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“Does it make me a horrible person if I’m relieved?”
Quinn shook his head. “No. Not one bit, Alex.”
Seconds ticked by as the reality of it all began to sink in. The enormity of the relief she felt was breathtaking. Staggering, really.
It was over. Truly over. Preston was gone.
A smile lit up her face. She shook her head, not fully believing it yet. “Wait, you said there was bad news?”
Joe cleared his throat, then patted her foot tucked under the bed covers. “I’m going to go check on Roxanne.” He placed a kiss on Alex’s forehead, and as he walked by Quinn, he gave him a brotherly slap on the shoulder.
She frowned. Worry began to simmer. “What is it? What’s the bad news?”
“Well...” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “You know, that’s my favorite piece.”
Perhaps it was the drugs, or maybe it was all the chaos of everything crashing down on her, but she was thoroughly confused. “What?”
“That’s my favorite part of your hair,” he murmured. “It always falls in your face, and it gives me a reason to touch you.”
“Quinn...” When he kissed her, the butterflies in her stomach took flight.
“I hate to break it to you, but the bad news is... well... you’re stuck with me, sweetheart.” His charming grin returned, and he pressed a kiss to both her palms. “Forever. Even if you want to shake me, I’m afraid it’s too late. I just can’t let you go.”
She chuckled. “You know what, Quinn O’Conner? I can think of worse things than that. And if you want to shakeme, it’s too late for you, too. Because I’m not letting you go, either.”
“Good. Because I love you and I need you to marry me. Soon.” He slid the sapphire and diamond ring back onto her finger. “Alexandra Garcia, I promise you that no one will make you happier or drive you crazier or love you and this baby more than I will. If I have to spend the rest of my life proving that to you, then I’m looking forward to every minute of it.”
Her eyes welled with tears. Could he be any more perfect? “How long is my bed rest for?”
His forehead knit, the crease between his brows popping. “Sorry?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “How long am I on bed rest for?”
He wiped away the lone tear, concern flickering across his handsome face. “Happy tears, right?”
She laughed, nodding as more fell. “You better believe they’re happy tears, Sheriff.”
With the pad of his thumb, he wiped the others away. “One month of bed rest. Up to six weeks, depending on how your ribs heal.”
“Great.” She knew she was smiling like a fool, but she didn’t care. “Let’s get married then.”
With a matching grin, Quinn brought his lips down onto hers. “Absolutely, sweetheart.”
EPILOGUE
It had been five weeks of bed rest. The first couple had been a blur. She’d been so exhausted and in pain. Every time she’d moved, breathed too deep, or twisted the wrong way, it had been agony. But with Quinn by her side, everything had been fine. She’d slept, and she’d healed. Slowly.
The last three weeks had been another story entirely. The pain in her ribs had subsided, but Doc had still insisted she stay on bed rest to be safe. She’d been anemic, and her blood pressure had fluctuated too much for his liking.
She’d binge-watched countless shows but gotten restless after a few days. Her attention span had been nonexistent, so reading—one of her favorite things—hadn’t been an option. While Quinn had gone to work, her saving grace had been the flood of visitors. Doc had stopped by to check on her every day. Over the course of the entire ordeal, he’d become more than just a doctor. More than just her friend’s dad. He’d taken on the role of her surrogate father figure, and she treasured each and every one of his visits.
The Comfort Food crew—Nina, June, and Ella—had stopped by regularly. Mrs. Abbot, Mrs. Yoshida, Ray, and Martha had sat with her as well, keeping her abreast of the latest and greatest Hudson Island gossip. Even Quinn’s friend, Cade de la Rosa, had stopped by with an offer for free self-defense classes when she was feeling better. He’d also spilled embarrassing stories about Quinn that had put her in stitches.
Then, of course, there’d been Roxie. Her friend spent time with her every day after work. Though Roxie insisted she was fine—she’d suffered a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, and numerous bumps and bruises—shadows remained. While her friend was still chipper—and still a drill sergeant at work, as reported by the crew—Alex felt like something was off.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly was wrong, but it was something. And it hurt her heart because she had no clue how to help her friend. But she’d give Roxie time and hope her friend would confide in her eventually.
Now here she was. She’d been officially taken off bed rest three days earlier.
