“You’re not all that, Luke Trainer.” All the saliva in her mouth had dried up at his words, so hers came out a rasp.
He laughed. “But seriously, are you okay, Quinn?”
“I am. Are you okay?”
He looked okay. In fact, he looked vital, handsome, and really disturbing.
“I am. Thanks for listening to me last night, and the sex. Really great sex.” He leaned in to whisper the words.
He’d needed her, and she’d needed him, end of story. And the sex had been really great.
They found a booth and sat. Luke was next to her again, and she made herself relax.
“Morning, Linda. I’m hoping your hash browns are as good as your coconut creme pie,” Joe said to the waitress.
She wore the same outfit as yesterday, but her lips were painted fire-engine red this morning.
“Homemade by the hubs, and I can promise you, you’ll not find better.”
“Linda, your smile is just about the loveliest I’ve ever seen. Can I steal you away from your husband and lure your back to Ryker Falls with me?” Jack asked. His smile was that of a sweet boy.
“Well now, I’d give it some thought, but he’s like those slippers I took a while to break in. Really comfy.”
Quinn giggled.
“Jack’s a professional flirt,” Luke said.
“It’s a skill,” Dylan added.
Coffee came, and Quinn took a mouthful, enjoying the caffeine hit.
“We need to all be in control today. No more aggression and violence. That doesn’t look good on any level.”
“Sorry about that,” Luke said.
Dylan smiled. “He deserved it, Luke. And maybe it will stop him coming after Nixon if he changes his mind and wants him back, but we need to keep a lid on it today.”
“There will be a court date,” Joe said. “But he’s already signed the form Buchanan had stating he wanted Nixon to live with us.”
“I saw Grill’s face when he read that note written by Claire Redden. He was shocked. He hadn’t expected her to speak out against him like that,” Dylan said.
Claire Redden, not “your mother,” Quinn thought.
“He’s an asshole,” Jack said.
“No doubting that,” Dylan said. “But if we do this, we need to do it right. The DNA tests will prove he’s your blood, but we don’t want to give Buchanan any reason to make things difficult in getting Nixon to Ryker Falls.”
They all nodded.
Quinn wrapped her fingers around the mug, enjoying the warmth. Luke’s thigh pressed into hers, the solid length also warm.
“I think I speak for us all when I say that I can’t thank you enough for your help yesterday.” Joe looked at her.
“For the jacket Nixon came back wearing too,” Jack said.
“He picked out this beanie for me.”
“Nice.” Luke smiled, and it reached his eyes and all the corners of his handsome face as he looked down at her. “Boy’s clearly got my taste.”