The Bookstore on the Beach - Brenda Novak Page 0,103

was starting to date, even though she was sort of still married, and she was seeing someone Caden had confided in about the baby. “Could my luck get any worse?” she asked with a groan.

“Yes,” he insisted, and that made her realize he was right. It could definitely get worse. She needed to work on damage control.

“Quinn’s taking us all to the fireworks show tonight,” he said. “You should try to get a moment with him and ask him to let you be the one to tell Mom. I bet he’d go for that. He might even have some advice on how to tell her.”

She stopped pacing, dropped her head back and stared up at the ceiling. “That’s going to be so awkward! He doesn’t really know me. He’ll think I’m a...a slut or something.”

“No, he won’t, Tay. I promise. He’s not like that.”

Wishing she could just go back in time and never go to the party where she’d been with Oliver, she rubbed her forehead. “I can’t believe you told him.”

“I know,” Caden said. “I’m sorry! I had no clue it would come to this.”

“That was probably why he was interested in playing volleyball with you to begin with—he likes Mom.” She was tempted to say he should’ve known that, but how would he? She was just upset and looking for a target.

“Maybe that was part of it,” he allowed. “But I had a lot of fun that day. It would be great to do it again. I’m telling you, I like him.”

“You would,” she grumbled. “Everything’s always easier for you.”

“Only because you make life harder than it has to be,” he snapped back.

She scowled at him as though she was still mad, but deep inside, she was actually a little relieved to have an adult she could talk to. It wouldn’t be easy to start the conversation she needed to have with Quinn. But maybe he’d be able to help her in some way.

* * *

Autumn kept wringing her hands. It was one thing to spend time with Quinn herself. As long as she didn’t allow him around her kids, she could sort of compartmentalize that she was falling in love with a man who wasn’t her husband. But letting him take her and her children to the fireworks celebration on the beach made him seem like part of the family already.

Maybe that decision had been a mistake. She’d been tempted to put off something like this and probably would have, to give her children some time to adjust, except she was afraid Quinn would feel like she’d never really let him in.

Besides, they wouldn’t be in Sable Beach long enough for Taylor and Caden to get to know him if they didn’t start soon. They had to go back to Tampa next month. She didn’t know what her relationship with Quinn would look like at that point, but she knew she wanted to explore what she felt—and that he did, too. So until they could figure out the future, she might as well accept his invitation and see how it went.

Both Caden and Taylor had been quiet all day. She could tell they were leery of this new change. She couldn’t blame them; it would affect their lives, too. And because she’d mentioned dating, they’d suddenly noticed that she’d packed up Nick’s belongings and put them in the garage. That realization had probably been more traumatic than saying she wanted to go out with Quinn. She’d had to reassure Taylor that she still loved Nick and always would. He’d given her two beautiful children, and they’d had eighteen wonderful years together.

Autumn felt her mother’s arm go around her as she stood at the front window, looking out at the street. She hadn’t heard Mary approach; she’d been too lost in her own thoughts. But she knew her mother’s smell, her mother’s touch.

“Stop worrying,” her mother said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

The blow-dryer went on in the bathroom, where Taylor was getting ready. Since she had the bathroom, Caden was in Taylor’s room, changing into a clean pair of shorts. “This is just...such a big step,” she confided.

“Caden and Taylor both know how much we love them. As soon as they get to know Quinn, they’ll be happy to have him in their lives, too.”

Autumn drew a deep breath as she nodded. “I hope so.”

Mary checked her watch. “What time is he supposed to be here?”

“Not until eight.” She lowered her voice. “He invited us to go out