Page 132 of Just Let Go

Once she’d gone, Quinn turned the sign in her door over to Closed and shut off the lights. She dialed Kitty’s number one more time, but again, voice mail.

If what the letter said was true, then her mother had been here in Harbor Pointe. She’d been atherevent in the midst ofherdesigns.

And she hadn’t even bothered to say hello.

CHAPTER

33

QUINN SAT AS STILL AS A SIGNPOSTin the middle of her sofa, the letter from the Expo open on her coffee table. She’d found her way upstairs, where she paced the floor for a solid half hour, trying to piece together how any of this could’ve happened.

She called Carly but hung up before she answered. Carly had enough to deal with. Besides, it was embarrassing to admit that the mother she hadn’t seen in twenty years passed through town without a single word.

Carly would pretend she didn’t care, but somehow Quinn thought even she would be sad if she knew.

The sun had dipped behind the horizon, spilling a haze of gold and orange across the loft. Quinn pulled her legs up underneath her and willed herself not to cry.

She jumped at the sound of a knock on the door. She didn’t want to see anyone—not like this.

“Quinn?”

Grady.

Why would this man—this beautiful, successful man—ever want to be with her when her own mother didn’t even want her?

She padded over to the door and opened it.

He sprang forward at the sight of her. “Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”

She didn’t want to lie to him. He’d promised to be honest with her, and she should do the same—let him know now what he was getting into.

But the shame of it—it was too much.

“I’m fine. Not sick. Just needed a mental-health afternoon.”

“Can I come in?” He held up two brown paper bags. “I got Chinese. It’s my cheat meal.”

She moved away from the door, allowing him room to pass through.

“You sure you’re okay?”

She closed the door and let out a heavy sigh.

“All right, I know something is wrong.” He set the bags down on the counter and enveloped her in one of those hugs that saidIt’s okay to cry.So she did. He held her like that, quietly allowing her to soak his shirt with her tears. When she finally regained her composure, she pulled from his grasp, swiping her cheeks dry with her sleeves.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’m not normally a crier.”

“Now you’re really worrying me.” Grady followed her into the living room and took the armchair next to the couch. “Is it your dad? Jaden?”

“No, everyone’s fine.” She plopped down and picked up the letter. “I got something in the mail today.”

His eyebrows were knit in one straight line, probably not all that different from the one he’d pointed out on her forehead so many times before.

“I’m one of three finalists for the design contest at the Michigan Floral Expo.” Her voice lacked even a trace of enthusiasm. Not the way she’d anticipated sharing this news when she first applied for the competition.

“Quinn, that’s awesome,” he said. “It’s what you wanted.”

Her smile was faint and fleeting.

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