Page 153 of When Wrecked Meets Ruined
He was Jesse’s cousin and Fable’s uncle, so I guess I’d see him around. I fled the convenience store and laughed when I saw his old pickup truck parked in front. The same one he drove in high school.
I loved that about him. He hadn’t let all the fame and fortune go to his head. He was still Ridge.
CHAPTERFIFTY-SEVEN
Evie
“Again, Daddy!”Fable shrieked.
Fable McCallister looked like a cherub with blonde curls and peachy skin. She was the perfect mix of both her parents. A little daredevil, strong-willed and tenacious, with the sweetest smile you’d ever want to see.
Jesse pulled her into his arms and tossed her into the air. She hit the water with a splash, and when her head bobbed to the surface, she was laughing. A full-blown belly laugh that put a smile on our faces.
“She could play this game all day long and never get tired of it,” Quinn said from the lounger next to mine. We were chilling out poolside while Jesse did the heavy lifting. “Too bad Jesse’s arms are about to give out.” She laughed when he aimed a scowl at her.
“More, Daddy!” Fable commanded, and Jesse did as she asked because Fable was his little princess, and whatever she wanted, she got. Who could ever say no to that sweet little face?
“Remember when we taught Wren to swim?” Quinn asked with a little smile.
“Yep. She was the same age as Fable.” It was hard to believe that Wren had ever been this small or that once upon a time, I’d tried to do the job of two parents when I was only a kid myself. It felt like another lifetime ago.
“Do you know what your next book is about yet?” I asked Quinn, slathering more sunscreen on my face. She’d just submitted a book to her editor, so she had some time to chill out and relax before she started the next one.
Jesse chimed in before Quinn could answer, “A sexy motocross racer falls in love with his best friend’s little sister. Spoiler alert: They get married, travel the world, have the most beautiful baby in the world, and live happily ever after. The end.”
Quinn laughed. “I already wrote that book.”
“It deserves a sequel.”
“He gets jealous when I fall in love with my fictional heroes,” Quinn confided.
“How often does that happen?” I knew nothing about writing books, but I did know that Quinn disappeared into another world when she was writing.
“Every single book,” she said with a laugh.
“You’d better not fall in love with that football player, or we’ll have a problem,” Jesse grumbled.
My gaze snapped to Quinn. “A football player?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. We’ll see. I still can’t believe Ridge was the first person you saw when you got to town. It’s a sign. The universe is trying to tell you something.”
“It’s trying to tell me to move on. Which is exactly what I’ve been doing.”
Her brows arched. “Is it?”
“I was with Ben for two years.”
“But you didn’t want to marry him,” she pointed out.
Just then, the doorbell rang. A slow smile spread across Quinn’s face as she hopped off her chair and went to answer.
“Speak of the devil,” Jesse said, pulling Fable around the pool on an inflatable lobster.
“Ridge is here?” I asked Quinn as she crossed the patio.
“He uses our pool,” she called over her shoulder. “His isn’t ready yet.”
Jesse snorted. “I don’t think he’s here for the pool.”
