Page 52 of What Love Can Do

His mother’s journal was still missing. He hadn’t seen it in his suitcase last night. He dashed out to the car, checked on top of the seats and under them. He checked the trunk and the path from the car to the room, in case it had fallen out and was laying there.

“Dammit. Dammit, dammit.”

He thought about texting Lilly, but being as they’d been living in the same house, they’d never exchanged phone numbers. Besides, after what had happened the previous morning, he didn’t want their first contact to be, “Hey, do you have my journal?” That would make him a jerk more than she probably already thought of him.

He’d have to go back to Russian River House to get the journal. At least it would give him the excuse of seeing Lil again so he could apologize for the way he’d acted.

Without thinking twice, he got in his car and took the long and winding road back toward the bed-and-breakfast, marveling at what a fantastic day it was with all its golden browns, greens, and yellows. With the car window open, the air washing over him felt crisp and clean, and Quinn found himself wishing Lilly were with him. They could take a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, much like Mam had wanted to do with Ken all those years ago. They could have one of her infamous picnics. They could climb into the backseat and ravage each other with wild abandon.

Damn her, for leaving indelible marks on his heart. And damn himself for not being more understanding of just how difficult it was for her to stand up to her mother, especially when he’d known that had been a problem for her long before she’d ever met Quinn. Was it possible she could forgive him for the way he’d acted and the horrible things he’d said?

Maybe not, but it wouldn’t be for his lack of trying. He was going to put his money where his mouth was, and do what he’d criticized his mam for not doing. He was going to fight for his family in all forms, and that’s what Lilly was to him now. The woman he loved.

Part of his family.

When he finally reached the bed-and-breakfast, he cut the engine and stared at the quaint house and surroundings. Her car wasn’t in the driveway, which meant she was probably running errands at the grocery store or fetching flowers for the guest areas. Sucking up his courage and running a hand through his hair, he made his way up the walk to the front door covered in fake cobwebs and spiders, knowing his interaction would most likely be with Penny Parker today, laughing at the irony of the creepy décor.

As expected, he was right.

Her blue eyes, which he could admit for the first time were pretty just like her daughter’s, peered over the top of the counter. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

“Hullo, is Lilly here?” Quinn closed the door and noticed all the Hallow’s Eve decorations that had emerged since he’d left. “Whoa, creepy in here.”

“She’s gone,” Mrs. Parker muttered with a faint victorious narrowing of her eyes.

Quinn’s chest deflated. He stared at her aghast. “Gone?” Had she left already? But she wasn’t due to leave for another week! Did he piss her off so badly that she figured she’d just leave early?

“Yes, gone. Wasn’t that what you wanted?” Deadpan serious question. Her raised eyebrows had it in for him. “For her to leave her hometown, go explore the world, spread her veritable wings? Well, you got what you wanted. Congratulations.” She returned to working on her ledger.

Craning his neck around the column to the back, he scanned for Lilly there, not completely believing Mrs. Parker. Fresh faces of new guests all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, some of them even slathered butter on what were surely Lilly’s muffins.

But no Lilly.

“What? You don’t trust me?” Mrs. Parker raised an eyebrow.

“Can you blame me?” He tapped the counter and headed toward his old bedroom to see if the journal was still there.

“I can blame you for quite a few things, yes. Is that what you O’Neills do every time you come to Green Valley? You wreak havoc and turn everything on its head?”

Quinn stopped and spun. “I don’t know what you’ve been told or what you think, but I haven’t turned anything on its head. Your daughter already had plans to leave before I even got here. If anything, I might have delayed her leaving.”

“Flatter yourself, why don’t you, Mr. O’Neill.” Mrs. Parker chuckled with an edge of sarcasm in her voice, but Quinn detected a betrayal of tears at her eyelids.

“Has she gone—gone for good, to Miami, or do you mean she’s gone for the day?”

“I told you she left. You can’t go down that way. You’ve already checked out, and there are new guests there.”

“Was anything left behind? Anything of mine? I think I left something here,” he said.

“Not that I know of. We cleaned the room out, and all you left behind was a garbage can full of toilet paper. Way to save the environment, O’Neill.”

“Sorry about that.” He stood there, debating whether or not to tell her about the journal.

“Is there something else I can help you with today?” The hard edge returned to her voice.

Quinn opened his mouth to say yes, actually, did you find a journal belonging to my mother? But closed his mouth, thinking the better of it. Last thing he needed was to alert Penny Parker that the enemy’s own, handwritten thoughts were close at hand if she didn’t already know.

“No, that was it.” He smiled as sincerely as he could muster. “And thank you so much for everything. In my hurry when I left, I forgot to mention how utterly charming and hospitable the staff here at Russian River House was to me and my brother. I will be sure to post a review telling the world about your friendliness.” He turned on his heels, heading for the door.

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