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She was also one of the most astute people Quinn knew. If anyone thought the Harper business interests were run solely by Shelly’s husband, they were sadly mistaken.
She was a woman with a spine of steel and determination that had seen her drag Quinn to ballet practice every week for five years, even though her daughter had begged, lied, and hidden in the barn to avoid it. If the woman set her mind to something, it happened.
She loved her mom, and the fact that she was happy with who she was. Shelly loved her life. The problem was that she kept interfering in Quinn’s. Kept telling her she needed to do more to attract a husband and give her grandbabies.
For two women who shared blood, they could not be more different.
“Just don’t hassle Dad, Mom. You know what he’s like. He’ll dig his heels in and refuse to see the doctor.”
“I don’t hassle people!” She looked genuinely shocked at the very idea, which was ironic considering her life had been spent herding her children in the direction she felt they should take. They’d both rebelled, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t pivoted and come at it from a different angle.
“Right, of course you don’t. My bad.”
“At least you’re home now and can help him. In fact, maybe you should stay.”
“I have a career in the United States Air Force, Mom, that I can’t just walk away from.” Quinn ground her teeth. She wasn’t telling her mother that she’d actually been thinking about a change lately. Feeling like it was time to return closer to home. She loved what she did, and had achieved everything she’d set out to, but lately she’d been wondering if it was time to come home. Well maybe not home, but closer to her parents. Quinn had been thinking about buying a place of her own. Somewhere to put down roots.
“Surely you are ready to come home. You’ve done what you set out to, and no one was more surprised than me that you actually got to fly those jets,” her mother said. “Especially considering your inability to remember or organize anything. I mean, just the thought of you up there flying that little plane with all those flashing lights and buttons is terrifying.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom, but I’m actually quite good at what I do.” She wasn’t getting into this again. When and if she decided to settle down it would be her choice alone.
Captain Quinn Harper had worked hard to achieve what she had. Her mother, however, hated what she’d chosen to do, because it stopped her settling down and giving her grandchildren.
“I know you are.” Her mother waved a hand. “It’s a relief your bosses could let you come home to help. But then I’m sure they have plenty of good strong men to help out while you are here.”
“Mom, there are plenty of female fighter pilots.” Quinn sighed. “We don’t need good strong men to watch over us, believe it or not.”
“It wasn’t an insult.”
“Sure as hell sounded like one, and considering you are a strong woman, it is insulting when you stay stuff like that.”
“Don’t cuss. And it wasn’t meant to be. I’m just saying it’s time for you to start your family.”
Quinn respected her mother but rarely did she understand her. They were different people.
“I don’t want a husband or a family. I want to be the best damned fighter pilot I can be.” The words came out calmly enough, even if they’d been delivered through her clenched front teeth.
This particular conversation had been on repeat since she joined the Air Force and trained to be a pilot. Her parents had come to the ceremony when she became a captain, and her mom had spent most of her time admiring the men dressed in their uniforms and telling her that when she was done with this, there was the farm to come back to and some lovely young men in Ryker Falls for her to make friends with if she didn’t find a husband here.
The Harper family had been growing berries for years. Quinn and her brother had grown up working. Their father also ran charter flights for tourists. He’d taught his children to fly from the day they were old enough to learn. Quinn had loved flying from that day on.
“Of course you want a family, and yes, you’ve done well, Quinny, considering you couldn’t tidy your room and didn’t like school very much.”
It was like she was fourteen again and the recipient of a Shelly Harper lecture, which ranged from disappointment for something or having her slothful tendencies highlighted.
“I was young. I am now older and clearly learned to be tidy and study.”
“I don’t mean to sound surprised, but you have to admit it’s a shock, considering.”
Considering she had once been a bit of a slob. That her room had been a mess, and her grades below average. It had been her small rebellion against her mom’s exacting standards. She’d done the bare minimum in her room until she’d been told to clean it or else.
“I had a few learning issues too, if you’ll remember, Mom.”
Quinn had struggled to understand why nothing in school came easy for her like it did some of her classmates. But after the day she’d watched a documentary on fighter pilots with her dad, everything had changed. She’d known what she wanted to do with her life.
She’d spent hours in her room rewriting notes as a kid. Rewriting and memorizing, determined to learn like others could. Still, it had been a struggle until Miss Sarah, one of her teachers, had realized she needed help, and had worked with her solidly for a year. She’d got it then. Simply having someone put time into her had opened the door in her brain, and the knowledge flowed in.
“Matt’s work is likely to get him another award,” her mother said, moving on to the next subject. One of her favorites.
