hair. “I don’t want to be the guy who can’t read. That’s how everyone is going to look at me. It’ll be the first thing that comes to their minds.”
“You need to stop selling your family short. If the roles were reversed, you would want to help. You wouldn’t assume that one thing was all that mattered.”
True. But it was more than that–and it was incredibly hard to explain. He wasn’t sure he understood it completely.
He turned back toward the car, trying to find the words. “Every decision I’ve made for more than ten years has been because of this weakness and to keep this secret. It has defined me.”
She paused, considering that. “Maybe it has defined you, but not necessarily in all bad ways. Your people skills... Where do you think those come from? Those are partially developed because you’ve always needed to depend on them to make up for your reading issues, so it defining you isn’t necessarily a terrible thing.”
He could hear her getting closer but couldn’t turn around. He wasn’t sure how to argue this out, especially not in light of her logic.
He wasn’t sure how to get out of this at all, or if he even wanted to.
She didn’t stop until she was right behind him. He felt her gentle fingers trail across his shoulders.
“Change is hard. Forced change, change we don’t decide on for ourselves or really want, is even harder. Trust me, I never thought I’d be waiting tables right before I turned forty.”
Now he turned to look at her, to reassure her. But she covered his lips with a finger before he could speak.
“Oak Creek isn’t where I thought I would be at this point in my life, but it isn’t necessarily wrong for me. Pop Owens forced change on you. Maybe he knew that you would stay here in this garage and happily work your whole life, but he could have wanted you to see that you were capable of more than you thought you were.”
He kissed the finger covering his lips. “It’s possible.”
“You said Pop was an insightful guy. He might have known about your dyslexia, and this was his way of forcing you to confront your secrets. He could have thought you were going to have to ask for help from the very beginning.” She smiled. “But you did the amazing—damned near finished a college degree without the reading skills that everyone takes for granted.”
“It’s possible,” he said again. He honestly wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know what Pop was thinking with this risky little game he decided to play, but I do know you have the tools around you to succeed if you just reach out and grab them. A sister-in-law who specializes in learning disabilities. A college professor in your bed who can help tutor you. Those weren’t here when Pop set this into motion, but they’re here now. All you have to do is take the chance.”
She stretched up on her toes and kissed him. “The secrets we keep control us. If you want to take back control, then get rid of the secret.”
This woman.
Her quiet logic was more potent than any emotional appeal could’ve been. Her wisdom—which, yes, was partially gained from age, but more from the fact that she had such a desire to truly understand things—was almost staggering.
He didn’t know how anyone could’ve been foolish enough to walk away from her, to not see what a treasure she was. But he wouldn’t make that mistake.
He pulled her into him and kissed her. Softly. With the reverence she deserved.
He didn’t know what he was going to do with his secrets, but he knew exactly what he was going to do with Quinn.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The next few days were a blur for Quinn. It was almost Thanksgiving, and the weather was turning much cooler, although still didn’t have the winter bite Baby promised her was coming. She knew all about winters, although she imagined the ones here were different than in Massachusetts. Like everything was different than in Massachusetts.
She wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to it or not.
For the past two days, every spare hour that either of them wasn’t working, or him dragging her off to bed, had been spent researching his dyslexia. He needed proper help and tests—more than Quinn could provide on her own. But they were learning. And her heart was threatening to burst at the hope that had been growing in Baby’s eyes.
Overcoming his learning disability wasn’t going to be easy.