Chapter Ten

Quinn stared out thewindow from the passenger seat of Dre's truck. The storm last night brought cooler temps and clear-blue skies. The shock at seeing the house in daylight was eased when a fireman exited the house with their purses, wallets, and a bag of items from Grandma and Grandpa's nightstand drawers. Evidently, the nightstands were the only furniture still intact.

While Grandpa and Dre spoke to Gill and his brother, she and Grandma placed the trash bag of items on the tailgate of Dre's truck to go through it. She pulled out a book titled, The Female Orgasm. Before Quinn could react, Grandma quickly grabbed it and jammed it back inside the bag. "I had no idea he had that book."

Quinn fought a grin.

"Although..." Her grandmother blushed. "It doesn't surprise me. My pleasure has always been very important to him."

"Good for you."

They shared a smile and a quiet laugh. It was good, if only for a fleeting second, to be distracted from the devastation around them.

The insurance adjuster arrived and sympathized with their loss, but warned it might be a long process and they should begin cataloging all their belongings. He also said they had a daily allowance for living expenses.

They were still not allowed inside the house and only stayed a short time. Gill explained that Agnes had slept with his five-year-old nephew last night and hadn't left the kid's side since, so they'd left her at his brother's house. Although her grandmother looked disappointed, truly, the cat being somewhere else was one less thing to worry about. They had so much to do.

Dre dropped her grandparents back at Chasing Time before driving Quinn to the mall to shop for much-needed necessities. When approached by shoppers, Dre kindly took pictures and signed autographs quietly and quickly before excusing himself saying he was helping friends who were victims of the tornado. The fans would then look at Quinn, still dressed in the clothes and slippers Mama B gave her, with sympathy. Well, most with sympathy. Some studied her with brows raised, clearly interested in the status of their friendship.

She merely smiled, feeling blessed this man cared enough to find her last night.

Loaded down with new clothing for all of them, underwear, shoes, and her favorite lotion, they were now headed back to Chasing Time.

"Mind if we make a quick stop at the hospital?" Dre asked.

She froze. She hadn't been in one since—

"One of my little fans was hit by a car months ago and is having reconstructive surgery on his shoulder. I wanted him to know I'll be thinking of him."

What a sweet man.

"It'll only take a second. I have a jersey for him."

After his incredible helpfulness the last two days, surely she could handle being inside the hospital for a short time. "Of course."

Within minutes, they turned into the hospital parking lot and followed signs to valet parking. She glared at the seven-story, cream brick building accented in dark green. Sunlight glinted off the multitude of glass, turning the windows into mirrors. After passing his keys to the valet, Dre opened her door, clasped her hand, and they started for the glass sliding doors.

Her heart pounded like a carnival high striker game someone kept pummeling with a mallet. She told herself to stop being silly. There was nothing to fear. She walked alongside him, tightly holding his hand.

The instant they stepped inside, the smells of rubbing alcohol, food, and hospital nauseated her.

She stopped. "I-I-I don't want to intrude on your time with your fan. I'll wait outside."

He studied her. Unsure of what he saw in her expression, she was relieved when he said, "Okay, honey."

"Take as long as you need." She spun around, hurried out the doors, and dropped onto a black bench butted up against the windows near the entrance. Memories, so many memories, raced through her mind, scattering her emotions.

Rubbing her temples, she tried to gather her feelings as tears seeped from her eyes.

I won't do this.

She took a deep breath, raised her head, and swiped the wetness from her face. People entered and exited through the constantly moving doors. If only she'd been able to think clearer and told Dre she'd wait in the car when he first mentioned stopping.

He came out a few minutes later and handed the valet his ticket before approaching her.

She stood. "That didn't take long."

"Simon is quarantined. I left the jersey with his nurse."

Once in his truck and on their way, she felt sure he could tell she'd been crying and wanted him to understand her reaction. "Remember I told you I lost someone close to me? The last time I saw him was in the hospital. I haven't been in one since."

Dre pulled into a strip mall, parked, and faced her. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you also have memories of your surgery. I should've realized."

"It's not your fault, and I don't remember my surgery." The only indication the open heart surgery even happened was the scar that divided her chest. "I just haven't been in a hospital since the night Oliver died."

Compassion and concern filled his expression. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She did, she truly did, except there was too much to tell, too much to explain, too much pain to deal with at this moment. "One day, yes, just not right now."

~

Dre got back on theroad and thought of how the day had been a peculiar mix of devastation at seeing the tornado's destruction in broad daylight, enjoyment at shopping with Quinn, disappointment at not being able to visit Simon, and then heartbreak at seeing Quinn in tears.

He couldn't change what happened, so he concentrated on going forward and asked, "The car window repairmen will be at the house in the morning, right?"

"At seven. I'll get a substitute for tomorrow."

"I'm heading back to Dallas later today. How will you get to the house?"

"Uber," she said easily.

"I wish I could stay to help."

"You've already helped so much. I'm not sure what we'd have done without you the last twenty-four hours."

"Glad I could help." He turned onto the Chasing Time grounds and waved to the men who manned the gate. Since Chasing Time was a 55+ community, residents and guests were free to come and go. The guards kept track of visitors for peace of mind and safety of the residents. The lush grass and foliage of the golf course lined the street.

"Your mother's offer for us to stay here was exactly what we needed last night."

"Ivan told me he is going to try to convince your grandmother to stay for a little while."

"I hope she agrees. It would be peace of mind for me. When school started I suggested we hire someone to come in each day to drive them around, run errands, and clean the house, but my grandmother took it as an insult." She sighed. "The insurance company requested replacement values on everything we lost, so that should keep them busy. I've heard people who've gone through losses like ours speak about photographing your entire house. Items in your drawers, closets, cabinets, light fixtures, and on and on, but you never think you'll suffer such a loss."

He parked next to the front door of the apartment building. "Yeah. I'm going to do it this week at my place in Dallas."

She didn't look eager to get out of the truck. "What's your penthouse like?"

Last night, he'd mentioned he lived on the top floor of a downtown apartment building. "I'll send you pictures."

"I'd like that."

They slid from the vehicle, grabbed her purchases, and walked inside.

The front lobby opened to a huge room separated by a hallway. On the left was a sitting area with tables, chairs, and couches. On the right was a cafeteria. In the center, the hallway led to the apartments. Laughter came from the sitting area. Ivan sat around a table with five other people, cards in their hands. Other residents were scattered in groups around the room—working on a puzzle, playing dominoes, and huddled around board games.

Bobby Gee talked loudly at the card table, probably telling one of his many stories about life as a cop. He'd been on the force with Dre's father when he'd been killed in the line of duty. The people around the table howled again, some almost out of breath from laughing.

Ivan glanced toward the doorway, rose, and rushed over to them while gesturing to the bags. "How did it go?"

All the people in the room looked toward the door and called greetings to Dre.

Quinn handed Ivan a couple of the packages she was carrying. "Got everything on the list."

"Wonderful. Wonderful."

"Where's Grandma?"

Ivan grimaced. "We argued about whether to stay here or go to a hotel. She finally relented and I spoke to Mama B about renting the rooms we have for the near future. Estelle's pouting. She didn't want to go to the cafeteria for lunch and says she won't attend dinner either."

Dre felt sorry for the woman. "Her life has been turned upside down. This must be her way of dealing with it."

"Sure." Quinn agreed and turned to her grandfather. "I'm glad you're not letting her stop you from joining in the different activities."

"I love to play games. Oh, that reminds me, I need to return by seven for Mahjong. I've only ever played on the computer. It should be fun against other people."

They started down the hallway and, once at her grandparents' door, Dre stood outside the room. Quinn entered, and Dre handed the packages he was carrying to Ivan. "I'm returning to Dallas tonight. You and Quinn have my phone number if you need to call me."

"I can't thank you enough for everything." He transferred the packages to one hand and shook Dre's hand with the other.

"Glad I could help. I'm sure the next few days will be trying. I hope all goes well."

Quinn dashed out of the room, a few bags still in her hands. "I'll be back, Grandpa. I need to put these in my room."

Ivan looked at Dre one last time. "Be careful and good luck next Sunday. I'll be watching the game."

Quinn latched on to Dre's arm as they walked to her room. Residents said hi and curiously watched them. Once at her room, he waited in the open doorway as she put down her packages. She gestured him inside.

He shook his head. "Too many eyes. If I come inside, you'll be fending off questions about what we were doing in here."

A disappointed frown touched her lips. "I'm sure you're right."

"I'm glad I got more time with you today."

Quinn approached and stopped when they were face to face. "Me too."

He wanted to close the distance between them, press his body to hers, and feel her curves. His body came alive at the mere thought. He inhaled, remembering to take things slow.

Her eyes searched his. "Thanks for everything."

"My pleasure. I leave with the team on Wednesday for New York. If you need to talk, though, I'm a text or phone call away."

"Okay. Have a safe trip."

As he reached out to run his fingers through her hair, he caught a flash of someone in his periphery and dropped his hand.

"Dre."

He spun toward the voice as Bobby Gee hurried his way. In his eighties, his white hair was thick on top and cut very short. Tall and thin, he walked with a slight limp. Dre knew he'd taken a bullet in the knee before he left the police force.

When he saw Quinn, the man stopped. "Oh. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Bobby Gee, have you met Quinn Weldon?"

"At breakfast. Hello again." Bobby put his hands in his pockets. "Dre, your mother said you'd change the AC filter in my room."

Chasing Time employed a full-time maintenance employee who'd suffered a broken leg a month ago. The temp they hired stayed busy with daily emergencies and everyday cleaning, leaving a list of extra things that needed to be done. Mama B did what she always did and volunteered Dre to fix them. He didn't mind helping and knocked most of it out on Friday and Saturday. This morning he'd finished all but two things. "I'm on my way to get the ladder."

Bobby smiled at Quinn. "He's a good one."

"Yes, he is."

When Bobby turned and took off, Dre glanced around to find the hall empty. He knew someone would be along any moment, so he quickly leaned over and tenderly kissed Quinn on the lips. After meeting her eyes once more, he left.

He grabbed a ladder, an air filter, and the toolbox from the utility closet and rode the elevator to the second floor. The door at the end of the hallway stood open. Dre raised his hand to knock on the doorframe when Bobby Gee said, "No need to knock."

Dre entered the apartment filled with modern furniture in every color of the rainbow.

"I could change the damn thing myself if Thelma wasn't terrified I'd fall off the ladder."

"In her defense, the last time you tried to change the air filter you did fall off the ladder."

Bobby complained, "Still I'm not an invalid."

"No one's calling you an invalid. You pay a service fee for someone else to take care of these things."

"It's emasculating."

"Only if you let it be." Dre set up the ladder and changed the filter before heading to Mrs. Silver's room.

She was one of the first residents to sign up to live at Chasing Time. She'd told him her husband died years ago after struggling with diabetes most of his life. The door to her room stood wide open, and she sat in a chair facing the window. He knocked.

She twisted around, her gray hair in a bun at the base of her neck. Snuggled in a pink blanket, she said, "Hi, Dre."

"I'm here to fix your leaky sink."

"It isn't bad, just a slow drip."

"Then it shouldn't take me long." Her room was spotless, and the bathroom smelled of Pine Sol. He used a wrench from the toolbox and changed the washer in the faucet. Once finished, he tried the faucet. No leak.

He walked out of the bathroom. "All done."

"Thank you." Usually spry and upbeat, her words were quiet, pensive.

His senses detected the downheartedness draped around her. He set the toolbox by the door, walked over, and sat in the chair next to her. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No."

"Are you feeling well?"

"A bit melancholy. It's my Raymond's birthday. Even after twenty years, I miss him." Her lips trembled. "Do you think I'll see him again after I die?"

Unsure how to answer, he held quiet while he thought of a response.

"There are so many versions of the afterlife." She motioned her hands in a circle. "I'm unsure what to believe."

"I've never really thought about it."

"I do so wish it to be true. Oh, to be in Raymond's arms again would be magical."

He patted her hand on the chair arm. "While we're alive, we may as well think and believe the way we want things to be in the afterlife. What can it hurt? If you see him again, you'll be happy, and if you don't, I don't believe you'll know the difference."

"What a great way to think about it. I'll do that." Her next words were wistfully spoken. "Dre, I hope you find someone to share your life with who makes every day better."

Quinn's green eyes flashed in his mind. There was something about her. Last night, finding her on the lawn, his disheveled genie, he wanted to scoop her up and take her somewhere to protect her, to stop her shaking, and to comfort her.

While her worry for her grandparents remained on full display, he recognized a sadness she tried to keep hidden.

Yet a lightness, a brightness, radiated from her. He'd witnessed it in the way she'd been able to joke with him last night after such a devastating shock.

He wondered if she even knew she possessed such brightness.

Stay open-minded. Things aren't always what they seem to be. ~ Scottie Waves