Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

HAYES

"No fucking way."

"Way."

Lawson shakes his head. "I'm calling bullshit."

"Then you'd be wrong."

"Bet you can't even hit 180."

Keller scoffs. "Bet I can hit 220."

"Prove it, and I'll buy drinks tonight. You lose, you buy them."

"Uh, everyone's drinks?" Fox asks, raising his hand like we're in a classroom or something.

Lawson nods, not taking his eyes off Keller. "Everyone's."

"Do it," Locke says. "Take the bet."

"I bet he hits 230," Hutch adds.

Now, anyone other than Lawson would realize the entire room is against him and take it as a sign, but of course, he doesn't. Instead, he holds his hand out to Keller, and they shake on the deal.

I can't wait for my free drinks.

This is all completely ridiculous, but it's the perfect distraction from thinking about Flora at home with Quinn. It's the only thing I could focus on throughout the team meeting. Are they getting along? Is Flora just hiding away in her room? Is Quinn being nice to her? Is Quinn paying attention to her? Will Flora hate me for dumping her off on someone else and compare me to my brother?

Then we hit the ice, and my mind calmed the second my skate glided across the slick surface. I skated until my legs were tired, then I skated some more, and one thing was obvious—I've missed being out there. I've missed who I am on the ice. It felt like coming home, like how everything did before my brother fucked me over.

Now the guys are being idiots, and I missed this too. Keller smirks over at me before resting on the bench and gripping the bar.

Lawson adds some weight, then steps to the top of the bench, readying his hands to catch the weights if Keller can't lift them. "That's 150. We'll start small."

Keller grunts and holds his breath as he shoves the bar with a struggle everyone other than Lawson knows is fake.

"Dude, you're already wobbling." Lawson laughs, then adds another ten pounds. "No way you're going to be able to lift this."

Keller lets go of the bar, shaking his hands out like this is exhausting him. He repositions himself and pushes the weight up, again pretending to struggle. He sets the bar back on the rack, and Lawson stands over him with a satisfied smirk.

"You ready to tap out?" asks the golden retriever in human form.

"Nah. Let's do 180."

Lawson's brows shoot up. "You sure?"

"Yep. Stack them on there."

Keller sits up, putting on a show of being out of breath, grinning at me, Locke, Fox, and Hutch. Lawson whistles jauntily while he loads the bar with the new weight. He claps his hands when he's finished, then rubs them together.

"All right. Whenever you're ready, man. Don't want to hurt you, so if you need to call it…"

Keller shakes his head. "Not a chance. Let's do this."

He settles back on the bench, grips the bar, and takes a deep breath. Lawson's grin widens, his eyes bright with excitement like he just won a million bucks even though the bet isn't over.

My favorite part? When that light extinguishes in a split second the moment Keller lifts the bar like it's a feather.

"What the fuck? H-How… W-What…" Lawson sputters.

"Add twenty," Keller demands.

"Now wait a damn minute. I?—"

"Fox, add twenty."

"You got it, Kells." Our goalie slides by Lawson and adds another twenty pounds to the bar.

Once again, Keller lifts it with ease. He keeps going, adding ten pounds at a time until he hits 250, then he slams the bar back down, and this time when he sits up and begins sucking in deep breaths, it's genuine.

He smirks over at Lawson, who is standing there with his hands on his hips and his brows pulled tightly together. "Did I win?"

"You played me," Lawson accuses.

The team grump shrugs. "It's not playing you if I just know my own strength." He nods to us. "Should have listened to the guys when they started betting against you."

Lawson points to each of us. "Betrayal! Betrayal! Betrayal!"

He gives us all a glare, and we just laugh at him.

Keller stands, clapping him on the back. "Poor, poor, stupid Lawsy. I think I'll take that drink now. "

Lawson grumbles, shaking Keller's hand off him, then stomping out of the gym to the showers. Eventually we all follow him, rinsing off and heading to our cars, promising to meet at Top Shelf, the local sports bar we tend to frequent. With the game being so new in Seattle, it's nice to have a place to go where we're welcome and feel at home.

After fighting for street parking—and Lawson cutting me off to steal my spot—I stumble into the bar and am immediately greeted by the bartender behind the counter.

"Hayesy!" Chaz calls out. "Where the hell have you been, man?"

Before Flora came to live with me, I used to spend a lot of evenings here. And by a lot, I mean every evening. Nothing beats cheap beer and women who will do anything to say they slept with a hockey player.

"Chaz," I say, bumping my fist against his as I approach the counter. "Good to see you, man. How's business?"

"Be even better with you hanging around. Where have you been?" he asks again.

"Busy," I tell him, which isn't entirely untrue. "But now that I'm here, I'd love a cold beer."

"You got it."

"Put it on Lawson's tab!" I holler as he moves to pour my usual IPA, a local hazy brew I love .

Hutch walks in with Fox, then Locke, Keller trailing after them. The captain sits to my left, Keller to my right, and Locke on his other side.

"Keller, you fucker!" Lawson calls as he comes barreling through the door two seconds later.

"What'd I do?" the man in question asks, Lawson shoving him right off the stool and stealing it.

" That's for putting the sign on the back of my car."

Keller laughs. "Oh, you mean the one that says Honk If You Swallow Too ? How many beeps did you get?"

Lawson just glares at him, then turns to Chaz. "Unfortunately, I'm buying everyone's drinks tonight. Give them all light beer, will you?"

The bartender laughs, used to our shit, and takes everyone else's order, then sets about pouring our drinks. When he slides them over to us, Lawson immediately lifts his into the air.

"Serpents Singles, baby! We're back!" But nobody lifts their glass along with him, and he pouts. "Aw, come on. This is our reunion. Why isn't everyone jazzed?"

"First of all, nobody says jazzed except old people. No offense, Locke," Fox says.

"I'm not old," the old man grumbles. "And you're not even single anymore, Lawsy."

"So? Neither is Hutchy. "

"Hutchy who didn't even want to be part of this stupid club in the first place," Hutch says with a scowl.

"But is still so, so happy he is." Lawson grins at him, then takes a swig of his lager.

"You two are all in love and shit. Should you even be in this club?" I ask.

Fox pokes his head around Locke. "I thought we established that we're still a club, whether single or not."

"Then how can we be called the Serpents Singles if we're not single?" I ask.

"Just shut up and be happy you are even part of the club, new kid."

"Hey, be nice, Lawson," Locke says. "He's not new anymore, and he's not a kid either now that he has one. Sort of." The veteran player turns his attention to me. "How is that going, by the way?"

"Yeah, you never called me back after you said you found a nanny." Lawson pouts like he's genuinely offended I never returned his call, and knowing him, he really might be.

"Wait, you found a nanny?" Fox asks.

I sling back my beer, already annoyed with all the questions, then nod. "I think so. I hope so."

I do hope so. As much as I wish it weren't Quinn given everything Bess has told me about her, I genuinely think she could help bring Flora back to life. Make her a normal seven-year-old who laughs and smiles and is a little wild. Not how she is now, quiet as a mouse and afraid of her own shadow, thanks to my brother.

"Who is it? Is she a babe?" Lawson asks. "I mean, I'm super in love with Rory, so I'm asking for you, not for me, just so we're all clear."

"More like so Rory won't feed you your nuts for breakfast." Keller smirks. "Though I do love the idea of her doing that."

"First of all, that's rude." Lawson looks to me. "Second, is she a babe?" I scowl at his question, and he laughs. "Oh, so she is hot."

"I never said that."

He points at me. "Your face just did."

I smack his hand away. "No, it didn't."

"It kind of did." Locke shrugs. "You got all scowly like Hutchy gets when people bring up Auden."

"Yeah, because she's?—"

"Mine" we all say at the same time.

"We know," Keller adds. "It's not like we're hitting on her or anything. We're just saying she's got a great?—"

"I swear to fuck the next word out of your mouth better not be rack, or you'll be eating your teeth." Hutch glowers at Keller .

"Personality," he finishes. "We're impressed she's so down to earth, being a billionaire and all."

Lawson whistles lowly. "Wow. Okay. Anyone else just get a little tingly watching Hutchy go all caveman just now? I'm starting to get why women love that."

"Fucking hell. Please stop talking, Lawsy." Locke shakes his head, downing his beer, then lifting his hand for another.

"So, back to my question…" Fox clears his throat. "You found a nanny? Or at least hope you did? What does that mean?"

"We're doing a trial run. She's with Flora right now."

"Oh, a trial run. That's a good idea." Fox nods. "Anyone we know?"

I shake my head. "Nah. You know that bakery I go to all the time out by my house? It's the owner's daughter. She was in a pinch, I was in a pinch, and Flora seems to like her, so…" I lift my shoulders.

"Wait. Do you mean that chick who made your coffee wrong, and you wouldn't stop complaining about her and her weird cats-in-pajamas earrings and how someone with that great of an ass shouldn't wear something so stupid?"

I want to roll my eyes just thinking of Quinn and her ridiculous earrings. They're bizarre and don't even kind of match her outfits, but somehow, they still make perfect sense for her.

"It wasn't cats, it was goats, and yeah, that's her."

"So she is hot, then."

"I didn't say that."

But she is hot. Very, very hot, a little fact I've been trying hard to ignore.

"You said she has a great ass, so you're clearly into her."

"That's not…" I pinch the bridge of my nose, exhausted by Lawson. And to think, just an hour ago, I was thinking about how much I missed these obnoxious assholes.

The truth is…if I had met Quinn a few months ago, I probably would have liked her wild side. I would have been wild with her. But not now. Now, I just need her as a babysitter for my niece, and that's it.

"Why haven't we heard of her before?" Locke asks.

"Because you were gone all summer. And you two dicks were gone too." Lawson sends an accusatory glare at Hutch and Keller, who don't look at all sorry about bailing for the summer.

"We were building a house, then went on vacation. I don't regret a single night I spent away." Hutch smirks into his beer like he's remembering exactly what he did while he was gone .

"I was with family." Locke shrugs. "Someone's gotta be the fun uncle."

Lawson looks at Keller. "What's your excuse for running off to…well, wherever the fuck you were hiding?"

"No excuse. I just wanted to get as far away from you as possible, Lawsy."

We all laugh because we know it's true, though I am curious where Keller was. He answered all the group chats readily, but he's the only one who never fessed up his location. He's always been like that, though. Anytime someone asks him something personal, he deflects. I can't blame him. I do it, too, especially if someone brings up family. There's a mile-long list of shit I'd rather talk about than them. Nobody wants to hear about their fuckery.

"Is she going to live with you?" Lawson asks. "Because if you're crushing on her, that's probably not a good idea."

"For fuck's sake. It's not a crush. Saying someone has a great ass does not equate to a crush."

"I don't know…Rory has a great ass, and I'm definitely crushing on her."

"Booo!"

"Gross!"

"Is that a boner? "

Lawson covers his junk. "You wouldn't see it if you weren't looking, Kells!"

"Shit, he's got you there." Hutch laughs.

The conversation around my new nanny dies down, shifting to something else that's equally absurd. I do my best to pay attention, but it's no use. I'm officially distracted, and all I can think is Quinn really does have a nice ass.

The house looks quiet as I pull my SUV into the driveway and shut off the engine, and I'm not sure if I'm unsettled by that or relieved.

I stayed out longer than I planned to. I probably should have gone straight home to Flora after the training session, but I couldn't resist going out with the guys. Even though the guilt is setting in now, I can't find it in me to regret it. I needed the break, to let off a little steam. The camaraderie is the one thing I miss the most during the offseason. Being part of something bigger, hanging with the guys. I'd never tell them that because they'd make fun of me endlessly, but it's true.

It's one of the biggest hurdles of having Flora now—being unable to go out whenever I please. I'm not a homebody and never have been. I can't stand sitting around with my thoughts. I need something—or someone—to distract me. With the kid around now, I don't have that luxury anymore.

I climb out of my new, totally safe and boring SUV—the one I bought because there was no way Flora was riding in my Porsche 911 GT3 RS—grab my gym bag, and head for the front door.

Hand on the knob, I pause.

Are those voices I hear? Is someone here? Did Quinn invite a stranger into my house? Is she already screwing this up too?

I push the door open, expecting to find someone, but I only see a startled-looking Quinn sitting on the couch, the TV playing in the background.

Ah. That's the voices.

But where's Flora? I check my watch. It's only five PM. It's too early for her to be in bed already.

"What are you?—"

She holds her finger to her lips, silencing me, then points to her lap.

I pad farther into the room and peer over the couch. Flora is sound asleep on Quinn's legs. She's wearing a crown that looks a little familiar, and she's snoring softly. There's a book lying over her chest like she fell asleep reading.

And fuck, it's adorable.

I smile down at her. "How long…"

"Only about thirty minutes. She was reading out loud to me, then the next thing I knew, she was out. We had a busy day, so I'm not surprised."

I lift my brows. "You did?"

Quinn nods, her eyes shining with excitement. "We played tag in the backyard, then hide-and-seek—which I won, thank you very much. We drew pictures, made sandwiches for lunch, built a fort in her room, and then decided to build a fort out here, too, because what living room isn't better with a fort? She wanted to read more of her book, so I suggested she read out loud to me to get some speaking practice in." She looks down at the sleeping girl. "Worked a little too well, maybe."

I have no words. I had an image in my head of what their day would look like, and that certainly wasn't it. I thought maybe they'd talk a little, but I figured Quinn would mainly play on her phone while Flora read or played quietly in her room. But it doesn't seem like that happened at all.

"My legs are completely numb," Quinn whispers, still peering down at the worn-out kid.

"Here, I got her."

I round the couch, carefully cradling Flora in my arms. She stirs a little, and slowly, her blue eyes pop open. She blinks once. Twice.

"Uncle Adam?" she asks softly.

"Yes, Flora?"

"I'm hungry. "

I laugh. "I can fix that."

"Oh, um, about that…" Quinn winces. "Are you aware you have almost nothing in your fridge or cabinets? I used the last of the lunchmeat for Flora's sandwich and gave her some chips I had in my bag and the last of my butterscotch candies, which you now owe me a bag of, by the way."

Fuck. I knew I needed to do some shopping, but I didn't realize I needed to do it that badly. I'm glad Quinn could find something for Flora's lunch, but does that mean she didn't eat?

"We're going to dinner, then the store. Get your shoes on." I look down at Flora. "Would you like me to carry you to your chariot, Princess Flora?"

My niece giggles as I carry her to the door. "Yes."

"Wait!" Quinn calls after us, tripping over the many blankets—where the hell did she find all those?—trying to catch up. "Dinner? I?—"

"Have been here all day and need to eat. Shoes. Let's go."

Her eyes narrow to slits, her lips turning down, and I know she's a second away from arguing about this. I really don't want to hear it.

"Hayes, you are not taking me to dinner."

As if on cue, her stomach growls— loudly . Even Flora's brows rise at the noise.

"Your body says otherwise. Now, are you going to stand here and argue with me, or are you going to get in the car and go to dinner with us? I bet Flora would love to spend more time with you, right, kid?"

She nods eagerly in my arms. I shouldn't be leveraging her against Quinn, but she shouldn't be so damn stubborn, either. I should have also made sure there was enough food in the house today, but that was then, this is now, and I'm trying to fix that fuckup, okay?

Quinn smiles softly, and I know it's a smile for Flora and Flora alone. "All right. I'll come. But I'm getting fries, and you're not allowed to have any."

I squeeze my brows together. "O…kay?"

She rolls her eyes. "Not you. Her. "

Flora giggles. "Deal."

I wonder what that's about, but I figure I'll learn soon enough.

Quinn follows us to the car, and I drop Flora to her feet to open the door. She climbs into the SUV, buckling herself into her booster seat—something I had no idea was even a thing until some mom went off on me in the grocery store parking lot—then I hop into the front just as Quinn is sliding in too.

"This is nice," she says, looking around. "Still has that new-car smell."

"You think this is nice, wait until you see what I have hidden away in the garage. "

I haven't had a chance to take my sports car out lately, but maybe if this arrangement with Quinn works out, I can change that.

I back out of the driveway, heading toward the little diner I know Flora loves to eat at. We're quiet on our way there, Flora reading a book she keeps stashed in the seat pocket and Quinn sitting oddly still next to me as I navigate rush-hour traffic. We finally pull into the lot twenty minutes later and pile out of the car.

"Hayes!" Tex, the owner, calls as we walk through the door of the retro-looking establishment. This is another place Flora and I come far too often, but the food is cheap, and Flora likes it, so it's good enough for me. "Grab a seat wherever, and I'll be right over."

I let Flora lead us to our table and watch as she slides into the aqua and white vinyl booth. I go to get in next to her so Quinn can have her own side, but Flora holds her hand up.

"May I please sit next to Miss Quinn?"

I look down at the tawny-haired woman trying to hide her smile and shrug.

"All right, little flower," Quinn tells her as she scooches in next to her. "But only if you promise to drop the Miss part. It's just Quinn."

"Okay, Just Quinn."

Holy shit. Flora made a joke! I've never heard her make one before. It's so…strange. And normal. So fucking normal, and I love it.

I slide in opposite them, trying not to gape at her with surprise. If she notices my delight, she doesn't say anything. She's too busy rearranging the sugar packets so they're all facing the same way and are tucked down into their holder nice and neat.

"Well, I didn't realize we had royalty in the building," Tex says, appearing at the end of the table, his tattoos peeking out from under his black polo as he passes out two adult menus and one kids menu. I don't know why he's bothering with one for Flora and me, as we always get the same thing. "Should I bow?"

Flora's cheeks flush red, and she shakes her head, sliding down in the booth a little.

Tex laughs. "Good to see you again, Hayes. Are the Serpents ready to bring us the Cup this season?"

"I hope so. Looking forward to getting back out on the ice."

Being out there today felt good, but it wasn't enough. Hell, I don't think it'll ever be enough. When I fell in love with hockey, I fell hard, and now it's like an addiction I can't seem to shake.

"Good. We're going to be rooting for you." He claps me on the shoulder. "You want your usual drink?"

"Please. "

"No problem." He turns to Flora. "And for you, Your Majesty?"

"Chocolate milk, please, Mr. Tex."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." He grins at her before turning to Quinn. "Looks like we got a crasher. What'll it be, sweetheart?"

Something unfamiliar shoots through me as Tex smiles down at Quinn. I like the guy well enough, but I don't at all like that he just called Quinn sweetheart .

"Diet Coke, if you got it."

"Sure thing." He winks at her. "Be right back with those."

I scowl after him, not bothering to pick up my menu like Quinn. She peruses it for only a moment before setting it back down.

"You find something?"

She shrugs. "All diner food is the same. As long as I get fries with my meal, I'm good with whatever." She turns to Flora. "What are you getting?"

"Grilled cheese with pickles."

"Pickles?" Quinn wrinkles her nose. "You like those things?"

Flora nods. "I love them."

It's one of the few things I try to keep stocked in the fridge, especially after I caught her sneaking them in the middle of the night the first week she lived with me. Since then, I make sure we always have a jar, just in case.

"Well, I knew you had to have at least one flaw." Quinn ruffles her hair, careful not to mess up her crown.

Speaking of…

"Where'd the crown come from?"

"My teddy bear," Flora answers. "It fell off, and Just Quinn fixed it."

Ah. So that's why it looked vaguely familiar.

"I found some super glue in the hall closet and patched it right up. Then, we both agreed crowns belong to princesses, not stuffed animals. Right, little flower?"

Flora nods.

It's not the first time Quinn's called her little flower . I have no idea where the nickname came from, but I don't miss the way Flora's eyes light up every time it's said.

"All right. Here are those drinks for you." Tex passes out our cups, then grabs his pen and paper. "What'll it be?"

"Usual for us two," I say, wagging my finger between me and Flora.

"Grilled chicken sandwich with chipotle mayo and tomatoes. Fries for the side. And a grilled cheese with pickles. Got it." He jots it all down before looking at Quinn. "And for you, sweetheart?"

I grind my teeth at the pet name.

"I'll take a bacon cheeseburger, medium rare, with no lettuce, a side of fries, and a big bowl of mayo, please."

He lifts his brows. "A woman who eats. I like it." He scribbles her order down, then tucks his pen away. "All right. I'll get this in. Shouldn't be too long of a wait."

He hurries off to the ordering station, leaving the three of us sitting in silence. It's not awkward, but it's not comfortable either. It reminds me a lot of those oddly tensioned meals I used to have when I was a kid.

I clear my throat. "Did you have fun today, Flora?"

She lifts her head from her sugar packet project, her vivid cerulean eyes shining with delight. "We built a fort."

" Two forts," Quinn corrects. "Can't forget the one in the living room."

Flora scrunches her nose. "I don't think that one counts. It kept falling on us."

"Fort building is a very complicated skill."

"Didn't look that hard to me." The kid shrugs.

Quinn crosses her arms over her chest. "Well, if you're so good at it, you get the blankets down from the top shelf next time. "

"I can't reach. I have little arms." Flora tosses her arms in the air.

"Then quit bragging about your fort-making skills, Little Arms."

Little Arms huffs, but she's grinning while she does it. It's the most playful I've ever seen my niece, and I'm almost jealous of Quinn's ability to come in here and bond with her as she has. It's not that I want to be building forts with a seven-year-old or anything, but it's good to see the kid being…well, a kid.

"What about you, Hayes?" Quinn asks, bringing me into the conversation, like she's sensing how I'm feeling. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah, Uncle Adam. Did you have fun today?"

I grin at her echo. "Well, it wasn't fort building, but I did get to skate, and I always find that fun."

Flora tips her head to the side. "What's it like?"

"Skating?"

She nods. It's the first time she's ever asked me about my career. She obviously knows what I do from me taking her to the rink all the time, but she's never been curious enough to ask more about it.

"Well, it's fuc— fudging magical," I say, stopping myself from cussing at the last second. I'm sure she's heard worse from living with her father, but still. "It feels like you're floating almost. "

She screws her lips up. "Like when you're in the bathtub and you lie on your back?"

"Yes, exactly like that." I point at her. "Only this time, you're standing upright, and the wind is whipping against your face and it's fun . The best feeling in the world. It's my favorite thing."

Her eyes widen like she can't believe what she's hearing. "Can I try it?"

Now it's my turn for wide eyes. "You want to try skating?"

She nods. "I think it would be fun. And you do it…"

Pride swells through me. She wants to skate. Like me.

Skating is what kept me going when I was younger. It was the only escape I had from my parents and Aiden and all their bullshit. If I hadn't had the local rink where I spent absolutely all my free time, I'm not sure how my life would have ended up.

"Then we'll go skating," I promise, sure I can figure out a way to get her out there soon.

"Wait. Is it cold?" she asks, suddenly looking a little worried, like she's just realized we'll be on ice.

Quinn laughs. "Don't worry, I'm sure Uncle Adam will bundle you right up and you won't even realize you're on ice."

Adam .

She hasn't said my name before. It's…strange. And even stranger that I don't hate it. I always prefer to be called Hayes—have since I started playing hockey—but hearing it now…well, it's not the worst thing ever.

"Coming in hot!" Tex warns.

We move our glasses out of the way as he sets our plates in front of us.

"You folks need anything else, you holler," he says before leaving us to our dinner.

The second the scent of the chicken sandwich hits my nose, my stomach grumbles, and I realize just how hungry I am after my workouts today. I pick it up, taking a massive bite before it even registers that Quinn's not touching her food.

I swallow. "What's wrong?"

"They forgot her pickles. I'll be right back."

She rises from the bench seat, ready to charge after Tex in Flora's honor.

"Wait." I hold my hand up. "They didn't forget them." I point to the grilled cheese. "They're in there."

She wrinkles her nose. "They're…in the sandwich?"

Flora looks up, her teeth clamped around her grilled-cheese-and-pickle sandwich, looking completely innocent as she digs into the monstrosity.

I laugh at the disgust as Quinn watches her. "Yes, they're in the sandwich. Gross, isn't it? "

"Does that mean you fibbed earlier when you said you don't eat weird stuff?"

Flora giggles around her sandwich, shaking her head. She swallows down the huge bite of the horrid combination. "It's not weird. It's good."

"Whatever you say, kid." Quinn shrugs, reaching over her for the ketchup, then flipping open the top and squeezing a huge glob right into the big bowl of mayo on her plate. She picks up a fry, stirs the concoction up with it, and eats it.

Now I'm completely disgusted, and one look at how Flora's lips are turned down and her brows are furrowed tells me I'm not alone.

"What?" Quinn asks with a shrug. "It's not weird, it's good, remember?" She holds a fry out to Flora. "You want to try?"

"I thought I wasn't allowed any."

"I mean, you did make faces earlier when I told you I love ketchup and mayo with my fries. However, I'm willing to make an exception…but only once. Mostly because I know you're going to love it."

Flora doesn't look like she believes Quinn one bit, but she surprises me by reaching for the fry. "Fine."

She gingerly dips just the tip of it into the mayo-and-ketchup mixture and tentatively bites into it. At first, she seems unsure, but then her eyes brighten, and I know Quinn's just coaxed her over to the dark side .

"Do you like it?" Quinn asks, and the kid nods eagerly. She laughs. "See? I told you so."

She takes a handful of the fries off her plate and sets them on Flora's, putting the repulsive blend on the table between them.

A dipped fry is shoved my way. "You want to try?"

"I'd rather eat a trash-can-flavored donut with extra rotten banana slivers on it."

Quinn looks confused, but Flora? She howls with laughter, and I love every second of it. Unfortunately, that's how I spend the rest of my dinner—watching them enjoy their weird meals while I eat my very normal chicken sandwich and plain fries. They share looks, giggling like they have their own inside jokes already when they've only spent a day together, and I know one thing for sure—Flora needs Quinn. This is what she's been missing.

"May I use the restroom?" Flora asks after we're finished with our dinner.

"Of course." Quinn scooches from the bench, letting her out. "We'll be right here when you get back."

She watches Flora the whole way to the bathroom, not sitting down until she makes it safely inside. The diner is small, and there's an extremely slim chance anything could happen to her here, but I admire Quinn's protectiveness .

"So," she says as she settles back on the bench, "did I pass your test today? Am I hired?"

"Do you want to be hired?" I toss back.

Are you sure you're ready for this? That's what I'm really asking her.

"I had more fun today than I've had in a long time, and I really like Flora. So, if you're on board, I'm on board."

"Even if it means living with me?"

She rolls her eyes. "I think I can manage," she says indifferently, but I don't miss how her hands tremble as she picks up her Diet Coke, taking a long pull.

I hold my hand out to her. "Should we shake on it?"

She sets her drink down, wiping her hand on her thigh before extending it out my way. Our palms slide together, hers still a little damp from holding her glass, mine covering hers almost completely.

"Deal?"

"Deal," she echoes.

We shake.

And I pretend I don't like the feel of her hand against mine.