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Quinn loaded the bags into the back seat, and the food’s decadent aromas filled the vehicle.
She inhaled deeply, and her mouth watered. “What was that about? And where are we going?”
“Questions, questions, questions,” he murmured, a grin on his lips. “For the second question, home. For the first, what was what about?”
“Martha and Ray? Why did he hit you upside the head?”
“Who knows?” He chuckled. “But probably because he can?” After waving at a young couple crossing the street, he said, “Martha and I were just chatting. She heard about you getting hurt and wanted to make sure you were okay. She’s got a big heart.”
Minutes later, they pulled into Quinn’s driveway. As the SUV came to a stop, he touched her arm, stilling her. “Wait. Please. I’ll come around and get your door.”
She barely withheld an eye roll. “I can open my own door, Quinn.” It was a sweet offer, but unnecessary. Reaching for the handle, she was stilled by his hand again. This time, she succumbed to the eye roll. “When the doctors told me to take it easy, I’m pretty sure they meant to not exercise or do anything strenuous. I’m pretty sure opening my car door is okay.”
“I’m sure it’s annoying that I’m hovering like you’re a fragile piece of glass. Alex, I know you’re a strong, capable woman...” A shadow crossed his face, as if he was caught in a memory, and she regretted her flippant words. “But, sweetheart, you’re so damn precious to me. Anything I can do to make things easier for you, no matter how small, I want to do it.”
Her heart melted.
He shot her a roguish grin. “Humor me with the door thing? Maybe for just this week?” He pursed his lips. “Well, maybe until after you’ve had the baby?”
Her heart melted a little more. “Sure, I’ll humor you.”
He leaned across the console and kissed her before hurrying out of the driver’s seat. After opening her door and helping her out, he snagged the take-out bags and led her to the back door of the house. Once inside, he placed the bags on the kitchen counter. “I have a little surprise for you. Take a seat, and I’ll be right back.”
She’d been sitting all day, and her back was starting to ache. Well, starting to achemore. So instead, she opened the bags and almost drooled.
Golden fried chicken, steaming biscuits, potato salad, and scrumptious mashed potatoes and gravy. Her stomach growled its appreciation. Not thinking it could get any better, she opened the Comfort Food bag and peeked into the box. And groaned. Oh, it got better. A warm, mouthwatering blueberry pie.
“Quinn, have you been talking to Roxie?” she called out as she rummaged for a spoon. “Her blueberry pies are my favorite.” She snuck a bite of pie and moaned, the sweet and tart blueberry goodness bursting in her mouth. “Did you know that I can eat an entire pie in under twenty-five minutes? Roxie timed me the other day.” She frowned, not quite sure if that was a good or bad thing. “You know, that’s actually pretty disgusting when you think about it.”
She scooped up another heaping spoonful of pie. One more bite wouldn’t hurt.
A quiet laugh caught her attention. She looked up and found Quinn leaning against the kitchen archway, a sexy grin on his face. With a mouthful of pie, she gave him a sheepish smile.
“Twenty-five minutes, you say?”
She nodded, swallowing.
He joined her at the counter. “We’ll have to work on that. I clock in at just shy of eleven minutes. And Joe? He’s in a class of his own. He can down an entire pie in six minutes flat. It’s quite extraordinary, really.” He pulled out a serving tray and piled all the food and two bottles of water onto it.
“What are you doing?”
He gently kissed her bruised lips, then picked up the tray. “Come on.”
Tossing her spoon in the sink, she followed him into the living room and stopped short.
Her mouth dropped open.
Spread out before the glowing fire was a giant picnic blanket. A huge vase of pink dahlias sat in one corner, and a large picnic basket filled with yellow daisies sat in the opposite corner. In the middle, between two enormous floor pillows, Quinn unloaded the tray of food onto the coffee table. Dozens of tea light candles decorated the hearth, and somewhere in the background, Billie Holiday softly serenaded them.
Seating himself on one pillow, he glanced up at her. “Lunch?”
Speechless. She was speechless.
Knowing tears were imminent, she fought to find the right words.
“Quinn... no one’s ever... Wow.” Words failed her, and she let out a watery chuckle. “This is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”
She lowered herself onto the other floor pillow. Looking up at him, her throat tightened. His dark-brown hair was disheveled, and there was over a day’s worth of stubble across his jaw, defining it even more. The light from the window, combined with the light from the fire and candles, cast a soft glow over his face. Gazing into his gray eyes, warmth enveloped her.
