Page 17 of Home Coming

The siblings were in the kitchen. Quinn was drinking a cup of coffee with a crumb-filled plate in front of him.

Josie was sipping on a cup of tea with half a cinnamon-bun on her plate as she frowned at her brother and said, “Youhaveto go.”

He laughed. “Do I?”

With a huff, Josie looked up at Bailey. “Jane. Tell him!”

Hearing Josie call her by the name she’d abandoned almost ten years ago—the name her mom still called her by on the infrequent times that they talked—was like nails on a chalkboard.

Meanwhile, Quinn pointedly had not looked at her. She’d noticed that specifically. It was hard not to.

“Tell him what?” she asked, heading for the counter.

She eyed the cinnamon rolls sadly. She’d sneak out later and eat one in private, if there were any left. But not now.

Keenly aware of Quinn in the room, she reached instead for the tea kettle, still steaming on the burner.

“That he has to come to the reunion tonight,” Josie answered.

Turning with a teabag in her hand, she shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I even want to go.”

“See?” Quinn said pointedly to his sister.

His siding with her warmed her insides more than the hot tea she’d just poured would.

Josie spun back to Bailey. “But youarestill going, right?”

“Yes. I told you I would.” A promise was a promise. Even if the event would be painful.

Cradling the mug, Bailey moved to the table. The farther she was from the temptation of the cinnamon buns, the better.

They were her weakness. More, they were her go-to comfort food. And since finding an intruder in her home and her boyfriend’s dick inside another woman she needed some comfort.

“So you’re not excited about tonight like this one over here?” Quinn being solely focused on her as he hooked a thumb at his sister had her hands trembling.

She was too flustered to say much but she managed, “You have no idea.”

He sniffed. “I might.”

“Quinn, it’s just stupid to not go since you’re here for it. You’reneverhere,” Josie reiterated while glaring at her brother.

Bailey found herself as invested in Quinn going to the dreaded high school reunion as Josie was. Going out to a bar with Quinn, even in a group for something that was by no means even close to a date, was a teenage dream come true.

And there was something to be said for the old adage that misery loved company. It seemed he was as unenthusiastic about going as she was.

Whyhe was reluctant, she didn’t understand.

She knew her own reasons. Her millions of followers and five-figure sponsorship deals didn’t matter half as much to her classmates or her self esteem as her current dress size and her past embarrassments.

But what was Quinn’s reason?

He was a Navy SEAL for God’s sake, and still as good looking as he’d been in high school. Maybe better looking. No thinning hair. No beer belly. More muscles. More sexy chin stubble…

Playing it cool, or attempting to, Bailey lifted one shoulder. “I mean since you are here, it seems silly not to stop by for an hour.”

“Yes!” Josie slapped a palm against the table, sending the crumbs on Quinn’s plate jumping. “That’s what I’m saying. And it’s not like you need a ticket or something. It’s at the Muddy River Inn where you know you’re going to end up a dozen times before you fly back anyway. Just come. Have a beer then you can leave.”

Drawing in a breath, Quinn let it out as he leveled a stare on his sister. “Fine. I’ll go. But we’re taking two cars. I’m not getting stuck staying there because you’re not ready to leave—but shit. No. Then you’ll be driving your car home after drinking—”

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