The Good Girl's Second Chance (The Bravos Of Justice Creek 2) by Christine Rimmer Page B

nose high in a perfect imitation of disdain. “I’m not a fannie.”
    “But 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.
    “Eat 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 around. “What do you need?”
    “Take fifteen?”
    “Sure.” Ruby got up from her laptop and left the trailer.
    Chloe had a sinking feeling in her stomach.
    Nell proved the feeling right as soon as the door closed behind the clerk. “So, I hear you’ve had a thing for Quinn ever since high school. Is that true?”
    Chloe dropped back into her chair. “Monique Hightower’s been talking.”
    “Did you think she wouldn’t?”
    Chloe suppressed a sigh. “No. I knew she would.” It had all seemed so amusing Friday night. But looking in Nell’s narrowed eyes right now, she didn’t think it was funny at all.
    Quinn’s sister demanded, “Answer my first question.”
    Chloe drew herself up. “Yeah. I had certain...fantasies about Quinn way back when. Is that somehow a crime?”
    “He’s not just a piece of tasty meat. He’s a good man.”
    Tasty meat?
Chloe took care to keep her voice even. “I know he’s a good man, Nell.”
    “You slumming?”
    Chloe didn’t let her gaze waver. “I absolutely am not—and why would you think that? Quinn’s a brilliant man with a whole lot going for him. The word
slumming
just doesn’t apply.”
    “Oh, come on, Chloe. Your mother was practically best friends with my father’s first wife. No way Linda Winchester’s going to approve of you seeing one of the bastard Bravos—especially not the ‘stupid’ one who barely managed to finish high school.”
    Chloe felt the