The air back there was clear, but it still smelled like grilled
burgers. The sun was in the lower stages of getting ready to set
for the night.
Quinn just stood shoulder to shoulder beside Dallas. “I told
you it would be fine.”
Dallas softened. “It felt like all the other times I’ve been
here for this, except instead of sweet sixteens or welcoming
Billy into his teen years, Danica’s suddenly thirty.”
“My parents can’t believe it. They said so, but they meant
it.”
“It was good to be here. The house looks exactly the same.
Almost. It’s so- I never thought I’d be here again. I was
thinking that when I walked in.”
Quinn’s fingers curled around Dallas’. “You could stay,
you know. Or maybe not stay, stay, but come back.”
“I- I just don’t know. I want to, but I do have all that other
stuff.”
“A life. Yeah. I know.”
“It’s not just that. I mean, I haven’t even told my parents
that I’m here.” Dallas realized, too late, that it was the worst
thing she could have said.
She watched Quinn’s face contort and change. Dallas knew
what Quinn was thinking, and she couldn’t take back what
she’d just said. If she explained it now, would Quinn listen?
Would it just seem like Dallas was guilty of trying to hide
something? Would Quinn believe anything she said about
them?
“No,” Dallas tried. “It’s not like that. I just got
overwhelmed when I got the call from the lawyer about your
grandpa leaving me money. I didn’t know how to tell them