The Mighty Quinns: Jack (13 page)

“All right. First opportunity I get, that will happen.”

“And what about Elyse?” she asked.

Her dad shook his head. “I think that’s best left as is. There are so many complications, so many choices we’d each need to make. I think I got carried away with what I was feeling and I thought I could answer all those questions with one big, romantic gesture. But I figured out that we need to find some answers first.” He took a sip of his tea. “So, Mimi, do you know what you’re going to do now?”

“No,” she said with a smile.

“I know you’ve put your personal life on hold these last few years. And when your mother was sick, you spent every spare minute with her. I know how much you’ve missed out on. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

“Daddy, that’s the risk you take with falling in love. If there were guarantees with every relationship, everyone would live happily ever after.” Mia paused. “I like Elyse. I think Mom would have liked her, too.”

“She’s very opinionated.”

“Elyse is used to taking care of herself. She’s had to make all the decisions on her own.”

“I could give her a good life,” Ben said. “I’m financially secure and it seems that she’s spent her whole life worrying about money. Even now, she watches every penny. I know how hard it is for her, but I want to make her life easier.”

“Then you should. You worked hard for everything you have. You made all those choices.” Mia picked up her mug and set it in the sink. “Daddy, if you want her back, I think you might have to fly to Chicago and convince her. Make one of those grand gestures again.”

“Maybe I’m just too set in my ways to change. If I never remarry, I’ll be fine. I have my work and my girls. And my grandchildren. That’s enough to make me happy.”

Mia poured Ben another mug of tea, straining the dry leaves through a sieve. Then she grabbed the milk from the fridge and put the perfect amount into her Dad’s cup. Someday, maybe Elyse would know exactly how he liked his tea. Maybe she’d watch over him and tell the dry cleaners how he liked his shirts. Maybe she’d pack for his business trips and drive him to the airport.

She bent close and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. “I need to get back,” she said. “I’ve got to meet Jack later this evening.”

She grabbed her keys from the counter. “And no more cocktails before four p.m.,” Mia warned.

“Daddy! Daddy?”

A high-pitched voice cut through the silence of the house and Mia groaned inwardly as she recognized her sister Dani’s voice. “In here,” Mia called.

A moment later, her oldest sister burst through the door, her expensive luggage in tow. “You!” she said, pointing at Mia. “I’ve been calling you and calling you. Where have you been? Why haven’t you picked up?” She spun on her father. “And you! I have to hear through friends that you’re engaged?”

“He’s not engaged,” Mia said.

“I’m not engaged,” Ben said.

“Daddy, you have to reconsider. I know you’ve been lonely lately, so I’ve decided that I’m going to spend more time here with you. I’ll bring the kids and we’ll have nice long weekends together. Of course, I’ll have to bring the dog, too. David would never let me leave him at home, he’d tear the place apart. Now, it’s time to put an end to this silliness. You are not engaged!”

“He’s not engaged,” Mia said.

“Not engaged,” Ben said.

Dani looked back and forth between the two of them, frowning. “You’re not?”

“No,” Ben said.

A self-satisfied smile broke across her face. “Well, then. That’s better. I’m glad you’re both seeing my point of view.”

“Daddy, I’ll call you soon,” she said, giving her dad a peck on the cheek. “Dani, have a cup of tea and relax.”

Dani blinked in surprise. “You’re leaving already?”

“Mimi has a boyfriend,” Ben said with a sly smile. “His name is Jack.”

“What? Why was I not informed of these things? Why doesn’t anyone call me anymore?”

Mia hurried out of the house, giggling to herself. Yes, she had a boyfriend. A wonderful, handsome, sexy boyfriend. A tiny shiver skittered through her.

Jack was flying back into town that night. “I think I’m going to make my boyfriend a special dinner,” she said to herself. Although she’d make sure that eating would be the last thing he’d have on his mind.

8

B
Y
THE
TIME
J
ACK
STEPPED
out of the cab in front of Mia’s flat, he was thoroughly exhausted. Not the pleasant kind of exhausted that he experienced after a long night in bed with Mia. This was the mind-numbing, frustration-inducing tired that made him want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over his head.

He’d gone to L.A. with such high hopes, certain that he could just pick up negotiations where he’d left off a year ago. But things at SportsNet had changed. Budgets had been cut and most of the money was going to well-established shows with hosts that had a fan base already. They weren’t as enthusiastic about Jack’s ability to build an audience as they had been last year.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Mia. Everything hinged on him moving out to L.A. If he didn’t find work in California, then that might be the end of their relationship.

Hell, he wouldn’t blame her if she did bail. It was hard enough to make a romance work when the participants were living in the same town. But when they were living half a country apart, chances of success diminished exponentially.

Jack paid the cab driver, then turned to walk up the front steps. But he paused before he pressed the security buzzer to her flat. He could always take his chances and look for work somewhere else. Though he was a lifelong Cubs fan, he could switch loyalties to the Giants and write a column for the Examiner. Just across the Bay, Oakland had the A’s and Los Angeles had two major league baseball teams. He was in a baseball rich environment.

Maybe he could tell her the negotiations for the job were ongoing. Then he could look for other work and hope that something came through before he ran out of cash. But he’d made a promise not to lie to Mia. They’d been together less than a week and he was already breaking the rules.

No, he’d tell her the truth. He’d lay out all his options and discuss them with her. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed the button. A moment later, the door swung open and Mia threw herself into his arms.

“You’re home,” she cried.

“I’m home,” Jack said.

Funny how, after such a short time with her, this felt like home. Mia was here and she was all he needed to feel complete. He’d wondered at her father’s capacity to fall in love so quickly, but Jack knew the feeling. At this moment in time, Jack Quinn’s life was perfect.

“Come on,” Mia said. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t need any more surprises. You are the only thing I’ve been looking forward to seeing since I got on that plane.”

When they reached the third floor landing, she opened the apartment door. Jack stepped inside to find the interior lit only by candles. The table was set for a fancy dinner and the smells wafting in from the kitchen caused his stomach to growl.

She’d made a celebration, Jack mused. Unfortunately, they weren’t going to have anything to celebrate. Maybe this was one of those times when lying to Mia was the appropriate choice. How could he spoil her surprise with bad news?

“Wow, this is great,” he said.

She took his hands and pulled him inside. Jack set his bag down next to the door and followed her. But the moment she stopped, he cupped her face between his hands and pulled her into a long, desperate kiss.

It was as simple as that, he thought. Every problem in the world could be solved by just kissing her. She gave him a strength that he didn’t have on his own, a confidence that he needed to move forward. Jack ran his hands from her shoulders to her breasts to her hips and back again, reassuring himself that she really
was back in his arms.

The instinct to connect, to test the limits of their desires was undeniable. Mia placed her palm on his chest, and drew back. “I bought champagne. Why don’t I pour a couple glasses and you can tell me everything.”

“That sounds nice,” he murmured.

“Sit,” she said, pointing to the sofa.

Jack slipped out of his jacket and tossed it over a nearby chair, then sank into Mia’s overstuffed couch. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, hoping to clear the chaos from his head.

“Here you go,” she said, sitting down beside him.

He took the champagne flute from her hand and waited for her to settle. “Before we make a little toast here, I just want to tell you that I’m glad to be back here with you. I missed you after you left. And it’s pretty clear to me that I’m not going to be happy unless we’re together.”

Mia smiled, then leaned close and brushed a kiss across his lips. “I feel the same way. I don’t like being apart from you, either.”

“So, I think we should toast to this, to the feeling that we were meant to be together, no matter what.”

Mia held up her glass. “No matter what.” She took a sip of her champagne. “So tell me what happened. When do you start? Are they going to cover relocation costs?”

“Things aren’t going to happen quite as fast as we’d hoped,” Jack said. “They’re not looking to produce any new shows right now. They’re interested in me, but they don’t have the budget.”

“What does that mean?” Mia asked, searching his gaze.

“It means that if I want to do a show for them, I’d have to find an independent production company to back me. Then they’d sell the show to the network, or to another sports network.”

“Can you do that?”

“I don’t know, Mia. I’d have to move out here without any promise of work and I’d have to find a television agent. We’d need to put together a whole package before trying to get backing.”

He saw the disappointment in her eyes. But she quickly hid it behind a smile. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to find another job. And I’m going to start looking in San Francisco. You’ve got two major league teams nearby. I can become a Giants fan.”

“There are plenty of things you can do,” Mia said. “And you can live here while you look. There’s no reason for you to have your own place.”

“Are you really sure you want to do that, Mia? I think I should keep my job in Chicago until I have something good lined up here.”

“But then you’ll need to go back home,” Mia said.

“I’m going to need to go back home, anyway. But I think it would be great if you came with me. You could meet my sisters and I could show you around town.”

“I have to go back to work next week,” she said. “In fact, I was thinking of going into the office tomorrow to catch up.” She pressed her face into his shoulder. “Tell me this is going to work out,” she murmured.

Jack set his champagne down on the coffee table and drew her into his embrace. “It will. I promise. I don’t want to let this go, Mia. I want to see how far it will take us.”

She looked up at him. “Me, too.”

Jack smiled. He needed to feel close to her now, to reassure himself that the connection between them hadn’t been weakened.

Jack reached out and tangled his fingers in her hair, then turned her face up to meet his kiss. As the kiss deepened, he felt his reaction, deep at the core of his being.

Taking her hand, Jack pulled her along to the bedroom, their lips still tasting, tongues still teasing. They fell onto the neatly made bed, Jack yanking her down on top of him. He pulled the shoulder of her dress down, exposing her chest and neck and trailed a line of kisses along her collarbone. But when he could go no farther, she sat up and let her arms drop out of the sleeves. The bodice of the dress fell to her waist and a long breath escaped his lips.

Jack continued his exploration and when he reached her breast, he circled her nipple with his tongue then gently drew it into his mouth. The pleasure was too much to bear and Mia cried out, holding him close as desire pulsed through her body.

“I don’t want to live without you,” he murmured. Jack rolled her onto her back, then moved to her other breast. Her fingers furrowed through his hair and he molded his mouth to her flesh.

“Yes,” she replied, breathlessly. “Oh, yes.”

“How much longer do I have to wait to take your clothes off?” he asked.

“Now would be fine,” she replied.

But as he reached for the buttons on the front of her dress, the ring on Jack’s cell phone stopped him. He groaned and reached for his pocket. He thought it might be the producers from SportsNet, but he saw his mother’s name come up on the screen.

Jack showed the screen to Mia. “Answer it,” she said.

“Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

“I have the most wonderful news! I’ve just been contacted by an attorney,” she said. “He told me that we have an inheritance coming from some distant relative in Ireland. He wants to meet with me tomorrow at the house.”

Jack’s instincts instantly went on alert. “Mom, don’t you dare let a stranger into the house. This sounds like some kind of scam to get you to open the door.”

“He knows my address,” she said.

“You told him?”

“No, he said his investigator has been looking for me. Actually, he already knew my address. And he knew all about your father. He seemed like a very nice man, Jack. I think there might be something to this.”

“Mom, I want you to pack a bag and go stay with a friend tonight. I’m going to call the Chicago P.D. and let them know. Promise me you’ll leave tonight.”

“You know, he told me the name of our relative. Aileen Quinn. She’s a famous author, Jack. I looked her up on my computer. She’s sold millions of books.”

“Mom, I’m going to fly out tomorrow. I’ll be home before you know it and we’ll take care of this. Promise me you’re going to leave the house right after you hang up. Drive out to Barrington and stay with Katie. I’m going to call her right now and tell her to expect you.”

“All right. I’ll go. But I really think you need to talk to this man. He says you’re going to receive an inheritance, as well.”

By the time Jack hung up, he was more than a little worried. His mother was a very smart woman, but she tended to see the best in people. She was far too trusting. Her trip to California to see Ben McMahon was a perfect example. And now this.

Jack tossed the phone aside and cursed softly. “I’m going to have to take a trip back to Chicago tomorrow,” he said. “My mom has herself mixed up in some kind of scam.”

“I understand,” Mia said, curling up beside him. “You’re going to come back, aren’t you?”

“As soon as I can,” Jack promised. “It will only be a few days. A week at the most.”

* * *

T
EN
DAYS
LATER
, J
ACK
SAT
alone with his mother in the attorney’s office. He glanced over at his mother, then looked back down at the paper he was supposed to sign. “I still don’t believe this. I keep waiting for the camera to come out and tell me I’ve been punked.”

“Punked?”

“You know,” Jack said. “Fooled. Suckered. This is one of those deals that looks too good to be true.”

“Stop,” Elyse said. “Don’t insult the man. He’s giving us a gift and you’re being ungrateful.”

The man that his mother was supposed to meet with, the man she’d run away from the week before, turned out to be a Chicago attorney, hired by a representative of the Irish author Aileen Quinn. After a thorough vetting of his credentials and a few calls to his friends in the legal profession, Jack was forced to admit that the boogeyman he’d created was really a white knight. Bestselling author Aileen Quinn had set out to find the descendants of her four brothers, hoping to gift them with a small portion of her formidable estate. The Quinn family of Chicago—Elyse, Jack and his two younger sisters, Katie and Kris, would each receive a half-million dollars. And if that wasn’t enough, they’d receive more once they paid a visit to their great aunt. Elyse had already made her travel plans, even before she got the inheritance. But Jack still wasn’t sure he wanted to believe his good fortune.

Throughout his childhood, it seemed as if luck had always eluded his family. It had been a constant struggle to keep the lights turned on and the cable bill paid, to have enough for food and decent clothes and school supplies. There had never been anything extra—until now.

Jack looked over at his mom. “Can you believe this?”

Her eyes were shining. More than anything, he knew what this inheritance meant to his mother. She could enjoy her retirement now, secure in the fact that she’d have enough to keep her house and pay her taxes and travel whenever she wanted to.

Since he’d been back, he and his mother had talked about the inheritance any number of times. But the subject of Ben McMahon hadn’t come up once. He’d once thought that Elyse might have found financial security with a guy like Ben, but now she had that all on her own. Perhaps everything turned out the way it was supposed to.

When the lawyer entered the room, Jack asked, “Can you explain to me again how this works?”

“It’s quite simple. You sign the paperwork and I give you a check,” the attorney said.

“No, I mean, how are we related to Aileen Quinn?”

Elyse put her papers down. “I can answer that. Aileen Quinn had four older brothers. The family was split up when she was just a baby. Her brother Conal ended up here in Chicago. He was your grandfather. I never met him, but your grandmother was at our wedding. She died when you were three. They had two children, your father and his sister, Mary Katherine, who became a nun and now lives somewhere in Central America. After your father died, we lost touch.”

“We have one relative and she just happens to be ridiculously wealthy,” Jack murmured. “Who’d have thought?”

He picked up the pen and signed the papers, then pushed them across the conference room table to the attorney. After he notarized the signature, he handed Jack an envelope. Holding his breath, Jack peeked inside to see a check with more zeros than he’d ever seen in his life.

It was like he’d won the lottery. He was now financially secure enough to do whatever he wanted with his life. He could take time off work and write a book. He could produce his own show for a sports network. He could lease a private jet to fly back and forth to San Francisco every weekend.

Jack sat back in his chair and smiled. He hadn’t told Mia about his windfall. Until a few days ago, he wasn’t sure it was real. But now, with the check in his hand, Jack had to admit, being well-off felt good.