The Mighty Quinns: Jack (3 page)

“We’re staying at the Stafford Hotel on Union Square,” Jack explained. “It would probably be best if we checked in first and—”

Mia frowned. “The Stafford? Oh, no. Actually, you’re staying with us. My father said I was to drive you back to the house.”

“But we have a reservation,” Elyse said. “We couldn’t possibly impose.”

“Oh, it’s no imposition. We have a guest cottage. You and your— You and Jack will be very comfortable there. And you’ll have your privacy, as well. And with my father’s injury, he won’t be driving for a few days. It really would be more convenient.”

“Well, then,” Jack said, grinning. “I guess that’s settled.”

“No, it isn’t,” Elyse said.

Mia looked at Jack, then glanced at his mother in the rearview mirror. “Really, the drive back and forth is almost a half hour. Hotels in the city are ridiculously expensive. You’re our guests. And it’s absolutely no imposition,” she repeated.

“Maybe Mia is right, Mom,” Jack said. “We wouldn’t want to be any trouble. And since you decided we shouldn’t rent a car, it would save on cab fare. Besides, we are only staying two days.”

A long, uncomfortable silence descended over the interior of the Mercedes and Mia glanced again between Jack and Elyse’s reflection in the rearview mirror. “Thank you for the offer,” Jack finally said. “We’d be happy to stay in your guest house.”

“Great,” Mia said. “Then it’s decided.”

Now there really was a reason to stick around home for the weekend. She wouldn’t even need an excuse. It would be the only hospitable thing to do. Mia pointed out the windshield. “We’re going to be crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Is this your first trip to San Francisco?”

Though she’d meant the question for Elyse, Jack seemed anxious to begin a conversation. And Mia wasn’t about to object. She couldn’t deny that having the man around for a few days might be nice. And she couldn’t help but wonder how he felt about their parents’ new “relationship.”

Mia had learned about her father’s Facebook “affair” a few weeks ago, from her oldest sister, but she hadn’t had much time to think about it. In truth, she’d didn’t
want
to think about it.

Her mother had died three years ago after a long battle with cancer. As the youngest of three daughters and the only one living near home, she’d been there to help out, to be the caretaker and to support her father during those last days.

And after the funeral, she’d stayed with him for nearly a year, helping him cope with living alone. She made her living as a graphic designer and was able to do most of her work from home, but while she was away, she’d given up on having a life of her own. She’d ignored her friends and pushed her own grief aside to make her father’s life easier.

And now, without a second thought, Ben McMahon was ready to move on to someone new. Only she wasn’t ready for that to happen. Nor were her two older sisters. They hadn’t had enough time. A stab of guilt shot through her. Images of a grasping social-climber had filled her head ever since she’d learned of Elyse’s existence. But in all honesty, her dad’s “friend” seemed really nice. The kind of woman her mother would have liked.

She fought back a surge of tears. There were moments when she could remember her mother with such pure joy. And then, other times, the memories were so painful, they took her breath away. Mia drew a deep breath and focused her thoughts on something else. Painting. Her new project at work. Jack Quinn.

Jack Quinn? She risked a quick glance across the console, catching sight of his profile in the afternoon sun. He was impossibly attractive, the kind of handsome that took a girl’s breath away. She couldn’t deny her curiosity. After all, a guy who watched after his mother so carefully couldn’t be all bad.

As she stared at the road in front of her, she found herself cataloging his features. Dark hair that was just long enough to wave slightly and thick enough that it would feel good between her fingers. Blue eyes that seemed to see right into her soul. A mouth that curled slightly at the corners, even when he wasn’t smiling.

A tremor shook her body and she squeezed tighter on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. Maybe this was the reason he’d come here. To distract her from protecting her father. Ben McMahon was a tasty target for any single woman, young or old. He’d made millions in the tech market and now, had nowhere to spend it.

“Here we are,” she said, pulling into the driveway. She reached out the window and punched in the security code then waited until the gates slid open in front of them.

“Wow,” Jack murmured as they approached the sprawling house at the end of the tree-lined driveway. “No wonder you’ve got gates. Better to keep the riffraff out.”

By the time Mia pulled up in front of the house, her father was standing at the front door, his tall frame balanced on a pair of crutches. The moment the car stopped, Elyse hurriedly stepped out and slowly walked toward him, her hands covering her mouth. A smile broke across Ben’s face and Mia felt her breath hitch in her throat. He hadn’t smiled like that in years.

Mia’s eyes filled with tears and she shoved the door open and got out, brushing the dampness from her cheeks before anyone saw. Jack quickly followed, slamming the Mercedes door behind him as he watched the scene unfold. She joined him, leaning back against the car, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Ben McMahon, you haven’t changed a bit,” Elyse cried, her musical laugh filling the fragrant air.

“Elyse Lovett, you’ve only gotten more beautiful.”

Mia watched as Elyse hugged her father and a few seconds later, Ben led her into the house, leaving Mia to deal with Jack on her own. “Why don’t we get the bags and I’ll get you settled in the guest house,” she murmured.

They pulled the luggage out of the trunk of the Mercedes and walked around to the rear of the spacious home. Though the house didn’t qualify as an estate, it was spacious and comfortable and one of the nicest properties in Marin County. Her father’s work had made it possible for the family to live without financial worries. But according to her father, Elyse and her three children hadn’t been as lucky.

The guest cottage was located behind the house, set near the pool and the tennis court. As they walked down the path, she heard Jack chuckle softly.

“What?”

“This is your guest house?”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No. It’s just that it’s bigger than the house I grew up in.”

Mia opened the front door and stepped aside to let him pass. She watched as he took in the beautiful interior. Her mother had redecorated both houses about five years ago and Mia had helped her with her choices. The guest cottage had been her favorite and she and her mother had been very proud of how it turned out. Mia had lived in the cottage the year after her mother had died, the space reminding her of the time they’d spent choosing colors and fabrics.

“The bedrooms are back here,” she said.

But he didn’t follow her. Instead, he stood in the middle of the living room. “Let me ask you a question. How do you feel about this whole thing? This visit.”

Mia slowly turned, setting the bag down beside her. “You mean our parents?”

“Don’t you find it a little...odd?”

She sighed deeply and smiled. “Yes?” Finally, someone who understood how she felt. “It’s not that I don’t want my father to be happy. After everything that’s happened, he deserves to find some happiness. But bringing a complete stranger into our family this late in the game just seems so...unnecessary. I know he imagines himself in love with—”

Jack gasped. “In love? Your father is in love with my—”

“Well, he hasn’t really said it,” she interrupted. “But he’s been so excited about this visit.” Mia paused. “What about your mother?”

“She says they’re just friends. My father was her one and only.”

“Well, then, maybe that’s the case. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. After all, at their age, romance seems a little too much to hope for.”

“Right. Those feelings go away once you turn...what? Fifty?”

“Sixty,” she said.

“And there’s the matter of the distance,” Jack said. “My mother lives in Chicago. Your father lives here. They could never carry on a relationship over that distance.”

“Absolutely right.”

Jack frowned. “Who knows, they might not even enjoy being together this weekend.”

“Yeah, maybe they won’t even like each other.” She met his gaze and saw the doubt there. Mia walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottled water. “Would you like something to drink? Or maybe something to eat?”

“Do you have a beer?”

She pulled one out and handed it to him, then opened a bottle of water for herself and took a long drink. She had to be very clever about this. After all, her father was in a very vulnerable state and Elyse was a beautiful woman. If she had no feelings for him, then everything was fine. But what if she developed feelings for Mia’s father, only to crush his heart later.

Mia pushed away from the counter. “Why don’t we get out of here and get some dinner? I’m sure our parents don’t need us hanging around, hovering.”

She watched as he took a long sip of his beer. Even the way he drank beer was sexy, so casual, so masculine. Her breath caught in her throat and for a long moment, she didn’t breathe. The thoughts running through her mind were just a little bit preposterous. And yet, she couldn’t deny that Jack Quinn’s presence here was like a gift.

It had been too long since she’d had a man in her bed. And now, she’d been given the perfect opportunity—he was handsome, sexy, available and he’d go home at the end of the weekend. Why not take advantage while she could?

She took another swallow of the water, but it went down wrong. Mia coughed, putting her hand on her chest. Her eyes began to water and Jack crossed the room and gently patted her back.

“Are you all right?”

His warm hand smoothed over her back and she nodded. But she wasn’t okay. Her thoughts focused on his touch. She wanted him to kiss her, but she wasn’t sure exactly how to make it seem as if it was his idea. “I—I’m fine,” she said, taking another sip of water. “I think we should go.”

“Lead on,” Jack said.

Mia walked toward the door, but she was sorely tempted to turn around and walk into the bedroom, just to see what he’d do. If she’d thought he’d follow her, Mia might have tried it.

* * *

“Y
OU
HAVE
TO
TRY
the fish tacos,” Mia said, jumping out of the Mini Cooper and slamming the door behind her. Jack crawled out of the car and followed her up to the window of the roadside taco stand.

He stared up at the menu, working his way through the extensive list of choices. After finding their parents engrossed in a study of an old picture album, Jack and Mia had hopped into her car and driven toward the coast. They’d pulled off the highway about fifteen minutes later at a small wooden shack with picnic tables gathered around it.

“I’ve never had a fish taco,” Jack said.

“Don’t they have them in Chicago?”

“We’re kind of hot dog and pizza people there,” Jack explained. “Although it’s a great city for food, so I’m sure there are plenty of places to go for fish tacos. I’ve just never had one.”

“Well, Manny’s is the best,” she said. “It’s been around forever. My girlfriends and I used to come here when we were in high school, looking to meet boys. Lots of surfers used to hang out here. Blond, tan, smelling like the ocean.”

She ordered a basket of four fish tacos and a couple of beers. When the server handed her a tray, she turned and headed toward one of the picnic tables.

The songs had always touted the superiority of California girls, but Jack had never really seen the attraction. But here, beneath the late-afternoon sun, with a warm breeze blowing off the ocean, he couldn’t recall ever meeting a woman more captivating than Mia McMahon.

She grabbed a taco from the basket and bit into it. Jack followed suit and when the mix of fish and fresh tomato and avocado and cheese all melded in his mouth, he groaned softly.

“Good, right?”

“Wow. Really not what I expected,” he said.

“I know.” She grinned. “So tell me why you decided to come to California with your mother. Don’t you have a job? Or are you a professional mama’s boy?”

Jack chuckled. “I wasn’t completely convinced that your father wasn’t some kind of letch just looking for a little action from a sweet and trusting woman, so I decided to come along and check him out personally. And yes, I do have a job. I’m a sports writer. What do you do? Let me guess. You’re either a professional houseguest insulter or a roadside restaurant critic?”

“I’m a graphic designer. I have my own studio. We do a lot of work for restaurants and hotels in the Bay area. Menus, signs, point of sale displays. I designed the sign right over there for Manny.”

Jack glanced over his shoulder. “The dancing tacos?”

“They’re not dancing, they’re hitchhiking,” she said. “This is a roadside taco stand. They want a ride.” Mia frowned. “I guess it does look like they’re dancing.”

God, she was adorable, Jack mused. Everything she said was endlessly fascinating, even when it didn’t make sense. He took another bite. “I’ve never seen tacos with legs and arms...and faces, but they look good. You’re good.”

That brought a laugh. “And you’re not a very good liar,” she countered. “Don’t you think this whole thing is kind of strange?”

“Hitchhiking tacos?”

“No, my dad and your mom. It’s kind of unexpected.”

He drew a deep breath and nodded. “My dad died twenty-two years ago. I was nine. And since then, Mom’s never shown the slightest bit of interest in dating. But she and your dad are old friends. Their families used to spend summers together. It’s just a chance to revisit the past.”

“My father told me, about a year ago, that he could never see himself with another woman. That my mom was his one true love. I believed him.”

“They’re looking for companionship,” Jack said. “Isn’t that what people their age want? I can’t imagine they’re in it for the sex.”

She clapped her hands over her ears. “Stop. I don’t want to listen to that.”