by Zoe Ann Wood
By the time she and Violet helped Grandpa to bed, Iris was exhausted, more than ready to call it a day and watch a Christmas movie with her sister and her wife.
But the doorbell rang again.
“I can get it,” Chavvi called from the hallway.
“Would you?” Iris yelled. She’d put on her Christmas pajamas and was lying on the couch, her feet in the air to take some pressure off. She would be sleeping down here tonight, since she’d put Grandpa in her own bedroom and Chavvi and Violet in the other one. Her house was small, but it was just big enough for her and her loved ones. She hated that it now seemed less safe because her parents had discovered it.
A moment later, Chavvi appeared at the door of the living room, her dark eyes wide. “Uh, Iris? You need to come here.”
Iris scrambled up. “Is it them?” she asked, dread filling her.
Chavvi approached her and smoothed down her hair. The older woman had a kind, motherly touch, and Iris was so glad Violet had found someone like her to spend her life with. “Nope. It’s Finn.”
Iris peered into the hallway. “Where is he?”
Chavvi’s expression went hard. “He’s waiting outside. I wasn’t about to let him in without your permission.”
Violet, who was watching them from the kitchen, chuckled at this. “Only right.”
Iris chewed on her lip. “What should I do?” She glanced from one to the other. “What would you do?”
Sighing, Violet came from around the counter and squeezed her hand. “That’s for you to decide. I’d…hear him out, probably. See what he has to say, then decide.”
Chavvi nodded. “You two have too much history together. But if he doesn’t grovel really well, kick him out, okay?”
She and Violet brushed past her and retreated to the guest bedroom. Iris checked her reflection in the mirror and groaned. Without a full wardrobe change, things weren’t going to get any better, though, so she took a deep, fortifying breath and walked to the door.
Finn stood on her doorstep, a big rectangular box propped up next to him. It was wrapped in pretty Christmas paper and had a fancy red bow on top. Iris took him in: his dark, damp hair, his broad shoulders, his long, lean legs. At last, she looked up into his face and met his gaze.
The strength of emotion in his eyes shook her to the core.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry for dropping by unannounced.”
She nodded, then stared at him some more. He didn’t seem to mind—he remained still, as though he was presenting himself for her judgment.
Finally, she stepped aside and waved him in. Finn picked up the box, grunting quietly as he maneuvered it into the hallway. He placed it on the floor and faced her.
“Can we talk?”
Iris had been dreading this. She had no idea what to say to him. Had she overreacted yesterday? Yeah. Was he to blame that her parents had located her? Sure—but she also knew that they’d used him for their own gains, and that he hadn’t intended to lead them here.
Aware that she was staring at him in silence, Iris shook off her embarrassment and motioned at Finn to follow her into the living room.
She sat on the couch and stared at him expectantly but didn’t offer him anything to drink. This went against her mother’s lessons on hospitality—and Iris was perfectly okay with that.
“Thanks for letting me in,” Finn said. He sat in the armchair and placed his elbows on his knees, leaning toward her. “I have to tell you how sorry I am.”
Iris nodded. “Thanks. I realize it wasn’t entirely your fault. They’re devious.”
He seemed relieved by her response. “It didn’t even cross my mind to be careful of them in that way. I talked to my parents, and they’re horrified. They won’t be having your parents over for lunch for a very long time.”
This was a relief. “Thank you. And I’m sorry it made things awkward for you. My family’s toxic, and yours got caught up in the middle.” She might have to write to Finn’s mother, just a short note to apologize. “Please tell your parents how sorry I am for that.”
She glanced down at her hands, too embarrassed to hold his gaze anymore. It was one thing to fight her parents off on her own, but when other people became involved, she didn’t know how to handle it. What did other people with dysfunctional families do? She’d learned in therapy that none of this was her fault, sure, but that didn’t make it any easier to look Finn in the eye.
“Hey,” he said. “They were horrified for you. And for Violet.”
Iris chewed on her lip. “Okay.”
Smiling tentatively, Finn stood and then sat on the couch next to her. “I may have found a solution to your problem,” he announced. “You may not like it, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be effective.”
Iris pulled her legs up and faced him. “What do you mean?”
Finn’s eyes glittered with a harsh light, and Iris realized he was furious. Having him be outraged on her behalf, on her sister’s behalf, was similar to a warm hug. Everything seemed more bearable all of a sudden.
“I did some digging,” Finn said. He cocked his head to the side. “Well, I had my lawyers do some digging.”
“That sounds sinister,” Iris remarked.
His grin was sharp, and for the first time, Iris saw the highly competent businessman behind the kind Finn she knew. He never wore this hat with her, but he had to be ruthless in his career, or he wouldn’t have built an empire at the age of thirty-five.
“Your father’s insurance business isn’t performing as well as it should be,” he told her. “In fact, he’s been hovering close to bankruptcy for the past two years. He’s barely treading water.”
Iris raised her eyebrows. “I had no idea.”
Not that she’d put a lot of effort into staying up to date with her parents’ lives.
Finn nodded. “I can show you their data if you’d like.”
She thought about it for a moment. “I don’t want revenge on them or anything. I just want them to leave me alone.”
With a satisfied smile, Finn leaned back. “That’s the beauty of it. You don’t have to do anything. All you need to do is tell them that you’ll make the information public if they ever come near you again.”
“Hmm, that sounds like I’m stooping to their level. Threats don’t really appeal to me.” Iris pursed her lips. “Though it gives them a clear message.”
Finn remained silent, waiting for her decision. She buried her face in her hands.
“Isn’t it awful that my only choices are either tolerating unwanted visits from my parents or resorting to blackmail?” she asked.
“Eh, I wouldn’t call it blackmail. It’s protection.”
She studied him for a moment. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
Finn’s expression softened. “It was the least I could do.”
“It still means a lot. Especially because you let me decide what to do with the information,” she admitted.
Finn grinned. “See, I learned some things. I thought about marching over to your parents’ house and demanding that they leave you alone, but I didn’t think you’d like that.”
She wouldn’t have. But she returned his smile and said, “I might still take you up on that offer.”
Their legs were just inches apart, and the distance hummed with energy. The entire moment was too…dangerous. Here he was, a knight in shining armor, promising to slay her dragons. The Christmas tree cast soft light on his face, and he was so, so handsome.
With a shuddering breath, she looked away, eager to talk about something else. She’d been dreading this, but now that Finn was here, she didn’t want him to go. What if he’d only come to say this and would now leave?
Glancing at the hallway, she spied the present he’d brought.
“What’s in the box, Finn?”
He chuckled. “Nothing scary, I promise.”
He got up and brought the parcel to the living room, where he placed it on the rug. Iris put her feet on the floor and scooted for
ward on the couch. She’d always loved opening Christmas presents, and this one was large.
“Are you going to open it?”
She glanced up at Finn to find him watching her with something like unease. Whatever was inside was significant enough to have him flushed and nervous.
She grinned at him. “But it’s only Christmas Eve. I’m supposed to wait for tomorrow morning, right?”
Finn groaned. “Iris Evangeline Eastwood. If you don’t open it right now, I’ll…” He trailed off and paused for a moment. His face was suddenly serious. “I’m sorry. No threats, even as a joke. If you don’t open it right now, I’ll go home and mope and wait for tomorrow, okay?”
Iris’ throat was tight. “Finn,” she whispered. He was trying so hard, and she loved him so much.
“Go on,” he said, his voice rough. “I won’t tell anyone. And besides, we Thorntons have a tradition of opening just one present on Christmas Eve.”
She sniffed. “You just made that up.”
“I didn’t. It’s the honest truth. And stop stalling.”
Iris knelt on the rug and tugged open the big red bow on top of the present. She held her breath as it fell apart with a silky swish, then carefully pried off the sticky tape on the wrapping paper.
Finn growled impatiently. “I should have known you’re one of those people. Just rip it apart!”
“This is my present,” Iris retorted. “I get to pick how I open it.”
“It’s just…” He knelt next to her. “I’m pretty sure this is the best Christmas present you’ve ever received.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That’s an ambitious statement.” She unpeeled another piece of tape, then paused. “Wait, I didn’t get you anything.”
Finn’s smile was a little sheepish. “Well, we did say that we weren’t going to exchange gifts. Then I got carried away.” He nodded at the box. “I hope you like it.”
“Thank you,” Iris said. “For whatever it is.”
Then she grabbed a fistful of the wrappings, took a deep breath, and pulled.
With a rip of paper, a large wooden box appeared, the pale natural wood lacquered to a glossy sheen. Iris frowned. “What…?”
Finn took the edges of the box and rotated it halfway. Iris gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
It was a beehive. A two-story wooden beehive with pretty brass handles for lifting it and a simple hexagon pattern carved in the front.
“There’s a stand for it, too,” Finn said quietly. “I couldn’t think of a way to wrap it up, so it’s still in my car…” He trailed off.
Iris launched herself at him and kissed him. He exhaled in surprise but caught her, and then they were holding each other so close. Iris poured all her love for him, all the gratitude, into every caress of her lips, and Finn answered with such gentle passion, her body trembled under every new touch. Their lips locked again and again, until she was breathing hard and clutched at Finn’s cashmere sweater. Finally, she released her hold on him and looked into his eyes.
Finn took her face between his palms and kissed her again, a barely there brush of his lips. “I missed you so much.”
Iris grinned. “But you only just saw me yesterday.”
“True.” Finn placed a kiss on her nose. “But I spent the night tossing and turning, worrying you might never forgive me.”
Iris turned to the beehive. “I forgave you a minute after you walked out the door. Then I spent the night tossing and turning, worrying you might never come back.”
He pressed a kiss to her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. “Would you have given up, just like that?”
His voice was so quiet and so serious, Iris turned in his arms and faced him again. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one with doubts. She fixed him with a stern glare. “Of course not. I was just giving myself a day to wallow in misery and eat all the cookies. If you didn’t come here, I was going to visit Providence tomorrow for the first time in five years. I would have staked out a camp in your parents’ front yard.”
Finn laughed. “Now I’m almost sorry I caved before you did.”
Iris poked him in the chest. “I’m glad you did. Camping in December is no fun.”
He nudged her toward the hive. “Go on, open it.”
Iris raised her eyebrows but scrambled from his lap. She took off the hive’s cover and peered inside. The five vertical slats sat snug in their places, a perfect home for her bees.
“I was thinking…maybe you could show me how it’s done,” Finn said. “I could get one of those space suits.”
Iris laughed. “It’s called a bee suit.” She paused. “The bees are hibernating now, you know?”
Finn held her gaze. “I meant in the spring.”
Her stomach flipped with excitement. “Are we making long-term plans now?”
He shrugged and pointed at the beehive. “Check if the lower level is also good.”
Iris grabbed the brass handles and lifted the top half off. Then she looked down at the hive. One of the slats was missing, and something dark was lodged in its place.
She reached inside and took out a small box encased in blue velvet.
“Finn,” she whispered.
He took the box from her and popped it open. A beautiful platinum ring sat in the cream-colored silk casing, and a large diamond in a halo of smaller stones sparkled at her.
“Iris, I wanted to marry you when we were both a decade younger, but I was too selfish to understand what you needed. Now, I hope I’ve changed enough to deserve you.” Finn’s eyes burned with a deep, smoldering fire as he added, “Will you marry me?”
Iris lowered her hands from her mouth. “Yes,” she whispered. Then she cleared her throat and repeated, “Yes!”
Finn’s smile was so beautiful, her chest hurt. She laughed, and he kissed her, then plucked the ring from the box and slid it onto her ring finger. It sparkled in the light of the Christmas tree.
“I would have married you with a paper ring, you know?” she murmured, admiring the stone. “But I love this one.”
Finn held her close and put his chin on top of her head. “I’m glad. But we can get you another one if you’d like.”
Iris glared at him. “Finn…”
“All right, all right.” He lifted his hands up in surrender. “But now that you’re my fiancée, I’ll get to spoil you, right?”
Iris pursed her lips. “Within reason.”
They’d need to talk about the future, about every little detail. She couldn’t wait.
Finn drew her in for another passionate kiss. “Good thing I’m completely unreasonable when it comes to you.”
Eighteen
Finn
Providence, Rhode Island, December 25
“They’re here!” his mother called from the living room. “Their car just pulled up.”
Finn turned off the hand-held mixer and swiped a finger through the whipped cream in the large bowl in front of him. He licked it clean and decided the cream was stiff enough.
“I’ll be right there,” he yelled back over the clatter of pans.
His father was making his famous roast turkey, and the bird was nearly ready to come out of the oven. The green beans, the stuffing, and a giant pot of fluffy mashed potatoes were all keeping warm on the stove.
And if everything went well, the desserts just arrived.
Finn washed his hands and hurried into the hallway as the doorbell rang. He swung the door open and found Iris, Violet, Chavvi, Samantha, and Iris’ grandpa on the porch.
“Hey,” he greeted them. “Come on in.”
Iris let everyone pass and stood a little to the side while they removed their coats and shoes at the door. Violet took Finn’s hand and pressed it, grinning. Clearly, Iris had had a little chat with her sister.
And her best friend. Samantha stomped up to Finn, threw her arms around him, and squeezed him tight.
“Oof,” Finn said.
“If you hurt her, I’ll coat you in honey and empty a beehi
ve on your head,” she muttered in his ear. Then she released him and laughed at his expression. “Ah, you’ll do. I’m really happy for you, by the way.”
At last, Finn scooted closer to Iris and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
“Hello,” he murmured.
“Hi,” she replied, smiling sweetly.
Finn took her hand and ran his thumb over the ring. “You’re wearing this.”
“Of course.” She leaned to the side and peered after her family. “They’re all super excited, by the way. Sam volunteered to be my maid of honor.”
Finn laughed. “I thought the bride was supposed to ask the maid of honor.”
“Eh.” Iris shrugged. “That’s not how it works with Sam.”
He took a deep breath and drew her into a hug. “I haven’t told my parents yet. I wanted you to be here for it.” For a moment, he simply held her and breathed in her intoxicating scent. “Is that okay?”
Iris pulled back and looked up at him. “Will they be happy?”
“Are you serious?” He gaped at her.
Iris shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I meant because of all the drama. They might not want…”
“They’ll be happy because they know I love you. And they already like you,” he said. “My mom clapped when I told them you’d accepted their invitation.”
Last night, somewhere between the beehive unveiling and their late-night goodbye, Finn had relayed his mother’s invitation to Iris. This was why everyone was now gathered here. There was enough food to feed an army, and if his mother’s smile was any indication, this was the happiest she’d been in a very long time.
“Hey, you two, come in here,” Violet called from the door.
Finn hissed in a breath. “I forgot to introduce everyone.”
He took Iris’ hand and led her to the living room. Everyone was gathered around the Christmas tree, and they seemed to have done just fine without formal introductions.
