Her mom had not only given her a bedroom suite, mattresses and bedding, but also the couch, weathered wood end tables and matching coffee table, and several side chairs.
She’d also emptiedherhome office and passed on several tall gray bookcases, a beautiful desk, white leather rolling chair and enough framed coastal artwork for multiple rooms. In other boxes were pots and pans, cooking utensils and flatware, and the dishes her mother had kept in the downstairs kitchenette for entertaining.
There was more. So much more. Items her father would probably never notice were missing due to them disappearing from the downstairs and her mother’s rarely used home office, but— The gift overwhelmed her with the love that came with it.
Women like her mother redecorated often, sometimes every year, but she wondered what her mother would say if Victor considered the timing suspect? Or was it a smallstick itto her father after so many years of putting up with his emotional abuse?
She thought so. Her mother might not have the courage to leave just yet. Might never have it. But this? This was her showing Quinley support in the only way she could at the moment. By giving her the items she needed to start fresh.
Once all the heavy lifting was done, more than a few of the Blackwell men plopped down on the couch and chairs and stools to rest and await further orders from the ladies.
Quinley ordered pizza and drinks and loads of desserts from the local pizza place because wasn’t that the thing to do when friends helped you move?
Someone turned on music, and everyone got back to work. Quinley and the other women made up the bed and placed the many decorative items her mother had also included around the house and bathrooms. A few lanterns, pillows, a giant ornate seashell, a metal starfish on a stand. Metal, glass and wood adornments that were aesthetically pleasing and coastal in theme.
When they were done her empty house looked like ahome,complete with boisterous laughter, lots of teasing among the brothers—and the banging of hammers as the last of the pictures and shelves were hung under Sophia’s watchful gaze.
Quinley stood in the open kitchen, watching, soaking it all in, arms around herself in a hug as she said a prayer of thanks to God for her mama and Ana, her new friends and extended family. She also added one for Rhys, that he would find the perfect woman for him, but one who’d challenge him at least a little so things didn’t get boring. Rhys needed that. Otherwise he’d get too set in his ways and overbearing with a doormat of a wife.
Her thoughts shifted to Elias then, and she fought the overwhelming desire for him to be here, a part of this. Withhisfamily. And…with her?
“You okay?”
The soft query came from Mia, Alec’s wife. From what Quinley could remember, Mia had appeared in Carolina Cove one day with baby Willa in tow, trying to find the baby’s father. Mia and Alec had married to provide a stable home for Willa and wound up falling in love after it was all legal. “It’s…just a little overwhelming. But good,” she hurried to add. “I’m so grateful.”
Mia gave a small knowing laugh. “I get it, trust me. The first time I met them was all at once like this. I didn’t know what to make of it. Especially since they didn’t like me.”
Quinley turned to look at Mia, unable to hide her surprise. Mia had been nothing but sweet and kind and helpful. She couldn’t imagine anyone not liking her. “Why didn’t they like you?”
“They were afraid I’d hurt Alec. Afraid I was lying about Willa.” She shrugged. “I don’t blame them. They’re protective of each other and for good reason.”
Quinley felt like the woman was giving her a not-so-subtle warning. “And yet they did this for me. I hate that Elias got dragged into my mess of a life, but—I’d never do anything to hurt him.”
“So youdolike him?”
The soft query came from Allie. Quinley turned to face her new friend and her breath stuttered in her lungs as she got her first unobstructed look at Finn. Farmer Finn, Elias’s twin. He carried a box in his darkly tanned hands, his gaze fixed solely on her face with an intensity very similar to Elias’s own as he waited for her response.
Allie stepped out from behind Finn, her expression softening when she glanced between Finn and Quinley. Elias and his brother might be identical but she’d never mistake them for one another.
Ana joined them and held cooking tongs, skewers and other odds and ends her mother must have gifted from the downstairs kitchenette.
Expectant gazes studied her, and Quinley forced herself to smile. “What’s not to like? Elias was a kind and wonderful friend to me last week. He’s…one of the good ones. You are all, from what I can tell.”
Ana frowned, and maybe it was Quinley’s imagination, but she thought they all looked displeased that she hadn’t given them the response they’d hoped to hear, but instead sidestepped it.
But with her life in chaos? With her time, effort and energy needing to be focused on starting over? What else could she say?
Especially since the man in question had made it clear he wasn’t interested in her.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Two days later Elias tapped softly on the back door of Quinley’s home and fired off the text with his other hand, juggling the container he held next to his body with an elbow.
Open up
He tapped again, well aware of Axel’s gaze on him while he waited for Quinley to respond. He’d called Dawson earlier that day, asking to stop by. He wanted Dawson’s thoughts on his restaurant idea and his guess on the odds of Blackwell Brothers Enterprises supporting it.
While shooting the breeze on the phone, Elias had asked if there had been any issues with his new renter. Dawson had mentioned Sophia talking to Quinley, and that Sophia had said Quinley was sick…
