Page 13 of Just Let Go

“And you can follow me out to Cedar Grove,” Gus said, peeking out the window. “On second thought, maybe I should drive you. Wouldn’t want these vultures finding out where you’re staying.”

“Isn’t that inevitable?”

Gus shrugged. “We can keep them off your scent as long as possible.”

Was the man actually trying to help him?

“I’m parked out back. I’ll have one of my deputies drive your car.” He held out his hand, and Grady put the keys in it. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Someone had to be able to get him out of this.

But as he stepped into the squad car—this time in the front seat—and another call to Pete went to voice mail, he wasn’t so sure he even had anyone left interested in helping him at all.

CHAPTER

4

QUINN WALKED UP THE SIDEWALKtoward the small white cottage where she’d grown up. Nondescript except for the turquoise mailbox she’d insisted on several years ago.

“It gives the house character,”Quinn had told her father, who would’ve much preferred boring old black and not a single pot of flowers on the porch.

“The house has enough character on the inside,”he’d said.

At least he had the Christmas lights on.

After Quinn’s sister, Carly, and her son, Jaden, moved out, it had been just the two of them—Quinn and Gus. Did Daddy ever miss her now that she was living above the flower shop? Did he miss their late-night chats over hand-popped popcorn or their never-ending games of Scrabble—which she always won?

She should spend more time with him. She’d gotten so busy lately, and sometimes absent-daughter guilt niggled at her, though she knew he was far from alone. Even now, through the window, she could see the living room full of people—Judge WalterHarrison, Calvin Doyle, and Beverly Sanders, who she was certain had been angling for her father’s eye since the day her mother packed her suitcase and drove out of town. These four had become inseparable—and they were always quick to include Quinn in their shenanigans.

In so many ways, it was like she’d been raised by all four of them. After all, it was Beverly who had taken her to buy her prom dress and Judge who had helped her buy her first car. Calvin had tutored her through chemistry—and she’d gotten an A! And of course, her father had been there for everything. Even when she was nursing the grief that sometimes crept in unexpectedly. Grief over a person who wasn’t dead but who was gone just the same. Quinn actually found that harder to swallow. At least if her mother had died, she wouldn’t have to wonder what she’d done to drive away the woman she thought was supposed to love her unconditionally.

She didn’t bother knocking. Instead she walked inside, pushing away the chill of December as she closed the door.

“She’s here!” Beverly rushed toward her, pulling her into the living room before Quinn could even take off her coat as Calvin disappeared into the kitchen.

“She’s here?” Her father stepped out of the kitchen wearing two oven mitts and a very frilly apron.

“That’s a great look for you, Dad.”

He waved her off. “No sass tonight, Daughter. This is a celebration.”

She felt her brow furrow. “What are we celebrating? I thought it was just dinner.”

Judge let out a cackle from his spot in the old recliner in the living room—a spot he didn’t appear to have any interest in vacating. “You know us better than that by now, don’t you?”

Calvin appeared in the doorway that led to the kitchen. He held a cake covered in flickering candles, highlighted by the backlight of the Christmas tree, which she could only assume Beverly had decorated.

“It’s not my birthday,” Quinn said as Calvin came into the room and set the cake on the coffee table.

“No, it’s your ‘Hey, I bought a business’ day.” Beverly squeezed her arm. “Make a wish.”

“I don’t think it works this way,” Quinn said. She glanced at her father, whose face held the unmistakable look of pride.

“It does tonight,” he said. “Blow ’em out.”

She sat on the couch with her dad and Beverly on either side of her, almost as if they were both her parents, eyes beaming and everything.

“Make it a good one,” Beverly said.

Quinn stared at the tiny flames dotting the white cake with red frosting letters that spelled outCongratulations, Quinn. There were flowers all around the border. “Did you get this at Dandy’s?”

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