Page 105 of Just Let Go

Uh-oh.

“Gus said she brought you leftovers on Sunday.” She grinned.

“Beverly, hush,” Calvin said.

“She’s around here somewhere, Grady. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

Grady doubted it.

A peppy girl with a red ponytail made her way over to him. “You came.” She smiled up at him, her eyes big and blue. “I’m Lucy,” she said, probably sensing his inability to place her. “Quinn’s friend. Best friend, really. We’ve known each other our whole lives.”

He nodded.

“She likes you,” Lucy said.

Grady was pretty sure his face went blank. “No. She doesn’t.” He tried not to remember the way she’d felt in his arms, the way he’d inhaled her, the scent of her shampoo—strawberries—filling him with a feeling he’d never experienced before.

He’d been trying to erase the whole thing from his head since he walked out of here Sunday. So far, he was doing a pretty crummy job.

“Quinn’s prickly,” Lucy said. “But she’s worth the fight.”

What was this—a running theme? Was he going to have to fight for everything now?

“She made it pretty clear where I stand,” Grady said. “I’m just here to work.”

Lucy’s face fell. “I never pegged you for a quitter, Grady Benson.”

He looked away. “Do you have a job for me?”

“Quinn’s in the back. I think she might have a job for you. I’ll go check.” And with that, Lucy walked away.

Grady made his way through the maze of people who’d come out to help Harbor Pointe’s favorite daughter—the woman everyone seemed to love. He couldn’t blame them. Quinn might be prickly, but she was the best person he’d ever known.

And while a part of him wanted to fight for her, like Lucy said, another part of him knew the truth: no matter how much he changed, he would never be good enough. Not for her.

Quinn had slipped away to the back room as soon as she saw Grady’s SUV pull up in front of her shop.

He came?

She was sure he’d go see Judge about having his community service assignment changed. He’d ask to wash dishes at Hazel’s or clean gutters around town. Anything would be better than being here, with her.

But here he was, walking up to her door.

She turned a circle now, trying—failing—to regain her composure.

It was just a kiss.

A mind-blowing, knee buckling, when-can-we-do-it-again kiss.

And the answer was, of course, never. They could never do it again.

Lucy’s face appeared in her doorway. “You’ve got a new helper.”

Quinn turned away. The combination of Lucy’s incredible perception and Quinn’s inability to lie made this all a very bad scenario.

“What is wrong with you?” Lucy hissed. “What are you doing back here?”

“I’m just tidying up,” Quinn said, wondering when she became the kind of person who used the wordtidying.

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