Harlequin Special Edition October 2015, Box Set 1 of 2 by Christine Rimmer

matter of fact.
    One way or another, she would be seeing him very soon.
    * * *
    She saw him the next day. He called and invited her out for ice cream with him and Annabelle. Chloe spent two lovely hours with father and daughter. Annabelle enchanted her. It might be too soon to talk about falling in love with Quinn. But she had no problem admitting she was head over heels for his little girl.
    And then, that night, Quinn came up the hill to join her. He stayed for two hours. They talked about Annabelle and about Chloe’s plans for his houses—and then they made love. He left at a little past midnight.
    Same thing on Sunday night.
    Monday at nine in the morning, Quinn closed on the house across the street from Chloe. Then, at eleven, he brought Manny and Annabelle to Chloe’s showroom to see the plans and sign the contract for the redesign of the house down the hill. Chloe had cookies on offer at the coffee table, which Annabelle spotted immediately. Manny said she could have one.
    Annabelle chose a cookie, thanked Chloe sweetly—and asked if she knew how to make a fairy princess dress. “I want one, Chloe. Will you
please
make me one?”
    Before Chloe could reply that she absolutely could and would, Quinn said, “Anniefannie, you are pushing it.”
    â€œDaddy!” The little girl tipped her cute nose high in a perfect imitation of disdain. “I’m not a fannie.”
    â€œBut will you stop pushing it?”
    Annabelle dimpled adorably. “But Chloe can make a
room
. I know she can make me a fairy princess dress.” She turned pleading eyes on Chloe, who longed only to give her whatever she wanted. “Pleeeaaase, Chloe.”
    Manny spoke up then. He said one word. “Annabelle.” After which he pushed back his chair and held out his hand.
    Annabelle’s lower lip started quivering. “Oh, no. Not the
car
. I don’t want to sit in the
car
. Pleeaaassse, Manny.”
    Manny let out a heavy sigh. “Are you gonna stop pestering Chloe and sit quietly at the table while we finish our business here?”
    Annabelle announced loudly, “Yes, I am!”
    Manny mimed locking his lips with a key.
    Annabelle straightened her small shoulders and folded her hands on the table, all the while pressing her lips together and pointedly glancing from one adult to the next.
    Finally, Manny nodded. “All right. We’ll give it a try.”
    Annabelle nodded wildly but kept her little mouth tightly shut.
    â€œEat your cookie,” Quinn said in his gentlest voice.
    Annabelle made short work of the treat. And then Manny gave her a cup of crayons and some paper. She was a perfect little angel, happily coloring away as the grown-ups finished their meeting.
    That afternoon, Chloe visited Bravo Construction, which consisted of three trailers and a warehouse on the southwest edge of town. She met with Nell Bravo, who was in her late twenties and stunningly beautiful, with long auburn hair and a vivid half-sleeve tattoo down her shapely left arm. The baby of the Bravo family, Nell had always been outspoken and tough-minded. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with Nell.
    Chloe had the plans with her for Quinn’s redesign. She spent two hours in Nell’s office trailer, going over everything in detail, coming to agreement on the budget and the schedule.
    Nell would personally run the job. Tomorrow, Chloe would get busy ordering cabinets and appliances, counters and flooring. Nell would put in for the permits they would need. Demo would begin first thing next Monday morning. If all went as planned—which it rarely did—the project would take nine to ten weeks.
    At four o’clock, when they had everything pretty well hammered out, Chloe got up to leave.
    And Nell hoisted her heavy black biker boots up onto her battered desk. “Before you head out, we need to talk. Hey, Ruby?”
    The plump, motherly looking clerk at the desk near the door glanced