her way through the crowd gathered around the barbecue grill to where Honor was arranging the food that Robin passed to her. There were two large platters nearly filled with chicken and burgers.
"I hope you don't mind that your...mother-in-law..invited me to have lunch with you," Quinn said, feeling inexplicably shy. In the hospital, Dr. Quinn Maguire knew instinctively how to interact with Dr. Honor Blake. But this was different.
Honor
was different here; so was she. Outside the ER, Honor seemed unapproachable, remote—as if she didn't want anyone, except Linda and Robin, too close. Quinn was used to maintaining emotional distance, most surgeons were. But all she wanted
now
was to find a way through Honor's invisible shield, to get Honor to look at her with that special smile in her eyes. That longing for connection was new to her, and damn scary.
"Why would I mind?" Honor said without looking up. She was still feeling off balance from the unexpected surge of anger evoked by seeing Quinn with Mandy. She'd almost
been... jealous.
And that was absurd.
"I just didn't want to intrude on your family time." Quinn reached for the full platter of barbecue chicken. "Here, let me help you with that."
In a move that surprised them both, Honor wrapped her fingers around Quinn's forearm, stopping her from moving away. She looked up into Quinn's eyes and smiled. "It's fine. It will be nice. And I'm sure Arly will be thrilled."
"Good, I'm looking forward to it." Quinn's heart beat triple-time, and for once, it was a wholly pleasant experience. "I'll take this up to the table for you."
"Thanks. I think Arly and Phyllis have snagged seats under the tree." Honor's fingers drifted down over the top of Quinn's hand in a light caress. She didn't even realize she'd done it until she felt the faintest of tremors in Quinn's arm and saw the blue of her eyes shade to purple. Honor's voice came out husky and low. "I'll be right there."
"I'll be waiting." Quinn backed up a step, because as long as Honor was touching her, no matter how lightly, she wasn't going to be able to move. "I'll save you a seat."
Honor nodded appreciatively.
You are a charmer, Quinn Maguire.
"I don't care if I sit on the ground. Just save me some food. I'm starving."
"I'll do better than that. I'll fix you a plate." Quinn smiled, slow and easy. "You want a leg...or a breast?"
Startled, Honor's lips quirked and then she laughed out loud.
"Wing."
Quinn laughed, too, glad that her hands were full, because she desperately wanted to run her thumb over the tiny cleft in Honor's chin. She had to force herself to keep walking away. "See you in a minute."
After Quinn delivered the chicken and fixed a plate for Honor, she found Phyllis and Arly seated around a small glass table under a dark green canvas umbrella. They had paper plates piled with food, drinks in plastic cups, and happy smiles.
"Hi, Quinn," Arly said enthusiastically.
Quinn settled in a lawn chair nearby and balanced her plate on her knee. "Hi, Arly. How's it going?"
"Great. I have a shiner."
"I see that," Quinn agreed seriously, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward to take a quick look at the suture line.
No swelling or redness, incision looh clean.
"It's very impressive."
"Yeah, and cool, too."
"Absolutely."
Honor picked up the plate from the chair next to Quinn and sat down. "Thanks for this." She smiled at Arly. "We took a picture this morning for Arly's scrapbook."
Quinn grinned. "Neat."
"That's what I said, too," Arly stated.
"So, Quinn," Phyllis interjected. "Where are you from?"
"You mean, born?" At Phyllis's nod, Quinn said, "Out near Pittsburgh. My father was a steelworker."
"No other doctors in the family, then?"
"Not by a long shot." Quinn shook her head, smiling. "My brothers are both steelworkers, just like my father and his father before him. My mother was a housewife."
"They must be very proud of you."
"I was a...surprise," Quinn said noncommittally, thinking that her parents had
"I hope you don't mind that your...mother-in-law..invited me to have lunch with you," Quinn said, feeling inexplicably shy. In the hospital, Dr. Quinn Maguire knew instinctively how to interact with Dr. Honor Blake. But this was different.
Honor
was different here; so was she. Outside the ER, Honor seemed unapproachable, remote—as if she didn't want anyone, except Linda and Robin, too close. Quinn was used to maintaining emotional distance, most surgeons were. But all she wanted
now
was to find a way through Honor's invisible shield, to get Honor to look at her with that special smile in her eyes. That longing for connection was new to her, and damn scary.
"Why would I mind?" Honor said without looking up. She was still feeling off balance from the unexpected surge of anger evoked by seeing Quinn with Mandy. She'd almost
been... jealous.
And that was absurd.
"I just didn't want to intrude on your family time." Quinn reached for the full platter of barbecue chicken. "Here, let me help you with that."
In a move that surprised them both, Honor wrapped her fingers around Quinn's forearm, stopping her from moving away. She looked up into Quinn's eyes and smiled. "It's fine. It will be nice. And I'm sure Arly will be thrilled."
"Good, I'm looking forward to it." Quinn's heart beat triple-time, and for once, it was a wholly pleasant experience. "I'll take this up to the table for you."
"Thanks. I think Arly and Phyllis have snagged seats under the tree." Honor's fingers drifted down over the top of Quinn's hand in a light caress. She didn't even realize she'd done it until she felt the faintest of tremors in Quinn's arm and saw the blue of her eyes shade to purple. Honor's voice came out husky and low. "I'll be right there."
"I'll be waiting." Quinn backed up a step, because as long as Honor was touching her, no matter how lightly, she wasn't going to be able to move. "I'll save you a seat."
Honor nodded appreciatively.
You are a charmer, Quinn Maguire.
"I don't care if I sit on the ground. Just save me some food. I'm starving."
"I'll do better than that. I'll fix you a plate." Quinn smiled, slow and easy. "You want a leg...or a breast?"
Startled, Honor's lips quirked and then she laughed out loud.
"Wing."
Quinn laughed, too, glad that her hands were full, because she desperately wanted to run her thumb over the tiny cleft in Honor's chin. She had to force herself to keep walking away. "See you in a minute."
After Quinn delivered the chicken and fixed a plate for Honor, she found Phyllis and Arly seated around a small glass table under a dark green canvas umbrella. They had paper plates piled with food, drinks in plastic cups, and happy smiles.
"Hi, Quinn," Arly said enthusiastically.
Quinn settled in a lawn chair nearby and balanced her plate on her knee. "Hi, Arly. How's it going?"
"Great. I have a shiner."
"I see that," Quinn agreed seriously, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward to take a quick look at the suture line.
No swelling or redness, incision looh clean.
"It's very impressive."
"Yeah, and cool, too."
"Absolutely."
Honor picked up the plate from the chair next to Quinn and sat down. "Thanks for this." She smiled at Arly. "We took a picture this morning for Arly's scrapbook."
Quinn grinned. "Neat."
"That's what I said, too," Arly stated.
"So, Quinn," Phyllis interjected. "Where are you from?"
"You mean, born?" At Phyllis's nod, Quinn said, "Out near Pittsburgh. My father was a steelworker."
"No other doctors in the family, then?"
"Not by a long shot." Quinn shook her head, smiling. "My brothers are both steelworkers, just like my father and his father before him. My mother was a housewife."
"They must be very proud of you."
"I was a...surprise," Quinn said noncommittally, thinking that her parents had
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