by Tamie Dearen
“No, I’m fine. Mom’s cold turned out to be an allergy attack.”
“So why can’t you come? Ellie will be so disappointed.”
“You have to promise to keep this to yourself…”
“My lips are sealed. I won’t even tell Bran.”
“I especially don’t want Bran to hear this.” Laurie paused, working up the nerve to say it out loud. “I know you’re inviting Bran’s buddies, and I don’t think I can handle being around Finn.”
“Oh. Things are going that bad, huh? Are you two fighting all the time?”
“No, it’s way worse than that. He’s being ultra-sweet and thoughtful. No man has ever treated me like that, except for Branson. And now… I kind of like him.”
Stephanie squealed in her ear. “That’s awesome! You and Finn would make a great couple.”
“Not awesome. Finn doesn’t want to be a couple. He wants to be best-buds. Like he is with Bran. Yesterday, when I landed a million-dollar art donation, he punched my shoulder and said, ‘nice job.’ Next time, he’ll probably slap me on the butt and yell, ‘Good game, Fields!’”
Stephanie’s giggles lightened Laurie’s mood. It helped to laugh about her situation. It was either that, or cry and be depressed.
“So, he’s a little awkward. But it’s a big deal that he’s being nice to you. Surely it means he wants to be more than friends.”
“No, he was very, very clear he only wants to be friends. Believe me, he wasn’t being romantic.”
“Hmm… Maybe a few weeks or months from now, he’ll feel differently. You haven’t been working together long. Don’t you think he might change his mind?”
“Sure. Finn changes his mind every day. He changes so much, he’s practically schizophrenic. But I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like me in a romantic way and never will.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because of what he said to me after our date, Wednesday night.”
A severe coughing fit sounded over the phone. “You have to warn me before you say something like that,” Steph scolded. “I was taking a drink when you casually mentioned you and Finn went on a date. I almost choked to death.”
“Well, it wasn’t that kind of date, so don’t get all worked up. I was pretending to be his girlfriend so his mom would get off his case. I’ll have to admit, he needed some help. Susan’s pretty intrusive.” Laurie stared out the window, recalling the ups and downs of the evening. But it was Katie’s parting words that really stuck in her head. She wished it wasn’t true, but Katie was right—she did have feelings for Finn. What a disaster.
“You don’t like Susan? I loved her when I met her a few months back. Finn had a party at his house. I thought she was hilarious.”
“Oh, she is. I liked her, a lot, but she teases a little too much. Anyway, that’s beside the point. I was telling you what Finn said after dinner… He told me we could be friends, like he was bestowing some special gift. And then he told me he could help me out if I needed it. Said he could give me the money to move to a better apartment. Or I might want to buy a new dress.” Even talking about the conversation made her fume.
“Surely he was kidding you. Finn’s like that, you know.”
“He was dead serious. I promise.”
“Okay, I admit, that doesn’t sound very romantic.”
“It sounds like he feels sorry for me because I’m poor. I don’t even know why I like him when such arrogant things come out of his mouth.”
“He’s really not arrogant. He’s just generous with his money and doesn’t know he’s offending people when he says that sort of thing.”
“I know.” Laurie sighed. “That’s why I can’t stay mad at him, even when I want to. And that’s why I can’t come to dinner tomorrow.”
“Actually, Finn’s not coming tomorrow.”
“He’s not?”
“No, Ellie wanted to be at dinner to see you, and we have to keep Finn and Ellie from contaminating each other. It really is dangerous. Finn agreed not to come, so you’re still on the hook.”
“That’s great. Honestly, I’ve missed you so much. And I have a lot more to tell you. My mom called, and there’s all kinds of drama.”
“Why don’t we have lunch? I could be there in thirty minutes—forty-five, tops.”
“You want lunch now? It’s only 10:00 in the morning.”
“It is? Huh! I’m conditioning my hair with mayo, and I smell like a sandwich. I guess it’s making me hungry.”
“I can’t go out to lunch anyway. Finn asked me to eat with him, and I told him I had so much work to do I was skipping lunch.”
“You never skip lunch.” Steph sounded worried. “You’re not getting anorexic, are you?”
“Ha! Far from it. I’m a stress-eater, you know. I ate my weight in potato chips last night.”
“Then you should be able to de-stress tomorrow night. Branson’s grilling steaks and we’re having sweet-potato casserole.”
“I’m looking forward to it. And afterwards I won’t be able to walk, so I’ll just roll my stress-free body out the door.”
“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it. See ya tomorrow.”
A tentative knock sounded on Laurie’s door, and Finn stepped halfway inside, like he couldn’t decide if he should stay or go.
“Hey, thought I’d let you know I brought lunch back so I could work up here. I…” His voice trailed off, and he looked at the floor. “I’ll be next door at the conference table, if you need me.”
Darn it. He looked so pitiful—like a little boy with no friends to play with.
I know I’m going to regret this. “Want me to come work in there while you eat?”
Like round bowls of sky, his eyes grew wide, a smile lighting his face.
Why does he have to have those amazing dimples? He looks so innocent when he smiles.
His shoulders scrunched together. “If you want to. I… uh… I brought you a sandwich, just in case.”
A loud gurgle from her traitorous stomach reverberated in the room, the pressure of her hands not helping to silence it. The crooked grin he hid behind his hand was adorable, which made her even more wary. But it was too late to turn back. “After that rousing chorus of approval from my stomach, I guess I’ll accept your offer.”
She snatched her laptop and followed him next door. For the next fifteen minutes, they ate and chatted about nothing of importance. Katie had sent a cute family photo, with the two older boys cradling their baby sister across their laps. His mother had arrived safe at home in Michigan. Then he mentioned he was flying to Colorado on Monday.
“I know it’s none of my business, but does this trip have anything to do with Jarrett?”
Finn’s smile vanished. “Actually, I’ve been tasked with telling you, but I’ve been putting it off. He’s having a biopsy done on Monday. He could have a recurrence of the cancer that took his leg. All three of us are going to Denver.”
Cancer. Even the word was so scary. She couldn’t imagine how Jarrett must feel.
“I’m so sorry. Jarrett is such a nice guy. I wish he was married, so he wouldn’t have to do this alone. But I’m glad he has you guys as friends.”
His brows pushed low over his eyes. “We’re always there for him—it’s not like he needs a wife.”
“Yeah, but you can’t do everything a wife would do for him.” She lifted her hand before he could make a smart comeback. “And I’m not talking about sex. I’m talking about having someone by your side, no matter what. No matter what people say or think. No matter whether it’s convenient or not. No matter if your problem messes up their perfect plans. No matter if it spoils their reputation. You can’t shirk your responsibility and just pick the parts that suit you—disappear and then show up and expect to be received with open arms. Some people might forgive and forget, but I don’t. Especially not when you hurt someone I love.”
She took a breath and noticed Finn staring with huge eyes, his sandwich poised in mid-air.
“Was that about
why Jarrett should get married? Because I think I got lost somewhere in the middle.”
Her face burned all the way to the roots of her hair. How had she gotten off on that tangent? That phone call she’d gotten from her mother must’ve screwed up her head more than she thought. She couldn’t believe her mother was willing to give her father another chance, after all the years of misery and rejection. The worst part was it sounded like her mother had already forgiven him. If she took him back, Laurie might never be able to see her mother again. At least her mother didn’t know she’d legally changed her name. Her dad wouldn’t be able to track her down, even if her mom gave in to him.
“Laurie? Are you okay?” His expression morphed from surprise to worry. “Is this about that guy? The one you said didn’t abuse you?”
“No. Well, sort of.”
“Is he bothering you?” The muscles on the outside of his jaw bulged as his eyes narrowed.
“No, because he doesn’t know where I am.”
His jaw jutted forward. “He’s trying to track you down? What if he finds you? We should call the police.”
“It’s not like that. He won’t hurt me. Not physically.” She stuck three potato chips in her mouth, despite having promised herself she would only sample half a chip, just to have a taste.
“You think he won’t hurt you, but what if you’re wrong?” Finn’s hand grabbed her arm, sending familiar tingles down her spine. “Please don’t take chances with him. I have two empty bedrooms besides the one Cole is sleeping in. You can stay at my place as long as you like.”
She almost choked on her chips. Coughing, she grabbed her water and gulped it down.
“Are you okay?”
Of course I’m not okay. Your hand is still touching my arm, and you just asked me to move in with you.
“I’m fine. My potato chip just got stuck.”
“We should get your things tonight and move you in. I’d feel a lot better.” His hand squeezed. “This is what friends do, Laurie. Like you were there for me at dinner the other night.”
“You’re out of your mind. Asking me to move in is not equal to me spouting off at dinner Wednesday night.”
“It is to me.” He took his hand away to push his fingers through his hair. “I want to help. Why won’t you let me?”
“I’m perfectly safe in my apartment.”
“Oh…” His nostrils flared, and he looked away. “If it helps, my bedroom is soundproofed.”
“Why on earth would you tell me that?” Her voice trembled from shock.
He answered with stiff lips and a challenging glare. “I thought it might make a difference if you knew you wouldn’t hear me coughing for an hour every morning. It’s an awful sound.”
She burst out laughing. “Thank goodness! I thought you were into some kind of kinky stuff, telling me your bedroom was soundproof.”
“I didn’t… I never…” His face turned redder by the second. “Of course not.”
His mortified expression made her laugh even harder. When she finally gained control, she declared, “I could care less about hearing you cough in the morning. I lived with Steph and Ellie for four years. I helped Ellie with her morning treatments during the week, and on the weekends, I could hear her anyway.”
“Surely it got on your nerves, though.” He had this odd expression—half disbelieving, half hopeful—as if her answer really mattered to him.
“It took me two weeks to get to the point where I could sleep through it,” she confessed. “But when I learned more about CF, that awful coughing sound was music to my ears. It meant the treatment was working. I loved Ellie, and the only thing that mattered was keeping her healthy.”
“My sisters said the same thing.” His eyes blinked rapidly as he traced the design on his cup. “I know my family can be nosy and pushy, but they’re also really supportive.”
“Of course they are. They love you. That’s how it’s supposed to be in a healthy family.” Though I wouldn’t know from experience.
“Then you’ll move in? Tonight?”
If only he knew how it hurts to have him prove his friendship, when I’m wishing for something more.
“Thanks for asking, but I can’t move in with you. I don’t need to. I promise he can’t find me. Even if he did, he’s not dangerous. He’d probably just try to make me like him by giving me a bunch of money.”
Finn frowned. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“It’s not bad or good, really. It’s nothing. Money is nothing to him, so the gesture is meaningless. Money’s the one thing he was always willing to give up. It shows he doesn’t really care about me at all.”
His mouth twisted to one side, his shoulders lifting. “Or maybe it’s all he knows to do.”
“Now you’re defending him?”
“I had to.” Finn scowled as he put his trash in the paper sack and wadded it into a ball. “The dude sounds like me. And I think this may be why you haven’t been talking to me.”
“I talked to you,” she retorted, though she knew what he meant. She’d avoided any conversations, except those needed to get her work done.
Finn stood and tossed his sack in the trash, then sat down directly across from her, elbows on the table, head in his hands, and peered at her with sad sapphire eyes.
Now that’s cheating.
“I’m sorry, Laurie. I don’t know how to be friends with a woman. Bran told me I probably offended you with the money thing. But I promise, I didn’t mean to. I don’t want to end up like this guy you hate so much.”
“First of all, I don’t hate him. I just don’t respect him, and I wish I never had to deal with him again. And second, he’s not like you at all.” How could she explain? She’d already said too much about her father. Finn would start putting two and two together if she wasn’t careful. “You can be extremely irritating when you want to be, but down deep, you have a good soul. You care about people. You wouldn’t be working this hard for Limitless if that wasn’t true.”
“Does that mean we’re friends again?”
“Sure.” She forced the word through gritted teeth.
Or, I could pick up a hammer and pound it on my thumb about a hundred times. Either one—equally fun.
Chapter 8
Finn felt conspicuous in the waiting room, wearing a mask and gloves, but a person with cystic fibrosis had to take precautions. Hospitals were dangerous places, teaming with bacteria.
“I still can’t believe he didn’t tell us it was more than a biopsy. This is major surgery, removing part of his lung.” Cole returned to his seat, handing Finn one of the coffee cups in his hands. Finn stowed his mask in his pocket and took a sip, wincing at the harsh flavor. But he wouldn’t complain—he needed the caffeine to stay awake. He’d only slept for three hours before rising to complete his cystic fibrosis treatment in order to be at the airport for a five a.m. flight. Even in a private jet, they had to arrive forty-five minutes early.
“He didn’t want us to come and make a big deal about it.” Finn understood. He would’ve done the same. He often kept his hospital stays on the down-low. It was almost as if having his friends there made him admit it was actually happening. If he was alone, he could pretend he was simply living in a dream-world, waiting to return to real life.
“The good news is it was only in one lung, and they think they got it all.” Bran was only repeating what they’d all heard when the surgeon gave his report, but it was worth repeating.
The conversation died as each sat, lost in his own thoughts and worries. After a few minutes, Finn asked Branson the question that had been on his mind all weekend. “How was the dinner party Saturday night?”
“Great. You missed some good steaks.”
“That’s it—rub it in. First you invite me. Then you uninvite me. Then you torture me by describing the food I missed.”
Cole piped in. “I already told you the food was good.”
Branson managed a hint of a smile. “Ellie was excited to be there and s
ee Laurie. I appreciate you giving up your spot for her.”
“Did Laurie… did she say anything about me?”
“Nope.”
“Nothing at all?”
“She didn’t even mention you. At least, not to me.”
“Okay.” Finn couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad. At least she didn’t complain about him. “I’m kind of surprised.”
Cole lifted his hand. “Uhmm… excuse me. Did I miss something? Is there some reason Laurie should be talking about you? Did you give her such a hard time she wants to quit?”
“No, we’re fine.” Finn took another sip of coffee, shuddering as he swallowed.
Finn thought he’d closed the subject, but Cole persisted. “I’m set to finish the shareholders’ report by Wednesday, and I could take over the LA fundraiser. I wasn’t planning to stay in New York past Friday, but this…” His gaze shifted around the stark waiting room. “This changes everything.”
“Are you sure you’ll be able to clear your schedule?” Branson asked.
“I will. This is my priority.”
Finn made a quick decision. He had the Laurie-thing under control now that they’d defined their friend-relationship. For some reason, he no longer wanted Cole to take his place. He must be feeling possessive about the job. “I’ll stay on the fundraiser. You can cover Jarrett’s other projects.”
“What about R&D? Don’t you have a new game release in a month?” Cole lifted the coffee to his lips and drank, pursing his lips.
“I’ll get it done. It’s not like I have a social life.”
“That’s true.” Cole chuckled. Then his smile faded as the room got quiet again. The sound of a dinging elevator echoed down the corridor. “Can I just ask—is anyone besides me scared?”
“I am,” Finn confirmed.
“I won’t let Jarrett know,” Branson said, “but, yes, I’m scared. I’ve looked at the stats and wish I hadn’t.”
“All we can do is pray.” Finn took a large gulp of his bitter brew, as if he were somehow sharing in Jarrett’s suffering.
“Jarrett’s mother is coming to stay with him.” Bran stretched and yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.
