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Quinn slammed his hand down on the desk, and heat flashed through his body. “This isnota fucking game, Buchanan. This is Alex’slife. You fucked up once. Donotfuck up again. If she gets hurt, I’m holding you personally responsible. And our friendship be damned, Iwilltake you down.”
Joe’s expression hardened. “Don’t threaten me, O’Conner.”
“Trust me, Buchanan. It’s not a threat.”
Two and a half hours later, Quinn walked into Comfort Food, leaving Joe on the sidewalk to bark into his cell phone. He caught Alex’s eye, and she waved from behind the counter as Mrs. Abbot and Mrs. Yoshida fawned over her ring. He’d heard through the gossip mill that both women had just returned from a cruise to Mexico.
“Ladies,” Quinn said, pasting on a grin. “Welcome back. By your tans, I trust you had a good time.”
“We did. Now get over here, young man,” Mrs. Yoshida said, giving him a hearty hug. “Congratulations, dear boy.”
“It’s just lovely, Quinn,” Mrs. Abbot said, dabbing her eyes. “Your mother would have loved her.”
His throat tightened, and for a split second, he could only stare at Mrs. Abbot.
Mom. Damn, how he missed her.
He blinked back the sudden rush of emotion and hugged Mrs. Abbot. “Thank you. That really means a lot.”
With a pat to his cheek, Mrs. Abbot turned to Mrs. Yoshida, and they went to their usual table.
Alex squeezed his hand. “I didn’t know they were friends of your parents.”
He leaned in to kiss her hello.
He loved that he could do that—give her a good-to-see-you kiss without blinking an eye. It reminded him of his folks. They’d had the kind of affection that was so damn natural, so damn right. Deep down, he’d always hoped he would find that kind of love. And looking at Alex, that hope sprouted to life in his chest.
Still, it was bittersweet. What he would give to be in a room with both his parents and Alex... Because Mrs. Abbot was right. They would’ve loved her.
He cleared his throat, and it took him two tries to speak over the lump. He aimed for nonchalant, but knew he’d missed the mark. “You live here all your life, and everyone’s friends with everyone. But those two ladies were especially close. If my folks were alive, my mom would be sitting at that table with them, and my dad would be out fishing with their husbands.” His throat tightened again. Damn. He scanned the room, desperate for a distraction, and came up empty. “It’s pretty quiet in here. Where are Roxie and Nina?”
“Roxie’s at the bank, and Nina’s doing a catering delivery,” she said, a soft smile on her lips. Taking his hand, she placed a kiss on the back and then held it in her lap. His heart settled a tiny bit. “You’ve never talked about them. What were your parents like?”
“Wonderful,” he said, voice thick. “I know death can turn people into saints. My folks weren’t perfect by any means, but if you ask anyone who knew them, they’d all say Mom and Dad were wonderful. Good people.”
He sighed, lost in fond memories. “They were always really busy with work, charity functions, bowling leagues, and all that typical stuff. But they always made time. Even when I was a surly, obnoxious sixteen-year-old who had the world figured out and only wanted to acknowledge them as my parents every other Tuesday... they still made the time.”
Not a day went by where he didn’t think about his parents. Some days, missing them was a dull ache, and he was unable to comprehend that they’d been gone for so long. Other days, the pain was so fucking fresh, as if he’d just gotten the call they’d been killed.
“For my entire life, there was never a doubt in my mind that they loved me and were proud of me. And it wasn’t just me. My mom was especially close with both Joe and Roxie. Joe’s mom split right after he was born, but she’d constantly pop in and out of his life when we were kids, and it messed with his head. And Roxie’s mom? I suppose she’s a nice person, but no one would ever call hermaternal. So, my mom took Joe and Rox under her wing. When my parents died, it was just as devastating for them as it was for me.”
Alex pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “How did it happen?”
“Car accident.” He dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “They were at an event in Seattle. They were on their way back to the ferry, and a drunk driver got on the freeway going the wrong direction and hit them. Full speed. The first responders said they died instantly. I’m grateful for that. That they didn’t suffer, and that they were together.”
He took a deep breath in, and Alex’s soft floral perfume soothed him. “I honestly don’t know what my dad would have done without my mom. And vice versa. That’s something, I guess. All their friends came out for their memorial service, friends from all over the world. I never realized how many people they’d touched. Even though there wasn’t a dry eye to be found, it really was a true celebration of their lives.”
She glanced up at him, and her eyes brimmed with tears.
“Don’t be sad, sweetheart,” he said, giving her a small smile. “They lived wonderful lives surrounded by tons of people they genuinely loved, and who loved them right back. You would have liked them, and I know they would have adored you.”
“What were their names?”
He wiped a runaway tear from her cheek. This woman—hiswoman—had such a big heart. “Liam and Annie O’Conner.”
A high-pitched squeal pierced the café. “Oh my word!”
Turning toward the excited cry, he chuckled. Joe had made it maybe three steps through the front door before Mrs. Abbot and Mrs. Yoshida had spotted him. They descended on him with matching ear-to-ear grins.
