Page 97 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

She frowned at that. “Well, I also wanted to set up something for the Queen Bees to continue working on the property. Maybe make it all conservation land or something,” she said, shrugging. “My sister said if you make the land conservation, then you don’t have to pay a ton of taxes on it.”

“I’m not a tax attorney, but I can definitely find out for you,” he said, excited to hear she was thinking of preserving the land as conservation but impressed as well. She had been able to put aside her hurt for the greater good. “You definitely want to set up a conservation?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” She shrugged. “I guess that’s why I need an attorney. But someone who knows how I can keep this whole thing going.”

“This whole thing going?” He didn’t understand. “What thing?”

“The cycle of giving, you know?” she said. “The way everyone takes care of everyone around here. Give back what I can like everyone did for me and my mother.” She paused, then said, “And my father.”

He couldn’t help but grin at that. “I think that’s a great idea.”

She looked at the statue, covering her eyes from the sun. “I think this place will be a good spot for me.” She tilted her head, looking at the mermaid.

He wished more than anything he could’ve reached out and taken her in his arms. Tell her how happy he was that she decided to stay. Instead, his phone vibrated in his pocket, but he didn’t have to look. He knew who it was.

Bruce.

If he closed his one-attorney family practice law firm and went to work for Bruce in Portland, he’d have to move. There was no way he could commute two hours from Blueberry Bay to the city each day. Some people rented a small apartment to make it through the week and came home on the weekends, but he couldn’t imagine not seeing Kyle each day.

But he couldn’t afford college otherwise. Not with the salary he gave himself. And could he really afford to keep paying Ginny for her work?

Jacob had promised to pay when everything had been cataloged and documented, but he had died before Quinn had had a chance to bill him. Now it looked like he was trying to take it from a dead man.

“It’s Kyle’s grandfather,” he said, silencing it. “I’m happy to call him back later.”

“Do you think you can maybe help me with the conservation?” she asked. “I’d like to present this idea to the ladies tonight at the meeting.”

His heart raced at the idea of her staying in town just as a ding sounded out from his phone. Bruce had left a voicemail. Maybe Quinn didn’t have to leave. Maybe he could stay another year and let Kyle figure things out on his own. Maybe he could find a community college to attend that had a football team. And Maybe Quinn could see more of Meredith.

“Great. I’ll see you tonight,” he said, facing her, the water behind her and the blue of her eyes glowing in the sunlight. He had never wanted to kiss someone more than he did in that moment.

“I’ll see you tonight,” she said, holding his eyes with hers.

Just as she turned to go, he blurted out, “Would you like to join me for dinner tonight, before the meeting?”

She stopped, and a smile grew across her face. “I’d love that.”

“Not with the Queens,” he said, making sure she knew it was a date.

She laughed, and he wondered if he was too confident as she looked at him, not answering.

“I hope not,” she said.

And that was when he felt the hook sink into his heart.

Quinn drove home after running by the food pantry. He blasted the radio, happier than he had been in years. He felt excited about the next moment, excited about going out with Meredith and having dinner, excited to have someone to do something with other than just driving them here to there.

“What’s up?” Kyle asked as Quinn came in the house. “You’re home early.”

“I’m headed out actually,” Quinn said.

“Where are you going?” Kyle asked.

“Out to dinner.” He wondered now if he should even mention it to Kyle. What if things turned south?

“When?” Kyle asked, but like a typical teenager, he didn’t really care about Quinn’s plans or the fact that Quinn had never gone out to dinner alone before.

“In about an hour, why?” Quinn could tell his son was fishing for his own motive.

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