Nina glanced down at her hands, which she’d clasped tightly in her lap. It was Harper’s first indication that she was nervous too. “Mom told me, but I had to come and find out for myself.”
“Well, now you know,” Finn said firmly.
This time, Harper squeezed his hand, as if to say, “lighten up.” She felt sorry for Nina, who had lost her only sibling. And even though Nina hadn’t been overly kind to Harper through the years, she believed that Nina had loved Blake very much. She was only there out of loyalty to him, and Harper had to respect that.
“I wonder what Blake would have thought about this?” Nina asked, but she wasn’t really looking at either one of them. It was almost like she was trying to communicate with her brother directly.
Clearing her throat to garner Nina’s attention, Harper said, “I think he would have approved. He loved Finn like a brother. You know that.”
Finn hung his head for a moment, but Harper continued. “Believe me, Nina. I never expected this to happen. But Finn has been here for me since…”
“Blake died. I know,” Nina said resignedly.
“I didn’t just love Blake,” Finn said suddenly. “I loved his entire family. Still do.”
And that’s when Nina crumbled. Tilting forward, she put her head in her hands and began to cry, softly at first and then in earnest.
Harper immediately got up and went to her, placing her arms around Nina’s shoulders and hugging her close. Finn rose too and disappeared into the bathroom before returning with a box of tissues.
“Here,” he said gruffly, handing Nina the box.
“Thanks,” she mumbled without looking up.
A few minutes later, her tears subsided, and she stood up on wobbly legs. “I should get going.”
“Do you want to stay for a few more minutes? Have something to drink?” Harper asked, extending her olive branch.
Nina gave her a shaky smile. “No thanks. I’ll let you two get back to dinner. I thought I smelled fried chicken when I first walked in.”
“Finn ate most of the chicken already, but there’s still potatoes.” It was a small attempt at humor, but Harper snatched it up.
“Hey,” he said, feigning being offended.
“That’s ok,” Nina said as Harper and Finn (and Daisy) followed her to the door.
Nina had her hand on the doorknob when Harper said, “You know, just because Blake’s gone, it doesn’t mean that you and I can’t be friends.” She was continually surprising herself lately, and it felt damn good. Maybe it was time for a new beginning for all of them.
“I’d like that,” Nina said and rewarded her with a genuine smile that time. And then she turned to Finn and said, “Take good care of her.”
“I will,” he said, putting an arm around Harper’s waist.
After Nina left, they walked back into the kitchen, and that’s when the reality of the situation hit Harper square in the jaw. Slumping down at the table, she put her head in her hands and breathed deeply, trying to regain control of her emotions.
“It’s ok, sweetheart. You don’t have to hold it in on my account,” Finn said from behind her as he rubbed her back soothingly.
She nodded and waited for the tears to come, but shockingly, they didn’t. After a few more deep breaths, she looked up at him over her shoulder and said, “I’m ok. Really.”
Looking relieved, Finn sat back down at the table, even though neither of them continued eating. “I was expecting it to be a lot worse,” he said thoughtfully.
“Me too.”
“Maybe Nina’s finally growing up.”
“Maybe.”
“Did you really mean what you said to her?”
“Which part?”
“The part about thinking Blake would have approved.”
For being such a big, strong man, he looked almost vulnerable when he said it, and she realized that she wasn’t the only one who needed reassurance sometimes. “Yes. I do.”
Patting his legs, he said, “Come here.”
So, she went to him, sitting sideways across his lap and resting her head against his broad chest.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
“What for?”
“For the way you treated Nina. You could have been furious with her for coming over here and questioning you like that, but you weren’t. You treated her fairly and with respect. And I love you for that.”
Harper’s head popped up to see his brilliant blue eyes gazing down at her softly, lovingly. “Finn, I…”
“Shhh. Don’t say anything. Please,” he added.
“But I…” It was right there on the tip of her tongue, and she really wanted to say it, but then her cell phone rang, startling them both.
She could see the phone from where she was sitting and saw McKayla’s name flash on the screen. “It’s my sister. I should probably get that.”
“No problem,” Finn said, looking almost relieved by the interruption.
But as Harper hopped off his lap and went to answer the call, she felt anything but relieved. She’d been so close, and it had been the perfect opportunity to tell him how she was feeling, but now the moment had passed. And she wondered when she would get another one.
Chapter 21
The phrase “in like a lion, out like a lamb” was certainly holding true on the first day of spring in late March. Blue skies, a gentle breeze, and a warm sun were the reward for a long, hard winter. Even though Harper knew it probably wouldn’t last, she was determined to soak it in while she could, insisting on driving with her windows down, much to her passenger’s chagrin.
“You’re going to wreck my hair,” McKayla complained as Harper whipped down the road.
“Your hair looks fine. Besides, you can fix it when we get there.”
“Do you think he’s going to ask me a lot of questions?” McKayla said nervously.
“I doubt it. He’s pretty laid back.”
“What about his brothers?”
“What about them?”
“Are they going to interview me too?”
“They don’t even know about this yet.”
“Oh. Right.”
For the past few weeks, Finn had been doing his homework regarding leasing the shop in Brandon. He’d even met with Nikki Branson again and had brought Harper along for moral support.
They’d been spending pretty much all their spare time together these days, and Harper had been loving every minute of it. Well, almost every minute. They’d butted heads over a few things (stubborn man!), but for the most part, they got along great. They’d also taken to leaving a few of their belongings at each other’s homes in case of impromptu sleepovers, which seemed to be occurring with greater regularity these days.
Daisy seemed more comfortable in Finn’s presence too, and she especially liked going to his house, where she and Hunter could roam freely around Finn’s big backyard. The only time Harper and Finn shut the dogs out was when they were making love, primarily due to Harper’s insistence.
She was smiling at the thought when they pulled into Finn’s driveway and parked behind the line of cars that were already there. McKayla smoothed down her hair in the visor mirror and reapplied a coat of lip gloss before declaring herself ready.
Reaching over, Harper patted her arm and said, “Don’t worry, Kay. I promise it’ll be fine.”
They walked up to the house and rang the bell, even though, if Harper had been alone, she would have just walked right in.
Finn answered the door with a wide smile and motioned them inside, playfully patting Harper’s butt as she walked past, to which she responded with a dirty look. “Behave,” she mouthed from behind McKayla.
“McKayla. Nice to see you again,” Finn said. “Come on in and meet my brothers.”
They followed him into the kitchen (where it seemed most of the O’Briens’ meetings took place), McKayla hanging back warily until Harper gave her a gentle shove forward.
Connor and Liam were sitting at the ki
tchen table, and they looked up at McKayla curiously—Liam in particular.
“Guys, this is Harper’s sister, McKayla. I’ll explain in a minute why she’s here.”
Connor pushed back his chair, stood up, and reached across the table to shake McKayla’s hand. “Connor O’Brien. Anyone related to Harper is always welcome,” he said sweetly. In fact, if Harper hadn’t known that he was involved with Julia, she might have mistaken his comment for flirting. But she’d seen how he and Julia looked at each other, and she knew that he was just being polite.
Liam, on the other hand, wore a deer-in-the-headlights look that was difficult to decipher. He stood too, and while he shook McKayla’s hand, he said, “Liam O’Brien. Do we know each other? You look familiar.”
“No. I don’t think so,” McKayla said and quickly slipped her hand out of his grip.
Harper and Finn exchanged glances, and Harper sensed that there was a story there, but she’d have to ask McKayla about it later.
Once the ladies were seated, Finn kindly brought them two bottles of water, and then he began the meeting.
“I’m sure you guys are wondering what this is all about…”
“You’re getting married,” Liam interjected, which earned him a slug on the arm from Connor and a smirk from McKayla, both of whom were flanking him.
“Why do you always assume that’s the reason for a meeting?” Connor asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe because you guys are getting old and it’s bound to happen eventually.”
“Well, eventually isn’t today,” Finn said, shooting his brother a scowl.
Harper kept her mouth shut, but instead of feeling uncomfortable with Liam’s suggestion, she felt oddly thrilled by it. But Finn was right. Eventually wasn’t today, so she shoved the idea out of her head and concentrated on the real reason for the meeting.
“As you know, I’ve been thinking about us having a storefront for quite some time. And recently, I’ve been looking at one in downtown Brandon in that plaza with the hardware store. You guys know the one.”
Connor and Liam both nodded.
“So, I met with the realtor, got some numbers together, and wanted you guys to weigh in on it.”
“Why didn’t you tell us about this before now?” Connor asked somewhat accusatorially. Of Finn’s brothers, he was the unpredictable and sometimes combative one, the one who seemed to enjoy challenging his older brother.
“Like I said, I wanted to do my homework first,” Finn replied calmly.
“What does this have to do with McKayla?” Liam asked. And then, turning toward her, he added, “No offense.”
“None taken,” she replied.
“Well, if we’re going to have a store, we’ll need someone to work the front desk, and since McKayla happens to be looking for a job, it might work out for all of us.”
The guys nodded again, and Harper shot Finn a grateful smile.
“I figure we’ll have to work with her for a while to teach her about the business, but eventually, she’ll be able to manage the place on her own.”
“Which would free us up to get more work done,” Liam finished.
“Exactly,” Finn said.
“When is all this supposed to happen?” Connor asked.
“It can happen immediately if you guys are on board,” Finn replied. And then, glancing at Harper on his right, he added, “Harper’s been helping me out with this because she knows the realtor personally. I’ve also asked her to start taking pictures of some of our landscaping jobs so we can frame them and place them around the store.”
“Sounds like you have the whole thing planned out,” Connor said. And that time, there was no mistaking the edge to his voice.
“You got a problem with it, you tell me,” Finn said. “That’s why we’re here.”
“I think it sounds excellent,” Liam said, looking between his brothers. One could always count on Liam to neutralize the tension between Finn and Connor.
“I’d like to take a day or two to think about it,” Connor said.
“No problem. I’ve got all the details right here,” Finn said, handing Connor a folder.
“Great. We done here?” Connor asked.
“I guess so, unless you guys have any questions.”
They both shook their heads, and then Connor immediately stood up. “Got somewhere I need to be,” he said and quickly said his goodbyes.
After he’d left, Finn said, “What about you, McKayla? Do you have any questions?”
Sitting up straighter in her chair, she said, “Can you give me an overview of what my responsibilities would be?”
Harper did a silent fist pump. Her sister looked and sounded professional sitting there in her conservative dress pants and blouse. You’d never know she’d been fired for getting naked on a conference room table!
“Sure. You’d be answering calls, scheduling appointments, generating invoices, processing payments, and basically making sure we all have our shit together.”
Everyone laughed, and McKayla looked more relaxed than she had since they’d arrived. Harper smiled sweetly at Finn, who seemed to sense that her sister was nervous and wanted to put her at ease.
“I think you’ll find that we’re an easy bunch to work with,” he continued, “Well, except for Connor, who can sometimes be a pain in the…”
“Ass!” Liam finished.
“Anyway, we won’t leave you on your own until you’re comfortable.”
“Sounds good,” McKayla said.
“After we close the deal on the store, you and I can get together and talk salary, if that’s ok with you?”
McKayla nodded.
“I guess we’re done here,” Finn said and started to rise.
“Hey. We should all go out for dinner to celebrate,” Liam suggested.
“That’s a little premature, don’t you think?” Finn said.
“I think it’s a great idea. Don’t you, McKayla?” Harper said.
Finn narrowed his eyes at Harper and then looked from Liam to McKayla, and it was like dawning struck. He’d figured out that Harper was playing matchmaker even though he didn’t look particularly pleased about it.
“Yeah. I guess so,” McKayla replied, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
In the end, Harper got her way, and the four of them drove together to a local restaurant that was known for their excellent fish and chips. Harper had purposely taken the passenger seat in Finn’s truck, which had forced Liam and McKayla to sit together in the back. Finn had raised his brows at Harper when she’d slid in, but he hadn’t said a word (smart man!).
At one point, Harper heard Liam say, “Are you sure we haven’t met before? I could have sworn we have.”
“No. We’ve never met,” McKayla insisted.
But Harper knew her sister, and it sounded like she was protesting too much. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to push these two together after all.
By the time they were seated at the cozy restaurant and had been served fish and chips by the owner himself, everyone seemed to be doing fine. They drank beer, and Liam made a toast to the new store and to new beginnings.
When they clinked glasses, Harper smiled at Finn, who grinned back at her and then squeezed her knee beneath the table.
And then suddenly, Liam banged his fist down on the table and shouted, “I know where I met you! At Rob Larson’s bachelor party!”
The four of them wore expressions ranging from confusion (Harper) to mortification (McKayla) to satisfaction (Liam) to concern (Finn).
“Bachelor party? Why would McKayla be at a bachelor party?” Harper asked, but when Finn gave her a little kick under the table, her confusion morphed into horrified understanding.
McKayla’s face had turned bright red, and she quickly slugged down the rest of her beer before practically slamming the bottle back on the table. “That was a long time ago,” she muttered through clenched teeth.
Liam, who seemed oblivious to her discomfort, plunged ahead. “It to
ok me a minute to remember because I think you were wearing a red wig that night…”
“Liam. I think that’s enough,” Finn warned.
McKayla refused to look at anyone, least of all her sister, who was glaring at her from across the table.
And then Liam tuned in to the tension, and looking at McKayla, he said, “Sorry. I assumed your sister knew about your side job.”
“It’s not my side job,” McKayla hissed, turning to meet his eyes. “One time! It was one time! I was helping a friend. That was it.”
And then the waitress came over to collect their empty plates and give them their bill. “Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked.
“No. I think we’ve had quite enough,” Finn said, his eyes narrowing at Liam.
Finn quickly paid the bill, and they left the restaurant, no one daring to say another word until Harper heard Liam whisper to McKayla, “If it helps, I thought you were a really good dancer.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Harper saw McKayla slug him in the arm, and there wasn’t anything playful about it.
The ride back to Finn’s place was quick but silent. Once he’d pulled into his driveway, he said, “I’d invite you ladies in, but I have a feeling you have a lot to talk about.”
“You can say that again!” Harper muttered as she hopped out of the truck.
Finn came around and kissed her cheek, and then he whispered in her ear, “Go easy on her.”
To which Harper replied, “We’ll see.”
Finn just smiled, and then he and Liam made a hasty retreat.
Harper waited until they were out of Finn’s driveway before she laid into McKayla. “What in the hell were you thinking? Are you a…a stripper?”
“What? God no!”
“Well, then what were you doing dancing at a bachelor party?”
“Like I said, I was helping out a friend.”
“Who is a stripper?”
“Not exactly.”
Harper sighed, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly they hurt. “You better start explaining, Kay, before I really lose my patience.”
“Oh. So, this is you being calm?”
“What do you expect? I get you a job with my…my boyfriend, and then I find out from my boyfriend’s brother that my sister is a stripper on the side! How did you expect me to react? Did you expect me to say, ‘Great, I’m so glad you’re making some extra money’?”
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