The Good Girl’s Second Chance by Christine Rimmer

Author:Christine Rimmer [Rimmer, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460387016
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Published: 2015-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

At the showroom a few hours later, Chloe called Tai and asked her to come in early.

At ten, Quinn picked her up. They drove to Denver, where they had lunch and he bought her a beautiful engagement ring and a platinum wedding ring to match. She bought him a ring, too, a thick platinum band that she couldn’t wait to slip on his finger when the big day came. She was back at her showroom by four.

That evening, just as she was letting herself in the front door, the house phone rang. She saw it was her parents’ number and let it go to the machine.

A few minutes later, she checked to see what her mother had said. But it turned out it was her dad. He’d left a two-sentence message: “Chloe, this is your dad. Please call me.”

She did, right then.

He asked her if she was all right and Chloe told him that she would be fine.

Doug Winchester said, “Your mother’s just brokenhearted over what happened last night.”

Chloe refused to let him play the guilt card on her. “We don’t see eye-to-eye, Mom and me. And I don’t think that either of us will be changing our positions anytime soon.”

“She loves you. You know that. I love you.”

“Thanks, Daddy. I love you, too. But sometimes love really can’t make everything right. Not with Mom, anyway. With Mom, it’s her way or nothing. And I’m through doing things her way. In fact, Quinn’s asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes.”

The line went dead silent. Then her father asked cautiously, “Isn’t this a little sudden?”

She resisted the urge to say something snappish. “I care for him deeply, Dad. It’s what I want.”

“You’re sure?”

“I am.”

Another silence. And then her father had the good grace to say that he hoped she would be happy. “I think I’ll wait a few days to tell your mother about your engagement, though.”

“Right now, Dad, I don’t care if you tell her or not.”

“Chloe. You don’t mean that.”

She didn’t argue. What was the point? “I’ll call and let you know about the wedding. It’s going to be small and simple.” Nothing like the three-ring circus in Sonoma when she’d married Ted. “I hope you can come. Quinn wants me to be patient with Mom, so I’m going to give it a little time before I decide whether I’m willing to have her at the wedding.”

Another deep silence from her dad. Then, “Let’s just see how things go, shall we?”

Chloe agreed that would be wise. They said goodbye.

A few hours later, when Quinn came over, she cried a little for her fractured family. He held her and told her it would all turn out all right. Somehow, when he said it, she almost believed it.

* * *

Friday morning first thing, Nell Bravo dropped by Chloe’s showroom. Chloe broke the big news and showed off her gorgeous ring.

Nell said, “So, then. This makes it official. You’re gonna be my sister. And that means we’ll have to bury the hatchet permanently, you and me.

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