Page 16 of The Condemned (Echoes from the Past #6)
TEN
London, England
Quinn set aside the comb with a sigh of frustration.
She was eager to discover what had happened to Mary, but the vision became blurred around the edges, a sure sign that Quinn’s mind wasn’t truly in the past. This happened rarely but was a clear indication that she should wait to return to Mary’s story until she was ready to give it her full attention.
At present, her thoughts were firmly rooted in the here and now.
She glanced at her watch. Rhys had left for Afghanistan only that morning.
It had taken over a week to get his press pass in order, obtain a visa and a yellow fever certificate from the National Travel Health Network, and find an available flight.
Rhys had upgraded his mobile plan, so his phone would work in Afghanistan and he could keep in touch with Quinn and his office, but had warned Quinn that he wouldn’t be checking in daily.
“I’ll ring you when I’ve got something to tell you,” Rhys had said.
“So, don’t fret if you don’t hear from me right away.
Just concentrate on doing your job. I expect to be presented with a riveting story when I get back.
” He’d smiled, his eyes warm with affection.
“Quinn, I’ll do everything in my power to find Jo. I promise.”
Quinn had nodded, unable to reply due to the lump in her throat.
She still couldn’t quite believe Rhys was doing this for her, and felt a mixture of gratitude, guilt, and impatience.
She knew it would take time to locate Jo, just as she knew that every day would be an agony of frustrated anticipation until she finally heard something definitive from Rhys .
“Don’t do anything foolish,” she’d said once she was sure she could speak without bursting into tears.
“I never do anything foolish,” Rhys had replied, grinning.
“You just keep telling yourself that.”
“I do. Every day.” Rhys had kissed her on the forehead in a fatherly fashion and promised to stay in touch.
Rhys must have landed by now , Quinn thought as she headed into the kitchen to start on dinner.
Emma and Gabe would be home soon. Emma had requested shepherd’s pie, one of her all-time favorites, and Quinn would serve it with a side of broccoli, a vegetable Emma didn’t completely despise.
Quinn had prepared the ingredients for the pie earlier in the day while Alex napped, and took them out of the refrigerator now that she was ready to prepare the dish.
She layered the sautéed ground beef, vegetables, and mashed potatoes in a pan, sprinkled the finished product with shredded cheese, and pushed the pan into the oven.
By the time they were ready to eat, the pie would be done, its crusty top smothered with a golden layer of melted cheese.
Delicious, and so easy. Quinn smiled to herself.
She was really getting a handle on this mothering thing, she decided.
She had just started setting the table when she heard Gabe’s key in the lock, followed by Emma’s angry voice and the slam of her bedroom door.
Quinn abandoned her task and stepped out into the corridor, ready to play the role of peacemaker.
Gabe shrugged off his coat and rolled his eyes in exasperation before drawing Quinn into a hug and resting his chin atop her head.
She could feel the frustration coursing through him and held him silently for a moment before her curiosity got the better of her.
“What happened?”
“Emma refused to wear her coat. I told her we wouldn’t be going home until she put it on. She held out for about ten minutes, then complied when she realized I’d meant what I said. She wouldn’t speak to me the whole way home and tore off the coat as soon as we walked in. ”
Emma’s pink coat lay on the floor by the door, where she’d thrown it in a fit of anger. Quinn shook her head in dismay. “Let me talk to her.”
“I think you had better, while I say hello to the child who still likes me.”
Quinn knocked on Emma’s door and entered without waiting to be invited. Emma was too young to be allowed to refuse her entry. She sat on the bed, looking mutinous. Her arms were crossed in front of her belly and her feet drummed against the wooden bedframe.
“Hi, Emma,” Quinn said. “May I sit down?”
“If you want.”
“What happened?”
“Dad made me wear that stupid coat,” Emma mumbled angrily.
“It’s cold outside. He didn’t want you to get ill.” Emma didn’t answer, so Quinn tried another tack. “Do you feel uncomfortable in the coat?”
“You could say that,” Emma snapped.
“Is it too small?” The coat was from two years ago and had been purchased by Emma’s mother Jenna, before she died. Quinn had thought Emma might want to hold on to it as long as possible, particularly since it still fit, but Emma seemed to have other ideas.
“No, it fits fine.”
“What’s bothering you, then?” Quinn asked gently.
“Maya said I look like a silly baby in it. It’s pink,” Emma spat out.
“You used to like pink. And who is Maya? ”
“I don’t like pink anymore. Pink is for babies. I told you that already. I want a new coat, and Maya is my best friend,” Emma added matter-of-factly.
“If she’s your friend, she should be nice to you.”
“She is. She’s trying to help me. Maya knows about clothes. Her mum works for a fashion magazine.” Emma gave Quinn’s comfortable outfit a pointed stare, clearly implying that knowledge of fashion was not something Quinn would ever be accused of.
Quinn tried to suppress a smile. “And what color coat would you like?”
“Black.”
“That’s awfully morbid, isn’t it?” Quinn asked, belatedly realizing that Emma would have no idea what the word meant.
“You have a black coat,” Emma challenged her.
“I’m a grown-up; you’re five.”
“So, it’s all right for me to be laughed at?” Emma demanded.
“Would you like me to call the school and speak to your teacher? Maya has no right to laugh at you.”
“Yes, she does. She’s right, and don’t you dare call my teacher. Everyone will know I told on Maya, and they’ll never speak to me again,” Emma bristled.
“I see. All right. I won’t call the school if you don’t want me to. How about we go shopping this weekend and find you a more appropriate coat? Maybe a blue one to match your pretty eyes?”
Emma thought about this for a moment. “I won’t wear the pink one ever again. ”
“You’ll have to wear it until we buy a new one. It’s too cold to go without.”
“No! I’d rather freeze.”
Quinn tried to rein in her frustration. “All right, how about we find a coat online? We can have it delivered by tomorrow. What do you say?”
“Really?”
“Really. You’ll have to wear the pink coat for only one more day.”
Emma considered this for a moment. “Fine, but I will take off the coat before we walk into the school and put it on again after we leave the building. I don’t want anyone to see me.”
“You’ll be cold without a coat during recess.”
“I’ll ask to stay inside,” Emma retorted.
“All right. I’ll tell Daddy, and he will allow you to take the coat off just before you walk in.”
Emma nodded, mollified. “Dinner smells good,” she said.
“Why don’t you change into something more comfortable and wash your hands,” Quinn suggested.
“Can we look for a new coat after we eat?” Emma asked as she slid off the bed.
“Yes.”
“What’s got into her?” Gabe asked when Quinn returned to the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, holding Alex, who was eyeing the cutlery with interest.
“Maya, who happens to be Emma’s new best friend, thinks pink is not an acceptable color choice.”
“Do you think Emma’s being bullied?” Gabe asked .
“I don’t think it’s bullying, per se, but I do think there will always be children who’ll make others feel insecure.
Have you seen some of the girls in her class?
They look like they’re five going on fifteen.
Last time I dropped Emma off, one girl was wearing lip gloss and nail varnish, the same shade as her mother’s. ”
“Yes, I’ve noticed that. Why would parents allow that?” Gabe asked, looking perplexed.
“Parenting has changed dramatically over the years. People are a lot more permissive these days. They don’t like to upset their kids.”
Gabe looked up at her, his gaze clouded with confusion. “Isn’t parenting by definition upsetting kids and getting them to do things they don’t want to do?”
“Not anymore, it seems. It might be a good idea to invest in some parenting manuals and maybe find a parenting group for me to join. Emma loves me, I think, but the fact that I’m not her biological mother will come up in every argument, especially once she gets older.”
“I hope not. You are her mother now, biological or not. You love her.”
“I do, but she’ll forget that the moment I do something to displease her,” Quinn argued.
“She was very angry with me, and I am her biological father,” Gabe replied.
He smiled wistfully. “My father would have made me apologize, then send me to my room without dinner. He was a great disciplinarian. Of course, my mother would then sneak up to my room and bring me a sandwich,” Gabe said.
His eyes misted with tears. “I miss my dad.”
“I know you do. I miss him too. ”
“Who do you miss?” Emma asked as she sauntered into the kitchen, her anger forgotten. She’d got her way, and her glee was evident.
“Grandpa Graeme,” Gabe replied. “He was hard on me at times, but I loved him, and I miss him very much.”
“He would have liked Rufus,” Emma said as she took her seat at the table.
“Yes, he would have,” Quinn said. She reached for Alex and lifted him off Gabe’s lap. “It’s off to the playpen with you, young sir.”
Alex grinned happily, unaware that he was being banished to the other room for the duration of the meal.
“Anything from Rhys?” Gabe asked as he served Emma a piece of steaming pie.
“Not yet. I should have never allowed him to go,” Quinn replied.
“He doesn’t need your permission,” Gabe reminded her gently. “He’s a grown man, Quinn, and I think he was looking for a reason to take a break from his life for a short while. This might be just what he needs to recover from his loss.”
“I hope you’re right.” Quinn swallowed a forkful of shepherd’s pie but barely tasted it. Rhys had been gone for less than a day, and already she felt a knot of anxiety tightening in her belly. She hoped she’d hear from him soon.
Gabe laid a hand over hers, smiling into her eyes. “Prudence, Quinn,” he said gently.
Quinn rolled her eyes in response, making him laugh. They had both been doing a lot of that lately.