Free All the Right Places (RILEY O'BRIEN & CO #1) by Jenna Sutton

evaluated her almost empty plate. She had worried she might be too nervous to eat, but sharing lunch with Quinn had been thought-provoking rather than nerve-wracking. She had relaxed once he had made it clear that having Deda as a liaison was an honor.
    They’d discussed business for a while, but when Quinn found out Amelia knew almost nothing about San Francisco’s history, he had shared his firsthand knowledge of his hometown. The O’Brien family had lived in the Bay Area for more than 170 years, maybe longer, and Quinn had been full of fun facts and interesting trivia.
    They had finished their meals, and she expected Quinn to immediately ask for the check. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and propped his leg on his knee as if he were settling in for a long chat. His blue plaid shirt stretched across his chest, outlining his pectoral muscles, and she wondered what he did to maintain his impressive physique.
    Anyone with eyes could see O’Brien men, past to present, were blessed with studly DNA. But even with such lucky genetics, surely it wasn’t possible for him to look so good without having to work at it.
    She shuddered to think how she would look if she didn’t put some effort into keeping in shape. Like her mother, she had a pear-shaped body, and she had to work hard to keep her bottom half under control.
    Before she could start to obsess about the size of her butt, he asked if she had any questions about the presentation Deda had given earlier this morning. Since the older man’s comments about the O’Briens had really stirred her interest, she decided to take this opportunity to talk with Quinn about taking on the president and CEO job.
    “Deda told me that you took over the company when your dad got sick. That must have been hard, dealing with a new job and his illness all at the same time.”
    Exhaling loudly, he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Yeah, it was not an easy time for any of us.”
    She didn’t comment, hoping he would continue. After a long pause, he spoke again.
    “I wasn’t one of those sons eager for his dad to vacate his position. And even though I’m the oldest, I didn’t assume I would be his successor. Teagan and Cal have just as much of a right to this job as I do. But they didn’t want the responsibility, which worked out because I did.”
    She considered what he’d said. She definitely had the impression that Teagan would take Quinn’s job if she thought her older brother wasn’t performing.
    Teagan had a ruthless streak that Amelia found both unexpected and unnerving. She wondered if the redesign might be the catalyst to bring the other woman’s ruthlessness to the forefront.
    She brought her attention back to the subject at hand. “Is your dad better now? And if you don’t mind me asking, what kind of cancer does he have?”
    “Colon cancer. Stage III.” He looked at her, his dark blue gaze so bleak she expected to hear bad news. “Yes, he’s better. His cancer is in remission.”
    If that was the case, why did he look so troubled? Did he dread the day his dad came back and he had to step down?
    “I’m so glad to hear that. It must be a big relief.”
    “Being in remission does not mean he’s cured. Not even close.”
    He rolled his shoulders, and she could tell he no longer wanted to talk about his dad’s cancer. “Do your parents live close by?”
    “Pretty close. They live in an area called St. Francis Wood. They’re still in the same house where I grew up, but Mom has been talking about buying a condo in one of the high-rises downtown. I keep telling her that she won’t like it, but she’s convinced it will be better for Dad. She doesn’t want him climbing up a ladder to change a lightbulb or crawling under the sink to fix a leak anymore. If they lived in a condo, the condo association would take care of that stuff.”
    She wondered what St. Francis Wood was like. She was curious what kind of home Quinn had been raised in. He and his