Assumptions
Quinn pinned her cell to her ear while stretching two blinds apart in Brayden’s room. If she weren’t holding a cupcake in her other hand, she might’ve pulled it off with a little more stealth. Not that Cooper or Livy would notice her from out back. “She’s been here four days, and I swear they’ve been glued at the hip since the minute she got here.”
Ava took a sip of something. “I thought Cooper told you they were just friends.”
“He did, but it’s obvious they were more than that at one point. Did I tell you she used to be a model?”
“Only ten times.”
“She worked a runway in London, Ava. She and Cooper’s sister-in-law both.”
“So.”
“So?” Quinn let the blinds snap back together, paused to make sure she didn’t wake Brayden from his nap, and lowered her voice to a whisper yell. “Those are the kind of women Cooper’s used to being around. Drop-dead gorgeous models.”
Then there was her—a country bumpkin, wearing decade-old clothes. Ugh. If she didn’t need this promotion to prove to everyone that leaving four years ago wasn’t for nothing, she would’ve left last night. But with Dad’s health declining faster than she thought, she was running out of time. And now, with Brayden in the picture, could she really just walk away?
“What does it matter who Cooper hangs out with if you don’t like him?”
“I . . .”
“Mm-hmm.”
Quinn peeled off the cupcake wrapper a corner at a time on her way into the living room. “What are you mm-hmming about? There’s nothing mm-hmm worthy here.”
“How many cupcakes did you just bake?”
“I don’t know. A dozen or so.” She bit into the chocolate top of one and tossed the wrapper into a trash can.
“Just one dozen?”
“Maybe two,” she mumbled with her mouth full.
“Quinn.”
“Fine. More like six. So what?”
Ava’s laugh sang through the phone line and practically bounced off the high ceiling. “You just turned the guy’s kitchen into its own bakery shop. What does that tell you?”
“Nothing. You know I bake when I’m stressed. Between planning Ginny’s party and trying to get Cruella off my back, what do you expect?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Quinn marched into the kitchen and the mess she hadn’t cleaned up yet. Like she hadn’t made a big enough mess of life already. She tore another piece of cupcake top off and stuffed it in her mouth.
“Girl, just admit you like Mr. Entrepreneur of the Year. What’s the big deal?”
Quinn almost choked on a swallow. The big deal? Was she kidding? “I can’t like him. When he finds out what I’m writing . . .” She couldn’t even finish the thought. Wiping crumbs from her hands, she straightened her spine. “It doesn’t matter anyway because I don’t like him. And trust me, the guy might be a flirt, but he made it perfectly clear I’m nothing but the nanny.” The hurt of hearing him say that to his realtor flared inside her again.
“Mm-hmm.”
Man, she hated when Ava kept doing that. “Have you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?”
“I’m not the one who isn’t listening.”
Quinn slumped against the counter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
A loaded laugh answered for her. “Give it a few more days, girl. You’ll get it eventually.”
The only thing she needed to get was Cooper Anderson out of her mind. If he lived unattached, so could she. That’s what journalists did, right? She had to get back to focusing on the original piece, get it done, and move on. Plain and simple.
“No peach cobbler?” he said from behind her.
Quinn spun toward a ridiculously attractive half grin. Simple. Yeah, right.
He stood in the doorway with his thumbs in his belt loops. His T-shirt tugged slightly to the left, unveiling a sliver of tan skin at his waistline.
Get him out of her mind? Sure. Like she wouldn’t be picturing that for the next umpteen days now.
The chocolate cupcake turned to cotton in her mouth.
“He’s standing right there, isn’t he?” Ava said in a singsong voice.
“Yes. No.” Quinn scoured for a steady tone. “Let me call you back.”
“I want details—”
She hung up, set her cell down before she dropped it, and leaned into the counter she was now gripping like a life jacket. Just the nanny. Nothing more.
“You ready for tonight?” he asked as though genuinely caring. He was as good of an actor as he was a businessman. Truthfully, she had no right to be mad at him for that. She’d spun her own web. It was past time to unravel it.
“About that.” She released the counter and turned again. “I just want you to know I’m going to set my parents straight tonight. So, don’t worry. You’ll finally be off the hook.”
He started toward her, face creased. “Are you sure tonight’s the best time?”
She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Especially when he looked at her like that.
Right in front of her, the earnestness in his eyes overtook the kitchen until she couldn’t breathe, let alone speak.
“Hey, I think Brayden’s up.” Livy circled the doorway, stopped, and swung a glance between them. “Oh. Sorry to interrupt.”
“Not at all. I was just about to go check on Brayden anyway. A nanny’s job is never done.” Quinn folded up her apron and laid it beside an empty muffin pan.
The lines on Cooper’s face deepened. “I can get him.”
“No, it’s fine. You have a guest.” She maneuvered past him. “Besides, that’s why I’m here, right?”
“QT.”
She cringed at the immaturity and hurt seeping through every word, but she wasn’t about to turn around. In fact, she didn’t allow herself to slow down until it was time to head over to her parents’ for the cookout.
With a blissfully ignorant Brayden on her hip, Quinn closed the front door and stopped halfway to Cooper’s SUV, where he and Livy stood waiting. She looked from her own capris to the ones Livy had on. They might’ve been similar if Quinn had half the same curves to hold hers up. Seriously, who made a flowy tank top look like it must’ve cost a thousand dollars?
Cooper met her on the walkway and took Brayden. “I’ll get him buckled in.”
“You know, maybe you should stay. Keep Livy company. She did come all this way to see you. It’d be kind of rude to leave her.”
“Why do you think she’s coming with us?” Cooper flashed her a no-brainer stare.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She could hear her parents’ questions already.
“Is your brother bringing a date?”
Quinn raised a brow. “Not that I know of.”
“Good. Livy can fill in. If we’re pretending, so can they. It’ll be fine.”
Pretending. Right. The reality of that truth should’ve lost its sting by now. Her focus wandered toward his model friend again.
“QT?”
A blink brought him back into focus. “Sorry. I’m, uh . . . I’m just gonna . . .” She motioned behind her to the house. “Can you give me a minute?”
Once behind the safety of the front door, she tapped her head against it. She’d be lucky if she passed off her brisk walk for anything other than looking like a toddler without training pants making a mad dash to the bathroom.
She shoved off the door, strode to the kitchen, and downed a cupcake in one minute flat. Pacing, she dug her phone from her pocket and pulled up the last grueling message she’d gotten from Cruella.
Nothing like a little motivation to get herself in gear.
“I’m a successful editor. An up-and-coming leader who’s perfectly capable of being professional in any setting.” The icing on her fingers glared in the sunlight. She licked it off. Okay, maybe not in any setting, but she could handle this. It was just another part to play.
After changing into a dainty sundress and flattering heels, Quinn held her head high while walking out this time.
Cooper turned and dropped his keys.
The more ground she gained, the more he seemed to lose. He reached for his keys without taking his eyes off her but fumbled them again a second later.
Livy bit back a grin. “You look great, Quinn.” She slapped Cooper on the back. “As soon as Mr. Smooth, here, catches his breath, he’ll tell you the same.”
Still bent over, he glared at her, and a wave of self-consciousness rushed over Quinn with the hot breeze. Sure, maybe nice clothes gave her a boost in confidence, and maybe girls like Livy brought out irrational insecurities. But what was Quinn really trying to accomplish?
“You know what? Maybe I should change again. Give me two more minutes. Promise.” An awkward turn brought her only two strides forward before Cooper slid in her path.
“Quinn, what’s going on?”
“Nothing.” She swept her gaze to the pavement, away from eyes capable of turning her brain to mush. “Just have a lot on my mind. You know going to my parents’ always drives me a little crazy. Speaking of which, we need to run by the farmer’s market to pick up some peaches on our way.”
He adjusted his Tar Heels hat. “Maybe we should talk first.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She met his eyes long enough to force a smile. “We should get going.” Forget changing. At least in the car, she wouldn’t have to face him head-on. Maybe then she’d have half a chance believing her pep talk. Not to mention Livy would be there as a buffer.
Of course, that hope went out the window once they made it to the farmer’s market. Livy stayed in the car with Brayden while Cooper insisted on walking with Quinn.
She busied herself with feeling and smelling each peach before deciding which ones to get.
Beside her, Cooper picked up a plum and turned it around in his hands like a Magic 8 Ball he hoped would tell him what to say. “I didn’t mean what I said to Ray. It’s just that people’s assumptions—”
“Are right?” Regretting the words, she looked away from the brokenness on his face and added another peach to her basket. “Cooper, you don’t have to apologize. You’ve been up front with me from the beginning. Nothing’s changed.”
He followed her toward the register. “But that’s just it. I—”
“Howdy.” A young guy behind the counter dipped his straw hat at her. “My mama always tells me I’ll find a girl as pretty as a peach one day, but I didn’t expect it to be today.”
“Dude, seriously?” Cooper edged beside her. “In case you didn’t notice, hoss, we’re together.” The words weren’t out more than two seconds before his face turned a shade darker than the plum he was still holding. “I mean, not together together. Just, you know, together.”
Great, and now Quinn’s cheeks were probably the same color too. Why was he making this so awkward?
The market worker looked like he was about to open his mouth, but Cooper grabbed the basket from Quinn and set it on the scale without giving him a chance. “How much do we owe you?”
While he pulled out his wallet, Quinn hurried back to the buffer zone in the car. Cooper got in a minute later, set the peaches between them, and shifted into drive without a word.
She risked a glance to the quiet seat beside her every few minutes. His tight jaw didn’t override whatever was tugging at the corner of his eye. She sank in the leather seat, a sense of dread escalating with each mile that passed. Being honest with her parents tonight might end up giving her an ulcer, but that had to be better than what it’d cost her to be honest with herself.