Page 75 of Temptation

“Are you trying to say it's Quinn's fault he's cheating on her?” Quill tensed up and glared at him and Tenn couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He was obviously struggling with what he was learning about his brother-in-law and was very worried about Quinn and whether he had missed signs of abuse.

“No, I'm saying he should have been honest with her, and if it wasn't something she would agree to, he should have left,” Bishop said calmly. “You know damn well how I feel about cheating, Fuck. Rilla and I frequently bring other people in and have relationships with other people, and we can still cheat on each other. That's what rules and boundaries are for - to prevent hurt feelings. I also have firsthand experience with how Quinn handles things like that, so I know what her response would be.”

Quill relaxed and nodded. “Sorry.”

“It's fine, man; I should have worded it better.” Bishop shrugged, not phased at all by Quill and his touchiness today. “The question we have to ask is: how far will Viki go to get Joel to be with her? She fully intended to plant cocaine on her; she's put holes in walls. What's next? What happens if Joel ends things with her this weekend, which, given the way he’s been acting, is very likely? I’m really concerned for both Tenn and Quinn now.”

“Bishop's right; we need to calm her down, and I'm having trouble being civil to her at this point.” Tenn thought for a minute, then smiled as an idea came to him. It was so obvious; he didn't know why he hadn’t thought of this sooner but figured he was too distracted by Quinn to think about what he should be doing for his cheating wife. “I think I know what to do.” He pulled out his phone and looked for a contact. Quill and Bishop looked at each other and then back at Tenn as he put the phone on speaker.

“Tenn? Is everything okay? Is Viki hurt?” An older woman's panicked voice came over the speaker, and Tenn immediately felt guilty. Frannie Yates was truly a wonderful woman who adored her daughter, and he hadn’t meant to scare her.

“Well, that depends on what you mean by hurt.” He said, chewing his lower lip. “She’s physically fine, but Frannie, I’m having some real concerns about her mental health. We aren't in a good place with our marriage; she's had several temper tantrums, throwing things, putting holes in the walls, and breaking down crying randomly. It's been pretty rough. I was wondering if you'd be willing to come up and spend a week with her - maybe try to convince her to see someone? I'll pay for your flights.”

“Oh, my goodness! I had no idea, but she's been all over the place when we talk. I thought something was going on, but I didn't want to push and make her shut me out. I was planning to call you. Where is she now?”

“Atlanta, she's doing training for her job.”

“She never told me she was going to Atlanta.” Frannie’s voice was despondent. “Yes, please, I'll come up.” She hesitated. “Is the marriage over?”

“Yes.” Tenn didn’t want to give her any false hope. “I'll explain more when you get here, but I can’t do this anymore. It’s been two years of trying to convince her to get help, and after the last four months and the last week in particular… I don’t think there’s any coming back from this. I'd really appreciate your help with her.”

“Oh dear.” Frannie sighed softly. “Yes, of course. When do you want me to arrive?”

“Can you be ready for tomorrow night?” Tenn pulled up flights for the next day and found one flying in from Chicago that would arrive about three hours before Viki's. It was cutting in on his time with Quinn, but he wanted to give Frannie a rundown on Viki's behaviour. “There’s a flight that leaves O'Hare at three and gets you here at five-thirty. I'll pick you up at the airport, and we can talk. Viki's flight gets in at eight, and she has a ride.”

“Yes, of course.” Frannie sniffed, and Tenn’s guilt doubled. He hated making women cry, especially when they didn’t deserve it.

“I'll send you your flight information,” Tenn promised as he booked the flight in her name.

“Thank you for letting me know, Tenn. I'm looking forward to seeing you.”

“You too.” Tenn hung up and looked at the other two. “I almost don't want her at the party, but Viki won't go without her if she’s here, and I don’t think Viki is stable enough to make it through the next week if she doesn’t have some kind of support.”

“She deserves to know the kind of person her daughter is.” Quill shrugged. “Come on, let's get you into the game; based on the other games you play, you'll enjoy it.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Head Wars

Tenn

They had only been gaming for a few hours when Quinn called to let them know lunch was ready. Tenn had to admit no one, not even his mother, had been so diligent about feeding him. As if he had read his mind, Bishop clapped him on the shoulder as he stood up. “I'm telling ya, being with Quinn means you never go hungry.”

“She told me she was obsessed with food.” Tenn chuckled. “And that she loves to feed people.”

“Of course she’s obsessed with food.” Quill stood up and stretched, his fingertips brushing the ceiling. At six foot five, he was a whole foot taller than his twin sister and the tallest of the three of them, with long arms and legs. Despite not playing sports anymore, he kept his athletic build, and as his t-shirt lifted, Tenn got a glimpse of a very toned stomach. Quill fully admitted to having a bit of an obsession with the gym and that he probably had his own version of body dysmorphia, thanks to his dad and the rigorous training he had put him through as a teenager. “She's spent over half her life actively avoiding it.” He began packing up his things, turning off his wireless mouse and tucking it in it’s pocket carefully. “I have to leave after lunch. I have a date to get ready for.”

“A date? Like an actual date?” Bishop nudged Tenn and winked. “You're not just going to go over and get your rocks off?”

Quill glared at him as he bundled the cord to his laptop. “As part of the agreement to give her a second chance, I said I wanted to actually date her this time. No more hiding it from her ex and the grandmother. Kaia is seven, and she's spent far too long trying to keep Kaia's grandmother happy. If she makes a fuss, I'll make sure Chrissy has the most qualified lawyer possible to get a custody agreement that benefits her and Kaia, not the deadbeat and his overbearing mother.” He zipped up his bag. “Anyway, we're doing a sunset cruise on the harbour, and then I'm taking her to Chart House for a late dinner.”

“Starting out strong, I like it.” Bishop grinned. “Tenn, have you decided where you're taking Quinn on your next date?

Tenn nodded. It had been in the back of his mind all morning, and he had made his decision while playing the game. “I'm taking her on an Ultimate Boston Food Tour in the morning, then a Whale Watching Cruise in the afternoon, and Mr. Swindle's Travelling Peculiarium and Drink-Ory Garden in the evening.” Bishop and Quill stopped on their way to the stairs and turned to look at him, their eyebrows raised and mouths slightly open in shock. “Too much?”

“Wondering if I look enough like Quinn to pass, honestly.” Quill chuckled and started up the stairs.

“You don't,” Bishop informed him. “Rilla and I have been discussing bringing another couple in though...”

“Yeah, I'm not sharing her,” Tenn said firmly. “But I'm willing to do one of those things as a double or triple date. Only one; I'm not doing the food tour as one double date and the Drink-Ory Garden as another. One of them. You guys can rock, paper, scissors, or arm wrestle if you both want to do something different.” He climbed the stairs to find Quinn had made quesadillas from the leftover ingredients from the night before and a spinach, strawberry, goat cheese, and pecan salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. “Flacara, you're just spoiling us now.” He put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up to kiss her, thoroughly enjoying the way his entire body reacted to her.