If his family ever showed up in Scarlet Oak unnannounced, not only would be Quentin be furious, he'd also be outright surprised. It wasn't like Joshua and Naomi James to just pay him a visit, even if the Porters were in Ann Arbor and they had some connection there. Quentin was doing his family a favor by leaving down for the time being; it let both sides live their lives without getting in each other's way. "Maybe you should keep those secret ways out of the Inn in mind for yourself, in case you need to take a break from everything tomorrow," he said. "Just in case, you know?" Brady didn't need to freak out over the stress that was the Fourth of July. It would all go over smoothly, and Brady would realize that once it was all over.
"Exactly. Better to put some space between us." Maine wasn't big, nor was it particularly populated, either. Most of its inhabitants lived south of Portland and unless he wanted to move out into the middle of East Bumfuck somewhere, he'd never be able to get away from his family's legacy like he could in Michigan. "I know you haven't been running the Inn for that long, but you're passionate about it, regardless of the fact that it's been in your family for a few generations now. It'll become your legacy, if you want it to, whatever your last name is."
Lessons in not giving a damn? Oh, how he wished his mother could have heard that remark. Coming from a Porter, no less. "Stick with me, kid, we'll have you telling them to go screw in no time." He didn't see Brady actually doing it, not really, but giving the other man a backbone would probably do him some good. Quentin didn't see that as being a bad influence, either.