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I stared down at my phone, willing it to ping.
“Give it a sec. He’s not going to text you right back; he’s way too alpha for that. C’mon, let’s get going on the pumpkin pies. Milly placed a huge Thanksgiving order for the diner. Let’s crank that out so we’ll be ready to fill the individual orders coming in later this week.”
Mars took my hands, pulling me up and back towards the kitchen. “It’ll be okay, Lanie. Trust me.” He winked, making me feel the teensiest bit better.
* * *
By 4:30 P.M., I still hadn’t heard anything from Quinn. I checked and re-checked my cell, but nothing. Radio freaking silence.
“Ever heard the expressionA watched pot never boils?” Mars asked, ribbing me. “Pretty sure the same goes for cell phones.”
I rolled my eyes at him just as the front door chimed.
“Want me to get it?” Mars asked.
I nodded. I was in no mood to be client-facing right now.
He pushed through the double doors and I dove back into whisking the pumpkin pie filling, stirring the shit out of it.
“What’d that bowl ever do to you?”
A deep, familiar voice echoed through the quiet kitchen. I looked up to see Quinn standing at the counter, hands tucked deep in his pockets.
“Hey,” I said in a soft voice.
“What do you want to talk about, Delaney?” he asked, not moving from his spot at the counter.
“I’m sorry.”
“Okay.”
“For this morning. I don’t know why I said that, it just tumbled out. I mean, I think my brothers will be pissed, but I’m not like, embarrassed about it or anything.”
He scoffed quietly. “Gee, thanks, Delaney, I’m so glad you’re not embarrassed you slept with me.”
“No, that came out all wrong. Again. Sorry.” I took a deep breath, exhaled. I wanted to be honest with him, but I couldn’t force myself to say the words, to admit it was more. That I was scared I’d put my heart out there and he would break it.
Instead I said, “It’s just—I don’t want to come between you and my brothers is all. You and Josh have been friends for a really long time—practically forever—and I don’t want to ruin that.”
Quinn crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Why don’t you let me worry about that? I think I’m perfectly capable of managing my relationships.”
I raised my eyes to his, which were now a flinty grey, my heart fluttering in my chest.Quinn just used the word ‘relationship.’
“I know, I mean, I’m sure you are capable,” I said, stammering.Gawd. I was making things worse.Where was Mars when I needed him? I fervently wished he’d saunter through the kitchen door and intervene. I waited a few seconds, but he didn’t appear, so I forged ahead.
“I just, I wasn’t sure exactly where we stood, what kind of relationship we’re in, if we’re evenina relationship…”
“Well, yeah, Delaney, I kind of figured you weren’t a one-time kind of girl,” Quinn said, his voice low and deep.
My breath hitched in my throat at his words, my stomach flip-flopping.
“So we’re dating then?” I asked, cocking my head at him.
“Yeah. I haven’t spent hours analyzing it, but I suppose that works.”
“Oh-kay.” I drew the word out, long and low, in the otherwise silent kitchen. “Let me tell my brothers first then, okay? That’s all I’m saying.” I bit down on my lip hard as butterflies zoomed around my empty stomach.
“Fine. I can live with that, I guess.” He nodded, uncrossed his arms. “I don’t want to start out with secrets, though. Trust me—nothing good comes of that.”
