Page 16 of Quinn

“Here you go.” She handed him two pies, one for each hand.

“I sure hope you have more than this. You may think that crowd is full, but don’t let looks deceive you.”

Her eyes sparkled with delight. “There’s a lot more where those came from.” Her fingers landed on the back of his shoulder. “Go on. I’ll be right there with two more pies.”

Like a branding iron, he could feel the heat of her touch through his clothing, searing his skin. His tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of his mouth so he nodded, forcing his feet to move, one in front of the other, wondering why did this woman make him feel so…different.

Setting the two pies down in the middle of the massive dining table, he made room for the additional pies. To his surprise, not only had Eloise cooked dinner and baked pies, she turned on her heel and returned with homemade ice cream.

“You made ice cream too?” Uncle Sean seemed beyond impressed.

“She had help.” The love in Aunt Eileen’s eyes softened her words.

The conversation bounced around, from talk of the new calves, to the superb dinner, to the upcoming arrival of Eloise’s brother next week. Heavy chatter just like any other Sunday evening dinner, and yet, gourmet food aside, nothing about tonight felt normal. Nothing at all.

Chapter Eight

Sleep proved impossible. Eloise tossed and turned, her mind racing with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Progress at the restaurant since Sunday dinner had been energizing. The kitchen turned out even better than she’d imagined—every piece of equipment precisely where it needed to be, precisely what she’d hoped for. Her first two hires seemed perfect: Sarah, a local girl with three years of experience at the café, and Miguel, who’d worked in some impressive kitchens in Dallas before moving here with his young family.

But thoughts of Danny’s arrival next week kept chasing away any chance of rest. Her brother had been her best friend and protector for as long as she could remember, and now, the role reversal since his return home was still new territory for her. Would he like it here? Would the quiet help or make things worse? Was it possible that the equine therapy center run by Hannah could make a true difference in Danny’s struggle?

Giving up on sleep, she slipped from bed and pulled on her robe. The house was silent except for the distant hum of crickets. She made her way downstairs, drawn to the back porch where Aunt Eileen claimed the sunset views could cure any trouble. This late, the sunset was long gone, but taking a few minutes to sway back and forth in the large green rockers that lined the back porch, and simply relax among the crickets and stars, made more sense than continuing to toss and turn.

Settled comfortably in the rocker closest to the corner, she already appreciated the light show of stars above her. Aunt Eileen had been right. Even without the setting sun, the stars flickering in the distant sky was as relaxing as any sunny day. Taking a moment to glance around, she noticed a distant light glowed from one of the outbuildings. Curious, she stepped off the porch. She felt thankful she’d fished her rubber soled slippers out from under the bed rather than head to the kitchen barefoot as she might have done otherwise.

Slowly, she made her way down the pebbled path. At the building, the door stood partially open, and the rhythmic sound of sandpaper against wood drifted out. Quinn sat on a work stool, carefully smoothing the arm of a rocking chair.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” she asked softly.

He looked up, not seeming surprised to see her. “It’s for Aunt Eileen’s birthday.”

“It’s beautiful.” She stepped closer, admiring the chair’s graceful lines. “Are you refinishing it?”

He shook his head. “Not this time. She loves antiques. My original plan was to find an old one in a barn somewhere—there’s always old furniture stored in lofts in this part of Texas—but never came across one that seemed right, so…”

“You made this?” She hadn’t meant for her voice to sound so surprised.

“I did.” He nodded. “I’m almost done.

The warm golden wood gleamed in the workshop’s light. “When is her birthday?”

“Not till next month, but I didn’t want to rush.”

Running her hands over the bowed back, she couldn’t help but marvel at his craftsmanship. She already knew he could raise a wall or build a cabinet with the best of them, but this, this was something special. “She’ll love it.”

“Hope so.” He set aside the sandpaper. “What’s keeping you up?”

“Everything. Nothing.” She perched on the edge of his workbench. “The kitchen’s perfect, so far I’m really happy with the people we’ve hired, but…”

“Danny?”

She nodded, surprised and yet somewhat pleased that he seemed to know what was worrying her. “I keep wondering if I’m doing the right thing. The city had become too much for him. He wanted to get away, but is moving us all the way out here just to escape Chicago’s noise and crowds overkill?”

Quinn was quiet for a moment, his hands resting on the chair’s arm. “Well, you know there are no crowds, and not a lot of noise, around here. Sometimes the right thing doesn’t feel right until after you’ve done it.”

The workshop scents of sawdust and furniture polish added to the feeling of comforting peace. “What’s that?” She pushed to her feet and crossed over to a pair of candlestick end tables.

“Those are barnyard finds. Thought it would be fun to restore them.”

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