Quinn had been such a wonderful surprise her first two days on the island. At least, until his ignoring her for his phone call had cut her right where it hurt. But then he'd surprised her over and over, not only with countless heartfelt apologies...but also by freely giving his extremely limited time to her again and again. And by sharing himself with her, not just his kisses and the sweetest pleasure she'd ever known, but his feelings, too.
You're the first person, the only person, who has not only obliterated thoughts of work, Shelley...but also made my heart pound like this.
As his words from this morning resonated in her head and she looked down at his note, it felt to her that their connection had touched Quinn as deeply as it had taken root in her. And as she thought through her emotions, she was aware of the faith she had in him, faith like she'd had with only two other people in her entire life--Aunt Marla and Taryn. But this felt even stronger.
Because the truth that she could no longer deny--a truth that she no longer felt like she needed to deny for any reason, not out of wariness or to try to keep her heart safe--was that Quinn was the piece of herself she never knew was missing, too. When she was with him, she knew he accepted her for who she was, quirks and all.
Plus, she thought as she lifted her fingertips to her lips, his kisses were utterly addicting. Heck, every inch of him was addicting, with everything bursting into brilliant color every time he touched her.
"Hello? Earth to Shelley."
"Oh, sorry, Taryn. Quinn left me a note. He said he came by to give me the number for the Realtor handling the cottage I want to rent." And for a kiss. One she also couldn't wait to have.
Tonight couldn't come soon enough. Especially since this time she had no intention of ending the night early.
"I know I told you just to go out and have fun this week," Taryn said, "but Quinn is becoming more to you than just an island fling, isn't he?"
Shelley didn't so much as pause before telling her cousin exactly what was in her heart. "Much more, T. So much more."
Chapter Seventeen
QUINN IGNORED THE first knock on his suite door that afternoon. He should have had his feedback on the contracts for the merger in Rich's hands yesterday. Taking time to meet with his family and then meeting Shelley for fireworks at the cove would mean that he'd have to work through the night to get the information to his business partner by the morning.
Though he knew getting his work done was important, he'd missed spending the afternoon with Shelley and bantering with his siblings, even if it was only for a few minutes here and there. He realized that he might have even missed seeing his grandfather for a few minutes, strange as that was to admit to himself. The old man wasn't exactly warm or loving, but as cold as Chandler was, he'd always been a stable force in the Rockwell family. Quinn couldn't actually remember his grandfather ever not being there. He may have been standing stoic-faced in the background, but he was there for Quinn's graduations, for his boating races, for every meaningful event when he was growing up.
Winning races and graduating with high honors were expected by his grandfather, and Quinn respected his expectations. It had fueled Quinn to work harder, as he'd always prided himself on becoming more successful than Chandler, no matter what the cost.
But being back on the island and spending time with Shelley had him wondering more and more why he felt so compelled to surpass his grandfather.
Whose praise was he trying to win?
And what had he given up to do it?
Because he sure as hell didn't need Chandler to praise him. At least not anymore.
When another knock sounded on his door, he finally got up to pull it open.
Trent took in Quinn's open, wrinkled dress shirt. "You taking a nap?"
"Yeah, right." He walked back into the room, leaving Trent to follow. "I've got a ton of work to get through before meeting Shelley tonight."
"You'll have to do it later. We need to head over to Sierra's for the five o'clock meeting. And speaking of our sister's restaurant," Trent added as Quinn mumbled a curse while gathering his papers and stacking them on the table, "I saw your girlfriend there earlier today."
For a moment Quinn was taken by surprise that his brother would jump to girlfriend so quickly. But then he grinned. "I'm a seriously lucky bastard, aren't I? My girlfriend is gorgeous, fun, and intelligent. And for some reason, she actually likes being with me."
"She seems great," Trent said. "Really great."
But Quinn could see there was something more his brother wanted to say to him. "Spit it out."
"Look," Trent finally said, "as long as I've known you, you don't have fun with women. You relieve stress, then go back to work. We all do, except Sierra--at least that I know of."
Quinn gave him a sideways look. Sierra would always be their little sister, no matter how old she got or how strong she was, and he didn't want to imagine her handling relationships in the same way that he and his brothers often did. Quinn grabbed his room card and shoved it in his pocket, then pulled the door open.
"And your point is?"
"We've all got a ton on our plates right now, and despite all that, when you're at your busiest, Shelley's gotten to you. But if you're not careful..." Trent shook his head. "All I'm saying is don't make the same mistakes I did. I put my career first with Reese, but it turns out that legal briefs are pretty cold company when they're all you have left. I know you guys are still in the early stages of a relationship, but sometimes when it's right--" His brother ran a hand over his face, looking terribly uncomfortable. "Hell, you know what I'm trying to say, right?"
Quinn nodded and said, "Sure," and then mulled over his brother's comments all the way to Sierra's restaurant.
He hadn't wanted to lead Shelley on by promising her something he wasn't capable of giving, because if there was one thing he had always thought he knew about himself, it was that work came first. Except...it hadn't for the last few days. What's more, the thought of working all the time didn't seem appealing anymore. Not when he was suddenly seeing, and remembering, all the things he was missing out on by spending hour after hour, day after day, locked up in his office.
And not when every second he and Shelley spent together was bringing her deeper into his heart.
No, he definitely wasn't leading her on. His intentions were clear--in his mind, and in his heart. Now he just needed to figure out a way to make the pieces of his life fit together while keeping Shelley as his top priority.
On one hand, that was an easy task, because she was the one person who was always on his mind.
On the other hand, he instinctively knew that promising and wanting to make changes--and really making those changes--were two very different things.
But Quinn knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was up for the challenge.
At the Hideaway, Quinn sank into the chair beside his mother and kissed her cheek. "Hey, Mom. I haven't seen you much. How's your week been?"
"Good," Abby said with a smile as she touched his cheek. "Full of family, friends, and glassblowing, so I'm perfectly happy." Their mother had always enjoyed working with glass. She'd had a studio built on their property, and she sold the vases, bowls, and other items she made at the resort gift shop as well as at several galleries in town.
"How about you, honey?" his mother asked. "You're working so hard, and you look tired. I was hoping that since you had to be back on the island, it might give you an excuse to take some time off."
His mother never made Quinn or his siblings feel guilty when they didn't make it home for months at a time. She was simply grateful for the time they did have together. Shelley reminded him of his mother in that way. She wasn't demanding of his time, and she took nothing for granted. Even her bucket list was filled with sentimental wishes, not grandiose endeavors.
"I've taken time off while I've been here," he assured her.
"Do you mean the afternoon you left with Shelley?"
"We went clamming."
; "Clamming? Really?"
Quinn smiled at the surprise in his mother's voice and the way she was now looking at him with a new light in her eyes.
"Why, Quinn...are you smitten?"
For a moment he was surprised by his mother's question, in the same way he'd been initially surprised when Trent had called Shelley his girlfriend. But just as he had in the hotel suite with his brother, Quinn found himself enjoying the declaration.
Because if being smitten meant coming completely alive from the inside out every time he thought of Shelley--and definitely every time he touched her--then it was right on the money.
"We're planning a family dinner on Wednesday," his mother said, her grin now matching his. "Why don't you bring Shelley with you?"
Griffin leaned in closer to Abby. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but is it okay if we get started?"
"Of course." Griffin stole a quick kiss, then settled back into his chair and addressed his children.
"You kids know your mother and I are proud of you, but we want to tell you again how much it means to us that you've come together for the good of the residents of Rockwell Island." Griffin smiled at Abby, who had settled her hand over his. "Someone raised you right, and I give that credit to your mother."
"Please, Griff. Let's not get all sappy. We both raised them right, but even we can't take credit." Her warm gaze met each of theirs. "We might have provided the foundation, but each of you kids made yourselves who you are. Life is full of choices and opportunities, and we're proud of the choices you've made for yourselves."
She turned her gaze to Quinn and said, "And you'll have many more choices to make. Some imminent, some in the distant future. But as long as you always make them with your heart as much as your head, I know you'll always make the right ones."
"We'd never turn our back on the island, Mom," Sierra said. "How could we? It raised us as much as you guys did."
Boy, wasn't that the truth? From the cove being Quinn's place to unload and work through his teenage angst, to learning patience by sailing, clamming, and troubleshooting his way through fixing boats. They learned about community by assisting residents in securing their vessels before storms and fixing them afterward. After the hurricane a few years back, when some residents suffered tremendous damage to their homes, the community came together to help, opening their homes and making meals for those in need. Even Chandler had opened a wing of the resort to be used as shelter for those who had lost their homes and offered free meals at the resort's restaurant. Quinn knew Shelley would have also pitched in any way she could have if she'd lived on the island back then.
"Do you agree, Quinn?" Trent asked.
Damn, he hadn't even heard the question. "Sorry, I lost the thread for a second there."
"We're talking about positions," Ethan repeated for him. "Dad should be named as president of the resort, don't you agree?"
"Without a doubt."
Of course their father deserved the highest position at the resort. In Quinn's opinion, no better man had ever walked the earth. Griffin had taught them how to sail, how to play baseball. He'd taught Quinn how to rebuild a boat's engine alongside the deckhands. He'd given him the courage to ask out his first date and laughed with him after his prom. You did good, son. You got your first taste of what it's like to let a woman lead you around by the nose. Quinn smiled at the memory. His father hadn't meant it in a demeaning way. His love for Abby was evident in everything he did. It was in the way he looked at her, the way he touched her every time he passed, and when he spoke of her, adoration laced every word. He was a good man, and Quinn was proud to have been raised by him.
"As far as the other duties," Trent said, "I've been going over the current infrastructure. Chandler has directors in each division, but it doesn't appear that he's ever given them full authority. It seems like he's always had his hands in the negotiations in every department. Am I reading this information incorrectly, Dad? I reviewed the contracts from suppliers and the files. It seems he's still overseeing everything but not doing such a good job of it lately."
"As you all know, your grandfather can be quite controlling." Their father paused as they all chuckled at that understatement. "He's a shrewd negotiator, and since he lives and breathes the resort, he'd never let anything slip. But this last year, as his health worsened, so did his ability to keep up."
"Then it's time we get control of things before they start falling apart," Ethan said. "I think each of us should head up a division. Sierra and I know the staff better than everyone except Dad, so I think it makes sense to make Sierra the VP of the Restaurant and Food Service division, and I should oversee the Employee Relations and HR. Trent, obviously you should be VP of all things legal, and, Derek, you're a wiz at business and finance, so it makes sense for you to oversee those departments. And, Quinn, you're a master at corporate management and fleet."
"Does everyone agree?" Trent looked for confirmation from the others.
"It makes sense, but don't forget I'm out of here in a year," Derek reminded them.
"God, Derek," Sierra snapped. "We all know how you feel about staying here. You're giving us a year--we get it."
"Unless Didi gets to him first," Ethan said under his breath.
"She's with Chandler every single minute of every day," Derek scoffed. "You think I have a death wish?"
"What's next?" Quinn said to get them back on track since he still had a boatload of work to do before going to see Shelley tonight.
"I'll work up the corporate docs over the next few days," Trent said. "But we all still need to address the three of us going back and preparing our other businesses for our stay on the island." Trent directed this part of the conversation to Derek and Quinn, as the only others who had a business off the island to maintain.
Quinn knew that his siblings trusted them to take care of their end of the bargain, as he intended to, but he also knew it would be an uphill battle to make both businesses work without hiring someone to manage some of his responsibilities for his own business. "I'll deal with it," he assured them. Somehow, some way, he'd figure out how to make everything fit in his life. RBE, the resort, and most important, Shelley.
"Besides, it's not like he'll stay in Maryland for good," Sierra said with a little smile playing on her lips. "He'll want to come back to see Shelley now that she's decided to move her business to the island. Right, Quinn?" Before he could answer, she added, "I saw Brandi today and she said she met Shelley, too, and she loved her. I mean, how can you not? She's so easy to talk to, so smart and full of energy, and excited about moving to the island. I also heard that you picked up chocolate croissants very early this morning."
Quinn knew that his behavior had been completely different from the way it had been since he'd left for college, so he wasn't surprised that people noticed. He was, however, more than a little surprised by how much he liked the way he'd been spending his time, not working twenty-four-seven, but clamming and sailing and watching sunrises and kissing Shelley.
He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek, then stood up. "If we're done here for now, I've got to take care of a few things before heading out to the fireworks tonight." Knowing there was no point in trying to hide anything from his family--and not seeing any reason that he would want to anyway when it came to Shelley--he lifted his brows to all of his siblings' curious gazes and added, "With Shelley."
The last thing he saw before walking away were his mother's and sister's huge smiles.
Chapter Eighteen
QUINN SPENT THE next several hours in his suite with his nose buried in a thick document, trying to concentrate on the impending merger. But every time he started working through their strategy, the meeting with his family came rushing back.
How was he going to fulfill both commitments? He needed to be on the island to run the resort. If that hadn't been made clear enough by his grandfather, it certainly had been pounded home by his siblings, and he had no intention of letting them down. He didn't want to let Rich and the c
ompany they'd worked so hard to build together down, either.
And then there was Shelley...and the fact that every time Quinn thought of her, he not only heated up a good dozen degrees, but his heart also did this flippy thing in his chest.
Smitten.
He looked out the balcony door into the darkness. When had the sun gone down? Yet again, he hadn't even noticed it setting. He'd bet Shelley had not only noticed, but she'd watched the sunset and delighted in its beauty.
She had a successful business, and yet she was somehow able to push all the administrative stuff that went along with running it out of her head enough to enjoy a week's vacation. Whereas Quinn hadn't done that. Ever.
The alarm on his phone reminding him it was time to head down to the cove for his date with Shelley went off a second before his phone rang. Rich.
As soon as Quinn picked up, his business partner immediately launched into a laundry list of potential issues with the merger. By the time Rich finally paused for breath, Quinn glanced up at the clock on the wall and his stomach sank. It was five after nine.
Damn it. He was blowing it again!
"Rich, I've got to go."
He hung up before Rich could respond. Quinn wanted so badly to earn Shelley's trust, and on the boat last night she'd opened herself to him even after he'd hurt her. He shouldn't have taken Rich's call, or he should have at least paid more attention to the time.
He took the stairs two at a time, then ran out of the resort and through throngs of people waiting to watch the fireworks.
"Hey, Quinn."
He turned at the sound of Ethan's voice and spotted him standing with Derek and Sierra, with Chugger leashed at his side. Chugger whined to be set free the second he saw Quinn. Quinn reached down and loved up the pup for half a second.
"Can't talk. I'm late to meet Shelley."
Quinn spun on his heels and sprinted toward the beach. He checked his watch again--ten after. He sped up his pace, pushing himself to beat the start of the fireworks. Each step kicked up sand in all directions as he rounded the boulders and entered the secluded cove beach.