Loving Quinn Novel by North Rose

(Quian)

After dropping Annora off at her house, I head to the office to touch base with Aaron. There was a meeting scheduled to place another big on the property we are looking at for the gutreach program. We would both like for this bidding war to be over already.

“Hey, Aaron. How did the meeting pot

Aaron looks up at me with a look of aggravation on his face. His suit jacket is thrown over the back of his chair and his tie is loosened. From the look of his desk, I can tell he hasn’t been having a good morning, Papers are s**ed all over its surface. There is a coffee stain on several papers and three mugs on the comer of the desk.

“I am really starting to hate this plan we have for this building, McAllister is not making this easy for us.”

Ethan McAllister is the CEO of McAllister Industries, the company we have been locked in a bidding war with for months. For every bid we give, he goes a million dollars higher. Just enough that our bid is rejected, and we are back at the negotiating table.

“What if we just stop when he gives his next high bid? Let him have it. There are two other viable properties. We can investigate them instead. They are both in the same area, which still allows us to reach those in need.”

“D**t Quinn! We already rejected those two sites. I do, however, have an alternative.”

Aaron riffles through the thick stack of folders on his desk until he finds the one he is looking for. There is a small crinkle on the folder, so he smooths it down before he hands it to me. The way he is smiling lets me know I may or may not like what he is going to show me.

“What is this?”

“Just open it.”

Aaron sits in his chair as I sit in the one across from his desk. I open the folder to see what he has in mine. A photo of a vacant plot of land is the first thing I see. I look up at Aaron and he makes a gesture with his hand that clearly states he wants me to continue. I flip to the next picture that shows a for sale sign sticking out of the ground. The last picture is an aerial view of the surrounding area.

“This is only like a half mile from the place are bidding on.”

“Yes, but what is even better than that is that it is closer to Mercy General. It also has another lot beside it we can purchase and make into an enclosed playground with a parking lot beside it.”

I can see the wheels already turning in his head and the idea is sound. We can purchase both lots and build a new building with all the amenities we want to have available. Kitchen, temporary group living quarters, offices for counselors, individual and group therapy rooms,

and a small clinic.

As I think about it further, I can see the idea take shape in my mind. “Anron, you may have just solved our problem with McAllister. When

can we go look at this property?”

“I can call the agent tomorrow and set up an appointment, but we still have big issues with our other three construction sites. This morning at the site of the food pantry, the bulldozer broke down. When the site manager looked at it, he noticed scrapes and gouges like someone tampering with the fuel line.”

“What the f**k?”

“This s***it that has been happening at all our construction sites are not accidents. At least not all of it. Someone is sabotaging us, Quinn. I will make a call to Mac. Ask him to investigate it and hire security at a three sites at night.”

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215

“Hi, Daddy?”

That is th

first time she has called me daddy and my heart trembles with happiness. I blink back the tears before I set her back on the ground. The smile on her face is infectious as she pulls on my hand to lead me inside.

As we walk into the house, I draw my eyes to th

the stairs. Annora is walking down to us, and I can’t help but recall how I caught her in my arms this morning. The hungry look in her eyes when she lowered her gaze to my mouth. I could have kissed her right there on the spot, but I stepped back instead. I know if I had kissed her, it would have led to more.

“Grace, you forgot something on your bede

Grace’s eyes light up, and then she runs up the stairs to retrieve whatever it is she forgot. I give Annora a questioning look, but she just shakes her head and looks up the stairwell for Grace to return. A few minutes later, she returns with a small, wrapped box in one hand and a gift card in the other.

“Happy birthday, Daddy.” The smile on Grace’s face lights up the room.

I look at Annora in surprise.

“She asked me a few months ago when your birthday is, so I told her.”

“You have had this planned all this time?” I ask her.

“Grace did most of the work, but I made the reservations for dinner.”

I have no words for how I am feeling at this moment. There are tears gathering in my eyes despite myself. The only three people who have remembered my birthday in the last twelve years have been Aaron and his parents. This is the best gift I could have received.

“Here, open your present now. Mom got you something too.”

My gaze falls onto Grace’s smiling face as she looks up at me. I gently take the small box from her and tear the wrapping paper off. The laugh I get in response to that action makes me laugh too. Moving the tissue paper aside reveals the back of a picture frame. Flipping it over, I am greeted by a picture of Grace and I sitting on a blanket in the grass.

I remember the day this was taken. It was a few months after Annora told me about Grace. It was also one of the few times the three of us did something together. Annora must have taken the picture on her way back from getting us all drinks.

“This is a magnificent picture. Thank you, Grace.” Bending down, I wrap my arms around her.

“Mom has a gift for you

too.”

“I will give it to you after dinner. We will be late if I don’t.”

Dinner is at my favorite Italian restaurant, Giovanni’s. From the smile on Grace’s face, I knew this was her idea. We have been here together twice now, and I learned she loves this place just as much as I do. It is a win-win situation for her. Annora is talkative, which catches me off guard. Part of me thinks it is the wine she is having with her dinner, but the other part of me believes it is just her happiness over our victory in court today. Either way, I will take it

Alter dinner, we took a walk in a park nearby. Grace and Annora talk about how Spring Break is around the comer for school. Grace wants to go to the lake where her great-grandparents still live. My hometown. By the look on Annora’s face, I can tell she made other plans,

“What about going somewhere else? I have that week free. We could go anywhere you want.”

We spent the rest of our time out talking about where she would want to go. We have a week to spend anywhere she wants. After a few hours, Annora gave me the signal that it was time to go home. I offer my second guest room for the night since my place la closer l hers. Grace is rubbing her eyes as she fights sleep. Reluctantly, Annora grees, but I can tell by the way her body stiffens that she isn’t happy about it.

Once we are back at my place, I carry Grace up to her room while Annor goes into the kitchen to put our leftovers in the refrigerator. When 1 came back downstairs, she was nowhere to be seen. She doesn’t know the layout of the place, so there aren’t many places she can go. A cool breeze coming from the open balcony door guides me to her location.

“The view of the city from here is beautiful” She states as I step outside behind her.

“I bought the building like you suggested.” I step up to the railing beside her to look down at the city below.

“That comment was a joke,”

“I thought about it, then decided you had a good idea. Aaron and I talked it over and since he is now living in his new house, we came up with a plan. Around this time next year, we will start the construction. We already have the designs made and approved by the city.”

“To think that I thought being a surgeon was stressful. Here you are buying hospitals, apartment buildings, and whatever else it is you do.”

“You have never actually asked what G&C Enterprises does.”

“We haven’t really talked much about anything really other than Grace. Speaking of our daughter, that reminds me of my gift for you. It is in my bag.”

I motion towards the balcony door for her to lead the way inside. With a laugh, she walks back inside, leaving me to follow her. The sway breath away of her hips as she walks away hypnotizes me. It amazes me how her figure has matured over the years. The woman takes my with her beauty, and sex appeal, and she doesn’t know what she does to me.

The wine from dinner is having an undesired effect on me. I promised myself that I wouldn’t make any romantic advances unless she was the one to make the first move. Maybe having her here tonight was a bad idea, or maybe it would be the perfect time to convince her we belong together.

“Here it is.” Annora’s voice calls to me, making me take those remaining steps to join her inside.

With a photo album in her hands, she kicks off her heels, and then sits cross-legged on the floor next to the coffee table. Seeing this side of her makes me laugh. “Making yourself at home, are you?”

“Well, I want to be comfortable while you open your present.”

“You got me a photo album for my birthday?”

“Come sit with me so you can see what is inside.”

I do as she requests, kicking off my shoes as I walk to the coffee table. Then I sit next to her on the floor with the soft my back so that I am between it and the table. Annora takes me by surprise when she leans closer to hand me the album. The smell of her is so intoxicating that I close my eyes and just breathe it in.

However, when I open my eyes, she has the album open. The first thing I see is Annora’s smiling face as she holds our baby in her arms. Then page after page she shares Grace’s childhood with me. When we get to the end, and she closes the album, I have to wipe the tears off my face

The only thing I can do when she looks at me is mouth the words “thank you’ since I don’t trust my voice.