some sun. Nice. You’re looking pink. Tanned, too. It was a good thing for you to spend your summer in Lake Geneva.”
Jake looked at him closer. “I’ll be damned. You aren’t pink.” He motioned for Suze to stand beside him. “Look at him.”
Quinn felt like a micro-specimen under the scrutiny of his brother and sister-in-law. “Cut it out. What are you two talking about?”
“Did you find time to fool around?” Suze said. “You look like you got lucky while fixing the family mansion. Is your latest conquest a fresh-faced country girl?”
Quinn liked his brother, for the most part. But he and Suze constantly butted their heads into his love life. It wearied him and bugged the crap out of him. He wanted to go home, shower, and get back to Sadie. He didn’t want to answer his brother or sister-in-law’s questions.
He cooled down fast, rather than let them know about Sadie. He wanted to keep her under wraps. Once he told them about her, he wouldn’t get out of the office until he answered their questions. They could keep him trapped in the Wrigley building until midnight.
“Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. The sunshine in Lake Geneva was brutal. Can we go over the latest trust numbers? I want to make sure I can follow through with buying the diner in Lake Geneva. And get back to my other deal, acquiring BBRD Antiquities. The shop needs a once over before I move mother’s unwanted antiques from Lake Geneva into storage.”
“Kate’s flying in on Saturday before the museum gala.”
“Why?” Quinn went over to the wet bar and poured a tumbler full of mineral water.
“I am due in two weeks, so my best friend is leaving her new English hubby to be with me.” Suze gave Jake a steely glare. “God knows my husband will be of no use in labor and delivery. I’ll be happy if he doesn’t pass out in the waiting room. Kate has to be at the hospital with me. Your one-time business manager and previous owner of BBRD is tougher than the two of you boys.”
Quinn punched Jake in the shoulder. “He’s sort of a hard-ass. So what if he’s afraid of the sight of blood.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Jake said, rubbing his shoulder. “Kate wants to come back to sign the sale of BBRD over to you in person. Since she sold you her shop, she wants to make sure it gets passed on to you.”
Quinn laughed. “Right. She’s having a hard time letting it go, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, but Derek won’t let his new wife go back on a deal. BBRD belongs to you in every way but on paper. So when she comes this weekend, we’ll make a ceremony of it. The four of us. Dinner at Charlie Trotters?”
Quinn guzzled down his water. “I’ll let you know. I have to confirm my schedule when I get home.”
Suze gave Jake a sideways glance. “Check your schedule? I was right. There is a woman. Who is she this time? Is she a one weekender or a two weekender?”
Quinn dropped the crystal glass down on the silver platter. It crashed against the decanter. “Let’s go over the Wrigley donation to the Field Museum. I have to get going.”
Color crept up his sister-in-law’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Quinn. You usually share your latest babe story.”
“There isn’t any story to tell.” Quinn said.
Chapter Thirteen
Sadie retrieved her storage boxes out of the closet and reconstructed her bedroom. She carefully placed every picture and tchotchke on her walls and dresser. She dragged out her framed prints of Frank Lloyd Wright designs and hung them to cover the bare subterranean wall. She unpeeled the tissue from the crystal frame with her most precious picture. The photo was taken at Ms. Katie’s. She’d been celebrating with her mom and dad after she’d received her undergrad at the University of Chicago. Sadie placed it on her vanity table.
As if the picture sent out a silent message, her cell phone rang. It was her dad. Sadie answered it and put him on speaker. “I’m here.”
“Where’s here, lovey?
Jake looked at him closer. “I’ll be damned. You aren’t pink.” He motioned for Suze to stand beside him. “Look at him.”
Quinn felt like a micro-specimen under the scrutiny of his brother and sister-in-law. “Cut it out. What are you two talking about?”
“Did you find time to fool around?” Suze said. “You look like you got lucky while fixing the family mansion. Is your latest conquest a fresh-faced country girl?”
Quinn liked his brother, for the most part. But he and Suze constantly butted their heads into his love life. It wearied him and bugged the crap out of him. He wanted to go home, shower, and get back to Sadie. He didn’t want to answer his brother or sister-in-law’s questions.
He cooled down fast, rather than let them know about Sadie. He wanted to keep her under wraps. Once he told them about her, he wouldn’t get out of the office until he answered their questions. They could keep him trapped in the Wrigley building until midnight.
“Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. The sunshine in Lake Geneva was brutal. Can we go over the latest trust numbers? I want to make sure I can follow through with buying the diner in Lake Geneva. And get back to my other deal, acquiring BBRD Antiquities. The shop needs a once over before I move mother’s unwanted antiques from Lake Geneva into storage.”
“Kate’s flying in on Saturday before the museum gala.”
“Why?” Quinn went over to the wet bar and poured a tumbler full of mineral water.
“I am due in two weeks, so my best friend is leaving her new English hubby to be with me.” Suze gave Jake a steely glare. “God knows my husband will be of no use in labor and delivery. I’ll be happy if he doesn’t pass out in the waiting room. Kate has to be at the hospital with me. Your one-time business manager and previous owner of BBRD is tougher than the two of you boys.”
Quinn punched Jake in the shoulder. “He’s sort of a hard-ass. So what if he’s afraid of the sight of blood.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Jake said, rubbing his shoulder. “Kate wants to come back to sign the sale of BBRD over to you in person. Since she sold you her shop, she wants to make sure it gets passed on to you.”
Quinn laughed. “Right. She’s having a hard time letting it go, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, but Derek won’t let his new wife go back on a deal. BBRD belongs to you in every way but on paper. So when she comes this weekend, we’ll make a ceremony of it. The four of us. Dinner at Charlie Trotters?”
Quinn guzzled down his water. “I’ll let you know. I have to confirm my schedule when I get home.”
Suze gave Jake a sideways glance. “Check your schedule? I was right. There is a woman. Who is she this time? Is she a one weekender or a two weekender?”
Quinn dropped the crystal glass down on the silver platter. It crashed against the decanter. “Let’s go over the Wrigley donation to the Field Museum. I have to get going.”
Color crept up his sister-in-law’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Quinn. You usually share your latest babe story.”
“There isn’t any story to tell.” Quinn said.
Chapter Thirteen
Sadie retrieved her storage boxes out of the closet and reconstructed her bedroom. She carefully placed every picture and tchotchke on her walls and dresser. She dragged out her framed prints of Frank Lloyd Wright designs and hung them to cover the bare subterranean wall. She unpeeled the tissue from the crystal frame with her most precious picture. The photo was taken at Ms. Katie’s. She’d been celebrating with her mom and dad after she’d received her undergrad at the University of Chicago. Sadie placed it on her vanity table.
As if the picture sent out a silent message, her cell phone rang. It was her dad. Sadie answered it and put him on speaker. “I’m here.”
“Where’s here, lovey?
Similar Books
