office, looking distracted and distant. On instinct, Quinn paused and smiled cheerfully at the other woman. “Good morning.”
Madison’s eyebrows shot up as she eyed Quinn curiously, wondering what she could possibly want now. “Good morning.” She nodded and attempted to maneuver around to make her way to the elevator, only to have Quinn stop her.
“I know you’re busy, but are you doing alright?” Quinn asked, concern shadowing her features. “I know you were close to your grandfather…all of this must be particularly hard on you.”
Madison tensed, irritated at the woman’s intrusion into what she considered a private matter. “No need to worry about me, darling. I’ve survived this long without your concern.”
To her surprise, Quinn only smiled. “Grant admires you, you know. He may not say it much, or really show it, but I know how much he cares about you.”
“He cares because we’re family. Simple as that.” Madison brushed off the comment, eager to get away. She really didn’t have time for whatever it was Quinn was trying to do. “It’s been nice chatting, but I have to go.”
“I admire you, too.” Quinn stopped her again. “I know you’re still on the fence about Lynette and me, however, we're here for you regardless. If you ever need anything, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to bend, someone to vent to…you know where to find me.”
Leaving it at that, Quinn turned into the office alcove to set her belongings on her desk. She distracted herself with hanging her purse on one of the coat hooks while behind her, Madison tried to make sense of the strange new sensation beating its way into her protected heart.
She had never really had close girl friends before. Her best friends had always been her brothers, her uncle, and her grandfather. Even in her early twenties while in college, she had rarely socialized with girls her age. Instead she had, since she had been young, closed herself off to that kind of friendship.
The truth of it was, she inherently did not trust other people. In rare cases, outsiders could earn her trust, as was the case with Raoul and her assistant, Carrie. But for the most part she avoided close, personal contact with others like the plague.
So what was it about her brother’s lover that had gotten under her skin? She still did not trust the woman, and yet part of her craved the easy offer of friendship that seemed to come so naturally. Was it only because she felt so alone now, detached and alienated from the family that had always been her source of strength?
No. If that were true, then she was weaker than Cyrus had raised her to be. She didn’t need anything except the family empire, and she was more than a fool if she let herself forget that. Annoyed with herself, Madison left, skipping the elevator and taking the stairs instead.
Quinn silently watched her go, wondering if she had managed to even make a dent in the formidable steel armor Madison protected herself with.
“What was that about?” Grant asked, leaning against the doorway to his office. His eyes shifted from the stairwell back to Quinn.
She flushed with an awkward smile. “I was just worried about her.”
“Worried about Madison?” Amusement flashed over his face. “I wasn’t aware you cared so much about my sister.”
“Why wouldn’t I care?” Quinn began, shaking her head sadly. “She matters to you. Therefore she matters to me, too.”
He let her words sink in, once again caught off guard by her natural devotion and compassion. He wondered if he would ever get used to it. When he couldn’t find anything else to say, Quinn turned back to her desk and sat down, avoiding his eyes.
“I know she may not like me very much, but I do really want to be her friend. I just want her to know that she can rely on me, that I’m here for her. I can’t even imagine what she must be going through emotionally right now, with all of this pressure being put on her. It would be enough to drive
Madison’s eyebrows shot up as she eyed Quinn curiously, wondering what she could possibly want now. “Good morning.” She nodded and attempted to maneuver around to make her way to the elevator, only to have Quinn stop her.
“I know you’re busy, but are you doing alright?” Quinn asked, concern shadowing her features. “I know you were close to your grandfather…all of this must be particularly hard on you.”
Madison tensed, irritated at the woman’s intrusion into what she considered a private matter. “No need to worry about me, darling. I’ve survived this long without your concern.”
To her surprise, Quinn only smiled. “Grant admires you, you know. He may not say it much, or really show it, but I know how much he cares about you.”
“He cares because we’re family. Simple as that.” Madison brushed off the comment, eager to get away. She really didn’t have time for whatever it was Quinn was trying to do. “It’s been nice chatting, but I have to go.”
“I admire you, too.” Quinn stopped her again. “I know you’re still on the fence about Lynette and me, however, we're here for you regardless. If you ever need anything, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to bend, someone to vent to…you know where to find me.”
Leaving it at that, Quinn turned into the office alcove to set her belongings on her desk. She distracted herself with hanging her purse on one of the coat hooks while behind her, Madison tried to make sense of the strange new sensation beating its way into her protected heart.
She had never really had close girl friends before. Her best friends had always been her brothers, her uncle, and her grandfather. Even in her early twenties while in college, she had rarely socialized with girls her age. Instead she had, since she had been young, closed herself off to that kind of friendship.
The truth of it was, she inherently did not trust other people. In rare cases, outsiders could earn her trust, as was the case with Raoul and her assistant, Carrie. But for the most part she avoided close, personal contact with others like the plague.
So what was it about her brother’s lover that had gotten under her skin? She still did not trust the woman, and yet part of her craved the easy offer of friendship that seemed to come so naturally. Was it only because she felt so alone now, detached and alienated from the family that had always been her source of strength?
No. If that were true, then she was weaker than Cyrus had raised her to be. She didn’t need anything except the family empire, and she was more than a fool if she let herself forget that. Annoyed with herself, Madison left, skipping the elevator and taking the stairs instead.
Quinn silently watched her go, wondering if she had managed to even make a dent in the formidable steel armor Madison protected herself with.
“What was that about?” Grant asked, leaning against the doorway to his office. His eyes shifted from the stairwell back to Quinn.
She flushed with an awkward smile. “I was just worried about her.”
“Worried about Madison?” Amusement flashed over his face. “I wasn’t aware you cared so much about my sister.”
“Why wouldn’t I care?” Quinn began, shaking her head sadly. “She matters to you. Therefore she matters to me, too.”
He let her words sink in, once again caught off guard by her natural devotion and compassion. He wondered if he would ever get used to it. When he couldn’t find anything else to say, Quinn turned back to her desk and sat down, avoiding his eyes.
“I know she may not like me very much, but I do really want to be her friend. I just want her to know that she can rely on me, that I’m here for her. I can’t even imagine what she must be going through emotionally right now, with all of this pressure being put on her. It would be enough to drive
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