Page 87 of A Newport Christmess

Quinn’s gaze landed on me. I could see the warring emotions in her expression, but the amusement seemed to win out with how her eyes danced.

I suddenly didn’t dislike Tyler as much as I’d thought. Maybe he had grown up in the last six or seven years.

The van pulled onto Rosecliff’s private drive from Belvue Avenue, and I followed. I left enough room between my truck and the van to allow Quinn to see the building as we approached.

Her whole face lit. “It’s incredible,” she whispered. “I can’t believe I’m actually here.”

When I parked, she was still taking it all in as Tyler jumped out of the truck to assist her out. So I didn’t dislike him as much, but I definitely didn’t like him either.

“Are these the centerpieces?” A woman with a distinct New York accent came out of the front entrance on the right, a clipboard in hand.

Wally opened the back of the van. “Yep. Where do you want them, Miss Garrity?”

Her gaze landed on us. “Who are all of you?”

Quinn gave a small wave. “I’m Quinn Cook. I made the gingerbread houses.”

Irene gave her a quick once-over, followed by a stiff nod that said Quinn was exactly what she expected—and not in a good way. “Of course you are.”

I stepped forward, placing my hand on Quinn’s back. “I’m Nikki’s brother, Landon.” I hated having to pull the Nikki Aker card, but the way Irene’s expression immediately flashed with regret made me glad I had the card to pull. Quinn deserved respect, especially after all the work and sacrifice she’d put into the houses. I flicked my head toward the others. “These two are friends that came along to get the gingerbread houses inside in one piece.”

Irene lifted her chin like it pained her to acknowledge our help. “Well, in that case, thank you. Go ahead and unload. I’ll meet you inside.”

Quinn watched with a worried expression as the four of us carefully unloaded the first two houses—two on each house—and carried them through the slush to the entrance. When we stepped onto the carpet just inside the door, Quinn’s shoulders relaxed.

Irene waited inside the entrance. She glanced at the houses, and the corners of her mouth pulled into a near smile. “I admit those are not what I’d envisioned when Nikki mentioned gingerbread houses as centerpieces. They’re actually going to look exquisite surrounded by greenery and flowers.” She motioned toward a long table in the lobby. “One will go over here. Probably the largest of the four.”

“That would be the replica of Rosecliff,” Quinn responded. “But it’s still in the van. These two are the family homes of Kade and Nikki.”

Irene nodded. “Let’s set those two together right here, then.” She pointed at two smaller tables of different heights near each other. She scooted one a little closer and patted the top. “And we’ll put the third on the table across the entrance where the guests’ gifts will be placed.”

We did as she said, then went to grab the other two. Wally and Vince took the cabin, and Tyler and I hauled in Rosecliff with Quinn guiding our every step. When they were safely in place, I handed Tyler my keys. “I know you have your car at the house, but once you get there, you can have one of the other guys drive a group to breakfast in my truck. We’ll get a ride-share or have Nikki drop us off.”

He took the keys. “Sounds good. We’ll see you two lovebirds later.”

“Thanks again, guys.” Quinn’s cheeks flushed with color, but instead of looking at me, she started toward Irene. “We were going to ask Nikki if there was something we could do to help.”

“I have everything taken care of, but Nikki should be here soon. Feel free to walk around until then. I’m going to go see that the chairs from the terrace have been moved out of view of the windows.”

Quinn’s gaze remained on Irene until she’d disappeared through the ballroom doors. Something was definitely wrong, but with how intentionally she avoided me, it probably wasn’t the time to have the looming conversation, no matter how much I wanted to clear the air between us.

I thrust my hands in my pockets, trying to appear casual. “Do you know why Nikki picked Rosecliff?”

Quinn glanced over at me, studying my expression like this was some sort of trap to get her talking. “No.”

“When we were younger, my parents took us on a tour here. She was probably ten or eleven. And when she saw that staircase right there”—I pointed to the heart-shaped staircase Rosecliff was famous for—“she declared she was going to get married here one day. Even back then, she was always a hopeless romantic.”

Quinn’s gaze followed mine, a smile lighting her face. “It is beautiful.”

“Well, being the annoying older brother, I felt it was my duty to tell her that was a pipe dream and would never happen. And here we are.”

Quinn laughed, but before I could fully enjoy the glorious sound of it, a cold draft sent our attention toward the door.

Julie and Nikki stepped inside, chatting, but stopped when their gazes fell on us. “Morning, you two.” Nikki came to give us both a hug, with Julie right behind her.

“I was just telling Quinn the reason you chose this venue,” I said, pulling out of the embrace and shifting to Julie’s.

“And why’s that?” Nikki asked.