It had nothing to do with the loveseat though. She’d finally figured that out. Nope, it was having Max in the same room with her.

  She’d looked over a few times and caught his eyes on her, so she turned her back. She wasn’t going to let it bother her if he was upset over that move. She needed to protect herself now.

  As if hearing everything Mia had to say the other night wasn’t bad enough, Quinn finally had time to reflect on what Mia actually looked like.

  From someone who came from a life of nothing—or so she said to Max—Mia sure looked put together, even on her vacation. Though she did end up having to work some of the time, Quinn got the impression Mia looked that fashionable every day. Then again, Mia’s idea of coming from a life of nothing and Quinn’s were probably worlds apart.

  Still, Mia had on a short skirt showing off extremely toned legs. Obviously Mia didn’t care it was colder than hell outside in New York mid-February. She still had stockings on, it seemed, or maybe she didn’t. Quinn couldn’t get past the tight silk shirt with the black skirt. A rather thin white silk shirt that showed her entire bra under it.

  Yeah, that was pretty inappropriate around the kids, but Quinn figured Mia didn’t even consider that. Then again, maybe it wasn’t a bra, but a little cut-off lace top. It looked similar to one of the things Mia sent Lara for Christmas that Max refused to let her wear.

  Mia was nothing like Quinn. They shared nothing other than long blonde hair. That’s it. Nothing else.

  And yes, Mia was stunning, beautiful, and it looked like Lara was going to follow suit.

  Quinn wondered if that bothered Max. If he saw his ex-wife and horrible marriage every time he looked at his daughter.

  Then she realized that was a horrible thought. Max never gave any indication of that…ever. He loved his children, she knew that firsthand.

  So when the security expert showed up Saturday morning bright and early, Quinn was thrilled.

  Not only because the alarms would make her feel safer, but because she could sleep in her own bed. And she did, both Saturday night and Sunday.

  She also did a great job avoiding any in-depth conversations. It was easy, actually. Max had run into town on Friday like he’d said and bought a few TVs so the kids had something set up that night. Then on Saturday, he went back and bought everything else that was stolen, even Davey’s gaming systems.

  “Go, take the kids with you,” Quinn told him. “I’ll be fine at the house while they install the system.” Secretly, she just wanted him out of her sight. Watching him deal with the kids during this situation was enough to soften her and she needed to stay strong.

  “Are you sure?” he’d asked.

  “Yes. I’ve got a ton of laundry to do, and cleaning. It’s all good, Max.”

  “But you said you needed some food, too,” he reminded her.

  “When you get back with the kids, I’ll run down and buy food. They can come with me in case you get called in while I’m gone.”

  “It’s a waste of time. Let’s all go together. The security company can stay here alone. It’s not like there’s anything left for them to take,” he said jokingly.

  “Not even funny,” she said, her tone stern.

  He took a step toward her, hesitated, but then pushed on. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  “Max,” she said, sighing. “Go deal with the kids. I’m fine.”

  He seemed to weigh his words and finally just nodded his head and left with the kids.

  The rest of the weekend went on without a hitch. Everyone was getting used to working the system, the clothes were washed and put away, and she cooked them a nice meal on Sunday. She even replicated Nikki’s triple chocolate mousse truffle pretty well, if she did say so herself.

  So on Monday morning, she was thinking things were back to normal for the most part.

  Max walked in while she was pouring his cup of coffee to set on the counter. “How did you sleep last night?” he asked.

  “Better. You?” she asked politely, hoping he didn’t try to talk about their trip.

  “Not bad, once I fell back to sleep. Lara came in around midnight. She heard a noise and was scared. She’s still in my bed when you go wake her.”

  “Oh,” Quinn said, feeling sympathy for both of them. “Do you want me to talk to her later?”

  “If you want. I’ll talk to them both again tonight. It’s going to take time, I know.”

  And he was right. Time helped. The kids had been back to school a few days, back to their normal routine with lots of homework and activities.

  Max was back into his routine too, working a lot of hours and not getting home until late. He said he was just catching up, but whatever his reason, she was thankful there, too. Less time for them to talk.

  She’d made good use of the last several days. The last thing she wanted to do was resign from her job. She didn’t want to give up the best job she’d ever had.

  But not just that, she didn’t want to leave the kids. They were used to her now. They accepted her as part of the family and she couldn’t tear into their lives again. They’d been through more than enough as it was.

  Max had given her the space she’d asked for, but now she suspected he was losing patience.

  “Where are the kids?” he asked when he walked in the door after dinner Wednesday night.

  “Davey is downstairs, back to his normal nightly activities.”

  He nodded. “And Lara?”

  “I let her go to Maddie’s. I was hoping maybe it would help her get back to normal, too. We talked and she said she isn’t as scared, but when she hears noises in the night, she wants you.”

  “She hasn’t come to my room since Sunday night. I think she’ll be fine,” he said. “I want them to feel comfortable here.”

  “Any news on if they found out who did it?” Quinn asked.

  “No. I called the sheriff this morning. He said that whoever it was is probably long gone. Nothing has been pawned locally either. So most likely they’re out of the area. He said they’ve had drifters before, just never out to the lake like this, but it could happen. Big houses draw people in.”

  She knew that. She remembered what she thought when she drove by some of the houses on her way to Max’s the first time. There was a lot of wealth around here.

  “I’m glad that they feel it’s over with. I know our house wasn’t the only one hit and we weren’t the only ones robbed. The kids will be good.”

  “They will,” he agreed. “How about us? Will we be good?”

  “Max—”

  “No. Don’t put me off. We need to talk. We need to figure this out.”

  “There’s nothing to figure out. You are you and I’m me. We come from different worlds. I’ve always known that, but I let myself forget. That was on me. I remember my place now, and I don’t want to jeopardize it or anything with the kids.”

  The last thing she expected was his face to turn red. “There are no ‘places’ here. Don’t piss me off.”

  “You already are,” she said, seeing his eyes flashing right now. “That wasn’t my intention.”

  “Then what was?” he asked, crossing his arms.

  “I need time to think things over.”

  “I’ve given you days. I just want to talk. Why can’t you give me a chance to explain?”

  “There’s nothing to explain,” she said stubbornly.

  He snorted. “Quinn, you’re a smart woman. Why are you letting someone that lied, cheated, and left her family in a blink of her eye dictate how you feel? Why do you believe her words over letting me explain my side of it?”

  It hurt to hear him phrase it like he did. Was she wrong to feel this way? She didn’t think so. She was entitled to think she was totally wrong for him. Completely out of her element.

  But maybe she should at least let him talk, to explain what most of Mia’s words were really about.

  “The kids both have plans this weekend. We can talk then.”

  Davey came running upstairs before he could respond. “What’s going on?” Davey asked, looking between the two of them.

  “Nothing,” Max said. “Just talking about your and Lara’s plans.”

  “Okay,” Davey said, walking to the pantry and coming out with a snack, then running back downstairs.

  Davey’s easy acceptance of her and Max’s conversation was another thing she’d have to consider. The kids had to come first.

  As much as she would love a life with Max, she just couldn’t see it happening. There was way too much in their way. She’d never be freed from her past.

  Refused

  With Max at work and the kids in school on Friday morning, Quinn decided she needed to take her mind off the conversation she’d agreed to have with Max this weekend.

  She couldn’t put him off, she knew that, and it wasn’t right either. Only she wasn’t sure what she was going to say or what she should say.

  Part of her wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not to just talk, but to work it out between them. Maybe it was selfishness on her part, but she wanted to experience the life he was trying to give her. A life she only dared to dream of at the best of the times.

  The other part of her knew it could never work out. How could it? He was way too good for her. If anyone ever knew her background, it would be nothing but an embarrassment for Max to be in a relationship with someone like her.

  It didn’t matter that he was unfazed by it…it bothered her.

  She’d been looked down on her whole life, and she wasn’t sure she could bear to have Max’s friends or co-workers do it to her.

  Looking down on her as an employee was one thing, she was fine with that, but as his significant other, not so much.

  To take her mind off of everything for now, she decided to clean the wood floors.

  She pulled the machine out and the cleaner to go with it. It wasn’t hard work, just time consuming, making sure she didn’t leave any wet spots on the floors. Though most of the house wasn’t really used, she did the whole downstairs. After all, dust collected, too.

  Once she was done there, she carried the machine up the stairs and did all the bedrooms.

  It was after lunch when she finished, so she grabbed a piece of fruit and a cup of yogurt, eating them while standing in the kitchen.

  Still trying not to think about Max, she pulled the vacuum out and went around to all the throw rugs, upstairs and down, taking care of them and even getting under the beds.

  Before she put the vacuum away, she went to her own suite and did the same. She was just pushing the vacuum under her bed when she heard it hit something and then stopped.

  Realizing it was her bat and that she’d hit it harder than she thought, she turned the vacuum off and walked around to the other side of the bed to retrieve it. When she bent down, she noticed a piece of paper sticking out, part of it taped to the handle.

  Pulling the paper away she read, I see you remembered something I taught you. I’m touched.

  She read it a second time and refused to believe it. Refused to believe who wrote it and how it got under her bed, taped to her bat.

  The urge to rip the sheet of paper to shreds was massive, but she resisted. Instead she folded it up and stuck it in her drawer for now.

  When she calmed down enough, she put her vacuum away and went to get her phone. She wasn’t surprised her call went to Brett’s voicemail. He was probably working.

  “Brett, it’s Quinn. It’s important. Call me back as soon as you get this message.”

  She wanted to call Lily but knew better. Lily was in school and there was no way Rae could be in contract with Lily. The courts and the Websters weren’t allowing it.

  Karl was her last choice, but she decided to hold off there too. He was too close to the situation. She’d just have to wait for Brett to return her call.

  Hours later, Max came home late once again. Dinner had been cleaned up and there was a plate left in the warming oven for him. Davey was doing homework in the family room and she and Lara were at the kitchen table.

  “What are you two doing?” he asked.

  “We’re working on my science project,” Lara said, looking up and smiling at her father.

  “I see that. What’s it about?”

  “We have to build a diagram using opposites and we can only use six items. All six items have to be recyclable or bio…”

  “Biodegradable,” Quinn said.

  Science had never been her best subject, but she bet it was Max’s. He was smart, obviously, but even then, he seemed smarter than the average doctor to her. Of course, her experience with doctors was few and far between.

  “So what are you making there and what are you using?” he asked, walking over and looking carefully.

  “Hot and cold,” Lara said. “Quinn suggested a volcano and a glacier.”

  “Quinn would know about hot and cold,” Max said, grinning at her.

  She didn’t like the look he was sending her. A teasing one definitely, but still, it wasn’t the time for her. She was too worked up from what she discovered earlier and the last thing she wanted to deal with was his cutesy manner. Not to mention, Brett still hadn’t returned her call.

  “Anyway,” Quinn said, ignoring his statement, “I figured it was easy to go that route, but we needed to make it special.”

  “Mr. Thompson said we can’t do anything that would make a mess out of his room though,” Lara said, matter-of-factly. “It’s too much for him to clean up and the janitors said they won’t do it anymore.”

  “Well then,” Max said, “what is your plan? What are you using other than cardboard?”

  Quinn looked at the cardboard box they were building in right now. “Paper mache for the volcano and glacier. Different colored paper, since they count as one item. Water and flour, obviously. Then we are using sugar and food coloring.”

  “Why sugar?” Max asked, touching the paper mache and pulling his hand back wet.

  “I’m going to cook the sugar to boiling, like making candy, and then we’re going to make lava with the food coloring and place it all over the volcano and also make clear sugar to look like ice for the glacier.”

  “That’s pretty neat, don’t you think, Lara?”

  “I do. I asked Quinn to make us candy too, but she said not this week. Maybe another week.”

  “You know how to make candy? Like the flavored stuff?” he asked.

  “Of course. I don’t do it often, it’s kind of messy, but can be fun. Maybe I’ll have it be a weekend activity for the kids one day.”

  “I’d like to help out too. I like candy,” Max said, grinning.

  “What don’t you like to eat, Daddy?” Lara said looking up at him. “Come on and get your hands dirty and help us make this.”

  “I think I’ll take a pass. I’m going to get some dinner and then go shower.”

  Quinn was glad he decided against helping them. She didn’t want to be close to him right now. He was too much of a distraction to her mind. She needed to stay focused. She needed to plan. Max had to be put on the back burner.

  By the time everyone was in bed for the night, Quinn was still waiting on Brett’s call. She hoped everything was okay. She knew he didn’t always get back to her, but this was important. She’d never left him a message to call right away before. Ever.

  She made one more attempt and sent him a text.

  Within moments her phone was ringing.

  “I’m sorry, Quinn,” Brett said the minute she picked it up. “I worked all day, then went in to my second job. I got home about thirty minutes ago and Scotty was being fussy and Annie needed a break.”

  She could hear Scotty crying in the background. “Is everything okay?”

  Maybe she shouldn’t bother him with this. He had enough going on in his life right now.

  “Yeah. Sometimes he’s just a little overtired and it’s hard to get him settled for the night. Annie is putting his pajamas on now and getting his bottle ready. He’ll be fine soon. What’s going on?”

  “I hate to bother you,” she started to say. “But have you talked to Karl lately?”

  “Last week. Why?”

  “Did he say anything about Mom again?” Quinn didn’t like the burning in the pit of her stomach over Brett’s silence. “Be honest with me, Brett, what is going on?”

  “Not much. Just that Karl said Mom was calling him more and that she wanted to visit.”

  “Seriously? He wasn’t considering seeing her, was he?” She didn’t like where this was going.

  “I don’t know. I cut him off. He knows how we all feel about her, Quinn. It’s hard. I love Karl too, but I feel like there is no helping him. Why do you want to know?”

  She told him about what happened last week while they were out of town, the note she found under her bed, and how someone was asking about her months ago.

  “You don’t think Mom is there, do you? Get real, Quinn, that is a long way from Chicago. And to be there twice in a few months?”

  “I don’t know what to think. I want to agree with you, but she always tries to find me. She always closes in on me.”

  “Why?” Brett asked. “I can never figure that out. Why you?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe because I’m the oldest. Your guess is as good as mine. I wish she’d just forget I exist, but she always shows up to make trouble. Anyway, this area is small. I mean it’s not like she could be hanging out here or have any reason to be here, but then again, explain the note.”

  “It could have been there for months. Maybe from back in Thanksgiving?”

  “No. It couldn’t have been.” She remembered grabbing her bat that time Max left for an emergency surgery in the middle of the night.

  “What are you going to do?” Brett asked.

  “I don’t know. No, that’s wrong. I do know.”

  “But you aren’t going to tell me, are you? Just be careful, Quinn.”

  Princess

  Quinn told herself she’d be careful, or as careful as she could be. But she needed to resolve this. She needed to know the truth. If she didn’t make the next call, then she’d never know for sure. It would always hang over her head and she wanted to be able to move on with her life, somehow.