she’s family. You gotta keep that in mind, you know? I’m not saying just forgive her and act like nothing happened. But try to be open, okay? Give it time and see if she comes around, makes amends.”
“I wish I could be as accepting and patient as you are.”
Quinn had to stifle a grunt of disbelief when she said that. Yeah, he might be willing to be patient with her mother. But Chloe’s ex? He’d like to meet good old Ted in a dark alley some night. Only one of them would come out, and it wouldn’t be Davies.
Chloe snuggled in close again. “Can we just...leave the subject of my mother alone for now?”
“Sure. But I got a question.”
She must have picked up something not all that accepting in his tone, because she pushed free of his arms and scooted back to the other couch cushion. “What?”
“You heard from this Ted character since you moved back to Justice Creek?”
Chloe cleared her throat. A definite tell. “No. He, um, hasn’t called.”
Quinn knew then that the guy had been in contact with her. He reminded her, “You and me, we got something special. And I know when you’re not being straight with me.”
She wrapped her arms around herself and pleaded with those pretty blue eyes. “You have to promise me you won’t do anything, won’t...go after him or anything.”
Quinn’s pulse leaped. He couldn’t keep a promise like that. “You just gotta tell me what he did, Chloe. You know that you do, you know that’s how we need to be with each other. We need to tell the truth to each other—and then we can decide what to do about it.”
She swallowed. Hard. “All right. One time.”
“You’ve heard from him one time?”
“Yes. He sent me flowers. With a short note that said how flowers remind him of me and he was sorry it didn’t work out...”
There was more, he was certain. He pushed for it. “And?”
“The note also said that he, um...missed me. I threw everything—the vase, the flowers, that damn note, too—in the trash compactor and ground it all to bits.”
“When was that?”
“A week ago. Last Wednesday night.”
He wanted to pick up her tea mug from the table and hurl it at the far wall. But he kept it together and said levelly, “That was the night we sat out on your deck and talked for two hours.”
She gazed at him warily now. “What are you getting at?”
“I wish you had told me then—or any day or night since then.”
“That’s not fair and you know it. It’s been happening pretty fast with us. Think about it. I just couldn’t tell you, didn’t even know how to tell you—not the night it happened or the next day, or the day after that. I can barely talk about it now.”
She had a point. He knew it. And really, he only wanted to neutralize any threat to her. “I don’t blame you, angel.” He said it softly, without heat. Because it was true. “No way do I blame you.”
Her sweet face crumpled. “You mean that?”
“You know I do.” He reached for her. She let out a small cry and allowed him to wrap his arms around her again. He held her tight, loving the way she felt, so soft in all the right places. “That’s it, then? That’s the only move he’s made on you since you came back home?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
“Did you call him and tell him to leave you alone?”
“Uh-uh. You have no idea how many times in the past I told him to leave me alone. That only seemed to encourage him.”
“I hear that. So, then, don’t engage him.” He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it. “Did you go to the police?”
“And tell them what? That my ex-husband sent me flowers out of the blue and a nice little note?”
“Don’t get defensive. I agree that you don’t have anything to charge the creep with. I just want to be sure, to know everything that happened, to know exactly where we stand with this piece of crap.”
“We?” She pushed away from him again, smoothed the yellow skirt of her pretty summer dress over her knees and then looked him straight in the eye. “Quinn. Ted is in no way your problem. This thing with him is for me to solve. I will not drag you into my mess. I don’t want you going after him, or approaching him, or contacting him or getting near him, ever. I need your word on that.”
He would give her anything—the world on a gold platter. But not this. “That guy needs to know you’re not alone anymore. He needs to know someone’s got your back.”
“I couldn’t care less what he needs, Quinn. I’m talking about what I need. And that is to know I can tell you my hardest secrets and trust that you won’t go racing off to solve all my problems for me in your own way. Because they are my problems and I’m the one who gets the final say when it comes to dealing with them. It’s about respect, and you know it. You have to respect me and let me figure out how to mop up the mess I created. Please.”
He really hated that what she said made sense. “You will tell me, if he does anything, if you hear so much as a word from him again?”
“I will, yes.” She folded her hands on her knees. “And you will honor my wishes and let me handle this in my own way?”
He scraped both hands down his face. “You got me up against the ropes here.”
“Because you do respect me. I know you only want to protect me and you have no idea how much I love that about you.”
Love. It was a big word. And it was also the first time she’d used it in reference to him. Quinn liked the way it sounded coming out of that fine mouth of hers. He liked it a lot.
What he didn’t like was not being allowed to teach Ted Davies an important life lesson. Then again, guys like that always managed to get what was coming to them eventually. Quinn fervently hoped he’d have the honor of taking Ted to church when the time came.
“Quinn?” she asked, all breathless and hopeful. “I need your word that you’ll leave Ted alone.”
Damn it to hell. He gave it up. “All right. For now, for as long as he never tries to get in touch with you again, you got my word.”
* * *
Chloe was no fool.
She fully understood what it cost Quinn to make her that promise. He’d done a really good job of hiding his anger at Ted. But already, in the short time they’d been together, she’d learned to read him. He wanted to go after Ted, he needed to do that, needed to step forward and be her protector.
What woman wouldn’t
