Crazy for the Boss (Crazy in Love Book 1) by Ashlee Mallory Page B
Authors: Ashlee Mallory
Ads: Link
hit some turbulence that necessitated maintenance on the plane before it can take off again.”
“So why’s he here ?” the man repeated, his gaze mercilessly still on James.
But instead of being intimidated by the man, Quinn shook her head and laughed before hugging him. “Well, I couldn’t very well leave him abandoned on the runway. Besides, the better question should be why am I here, should it not?”
Her dad finally pulled his gaze from James and turned it to his daughter, his eyes softening the slightest bit as he returned her hug.
“Surprise,” Quinn said, finally pulling away. “I thought I’d surprise you both for your anniversary. I hope you don’t have anything planned for tomorrow night, because Sabrina and I were hoping to take you two to dinner.”
“We’re thrilled, absolutely thrilled to have you both,” Quinn’s mother said and smiled at James. “And thank you for getting our daughter here safely. James, in case you didn’t know, this is my husband, Bill, who I’m sure is just as pleased as I am that you’re here.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” James said and offered his hand to the surly man, who grunted but accepted the offer.
“I bet you’re both starved and I was just preparing lunch. Why don’t we all have a seat?” Quinn’s mother said.
“We ate a little on the plane. Mom, you don’t have to go to any more trouble on our account,” Quinn said.
“Then you can at least sit and join us for a cup of coffee. I’d love to hear more about you, James, and how things are working at your new job, Quinn.”
“Hopefully not firing a lot of hardworking employees for the sake of the bottom line,” Quinn’s father said, piercing him again with that stare.
“Yes, well, we generally prefer to retain our hardworking employees,” James said, trying to lighten the mood with humor. But from the glare Quinn’s dad was still sending him, he had missed his mark.
The table was positioned close to the windows with the view of the lake, and he was careful to wait until everyone took a seat to take his own. “You have a lovely place here, Mrs. Taylor.”
“Cindy. I insist,” she said and returned to the kitchen area to grab a couple of coffee mugs that she brought to the table, along with the carafe of coffee. “Bill built this place for us the first year we were married.”
“Well, it’s great. And you can’t beat that view.”
Quinn’s father ignored the compliment. “I’m sure it’s nowhere close to what you’re used to, with your fancy planes and probably fancy homes. But it suits us just fine.”
Quinn and Sabrina shared another look.
“I imagine it does.”
“So, James, tell us a little about yourself,” Quinn’s mother said as she joined them at the table. “Where you’re from, about your family…”
Quinn looked embarrassed. “Mom, James doesn’t want to have to go through all of—”
“I don’t mind,” he said, cutting her off. “Well, I was born in Seattle, but after my parents died when I was three, I moved to San Francisco to live with my grandfather.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. So your grandfather raised you then? You must be close.”
James took the coffee she handed him and did a noncommittal shrug, which Cindy must have taken for affirmation, as she continued. “So you grew up in the Bay Area then. I always wondered what it must be like living in a big, bustling city like that. I’m sure the schools were impressive.”
“Mom was a high school English teacher until last year,” Quinn added, a twinkle of laughter in her dark eyes. “She takes education very seriously.”
“I don’t know a lot about the public school system in California, I’m afraid. When I was ten, I attended boarding school in New Hampshire and later, during high school, in Vermont.”
“You did?” Quinn asked, her eyes a little wider.
He nodded and took a drink of his coffee that was fairly acrid, and he hid his grimace.
“Sounds
“So why’s he here ?” the man repeated, his gaze mercilessly still on James.
But instead of being intimidated by the man, Quinn shook her head and laughed before hugging him. “Well, I couldn’t very well leave him abandoned on the runway. Besides, the better question should be why am I here, should it not?”
Her dad finally pulled his gaze from James and turned it to his daughter, his eyes softening the slightest bit as he returned her hug.
“Surprise,” Quinn said, finally pulling away. “I thought I’d surprise you both for your anniversary. I hope you don’t have anything planned for tomorrow night, because Sabrina and I were hoping to take you two to dinner.”
“We’re thrilled, absolutely thrilled to have you both,” Quinn’s mother said and smiled at James. “And thank you for getting our daughter here safely. James, in case you didn’t know, this is my husband, Bill, who I’m sure is just as pleased as I am that you’re here.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” James said and offered his hand to the surly man, who grunted but accepted the offer.
“I bet you’re both starved and I was just preparing lunch. Why don’t we all have a seat?” Quinn’s mother said.
“We ate a little on the plane. Mom, you don’t have to go to any more trouble on our account,” Quinn said.
“Then you can at least sit and join us for a cup of coffee. I’d love to hear more about you, James, and how things are working at your new job, Quinn.”
“Hopefully not firing a lot of hardworking employees for the sake of the bottom line,” Quinn’s father said, piercing him again with that stare.
“Yes, well, we generally prefer to retain our hardworking employees,” James said, trying to lighten the mood with humor. But from the glare Quinn’s dad was still sending him, he had missed his mark.
The table was positioned close to the windows with the view of the lake, and he was careful to wait until everyone took a seat to take his own. “You have a lovely place here, Mrs. Taylor.”
“Cindy. I insist,” she said and returned to the kitchen area to grab a couple of coffee mugs that she brought to the table, along with the carafe of coffee. “Bill built this place for us the first year we were married.”
“Well, it’s great. And you can’t beat that view.”
Quinn’s father ignored the compliment. “I’m sure it’s nowhere close to what you’re used to, with your fancy planes and probably fancy homes. But it suits us just fine.”
Quinn and Sabrina shared another look.
“I imagine it does.”
“So, James, tell us a little about yourself,” Quinn’s mother said as she joined them at the table. “Where you’re from, about your family…”
Quinn looked embarrassed. “Mom, James doesn’t want to have to go through all of—”
“I don’t mind,” he said, cutting her off. “Well, I was born in Seattle, but after my parents died when I was three, I moved to San Francisco to live with my grandfather.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. So your grandfather raised you then? You must be close.”
James took the coffee she handed him and did a noncommittal shrug, which Cindy must have taken for affirmation, as she continued. “So you grew up in the Bay Area then. I always wondered what it must be like living in a big, bustling city like that. I’m sure the schools were impressive.”
“Mom was a high school English teacher until last year,” Quinn added, a twinkle of laughter in her dark eyes. “She takes education very seriously.”
“I don’t know a lot about the public school system in California, I’m afraid. When I was ten, I attended boarding school in New Hampshire and later, during high school, in Vermont.”
“You did?” Quinn asked, her eyes a little wider.
He nodded and took a drink of his coffee that was fairly acrid, and he hid his grimace.
“Sounds
Similar Books
