Hope on the Rocks by Annabeth Albert

Twenty-Six

Adam

“You didn’t have to wake up with me,” I said as Quinn fiddled with his fancy coffee pot, grinding and measuring beans like he was auditioning for a barista slot at the coffee place. “It’s your day off.”

I’d tried rolling from the bed without waking him, but of course, the lightest sleeper on the planet had insisted on waking up too and making me breakfast before I met Ramona for our shopping trip.

“I wanted to.” Quinn finally got to the part where he added water and hit brew. “My coffeemaker is unnecessarily complicated.”

“Can’t argue with that.” I wrapped him up in a hug from behind.

“And maybe I wanted a goodbye kiss.” He tipped his head back against my shoulder.

“Well, you can have a waiting for the coffee kiss too.” The angle wasn’t the best, but I still kissed him long and slow. The memory of last night flowed between us, more potent than any coffee drink, making my blood hum. Nothing, nothing had ever been as sexy as Quinn’s sweet surrender and getting to make both of our fantasies come true.

“Mmm. Better stop that, or I’m going to drag you back upstairs.” He pulled away, but not before sneaking one last fast kiss.

“Same, baby, same. Your bed is my new favorite place.”

He snorted. “You only like my taste in sheets.”

“Nah. I just like you.” I squeezed his ass as he moved to fetch cereal. It was a testament to how much I liked him that I let him fix me a bowl of his ridiculously healthy twigs and grass cereal instead of talking him into something else. “Do you need anything from the store? Might as well save you a trip too.”

“More of my energy water.” He pointed at a box in the corner of the kitchen with a single bottle left. “I’ve had this guest lately who keeps swiping my stash.”

“Oops. Sorry. Yeah, I can do that.” I pulled out my phone to make a fast note to get him two flats of the drink and one for my place.

“Don’t be sorry. If it helps you stave off headaches, I’m all for it. I like you being here.”

“I like me here too.”

“Good.” After giving me a fast hug, he set the bowls on his little table. “Speaking of places to stay, you think you’ll move back in with Ramona?”

“Not sure.” I took the seat opposite him. It was a reasonable question, but one I’d tried not to think about, especially since she was back so much sooner than I’d expected. “Guess a lot depends on whether she and Darren are breaking up for good or simply on break. Teddy’s older now, and each of us having our own space and privacy is good, but if she needs me…”

“I get it.” Reaching across the table, he patted my hand. “You’re a good brother.”

“Thanks.” Nodding, I took a breath, trying to figure out how to tell him that I’d still have time for him too without coming on too strong, given how he was still becoming okay with people knowing we were dating. But before I could find the words, his phone buzzed from its spot next to the coffee maker.

“At least the coffee’s ready.” Getting back up, he retrieved the phone, scanning it while he made two mugs of coffee. “Heck. Good thing I’m already up because I’ve got to go into the clinic. Today’s doctor called out with food poisoning.”

“That sucks.” I reached behind me to give him an awkward pat. “That’ll make a lot of shifts in a row for you.”

“Yep. Can’t be avoided. She says if she feels better, she’ll swap me a day later, so I’m not doing six in a row, but it’s still going to be a busy rest of the week.”

The back of my neck tingled, that sense I’d had yesterday of things changing too fast. Between Ramona’s return and Quinn’s work schedule, it might be days before I’d see him again.

“Tell me how I can help you. I can bring you food from the tavern, so you don’t have to cook.”

“Bring me you, so I sleep better.” Shaking his head, he chuckled.

“I’ll see what I can do. I like our late-night visits.”

“Me too. But seriously, I’ll be fine.” He stooped to give me a fast kiss. “I better go change though. I’ll leave you to your cereal.”

Our earlier coziness was lost to a flurry of Quinn getting ready and both of us heading out. As much as I was eager to talk with Ramona, I still wanted to drag Quinn back to bed, stop the rest of the world from intruding, give us another moment to bask in how perfect the night before had been.

“You’re all frowny.” Ramona slid into the passenger seat of my truck when I arrived at the B&B to pick her up. Teddy was at a playdate, catching up with one of his school friends. She hugged me then poked my arm playfully. “Your plans to sleep in get thwarted?”

“Something like that.” I didn’t want her to feel bad that her return was one more thing on my plate, and my cluttered thoughts where Quinn was concerned weren’t ready for a group discussion.

“I like your doctor friend.” Sitting back in the seat and stretching, she was so blatantly fishing that I had to chuckle.

“Me too.”

“Mom likes him too. A doctor. That’s an impressive catch for a bartender.” She said it lightly, but the barb still snuck under my skin, nonetheless. Maybe that was part of Quinn’s issue with being so twitchy about us being perceived as a couple. He said my lack of degrees wasn’t a thing, but what if it was?

“Hey, I’m a business owner now,” I protested, trying to remind myself that I was perfectly happy with my life and job situation.

“I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by the comment. He’s lucky to have you.” She patted my arm as I slowed for a stoplight. “I’m just in a mood. I worked so hard to get my own job at the school here, commuting to the community college to get my credits even though I hate the drive. Working up from part-time to more hours. Not sure I want to give that up.”

I was proud of Ramona too, proud of her work as a teacher’s aide and media specialist at the elementary school and her ambition to eventually get her teacher certification. “Then don’t give it up.”

“You make it sound so easy,” she groaned. “I like Darren. I really, really like him.”

“I do too.” What I didn’t like was the idea of her and Teddy in Alaska, but I didn’t want to be too negative right off the bat. “There’s always doing the long-distance thing.”

“Ha. What’s the track record on that?”

“Not the best.” I shrugged, knowing I wasn’t being the most helpful. “If he’s the one…”

“But what if he’s not?” Ramona was in full-on flail now, and I wasn’t sure how to reassure her. What did I know about finding the one? I was still working on stealthily convincing Quinn to keep our thing going into the fall and beyond, but was he my one? I was almost afraid to examine that too closely, so I continued to let Ramona ramble. “Maybe I only like having someone around. Someone to cook and help with Teddy and make the nighttime less lonely. My heart says he’s it for me, but my brain still is all wishy-washy.”

“I’m not the one to answer that question,” I admitted, hating that, for once, I couldn’t be the brother with all the answers. “But I’ll help you however I can. You’re not alone, even without Darren.”

“You’re a sweet brother.” She gave a sad sigh and turned up the radio as we both settled in with our thoughts for the drive to the store. It looked to be another hot day, and I was already thirsty. Should have downed more of the coffee at Quinn’s.

Wait. Had I taken my new daily headache-prevention med? I’d slept over at Quinn’s enough the past few weeks that I kept it on me, but I couldn’t remember whether I’d swallowed it that morning or what my pill count was supposed to be at. I couldn’t risk accidentally double-dosing though, so I’d simply have to be extra good, hydrate up and try to sleep extra.

That in mind, I chugged a large water the whole time we shopped and one of my freshly-purchased energy water things on the way back to town.

“Damn. I think you bought half the store,” I complained as we unloaded back at Ramona’s place.

“Probably.” Laughing, she carried a big thing of paper towels in through the garage. “Feels like Teddy has a trash compactor for a stomach this summer. Eating everything in sight.”

“He’s taller, that’s for sure.” I didn’t want to harp too much on how much I missed them with her big decision still looming, but I also couldn’t keep the wistfulness out of my voice.

“He missed you like crazy.” She passed me on her way back to the truck, suddenly frowning and wobbling enough to need to steady herself with a hand on the side of the truck.

“Hey. Hey.” I reached for her, making her lean more on the truck, keeping myself ready in case she was about to collapse. “You okay?”

“Fine. Just a tiny bit dizzy.” She pinched two fingers together like that would make this less concerning. “It will pass.”

“Has this been happening a lot?”

Her shrug was so much like Mom’s that I would have laughed if the situation were less serious. “It’s probably an end-of-summer thing, like I’m overheating or forgetting to drink enough water.”

“But I got you a water when I got the one for myself. You drank that.” Frowning, I examined her more closely. “I don’t like how pale you are either. Dizzy isn’t something to ignore.”

“You’ve been listening to your doctor too much.” She rolled her eyes at me.

“He was right about Mom,” I insisted, not moving away. “Her dizzy spells ended up being high blood pressure. And I’m on a blood pressure thing for my headaches now too. You should have yours checked.”

“Next time I’m at a store or pharmacy with one of those free checkers, I will.” She made a dismissive gesture as she stepped around me, only to wobble again before I caught her.

“No. Not next time. Today.” I steered her back toward the passenger seat. “You’re dizzy, pale, and it’s not that hot yet, but your hands are all clammy. I’m taking you to urgent care.”

“This is such overkill. A bottle of water and a nap, and I’ll be fine. But whatever.”

She shook her head as she buckled up, acting for all the world like I was the biggest buzzkill ever. But my neck wouldn’t stop prickling. Maybe I was overreacting, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

“Hey, at least you might get to see your guy,” she joked weakly after I made fast work of the rest of the unloading and got back in the truck. Damn it. This was not at all how I’d wanted to see Quinn next.