Brody
“What the fuck was that?” I muttered to myself as I walked quickly back to the house and away from Quinn, not daring to glance back at her. She had me feeling things I didn’t understand, and it was freaking me out.
“Hey, Brody,” I heard a voice call out, dragging me from my thoughts. As I looked over to the front of the house, I saw Josh and Savannah heading up the porch steps.
“Hey,” I replied as I jogged toward them. “They let you out then?” I teased, pulling Josh into a hug.
“They wanted him to stay another night, but he refused,” Savannah said, exasperated.
“Baby, I’m fine,” Josh reassured her. “I just wanted to come home.” He snaked his arm around her waist, kissing her on the side of the head.
“You okay?” I asked Josh, concerned he’d discharged himself.
“I’m good. What about you? How’s the hand?” He gestured with his head to my bandaged hand.
“It’s just a scratch,” I told him, holding it up. “It’ll be fine in a few days.” Josh nodded, and I watched as his gaze went past me. “Is that the girl you pulled from the stables?”
Turning, I saw Quinn walking slowly toward us, her hands fiddling nervously with the hem of her t-shirt. I nodded. “Yeah, that’s her.” I made my way down the steps, stopping in front of her. “Come and meet Sav and Josh.” I took her hand and led her up onto the porch. “Guys, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is my sister, Savannah, and her boyfriend, Josh, who also happens to be my best friend.”
“Hi,” she said quietly, her face flushing with heat. “Nice to meet you.” I was still holding her hand, and I saw Savannah’s eyes drop to our joined hands, a huge smile appearing on her face.
“Hi, Quinn, great to meet you,” Savannah gushed as she pulled Quinn in for a hug, her hand dropping from mine. Savannah wiggled her eyebrows at me over Quinn’s shoulder and I rolled my eyes. The last thing I needed was her playing matchmaker. For some reason, she was always telling me I needed to find a nice girl and to settle down. That was the last thing I wanted or needed. Glaring at her, I shook my head, hoping she got the message not to interfere.
“Sorry if I smell of smoke. I had to put these clothes back on after the fire,” Quinn said sheepishly, tugging on her t-shirt as she stepped out of Savannah’s hug.
“Don’t be daft, you’re fine. I’m so glad my brother managed to get you out of there.” She glanced over toward the charred remains of the stables and shook her head.
“So am I,” Quinn replied, her eyes meeting mine.
“Hey, good to meet you, Quinn,” Josh said. She smiled at him and I reached for her hand again, tugging her toward the front door. Josh and Savannah followed us through the door and along the hallway to the kitchen.
“Savannah! Josh!” my mom exclaimed as she rushed across the kitchen, pulling them both into a hug. “They discharged you then?”
“Yes,” Josh replied hurriedly, glancing at Savannah. “I’m fine.”
I chuckled as I watched Savannah roll her eyes at him before heading over to our dad and throwing her arms around him.
“You okay, sweetheart?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Tired, but glad to be home.”
“I’ll make us all some food,” Mom said, crossing the kitchen and opening the fridge. “Sav, why don’t you take Quinn upstairs and show her your old room?”
“Sure,” she replied. “Let’s find you some clothes as well. Mom said you lost everything in the fire?
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I watched as her teeth chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m sure I can find something in the local thrift store.”
“Of course, I don’t mind. Trust me, I have loads of clothes, and right now,” she paused and gently patted her stomach, “there’s no way I could fit into half of them anyway!” She laughed and prized Quinn’s hand out of mine. “Let her go, Brode. I’ll bring her back soon. Promise.” She stuck her tongue out at me and I shook my head.
Looking down at Quinn, I gave her a small smile, noticing her cheeks were flushed pink again. The corners of her mouth turned up into a smile and I couldn’t look away. God, she was beautiful. The room was silent for a few seconds while our eyes stayed fixed on each other. Savannah suddenly cleared her throat and tugged on Quinn’s hand, breaking our connection. I watched as Savannah pulled her out of the kitchen, the door swinging closed behind them. Turning around I saw three amused faces looking at me.
“You seem a little smitten there, Son,” my dad remarked, a smile tugging on his lips. “Can’t say I blame you, she’s a pretty little thing.”
“I’m not blind, she’s gorgeous. Doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen.” I shrugged, trying to brush off my developing feelings for her. “I’m not looking to get pussy-whipped like someone else I could mention.” I looked over to Josh and raised my eyebrows.
“You keep telling yourself that,” Josh replied with a laugh. “I can’t wait to say I told you so.”
“I reckon that knock you took to the head might have been harder than the doctors thought.”
He laughed and reached into the fridge, grabbing a soda. “Catch!” he exclaimed tossing me a can. “Like I said, I can’t wait to say I told you so!”
“Whatever,” I mumbled as I opened the can and took a swig.
“Boys, it’s been a long couple of days. Go drink your sodas in the den. You can carry on your little argument in there,” Mom said as she ushered us out of the kitchen.
As we walked through the house to the den, Josh turned to me to say something, but I cut him off before he could speak. “Drop it, Josh. It’s never going to happen,” I warned him. He laughed beside me as I pushed the door open to the den, knowing he didn’t believe a word I said. I’m not sure I believed what I was saying either.
Quinn
Savannah squeezed my hand as she pulled me away from Brody and into the hallway.
“So,” she said, grinning at me. “Where’s home, Quinn?” I breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn’t going to mention the awkward moment in the kitchen between myself and Brody although I could tell from her face she was dying to know more.
“Westwood, New Jersey,” I replied as we slowly climbed the large staircase to the first floor. Once at the top Savannah placed her hand on the bannister and caught her breath.
“I love being pregnant, but I’m so ready to have my body back now. Even climbing the stairs wears me out.” She laughed, rubbing her back with her hand.
“How long do you have left?” I glanced down at her large round stomach. I was no expert on pregnancy, but seeing how big her bump was, I was guessing it couldn’t be long.
“Five weeks.”
“Not long left then. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“Nope, we decided on a surprise. Come on, I can breathe again now. Your room is just down here.”
I followed her down the hallway and through an open doorway, gasping as I entered the beautiful room. There was a huge double bed against one wall. The bed was dressed in a pretty, lavender-colored comforter, and there were matching cushions scattered at the head of the bed. A nightstand sat on either side of the bed, with a matching dresser on the opposite wall. The large picture window had beautiful drapes in the same fabric as the comforter. Walking over to the window, I pushed my nose against the glass, taking in my first full view of the ranch. The window overlooked the back of the house and I could just make out the roof of a building nestled between the trees.
“This room is beautiful, and the view is amazing.” Spinning around, I saw Savannah nodding.
“When I moved out, my parents redecorated and had all new furniture. You’re right, it is beautiful. I sometimes forget how lucky I am to live here.” She moved over to stand next to me. “That’s the cottage where I live,” she explained as she looked out of the window, pointing to the roof I could see. “My grandparents lived there after my parents took over the ranch. It’s tiny compared to the ranch house, but I love it.”
“It’s a perfect place to bring up a baby. I would have loved growing up here,” I told her.
“A bit different to Westwood then?” I nodded and let out a small laugh.
“Just a little. Don’t get me wrong, Westwood is a lovely place. But to have grown up with all of this space, the horses available to ride whenever you liked, must have been incredible.”
“Do you ride?”
“Oh no. I’ve never even been on a horse.”
“Well that has to change! You can take out my horse, Marley.” She grinned and her eyes lit up. “I’ll get Brody to take you!”
“No, no!” I protested. “I’m sure Brody will be too busy to take me out.”
“Of course, he won’t.” She winked at me. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
My cheeks flushed with heat and I squirmed uncomfortably, not knowing how to reply. Sensing my obvious discomfort, she quickly changed the subject. “Let’s get you some clothes sorted.” She walked across the room pulling open the set of double doors on the opposite wall to the bed. The open doors revealed a large dressing room with floor-to-ceiling hanging rails.
“The cottage is so small I wasn’t able to take all of my clothes. You’re welcome to borrow anything in here. What shoe size are you?”
“I’m a size six.” I looked around in awe at the amount of clothes in front of me.
“Perfect! The same as me then. I did take most of my shoes and boots with me. A girl can never have too many cowboy boots after all.” She winked at me before reaching up to a shelf and grabbing down box after box. “But these are the ones that never got brought over. Brody helped me move and refused to carry any more boxes of shoes. He doesn’t understand my shoe obsession.” She dropped the boxes on the floor and sat down as best she could with her baby bump in the way. Tearing the lids off she pulled out four pairs of cowboy boots, along with three pairs of flip-flops. Some of which still had the tags on them.
“Savannah, I can’t wear these. They’re brand new.” I dropped to my knees beside her, fingering the gorgeous boots she’d pulled from the boxes.
“Of course, you can! Someone may as well wear them. I’ve got plenty back at the cottage.” Overwhelmed by how generous everyone had been, I promptly burst into tears. “Hey, don’t cry.” She pushed the boots aside and put her arm around my shoulders, pulling me into an embrace.
“Sorry. I’m so emotional and overwhelmed by how kind everyone has been. I guess I just can’t quite believe it.”
“Don’t apologize for getting upset, Quinn. You’re bound to be emotional after everything that’s happened. You nearly died.” She reached for a box of tissues on one of the shelves and handed me one. I quickly dried my eyes and blew my nose.
“Thank you. You and your family have been so kind,” I told her as I pulled myself together.
“No need to thank me… so, what brings you to Marble Falls?” Her eyes drifted to my bruised cheek, which was now displaying a rainbow of colors.
Pausing, I met her eyes, the concern evident on her face. “I just had to get away.” I knew I wasn’t giving much away, but I also wasn't lying.
“Why Marble Falls? Do you have family here?” She picked up the boots and began to put them back into their boxes.
I shrugged my shoulders. “No, no family, and no reason really. I had a friend at school who moved to Westwood from Marble Falls. She’d told me about it and I’d always wanted to visit.”
Biting down on my lip, I considered telling her the real reason I was in Marble Falls, and who I was running from. It had been a long time since I’d had a girlfriend to confide in. Although I’d only just met her, she seemed like the kind of person I could trust. Something held me back though, and I decided against it. I didn’t want to bring all my troubles to her door. A small part of me was worried that once everyone knew the truth, they might ask me to leave.
She nodded, and I could see she wanted to ask me more. “Well, if and when you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here to listen. You’ll be safe here though, Quinn.”
“That’s what Brody said,” I told her with a small smile.
Grinning, she wiggled her eyebrows at me. “He likes you, you know? He never left your side in the hospital.”
“Oh...” I stuttered, my eyes looking anywhere but at her. “I didn’t realize.” I knew Brody had been in my room a lot after I’d woken up, but it was news to me he’d been there while I was unconscious.
“I’ve never seen him so taken with a girl before and believe me when I say there have been plenty,” she said flippantly. Her eyes met mine and she must have seen the look on my face. “Oh God. That makes him sound horrible,” she said hurriedly, her hand landing on my arm. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, he dates a lot, but there has never been anyone special.” She was talking fast, and I could tell she was trying to cover up that she had basically just told me her brother was some sort of serial dater.
Standing up, I laughed awkwardly as I started to flick through the clothes hanging on the rails above our heads. Not wanting her to see my face when I blatantly lied to her, I concentrated on the clothes in front of me. “Oh, Brody’s nice, but he’s not really my type. I’m not looking for any sort of relationship anyway.”
“Okay.” The amusement in her voice told me she knew I was lying through my teeth. Part of my statement was true. I wasn’t looking for a relationship. In fact, with all the crap going on in my life at the moment, a relationship was the last thing I was looking for. But to say Brody wasn’t my type was a load of garbage. I’d only had a couple boyfriends in school, so couldn’t really claim to have a “type.” I knew if I did though, Brody would be my perfect choice. He was gorgeous.
Eager to change the subject, I held up a jean skirt. “Can I try this on?” She nodded enthusiastically.
“Definitely! And these boots would look amazing with it.” She grabbed a pair of red leather cowboy boots from one of the boxes surrounding her, handing them to me. “Could you help me up? I’m a little bit like a beached whale, stuck down here?” She laughed.
I held my hand out to her and pulled her up to standing. “You do not look like a beached whale, you look beautiful.” She blew me a kiss and pulled a red top off one of the rails.
“Put this with the skirt and boots. I’ll wait in the bedroom while you get changed.” She handed me the top and left the dressing room, closing the door behind her.
Looking around I saw a chair in the corner of the closet. Dumping everything on it, I removed my clothes, the smell of smoke still lingering. Standing there in just my underwear, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror on the back wall. I slowly traced my finger along the small scar low down on my abdomen. The scar was a constant reminder that my mom didn’t make it, despite my best efforts to save her. I hated looking at it because I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d still be alive if she'd agreed to let me help her earlier. I knew I was never going to know the answer, it was just one big game of “what if.” I was pulled from my thoughts by a knock on the door.
“Quinn, is everything okay? You’ve been a while,” Savannah called out from the other side of the door. I must have zoned out for longer than I’d thought.
“Erm… yes. Sorry, I’m nearly done.” I grabbed the skirt and top from the chair and quickly slipped them on. The top was a little more fitted than I was used to, and it hugged my curves more than I’d have liked. The skirt fit perfectly though and skimmed my legs mid-thigh. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn a skirt. I was usually a jeans and Converse type of girl. Looking in the mirror though, I could get used to wearing more skirts. As for the cowboy boots, I’d never even tried a pair on. Quickly pulling them on, I took another glance in the mirror before opening the dressing room door. Savannah was perched on the edge of the bed waiting for me.
“Wow, Quinn. You look hot! My clothes look way better on you than they ever did on me.” She eased herself up off the bed and came to stand in front of me.
“I doubt that very much,” I scoffed. Even at nearly eight months pregnant Savannah was stunning. My mom was always telling me how beautiful I was, but I never really took much notice. All moms thought their children were beautiful, didn’t they? Surely it was a pre-requisite for being a mom? I wasn’t stick thin like most of the girls I’d been at school with, with my curves and a decent-size butt. I’d never had much attention from the boys, only dating occasionally. So I'd never thought guys saw me as attractive, which was why I was convinced someone as hot as Brody would never be interested. I was just me and I was happy with that.
“Do you think this top is a bit tight?” I wasn’t used to wearing anything this fitted. I was unsure if my curves could pull it off.
“No. It’s perfect. Brody is going to lose his shit!”
“What? Why?”
“Are you kidding? He couldn’t take his eyes off you when you were wearing smelly smoke-covered jeans and a hoody, let alone now when you’re wearing that!”
“Maybe I should just put some jeans on.”
“Don’t you dare. You look great. Now let’s go downstairs. I’m guessing dinner is nearly done and I’m starving.” She took my arm, propelling me through the doorway and into the hall before I could start to protest. I couldn’t even begin to process what she’d just said about Brody. I chose to ignore it, knowing she couldn’t possibly be right.
“Hey.” I tugged on her arm so she stopped walking. “I thought you said on the porch that my clothes didn’t smell bad?” I asked, replaying in my mind what she’d said to me.
“We’d only just met. I couldn’t really stand there and tell you how badly you smelled. I figured a little white lie would make you feel better. No one wants to know they stink.” She shrugged her shoulders before bursting out laughing.
I stared open-mouthed at her retreating back as she made her way downstairs. “Well thanks… I think,” I told her before I too burst out laughing and followed her.