Page 57 of More Than Words
We sprang apart like teenagers caught out.
Quinn appeared a second later, phone in hand.“What are—ugh.”She gave us both a look that was far too knowing for a girl her age.“You two aresobad at this.”
“Bad at what?”I put a bright smile on my face and took a step back, but she clearly didn’t buy it.
“Don’t worry,” she said.“I already told Dad I was cool with it.”
I blinked and glanced at Ethan.“Told him what?”
“That I know.”She gave me a “duh” look.“About you two.”Quinn laughed.“You two aren’t exactly subtle.”
I was at a loss for words.Ethan scratched the back of his neck, doing a terrible job at hiding his smile.
I stared at Quinn, trying and failing to come up with something, anything.“Oh.”
Quinn shrugged and started to dig into a nearby box as if nothing of interest had just happened.
I looked at Ethan with wide, questioning eyes, but he only shrugged.“She’s cool with it.”
“Withit?”
We still hadn’t talked about whatitwas.
“Can you guys just not be gross about it, please?”
“Gross?”I was starting to feel like a broken record.
“Yeah.”Quinn pulled a tangle of mini lights from a box.“Like kissing and stuff.”
Next to me, Ethan burst out laughing.His daughter shot him a look, and he very quickly stifled his laughter.“Deal,” he said as seriously as possible.“We’ll keep things G-rated.”
“Good.”She went back to digging through the box as if she hadn’t just completely thrown me for a loop I hadn’t seen coming.
Of course, I’d never dated a man with a child before.If that evenwaswhat we were doing.I blinked a few times and shook my head before I turned back to the stack of boxes, pretending to take inventory while I took a few minutes to collect myself.
I shouldn’t have been surprised that Quinn had noticed something between us.Maybe even before we did.She was a smart, observant kid.Still, hearing her say it out loud, like it was no big deal—when it in fact was a very big deal—left me feeling a little unsettled.
Not in a bad way.
Just in a different, I have no idea how to act, kind of way.
“Bookstore lady.”Quinn’s use of my nickname jarred me from my overthinking and just like that, it felt normal again.I turned to see her holding up a handful of ornaments.“Are these for the tree?”
“They sure are.”
I turned again when Ethan spoke.“Where are you going to put all these lights, Delaney?”Ethan lifted a bundle from one of the boxes.“You have enough in here to light up the entire plaza.”
I gestured toward the windows.“Start there, and work your way through the store,” I told him.“I put them along all the shelves, the ceiling, the railing over there, and?—”
“Everything,” Ethan finished for me.
“Now you’re getting it.”I winked at him and went to join Quinn, who had started to unbox the ornaments for the tree.
“These are the cutest little books,” she exclaimed, holding up one of my favorite ornaments.
I smiled at her and reached for another.
I knew I could have done it on my own, the way I had in the past, but standing there, laughing with Quinn like it was the most natural thing in the world, while Ethan struggled with way too many strands of lights, trying not to curse out loud…
