Letting Go (9 page)

Instead, he chose his words carefully.

“It’s just that normally you wouldn’t have your toddler be part of your second date?” She nodded. “Well,” he said softly, “nothing about this is ‘normal’. I’m not just anyone. Since I’ve been working out of town, I’ve hardly seen him. I’d love to spend the evening with both of you. If you’re okay with that?”

Quinn l
et out a small breath of relief. Luke hoped she realized that he was right. Nothing about this was normal. They didn’t have to play by ‘normal’ rules.

“You know, Carter adores you,”
she said with a smile. “So, I think he’d like that. And yes, I’d like it, too. An evening in with my two favorite guys sounds perfect.”

Luke’s grin was instantaneous.
“Besides,” he said, “there will be other weekends. And weeknights, too, if you want, for just you and I. We should be finishing the hospital this week. In fact, I’m going to push my crew to be sure we finish this week. Then we can get together whenever we want. If we can go out alone, that’s great. If Carter is with us, that’s fine, too. I just want to be with you, Quinn.”

“He does go to bed awfully early,” Quinn admitted in a teasing tone.

“Then it’s a plan. I’m supposed to look at a few houses tomorrow afternoon but I’ll come over around dinner time,” he said.

“You’re still not finding anything you like?”

He shook his head. “No. It would help if I knew what I’m looking for. I was actually thinking I should maybe just rent an apartment like I did in Baxter. I mean, I don’t really need a house. But then if I do that, I might as well just rent from Jesse. He doesn’t seem to mind. And I’m kind of settled in. But the realtor called me and had a few he wants me to look at so I might as well.”

“Well, good luck tomorrow,” she said.

“Thanks.” He glanced around, as if noticing just how quiet and dark the house was. “Are you going to be okay here? I know this is your first night without Carter.”

She nodded and tried to look convincing. She’d never spent the night alone before. Not ever. She’d either lived with her parents, in the dorms, with Jake or after Jake was gone, Luke had stayed. And then Carter had been born. The house would be so quiet with no one else in it. “I’ll be fine. I’ll set the security system, like I always do.”

Luke nodded, even though Quinn hadn’t been all that persuasive. He’d had the system
installed last fall. He still didn’t like Quinn and Carter out in the country all alone but it gave him at least a little peace of mind to know that she had some protection.

“I’m glad you use it. But do you think maybe…” He trailed off, wondering how she would take his request. It was an impulsive thought. One he wondered if
he should immediately squash. “Or maybe,” he said, pushing ahead, “I could just stay? I don’t want to leave you out here all alone. It’s so late. It doesn’t feel right. I can sleep in my clothes. Or on top of the covers,” he paused. “Or even out on the couch if that’s what you prefer.” That would not be a first. He’d spent a good month sleeping on her couch last fall, before Carter was born.

Her smile was full of indecision
. She shook her head, took a breath and then gave him a small shrug. “It is late. I’d like it if you stayed. You don’t have to sleep on the couch, or on top of the covers. You can sleep in whatever you’re comfortable in.”

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. She laughed as she pulled her hands away and gave him a nudge. “As long as you keep
something
on!” she decided.

“Okay,” he laughed. “I think I can manage that.”

He hadn’t
really
thought she’d say yes.

Not long after that, they were both curled up in Quinn’s bed. Luke
was in just his boxers. Quinn was in another pair of flannel pajamas. As much as he wanted to start something, he knew that the timing was probably not right. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her regret her decision.

She clicked off the bed
side lamp and he waited, wondering what she would do next. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. It wasn’t as heated as the one in the kitchen but it wasn’t exactly an innocent kiss either. He ran his fingers through her hair, holding her to him until the kiss faded out.

Then as she started to bac
k away, he looped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

She rolled onto her side as she rested her head in the crook of his arm. “Yes,” she said as she wrapped one of her arms around him. “This actually feels really nice. You have no idea how nice.”

He gave her a little squeeze as they both laid there in the darkness of the bedroom. He was exhausted after a long, hard work week. He was sure Quinn was tired too. That didn’t stop her from running her hand up and down his arm. She let out a little sigh
even as she burrowed in a little tighter.

~*~*~

“Oh,” Luke groaned out the word. “This is like heaven.”

Quinn let out a little giggle. “I agree. Waking up with you—
”

“No, I mean, I think I smell coffee,” Luke teased.

Quinn swatted him but didn’t pull away from him quite yet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in so long. Before Carter was born, of that, she was certain. She’d been awake for awhile now. But she hadn’t wanted to move. For a split second she wondered what she’d been thinking, letting Luke spend the night. Then she reminded herself she was an adult and letting him sleep over was perfectly justified. Especially since that was pretty much all they’d done.

“Modern technology,” she said.
“My coffee pot has a timer. Carter wakes up early. The scent of coffee helps me get out of bed. It’s been done for awhile, though. I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept in this long.”

“Is it nice?” Luke asked as he squeezed her into his arms.

She hummed against his chest. “So nice. I could stay here all day but I suppose I shouldn’t. You have houses to look at. I’ve got a kiddo to pick up.”

“How about if we have breakfast first,” Luke suggested. “I
can help make it.”

Quinn raised an eyebrow at him
as she pulled just far enough away to prop herself up on an elbow. Luke was a notoriously bad cook.

He shot her an offended look. “Pancakes? I can handle pancakes,” he paused. “I mean, I can if you have a mix to use. You don’t make them from scratch do you?”

She smiled over at him. He was twenty-four, like she was. He should be too old to look so adorable. But that’s exactly what she thought as she took in his rumpled hair and boyish grin. “I do both. But I have mix so if you really want to, that would be great.”

“Okay,” he agreed. “I’m just going to run out to my truck. I still have my duffel bag in there from being out of town this week. I’m just going to grab some clothes.”

She nodded and when he crawled out of bed, she followed. She slid her feet into some pink fuzzy slippers and then brushed her teeth. She didn’t bother changing just yet. Once in the kitchen, she poured two mugs of coffee.

Luke joined her a few minutes later. He was wearing sweats and had thrown on a t-shirt. He’d done nothing with his hair and it made Quinn smile. As she was pulling two plates out of the cupboard, he swooped in for a kiss. He tasted like her cinnamon toothpaste and she clung to him, enjoying his morning greeting.

“Okay,” he said as he pulled away. “Let’s get started.”

She took out some sausage as he got started on the pancakes. She
tried not to feel strange about this. Cooking together had been her thing to do with Jake. It was odd; cooking with Luke. For one thing, she knew he wasn’t much of a cook. But also, it was strange to see him in her and Jake’s kitchen. She bit her lip and hung her head as she turned on the stovetop. She had to stop thinking that. Luke’s offer was really sweet. She did not need to spoil it by letting herself get caught up in old memories.

She needed to make new memories.

It just felt a little…strange to be doing that in her and Jake’s kitchen.

It shouldn’t be that hard to get used to. Of all the changes she’d had to deal with this past year, seeing Luke cooking in her kitchen should not be that hard.
She pushed the guilty feelings away and tried to clear her head as they continued with their cooking.

“When do you need to pick up Carter?” Luke asked
when they were finally seated at the table.

Quinn gave him a delicate one shouldered shrug. “Your mom said anytime was fine.”

“But,” Luke said with a smile, “I assume you’d rather get him sooner than later?”

She smiled back and nodded.

“Yeah, I get that. First night away and all. Well, as soon as we’re done here, I can head out.”

“There’s no rush,” Quinn said. “I don’t want you to feel like I’m shooing you out the door.”

“Nah, that’s okay. I actually should head home. I need to get ready to meet the realtor,” he admitted.

“Are you anxious to get out of Jesse’s?
” Quinn asked as she took a bite of her pancakes.

He shrugged. “Not really
.” Jesse had been one of Jake’s best friends since high school. He’d also been a groomsman in Jake and Quinn’s wedding. “I mean, he doesn’t seem to mind. I know it was only supposed to be a short-term arrangement. But he says I’m welcome to stay as long as I want.” Luke let out a low chuckle. “Actually, I think he likes having me around. It keeps Betsy from trying to move in.”

Quinn raised her eyebrows. “They’re that serious?”
Not, she realized, that she should be surprised. They’d been together over a year now. If anything, maybe she should be surprised that Betsy
hadn’t
moved in.

“
She’s
that serious,” Luke offered. “Jesse? Yeah. Not so much.” He gave her a sheepish look. “You’re probably the last person I should tell this to, but if I had to guess, I’d say he’s still hung up on Carly.”

Quinn nearly choked on her coffee. “You’ve got to be kidding me
.”

Luke laughed
as he stabbed at a sausage. “No, actually, I’m not. I know those two have this weird cat and mouse thing going on. Non-stop chasing and then playing with their prey but yeah, in the end, I think Carly has wrecked him for all other women. I’m not sure that he realizes it. But I think Betsy is starting to get the picture. Let me tell you, she’s not happy about it. I think that’s why she’s gotten extra pushy with him lately.”

Quinn looked at him expectantly. “You mean…like marriage?”

He nodded. “Yeah, or at the very least, living together. But I’m sure that she assumes if she gets that from him that marriage will follow at some point.”

Quinn nodded contemplatively as she chewed a bite of pancake.  She couldn’t help but wonder how her sister would take that news. Jesse, engaged. Married. Forever unattainable.

“What’s that dreary look for?” Luke demanded with a small laugh. He took a sip of his coffee as he waited.

“I’m just not sure what that will do to Carly,” Quinn admitted.

“Hasn’t she been seeing someone else for awhile?” Luke asked. He was sure she had been. Quinn had mentioned it. He’d of course, mentioned it to Jesse. Jesse had not been at all happy about it.

“They broke up,” Quinn explained. “However,
I guess they were going to give it another go. In fact, they went out last night. She’s supposed to call me this morning to let me know how it went.”

Luke cocked his head to the side
and narrowed his eyes. “Is she going to ask how your night went too?”

Quinn
laughed. “Yes, I suppose she will.”

“And what are you going to tell her?” Luke demanded.

“I’m going to tell her last night was perfect.”

Luke grinned at that. They chatted while they finished their breakfast. Then he reluctantly decided he should head out. He promised to be back that evening, pizza in hand, despite Quinn’s protests that she could make them all dinner. His protests were even more vehement. He insisted it was still a date, regardless of the slightly unusual circumstances. He would be back with pizza from her favorite pizzeria.

She was just getting ready to get in the shower when her phone rang.

“Soooo,” Carly began, “how did it go?”

Quinn gave her sister a recap of her evening. She then, in turn, received a recap of Carly’s. Apparently Nolan was insistent that he’d made a mistake in ending things. Quinn couldn’t help but agree. Any man would be an idiot if he didn’t see Carly as someone worth fighting for.

Carly had barely finished telling Quinn about her night when she redirected the conversation back to her sister.

“You had a guy sleep over on the first date. Good for you, Quinn,” Carly said. Her voice was full of suggestion. “I knew you had it in you.”

Quinn realized his wanting to stay probably had more to do with his protective side than it did anything else. That wasn’t to say that she thought he
only
wanted to stay with her so she wouldn’t be alone. It was just that she knew it was definitely part of the reason.