Page 68 of You Found Me (The Meadow Springs #1)

Emmaline

Today is the day of my interview with Quinn, the sports and leisure journalist Shiloh suggested.

Spencer is supposed to be here with me, but he called ten minutes ago letting me know he might be a little late.

That something came up with work. I know that whatever it is, it’s a big deal for him to not be here already.

He’s been very hush-hush about a project that he thinks I’ll really enjoy.

If I were like Mia, I’d have already looked in his briefcase at his designs. Which she actually suggested.

I check the time, noting Quinn will be here soon, when I feel a hand brush the top of my back and then a kiss on my head. “I’m sorry I’m late, Buttercup. There was an issue with a permit and I had to go to Mr. Callahan for help.”

“Is everything okay now?”

He smiles, big and bright. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to finally show you everything.”

Before I answer, I hear a voice calling my name. Spencer and I turn at the same time and while I expected it to be Quinn, I did not expect her to be someone I’ve seen before .

My eyes widen and when I look at Spence, I see the moment it finally clicks for him that she is the woman in the photos with my biological father.

“Quinn?” I ask. Hesitation in my voice, as my mind runs at a million miles a minute, since I’m trying to figure out why her name is different from the one I saw on the picture.

“That’s me! It’s nice to meet you. Shiloh didn’t say much about you, other than you needed help to set the record straight with your douchey ex.” She turns to shake Spencer’s hand. “I presume you’re Spencer?”

He nods.

Quinn claps her hands together then sits across from me. “So, I’d like to jump right in and gather your side of the story. Does that work for you?”

“That’s good with me.”

Throughout my whole story, Spencer never takes his hand off my thigh, squeezing subtly when I talk about walking in on Chance cheating, and again when I recount the time he laid hands on me. Quinn is an incredible listener and only interjects when she needs more information.

When I finish, Quinn puts down her notebook and pen.

“I really would like to find Chance and kick his ass for you. My god, he sounds like a piece of work, and you seem too sweet to have dealt with that. The people who write for the Cougar Callout stay on my shit list, so I’m sorry you had to deal with them. ”

I chuckle. “You’ll have to get in line after quite a few people. Yeah, that whole thing was new for me. Atlanta didn’t have anything like that.”

“Consider Atlanta lucky then. So, are you satisfied with how things have turned out for Chance? He was let go from the team and has been put in a rehab facility by his manager.”

“No, because despite our differences, I did love him at one point. It’s hard for me to just cut someone off once I’ve loved them. My only hope is he gets the help he desperately needs.”

Quinn smiles, shaking her head. “Unfortunately, I’m the opposite. Do me wrong and I’m done.”

“That’s fair. One of my best friends is that same way—or at least she pretends to be. ”

“It’s definitely not something everyone can do. I’m going to go grab all of us a treat and then we can just gossip like the old biddies do before I head back to the city.”

She gets up, not letting us decline the offer, and it reminds me so much of Mia that I laugh.

“How are you feeling about everything?” Spencer asks.

“Nervous and happy. I want the truth out there because I don’t want anyone in our lives to think we started this before we did. I know they know of me, but they don’t all truly know me, and I won’t walk through this town like I have a scarlet A on my chest because of him.”

He nods. “I’m proud of you, Buttercup. Seriously. Are you going to say something to Quinn about Rick? I recognized her from his profile.”

“Oh stop it, you’ll make me blush,” I tease. “But I thought you did. I’m just not sure if it’s the right time to ask her about it.”

“Ask me about what?” Quinn asks as she sits down, placing a turtle brownie in front of Spence and a jumbo cinnamon roll in front of me and her.

I glance at Spencer, whose face is full of surprise.

Quinn smirks. “Did I guess right? I like to pretend I have a knack for picking out the perfect sweet treat for someone.”

“You nailed it,” Spencer answers, nudging me under the table with his knee.

“You really did. I’m a sucker for cinnamon rolls.”

“Same here,” she proves her point by taking a big bite.

“Are you still dating Rick Miller?”

Quinn chokes on her cinnamon roll before taking a sip of her coffee then proceeds to cackle. “Ew. Rick Miller is not my boyfriend, he’s my dad.”

I hear a gasp and realize it came from me. “Your dad?”

Quinn nods, and I’m still stunned. “But you don’t use his last name, for work or on social media.”

“That’s on purpose. When I decided I wanted to go into sports journalism, I didn’t want my last name to get me ahead. I wanted to do that based on my own merit. I use my mom’s first name as my last name. ”

She senses something else is going on when Spence and I share a look, so she point-blank asks, “What’s going on? Do you know my dad personally?”

I take a deep breath, exhaling as Spencer leans in to kiss the side of my head.

“Rick Miller is my biological father. I recently had the courage to look him up. But I haven’t reached out .

. . yet. I was in a bad place when I finally found out his name.

I felt broken and unwanted. It didn’t help to find out later on that my mom kept my existence from him because he went back to his ex-wife—I’m assuming your mom. I’m sorry.”

Quinn reaches out, grabbing my hand. “Please don’t apologize.

When I was a teenager, he told me that he’d met someone and had started to fall in love with her before he got back together with my mom.

That’s also when I found out they only got back together to help me cope with the fact that I’d be losing my mom in the near future.

She had an aggressive form of cancer and he wanted to be there for both of us.

I guess instead of telling your mom the reason, he left it as simply leaving her to be with his ex. ” She rolls her eyes. “Typical men.”

“Oh my god. Quinn, I’m sorry about your mom. If I had known I wouldn't have brought it up.”

“Thanks. But it’s fine. I’ve had a long time to come to terms with losing her.

However, I don’t think Dad would be able to live with himself if he learns about you and doesn’t get the chance to know you.

Is that something you’re open to? If it’s not, what about getting to know me better? I’ve always wanted a sister.”

I smile. “I’ve always wanted a sister, too. I’d like to be the one to tell him about me. My mom offered to reach out, but I feel like it’s something I need to do.”

“Ooor . . .” Quinn says dramatically. “We can pull sibling shenanigans and spring it on him. He’s in great health which means no need to worry about a heart attack or stroke.”

Spencer and I both laugh at that. “I’ll think about that and get back to you.”

She smiles. “No worries. We’ll figure it out.”

A thought occurs to me, something that Grayson said the night of the Gala and looking at Quinn up close, I see it. “Do you know Grayson Hayes?”

I watch as her smile drops before she pastes on a fake one in its place. “Somewhat. Our paths have crossed in the past. Why?”

“He was Chance’s captain and quarterback. He tried to intervene with Chance last month and when we were talking after, he said I reminded him of someone. But stated that he and I got along a little better.”

I hear a snort of derision from her that makes Spencer chuckle and ask, “So by paths crossing, I assume there’s definite rocky history there?”

“That’s one way to look at it. Let’s not ruin this day with my troubled past.”

“Right. We’re definitely picking this up next time we meet though. That’s what annoying little siblings are for, right?” I say, directing the last bit to Spencer, who nods with a big smirk. Turning back to Quinn, I give her a shit-eating grin and watch as she rolls her eyes.

“You’re going to be a pain in my ass, huh?”

I shrug. “Maybe. However, I think you’ll come to love me.”

She smiles before glancing at her phone. “Shit, I need to head back to the city for a meeting at three. I won’t say anything to Dad about you. Yet . Just please don’t wait too long before reaching out to him. I’m not a great secret keeper.”

“I’ll reach out within the week. Thank you for the interview and for also not freaking out about me. I don’t know what your schedule is like, I can only assume busy like mine, but I’d like to get together the next time I’m in the city. If possible.”

“That’d be great. I can send you my work schedule and we can come up with a time to meet,” she stands, grabbing her bag. “It was nice to meet you both.”

After hugging us both, Quinn exits the cafe. Spencer turns to me. “I think that went well, Buttercup. How are you feeling?”

“I feel good—a bit drained—but good. All I want to do now is go home and decompress.”

“Then let’s go. I can drive you back to your place and get your car later.”

“I actually walked here, so I’d love it if you’d give me a ride. However, I want to go to our house. ”

Spencer’s eyes widen. “ Our house? You’re agreeing to move in with me? Seriously? I don’t want you to agree to this just after something big happened in your life. Something that could change things for you. I told you, take as long as you need to make the decision.”

“Something big did happen today and the whole time all I could think was how glad I was that it was you who was with me today. You sat there, silently supporting me, and I can’t thank you enough.

If you hadn’t been here, I would’ve called you or come to your office to tell you everything—because I want to share all my happy moments with you.

I’m absolutely sure I want to take this next step. ”

“Emmy, I don’t know what to say, other than I love you so fucking much. We can go to the house right now. I just need you to remember there’s nothing in it and that it needs some work. Basically, just keep an open mind.”

“I love you, too. And I don’t need much of anything if I have you, Daredevil.”

Spencer smiles, wide, making his dimple pop. “That was extremely cheesy, Emmaline Eugenia Jones. It’s a good thing I’m not lactose intolerant.”

I throw my head back with a laugh as he wags his brows. “We need to go over my middle name again before I move in with you and discuss your sad attempts at comedy.”

“I know your middle name. I choose to pick a different one each time because I love it when you laugh.”

“Let’s leave so we can go christen our new place. I’m feeling rather generous.”

Spencer stands so fast that he knocks over his chair and apologizes to everyone that turned their heads in our direction. I’m still laughing when he throws me over his shoulder, patting my butt, and racing to put me in his truck.

He is all I could’ve ever asked for in a partner.

And he’s all mine.