sanctuary.
“She did?” Greer asked.
“Hell yes, she did. Right outside of the boys’ locker room. Don’t tell me you don’t remember?”
“Outside the boys’ locker room? Oh, that kiss. That was you? I don’t remember . . . much,” Delaney said, trying for nonchalant. Not easy when her hands still shook. She moved back to the table, where she started to stack the cake dishes.
Quinn shook his head. “You’re breaking my heart, Delaney. That kiss changed my life.”
“What are you talking about? I certainly didn’t do it to make Barbara mad.”
“She was standing right there. Everyone knew she had a thing for me.”
“Why would I try to make Barbara mad? The only reason I did it was because I’d just seen my ex-boyfriend kiss Linda Faye after lunch. Then I saw him picking on you and your friend during gym class. I was pissed at him and you were in the way.” She couldn’t believe Quinn was acting as if that kiss had mattered. Because she sure as heck remembered another kiss that didn’t seem to matter to him at all.
“Is that why? I’ll be sure to get in your way again. Regularly. I scored major points with the seniors on the football team when you grabbed my ass. On behalf of all freshmen boys everywhere, I thank you.” Quinn gave her a mock salute.
“I did not grab your ass.” Delaney’s denial was automatic. So what if what he described was starting to tickle a distant memory? She was in the middle of trying to prove a point.
“Oh, whoa, that was you two in front of the gym?” Greer chimed in. “I saw that. You definitely grabbed his ass and he grabbed right back.”
“My mama didn’t raise no dummy.” Quinn’s slow, lopsided dimple-flashing grin slid her way.
Delaney wanted to shove the rest of the cake in his face. She took in a steadying breath. Be nice. Be nice. Be nice. “You know what? I am going to go soak in the tub.” She turned and limped out of the room and up the stairs, doubly pissed because the limp wouldn’t let her exit with a haughty stomp as the occasion deserved. Grrr.
Neither Greer nor Quinn said a thing as they listened to her uneven footsteps recede and a door slam upstairs. The minute it was quiet, Greer plopped her head onto the table, wrapped her arms around her head, and started crying.
“Greer, what the hell? Is something wrong with Jack?” Quinn knew her boyfriend, Jack, a cop like him, was out of town for special tactics training, but he would have heard at the station if something had happened.
“Noooo,” Greer wailed, lifting her head and looking up at him in sheer misery. “I . . . I heard you two talking. I was afraid Delaney was going to be mad at me after you told me about her run-in with Barbara; I had promised her someone at the gym would run interference. I sat on the porch swing to listen at the window, you know, to see if she was mad enough that I should leave until she’d calmed down. And . . . I can’t believe how much I took for granted. How did I not think about Delaney and how lonely she must have been?” She started crying all over again. Quinn lifted her into his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on top of her head as it rested on his chest.
“You did the right thing bringing Delaney home.”
Greer sniffed. “I escaped to your house half the time. I didn’t appreciate how lucky I was to have your family. I wish Delaney could have had that too. She needed a Mama Cates, you know?”
“Hell, Ma would have loved it. She always had room in the house for one more.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Why don’t we let Ma have at her now?” Greer jumped up, wiping the tears from her face. “Lord, she’ll smother her with love. Perfect. Let’s go talk to her.”
“Wait, Greer. I have to tell you something.” Quinn grabbed her hand, steering her down into the chair next to him. “I kissed your sister.”
“You did what?” She stared at him, eyebrows raised.
“I don’t normally kiss and tell,
“She did?” Greer asked.
“Hell yes, she did. Right outside of the boys’ locker room. Don’t tell me you don’t remember?”
“Outside the boys’ locker room? Oh, that kiss. That was you? I don’t remember . . . much,” Delaney said, trying for nonchalant. Not easy when her hands still shook. She moved back to the table, where she started to stack the cake dishes.
Quinn shook his head. “You’re breaking my heart, Delaney. That kiss changed my life.”
“What are you talking about? I certainly didn’t do it to make Barbara mad.”
“She was standing right there. Everyone knew she had a thing for me.”
“Why would I try to make Barbara mad? The only reason I did it was because I’d just seen my ex-boyfriend kiss Linda Faye after lunch. Then I saw him picking on you and your friend during gym class. I was pissed at him and you were in the way.” She couldn’t believe Quinn was acting as if that kiss had mattered. Because she sure as heck remembered another kiss that didn’t seem to matter to him at all.
“Is that why? I’ll be sure to get in your way again. Regularly. I scored major points with the seniors on the football team when you grabbed my ass. On behalf of all freshmen boys everywhere, I thank you.” Quinn gave her a mock salute.
“I did not grab your ass.” Delaney’s denial was automatic. So what if what he described was starting to tickle a distant memory? She was in the middle of trying to prove a point.
“Oh, whoa, that was you two in front of the gym?” Greer chimed in. “I saw that. You definitely grabbed his ass and he grabbed right back.”
“My mama didn’t raise no dummy.” Quinn’s slow, lopsided dimple-flashing grin slid her way.
Delaney wanted to shove the rest of the cake in his face. She took in a steadying breath. Be nice. Be nice. Be nice. “You know what? I am going to go soak in the tub.” She turned and limped out of the room and up the stairs, doubly pissed because the limp wouldn’t let her exit with a haughty stomp as the occasion deserved. Grrr.
Neither Greer nor Quinn said a thing as they listened to her uneven footsteps recede and a door slam upstairs. The minute it was quiet, Greer plopped her head onto the table, wrapped her arms around her head, and started crying.
“Greer, what the hell? Is something wrong with Jack?” Quinn knew her boyfriend, Jack, a cop like him, was out of town for special tactics training, but he would have heard at the station if something had happened.
“Noooo,” Greer wailed, lifting her head and looking up at him in sheer misery. “I . . . I heard you two talking. I was afraid Delaney was going to be mad at me after you told me about her run-in with Barbara; I had promised her someone at the gym would run interference. I sat on the porch swing to listen at the window, you know, to see if she was mad enough that I should leave until she’d calmed down. And . . . I can’t believe how much I took for granted. How did I not think about Delaney and how lonely she must have been?” She started crying all over again. Quinn lifted her into his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on top of her head as it rested on his chest.
“You did the right thing bringing Delaney home.”
Greer sniffed. “I escaped to your house half the time. I didn’t appreciate how lucky I was to have your family. I wish Delaney could have had that too. She needed a Mama Cates, you know?”
“Hell, Ma would have loved it. She always had room in the house for one more.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Why don’t we let Ma have at her now?” Greer jumped up, wiping the tears from her face. “Lord, she’ll smother her with love. Perfect. Let’s go talk to her.”
“Wait, Greer. I have to tell you something.” Quinn grabbed her hand, steering her down into the chair next to him. “I kissed your sister.”
“You did what?” She stared at him, eyebrows raised.
“I don’t normally kiss and tell,
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