More Than This Read online

  “You have to admit Nick was fun. I bet Ryan would be too.” Indy wagged her eyebrows as if Quinn didn’t understand.

  Quinn huffed.

  Kate interrupted. “Anyway, back to Nick. Why did he come to your house?”

  “He pretended to want to wish me a happy birthday. Brought me roses, which he should know I hate. He really came by to tell me he got someone pregnant and he didn’t know what to do.”

  Indy said, “Figures. It was only a matter of time. Anyone we know?”

  “I didn’t ask.” She twirled her glass in front of her. The strawberry slush was nearly melted. “That’s what got me thinking. I’ve been sitting around waiting for life to happen. It’s time for a change. I want a baby.”

  Indy shook her head. “I’m not following. You want a baby because Nick’s having one?”

  “No. I want a baby because I’ve always wanted a baby. I’m just tired of waiting for it. Nick’s visit was a wake-up call for me. He’s moved on with life, and I’m running on a treadmill. I need to do something different.”

  “How the hell do you get from ‘I need to do something different’ to ‘I want a baby’?”

  Indy looked angry and Quinn couldn’t figure out why. “I’ve always wanted a baby. I’m ready to have one. I’m not going to wait anymore.”

  “So you just decided to get pregnant?”

  Quinn rolled her eyes. “Have you ever known me to just decide to do anything? I’ve been researching options. I want this.”

  Kate had been suspiciously quiet. Quinn had been counting on her support.

  “It’s really hard, Quinn. I’m married and it’s hard. I couldn’t imagine doing it all alone. You’re picturing the fun times. There’s a lot more to it. Babies don’t fit into a tidy, organized path.”

  Shit. This wasn’t going the way she’d thought. “I know that. I’m not stupid. I can handle the unexpected.”

  Indy choked and almost spewed her drink across the table. After dabbing a napkin against her mouth, she said, “Who are you kidding? You are the queen of orderly plans. You don’t do anything outside your comfort zone.”

  “I’m going to work on that.” Quinn waited and slowly said, “Yeah, summer is coming and I’ll have more free time than I’ll know what to do with. I’m going to use that to figure things out.”

  “You’re not teaching?” Indy asked.

  “Remember, I told you I refused to teach summer school because Carlson passed me over for the Honors teaching position. He wouldn’t even take my application.” She’d been questioning her rash decision ever since. Maybe it was petty and juvenile, but it had felt good to not be a team player for a minute.

  Indy shook her head. Her long blond hair slipped over her shoulder and down the front of her jacket. “I know what you said, but I didn’t think you’d actually follow through. If you have the summer off, I think you need to expand your horizons.”

  “Okay . . .” A familiar knot settled in her stomach. Indy with a plan always made her nervous.

  “You need to move outside your comfort zone.”

  Kate’s eyes lit. “That’s a great idea.”

  She pulled a notebook out of her purse. “Okay. Let’s start. This will be fun. Let’s make a list. What’s first?”

  Quinn stared into her drink.

  “I say we start with my list,” Indy said.

  Kate looked at Indy with wide eyes, like a mother telling a child she didn’t need a cookie. “You don’t need a list.”

  “I mean Quinn should do the items on my list. Those’ll break you out of your rut.”

  Quinn’s face warmed at the thought. She couldn’t do Indy’s list. Especially sex in public. Right now she didn’t even have anyone to have sex with in private.

  They sat in silence for a few moments. Quinn added, “It would be fun to take a cake decorating class. It’s something I’ve wanted to try.”

  “Oh, yeah, more classes. Really thinking outside the box. Haven’t you done enough school?” Indy’s sarcasm hung around Quinn and threatened to ruin the mood.

  Kate wrote down the suggestion. Her sleek, dark ponytail bobbed as she took notes. “Leave her alone, Indy. It’s her list. I’d kill to be able to have time to do anything fun and unusual. What else? How many things are we looking for?”

  “I don’t know. How many do you think I can get done in a summer?” Quinn looked at the other two women, hoping for inspiration and getting none. “Maybe we can think about it and make the list next week.”

  Indy’s eyes lit. “Good idea. I’ll put a call out to women I know and get some ideas.” She immediately pulled out her phone and began texting.

  “Thanks, I think. So we’ll make my entire list next week. Let’s meet at my house,” Quinn offered.

  “In the meantime,” Kate interjected, “what are you going to do?”

  Indy’s eyes narrowed. “You need to date.”

  “Sure, go straight for the easy stuff.” Quinn’s sarcasm was lost on Indy. Her stomach flipped. Dating had not been very fruitful over the last five years.

  “How’s this . . . I’ll take public sex off the list if you promise to go on at least five dates over the next two weeks.”

  Quinn’s jaw dropped. Of course Indy would name the one thing that would freak her out. Where would she find five men to go out with her? “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “Not my problem.” Indy winked. “Try the Internet.”

  Kate smiled and joked, “Issuing a challenge like that is kind of low.”

  Quinn stared at her sister. Finding five dates would never be difficult for Indy, but for her it was a challenge of huge proportions.

  “Look, you said you’re in a rut. This’ll pull you out. Consider me your tow truck.” Indy usually got her own way, and without her Quinn would’ve missed out on a lot of fun. Indy was right. She needed to get back into dating.

  “Fine. You win.”

  Ryan stood at the opposite end of the bar from Quinn’s booth. Watching in the mirror, he saw a new side of Quinn. She was relaxed. When she’d first come into the bar with a crowd of teachers, she’d hung back from the group, ordered one drink, gulped it down, and left. It was like she had to make an appearance and she did the bare minimum. Now, she’d invited other friends here.

  He couldn’t believe he’d almost been busted eavesdropping on her conversation. And, of course, it had to happen right when they got to a good part. He wanted to know if she got laid for her birthday. Judging by the way she looked when she came in, she hadn’t been given a birthday orgasm. He almost wanted to offer to change that, but knew she’d shoot him down.

  A slight tap on his arm had him turning to look at his younger brother, who was supposed to be stocking alcohol.

  “Who’s the gorgeous blonde?”

  “Who?”

  Michael hitched his chin up toward the mirror. “The one you’ve been staring at.”

  “Oh. That’s Indy, but I was looking at her sister. Short dark hair.”

  Michael looked at all three women. “She’s not your usual type.”

  “I know.” The concept rubbed at him like a wool sweater.

  “Hey, man.” Michael bumped his arm. “I wanted to thank you for the hours here. I really need the extra cash.”

  Squeezing in an extra bartender minimized someone else’s hours, but he found a spot for Michael. “Are you going to tell me what you need the money for?”

  “No.”

  Ryan studied his brother. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  “Not at all. Don’t worry.”

  Easier said than done.

  Ryan turned back and looked at the mirror. In the reflection he saw Quinn open her mouth with laughter. He wished he were close enough to hear the sound. She tucked her short sway of dark hair behind her ears, revealing her soft features. Her golden brown eyes found his in the mirror and he smiled.

  Just then, perfume wafted up to his nose and Moira wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss on his
cheek.

  “What’s that for?” he asked.

  “That’s to say thank you for fixing my broken window. My landlord’s an ass.”

  “No problem. It’s what brothers are for.”

  Over the top of Moira’s head, he glanced back at Quinn. The corners of her lips turned down. He enjoyed a challenge every now and then. Quinn definitely presented a challenge.

  CHAPTER 2

  Quinn stood outside her loft, wishing that she’d been smart enough to meet this guy at the restaurant, if that’s what you could call it. It had barely been a step up from fast food. Now he stood in front of her, still talking about himself, when all she wanted to do was curl up on the couch with a good book. This is what she got for picking a guy based on his online profile. Next time she’d make sure she had at least a phone conversation before making a date.

  Jeff suddenly stopped his rambling and asked, “So, I think we really hit it off tonight, right?”

  She stared blankly at him. Lying had never come easy to her. “I had a pretty good time.”

  He stroked her arm, and she locked her knees to stop herself from pulling away. He wasn’t a bad guy. He didn’t give her the creeps. Jeff was even kind of good-looking: tall with dark hair and brown eyes, a little on the skinny side. But something turned her completely off.

  When his hand stopped stroking her arm and his fingers interlocked with hers, the sweatiness of his palm was apparent. Eww. How was she supposed to disengage without seeming like a bitch?

  “I’d like to see you again.”

  “Maybe. Why don’t you send me an e-mail and we can set something up?”

  “Can I have your number?”

  She shifted slightly to the left, nearer to the door. “I don’t like to give out my number to too many people. This was just our first date and all.”

  “But definitely not our last.” He leaned in to kiss her.

  She saw it coming, thought she’d get a little peck on the cheek, but his mouth crashed into hers. When she didn’t immediately open her lips, his tongue poked and prodded. It was slimy and gross. When she tried to step back, he pulled her closer. The quick move startled her and in her shock, she inadvertently opened her mouth.

  That was one hell of a mistake. He jabbed his tongue so far into her mouth, it was like he wanted to inspect her molars. And he was a sloppy kisser too. Saliva everywhere.

  Her stomach started to churn just as he pulled away. “How about we take this upstairs?”

  Not in this lifetime. “I don’t sleep with guys on the first date.”

  “There’s a lot of territory between a kiss at the door and sleeping together.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

  Like she wanted to dry-hump that? “No, thanks. I should be getting in. It’s late and I have work tomorrow.”

  “Oh, okay.” He really sounded disappointed. “Maybe we can get together this weekend.”

  She slid toward the door, hoping he’d get the hint and not try to swoop in for another kiss. “I’ll be pretty busy this weekend. End of the school year stuff. But send me an e-mail. Good night.”

  She didn’t wait for him to respond. She practically ran for the door. After scrubbing her mouth twice and then throwing her toothbrush in the trash, she called Indy. She plopped on the couch and put her feet up on the table. While Indy’s phone rang, she stared at the green nail polish on her toes. What a waste of a perfectly good pedicure.

  When Indy finally answered, she laid right into her. “You and your stupid idea.”

  “What’d I do now?”

  Quinn sighed. “You told me I needed to date. I can’t date. There’s something genetically wrong with me.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you.” She paused. “Well, there’s nothing genetically wrong with you.”

  “You’re funny. How do you do this? How do you go out and meet guys and have them be normal?”

  “Honey, it’s all about numbers. That’s why I said five guys in two weeks. Within those five, you might find one halfway decent guy. The other four will be comprised of weirdos, sickos, and losers.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” She tried to figure out what category Jeff fell into.

  “Sure. If you keep at it, you’ll find someone. Then you can give up on this silly idea of being a single mother.”

  Quinn picked at the loose threads on her favorite burgundy throw pillow. “It’s not a silly idea. I would be a good mom. Finding a husband hasn’t worked out for me.”

  “You haven’t tried finding a husband. You gave up after Nick, and we both know it.”

  Indy was right, as usual, when it came to men and dating.

  “Cheer up. I have a growing list of ideas for how you can spend your summer. It’s gonna be a blast.”

  Somehow, Quinn didn’t think she’d agree. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Quinn went back to the information she’d been culling from the Internet. All of her choices for becoming a mom sat in this one blue folder. Over the course of the last few days, she’d been adding information, and the file was growing quickly.

  She wasn’t being silly. She was thirty-one and had no prospects for a husband. Millions of women were single mothers. She knew she could provide a good life for a child. Her biological clock wasn’t just ticking, it was like a bomb ready to detonate. She didn’t want to leave her future to fate. She could control what happened in her life.

  In the meantime, she’d play Indy’s game and do things outside her comfort zone to prove to her and anyone else that she was ready for this challenge.

  Quinn waited for Indy and Kate. They were supposed to meet at her house to make her summer list, but Indy had insisted they go back to O’Leary’s. While sitting in the same circular booth they’d shared last week, she tried to rid her mind of all of the images from her last date. She hated that Indy talked her into joining the stupid dating sites.

  Running a finger down the side of her glass, playing with the condensation, she sighed. The cool droplets trickled down and she stopped them with the pad of her finger. Her patience grew thin. She could understand Kate being late. She had kids and had to drive in from the suburbs. Indy picked the time and place, though.

  It was like her sigh acted as a cue for Ryan. He was suddenly standing in front of her, pulling a chair from a nearby table. Turning the chair around, he straddled it. “Hi.”

  The intensity in his eyes belied the friendly smile.

  She had a hard time holding his gaze. Every time she did, the rest of her surroundings faded. “Hi.”

  He crossed his arms over the back of the chair and leaned forward. “You look lonely.”

  She fidgeted with her glass. “I’m alone. That doesn’t make me lonely.”

  His voice lowered a fraction. “True, but you look sad. Want to talk?”

  The sigh heaved from her chest. “I’m not sad. Not lonely. I’m irritated because Indy wanted to meet here and she’s late. Like always.”

  The smile widened. “If she’s always late, why does it bother you?”

  “Because it does.” She couldn’t keep the exasperation from her voice. “Why are you here?”

  “I’m the owner, remember?”

  She inhaled deeply. “You know what I mean. Why are you sitting with me?”

  “I’m visiting with a friend.”

  The eye roll made her feel fifteen again, but she didn’t care. “You don’t want to be my friend.”

  “Sure I want to be your friend. Unless you’ll let me take you out on a date and kiss you senseless.”

  “I already turned you down.”

  “Then I’ll settle for being a friend until you see what a catch I am.”

  Her eyes wandered to his lips and she briefly imagined the kiss he could offer. “If you’re such a catch, you can have any woman. You don’t need to chase me.”

  “It’s not a chase, but a challenge.”

  His words sounded like a promise he intended to fulfill. Her blood warmed and her heart bumped heavil
y against her ribs. He was all wrong for her, but every time he got close, her body didn’t seem to care. Why did he keep flirting with her?

  A throat cleared next to them and they both straightened. Kate stood beside the booth. “Hi. Am I interrupting?”

  Ryan stood. “Not at all. I was just leaving.” He extended his hand. “Good to see you again . . .”

  “Kate,” she supplied, taking his hand.

  Ryan returned the chair to its proper table and disappeared from Quinn’s sight.

  Kate sat next to her. “Earth to Quinn.”

  “Huh?”

  “What was that?”

  “I’m not sure.” Confusion coated her senses. During her brief conversation with Ryan, she’d felt encased in a bubble where everything else ceased to exist. It was disconcerting, to say the least. She scooted around the curve of the table to let Kate have a seat.

  Kate’s eyes filled with worry. “Are you okay?”

  Quinn shook her head clear. “Yeah, I’m fine. What do you want to drink?” She waved the waitress over. “I think we should go ahead and order dinner now. Indy can order when she finally gets here.”

  The waitress strode up to the table and Indy breezed into the booth, out of breath, sandwiching Quinn between herself and Kate. “Sorry I’m late,” she mumbled, and turned her attention to the waitress. “Hi, Jenna. I’d like a big-ass martini, dirty. I need to celebrate.”

  “Do you want to order dinner now?” Quinn asked, trying not to let her irritation show.

  “Sure.” Indy perused the laminated menu while Quinn and Kate placed their orders. “I’ll have a salad. Add grilled chicken. No dressing, just lemon slices, please.”

  Jenna left to put in their order and Indy turned to Quinn. “I really am sorry for being late. I had a huge call at work. A new client wants me to find him a home. He’s looking to spend big—like a million big.”

  Quinn choked on her pop. “A million? How does anyone have that kind of money to spend in this market?”

  “I don’t know. But you can understand why I spent extra time talking to him.”