Loving Quinn Novel by North Rose

(Annora)

As we park in the drive at my parents house, the front door opens, and Grace comes lying outside. She is still in her pajamas with her hair stick up all over the place. There is a serious expression on her face at the steps next to Quinn’s door.

Why such a serious expression to early in the morning?

Qui gets out of the car, and she hugs him tightly. After I get out, I walk over to that. Grove locks up at me when I step up beside them. The tear in our daughter’s eyes that make me frown.

“What is wrong. Gracie?”

“I am sorry I was being a jerk yesterday morning I was just sad that we can’t live together

I share a look with Quinn, then smile at her.

“What if I tell you that your mother and I have thought about it and have charged on mind?”

Grace’s face falls at his words. She pulls away from him with an angry glare. “Why?”

“Because we are

to move in with your father.”

“REALLY?” she screams.

She jumps up and down, then throws herself at me in her excitement. I wrap my arms around her as she continues to bounce on her feet. I laugh as she pulls away from me to throw herself at Quinn. He catches her and spins her around

“Why did you guys change your minds?” Grace asks as Quinn sits her back on her

I show her my engagement ring and her face lights up with joy. “So, since we are getting married, we decided it would be a good idea to move us into Quinn’s place

Crace frowns. “What about our house?”

“Uncle Max will move in until we decide what to do with it.”

“This means I can go swimming all year round.”

Quinn laughs. “It does, but there will be rules for the pool, Let’s go inside to talk to your grandparents. How would you like to spend the day at the beach?”

Grace squeals in excitement, then rashes back into the house Quinn look over at with a smile on his beautiful face. I spent hours memorizing his face that summer. His features have changed as he grew older. I will enjoy watching him grow more distinguished as we grow old together.

“What?” Quinn asks.

I close the distance between us, loop my arms around his neck, then just stare up into his eyes. Those alluring sea-green eyes have always reminded me of Belize. My family visited there when I was sixteen for my mother’s birthday. His eyes haunted me when I didn’t think I would ever see him again.

“Have I ever told you how much I love the color of your eyes?”

“Dice or twice. What else do you love about me?”

“hat will take a lifetime to tell you.”

Is that so? Well, site you agreed to be my wife, I think that will work out for us both”

As Quinn leans down to kiss me, my mother calls to us to come inside. He laughs, the kisses me before stepping back. He holds his hand out for me and I take it. then we walk to the front door where my mother is waiting for inn.

The smile on her face lets me at Grace already spilled the news of our engagement. “Congratulations, you twn. Now get in here an I can properly welcome Quinn into our family.”

She turns around, then heads into the house. baan hear Grace talking to my father as I walk inside. The minute the front doce is closed, my mother pulls Quinn into abg hug. I let go of his hand, then walk to where my father is sitting in the den.

“50, you two are getting married, huh? My father looks up at me with a smile on his face.

I hold my left hand out for him to see the engagement, wiggling it a few times, so the light from the windows makes the diamonds sparkle. Grace stands up off the soda so she can get a look at the ring. She gives me a hug, then ins out of the mo

“Where is Quinn?”

I glance over my shoulder to see where he is. He and my mother are still in the foyer with their heads bowed close together. Knowing my mother, she is telling him how happy she is. I look back to my father and gesture with my hand towards where mom and Quirm are standing.

“Vis, let the poor boy go and come in here.”

We spent the next thirty minutes being congratulated by my parents. Max came in briefly on his way to Lorelai’s office. The smile on his face is genuine, but there also pain in his eyes that makes me sad for him. He gave me a hug, then shook Quinn’s hand before he quickly walked away. My parents share a look that conveys their worry for Max. What he is going through with Leita has been a nightmare. Add in the fact that the baby he has been so excited about could be another man’s Not just any other man’s, but his best friend since childhood.

When Grace comes back, we all head to the beach. By the time we arrive, it is close to lunchtime. My mother packed plenty of food for the five of h watch Quinn and my father walk from the car to the sand. Each of them has their ami full of gear.

Why make two trips when it can all be taken in one?

MenNôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Grace runs down the beach to secure us a spot, then waits for us to join her. She is jumping up and down as she waits for us. I am happy that she is smiling now compared to how she was yesterday. After everything that happened yesterday, spending this afternoon in the sun with my family is just what I needed.

After reaching Grace’s spot, my father takes out the large blanket he packed, then my mother helps him lay it out over the sand. Soon we are all sitting and digging! into the lunch my mother packed. She packed leftovers from last night’s dinner. Fried chicken, potato salad, and peach cobbler.

Grace grabs a bucket and shovel after lunch, then heads closer to the water to make sandcastles: Quinn angles his body so that he can have her in his line of sight. His attention is focused on our daughter as she plays in the sand.

“Have you two decided when and where you want to get married?” My father asks.

“Annora wants to go back to where we met. Quinn says while watching Grace.

“Oh, that is perfect. Your grandpa would love that. He was routing for you two for so long.”

That makes me smile. Grandpa was my biggest supporter that summer. He encouraged me to pull my head out of my h**s and live my will be forever grateful for his advice.

“A for when, well, we haven’t really decided on that yet.”

“What

are you going to do with your house?” Dad asks.

while I had the time. L

“Twas thinking of letting Max stay there until he knows what is going on with things in New York. He told me that if it turns out the baby is not his, then he plans to move out here.”

My father grunts, then takes a bite of this cobbler.

“Grace and I will move in with Quinn for now, then after we get married, we will discuss it again.”

What about Enally bading a house on the land your grandfather gave you

Quinn glances at me. “Where is this

“It is across the lake from my grandparents” place. The spot where we fest met is on that property.”

I can see the ideas forming in his head already. I had plans once to build a summer hem there I never went through with it. Note would be a wonderful time to do that. We wouldn’t live out there full time. Not with my jobs and his business, but it would be great to have a place out there in use as an escape from the city.

“Why don’t we build a summer place out there and then we look for something her be in the city?” Quinn says.

The man read my d**n mind. He does so often. I love it

“Why don’t we just stay in your penthouse? Grace and I love it these

Quinn opens his mouth to say something but closes it again, then turns his attention hack to Grace. I can only assume we will talk about it later. For now, I help my mother clean up our lunch mess. As 1 help her, my mind wanders to dinner later tonight

I am nervous to meet Victoria again after all these years. She was nice to me back that. All I can think about is how angry she must have been when Quinn told her about Grace. I just hope she can see my side of the story

[Quinn)

Annie has been pacing our bedroom for the last twenty minutes. After our afternoon at the beach with her parents, I was hoping she would be nice and relaxed. Now that we are home and dinner with Aaron and his parents is getting closer, she is a bundle of nerves.

I know why she is nervous.

I walk up into her path to stop her pacing. “Hey, you have nothing to worry about.”

She stops pacing so she can look at me. I close the distance between us, then wrap my ams around her. She lays her head on my chest and snuggles close.

“What did you tell her about why you are just now meeting your daughter?”

*I told her you tried in find me, but then life got in the way. Listen to me, Annie, I am not angry with you about it. If Tori is, then we will explain it to her. I am right here with you

“Ok. I need to get dressed or dinner. Then I need to make sure Grace is dressed, too. The caterers from Giovanni’s should be here soon.”

With that, she pulls away from me, then spins around to walk into the closet. I decide now is a good time to head downstairs to my office to check in with my lawyer. Donne’s bad hearing is Monday. With what the detectives told us today, I am sure she will face additional charges by then

I just want to knum when the court date for her lawsuit against me. The sooner that happened, the better. If the judge agrees to my petition for a DNA test, then

can get the ball rolling on that. Is Logan mine or is he Ethan’s?

How will it affect our lives if Logan is my son? We are now engaged, and she wants to have another child with me. I will do everything in my power for Loom if he is my son. The best thing would be to get full custody of him.

There is no way I am going to co-parent with that crazy hitch.

After talking to my lawyer and getting the date set on my calendar, I head to the kitchen to help Annora set up for dinner. Grace is in the dining room setting the table and humming to herself. My life has changed so much in such a short time.

A little over six months ago, I was a bachelor without a care in the world. Now I am a father and soon to be a husband. I have dreamed of this and finally it is coming true. All thanks to Annie. My incredibly beautiful, drop-dead s**y fiancé.

When I hear the doorbell ring, I give Apie a smile, then walk to the door to let our dinner guests in. The first face I see in Tori’s. Her eyes light up when she sees the and Lam palled into a hag before I have time to react. She has always been a hugger. When I was younger, it used to freak me out until I realized she gencinely

Tu het, I was

I was her

son too, even though she never tried to replace my mother.

After the releases me, I step out of the way so they can all come side. Aaron’s father, Michael, follows behind his wife. He stops to shake my hand, then gives mie an appreciativy whistle as he walks her into the room. He is an interior decorator in heart, I know he will want a full four later tonight after dinner,

“He will want to see everything you have done with the place.” Anton says as he walks inside and closes the door behind him.

We share a laugh, then follow his parents into the penthouse,

“Is that Giovanni’s I smell? Ton asks.

“Yes, Annora had it catered in since we decided to do dinner here instead.”

As I said her name, Annie steps into the kitchen doorway. There is a smile on her face as she greets the Carters. Tori walks straight to her and pulls her into a hug. I can tell but the look on her face that she is shocked.

When Tori pulls back, they share a laugh. Now that the ice is broken, I can see Annie relax. I told her everything would be alright. I enjoy being right.

“Mom, I set the table,” Grace calls from the dining room.

Tori turns towards the sound of Grace’s voice. Her eyes are wide when she glances my way. I nod my head at her and that was all it took for her to walk slowly towards the dining room. I step up to Annie, grab her hand, then pull her along with the as I follow Tori.

Tori lets out a soft gasp as she comes face to face with our daughter. Grace smiles at Tori, then walks up to her to shake her hand at how proud I am to be her father. It still amazes me daily that she is my child.

nadt, I can’t help but smile

When we finally sit down for dinner, Grace and Tori talk like old friends meeting for the first time in years. I can see from the look on Annie’s face that she is happy with how the evening is turning out. However, I know Ton. There will be a more adult conversation to be had once Grace has gone to her room.

Yes, I was angry with Annie at one point about all the time I missed with our daughter. That was six months ago. I have thought long and hard about it. I would have been there for them both had I known. However, with all the darkness in my head after all my deployments, it could have been bad for them both as well.

PTSD doesn’t just hurt the one going through it. It is a double-edge sword that can hurt those that are just trying to help. I am in a better place in my life no. This is a better time for me to be the father Grace needs and the husband Annora deserves.

“The brave men and women who serve their country and, as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn’t who they are; the PTSD invades their minds and bodies.”

Robert Koger, Death’s Revenge