The Best Intentions (Welcome To Starlight Book 1)

by Michelle Major

  “Liar.”

  “You seemed downright mad in the meeting this morning, but now you brought lunch. Did something change or do I need to worry about you trying to poison me with the chicken salad?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve had some time to think about it, and I realized you were right not to stay.” She’d worked hard to convince her heart of that.

  “Because...”

  “Last night was physical,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as he pulled the parchment-paper-wrapped sandwich from the bag. “I set up the guidelines, and you were honoring them.”

  “But this morning was different?”

  “Not exactly,” she lied. “I woke up ready for...”

  He arched a thick brow. “For...?”

  “You know.” She could feel a blush rising to her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to have this conversation but couldn’t stand to think of him holed up alone in his office all day. She had no idea why Finn’s boss from Seattle had come to Starlight, but it couldn’t be good for anyone.

  “I’d like to hear you say it.”

  She blinked. “For you,” she blurted. “I woke up ready for you.”

  Her embarrassment faded as a slow, sexy smile spread across his face.

  “I shouldn’t have told you that.” She shook her head. “We had one perfect night, and that’s enough.”

  “Nope.” He placed the sandwich on the desk, then moved toward her, so close that she could feel the heat radiating from him. But he didn’t touch her, and she forced herself not to lean into him. “One night wasn’t part of the agreement.”

  “But it would be the smart thing to do,” she told him. He smelled like the perfect combination of soap and cologne. It made her want to press her nose to the crook of his neck and breathe him in. Which would be really weird and probably make her seem more obsessed with him than she already felt.

  “I disagree.” He leaned in and placed a featherlight kiss at the corner of her mouth.

  Kaitlin swallowed back a whimper. She should walk—no, run—out of his office now. She needed to be smart. Prudent.

  “I think an affair during my time in Starlight...” He drew his tongue across the seam of her lips “...is the perfect arrangement.”

  “Mmm...” was all she could manage as a thousand sparks zipped through her body like an electric current across a high wire.

  “I’ll be satisfied.” His words vibrated against her mouth. “You’ll be satisfied.”

  She wanted to protest that she could never be satisfied when she knew things with him were temporary. But no. That was the way it had to be. She’d made a vow to herself when she left Seattle that she’d get her life together before getting involved with a man again. She had too rocky a track record—bad decisions and putting her own needs aside to make someone else happy.

  The problem was how happy Finn made her. Not just the physical aspect, either. She liked talking to him and the way he made her laugh. He took her seriously, her input at the bank and her dreams of making something more of her life. It was as if with Finn she could see herself as the woman she wanted to be. All of which made him far too dangerous to let herself get carried away.

  She opened her mouth to protest but before she could form one word, he kissed her. Just like that she forgot every one of her objections. She could easily lose herself in Finn. She wouldn’t, of course. But for the moment she let herself be carried away.

  His mouth was warm and deliciously firm. He kissed her like they had all the time in the world to discover each other. That thought had her pulling away. She stumbled back a step, pressing two fingers to her lips.

  “We can’t do this here,” she told him in a rush of breath. One kiss and she’d lost all good sense.

  Finn ran a hand through his hair, and it helped to see his chest rising and falling like he couldn’t quite get a hold of himself. At least she wasn’t the only one affected.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I opened my eyes this morning. You’re cute when you sleep.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “I drool.”

  He grinned. “Cute.”

  “Right.” She laughed again. “You don’t need to take off or hide out in your office from me. I don’t bite.”

  “Tell that to my shoulder.” He made a show of rubbing it.

  “You need to stop that.” She leveled a finger at him. “I can’t walk around here with a permanent blush. Everyone will notice.”

  “Your penchant for using your teeth in the throes of passion—” he crossed a finger over his heart “—is our secret. But know that I don’t make morning coffee for everyone.”

  “I did appreciate the coffee,” she admitted as he sat on one corner of the desk and then took a bite of the sandwich. “Although I’m glad I forgot my mug and went to the coffee shop. Brynn Hale is working there now.”

  Finn swallowed. “Seriously? I didn’t know that.”

  “It was her first day.”

  “How’s she doing?” He shook his head. “I ran into her in the park and we talked, but I haven’t reached out to her since then. I’m a jerk.”

  “I doubt she thinks that.” Kaitlin absently straightened a stack of papers on the desk. “She seems a little lost but determined to figure things out. I can’t imagine having to start over from that kind of loss, especially when everyone in town knows the details surrounding it.”

  “You don’t think she’ll leave Starlight?”

  Kaitlin shook her head. “Not with Tyler. She needs the support.”

  “It’s a good town for that,” he said, popping the last piece of sandwich into his mouth. “It’s also a good town for chicken salad.”

  “You inhaled that thing.” She handed him a napkin.

  “I skipped breakfast. Lost my appetite once Peter showed up.”

  “You really didn’t know he was coming?”

  “I’m not trying to sell the bank,” he said, his voice tight.

  “People will talk. I think everyone has been trying to ignore that bank takeovers are what you’re known for. They trust your father to take care of them...”

  “But not me?”

  She shrugged. “No one knows you well enough.”

  “What do you think?” He wadded up the parchment paper as he stood, shoving it in the carryout bag and tossing the whole thing in the trash can. “You know me pretty well after last night.”

  Did she know him? She wanted to believe that but had enough experience to understand sex and intimacy weren’t necessarily the same thing.

  “I trust you,” she said quietly and watched him visibly relax. “You need to show your face out there.” She pointed toward the door. “Go on with business as usual so people see they have nothing to worry about from AmeriNat.”

  “Do you mind if I sit in on the meeting with the volunteers from the art festival? I should probably try to prove that I’m taking an interest in the local scene and all that.”

  Kaitlin’s heart stuttered as she watched pink bloom on Finn’s angled cheeks. He made a show of clicking his keyboard and focusing his attention on the computer screen while he waited for her answer. But his blasé demeanor didn’t fool her. He needed her, and although she could tell herself all day that didn’t matter, it did. She wanted to be needed by him and not just at the office if she admitted the whole truth.

  “It would be good if you’re there. First Trust has a history of supporting the community. You can be part of that.”

  He nodded and flashed her an almost sheepish smile. “It’s a plan, then.”

  She turned to leave.

  “Kaitlin?” His eyes turned gentle when she met his gaze. “Thanks for lunch, and I’m sorry about how I left things this morning. One night with you isn’t nearly enough.”

  “I feel the same way,” she sa
id softly.

  They both glanced toward the door when a sharp knock sounded.

  Kaitlin opened it to find Jack on the other side. “How did things go with Peter?”

  Finn shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. Kaitlin didn’t buy it and doubted his father did, either. “Fine. He had some questions about a deal I’m working on in Northern California.”

  “Always the power player,” Jack said, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “It must feel like you’re stuck in East Dullsville here compared with what you’re used to.”

  “I never said that,” Finn protested, his tone cool. Kaitlin wished she could make the two of them admit how much they cared about each other. It was so clear, but every time she thought Finn and Jack were making headway on their relationship, they’d slip into this strange, subtle dance for superiority.

  “It seems as though there’s plenty you haven’t said,” Jack countered. “But I’m heading out of town until Sunday morning.” His shrewd gaze darted between the two of them. “I trust you can handle things while I’m gone.”

  “Gone where?” Kaitlin asked. “I thought you wanted to finalize your remarks for the opening of the art show.”

  He waved a hand. “Put something together. Finn will do the talking on Saturday, so you don’t need me.”

  “Of course we do,” she argued.

  An emotion she couldn’t name flashed in the older man’s eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. “I’ll be an hour away.”

  “Do you need a hotel?”

  “Already arranged.”

  “Where are you going?” Finn asked.

  Jack’s shoulders stiffened. “Seattle. You’re not the only one who can handle a big city.”

  Something passed between the two men, and Kaitlin wanted to shake them both.

  “Why?” Finn demanded.

  “I’m taking Nanci for a weekend in the city,” Jack answered, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

  “You’ve only been on one date with her,” Kaitlin pointed out. “Things are moving kind of quickly, don’t you think?”

  He chuckled. “At my age, time is a bit more relative. Besides...” He inclined his head and gave her a knowing look. “I’m not sure either of you are in a position to talk to me about moving quickly.”

  Kaitlin felt her mouth drop open.

  “Well played,” Finn said from behind her.

  It wasn’t exactly a surprise that Jack would have figured out what had happened between her and his son last night. But being confronted with his knowledge of it was an entirely different thing. It felt a bit like being called out by a parent. Not that her mom had ever cared much what Kaitlin had been doing with boys.

  “I’ll see you on Sunday,” Jack said, patting her shoulder. He winked. “Have a good night.”

  Kaitlin glanced at Finn as his father walked away. “That was weird, right?”

  “Extremely,” he agreed, massaging a hand along the back of his neck. “I’m having flashbacks to high school and I just found out I’ll have the house to myself.”

  “Are you planning a big kegger for all your friends?”

  He grinned. “I’m planning on you and me and a bottle of wine.”

  The whisper of promise in his voice made her stomach dance and spin, and then she remembered her date with Brynn.

  “I’m busy tonight,” she said, grimacing. “Brynn and I are going for dinner and drinks while her son is at a meeting. My friend Mara was going to come with us, but she already has plans. I think Brynn needs some new friends.”

  “I’m glad she has you, then,” Finn told her without missing a beat. “Just be sure to save room for dessert.”

  She swallowed hard at the promise in his eyes, anticipation already making her body tingle from head to toe.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You won’t believe who made me the worst cup of coffee I’ve ever had this morning.”

  Finn adjusted his baseball cap as he climbed into Nick’s truck later that night. “Brynn Hale.” He shut the door and reached for his seat belt. “And I highly doubt it was the worst. I’ve tried that swill you brew.”

  Nick’s mouth fell open. “How did you know that?”

  “Kaitlin mentioned that today was Brynn’s first on the job at Main Street Perk.”

  “Are the two of them friends?” Nick turned onto the road that led into town.

  Finn had planned to spend the evening alone, going over the bank’s commercial loan portfolio and ideas for restructuring distribution within the branch. But neither task appealed and, more important, he didn’t want to seem like he was waiting around for Kaitlin to get back from her girls’ night.

  Of course he’d checked his watch at least a dozen times once he’d changed from his suit and settled in at the table in his childhood kitchen. With his dad gone, the house felt weirdly empty, like he was rambling around with childhood memories as his only companions.

  So he’d called Nick, who’d been on his way home from the station and offered to swing by for Finn before heading to Trophy Room, a longtime favorite bar of locals in Starlight.

  “I guess.” Finn shrugged. “Kaitlin didn’t say much other than they were going to dinner tonight.”

  “She’s probably going to Brynn’s house.” Nick fiddled with the radio dial. “Brynn is an amazing cook.”

  “But not that much of a barista?”

  Nick cringed. “I hate that she’s having to do that. Put herself out there in town when everyone knows the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death and what he was putting her through before that.”

  “Maybe she wants to get out there again. I feel like a schmuck even bringing this up, but it’s not like he meant to crash,” Finn felt compelled to point out. “It was an accident.”

  “He was cheating on her,” Nick countered through clenched teeth. “I’m not saying that meant he deserved to die, but he wasn’t doing right by her. This affair wasn’t the first.”

  “You know that for sure?”

  “I pulled him over a couple of times for speeding. Let’s just say he was never alone and Brynn wasn’t with him on either night.”

  “You’ve got to talk to her, Nick.”

  His friend’s knuckles turned white. “I can’t. I wouldn’t know what to say.”

  “She was your best friend.”

  “Years ago, man. A lifetime.”

  “That doesn’t change things. Look at us.”

  “It’s different because we’re guys.”

  “Sexist much?”

  Nick thumped a hand on the steering wheel. “I don’t mean it like that. Things changed for Brynn and me. We can’t go back. We’re different people now.”

  “I don’t know,” Finn said quietly, thinking of Kaitlin. She was different than any woman he’d ever known. His feelings for her were certainly unfamiliar territory. If he planned to stay in Starlight or if he thought she’d be willing to come to Seattle, would that change things between them?

  “I need a beer to have this conversation.” Nick parked around the corner from the pub. They got out and started down the sidewalk. In the approaching twilight, Finn could see a variety of lit beer signs in the window. “Now that I think about it, I’d like a beer and a new topic. Let’s talk football or the BTUs on my new gas grill.”

  Finn grinned. “Do you want to hear about the new speaker system I installed at my condo?”

  “In great detail,” Nick said. “With a beer in one hand.”

  “And a chicken wing in the other?”

  “Now you’re talking.” Nick held open the door of the bar for Finn. Music, laughter and the scent of stale liquor drifted out.

  “Is it strange going out in town being the police chief?” Finn asked as they approached the antique bar. Trophy Room had been designed to look like an old English pub with dark pa
neling and brass fixtures. Rows of shelves and a few glass trophy cases lined the far wall, as it was a town tradition for local teams and star athletes to donate their medals and trophies to the bar for display.

  Nick waved to several people and offered friendly greetings to a few more. This was a neighborhood hangout in every sense of the phrase.

  “Not anymore,” Nick said as they slid into two empty seats at the bar. “I’m not exactly partying like a rock star around here, but I like to keep an eye on things.”

  “Hey, boys.” Finn smiled as Tanya Mehall, who’d babysat him and his sister in their younger years, approached. “Welcome home, Finn,” she said, multiple diamond stud earrings glinting in the light. “Always a pleasure, Chief.”

  “I didn’t realize you worked here,” Finn told her.

  She let out a husky belly laugh, and Finn remembered that she used to sneak cigarettes out on the back porch when he and Ella were supposed to be watching television. “I’ve been behind the bar about five years now.” She leaned in, her familiar bleach-blond hair and high ponytail a throwback to his childhood. “I’d take taming this crowd at their rowdiest over you and your spawn-of-the-devil sister any day.”

  Finn threw back his head and laughed. Tanya was ten years older than him and the only babysitter who hadn’t refused to return to their house after one night with Ella and him. “Did Dad end up paying you double or triple the going rate?”

  “Triple,” she said without hesitation. “I earned every penny. What’s our girl up to these days?”

  “She’s a travel nurse, focusing on pediatrics,” Finn reported. “She does a lot of work in Africa and South America.”

  “Is that so? The wild child has settled down?”

  “I’m not sure about that,” Finn admitted. Between assignments, Ella had managed to visit every continent on the planet, often backpacking with friends she made during her travels. Finn had done a fine job of ignoring the pain from his childhood. Ella was still on the run from hers. His sister had channeled her energy for good as a nurse, but she still wouldn’t make a commitment to stay in one location for more than a few months at a time. “But she’s managing in her own way.”