Loving Quinn Novel by North Rose

(Annora)

After dropping Grace off at school, I head back to my house to let the contractors in to start their work in my upstairs bathroom. My brother Max will be at the house later this morning to monitor the work. He is staying with our parents for a few days while he is in town to talk to a divorce attorney.

I sent Lorelai his number so she can represent him. She is the best aftorney on the west coast. It is still hard to believe what Max told me about Leita. While Max was working long hours at his construction business, his wife was spending her days off with another man. This other man is Max’s best friend. Well, ex-best friend now,

When he found out about their affair, Leita told him it wasn’t what he thought. She adamantly denied that there was anything going on other than friendship. Max believed her at first. For the sake of their unborn child, he believed his wife.

That was until he came home early one afternoon to surprise her. He planned to take her out on a lunch date to her favorite restaurant. He expected to find her working in the nursery, What he found instead was his six months pregnant wife vigorously riding his best friend’s **k.

There was an ugly scene, but in the end, my brother packed his clothes and left. After he told me all this, I was so angry with him. We all

treated Leita like family. I even looked at her like the sister I never had. Her actions shattered my older brother’s heart.

When he went back to New York after I ran into him at our parents house recently, Leita tried to tell him it was a mistake. She tried to beg for his forgiveness. However, when Max spoke with his best friend, the full truth came out. They had been having an affair for three months. So Max did what he thought was best for everyone.

He left.

I urged him to have a paternity test done once the baby is born. He agreed with me. I offered him the spare room at my house since I know him staying with our parents won’t last long. He laughed when he realized I was right to offer.

Once I let the workers in, I take my briefcase out onto the back patio to go over some patient files. I have three consultations today and one surgery later this afternoon. After that, my schedule is clear. The grocery store will be my first stop.

Quinn was right when he said there wasn’t much to eat in his kitchen. I don’t go tonight, we will eat takeout all week. What will it be like to cook a meal in his kitchen for us to sit down and eat as a family! I absolutely love the idea of coming home to Quinn and Grace every night for the rest of my life.

Right now, it would be too soon to live together. Even though I can see us doing so in the future. I can’t seem to stay away from him for too long. After all the time we spent apart, I can’t really say I am surprised. He is like a whirlpool in the ocean that I can’t escape. I wouldn’t try, but I would go happily into the swirling water.

“Hey, Annie.”

Max’s voice makes me look up from my patient file to look behind me. His auburn hair is a shade darker than mine and is currently messy. Almost like he has been dragging his fingers through it in frustration. It is a habit all my bothers picked up from our father.

“You look tired Max.”

“Stress will do that to a person.”

“Sit with me for a few minutes before I have to go to the hospital. Tell my what Lorelai told you.”

Max sits across from me on the second lounge chair on my patio. He puts his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. A sigh of frustration leaves him a moment later. This isn’t a good sign. Max is normally upbeat. Leita’s betrayal has changed him.

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“I had her draw up the divorce papers. She asked me if I wanted to have them expressed delivered or if I wanted to give them to Leita in person. Annie, I don’t know what to do there. If I go back to New York, may cave and forgive her.”

I close my file, put it in my briefcase, then give Max my full attention.

“Leita has been a part of your life since your freshman year in college. She is a part of you. I know you love her and your baby.”

“If it is my baby.”

“Do you think Jake lied, and that they were together for longer than he said?”

Max looks up at me with raw pain in his eyes. As tears slip down his cheeks, I know he believes they were. If the child he loves so deeply turns out to be Jake’s, I will hate Leita for doing this to my brother.

“Distract me, Annie. Tell me what is happening with you, Grace, and Quinn.”

Max has never met Quinn, but he listened to me talk about him many times. An idea pops into my head. While Max is in town, it will be the perfect time to introduce him to Quinn.

“Would you like to come to dinner with us tonight? Grace and I are staying with him while the work here is being done, I would love for

you to meet him.”

Max looks surprised. “Are you two a couple now? I thought after what happened when you told him about Grace, you were going to keep it on a friendship basis for Grace’s sake. What happened?”

I can feel my face heat up when I remember the events that have happened since I spoke to my brother last. So much has happened between Quinn and me in the last ten days that it is hard to describe it. It was so much more than mind-blowing sex.

“Quinn was there for me during the custody case with Kyle. He did everything that Lorelai asked of him. From the DNA test to the statement from his commanding officer. Then he was there the day we went to court.”

“Did he do that all for r you or just for Grace?”

“Oh, Max, he is so good with her, I have seen that over the last six months when he drops her off on Sundays. Last night was different. I got to see their routine when she stays at his place. He is so patient with her.”

Annie, that is for Grace. What part of all that was for you?”

“Do you remember when I told you I gave him a St. Michael’s medal before he had to go to bootcamp?”

Max nods his head.

“Last night, he showed me something that made me cry. C

name. He said it was his way of keeping me with him.”

On his left arm he has the medal as a tattoo, but at the baga is a tiger lily and my

The sad look returns to his face, and I feel bad for the reason it is there I am finding my second chance at love while my brother’s life is going up in flames. I am a horrible sister.

am sorry, Moy.”

“Don’t be. I asked, I am happy for you, Annie. What time is dinner and where will it be?”

I grab a notepad and write Quinn’s address. “How does spaghetti sound

“With that garlic bread you make?

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“Yes,”

“It sounds perfect.”

“Then show up around seven tonight.”

Max takes the paper I tore out of the noted, then stands up when I do. He wraps me in a hear hug gather my purse, briefcase and car keys, then walk to the gate at the side of th

a bear bug and then walks back

ck into the house 1

When I get to my car, I send a text message to Q**m telling him wo will have a guest for dinner. He doesn’t respond, so I make a note to check my phone when I get to the hospital. I am suddenly nervous alxit Max meeting Quinn for the first time.

Out of all my brothers, Max is the one whose opinion means the ment to me. As the oldest, Max would often be the babysitter on nights both our parents were out for charity events. He was also the one who encouraged me to follow my dreams,

Not the dreams our father had for me, but the ones I had for myself. If our father had his way, I would have become a cardiothoracic surgeon like him. I wanted to work to save the lives of children. So, I listened to my older brother and followed my dreams.

When I was eighteen, I found something else to dream about. Quinn Greyson became just that at the end of the summer. A dream of the future. Since that dream is becoming a reality, I want Max to meet him. I know that there isn’t really anything that I should be nervous about

I just can’t seem to help it.

With a sigh, I get out of my car after pulling into my designated spot in the employee parking lot. After grabbing my belongings, I head inside. Even though I was told about the new security guard at the executive elevator, seeing him standing there startled me.

After he scanned my hospital credentials, I headed up to my office to grab my lab coat and stethoscope. Shawna is waiting for me when I walk out of my office. The look on her face is one she often has that says she heard some juicy gossip and needs to tell me.

“What is the news today, Show?”

“Where are you headed?”

“Down to my practice. I have some consults this morning, then a surgery later this afternoon.”

“I’ll walk with you.”

We head back to the elevator to go down to the pediatric ward where my private practice has a suite.

told you she left to get married. I could have sworn her fiancé came to the

“So, remember when you were telling me about Dr. Masters? I tol hospital once.”

Now she has my full attention. I turn to look at her as we get on the elevator. She is practically dancing as the waits for me to ask her the question that will prompt her to tell me the next part.

“So, did he or didn’t he come here to see her?”

“No, but we have met him before. It was at that big charity ball for the cardiology department the year she came on staff.”

I frown as I try to remember what charity event she is talking about, “That was the year Mr. Davidson tripped and knocked the punch bowl over

“Yes. So, picture this man in your mind. Tall, athletic build, jet-black hair, and steel-grey eyes.”

A face pops into my mind, and I frown because I remember him. I just don’t remember his name. The only reason I remember him is

3/5

because he

was yelling at Dionne for something. Her back was to me, sql couldn’t hear her responses well.

“That man was her fiance?”

“Yes. His name is Ethan McAllister of McAll

McAllister Industries. He and his twin brother co-own it”

“Automotive industry. I remember reading about them in the papeCopyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

paper recently. They are rehabbing an old factory not that far from here. They will create new jobs for the area. Even if we don’t really need a factory in that area.”

*They are based here in California now affer moving their headquarters from New York.”

Something about that sparks a memory in my mind about how Quinn said he and Aaron moved here from New York recently, too. I wonder if Quinn has met Dionne’s husband before. Wait, if Dionne and Ithan are still married, or ever got married at all, why is she after Quinn?

The thought that she is a married woman and shamelessly coming after a man who wants nothing to do with her makes me sick. I know that not all marriages are happy ones. If Ethan is anything like Kyle, I can understand, but why not just get divorced and find someone

Someone other than the one man she can’t have. Is it the thrill of the chase that she enjoys? Does she not have any pride or self respect? If she did, then she would have left Quinn’s penthouse when she saw me there. She wouldn’t have tried to plant seeds of doubt in my mind to break us up.

“I felt sorry for her that night.”

“Well, she is a patient here.”

My head snaps hack to Shawna. “How do you know that?”

“I was filling in for Maddison down in the physical therapy rooms. Dionne was there for an injury to her arm. I had to help her with her stretches. That woman is a piece of work. She treated me like I was beneath her just because I am a nurse.”

“I think you have described that woman accurately.”

The elevator doors open, and we step out onto the floor of the pediatric department. I take a step to walk toward my practice, bu hawna grabs my arm. When I turn to look at her, I notice there is a guard on the executive elevator on this floor as well. She nudges her head to Indicate the guard.

“What is with the security on all floors stationed at the executive elevator?”

I motion for her to walk with me away

way from the elevator. When we her. Quinn really is taking this Dionne situation seriously.

were almost to my door, I stop then look at the guard, then back to

“Quinn hired guards to keep her from rea

her from reaching his office or any other doctor’s office in the hospital. Mine included. His partner wanted to just ban her from the hospital, but since she is a patient here, that would look bad for them.”

I have told Shawna everything that has happened since the Saturday morning when Dionne showed up at Quinn’s penthouse. We talked about it over lunch in my office yesterday. I am not sure who was angrier about Dionne’s action, Shawna or me.

“I still can’t believe she tried to get you to doubt yourself and Quinn’s love for you.”

“I can. Had you been there and seen the way she was devouring him with her eyes, you would know she is capable of anything

Shawna leans in to give me a hug, then walks off to go back to her duties. I take a deep breath to shake off all thoughts of that vile woman. Then I open the door and go about my business. There are two sick kids that need my help.