Page 72 of All You Need Is Love

Chapter 17

The Thursday afternoon sun sparkled off the ocean and warmed Shannon’s skin as she meandered down the boardwalk next to Quinn. “I can’t believe you’re really back for good.”

A breeze whipped Quinn’s curls across her face and she tugged them back with an elastic band from her wrist. “Probably not for good. I’m just …” Her large white sunglasses covered her eyes, but Shannon could almost picture the emotions displayed there—the ones Quinn wasn’t used to showing. The ones she still tried to hide.

“I know.” Shannon looped their arms together. “You’re still finding your way. And I’m so glad you’re living with me while you do it.”

“Only because Tyler and Gabrielle make me gag with their PDA.” But the way Quinn’s mouth quirked up in the corner told the truth—she was glad too.

It had been nearly three weeks since the Fireworks Festival, and Shannon was learning to read her sister better these days. Still, she’d been shocked when Quinn had told her she’d quit her job in New York. Instead of begging for it back, she’d finished up her two weeks online and hired a moving company to pack up her apartment and ship her stuff to Walker Beach, where she could regroup.

“I’m hoping it’ll give me a chance to make amends with the rest of the family. To start fresh and figure out what I want and where to go from here.”

That made two of them. Because Shannon had been on such a clear path toward adoption and now, with Noah and his mom officially reunited, she didn’t know what to do except try to enjoy the rest of her summer. There were only three and a half weeks left until school started, and part of her itched to return.

She did love her job and she missed the kids. And if nothing else, it might distract her from the ache in her heart—the one that keenly noted Marshall’s absence.

It hadn’t faded as she’d hoped. In fact, it had only grown, sometimes a soreness and sometimes a sharp pain that would leap up and surprise her.

As they made their way to the Frosted Cake to grab lunch, Shannon felt Quinn’s gaze burning into her. She glanced at her sister. “What?”

“You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”

“No.” Shannon quickened her pace. “Ugh, yes. I don’t want to be. Clearly, he isn’t thinking about me.” Wouldn’t he have at least texted or called once since he’d left? But she hadn’t heard a thing.

“You don’t know that.” At Shannon’s raised eyebrows, Quinn held up her hands. “All right, it looks bad. But I’ve known Marshall a long time. You should have seen him before he met you. He was all business, all the time, and nothing was getting in his way. But … I don’t know, when he was with you, he was more relaxed. Focused still, but it was softer somehow. Less intense.” She hip bumped Shannon as they walked. “You seem to have that effect on a lot of us.”

Shannon’s chest swelled with the emotions squeezing her heart. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

The Frosted Cake came into view, and the sisters made their way up the path leading to the door. When they stepped inside, the lunchtime crowd was in full swing. Miss Josephine’s hair hung limp around her face, but the heat of the day didn’t dim her smile as she helped the next customer in line.

A gaggle of women talking in a circle instantly grew quiet as the sisters entered. Carlotta Jenkins, with her huge red hair and a tight purple T-shirt, placed her hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow in their direction. Oh goody. The head of the Walker Beach rumor mill.

Shannon looked away, pretending to study the menu even though she already knew what she was getting.

Next to her, Quinn grunted. “Are you positive you don’t want me to set the record straight?”

“Yes.” Sure, in the weeks since the “scandal” over Marshall had erupted, Shannon had been tempted to wipe the smug looks off of people’s faces multiple times, but she didn’t want people thinking badly of Quinn, especially when she was trying to make a fresh start. So she’d bit her tongue and told Quinn that if she really wanted to do something for her, that Quinn could let the gossip die off on its own. Soon enough, there would be some other gossip to take up the time and energy of Carlotta and company.

Though judging by the looks on the women’s faces, the next scandal hadn’t arrived quite yet.

“All right. Tell me if you change your mind.” Quinn squeezed her arm. “Oh hey, here’s something to distract you from the awful looks those women are giving you. I got the strangest invitation this morning. Found it on your doorstep.”

“An invitation?”

“Yeah. It was anonymous and invited me to this—”

“Quinn Baker.” Carlotta stood three feet away, hands on her hips. “I’m surprised at you.”

Several of Carlotta’s minions flanked her. “If my sister had moved in on my man, I would not be squeezing her arm—and I certainly wouldn’t be living with her.”

Shannon felt all the blood rush to her cheeks. A quick look at the glare on Quinn’s face made her place a hand on her sister’s arm. “Thanks for your concern, Carlotta, but—”

The bell jangled over the entrance. Great. More townspeople here to witness Shannon’s humiliation.

But no. She didn’t care what others thought about her, right? Especially when she hadn’t done anything wrong. The people who knew her loved her, and setting the gossips straight wasn’t worth ruining Quinn’s reputation.

Her sister apparently had other thoughts. “You don’t have a man, as I recall, Carlotta.”

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