“I need to talk to him,” she whispered. “I need him to know I love him and I want a future together if he’ll have me.”
“He’d be a fool not to,” Brynn said. “No one has ever accused Finn Samuelson of being a fool.”
“Thank you for everything.” Kaitlin shifted on the sofa cushions, leaning over so she could hug Brynn, then smiled at Mara. “I don’t know what I would have done today without the two of you. I’m not used to having real friends, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you both.”
“Right back at you,” Brynn murmured. “It’s kind of comforting to know I’m not the only one working to get my life on track. Cry all you want, but don’t ask me to make you another convoluted coffee drink.”
Kaitlin chuckled at that.
“You know what I like to say?” Mara leaned forward in her chair. “Chicks before di—”
“No!” Brynn and Kaitlin shouted to the other woman at the same time before dissolving into more laughter.
“You’re going to meet some kind, gentle man,” Kaitlin said, pointing at Mara. “And it’s going to change everything.”
“Can he be a librarian?” Mara asked dryly. “I bet a librarian would be free of drama.”
“Swipe left for no drama,” Brynn said. “That’s the new dating theme.”
Kaitlin uncrossed her legs and stood. “I have to go back to Jack’s and find Finn. We need to have this conversation in person.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Then I’m driving to Seattle to deal with my past instead of running from it.”
“That a girl,” Mara said, also rising. “I’ll walk out with you. Thanks for the wine, Brynn. If we’re all going to be messed up, it should be together and with wine.”
Kaitlin groaned softly, prompting Mara to reach out and squeeze her hand. “Scratch that,” the other woman said. “You’re fixing things. Brynn is still hopeful and I’m holding out for a librarian hero.”
“With wine,” Kaitlin added, returning the gentle squeeze.
“This has been the most fun I’ve had in ages,” Brynn told them as she opened the front door. “Other than the part where you were sad and crying, of course.”
“Of course,” Kaitlin repeated, giving both of her friends a final hug before walking to her car. Her breath caught at the sight of her possessions crowded in the back seat. Once she saw Finn, she then needed to talk to his dad. Jack had done so much for her since she’d arrived in Starlight, but it was time for her to stand on her own two feet. She wanted her own apartment—maybe she’d even adopt a cat.
Yes, she loved Finn with her whole heart, but she owed it to both of them to move forward, claiming the life she believed she deserved. She’d never thought of herself as particularly strong, but that was who she was going to strive to become. Finn had helped her have confidence in herself and now she had to convince him they were meant to be together.
His car wasn’t at Jack’s when she pulled up the driveway. She thought about calling him but got out of the sedan instead and walked toward the front door of the rambling rancher.
The door opened as she lifted her hand to knock.
“You took off like a bat out of hell,” Jack said, one thick brow arched.
“Can I come in?” she asked.
“Always,” he answered immediately, stepping back to allow her to enter. “Did Finn do something to you?”
She followed him into the formal living room, sinking down onto one of the wingback chairs that flanked the upholstered sofa. “My ex-boyfriend came to Starlight yesterday.”
“The lowlife from Seattle?” Jack frowned as he lowered himself onto the couch. “The one who caused so much trouble for you?”
She nodded. “I haven’t talked to him for over two years, but it felt like no time had passed. He was the same jerk I remembered, only this time he wanted me to help him with a scheme to cheat elderly customers at First Trust out of their savings.”
“Bank fraud,” Jack muttered, rubbing a hand across his jaw. “He’s gotten ambitious in your absence.”
“Or more reckless,” she countered. “I told him no, but he made some stupid threats.”
Jack’s shoulders stiffened. He was no longer a strapping young man but could still appear quite formidable when he set his mind to it. “We won’t let him hurt you, Kaitlin.”
She swallowed at the emotion welling in her at his words. “I won’t let him hurt me. He also talked about bringing my mom to Starlight, and I don’t want that. She’s toxic but I got caught up in his anger and the power he used to wield in my life. I felt like the only way to deal with it was for me to leave. You’ve been so good to me, Jack. I’d never knowingly bring trouble to your doorstep.”
He chuckled even as he shook his head. “Girl, I’ve dealt with my wife’s death, cancer and almost losing my family’s bank. There’s no trouble you can throw at me that I can’t handle.”
“You shouldn’t have to—”
“You’re part of this community,” Jack reminded her. “We take care of our own around here. But nothing is going to be solved by running away.”
“I understand,” she said, trying to be discreet as she swiped at the corners of her eyes before the tears started to fall. “Do you know when Finn will be back?” She offered a watery smile. “Turns out I’ve fallen hard for your son, Jack. I need him to know that.”
A trickle of unease crawled across the back of her neck at the look Jack gave her. “I guess you weren’t the only one who made some hasty decisions without thinking them through.”
“What do you mean?”
His shoulders slumped, and she was suddenly reminded of how frail he’d been after his cancer treatments. He’d regained his strength, but now all that vigor seemed to vanish in an instant. “I started the process of selling the bank to AmeriNat.”
Kaitlin felt her mouth drop open. “Jack, you can’t do that. Why?”
“Having Peter Henry show up here threw me for a loop. I assumed it was Finn’s way of giving me the message that it’s time to sell. Besides, I want to start thinking about retirement, and I have to ensure the bank is in good hands before I do that. I’ve made plenty of mistakes but none bigger than letting my grief drive a wedge between me and my son and daughter. Finn has a huge career and he’s done it with no help from me. He helped right things at First Trust but I can’t expect him to drop everything he’s worked for and take over here in Starlight. I didn’t think that was what he wanted anyway.”
“You didn’t talk to him before meeting with Peter?”
Jack shook his head. “I thought I was right, but now he thinks I did this because I don’t want him to run First Trust.”
Kaitlin thought about Finn’s words as he stood next to her car. Ask me to stay.
He’d wanted her to throw him an emotional lifeline, and she’d walked away. He wanted to know his dad believed him, and Jack had made a deal without Finn’s knowledge.
Her heart clenched at the thought of how hurt and betrayed he must feel right now.
“He’s gone back to Seattle?”
“He packed his bags and took off within an hour of you driving away.”
“I’m going to make it right with him,” she said, forcing a confidence in her tone that belied the doubts swirling through her mind.
“Maybe for the two of you,” Jack said weakly. “But I’ve pushed him away too many times.”
“It’s never too late,” she insisted. “We have to believe that. I love Finn with all my heart and I know just as strongly that he belongs in Starlight. I can fix this, Jack.”
The older man flashed a tender smile. “If anyone can, I know it’s you.”
Kaitlin swallowed back her uncertainty and returned Jack’s smile. This was her chance to prove she had what it took to claim the life of her dreams. And only her entire heart hung in the balance.
* * *
“Let’s go over the situation one last time so I’m clear about it. You fell in love with an amazing woman, saved the bank and realized how much our hometown meant to you. But no one actually came out and handed you the future wrapped up with a neat little bow so you put on your best pouty face and walked away?”
Finn glared at Parker Johnson over the rim of his beer bottle. They’d been ensconced in a back booth at the Irish pub around the corner from Finn’s building for most of the night. It was after eleven, and the events of the day were catching up with Finn. He stifled a yawn and said, “That’s not exactly how I’d describe it.”
“Which doesn’t change the truth of my summation.”
“You realize we’re not in court at the moment? It’s not actually going to help anyone for you to rake me over the coals.”
“No worries.” Parker patted his shoulder. “This is just a pro bono service I’m providing for a friend.”
“With friends like that...” Finn muttered. He’d called Parker on the drive to Seattle, not wanting to spend the evening on his own recounting the one-two punch his dad and Kaitlin had delivered earlier in the day. Parker had been on his way back from a weekend kayaking trip to the San Juan Islands and had finally met up with Finn at O’Malley’s after dinner.
No one had more issues with their father than Parker, and as a divorce attorney, he also saw the worst ends of relationships. Finn figured his friend would be up for a venting session to help Finn transform the bulk of his pain to anger. Anger was way easier to deal with than heartbreak.
Instead, Parker had basically told Finn he was acting like a scared, stupid, immature baby-man, which Finn didn’t appreciate in the least. But after a couple of beers and a bit of perspective, Finn had to admit his friend had a point.
“Listen,” Parker said, aiming a finger toward Finn like a laser pointer. “If there were guarantees in love, then I’d be out of a job. People take chances and most of them get burned in the fallout when things go bad.”
Finn blinked. “Is this a pep talk?”
“I’m getting to that part,” Parker promised. “Kaitlin is amazing, but she’s had her share of hard knocks. She needs you to step up and show her that you’re different. Be the man she needs, Finn.”
“What if she doesn’t actually want me?” Finn forced himself to voice his greatest fear. “If you remember, this is why we swore off love. No risk of getting hurt.”
“No chance of really being happy,” Parker shot back before draining his glass of whiskey.
“Right.” Finn drew in a long breath. He didn’t have to ask about Parker’s happiness. They were enough alike that Finn already understood. He’d thought his life was fine. He’d had everything under control and that was how he wanted it. Until Kaitlin had spun his world and his heart around in circles, in the process making him see things in a brand-new way.
He could never go back to how it used to be.
Parker placed his palms flat on the scuffed tabletop and leaned forward. “And in case you haven’t already realized it, your dad has always wanted you to have the bank.” One side of Parker’s mouth lifted. “He had a backward way of showing it, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. The question is what you want your life to be. It’s all there but you have to stop messing around and claim it.”
Finn huffed out a laugh. “Really? You missed your calling as a therapist, Parker.”
“Divorce attorney. Therapist.” Parker slapped a hand on the table, then stood. “I have many talents.”
“I’m going back,” Finn said quietly.
“I know.” Parker winked. “You can send a bottle of Glenlivet to my office as thanks for the counseling services. Just be sure you never need my courtroom skills.”
Finn nodded. “I’ll make her happy if she’ll have me.”
“Good luck.”
They went their separate ways on the sidewalk, and anticipation spiraled through Finn as he thought about how to win Kaitlin and make things right with his dad.
He needed some plan...a grand gesture. He glanced at his watch as he entered his building. It was too late to call or text now. In the morning he could...
He stopped in his tracks as the elevator doors swished open and Kaitlin walked into the empty lobby.
She pressed a hand to her chest as her gaze crashed against his, and he wondered if her heart was pounding in the same way as his.
“Hey,” she whispered. “I knocked on your door, but obviously you weren’t home.”
“You’re here.” Nice work, Finn. Master of the obvious. He closed his eyes for a moment and willed himself to regain control of his tumbling emotions.
She looked so beautiful with her blond hair falling around her shoulders and the slight hint of a blush that colored her cheeks. She wore a simple gray sweatshirt and faded jeans, and Finn immediately gained a new appreciation for cotton as sexy.
“I came to the city to see my ex-boyfriend,” she told him, her tone measured.
“Oh.” Talk about a kick in the—
“He showed up at the art festival yesterday,” she continued. “It was bad, Finn. He was nasty and made threats.”
Every protective instinct he had went on high alert. “What kind of threats? If he hurt you I’ll—”
“He didn’t,” she assured him. “I won’t let him hurt me again, and I made sure he knew that. But he did make me doubt myself.” She paused, took a breath. “I was freaking out. That’s why I left your dad’s the way I did. I’m sorry. It was a cowardly mistake.”
“You’re one of the bravest people I know,” he told her, moving closer. He wanted to reach for her but stopped short. There was too much to say first. “I’m the coward.”
He cleared his throat, needing to find the right words. “I wanted to know you were a sure thing before I told you how I felt. That’s how afraid I’ve been of getting hurt.” Unable to resist, he took her hand, lacing their fingers together. The feel of her soft skin against his gave him the courage he needed. Now that he had her again, he’d do anything not to lose her.
Even risk his heart.
“I love you, Kaitlin, with my whole heart. I thought I was protecting myself by keeping people at a distance, but there was no way I could resist you. I don’t want to because you make me happier than I ever imagined I could be. So happy that it scares the hell out of me.” He lifted her hand and brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles. “I know how much it’s going to hurt if you don’t want me. But if you give me a chance, I promise I’ll spend the rest of our lives trying to be the man you deserve.”
She extended a finger against his lips. “I have something I need to say.”
He waited, not moving or even daring to breathe.
“I love you, Finn Samuelson.” A slow smile spread across her face. “And I’ll always be a sure thing with you.”
Relief and joy spreading through him, he pulled her closer. She twined her arms around his neck as he kissed her, his heart finally settling into a place that he knew would be his forever home.
“No more rules,” he said against her mouth. “It’s you and me, Kaitlin. All in.”
“Forever,” she promised, then pulled back. “What about Starlight?”
“It’s home,” he said with a quiet certainty that felt like the most natural thing in the world. “I’ll make sure my dad doesn’t sell the bank, and we’re going to be the most boring small-town couple Starlight has ever seen.”
“I’ll learn to garden,” she said with a laugh.
He grinned. “I’ll coach Little League.”
She kissed him again. “I don’t care what we do as long as we’re together.”
“Forever,” he whispered, finally understanding that true love was always worth the risk.
* * *
Don’t miss the next book in the Welcome to Starlight miniseries, a
vailable in September 2020 from Harlequin Special Edition!
And in the meantime, look for these great small-town romances:
Her Homecoming Wish
by Jo McNally
The Marriage Rescue
by Shirley Jump
The Right Moment
by Heatherly Bell
Available now wherever Harlequin Special Edition books and ebooks are sold!
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Marriage Rescue by Shirley Jump.
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The Marriage Rescue
by Shirley Jump
Chapter One
At five years old, Grady Jackson had climbed up the makeshift diving platform that reached out like a hand over Stone Gap Lake, damned near giving his mother a heart attack. She’d yanked him back, then she’d sat him down on a wooden picnic bench and lectured him long and hard about not being a foolish, headstrong boy. As soon as her back was turned, Grady had scrambled up the ladder a second time and jumped. When he hit the cool, deep, dark water, he’d spent a long moment submerged, so deep he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get back to the surface. He had kicked and flailed and clawed his way to the top, and when he took that desperate breath of warm summer air, he’d learned his first life lesson—that taking risks was the adrenaline that fired his brain. Until it wasn’t, and everything went sideways.
Now here he was in North Carolina with his tail between his legs. He’d been asked—ordered—by his COO to “take a break from the stress,” as Dan Samuels had put it. His COO’s loyalty almost cost the man everything, and yet he’d stayed, like a sentry who couldn’t leave his post. Of all the people in Grady’s employ, Dan should have hated him, told him off, stormed out of the office. In a way, it stung more that Dan had stayed to the bitter almost end.
The Best Intentions (Welcome To Starlight Book 1) Page 18
