A Midsummer's Caress

Chapter 1

She wasn't ready to be a mom yet here she was with the paper in her hand saying she was about three weeks along. She was trying not to cry as her boyfriend of three years hastily threw all his clothes and toiletries in his bags. He has been furious when she told him she was pregnant and had said he wasn't going to stick around. Once his bags were packed, he didn't even bother saying goodbye. Just left and slammed the door behind him. As soon as the door shut, she let the waterworks flow. She was utterly alone. Her parents had died already. Her mother of breast cancer when she was sixteen and her dad three years ago due to a heart attack. She was an only child, had no aunts, uncles, or cousins on either side of her family. She was utterly alone with the exception of the baby growing inside her.

Once her crying had slowed down to sniffles, Harlow decided she needed a change of scenery. There was nothing keeping her there especially as she worked from home as a video game tester. She hadn't even gotten to the best news she had outside of the pregnancy as she looked up towns in California. She played the lottery faithfully each week and had won a huge jackpot. She took the one-time payment and was still a multi-millionaire after the government took their share. Figuring she'd just buy all new furniture and whatever else she needed once she got there, packing up came a lot easier. She'd donate clothes she didn't want anymore, all her furniture, and most of her kitchenware. A few rogue tears trickled down her cheeks as she looked at certain articles of clothing or photographs she had framed and hung up that reminded her of her now ex-boyfriend. She put all those clothes in the donation box and tore up all the pictures. If he didn't want to be in her or their baby's life, then she wasn't going to force him!

Rane Quinn was getting tired of all the washed up crow eaters that had been with nearly all of his brothers. He wanted a woman not some sorority slut looking to hook up with a sugar daddy or someone to take care of her the rest of her life. He wanted a companion. A partner. Someone he could confide in. Someone to share a home with. Although Jax had told him he could stay in the dorms as long as he needed, he was itching for his own home. All the houses the realtor had shown him hadn't been what he wanted. It was starting to not only frustrate the blonde but irritate him too. It wasn't that he didn't love his brothers. It was just that the end of the day, he wanted to leave the compound and go to his own sacred space to relax, unwind, have a good meal, and get a little rest since his life was so hectic and danger-filled with the club. Happy, one of his closest friends since the Killah had joined the Nomad Charter several years ago and before it was disbanded, could tell something was up with his brother but the blond never said anything about his mood or why he was suddenly not interested in the free pussy that abounded.

Harlow packed her Nissan Frontier truck as best as she could. The back was packed and tarped down as well. She'd donated several boxes of clothes, all her furniture, all her kitchenware to Goodwill. She programmed her phone's GPS to a hotel there in Charming so she could begin the house-hunt and to start her life over. The drive took her two full days but she stopped for the night since she was tired and didn't want to risk driving tired. She stopped for gas and tried to time meals with fuel stops. It had been a pleasant drive overall despite getting stuck in traffic in one major city she went through. Beautiful scenery as she drove along. The radio kept her company the whole way. Around sunset, she saw the "Welcome to Charming" sign and smiled. This was her new beginning. Her fresh start where no one would know she was a multi-millionaire or that her boyfriend and baby's father abandoned her in her time of need. Now it was just her and her unborn child making a clean start. She'd already booked a room at The Charming Inn so she pulled in and went to check in.

Having her room key, she pulled around to where her room was and parked. It was time for a hot shower and to stretch out on the bed before going to sleep. Tomorrow it would be talking to the local realtor and starting her house-hunt. She wanted a nice place where her child would eventually be able to play in the backyard and be able to grow. A neighborhood where her child could ride his or her bike up and down the street and not have to worry about getting run over or hit in a drive-by. She hoped the realtor would be able to find her a house quickly. She still needed to buy furniture and all the household items she'd need on top of purchasing the house itself. Plus stocking it with groceries. There was a lot to do once she had her perfect house. It was just finding it! She rubbed her still-flat belly as she laid in bed trying to watch TV before going to sleep for the night. It had been a long day of driving and she was tired. It didn't take her long to drift to sleep.

The next morning, she headed straight to the realtor's office to see what she could do about finding her a suitable house. Once she was in the realtor's office, they talked about amenities Harlow wanted in the house, things she didn't want, and about her budget. The realtor was shocked when Harlow said price was no problem as she had money. There were a few properties the realtor thought Harlow might like so they headed off to check them out. Harlow was very optimistic about finding a house that day even though it could take months. She didn't want to spend months living in a hotel! They pulled up in front of the first property and Harlow furrowed her brows. She already didn't like this place as they walked up to the door. The realtor gave her the grand tour and Harlow decided it was too small for what she wanted.

She wanted a room for the nursery, an office so she could work even though it was just playing video games all day, and a guest room on the off chance she had a guest stay overnight. The kitchen was small, the living room was small, there was only one bathroom. This house just wasn't big enough. The realtor locked up and took Harlow to the second property. She gave Harlow the grand tour of this place as well but Harlow didn't like it either. Her hopes of finding the perfect place was starting to dwindle. The realtor took her to the third property of the day. When they pulled up, Harlow began looking around the large, fenced in front yard. It was nice and she could see her child riding his or her bike around the yard happily. The realtor gave the grand tour just like she had done with the previous two properties. This place had five bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. One attached to the master bedroom, one on the second floor and a half bath on the first floor. There was a patio with a built in fireplace, a pool which was already fenced in so kids couldn't get in, a large backyard that was also fenced in. 

The kitchen was large with an island and a bar. The dining room sat just off the kitchen and looked out into the back patio. The living room was large with a built-in fireplace in the corner. The more Harlow looked around the house the more she was liking it. Even the bedrooms were rather large which she loved. After much debate with herself, she told the realtor she'd take it. The realtor smiled and said she had all the paperwork back at her office. They headed back so Harlow could do all the paperwork but would be leaving the office with the keys to her new home. Now it was buying what she needed, stocking the house, and finally getting settled. With all her paperwork done, the keys in her hands, and the address to her new home, she started the trek to the local furniture store to start shopping for the new house. She'd need bedroom furniture for three bedrooms, living room furniture, nursery furniture and items, lots of linens, bathroom items, kitchenware, and patio furniture. Lots to buy. She hoped she could at least get the furniture delivered if she paid extra.

She was browsing the local furniture store and was pleasantly surprised at their selection. After going through the whole store, she found all the bedroom suites she had come for, all the living room furniture she needed, and most of the office furniture she needed. She was very pleased with her finds and the store was happy to deliver them for her. They set the time for delivery for later that day so she paid out and went about her next bit of shopping. She was also going to need electronics and to set up all her utilities including the internet. For now she was focused on getting what was needed for the household. By the time she was ready to head back to her new home, her truck was packed again with all the new stuff she'd bought for the household not including groceries. She still had to do her grocery shopping but she figured she could save that for the next morning.

She headed back to her new house to await the movers. She would have to instruct them on where each piece was going. As she waited for them to arrive, she began unloading her truck and getting all the kitchenware, kitchen appliances, and dishes into the kitchen. As she was unpacking dishes, she heard a knock at the door. She sighed with relief and went to open the door. There the movers were all ready to get to work. She thanked them for all their help as they began moving in furniture. First was the master bedroom suite so she told them where she wanted each piece to go. Then was the living room set. Then it was the next two guest bedrooms. She tipped them generously earning a wide thanks in response. It had been several hours of work for the movers but she knew she'd never have been able to move all the furniture herself especially being pregnant. At least she could stay in her own home that night instead of at the hotel. She locked up her house and went to check out of the hotel and get the rest of her stuff before heading to the diner for a quick dinner. It had been a long but productive day.

A/N: This is my new Rane Quinn fic. Yes, the club and Quinn will be making an appearance shortly ;)

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