Loving Quinn Novel by North Rose

Annom de 15)

I pulled my hair sp into a messy bun, pulled my tennis shoes on, then called myself ready for the day. I am not out to Impress anyone. So, my cut-off jean shorts and faded red * **Mouse t-shirt will do for my aftemoon of fishing with Grandpa. We normally fish right off the boat dock behind the house, but today he wants to go across the water to a new spot. It is farther away from the house, and I think he chose that spot to give us more datance from my parents.

Mom and dad spent a good portion of the night in their mom arguing over my living situation for the fall. I was tempted to pull my mom aside and ask her to give it a rest. There is no stopping dad once he makes a decision. Nothing be arranged fee is bad, well except the driver, I don’t need a babysitter. That is what Hank, my driver, will be. A glorified babysitter.

I want to know if my mother would rather have me on the medical campus in student housing. I wouldn’t mind that, but my father set up my space, so I will take it. To be able to study without all the other students around will be nice. To have my od shower, where no one will barge in while I am naked, will be the best part. I can’t count how many times over the years my brothers have done that to me. Much to their instant regret,

Iron down the stairs to meet Grandpa on the back porch. He wanted to go at sunrise, but cominced him to wait until ten am, to head out. I open the screen door to see that he is waiting for me like he said he would be. Two fishing poles, his ratty old tackle box, and a little blur igloo cooler. Inside that cooler will be two cans of root beer, two turkey sandwiches, and a single apple turnover. It is the same lunch Grandma has packed us every time we go fishing

I will miss her apple turnovers, but knowing my grandmother, she will send me some once a month to remind me of home.

“You ready to head out, Annie? Grandpa turns to me when he hears the screen door close behind me.

“Let’s get going. Pops.” I tell him as I

I grab one of the fahing poles and the lunch bas

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We set off to walk around the lake to his new fishing spot. I know he has something he wants to talk to me about since he keeps fidgeting with his watch. For Grandpa, that is a telltale sign that he has something weighing on his mind. I wait for him to speak, but he stays silent the entire walk around the lake. This worries me since he is not known to keep much to himself for long

When we finally reach the spot, I can tell that it has been used recently by the boot prints in the dirt. They are bigger than Grandpa’s, so I know it wasn’t him. There is a long log pulled up close to the bank. This will come in handy as we fish. Grandpa sits his tackle box on one end of the log, and I sit the lunch box on the other

end

Within a few more minutes, with our lines!

we both cast out. I glance at Grandpa, and be is Edgeting again with his watch. I wait some more. He will say what is on his mind when he has finished working out how to say it. We have all afternoon to talk. Tam in no rush to know what he is so conormed about.

“Why is your mother so upset that Alex is setting you up well in England?” Grandpa finally asks.

Everyone in the house heard them arguing last night. I am not surprised that Grandpa would want to know why my mother is so mad. I honestly don’t understandi myself. I thought the would be happy that my father made the arrangements so she wouldn’t have to worry about it. I guess not, but knowing my mother there à more to her anger than my living arrangements.

“I think she is angry that he set it all up without asking her. I am sure she would he loved to help pick out the flat, help decorate it, and all those minste details only she can get right. He just bulldosed over her and did it all on his own. You know, like he always does with stuff like that.” I tell him as I watch the water.

“He tends to steam roll right over people, doesn’t he? After all this time, I would think your mother would be used to it, but I can understand the sting of it could still hurt her. How long have they been fighting about it?” Grandpa says. Then he reels in a fish.

First catch of the day goes to him. Point one for Grandpa.

“They have been arguing every time he is home for about a week now. I have no idea why she keeps bringing it up when him. I let out a chuckle when I **k a fish and reel it in.

all arranged and done.” I replied to

Two fish in our bucket. Tied soon.

“We, I think later tonight when you.

the boys go out to the fair in town, I will sit your parents down and have a chat. They need to realize how their bickering is affecting you” Grandpa said as he reeled his line in to add more bait. One greedy fish got away.

“But I’m not really. I start to say, but the look he gives me has me shutting my mouth.

“know you won’t say anything, Annie, and that is part of the problem. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. They are hurting you with their fighting

1/3

Chapter 13

and it needs to stop. You are going of to England alone. To Medical School alone. Are you scared?” Grandpa looks over at me with those big brown eyes of his

This is exactly why he knows me better than anyone else in my family. He sees and ears more than they all know. He listens to me about everything I say to him. Grandpa is my protector, my guide, and my safe place. My heart hurts knowing that he will not be going with me on this journey, but I know that he will only be a phone call away if I need him.

“There is so much that I fear, Pops,” I whisper as 1

my head onto his shoulder.

“I can only imagine. Call me anytime you are lost not there, Annie, I will reel you back in.” He leaned over and kissed the top of my head

We spend the next few hours talking about my first year’s classes, all the things I want to accomplish at the end of the term, and how I will deal with being on my own in England. Knowing my parents as I do, they will both be making plenty of trips to visit me. My mother will not be able to stop herself.

1 will never be truly on my own over there until they see that I no longer need a halrysitter.

I hope to show them I can be without them. I even thought of finding a part-time job somewhere to pay for any expenses that I may have that are not school related. Earn some money on my own to be independent. Grandpa says that t**d plan, and he supports my ideas. 1 will gain my independence one way or another

Grandpa lets out a whistle of appreciation for the large fish he pulls out of the lake. Se one for Grandpa. We are now two to one. Come on, Eshies, got with the program and nibble on my line. After he casts his line back out, we settle into that comfortable silence we have between us. The sun shining down on us, that sounds of the water lapping against the shoreline, and the occasional sounds of the surrounding wildlife make the afternoon seem so sereris,

Then it happens, the inevitable. Something breaks the silence and rains the peaceful moment. A loud bark from my right side lets me know the dog is near just seconds before it barrels into me. My Eshing pole dies into the lake, the bucket of fish is knocked over, and a wet dog tongue slaps the right side of ring face. Then I am knocked off the log, ending up flat on my back with my arms full of a gigantic squirming dog.

*od**t Kong, get back here!” 1 hear a voice yell.

I pray that voice belongs to the dog’s owner, Grandpa is laughing as he tries to pull Kong off me. I am not finding the humor of the situation. I just received a French kiss from a dog. That is straight up nasty as f**k!

“Get him off me!” I scream

Mercifully, Kong is pulled away from me. I open my eyes and the first thing I see makes my heart somersault in my chest. Holy wow, where did this Greek God com from? Standing above me is a man with sea-green eyes, wavy black hair with chestnut brown highlights, and a face that could have been carved in marble. Strong chiseled cheekbones, a finely sculpted nose, and lips that make me want to know how they will feel on mine.

He seems just as starstruck as I am, then the spell is broken as Kong barks, then yanks free of his owner’s grap to streak down the path away from the lake. The man looked at me then in the direction Kong ran off too, indecision clear on his face on whether to chase after his dog or stay here with me. Grandpa clearing hi throat made the man look away from me, then he took off after Kong

Well, my summer just got mare interesting

“Well, now that you have had your first kiss, Annie, let’s get that pole and our fish so we can get home” Grandpa said as he held his hand out to help me up.

“Popa!!” I yell at him as I let him haul me up. The t***le in his eyes as he held his laughter back made me let mine out. We joked about the doggie kisses all the way back to the house.

The need to brush my teeth propelled me up the stairs as soon as we got inside. I spent the next few hours daydreaming about Kong’s owner. Who the hell was he? Did he live around here? If so, why had I never seen him before? Unless he was new to the area and had never buen here any of the other summers before this one.

I can feel heat rush to my face as I imagine those green eyes boring into mine right before he kisses me. Oh, please have mercy on me. This summer now has a mystery to solve. Who is my stranger by that lake?

“Annie!!” Grandpa yells for me from downstairs.

I hop right up off my bed to rush downstairs. It is dinner time and the entire house smells like grilled fish. Yum, I skid to a halt at the bottom of the stairs as I see

o is standing on the porch with Grandpa. My Greek God. Oh, holy s**t.

Annie, this is Quinn, he is the gymer of your dog crash Grandpa laughs and then steps off the porch