Saved by the Bride (29 page)

The same irritation he got whenever she talked about his father
returned. “What?”

She shot him a smile that said, “don’t get upset.” “He was very
understanding after you and I had...our initial misunderstanding.”

“Two examples of Sean doing the right thing doesn’t make up for
a lifetime of not.”

“What did he do that was so terrible?”

“Where to start? How about adultery?”

She chewed her lip. “I agree that one’s not good, especially
for your mom, but people make mistakes. We all make mistakes. He and Dana seem
really happy together so perhaps he learned from his two marriages, and surely
it’s what we learn that counts.”

Being
a
parent
is
fraught
with
mistakes
,
Finnegan
.

He was instantly back on the beach with Sean and sweat poured
into his eyes. He mustered up a smile he knew made her smile back. “Can you go
grab me a soda from the fridge? I’d do it but it will ruin the flow.”

She hesitated. “How about water from the tap?”

He stared at her. She was always so happy to help. In fact he
often wished she would cut back on her “helping half the world” approach to
life, and take more time for herself. “No, I want cold and sweet.”

“Okay.” She rose and slowly walked to the closed door.

As she swung it open, she hesitated and he could have sworn she
looked both ways, checking the corridor before walking out. It was as if she
didn’t want to bump into any one of the many Whitetalians who were constantly in
and out of the building, pulling out all the stops for Bridey and Hank’s
wedding. He’d noticed when they’d arrived earlier in the evening, Annika had
said a quick hello to Nicole, but had then headed directly to the studio. At the
time he’d put it down to her huge workload.

Nicole—who now had a wireless headset permanently attached to
her ear—had motioned him over so he’d stayed behind to chat a little. She still
wore an air of sadness but she also had a new energy woven into it.

“Finn, we’ve secured a loan for the official start-up of
Whitetail—Weddings That WOW, and I wanted to discuss rent.”

“That’s great news, Nicole. Good for you. I’ll get Ellery to
withdraw both warehouses from the market and put the other one up for lease. I
promise you a reasonable rate to start off with.” He’d smiled. “Of course, once
Whitetail’s the bride capital of the Midwest and becomes my cash cow, I’ll have
to increase it.”

“I wish.” She’d laughed and excitement had flit across her
face. “I’m loving this so much but with the short timeline on your sister’s
wedding it’s a huge juggle for me to balance off the salon and my little boy.
It’s summer vacation and my parents are great but he’s exhausting them and—” She
stopped abruptly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be boring you with all this.”

He’d smiled. “It’s not boring. Business and home life are
always a juggle.”

How
would
you
know
?
You
just
live
work
.

“Are you okay, Finn?” Nicole had asked. “You just frowned.”

He laughed but it came out strained. “I’m fine. How old’s your
son?”

“Max is seven.”

“My little brother’s eight. He’s into everything water.
Swimming, diving, kayaking, that sort of thing.”

Nicole had nodded in agreement. “Max would live in the water if
he could.”

That
kid
needs
someone
his
own
age
to
play
with
. He remembered Annika’s comment and before
thinking through the logistics, he’d found himself issuing an invitation. “Why
not send Max over to Kylemore. Logan would love a buddy to play with and he’s
got just about every water toy there is.”

Nicole’s eyes had lit up. “That would be wonderful, thank you.
But should I call his mother or...?”

And that’s when it had hit him. He’d have to talk to Dana. He’d
swallowed his sigh and promised Nicole he’d text her the arrangements, and he’d
hurried off to help Annika.

Now Annika was returning in record-quick time from the kitchen
with his soda.

“Thanks.” He kissed her quickly between the invitations
change-over. “You’ll be pleased with me.”

“I’m always pleased with you.” Her eyes sparkled and she kissed
him back. “But why especially now?”

“Nicole’s pretty busy with the wedding and like you said, Logan
needs a playmate his own age so I’ve invited her little boy over to play.”

If he’d expected a hug of appreciation or even a smile of
delight that he’d thought of the idea, he didn’t get one.

“I’m sure Max will love it,” she said in a voice that sounded
the exact opposite. She sat down and returned to her ribbon tying with two
uncharacteristic frown lines cutting into the bridge of her nose.

Her reaction didn’t make any sense. “Everything okay?”

“Totally.” She looked up and smiled but it didn’t quite reach
her eyes. “Almost done. Only twenty more to go.”

Only he hadn’t been asking about the invitations.

Chapter Eighteen

“Dana, do you have a minute?”

Finn had decided to approach Dana in the garden rather than in
the house where he might meet Sean. Since the campout he’d avoided being alone
with his father. All AKP meetings were conducted with Annika present and he took
her to the family functions he had to attend because he knew Sean wouldn’t try
and discuss their relationship in front of her. However, he wasn’t certain Sean
would feel quite the same way in front of Dana, which was why he chose to speak
to her in a place Sean was unlikely to be.

Dana was planting bulbs and she looked up at Finn from under
her sunhat before rocking back on her heels. Dirt clung to her gloves and her
knees, but it didn’t dent her aura of quiet calm. She jabbed the trowel into the
fragrant soil and extended her arm. “For you, Finn, always.”

He gently pulled her to her feet and she smiled her thanks. “Do
you want some lemonade?” She pointed to the gazebo. “Esther always sets some up
for me when I’m gardening. I think it’s so I don’t track dirt into the house
when I’m thirsty.”

He laughed. “Yeah, she used to chase Bridey and me with a broom
when we ran in dripping wet from the lake.”

They strolled over to the gazebo and as well as lemonade in the
cooler there was cheese and biscuits along with carrot sticks. Dana poured two
glasses and then sat down. “So what’s up?”

“Does there need to be ‘something up’?”

Dana gave him a direct look. “You rarely seek me out,
Finn.”

“I guess I can’t argue that.” He sipped his drink. “I’ve been
thinking about Logan.”

Surprise climbed her cheeks. “What about him?”

“He’s constantly playing with adults. Annika’s played with him.
I’ve taken him kayaking. Mom’s been throwing the ball with him—”

“I apologize if any of this has been onerous.” Her hand had
stiffened around her glass.

He leaned forward. “That’s not what I meant at all. If you’d
asked me in June if I was going to build a campfire or camp out or go kayaking
with my kid brother I would have said no. But I’ve done all those things and had
fun. He’s a great kid.”

Dana’s eyes filled with relief. “You’ve enjoyed his
company?”

It still astonished him that he had, but the more time he spent
with the little boy, the more relaxed he was around him. Being with Logan
reminded him of the fun parts of his own childhood. “I have. He’s good company
and because he’s used to spending time with adults, his conversation skills are
pretty advanced. Still, I was thinking, perhaps he needs a pal closer to his own
age. The wedding planner for Bridey’s wedding has a kid and I was wondering if
the boys could play here at Kylemore?”

Dana looked thoughtful. “Things are going to be hectic here the
closer we get to the wedding. If Logan has a buddy it will make my life a lot
easier.”

“So you’re fine with the idea?”

“Absolutely. I love it. As he gets older we can invite his
friends to come from Chicago but now he’s just a bit young.” She put down her
now-empty glass. “So how are things going for you this summer?”

He was instantly on guard. “In regard to?”

She laughed. “You can choose the topic, Finn. Personally I want
to know about you and Annika, but I know you’ll tell me about AKP instead.”

He stared at his stepmother who he’d always thought of in terms
of “Sean’s wife,” and “Logan’s mother,” rather than a person in her own right. A
woman it seemed who could be very direct. He hated being pigeonholed so he said,
“Annika’s mailed Bridey’s invitations so I imagine she’ll now be returning to
her task of saving Whitetail.”

“She’s got the most community spirit of anyone I’ve ever
met.”

“She has, but I’m not totally certain it’s for all the right
reasons, or at least not the right reasons for her.”

Dana nodded her head slowly. “We
all
do things for reasons that might not be apparent to those
closest to us.”

Her quietly spoken words rolled around him, tugging and pulling
and making him uncomfortable. He rose to his feet. “I’ll text you Nicole’s
number.”

Dana rose too. “Great. I’ll call her and set up the play
date.”

He nodded and turned to go.

“Finn.”

He swung back. “Yes?”

“Thanks for thinking of Logan. It really means a lot.”

“You’re welcome.” And he realized that he genuinely meant
it.

* * *

Annika hadn’t slept properly in days. Each night she’d
make love to Finn and then lie cuddled up in his arms, feeling the soothing rise
and fall of his chest as his body slumbered deep in sleep, only to have sleep
elude her. She’d spend hours staring out the window and into the night, thinking
about everything that had happened with Whitetail before finally falling asleep
just as the first fingers of dawn were reaching over the horizon.

“Hey, sleepy.”

She breathed in Finn’s fresh cologne and opened her eyes,
squinting against the light. It took her a moment to realize he was wearing suit
pants and a crisp, white shirt.

His fingers deftly knotted his red tie into the broad and
somehow sexy Windsor knot. “The chopper’s leaving in fifteen minutes and I’ll be
back in time for supper. What have you got planned today?”

Something
I
can’t
tell
you
about
. The first two days after Whitetail had dumped
her, she’d kept herself busy with Bridey’s invitations, but the moment she’d
delivered them to the post office, she’d returned to Kylemore and hadn’t left
since. Her morning routine remained unchanged but her afternoons were very
different. With Ashley’s invitations also completed and her next invitation
postal date still another two months away, she didn’t need to go to the studio,
and for that she was thankful. She didn’t want to walk down Main Street either.
The one time she’d gone for ink supplies, everybody she’d met was overly polite
to her. For the first time in her life she’d felt like a stranger in her own
town.

The dull pain that was now her constant companion ached. She
bit her lip against it and refused to think about Whitetail. Now she was
centering all her energies to reunite Finn and Sean. She knew if she brought up
the subject, Finn would shut it down like he’d done every other time she’d
tried, so subtlety was the key. Each day when she organized the documents that
required Sean’s signature, she asked in passing what he had planned for the day,
especially for the afternoons. Then she set about trying to orchestrate a
meeting between father and son.

On her first free afternoon she’d suggested to Finn that they
go fishing at Picnic Point. He’d looked startled and had said, “Why would I want
to do that? I’ve never really enjoyed fishing.” Nothing she’d said had convinced
him and instead he’d taken her out for a ride on the Jet Ski.

The next day she suggested a walk along the bluff and he’d
agreed. With excited anticipation she’d packed a backpack of snacks and laced up
her hiking boots, only to have Finn cancel due to a client demanding a video
conference call.

Today she had a new plan but she wasn’t about to share it with
him just yet. “Logan asked if he and Max could come to the island and build a
fort.”

Finn managed to both smile and frown at the same time. “That’s
great for the boys but I thought you were going to have a phone meeting with
that small cleaning-products company you mentioned last week? It might be a
perfect fit now there’s only one warehouse available for lease.”

Ever since the Long River fiasco, Finn had been asking her a
lot of “where to now?” questions—questions she’d been managing to avoid or duck.
No way was she telling him about Whitetail’s decision especially as he’d always
thought the wedding idea had merit. She wasn’t ready for an “I told you so.”

“Chem-Free Cleaning delayed it so I’m free for fort duty.”

His eyes strayed to her paint box and then returned to her.
“The boys don’t have to stay all day.”

She rose up and kissed him. “Go catch your helicopter and can
you please bring me back a sheet of linen paper? I need it to put into bride
number four’s sample kit.”

“Text me at three to remind me.” He squeezed her hand, stood up
and left the room.

Her heart quivered before oozing into love-filled mush. Little
gestures like squeezing her hand, along with the big ones like the hours he’d
spent helping her with Bridey’s invitations, made her want to imagine a future
with him by her side, and his family a wonderful part of their life. The moment
she heard the screen door slam shut behind him, she threw back the covers. She
had a million things to organize before he got back tonight.

* * *

“And you’re sure Finn’s okay with this?” Sean’s
expression was one of surprise mixed with genuine pleasure.

Annika nodded rather than actually replying to Sean’s question
because she wanted to avoid uttering a barefaced lie. “We’ve eaten at Kylemore a
lot and now it’s my turn to cook. It would be fabulous if you and Dana could
come for supper. The little boys will already be on the island and while they’re
eating hamburgers in their fort, we’ll be a bit more civilized and dine on the
veranda.”

“Does he have enough chairs?”

The question implied that Sean hadn’t been to the cabin and a
tiny nagging feeling dragged at her. She immediately squashed it. This was no
time for second thoughts on a thorough and necessary plan. By the end of the
evening she’d have both men thanking her. “All you have to do is arrive at
six.”

Sean signed the documents with a flourish and a smile, and
returned them to her. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“So am I.”

As he walked out of the room, she slid the paperwork into the
black folder labeled “Finn Only” and left it on his desk. That was her last AKP
job for the morning and she headed to the kitchen. “Hi, Esther, did that box of
food arrive for me yet?”

Esther’s finger paused on a line in a recipe book and she
looked up. “There’s a box of fresh produce in the butler’s pantry with your name
on it, and the meat’s in the fridge.”

“Thank you. How’s the menu planning coming along?”

The cook-cum-housekeeper smiled. “My gift to Bridey is a
wedding menu people will be talking about for years to come.”

As Annika had been fortunate enough to eat Esther’s food, she
was certain this pronouncement would come true. “I won’t keep you from great
work.” She slipped into the butler’s pantry and collected her ingredients before
heading to the playroom to collect the boys.

She watched them for a few moments from the doorway as they
pranced around the room playing pirates. Each of them had a red bandana tied on
his head and a plastic sword stuck through his belt loops. They looked really
cute and for the briefest moment she hugged to herself the wonder of how it
would feel to be taking a curly, black-haired child of her own to the
island.

“Hey, me hearties.” She laughed to cover up the ache in her
heart. “The good ship Anni leaves in five minutes. Grab your pieces of
eight.”

“Yippee,” Logan yelled.

Max ran over to her and gave her a hug. He’d been doing that
ever since his father had died. As she hugged him back she couldn’t work out if
he did it because he was happy to see her or relieved that she was still
alive.

“Wait ’til you see my brother’s island,” Logan said to Max.
“It’s awesome.”

Max’s eyes grew large. “Is there treasure?”

“That depends on your definition of treasure,” Annika replied.
“Go grab your bag so the adventure can begin.”

* * *

A few hours later Annika felt like she’d been pulled in
different directions all afternoon but she’d managed to supervise the building
of the fort, feed endlessly hungry boys numerous times and prepare the food for
dinner. She’d created a pretty table with an old jacquard cloth she’d found
buried under the towels and she was certain it had come with the cabin when Finn
had bought it. The centerpiece was a gnarly bit of maplewood that the boys had
discovered when they were choosing the position of their fort, and she’d teamed
it with some pretty black-eyed Susans with their happy yellow petals. After all
of that, she’d even managed to brush her hair and change into her “thousand
shades of blue” sundress. Her wardrobe was severely limited and she only owned
two dresses, but she knew Finn particularly enjoyed seeing her in this one.

She physically ticked off the items on her list and smiled. She
was ready. Her ears strained for the distinctive whoop-whoop sound of the
helicopter. As soon as Finn got home, she’d send him down to the fort to relax
with the boys, and when Dana and Sean arrived, the three of them would stroll
down to join them. It would all be very relaxed and casual. No crowds of family,
just a small intimate group and a chance to really talk.

She thought she could just make out the faint buzz of the
chopper when her phone blared. “Hi, Finn. I can hear you in the distance.”

“We’re just about to land in Whitetail.”

“Oh.” Her stomach churned. She really didn’t want Finn in
Whitetail talking to anyone or hearing about her dismissal. “Why do you need to
do that?”

“Bridey’s got me playing delivery boy with material swatches.
I’ve got Melissa meeting me at the helipad so I won’t be long. See you in
ten.”

The line went dead.
Melissa
meeting
me
. Acid seared the back of her throat. Melissa
always spoke her mind. Would she say anything to Finn? She immediately scotched
the thought, reassuring herself that the pilot wouldn’t be turning off the
engine for a short stop and nothing much could ever be said or heard over the
roar of the rotors. If she needed to worry about something she should worry
about her schedule.

Her gaze flew to her watch. Finn’s delay was going to make
things tight. Still, tight was doable. She’d have a cool drink waiting for him
and his casual clothes all laid out. She walked onto the veranda and even though
the boys were close by she pressed the call button on the walkie-talkie because
it made them feel more grown-up.