Chapter Twenty

Scarlet

“What about this one?” Jackson races forward to the biggest pumpkin he can find.

“I think that might be a little too heavy,” I laugh. It’s late Monday morning, and Jackson and I are at the pumpkin patch with Quinn, Archer, and Emma. “How about this one?” I point to a round, white pumpkin.

“It lost all its color!” Jackson’s eye widen in shock, making both Quinn and I laugh.

“It’s supposed to be like that,” Quinn explains, adjusting Emma in the baby carrier she’s wearing. “Ohh, a cat!”

“Don’t even think about it,” Archer says, slipping his arm around Quinn’s waist. “Pretty sure it belongs to the orchard.”

“I didn’t say I was going to take it.”

Archer gives her side a squeeze. They’re gag-worthy cute together, but Quinn is quickly becoming a friend, so it doesn’t bother me like it normally would. “I know the way your mind works.”

“Look at this one! It’s all bumpy!” Jackson laughs, looking at the pumpkin with a look of disgust on his face.

“You don’t like it?” I ask.

“It has warts!”

“It does?” I make a move to touch it, and Jackson grabs my hand, laughing.

“You’ll get warts too!”

I take Jackson’s hand and lead him to another row of pumpkins. He goes to a large, oval-shaped one that has to be heavy.

“I like this one!”

“I think it’s perfect,” I tell him.

Archer picks up the heavy pumpkin for us and puts it on the wagon he’s pulling. We make it through the rest of pumpkins, grabbing a few more little ones along the way. Jackson and I grabbed pumpkins from the store not long ago, but this is way more fun. I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch like this before. We go into a big barn to pay for our pumpkins and to get apple cider. The sun is out in full force today, making the fifty-degree air comfortable.

I’m having fun, and while I’m working, it doesn’t feel like it. I really care about Jackson, and seeing him light up and have fun makes me happy. We get our cider and take it outside, enjoying what could very likely be one of the last warm days this fall. Archer’s loading the pumpkins into the back of the SUV when Quinn’s phone rings.

“It’s Wes,” she says, brows coming together. Weston is at work today, and his call isn’t expected. “Hey, Wes. What’s up?” She waits a moment, listening to her brother. “Oh no. Yeah, yeah, we’ll be right there.” Another pause. “Archer’s with me. I’ll let him know.”

Archer, having heard his name, looks up. Once he sees the worry on Quinn’s face, he comes over. “What’s wrong?”

Quinn shakes her head. “Thanks, Wes. Just, uh, keep him calm if you can. We’ll be right there.” She ends the call and readjusts Emma on her chest. “It’s Bobby.”

Archer’s face falls. “Is he…is he…”

“He’s alive,” Quinn answers and starts to take Emma out of the carrier. “Wes has him.”

“Where is he?” Archer asks, fumbling with the last pumpkin. Obviously, something is going on and Bobby has significance to both Quinn and Archer.

“Wes has him.”

“Jackson,” I call, taking his hand and leading him over to Quinn and Archer. “Is everything okay?” I ask Quinn.

“No, it’s Archer’s brother, Bobby. He’s an addict, and Wes found him passed out in the park. He’s been clean for the last few months.” She lets out a sigh and shakes her head. “I guess he relapsed.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

Quinn frowns, looking at Archer as he hurries to put the wagon away. “He’d been doing so well.”

I swallow hard. That’s something I know all about, and the disappointment crashes down on you hard.

“How long had he been clean?”

“A couple months, which is the longest ever.” Quinn starts to take Emma out of her carrier. “Archer really thought it was for real this time.”

“It’s hard,” I say with too much emotion. Quinn catches on and tips her head slightly, flicking her eyes to mine. “You said Wes has him…did you mean in jail?”

“No, and thank God it was my brother who responded to the call about a drunk in the park. He took him to a cafe that’s like five minutes away and got him coffee instead of taking him to the station.”

“Is he supposed to do that?”

“Probably not, but he knows how hard Bobby’s been working…and how much this means to Archer.”

I feel a tug on my heart, pulling it up from the dark pit I shoved it in, bringing it closer to the spot it’s supposed to be in.

“Do you need to go get him?”

“Yeah. We can take you home first.”

“No, you don’t have to. You said he’s only five minutes away, so we should go.”

“Are you sure?”

I nod, words of truth bubbling inside of me. I know what it’s like to have a family member be an addict, and I want to tell her that she and Archer are good fucking people. And Wes too, but dammit, his goodness is so bad for me.

“Yeah, and I can hold Emma for you if you need help.”

“Thank you.”

It’s a tense ride to the diner, and when we get there, Jackson says he has to go potty. Emma is asleep in her car seat, and Quinn carries her in. Wes is sitting in the back, looking all gorgeous and heroic in his uniform.

“Daddy!” Jackson calls and runs to him. Wes gets up, face tight but smiling as soon as he sees his son. Jackson throws his arms around Wes’s neck, and my ovaries explode.

Then I notice the guy who’s sitting at the table with Wes. He looks like Archer but is dirty, tired, and worn. It’s a look I know, one I used to see on my own mother’s face.

Archer rushes forward, and Bobby stands, face falling. Tears well in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Arch.”

“It’s okay,” Archer tells him, pulling him into a hug. Quinn sets Emma’s car seat on the table and puts her hand on Archer’s back. Bobby breaks away and looks at Quinn and then Emma. His face falls, and he hefts back into the booth, covering his hands with his face.

“Hey, buddy,” I say, dropping down to Jackson’s level. “Do you still need to go potty?”

He does, and I take him into the bathroom. When we get back, Bobby is drinking coffee with Archer, and Quinn is talking to Wes near the door. Jackson goes to his dad, and Wes scoops him up. I slowly make my way over, giving them some space.

“Thank you, Wes,” Quinn tells him.

“It’s no problem.” Wes pats Quinn’s shoulder. “I’m glad I was the one who responded.”

Quinn nods. “Me too. The last thing we need is for him to get arrested again.”

I watch them and then look back at Archer. He’s ordering food for Bobby, who is still very much drunk and overly emotional.

“Do you guys have this?” Wes asks his sister.

“Yeah. We’ll order him some food and take him home. The Joneses are out of town this week, and we thought Bobby would be okay on his own. We’ll bring him home with us and look into rehab again.”

“Can I get food too?” Jackson asks.

“Of course you can,” Quinn tells him with a smile. “But you have to share your fries with me.”

“No!” he laughs. “Order your own!”

“I will. But I’ll still steal one of yours.” She smiles, and Wes looks up at me. His navy eyes meet mine and, Lord have mercy, that man is fine. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Quinn look from Wes to me and back again. “Can you join us for lunch?” she asks him.

“Yeah, I’m not doing much else, and I eat lunch around now anyway.”

“Can I show you my pumpkin?” Jackson asks Wes. “It’s so big!”

“Sure, on our way out,” Wes tells him, setting him down. Jackson takes my hand and pulls me over.

“Hungry?” Quinn asks, giving a guilty smile. “Sorry if this isn’t how you imagined your day would go.”

“It’s fine,” I assure her, though she’s right. This isn’t how I thought my day would go. I didn’t think I’d see Wes and Quinn deal with a sensitive issue with nothing but concern and care.

Maybe there’s hope for me after all.