Yvonne Lindsay - Seduced By The Single Dad

But today, she drank the champagne—more than she should have. And she had a fabulous time sharing stories about the old days with Quinn’s sisters.

“Quinn was always so moody,” said Jody, and everyone nodded. “He was mad at everything and just about everybody.”

“But even then there was a certain sweetness about him,” said Clara, who was Sondra’s oldest daughter and considered the family peacemaker.

Back in the day, when the two sides of Frank’s family were constantly at odds, Clara was the one who kept trying to get them to make peace and come together. She and Quinn and Chloe were the same age.

“I remember,” Clara said, “when we were in Miss Oakleaf’s class, first grade. Remember, Chloe?”

“Yes, I do. Miss Oakleaf was so pretty. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.”

“Oh, me, too,” Clara agreed.

“She pinned her hair up in a twist and she always looked so elegant. And she wore high heels and pencil skirts.” Chloe frowned. “Were they even called pencil skirts back then?”

Clara considered. “Straight skirts, I think. And yeah. Miss Oakleaf was a beauty. Quinn had a big crush on her.”

“She was patient with him,” Chloe said softly, remembering how he struggled to keep up with the rest of the class.

Clara remembered, too. “He would get mad and act up and she would talk to him so gently.”

“And then,” said Chloe, “the Hershey’s Kisses started appearing on her desk every morning...”

Clara took up the story. “Just a few of them, lined up in their shiny silver foil wrappers, waiting there for Miss Oakleaf on her desk pad at the beginning of every day.”

“No one knew who was leaving them,” said Chloe.

And Clara said, “Until Freddy Harmon spotted Quinn in the act. Freddy spied on Quinn through the window, didn’t he, and saw him sneak in and put three Kisses on Miss Oakleaf’s desk?”

“That’s right,” Chloe replied softly. “Quinn was so humiliated...” She shook her head, aching for the troubled little boy he’d once been.

Jody said, “The way I heard it, he went ballistic.”

Clara nodded. “He chased Freddy around the playground till he caught him, and then he beat the crap out of him. For that, Quinn was suspended for two weeks. Looking back on our elementary school years, it seems like he spent more time suspended or in detention than he ever spent in class.”

They all laughed. They could afford to laugh about it now that Quinn was a grown man who’d built himself a fine, productive life.

Nell asked, “Remember that time he and Jamie and Dare got into it on the playground?” James and Darius were Clara’s and Elise’s full brothers, Sondra’s sons.

Elise nodded. “It was two against one. Plus, Jamie and Dare were older and bigger. But Quinn just wouldn’t give up and go down.”

Rory shook her head. “It’s so strange, knowing him now, to hear what a troublemaker he used to be.”

“By the time he was twelve or so,” Clara said, “no one would fight with him. By then, they all knew that he would never quit. If you took on Quinn Bravo, it was going to be long and ugly and there would be way too much blood.”

“But look how he turned out,” Tracy piped up. “Rich and successful, with a beautiful daughter, about to marry the one and only Chloe Winchester.” Tracy raised her glass and everyone followed suit. “To Chloe. You go, girl.”

Chloe blushed a little. “Aww.”

Nell shook her gorgeous head of auburn hair. “Chloe. Seriously. You and Quinn? Never woulda seen that coming.”

Chloe beamed at her future sister-in-law, her heart full of fondness, her brain pleasantly hazy with the champagne and the good family feelings. She really was starting to feel seriously bondy with Nell. Was it only five days ago that they’d squared off in the trailer at Bravo Construction?

“Heads up, my sisters,” Elise whispered out of the side of her mouth. “Don’t look now, but here comes trouble.”

Trouble in the tall, thin form of Monique Hightower. Wearing jeans, a silk top and giant sunglasses, Monique had just breezed in the door. She said something to the hostess and then spotted the Bravo women at the round table in the center of the dining room. Slowly, she eased the big sunglasses up to rest on her head. And then she smiled.

And then she came striding on over. “Hey, Clara, Elise, everyone. Looks like a party...”

Nell said, “It is. We are celebrating.”

About then, Monique zeroed in on Chloe. “Chloe. Well. How’s every little thing?”

Chloe raised her champagne glass—with her left hand, so that her engagement diamond caught the light and sparkled. “Remember how I told you if I played my cards right, I might have a chance with Quinn?”

Somebody snickered. Chloe thought it was Elise, but it could have been Tracy.

Monique’s eyes got wider. “Wow. That’s, uh...” For once, she actually seemed at a loss for words. Chloe savored the moment.

Then Nell instructed, “Pull yourself together, Monique. Quinn and Chloe are getting married. You need to wish my future sister-in-law a life of love and happiness.”

Monique sent Nell a quelling glance that had zero effect on Quinn’s baby sister. Nell just rolled her eyes and drank more champagne as Monique trotted out another big, fake smile and a too-perky “Best wishes, Chloe. Quinn’s a lucky man.”

“Thank you, Monique.”

Clara, ever the peacemaker, offered, “Monique, why don’t you join us for a glass of champagne?”

Everyone went dead quiet then. They’d been having such a great time and Monique would have them trying to remember to watch what they said, because anything Monique heard was fair game for her gossip mill.

Then Monique sighed. “Wish I could. But I got called in early. I need to change and get to work.”

“That’s too bad.” Somehow Nell kept a straight face when she said it.

By then, Monique had recovered her equilibrium. “Chloe. That ring is spectacular. And truly, I’m so happy for you.”

“Monique. What can I say? Thank you again. That’s so nice to hear.” And strangely enough, it kind of was. Chloe had the definite warm fuzzies at the moment. She was crazy about the Bravo women, crazy about Quinn. Crazy about everyone . She was even crazy about Monique, who couldn’t keep a confidence if her life depended on it.

Champagne at lunchtime? She should try it more often.

Nobody said a word until Monique disappeared into the kitchen. And then Nell tapped her water glass with her spoon. “So. Engagement party. We need to throw one.”

Chloe started to protest that they didn’t have to.

But then again, that could be fun, right?

How much fun had she had in her life, really?

Not enough. She’d always been mama’s good girl, a busy little bee, working so hard to do everything right, to get straight As and get into a great college and find the perfect husband to make a perfect life.

There’d been no time for fun, not when she was so laser-focused on chasing the life her mother wanted for her.

And after her marriage to Ted? Well, it only went downhill from there. Hard to have fun when your life that looked so perfect on the outside was empty at the core, when you lived with a man you couldn’t trust not to hurt you.

But now she had Quinn and anything seemed possible. All the good things: passion and tenderness and lots of laughter. And sisters to call her own.

And, for the first time, champagne at lunch.

Chloe let Quinn’s sisters plan the party. She smiled and nodded and giggled a lot.

Nell leaned close to her. “Better cut back on the bubbly, baby.”

And Chloe giggled some more. But she took Nell’s advice and started drinking ice water. By three-thirty, when they left the restaurant, she was almost sober.