First, Maggie erupted when she heard what Ethan had done. She admitted that the last time she’d come around, Ethan had acted kind of creepy toward her too—a real sucker punch to Quinn, considering that during that same visit he was telling her that she needed to put some space between herself and Maggie, that her friend was a bad influence.

Quinn wasn’t ready to completely throw Ethan under the bus, but she was glad to hear Maggie tell her over and over how Quinn could do better for herself, something Quinn was starting to wonder about now too.

They talked more about Thursday’s meeting, and Quinn admitted that she was nervous but didn’t feel comfortable asking Maria or Liam to accompany her.

Maggie being Maggie—usually a relentless fireball—quizzed Quinn on just who Liam was, but Quinn refused to take the bait. She didn’t really know what to think about Liam herself. He was a friend, though the word didn’t feel sufficient. So she moved the conversation back to her anxiety about the upcoming meeting and the many what-ifs involved.

“It could be my father,” she told Maggie. “This time my real father.”

A small part of her felt like a child, wishing that she would finally have a father figure in her life, a dependable man who cared about the daughter he’d sired. And what if all these years, he hadn’t even known about her? Maybe that was the reason her mother made up the Maguire name. She wanted to keep Quinn from her real dad. That could also explain her mother’s reluctance to have any connection to family.

As the minutes ticked by, they discussed every possibility. Then, Quinn almost started crying again when Maggie insisted she was going to leave her son with her mom and come to Maui. She wanted to be by Quinn’s side when she met the mysterious possible relative.

They ended the call reluctantly, both wanting to hold on to their renewed connection for as long as they could. It just felt so right to be talking again.

Quinn laid the phone on the nightstand, then snuggled under the comforter, a small smile creeping across her face.

Maggie was coming.

Already that made everything seem a whole lot better.

She would not have to sort out her life alone. With that knowledge, she felt peace wash over her, and she finally allowed herself to drift into a calm, peaceful slumber.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen