Snapping out of his thoughts, Sam answered, “I’ll bring the car around, ma’am.” “Go on. I won’t be back for dinner. I’ll return tomorrow. Let Zachary know when he comes back,” Grandma May urged. “Got it, ma’am.” She was always out and about, so Sam was used to it. Grandma May did not have to pack to go home. Out she walked with only her phone.Sam had a car brought to the driveway. She wanted to drive, but Sam was not going to have it. Even though Grandma May was in good health, she was getting old. Sam could not afford her getting into accidents on the road. Moreover, Grandma May loved the adrenaline rush of speeding. Zachary and the rest of the family had warned Sam and his team that under no circumstances could Grandma May drive. “Alright. I just can’t wait to get home. I won’t fight you on this. I won’t drive.” Since Grandma May could not argue over Sam, she relented. The household helper was stubborn when it came to her safety, and it was under Zachary’s orders
Julian gleefully said hello to all the kids, then invited them to have a buffet breakfast at the hotel café. Since the kids had been staying at Wiltspoon Hotel for a few days now, they were familiar with the place. They walked ahead in droves, knowing where to get breakfast. Julian and Quinn followed behind the kids. Seeing the children happy, Quinn said with a smile, “I envy them. They are a lot happier than I was when I was a kid. I competed frequently at their age. My father wouldn’t take me anywhere for fun. “The best I got was a free trip to the park after the competitions. I would get ice cream there too. I had to go straight home after though.” Now, Quinn would pay out of her pocket to give the kids a fun experience. Of course, she was enjoying it too. It was a rare trip, and she wanted to make the most out of it for herself. “You’re a great coach. Your students respect you.” Julian complimented, “Your sacrifices won’t go unnoticed. Your students will remember
“Don’t worry. I will promote your family gym after I learn from you. I won’t do anything to break the law.” Julian, who was a good fighter, pretended like he was a defenseless man. He showed his interest in joining the Crawfords’ gym. That way, he could be with Quinn every day and she was bound to fall in love with him. Only Quinn could make him feel like a man again. He was determined to keep her for himself, and not lose her to someone else.Quinn tilted her head and looked at Julian. While walking, she said with a smile, “You’re a little old, so training can take time. If you’re interested in building strength and nothing else, you can ask my dad or my brother if they would accept you as a student.” Julian asked, “You’re not going to teach me?” “I usually teach kids. My dad teaches the adults. As I’ve told you, late learners usually take up self-defense for fitness. My dad can teach you the basics. “The basics go a long way. You always work behind the desk. You will fee
By then, the kids had grabbed their favorites and sat down to eat at two tables. Quinn was a foodie, and the local cuisine was right up her alley. She grabbed two plates and loaded them with food. Since there was no vacant seat with the kids, she sat at a nearby table. She put her plates down and went to grab a plate for fruits and another for dessert. She also poured herself a cup of coffee.Julian had grabbed a lot of food too. Quinn would not enjoy her meal unless Julian did too. She might even try to be ladylike and stay hungry next time.Julian wanted to give his future wife everything even though they were not married yet. He could not possibly let her go hungry. After grabbing the food, Quinn sat down and realized that she might have taken too much to eat. However, she stopped feeling embarrassed when she saw the amount of food Julian took from the buffet. Quinn was not the only one who could eat. Her students were big eaters too. It must be due to all the exercis
Josh was the administrative executive to the CEO of York Corporation. He was well-known in Wiltspoon, appearing on TV more often than Julian. It was easy for the public to search for his photos and basic information on the web. Julian was a different story. He had always been elusive. Whenever Zachary wanted to meet with Julian, he would have to book an appointment through Josh. There were no pictures of Julian on the internet. People who had not met Julian in person would walk by him, unaware that he was the heir to the Buchams. Josh assumed that Julian was afraid of Quinn learning his identity and getting cold feet. “Did you see the group of men in suits? The man in the front looked awfully familiar,” Quinn said as she looked back at the hotel.Julian answered, “Those men were executives from York Corporation. They are probably here on business. Wiltspoon Hotel belongs to the same company. Zachary and his employees have meetings with clients at the hotel.” “Oh. That explai
“Mr. Bucham.” Julian had brought along two bodyguards to act as drivers. With Julian stepping out of the hotel, they immediately drew close. They were instructed not to tell Quinn that Julian was the heir to the Bucham family for fear of scaring her away. The bodyguards believed Julian was paranoid as his future wife feared nothing. Quinn would not be afraid to learn who Julian was. Julian gave a nod and told Quinn, “My car can’t fit everybody, so I hired two drivers. We can all travel comfortably in three cars instead of one.” “Thank you for going through all that trouble, Mr. Bucham. You have everything thought out.” Julian grinned. “It was no trouble at all. You weren’t afraid about getting into trouble when you saved me. You didn’t even know me then. All I did was help with the logistics and the pleasure’s all mine.” Quinn smiled. “Alright. We should stop thanking each other like we’re strangers. I’m not used to it.” She would rather cut to the chase. The pair w
Julian said to Quinn, “As far as I know, there’s a rose garden, sunflower garden, and another one with an assortment of flowers. But it’s October now, so there aren’t many flowers in bloom. Come spring, the gardens are a sight to behold.”Quinn rolled down the window and looked into the distance. She gasped in amazement and asked, “Is that the Yorks’ residence? Are those people from the family?” “The place there is the Yorks’ family home. The people you see are mostly their employees. They take care of the gardens and orchards. It takes a village to run the estate. “Some of them are distant relatives of the Yorks. “The family members stay in some of the houses there. The rest of the buildings are the workers’ lodging. The Yorks provide generous housing for their employees. Single employees get a unit with a separate kitchen and bathroom.“The employees with families get an apartment, which isn’t huge but spacious enough and well-equipped.” Quinn’s eyes widened in marvel. She
Julian said, “Ms. Crawford, you don’t have to be so polite. We’re friends now, and you also saved my life.”Quinn smiled. “Okay. Let’s not be too polite with each other. I find it awkward too. I prefer being casual, so being overly courteous makes me uncomfortable. You don’t have to keep mentioning that I’m your savior too, Mr. Bucham. I simply lent a hand by fighting while I was on a stroll after a meal.”Both of them laughed. Since Quinn had no intention of getting out of the car to admire the flowers, Julian drove straight up the hill. He guessed Quinn did not fancy flowers much. The car stopped midhill. Quinn spotted a security post that was meant to carry out car inspections. The security guards stationed at the post allowed Julian’s car to pass as soon as they saw him. Quinn was curious. “Why is there a roadblock?”“Well, Wildridge Manor belongs to the York family. Outsiders are prohibited from entering. There used to be only one security post at the manor’s gates. H