Chapter One
Quinn
Fifteen years of marriage down the drain.
Six words was all it took to wash it all away.
I’m going to be an actress.
It took everything in me not to throttle Samantha when she told me. A forty-year-old woman had a torrid affair with her much younger personal-trainer-slash-wannabe-fucking-model and together they ran out west to pursue this stupid goddamned dream.
That was three months ago and I’ve been drowning ever since.
Thank fuck, though, she finally signed the divorce decree.
“You’re a free man,” my buddy and divorce attorney, Dane Alexander, says with a wolfish grin. “We should celebrate tonight.”
I scrub my palm down my face and shake my head. “I’d love to, trust me. But I don’t have anyone to watch the boys.”
Samantha also left two children behind.
Being a movie star was more important than her own fucking kids.
She sent a postcard that told the boys she was pursuing her dream and when she made it big they could come live with her. She’d signed it with a red lipstick kiss mark. I’d been so pissed at her stupid attempt to reach out that I crumpled the card in my fist and threw it away. Neither Aiden nor Anthony ever saw it.
I need help. And from someone who hates to ask for help, this is probably the most frustrating part of the entire divorce. Samantha may have been an idiot toward the end, but she ran the kids around and was there with them if I had to work late. The school stuff was on her too.
And now?
I’m definitely sinking.
Making sure they stay out of trouble, bathe as they should, and stay on top of their homework is a full-time job. A job I’m not at all equipped to handle.
“It’s Friday. Get a sitter for the night,” Dane says with a shrug as he collects the signed and finalized documents before sliding them into a manila folder. “You’ve been burning the candle at both ends, man. You need a break.”
Hell yeah I need a break.
I glance at my friend with a frown. “Sammie always handled that stuff. I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Max’s girl Sophia babysits sometimes although I don’t know if she does it much after her softball injury. I could give him a call,” he offers.
A night out is exactly what I need. Every day I bust my ass to keep Blakely Advertising busy and profitable. That means lots of client meetings that run well past the time the boys get out of school. For the past three months, I’ve had to rely on Sammie’s friends in the neighborhood to keep them for me. And while they feel sorry for me, their loyalty still lies with Samantha. I can see the questions dancing in their eyes. The way their collagen-filled lips purse together in disappointment. As if I ran her off rather than her running away.
“Sure.” I need more than simply a babysitter for the night. So much more. But maybe this is a good start. “Ask if she does any tutoring.”
While Dane calls Max, I busy myself checking emails. Blakely Advertising was a dream after college. I’d hustled for nearly a decade building my company when I’d bumped into Sammie at the gym. All legs. Blond hair and blue eyes. Tits for days. She was a goddamned wet dream. I fell hard for her. It wasn’t long before I knocked her up and gave her my last name. I thought we were happy.
Boy, was I fucking wrong.
“Thanks, buddy,” Dane says and hangs up his phone. He pushes a slip of paper across the table to me. “Ava Prince. She’s a friend of Olivia, Max’s oldest daughter. He said she’d been looking to make some extra cash for the summer and tutors some kids already. Olivia is going to let her know to expect your call and vouch that you’re not a creepy fuck.” He smirks at me. “Even though you are.”
I shake my head at him as I take the slip of paper with her number scrawled on it and tuck it in my shirt pocket before standing.
“Tonight,” he urges with a crooked grin. “Wings and drinks. Then maybe one of us will get laid.”
I snort and shake my head. “Pussy is what got me into this mess. I would love to get shit-faced though.”
“Hey, Quinn,” he calls out as I start for the door. I turn to see him watching me with furrowed brows. “You don’t have to be in control of everything always. It’s okay to not know what the fuck is going on or how to fix it.”
My shoulders stiffen and I crack my neck. “Having complete control is the only thing that keeps me sane these days.” I need it. My life. My family. My job. Everything is planned, everything has rules and parameters, everything has consequences.
We say our goodbyes and I promise to meet him later, once I’ve secured the sitter. On the way to the car, I dial the number. Max is a judge and his girls have always been well-behaved, so hopefully this Ava girl is too. The last thing I need is some bad teenager watching my boys. They get into enough trouble as it is without help.
She doesn’t answer and a huff of annoyance escapes me as I climb into my silver Lexus. I’m just about to drive back to the office when someone texts me from an unknown number.
Hi there. Did you just try to call? I’m in class so I can’t answer.
Max’s oldest girl is still in high school. Of course she’s in class.
Quinn Blakely. Max Rowe’s daughter Olivia passed on your info. You’re looking for a job?
I quickly add her to my contacts.
I am! Olivia said her dad gave you my number so I was expecting your call. I’m proficient with Microsoft Office. Spreadsheets are my favorite. ;) One of my school hours, I’m a TA for my French teacher. I’m also in the running for valedictorian of my class. Olivia just mentioned you needed help but not much else. What can I do for you?
She’s an eager little thing. Any doubts of her being a bad influence on my children just flew out the window. They need a good influence. Someone like Ava Prince.
Do you tutor any?
Her response is immediate.
I do! I tutor several of the guys from the track team. Coach Long won’t let them run if they don’t keep As and Bs in their classes.
She sounds too good to be true. Enthusiastic. Studious. Willing to work.
Me: Great. I want to hire you. Is $20 an hour a fair amount?
Ava: Yes, sir. That’s extremely generous. Whom will I be tutoring?
Me: It’s a little more involved than that, actually. More duties than just tutoring but nothing you can’t handle. Can you meet me at my house promptly after school? I’ll explain in detail and then you can start.
Ava: Thank you for the opportunity. I’ll see you then.
I send her the address and she thanks me again. A gigantic weight lifts from my chest. For the first time in months, I feel as though I can breathe. Samantha left me with little warning but I’m finally finding some footing again. This time next year, my ex-wife will be a distant memory.
I may be forty-three but I have my entire life in front of me.
Tonight starts day one in finding myself.
Maybe I can finally be happy.