Finn

by Ahren Sanders

  When Max and Tripp hugged her in greeting, it was an apparent test to see my reaction. A test I failed. I swallowed hard to control the rumble in my throat, but Max gave me a cocky grin and shake of the head. It was a gesture I knew well, seeing as I had given the same one to Robbie, Gabe, and Jimi in the last few years.

  “You ready, man?” Robbie asks from the doorway of the office I share with another guy.

  “You driving?” I lock down my computer and grab my things.

  “Let’s walk. Ember’s meeting us there. She’s so fucking giddy about this dog. Hope to God we get him.”

  “I have no doubt it’ll work out. Something tells me you’ve already made sure Blade will be yours.”

  He cracks a smile, and I have my answer. It’s only a matter of time before Blade will have a new home, and Robbie and Ember will be proud parents to a German Shepherd Warrior dog.

  When we get to the park, Ember is waiting at the gazebo and bouncing on her toes. Robbie pulls her to him and crushes his mouth to hers. She whimpers slightly, gripping his biceps. This is not a ‘hey, babe’ kiss. It’s more of a statement of ‘mine’. Sometimes, I wonder how these two even leave the house.

  I stand back and focus on the dogs running in the distance, specifically searching for the one woman who has filled my thoughts for days. There are a few breathless whispers, and I know it’s safe to look back when Ember gives me a quick hug.

  “Let’s go.” She grabs both our hands and drags us along, her excitement growing with each step.

  We stop outside the roped off area and watch a few minutes until Ember screeches and starts waving wildly. Presley waves back then tosses her Frisbee our way, and Blade takes off, chasing it. He catches it mid-air about twenty feet from us, and Ember immediately starts clapping. The dog turns to her and looks back and forth between Ember and Presley, clearly torn on what he should do. Instead of making a decision, he sits on his hind legs and wags his tail, waiting for someone to instruct him.

  When Presley gets to his side, she motions for us to join her. Once Ember is close, Presley pats his head and he bolts, running toward us. He stops short of our trio and heels again.

  Ember crouches, and he goes straight to her outstretched hands. She starts rubbing his head and neck eagerly, and he nuzzles his head into her chest, enjoying the attention.

  “Jesus, this may be the fucking worst idea ever,” Robbie mutters. “Am I going to have to compete with a fucking mutt for my wife?”

  I chuckle at the same time Presley giggles. We lock eyes, and she winks at me then falls to her knees next to them.

  Blade loses some of his formality and rolls over for them to pat his stomach and wiggles on the grass. I look at Robbie, who is watching with a scowl, but he doesn’t fool anyone. The second Ember coos again, he bends over and runs his hand over the dog’s face gently. At his touch, Blade immediately stops moving and rolls into Robbie.

  Ember inhales loudly, and we all go silent watching the dog lean in and paw at Robbie’s hand. He’s a pretty good size, but his motion is gentle, seeking approval.

  “Well, fuck me walking,” Robbie says and goes down all the way to face level. Blade immediately starts to pant and wag again.

  “Looks like he likes you.” Presley’s sweet voice fills the small space as she stands.

  We both watch Robbie and Ember silently as they bond with Blade. There’s a light breeze, and the scent of cherries and vanilla fills the air. I glance at Presley, who slides her eyes to me at the same time. Her lips tip slightly. My heart skips a beat, and I realize I haven’t said a word since we walked up.

  “Presley.” I edge closer.

  “Hey, Finn,” she says softly.

  “How are you?”

  She searches my face then looks at the ground for a second before responding. “I’m okay. Each day is a new day. We’re all coping well. It’s important to keep up a positive environment for Winnie. But I can honestly say I’ve been looking forward to today.”

  “So have I.”

  “I’m sure you were excited to see Blade and Robbie meet. This is a big decision for them.” She bites her lip and looks at me shyly.

  “Their dog, their life. Blade’s not the reason I’m here.”

  Her eyes grow wide. “He’s not?”

  “Not one bit. I came to see you.”

  Her cheeks start to flush, and my chest tightens at the sight. She’s so fucking adorable, and the look on her face does something to me. The instant she nibbles on her bottom lip, my cock starts to strain against my pants. Our eyes stay trapped, blocking out all the activity around us. There’s a brief flash before her pupils turn a deeper green. I literally have to force my arms to stay crossed, so I don’t reach out and run my thumb over the lip she keeps working between her teeth. She finally releases it and gives me her trademark blinding smile.

  My mouth goes dry, and I swallow hard to try to find my voice.

  “Presley?” Ember calls, and the moment’s lost when Presley looks away.

  “Yes?”

  “What do we do next?”

  Presley walks back to where they are sitting, and I catch Robbie examining me. He looks between Presley and me then shakes his head with a smug grin. I give him a glare that would scare most men, but he laughs, enjoying my irritation.

  The girls are oblivious to our exchange and continue discussing the next steps to adoption.

  “So we can possibly adopt him on Friday?”

  “I think so. Usually, it’s a longer vetting process, but the volunteer coordinator told me today your application had been fast-tracked.” Presley looks directly at Robbie with a smirk. “You know anything about that?”

  Robbie fakes ignorance and raises his hands in denial.

  “Oh my God! You didn’t!” Ember throws her arms around Robbie’s neck, causing him to fall back and take her with him. Blade recognizes her squeals are happiness and lays down beside them, rolling on his back, feet in the air, and turns his snout into them.

  “Babe, you wanted him. No way I’d ever tell you no. I made a few calls.”

  “My husband and father-in-law have a way of making things happen,” Ember explains to Presley.

  “Good to know.”

  “Little Star, as much as I love it when you’re on top of me, I have to go back to work. You’ve got me pinned down in the grass.”

  Ember scrambles up, and her face is a soft shade of red. “I can’t believe you said that,” she mumbles.

  “Not like it’s a secret.” I push to embarrass her further because it’s so easy to get under her skin.

  “Stop. Presley’s going to think we’re nuts.”

  “Not at all. Remember, I grew up in a house of men.” Presley picks up the Frisbee and motions for Blade. “Besides, I think showing affection and love is beautiful.”

  I don’t miss the sadness in her voice.

  “So, we’ll see you at the office this afternoon to finish the paperwork?”

  “We’ll be there. Then we’re going to order a fence for Robbie, Finn, and any other volunteers to put up immediately. I want Blade to have the whole backyard to roam and play without worrying about him.”

  “What?!?” Robbie and I choke out at the same time, snapping our heads to her.

  “I want a fence,” she states matter-of-factly.

  “Babe, I’d do almost anything in the world for you, but putting up a fence in June is even testing my limits,” I tell her.

  She narrows her eyes at me then whispers something in Robbie’s ear. His mouth splits into a wide grin, and when he looks at me, I sigh loudly.

  “Shit.” Looks like I’ll be sweating my ass off installing a fence.

  “Ember’s going to take me back to the office. You want a ride?” Robbie asks me.

  “I’ll walk.”

  They say goodbye to Blade, with Ember kissing all over him until Robbie forces her back. She hugs Presley and promises to see her later, and they
walk off hand in hand, pressed close.

  “They’re a cute couple,” Presley observes.

  “You have no idea. They’re perfect for each other.”

  “You all seem close.”

  “We are. There’s a few of us that grew up together. Robbie, Max, and I enlisted in the Marines together. All in all, our group is pretty big, but everyone’s lives have started to settle down.”

  “Really? How so?” She throws the Frisbee, and Blade races to catch it then trots back to us.

  “Few guys have gotten married or engaged. Robbie’s sister had twins earlier in the year, which now adds babies to the mix.”

  “Wow! Twins? That’s got to be a lot of work.”

  “They’ve got a big family, lots of siblings.”

  “I remember Winnie being an infant. It’s a ton of responsibility.”

  “Yeah, but they can handle it.” I don’t tell her that Raven, Robbie’s sister, is also married to a rock and roll superstar with more money than they can ever spend, and he’ll make sure she has whatever she needs to be happy and take care of those babies.

  Slowly, we migrate back to the populated area where the dogs play. The conversation is light as she asks about me. I briefly explain my relationship with the Hayes family and that I work as a Security Specialist while in school. I don’t miss the relief on her face when I mention I’m no longer an active Marine. It’s on the tip of my tongue to question it, but I hold back.

  “Security Specialist sounds like an exceptional position. I bet you see a lot of clandestine information.”

  “Clandestine, huh?” I grin at her terminology.

  “Sorry! I can’t help it. It’s my weakness. Sometimes, I go into my head and switch from the outdoor, dog loving, Warrior volunteer to the critical content editor.”

  “What?”

  “My real job. I’m a freelance editor. My degree is in English with a minor in Creative Writing. I edit for publications, magazines, and a few clients that publish their work online only.”

  “That’s quite impressive, much more so than a Security Specialist. Believe me, when I’m backstage doing security at an event, it’s less than clandestine.”

  “Are you making fun of my vocabulary, Finn Black?” she questions, trying to hide her amusement. Yep, she’s adorable.

  “Never, but I may need to bust out my thesaurus to keep up with you.”

  Her smile widens, and I reach down and graze my fingertips over her hands. “I was serious about coming here today to see you. It seemed crass to ask you out at your brother’s funeral. Took my chance that today would be better timing.”

  I inwardly curse myself for bringing it up, expecting her face to fill with sadness, but she surprises me with a giggle, her eyes dancing.

  “Are you asking me out?”

  “Yes, I’d like to take you to dinner tomorrow night.”

  Her face falls, and the light in her eyes dims. “I have Winnie tomorrow night and Thursday, too.”

  Shit! I have a concert on Friday night and the charity event on Saturday. No way do I want to wait until Sunday to see her again. My mind starts to scramble with ways to work this out.

  “Unless you’d like to meet us tomorrow night,” she says hesitantly. “I pick her up from summer camp, and we go for an early dinner at Chick-fil-A. She plays on the play center for a while before we eat. You could join us.”

  “I’d love to,” I answer without thinking about it. She could tell me to meet her at the Sonic Drive-In, and I’d probably agree.

  “Give me your number. I can call you and let you know when we’ll be there.” She reaches in her back pocket and takes out her phone.

  “How about I call you tomorrow to confirm? Maybe I can pick you two up?” I pull out my own phone. If my first date with Presley is going to be at a fucking Chick-fil-A, I’d like to do something traditional, like picking her up.

  “That’s really nice, but I’d have to change out the booster seat, which is a pain. And Winnie doesn’t know you—”

  I’m an idiot and completely fucking this up. “Say no more. I get it. I’ll meet you there.”

  Her grin turns solemn as she takes the phone from my hand and punches in her number.

  “Hey, why the sad face?” I gently lift her chin to me.

  “My life is different than most twenty-five year olds, Finn. Maybe this is a bad idea.”

  “On the contrary, I think this is a good idea. I’ll call you tomorrow, schedule a time to meet, and we’ll discuss how ‘different your life is’ over nuggets and waffle fries. Sound like a deal?”

  There’s a small change in her expression, and she forces a smile. “Sounds like a deal.”

  Before she can change her mind or talk herself out of it, I lean in and brush my lips lightly across her cheek.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Presley.”

  Her breath hitches, and she gives a small nod. I take one last look and force myself to turn around and walk away.

  The whole walk back to my office, her beautiful face fills my mind. The feel of her soft skin against my lips mixed with the scent of her perfume is all I can think about. Tomorrow night can’t come soon enough.

  Oh yeah, I’m screwed…

  Chapter 5

  Presley

  I close down my computer unusually early, allowing myself plenty of time to get ready. Ordinarily, I’d wear my workout clothes to pick up Winnie and head to dinner. But today’s different. Finn’s face fills my thoughts, and butterflies flutter everywhere in my body. The way his crystal blue eyes bore into mine, the feel of his soft lips on my cheek, the way his husky voice shoved down my impending rejection of him meeting up with us tonight.

  I touch my cheek and run a fingertip around the small space his lips grazed. With the small gesture, he took my breath away. Never has anyone affected me that way. Even the early days of dating Russell never sent my heart into overdrive and caused my knees to buckle.

  Great way to push him away, Presley. Tell him you aren’t like most twenty-five year olds. He’s probably regretting his intent to ask you out! I silently admonish myself and go into my closet to find something appropriate to wear to a first date slash weekly date with my niece.

  After rummaging through my sundresses, I decide on a casual and flirty lavender maxi with a pair of silver sandals. My hair takes a while to straighten, and by the time I swipe some mascara across my lashes, I’m a bundle of nerves. He still hasn’t called. Maybe he thought it through and realized I’m an inconvenience.

  My spirits start to plummet, but then my phone rings with an unknown number. Hope springs in my chest as I clear my throat, attempting to sound as normal as possible.

  “Hello?”

  “Presley?” Finn’s smooth voice flows through the line.

  “Yes.” I swallow.

  “I didn’t miss it, did I? I’ve been in class all day and just got done.”

  “Not at all, I’m about to get her. We’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  “You go to the one closest to your dad’s?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “It’s my job to know. See you soon.” He hangs up without a goodbye, and the fluttering from earlier returns.

  The whole drive to get Winnie is a blur as I play out different scenarios in my head. I pray she’s in a good mood because I need her to behave tonight. Dad told me she’s been fine, but I still worry when—or if—she’s going to realize Simon is really gone.

  When I pick her up, she’s as happy and energetic as always, babbling about their field trip and filling me in on all the summer camp activities. I force myself to stop thinking about Finn and try to participate in the conversation.

  The second I pull into the parking lot, I stop mid-sentence. Finn is leaning against a shiny black SUV. Seeing him sends the familiar fluttering and swarming sensation to my stomach. He watches me pull into a spot, and I actually feel his gaze as I wait for Winnie to unleash her se
atbelt and crawl to the front to get out. My whole body buzzes with anticipation. Once I open the door, we both tumble out ungracefully.

  Finn catches her arm and stops what could have been a true face plant since my arms are like jelly. She giggles and hugs his legs, looking at me.

  “Finn’s here, Aunt Presley!” she squeals loudly.

  He looks at me, surprised that she remembered him. We don’t have a chance to discuss his presence because she drags him across the parking lot to the entrance, leaving me.

  I lock my doors and scramble behind them, trying to hear exactly what she’s saying. To my knowledge, she relates their only ‘real’ meeting with the funeral. He was at the house, but who knows what her little mind remembers.

  I catch up as she starts to remove her shoes, telling him she will be playing before we order dinner. He nods at all the right times and helps put her shoes in the cubby as she scurries away, without another word to me.

  When he turns and locks eyes with me, I grip the back of a booth for support. He looks incredible. His blue eyes shine, and his hair is unruly, yet sexy as hell. He’s wearing a white t-shirt that hugs his chest with a pair of black athletic shorts and black Nikes. Pretty sure if Nike saw him, they’d snatch him up for endorsement opportunities.

  He looks away first, running his eyes over me. I tremble slightly, and my grip on the booth threatens to slip as my hand starts to sweat. He steps in close, and I hold my breath when he cups my chin and rubs his lips across my cheek.

  “Presley,” his voice is thick and velvety, adding to his raging sex appeal, “you look incredible.”

  My mouth runs dry and my tongue swells. He’s so close I can smell a variety of scents: the rich aroma of wood and cedar with a hint of spice. He moves back, but only enough to run his nose along mine before stepping away. My lungs start to burn, and I remember to breathe.

  “Thank you,” I finally find my voice.

  We stand there for a full minute before he gently touches my elbow and helps me sit in the booth. I’m disappointed when he slides in across from me.