Ashton Hill Fools

"You're off your game, big brother. The Mr. Perfect routine you had going on just crashed and burned," Byron commiserated with what an arrogant prick he had just been to Quinn. "She's not like her half-sister at all, though, so she may forgive you, one day. I wouldn't bank on it being today, though."

Grayson sat staring at the piece of paper wondering why he would have believed anything Rheagan had said, and regretted the way he had just treated Quinn. His brothers were right, he was an arrogant prick, shit! But that didn't mean he was ready to hand over the most important thing in his life to her care.

*****

"Melody, you've been too kind, but I have to go, I can't stay here. I don't suppose you have a car seat I can borrow?" Quinn asked. "It's a long walk into town, and I really need to find my own place to stay and do some shopping and find a lawyer, and... well... the list is too long."

"Let me call the driver to take you," Melody said. "You can come back for your car once you know where you will be staying."

"If I can't find anywhere in town I'll stay at Vallentyne's Cabins. I'm quite capable of looking after myself and April. Do you have the car seat? I'd really rather take my own car," she said stiffly.

"I have one in my car," Mary said quickly. "And you can stay with me, the house is quite empty, and it's so nice to have company. Annie lives nearby, and she would be thrilled to see you. Why don't I take April home with me in the car seat, and you go into town and see Adam Marshall about some legal advice, and then you can meet me at my place. This little one will need a nap by the time I get her home, so no hurry." She said kindly as she saw Quinn trying to protest.

"That's all Grayson needs, to add child abandonment to my list of faults!" she snapped. "No, I want to take her with me. Can I borrow the car seat, please?" She asked again, ignoring Melody's horrified face.

"Yes, dear, but think about staying with me, I have a small nursery, nowhere near as glamorous as this, but it's functional, and I won't be home much, Annie is due any moment and is going to need my help with her boys, as well as the twins that are on their way."

Quinn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Who was she kidding, she still didn't know the first thing about babies, and here was this highly qualified woman offering to help her. She'd have to be nuts not to jump at the invitation.

"It's a bit overwhelming, isn't it, instant motherhood?" Mary smiled softly. "Melody and I are only here to help, sweetheart. I know the boys can be a bit obtuse sometimes, but they mean well, in their own way."

"More than a little overwhelming," Quinn agreed. "I have so much to think about, so much to do, and I need to find a lawyer and find out my legal rights when it comes to April. I'm not even sure if I can keep her legally, let alone if I am capable of taking on the responsibility."

"Well, I always find that it's good to make a list, prioritise and tackle one thing at a time," Mary said gently. "Getting legal advice is a good idea," she smiled. "Taking the baby with you to see the lawyer is probably not the best idea if she is going to get tired and fussy soon."

"Thank you, Mary," Quinn took another deep breath. "I'd like your help, thank you. I'll follow you to your house. I'm already packed if you are ready to leave. I'd like to go as soon as possible, please, and I don't want to leave without April." She looked over her shoulder. She was hurt, seriously hurt, that Grayson could think that badly of her. He saw her as a carbon copy of her sister; he probably let himself believe he was kissing her last night too, a thought that made her feel sick now that it was in her head.

"Of course, dear," she smiled and picked up the baby. Quinn picked up the baby bag she had come with and nothing more, she was grateful she had packed her own belongings into her car early this morning before anyone else was awake. That was when she realised she would need a car seat and help to collapse the pram enough so that it fit in her car. She had thought the baby could have slept in that tonight if she ran out of time to shop today, there were bigger priorities, like milk and food, than a cot.

"Thank you for everything, Melody, I'm sure we'll meet one day again. Good luck in finding Grayson an appropriate nanny," she embraced the woman gently and took April from Mary, "Shall we go?" With her head held high, she walked downstairs and into the kitchen towards the back door that led to where both she and Mary had parked their cars.

"Wait," Grayson said when he saw her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things."

"I'm sorry too, I would have liked to get to know Noah now that I know there isn't some court injunction or contract that Rheagan signed that gave away our rights to see him. Or, at least, I assume she lied about you as much as she lied about me," she said sadly. "Good luck in your search for a nanny, Grayson," she said coldly, and walked out of the back door, barely keeping her emotions in check.

"Are you taking me to school now, Dad?" Noah asked from the doorway to the kitchen after following everyone downstairs.

"I'm taking you today, buddy," Byron said, coming to his feet. "I want to see what you've been making." He scooped Noah up and walked away from the scene happening in the kitchen. If his brother knew what was good for him, he would start grovelling for forgiveness immediately.

"What did you do?" Melody was appalled by the hurt she had seen in Quinn's eyes, she hated to think that one of her boys could cause such pain to such a nice young woman who was in such a bad position.

Rather than take the time to swap the car seat from one vehicle to another, Quinn let Mary take April and followed her through the town to her home in Juliette Falls at the north end of Ashton Hill. The small reprieve allowed her to finally break down about how unfair it was to be saddled with a sister like Rheagan. She drove slowly as the tears misted her eyes, and she blinked them away to roll down her cheeks. She had to find her and make her face up to her responsibilities. This wasn't acceptable behaviour by anyone's standards.

She realised she didn't have Roland's business card and contact details. Shit! She would have to call Melody, if not Grayson, to get the information now. Maybe she could get the lawyer to do that, keep it professional and civil. She could afford it. Despite appearances, she had money. The network always paid her travel and accommodation expenses and gave her a food allowance, so her sizable salary rarely got touched over the years, and she had invested it well. She didn't need the Ryde wealth and power to get by, she could do just fine on her own. At least, once she got a handle on looking after the baby and found Rheagan and a lawyer and, and, and...

"You need to get a grip. You have faced much scarier challenges than this," Quinn told herself and pulled into the driveway of a sweet little house that backed onto the rainforest. She rubbed her neck; she was exhausted now that a large part of her anxiety had been removed. She got out of the car and smiled as Mary held April out to her, the baby's chubby little arms reaching for her.

"Aww, baby, I know," Quinn crooned as she followed Mary into the little house. "I'm exhausted too."

"Why don't I see if Adam Marshall will come and make a house call? You should rest, you've been through a lot. How is your hip?" Mary asked.

"I'll be fine," Quinn sighed. "A house call would be great, though, I don't really want to leave the baby."

*****

Chapter 3

Grayson had never seen his mother so disappointed in him, and he had to admit he already felt like the worst sort of asshole for saying such hurtful and unfounded things to Quinn, who had been nothing but loving and warm to Noah during her overnight stay. It was better this way, he told himself, he could move on and forget about her. The only problem was that he couldn't get her out of his mind. Added to that, Noah had a half-sister he had the right to get to know. He knew he could have, and should have, handled the situation better.

He looked up as the door to his office opened, and Melody waltzed in and closed the door behind her. He waited and rubbed his temples, snatching a bottle of water from his desk and popping two aspiring as he prepared for another tirade like this morning. His mother rarely showed her temper, but she had one, and he knew he deserved to be on the receiving end today.

"Here is the best of the local girls, or the ones that are willing to relocate," she spread five folders on his desk. "Choose one," she ordered. "Paul has asked me to move in with him after our trip, and, as you have such little regard for my feelings or what I want, I am tempted to say yes. I'm leaving for my trip, Grayson, you can't put this off any longer and hope that I will stay or that Jo will come back and save you."

"What!" Grayson exclaimed.

"I'm tired, Grayson. I've been raising children for so long now that I need to just be a Grandmother, not a mother. You do your best, but your hours are getting longer and longer, you come home to eat, chat, and then leave again, and I am bathing, feeding, and putting your child to bed every day. I'm not Noah's mother, Grayson, I'm yours. I didn't mind when he was a baby, because you needed the help, just like Quinn needs the help now, and I gave you and her the perfect solution, one you threw away. So now you must choose, because tomorrow no one will be there to pick Noah up from school except you or one of these three ladies. I am leaving for my trip, and I don't know if I will come back to Ryder House if you no longer value me and my advice."

"Then it will be me who picks him up!" he growled. "I'll work something out until Jo comes back, I'll work from home in the afternoons! You go and have your trip with Paul, move in with him, live your own life!" he snapped. This was the last thing he needed right now. She, like everyone else, was letting him down in the worst way with the timing of this trip, despite the fact that she had warned him about it months ago.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get a lot done," Melody clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Far be it from me to offer any suggestions. What would I know anyway? I'm just a silly old woman." She gathered up her folders and went to leave. "You could always just apologise to Quinn, she obviously adores Noah," she suggested.

"Fine, leave the folders, I'll make a decision today," he pinched the bridge of his nose. The absolute last thing he needed was to see Quinn Thomas again and feel the lustful need he had for her that drove his crazy thoughts and moment of abandon last night.

"Good boy," Melody patted his arm. "Thank you, I'll feel better leaving knowing Noah is well cared for. I'll still leave if you don't make a choice, but I'll feel better if you do." She said cheerily and blew him a kiss as she left.

Grayson looked at the folders on his desk, flipping the first one open and beginning to read. Forty-five minutes later he pushed the folders away. Even when he thought the worst of Quinn, she was a better option than any of these. How could they possibly be the best of the available candidates? Even if he wanted to apologise to Quinn, he didn't have her phone number to contact her, and he could hardly just drive around to Mary Delany's house and make her talk to him after this morning. Could he?

He picked up the phone and called Roland. He was the CEO of a multi-national company, he had to make hard decisions every day and admit when he got them wrong. He didn't have to like it, but he was big enough to admit it on those rare occasions. He had a short, sharp phone call where Roland, who seemed to know exactly what had happened, gave him even more grief than his brothers had before giving him the contact details for Quinn Thomas.

He stared at the number scribbled on his diary for several minutes, then picked up his phone again, and, to his surprise, she answered almost immediately.

"Grayson?" she queried tentatively.

"Yes, we need to talk," he said in a gruff business-like manner.

"I'm glad you called, I needed to ask you for Roland's contact details and didn't like to disturb you at work," she said, her voice still uncertain.

"Can you make it into my office? We can talk, and I can give you the information you need," he said, thinking that here, of all places, he would remain in control of his libido and the effect she had on him that made him say and do crazy things.

"April is sleeping, and Mary had to go and see her patients. I'm waiting for the lawyer to arrive, and I am not sure how long that will take," she hedged. If he thought she was just going to drop everything and dance to the beat of his drum after what he had said this morning, he was sadly mistaken.

"Fine, I'll come to you," he sighed. "How's one o'clock?" he asked. "I'll bring lunch for us. We need to talk," he repeated his opening line.

"I think we talked enough this morning, don't you?" she sighed. "I don't want to get into another scene, Grayson. I just want the contact information for Roland Chapman."

"I need to apologise, in person," he groaned. "You didn't deserve that, and you were right, the source of my information wasn't reliable."

"It won't change anything, Grayson," she said softly.

"I just want to talk. Have lunch with me, please?" Grayson asked in a conciliatory manner.

"Okay, one o'clock. I'll be here," Quinn said and hung up the phone.

His mother was picking up Noah today, she had said tomorrow he needed a plan B, well, he still wasn't sure about Quinn, but she seemed a darn sight better prospect than any of the strangers staring at him from the files his mother had left with him. He needed to sort out his work schedule. Even if Quinn did come back, he would need the rest of this week to work at home and be sure he could trust her with Noah.

He worked hard for the remainder of the morning, issuing instructions that sounded more like demands to his executive assistant and brothers. He was in a foul mood, mostly due to the fact that he couldn't get Quinn, the kiss they had shared, and what had almost happened between them last night out of his mind. His words this morning and her walking out on him, which he deserved, he admitted, faded into the background when he remembered the taste and feel of her and how much he had wanted her right there and then on the kitchen countertop.

He ordered lunch from Fancy's and picked it up on his way to Juliette Falls, a pretty neighbourhood at the opposite end of town from where he lived. His brother, Byron, was close friends with the sons of Mary Delaney, and he remembered having to travel up here often to pick up his brother as a teenager. Somehow Byron and his friends always found themselves in some sort of trouble, thankfully he had grown up since then and settled down.

He pulled up at the house, noting the car outside, and wondered if the lawyer was still inside with Quinn. He stepped out of the car and steeled his nerves to face her, his libido already racing ahead of him at the thought of seeing her again. This was a dangerous and volatile situation, and he wasn't sure it was the right decision for him or Noah, but he felt he had very few options available to him now, thanks to his mother.

"Hi," he said softly as she opened the door. God, she looked good. It took some willpower to refocus his thoughts and lift up the lunch he was carrying in a peace offering.

"Hi, come in. Adam and I were just finishing up," she said in business-like tones.

"Thanks, Adam, I'll get copies of everything to you and let you know how the investigation is going. Grayson will have Roland's contact details if you need them before I get everything to you," Quinn said.

"You're more than welcome. Not much happens in this town, so this is a little bit of excitement for me. Dad won't be liking retirement much now," he chuckled. "But he will be happy to know you are back, he didn't like the way your last meeting ended. Would it be okay if he advised on the case? Maybe sat in on one of our meetings?"

"Of course, he was very kind to me when dealing with my mum's estate," Quinn said easily. "It wasn't his fault, it was her will and her estate to do whatever she wished with. Let's just leave it at that," she eyed Grayson meaningfully.

"Yes, yes, you're right. Hello, Grayson, it's been a while," Adam greeted the other man.

"Thanks for helping her out, Adam, it's a tricky situation she's found herself in," Grayson said easily, looking and sounding totally comfortable with the situation.

"Indeed, I will call you to get the investigators details. Miss Thomas has been very clear about him reporting to her and the payment of his fees," Adam explained, letting Grayson know that his interference in the investigation would not be tolerated.

"I see," Grayson scowled at Quinn, but took Roland's business card from his pocket and handed it to Adam.

"Thank you, I'll be going now. If there is anything else you need, let me know. I believe the letter gives us enough to start a formal custody hearing, if that is what you want, Miss Thomas," Adam said in parting.

"I'll call you in a couple of days. Thank you again, Adam," Quinn waved and shut the door after him. "Let's go sit out on the back deck, it's lovely out there, and April can play on her blanket. She didn't get much of a nap in this morning, so she will need another one soon."

They took chairs adjacent to each other so they could both watch April. Quinn was close enough to touch, to smell, to kiss. Grayson groaned inwardly and tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He opened the two boxes and gave her the choice of gourmet sandwiches he'd ordered.

"So, why don't we try to not argue or kiss each other when we talk this time," she said with a sigh, choosing a turkey and cranberry club sandwich. He smiled as he almost choked, and colour rose up his neck as if she'd caught him out in what he was thinking.

"I was thinking the same thing," he assured her, recovering quickly. "I'm sorry; I handled everything this morning badly. I was rude and dismissive and judgemental," he began. "I don't like being ambushed, and I lashed out at the wrong person."

"You weren't the only one being ambushed," she said quietly. Grayson's words danced over her skin, and, as usual, when he was near her, she felt a jolt of pure electricity arcing between them. She sighed, she hated that when he looked at her, he only saw Rheagan. She lifted a hand to rub the back of her neck; she was so tense it was giving her a headache.

"God, I'm exhausted," he said in a large breath. "You must be too," he said, watching her and aching to touch her and rub the muscles her small delicate hand worked at in the back of her neck. "Did you get much sleep last night?"

"No, not much," she admitted.

"Me either," he agreed, nodding slightly as if they both knew why the other hadn't slept. The fact was that he still wanted to kiss her, to feel her pressed against him, to take her any way he could get her, but he pushed those feelings down. This wasn't the type of woman he wanted or needed to be involved with in that way. She was a free spirit, someone who would eventually leave to pursue her own life and dreams without a backward glance for him or his son.

"Byron pointed out that I acted badly this morning because I don't like change," he said into the silence.

"It's okay, I get it. You don't know me, and you don't want me looking after Noah. It's a big bad world out there, and I've seen a lot of that bad, so I can appreciate that you're a protective father," she gave him credit where it was due. She'd calmed down a lot since arriving here and meeting with the lawyer.

"Thanks, but it was just so easy with Mother there, and I've known Jo since I was a kid, she was our housekeeper," he tried to explain. "Jo has wanted to go and be with her son since the new baby arrived, and Mother... well, she's having her first romance in years, and I am spoiling it for her. Or so she says. She's threatening to move in with her boyfriend when she gets back from this trip, and then what would I do?"