Page 79 of Roommate's Guide to Love

Simon tries to make baby faces to Grace, but she’s not having it. No cries. No laughter. Just a deadpan stare.

“I know, Gracie. He’s just an odd man, isn’t he?” Quinn takes Grace back and puts her in the highchair.

“That makes zero sense. Babies love me!”

“No, your daughter loves you because she has to,” Charlie says, bringing over our coffees, mine hot, Quinn’s iced. “Now let them have their breakfast. You need to go to work.”

“Fine,” he grumbles, but not before trying to get a smile out of Grace.

He fails. Miserably.

“Oh we’re going to be best friends, little one. Just wait and see.”

“Get out of here!” Quinn yells. “Let me have my breakfast in peace!”

Simon grumbles as he walks out of the diner as I put the shirt back in the box and tuck it next to me.

“Sorry about him,” Charlie says. “What can I get you both?”

“I thought maybe we could split a few things. Also that way we can see what Grace here likes?” I say.

“Oh that sounds good,” Quinn says. “But make?—”

“We’ll take biscuits and gravy. Oh, and just plain biscuits with some jelly and honey on the side.” I begin. “And french toast. Pancakes and waffles, obviously. And throw in some bacon and sausage if you can? Did I get it all?”

Quinn’s eyes are unblinking. “Yeah. That sounds great.”

I hand Charlie the menus, and the smile on her face is knowing and also a little curious.

Damnit, she knows.

“Did you get all your errands ran?” Quinn asks, clearly not seeing Charlie’s wink as she walked away.

“Oh. Yeah. Bank checked off the list. Had a good phone call with the lawyer. There’s apparently a program in Tennessee about being a relative caregiver that Grace and I qualify for. He’s going to set that up for me as we work through everything for me to become her legal guardian.”

“That’s awesome,” Quinn says. “Seems like things are moving in the right direction.”

“They are,” I say, though I can’t help but feel a little sad about that. Because like she said, when I have a handle on things, she’s moving out. I’d never stall that process just to keep her around, but part of me wishes that it wasn’t going so well. “What about you? Any news on the job or teaching front?”

She shakes her head. “No. I did update my resumé just in case. But I have to make a decision soon about going back to Phoenix. My apartment lease is up in a few weeks. I either have to renew, which means I’m looking for a job out there at a different school, or I need to move the rest out.”

“I see.”

I have a million follow-up questions. Most of them around if she doesn’t return to Arizona, would she be staying here, or finding a new place to land? Obviously, I want her to be here, but I know the thought of living in Rolling Hills terrifies her. Though she’s never said why…

“Can I ask you a question you don’t have to answer?”

She chuckles as she hands Grace her sippy cup. “Go for it.”

“Why won’t you live here? In Rolling Hills?”

I watch as Quinn contemplates her answer, but before she can, I feel someone walk up behind me and stop at the edge of my booth.

“Now who is this precious little thing?”

I watch as Quinn’s eyes narrow before I turn to see Emily Babcock standing behind me.

Fuck my life…

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