last few days than she’d had in years. She did as she was asked, letting the arms hold her as they had often since she’d been born. Stepping back, she realized Patsy Cline was playing somewhere. Pearl had two loves in her life: Patsy and her leg warmers.
“This is my nephew, Sam. He’s from Denver,” Pearl said. “Sam, this is Quinn.”
He had really white teeth when he smiled and was dressed in tan trousers and a button-down white shirt. Sam was one of those men that were groomed way better than her, which wasn’t saying much, but she still found it slightly off-putting. His hair was blond and short on the sides with a floppy fringe.
“Hi.” She held out her hand, and he shook it, holding hers a little longer than necessary. He also had a weak handshake. Quinn knew it wasn’t fair of her to judge a person on their handshake, but she always had.
“I’ll just check on dinner,” her mother said.
“I’ll help,” Pearl said.
“Ivan, maybe you could come too?”
Her father muttered something that Quinn was sure had been “Subtle” and sank onto the sofa, ignoring his wife’s order. He started reading the magazine he’d been subscribed to forever called American Fruit Grower. Levi jumped into his lap and turned a few circles, then settled.
“So, are you in Ryker Falls long, Sam?” Quinn said after an awkward pause. Dammit, she was a grown up and a fighter pilot; she could do social chitchat.
“No. I’m a big-city boy. Not enough for me to do here.”
