Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68594 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
“I used to hate going to restaurants with Preston. He always complained about something. Demanded to speak to the manager and get some sort of compensation. I found it embarrassing.”
“Some people are like that.”
Our food arrived, and I rubbed my hands together. “Ignore them and let’s enjoy our meal.”
Quinn nodded. “Sounds good.”
We ate and talked about the aquarium and the upcoming boat trip. Abby, as usual, was droll and clever, making me laugh. I had preordered dessert, and Quinn’s eyes were round, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as a small cake was placed on the table and the staff sang happy birthday to her. We ate the rich dessert, somehow finishing the whole thing, even as we protested about being too full. It was a great lunch, and I was almost giddy with how well the day was going.
That feeling came to a complete and abrupt halt as we headed to the elevator, Abby between us. The lobby area was empty except for one couple waiting already, their backs to us. There was something recognizable about the woman, but I couldn’t place her. Something about her height and the tilt of her head seemed familiar. The man beside her spoke, and I recognized the timbre of his voice as the complainer in the restaurant. Quinn gasped quietly when he talked, stepping back. I looked at her, concerned, as the couple turned and the identity of the woman became clear to me. As did the man to Quinn.
Quinn’s voice was horrified as she spoke.
“Preston?”
I glared at the woman clinging to his arm, my voice a low snarl.
“Moira.”
QUINN
For a moment, we all stared. I felt as if I were trapped in some farce, and I waited for someone to yell Gotcha! But it didn’t happen. Abby pressed into my side, staring up at her father, her grip on my hand tightening. I felt John’s anger, and I stared at the woman standing beside my ex.
There was no denying she was beautiful. Her hair and makeup perfect. Her clothes probably worth more than my rent for a month. But if you looked closely, you saw the coldness in her eyes, the pinched look on her face, and the boredom of her expression.
Preston had changed since I’d seen him last. Though he’d always been tall and lanky, now his shoulders were more rounded than before, his posture not as stiff as it used to be. He’d grown a beard, and his hair, something he’d fussed and preened over, had thinned some and was now more gray than dark. He wore glasses, another new addition, and the frown lines around his mouth and forehead were deep. He looked discontented and haughty.
A look that only grew when he saw me and Abby.
“Quinn,” he said in a mocking tone. “What a surprise to see you.” His gaze flickered to Abby. “And Abigail.”
“Abby,” she responded.
He lifted his eyebrows. “Typical,” he muttered.
John made a low noise in his throat, and Preston cast a look at him, slowly taking in his stance. His gaze lingered on his boots. He chuckled, the sound dry and nasty. “Dating a cowboy now, Quinn? How…quaint.”
Abby dropped my hand, folding her arms over her chest the way John did when he was upset.
“He isn’t a cowboy. He’s a farmer. That’s important.”
Preston ignored her the way he always did.
“I heard you moved to some hick town, Quinn. No doubt you fit in well with the locals. Having a big day in the city, are we?” His pitch was condescending, bordering on snide.
His fiancée snickered, covering her mouth, the large diamond on her hand ridiculous and ostentatious.
John took a step closer. “Watch your tone.”
Preston smirked. “Or what? You’ll plant me?”
“We’re here celebrating Quinn’s birthday,” John replied, ignoring his jibe. “Not that you’d understand how that works.”
A dull red soaked Preston’s cheeks. He hated being called out for what a lousy husband he had been. It was John’s turn to smirk.
“And I’m taking my girls for a fun afternoon. Shocking, no one did that when they lived here. As if someone couldn’t be bothered to look after them. Treat them the way they should be treated.”
“That’s enough,” I said quietly. I had no desire to stand here and trade insults with my ex and his cold partner. “Let’s go.”
Preston glared at me. “Maybe I’d like to spend some time with Abigail. We could catch up.”
I knew he was saying that to upset me. He had zero interest in “catching up” with his daughter.
“Over my dead body,” I hissed at the same time John cursed. But what was the most shocking was Abby’s reaction.
“No,” she said loudly. “I don’t like you, and you’re not my dad. Farmer John is the best daddy ever. He’s nice to me. He makes Momma smile. You were mean.”
Preston glared. “Be silent,” he demanded. At John’s huff, he glared. “Back off, cowboy. This doesn’t concern you.”