Page 30 of Just Let Go

“It’s a special place,” Quinn told Danny after too long a pause.

“Special place for a special girl.” Danny’s face contorted into what looked like a smile. She made him nervous. Either that or he was just awkward. Or both.

“I guess we should head in,” she said.

His hand on her arm stopped her. “Before we do, Quinn, there’s, uh... something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

No!She was terrible at this sort of thing. Her mind started racing for excuses—anything that would allow her to turn him down easily.

My dad already made plans for our whole family that day. We have a long-standing tradition, I guess you could say.

I’m just too busy at the flower shop—so many demands on my time.

I’m emotionally unavailable.

But before he could get any additional words out, the front door swung open and Grady appeared. By comparison, Danny suddenly looked scrawny and small. Grady, with his height and all those muscles, was indeed a presence, wherever he went—but what was he doing here? At her meeting?

“Whoa, that’s him,” Danny practically whispered, as if the queen of England had just materialized in front of their very eyes.

Grady looked lost, and he probably was. The polite thing wouldbe to point him toward the meeting room. But of course there was no way she was going to do that. Her father would be embarrassed by her lack of hospitality.

Danny, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to stop staring.

“What were you saying, Danny?” Why was she prodding the man to ask her out when only seconds ago she was spinning through her mental Rolodex for an acceptable reason to say no without hurting his feelings?

“Huh?” Danny was still staring at Grady, who, in his winter coat, looked exactly like an Olympic skier. She’d never watched Olympic skiing in her life and couldn’t care less who medaled or qualified or slipped and fell. But she was starting to feel like the only person in town who felt that way.

“You were about to ask me something.” Quinn gave Danny a little shove, hoping that would bring him back to his senses.

Grady took a few steps into the entryway. It was after hours, so there was no receptionist, and it was pretty obvious he wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been court ordered.

“You’re Grady Benson.” Danny sounded like a twelve-year-old girl who’d just met a member of One Direction.

Grady’s eyes darted over to Quinn, who crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

“You’re the best, man.”

Man?Since when did Danny call peopleman?

“Thanks. It’s always nice to meet a fan.” He reached out and shook Danny’s hand. “Listen, can you tell me where this, uh, winter festival meeting is?”

“Carnival.” Quinn practically barked the word.

“What’s that?” Grady was looking at her now. And it was unnerving.

“It’s a carnival, not a festival.”

“Is there a difference?”

Quinn huffed, unsure why she felt so hostile toward him. “We were right in the middle of something here.”What?Why had shesaid that? They were in the middle of exactly nothing. If anything, Grady had just saved her from sure humiliation, and this was how she repaid him?

“I can take you back,” Danny said.

“Danny.” Quinn tried her best not to sound exasperated, but she was pretty sure she failed.

“Quinn, it’s Grady Benson.”

She glanced at Grady, whose smug smile was enough to make her want to scream, but she stepped aside as the two of them strolled off to the conference area.

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