Finn

by Ahren Sanders

  Other than the meetings, we’ve kept to ourselves. Family and friends have begged us to join them, but we’ve been able to dodge all requests and stay secluded.

  “Sorry, I should have said there are two someones here to see you,” the receptionist corrects herself. “And one of them is about to jump out of her skin to get to you.”

  Whitney…

  I shut down my computer and head to the front. I round the corner and see Jeff first, reading a plaque on the wall. There’s a high-pitched squeal, and I brace myself in time to catch the flash of purple jumping at me.

  “Finn!” Her little arms clutch around my neck.

  “Hey there.” I spin us around and listen to her giggles.

  “Surprise! Me and grandpa came to surprise you.”

  “It’s a great surprise.”

  “Winnie, I’m not sure Finn should be lifting you. Remember he was hurt.” Jeff looks at me worriedly.

  “It’s fine. I’ve been cleared to start working out next week. Light weights, so she falls into the under-fifty pounds.”

  “Sorry to barge in like this, but I was hoping to chat with you without Presley. Normally, it would be a school day, but there’s some sort of teacher training,” he explains.

  “No, this is great. You guys want to get some lunch? There’s a great place next door.”

  He agrees, and I tell the receptionist I’ll be back soon.

  We walk to the small café while Winnie talks non-stop about Christmas coming up in a few weeks. Once we’re seated and order, Jeff takes out his phone and headphones and gets Winnie set up with a game to keep her occupied. Then he looks at me with a seriousness I’ve seen before.

  “I swear to God,” I raise my hands in the air, “I haven’t done anything to hurt her. I left her in the kitchen this morning, bent over her computer working on an article.”

  “Such the smartass, huh?” He breaks in with a sarcastic smile. “I’m here for something else.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, first, I want to tell you congratulations on graduation. We’ll be at the party next weekend.”

  “Presley told me you’d be there. I still have extra tickets if you want to come to the ceremony.” I wiggle my eyebrows, knowing his answer.

  “Appreciate that. I sat through three high school and two college ceremonies. Plus, I have a lifetime of grandkids’ events. Think I’ll skip this one and have a cold beer waiting for you at the party.”

  “Fair enough. I’d skip it, too, except my parents and Presley would freak.”

  “Yep, think you’d better suck it up and deal.”

  I nod in agreement.

  “But I came here for another reason, a more important reason.”

  I sit up straighter, the hairs on the back of my neck tingling.

  He looks at Winnie, who’s engrossed in her game, then reaches in his pocket and hands me a small box.

  I flip it open, and the tingling in my neck spreads throughout my body. Inside the box is a large sparkling diamond unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It outdoes any diamond I’ve looked at in the last two weeks. Well, actually the last two months, with the exception of the time Presley and I weren’t together.

  “This is incredible.”

  “It was my Lydia’s. Believe me, it wasn’t the first diamond I put on her finger, but it was the last. The first ring was a small thing, but it was all I could afford when we started out. I know it sounds cliché, but by our tenth anniversary, my career had taken off, and we had three children. I had a ring made for her with a diamond to represent each of the kids. She loved it and all it represented. When she died, we buried her with a replica and put the real one away.”

  “It’s incredibly beautiful.”

  “When Presley came home from Baton Rouge and was torn up, I found her in my closet one day, sitting in front of the open safe, staring at that ring while tears poured down her cheeks. She never said anything, but I knew what she was thinking.”

  “Jesus.” My gut twists at the image and the reminder.

  “I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries here, but I heard you’ve been looking at rings.”

  “What the hell?” My head jerks to him. “How’d you know that?”

  “It doesn’t matter, but have you found anything?”

  It hits me; my parents are the only people who know my endless search for the perfect ring. “Not yet. Nothing stands out enough. Everything seems so commercial.”

  “I agree. That’s how I felt all those years ago. The last thing I want to do is insult you, but if you’d like, this diamond is yours to give to Presley. The only thing I ask is that if in later years, you decide to do what I did, this stays in the family.”

  A lump forms in my throat at the gesture, and I can picture the exact setting this diamond will go in. “I think she’d love this.”

  “So, I figure you know my answer, but it’s still good manners to talk to me about this.” His tone goes deep as he squares his shoulders.

  I snap the box closed and look him in the eye like a man. “Jeff, I’d like to marry Presley and spend the rest of my life worshipping her. It would mean a lot to have your blessing.”

  My knees bounce as he eyes me intently. Then he bursts out laughing. “Damn! You know my answer, and you still look like a frightened puppy.”

  I chuckle under my breath and shake my head.

  “Finn, there’s no man on this earth deserving of my Presley, but considering how much you love each other, you’ll do.”

  He gives me an approving glance as our food is served.

  Now, I need to figure out the perfect way to get the ring on her finger.

  “Did you hear me holler when they announced your name?” Presley threads her fingers through mine and puts my hand in her lap.

  “Yeah, babe, I think the whole campus may have heard you.”

  “Sorry, I was so excited. This is a big deal. Aren’t you proud of yourself? I’m proud of you. This is a huge accomplishment. I mean, I’m sure boot camp graduation was superior, considering the weeks of hell, but still.” She babbles endlessly, fidgeting as she goes from looking at me and then out the truck window.

  “Presley? You okay?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  “No offense, but you haven’t shut up since we got into the truck. And not that I’m not appreciative, but you’ve told me how proud of me you are four times.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m super nervous.”

  “About me graduating?”

  “No, about your present.”

  “You didn’t need to get me anything.”

  “Can we stop somewhere private before going to your parents’?”

  “Sure, where?”

  “Pull over there.” She points to empty lot at the park entrance, and I pull in.

  “You know, I saw you for the first time when I was seated in that gazebo over there. I just didn’t know it at the time.”

  “Oh my God, it’s perfect. Come on!” Before I can argue, she jumps out of the truck and takes off running.

  I catch up to her right when she reaches the bench and turns to me, her face bright pink from the freezing wind. The place is almost deserted since we had our first snow fall last night and the ground is frozen.

  “Presley, it’s twenty-five degrees out here. What are we doing?” I hop from foot to foot and bundle her in my arms.

  “I want to give you your present.”

  “You couldn’t do that in my heated truck? Or at your place later tonight?”

  “No, it’s been on my mind for a while now.” She reaches between us, takes an envelope out of her coat, and hands it to me.

  I open it and read through the document, not believing what it says. “Presley, what did you do?”

  “You gave up the house, our house. It was killing me. My dad made a few calls, and the owners haven’t sold. This is a right to refusal. If you still want it, it’s yours
.”

  “Your name is on here.”

  Her eyes start to dance, and she smiles widely. “I guess I should say it’s ours. I put the deposit in escrow, with the understanding that the final decision was yours. They know you were shot and that things have changed. Everyone involved has agreed, you have final say.”

  “You’re giving me a house for my graduation present?”

  “I hope so, if that’s what you want.”

  “I want everything with you.”

  She beams, and I drop to one knee, taking her gloved hand. “Marry me.”

  Her smile falters, and she visibly starts to shake. “You don’t have to do this. There are no expectations.”

  “For whom? I have expectations. I want a ring on your finger. I want to know you are mine forever.”

  “I already told you I am.”

  “Then say yes.”

  Her eyes fill with tears, and she drops down in front of me. “Is this about the house?”

  “No, this is because I fucking cherish you. There is no one who will ever love you like I do. I wanted to do this tonight, alone and naked, with you in my arms and me whispering how much you mean to me. I’ve—“

  “Hush! Please stop!” She’s crying openly now. “I don’t want to feel like this is out of obligation. I love you, too, but we can take this slow.”

  I pull the ring box out of my pocket and flip it open. Her eyes drop, then raise back to mine. Her lips quiver when she says, “That’s the most exquisite ring I’ve ever seen.”

  “This was one of your mother’s diamonds. I had this designed specifically for you. It’s unique and spectacular. Every angle shoots off a blinding sparkle in the light. Marry me… Make me the happiest man ever.”

  She grabs the box out of my hand and starts wailing. “Yes!” she screams through tears. Her body flies into mine, knocking us both down, and I hold her close to cushion the fall.

  “Can I put it on you?”

  She’s crying so hard that I almost miss her nod as she lays her head on my shoulder.

  I twist, pulling her into my body, remove her glove, then take the ring and slide it on her finger. “You are my reason for living,” I repeat over and over. “I will love you like no man has ever loved a woman before, and promise to give you everything your heart desires.”

  I lean in to kiss her gently, tasting her tears and hugging her close. She winds her body into mine, deepening the kiss, as the familiar heat and energy starts to buzz through my body. Her hips grind against mine, and my cock jumps to attention. She doesn’t miss the bulge and teases me by wrapping her legs around my waist.

  “Babe,” I say against her lips. “We need to stop.”

  “Don’t want to,” she moans into my mouth. Her thighs tighten as she continues to swivel her hips.

  I break away, running my lips along her jawline to her ear. “You keep moving like you are, I’m going to come. I prefer to be inside you when that happens, hearing my fiancée scream my name.”

  She whimpers but stops moving and loosens her hold. Her head rests in the crook of my neck, her breath warm against the skin when she sighs softly. “Fiancée has a majestic ring to it.”

  “I hate to do this, but there’s a house full of people at my parents waiting for us. We’ll do three hours tops. Friends, family, pictures… then it’s you and me.”

  “Okay.”

  “For days, Presley… I’m keeping you naked and in my arms for days.”

  “Promise?” She leans back and looks at me with a gleam in her eye.

  “Oh yeah, the thought of you wearing nothing but my engagement ring has the potential to kill us both.”

  “Death by sex with Finn Black… I think that’ll look great on my tombstone.”

  “Make fun now.” I shove off the ground and take her up with me. “But when you can’t move on Monday, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “I look forward to every bone-chilling, heart-pounding, mind-boggling, toe-curling second of it.”

  Epilogue

  Presley

  “Who does this? Presley Chambers, that’s who!” Reese runs around my bridal suite like a lunatic, looking for God knows what.

  Ember stands in front of me, touching up my make-up, and we both roll our eyes at her dramatics.

  “Would you please calm down?” My request falls on deaf ears because Reese is in full tizzy mode.

  “No! Who kicks their bridal party out of the room one hour before their wedding? Who can’t tell their overbearing, possessive, certifiably crazy fiancé that he has to wait to see her walk down the aisle? Who lets this said fiancé maul her after hours of hair and make-up, so now the maid of honor must run around collecting shoes and missing earrings like a madwoman???

  “You! That’s who! Where the hell did your sense go? Don’t you remember the whole ‘don’t see the bride before the wedding’?”

  “Reese, we told you this from the beginning, then last night, and again this morning. We don’t believe in that superstition. And besides, it’s Finn’s birthday. I had to see him to give him his birthday present.”

  She mumbles under her breath while Ember fluffs my hair and places the last jeweled clip on the side.

  “I think it’s wonderful, if you ask me,” she says, low enough crazy Reese can’t hear her.

  “Me too.”

  When Finn and I started planning our wedding, a few dates stuck in my mind, all of them with sentimental meanings. But when we looked at a calendar and discussed it, I insisted on April tenth. I would have preferred April eleventh, but it was a Sunday. This date was significant because it was the date of Finn and Robbie’s accident in Iraq.

  The date has haunted Finn for so long because it fell right after his birthday, but I vowed to him that this day would forever carry happy memories going forward. This gave us a little under four months to plan our wedding, but we didn’t care.

  Reese panicked in the beginning, telling me I was insane and shorting myself the whole ‘bridal experience’. But she sucked it up and took her role as maid of honor seriously, helping with every detail of the planning. I thought she was going to lose her shit when Finn squashed her bachelorette party plans and instead planned a joint party at our new house. I had to depend on Tripp to help talk her down from that snit.

  Finn and I made a pact in the very beginning that this would not turn into a stressful affair. We didn’t care if we got married at the courthouse, as long as we said ‘I do’ surrounded by our families and friends.

  Only once during the last few months did I break down and cry, and that was when Ember gave me her Christmas present. It’s tradition that the Blacks spend Christmas Eve with the Hayes family. This year, my whole family was included in the festivities.

  We agreed to keep the gifts to a minimum and only buy for the children, or in Ember and Robbie’s case, the upcoming baby. So when she handed me the present, I was surprised. The whole room went quiet as I opened the gift carefully. She held on to Robbie with white knuckles and wide eyes when I looked at her in confusion. In the box was a single paper. It was a sketch of a dress, more like a gown, that took my breath away.

  The tears started falling immediately, and I clutched it to me, the significance of this gift piercing my heart. Ember had created the perfect wedding dress for me. Through my hysterics, I learned she had secretly spoke to my dad and looked through albums of my parents’ wedding photos. She took a picture of my mom’s dress and tried to modernize it, hoping to give me a piece of my mom on my wedding day.

  The meaning of this gift went so much deeper than a dress. Ember repeatedly turns down offers to design wedding dresses, no matter the money, because she vowed to herself, she’d only design her own gown. I’ve heard stories of people begging her to reconsider, but she sticks to her guns.

  So her designing this dress for me and my wedding to Finn broke the dam. I cried like a maniac, thanking her profusely and assuring her the design was perfec
t. Later that night, I asked her to be in my wedding party. It was her turn to cry, explaining she’d never been in a wedding other than her own.

  Even with the short timeline leading up the big event, I never felt rushed. With the help of our family, friends, and celebrity resources, we had a full wedding planned in no time.

  Everything I could ask for would take place in less than an hour.

  “Okay, it’s time.” Ember dabs at my lip gloss as Reese bends to help me into my shoes. When Ember gives me the go-ahead, I turn to the mirror and suck in a breath at my reflection. Reese and Ember both grab my hands, and we all stare with tears in our eyes.

  I’ve tried on this dress a dozen times before, but today, with the hair, make-up, and shoes, it takes on an ethereal feel. The sweetheart neckline and fitted bodice sparkle with metallic accents, shining in the light. But it’s the skirt and train that sparkle the brightest. Ember and her Aunt entwined large clusters of beads and pearl accents into the lace overlay. These were created to match the accents on my mom’s train when she married my dad.

  “You are stunning.” Reese’s voice cracks as she locks eyes with me in the mirror.

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Ember sniffs and wipes away a tear. “Damn hormones!”

  “Thank you, Ember. This dress is exquisite. I’ll never be able to repay you for what you’ve created.” I suck in a deep breath and try to stop the tingling in my own eyes.

  There’s a knock on the door, followed by a high-pitched shriek as Winnie comes running in, squealing. She spins in a circle, showing off her own princess dress I bought to match Reese and Ember’s.

  “You look very pretty.” I squat and wrap my arms around her.

  “So do you, Aunt Presley. I can’t wait for you to be married!”

  I’m not surprised at her statement, but for some reason, her excitement is amped up today. “I can’t wait, either, but why are you so excited?”