Untold

by Shannon Richard

  “Can I help you do anything?”

  “You can set the table.”

  Finn grinned as set his own bottle down, sidling up behind her. As the plates were all stacked above her head, they were apparently continuing on with their little game. A game that Finn absolutely loved to play.

  * * *

  “Holy hell, those were phenomenal.” Finn tossed his napkin onto his empty plate. He’d had two helpings, and could totally go for three if he didn’t plan on moving for the rest of the night.

  But he did plan on moving. A lot of moving.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed them.” Brie ran her fingers down the neck of her bottle of beer before wrapping those fingers around the base and lifting it to her lips.

  “Enjoyed isn’t exactly the word I’d use. You’ve ruined me for chicken enchiladas, Brie. Actually, I think you’ve ruined me for Mexican food all together.”

  “That’s high praise.”

  “It’s the truth.” He leaned back in his chair, his focus on her face. He was becoming accustomed to eating his meals with her. It would be an understatement to say that he very much enjoyed her sitting across the table from him. It was a phenomenal experience. Something else she’d ruined him for.

  She’d ruined him for a lot of things.

  “Well, thank you.” She pushed her chair back, making a grab for his plate, but he pulled it away.

  “You are not cleaning up tonight.” He shook his head as he stood up.

  “Finn, come on.”

  “No, you come on. You just cooked me the best Mexican food I’ve ever had in my life. I can clean up.” He walked around the table, taking the plate from her hand before he headed for the kitchen.

  “Well, then what am I supposed to do?”

  “You can play bartender if you want. Limes are already cut.”

  “Deal.”

  Brie got both of them fresh beers and Finn cleared the table. While he loaded the dishwasher and put all of the food away, she leaned back against the counter, sipping her Corona as she told him about her second lunch date with the girls.

  “I met Beth today. She was delightful.”

  “She is indeed. Her kids are great, too. If you meet Penny, be prepared to be wrapped around her tiny finger.”

  “Noted.”

  Finn shut the dishwasher and started it, grabbing his own beer from the counter and leaning back. “So by my count, you’ve had two dates with the girls and none with me.”

  “Um, I’m sorry, you’re the one who disqualifies everything we do as a date.”

  “Because they aren’t dates. I need to one, pick you up”—he held up his thumb—“two, bring you chocolates or flowers”—he held up his pointer finger—“what is your favorite flower by the way?”

  “Daisies,” she said on a laugh.

  “OK, so I bring you daisies.” He nodded as his middle finger came up to join his pointer and thumb. “Three, I need to take you to dinner somewhere without any of my friends or family around”—his ring finger popped up—“four, I need to stare at you across a candlelit table, where we drink wine that has been marked way up”—his pinky came up, all five of his fingers in the air—“and five, we need to stand on the front porch while I kiss you, and I hope for an invitation to stay the night.”

  “Well, why haven’t you asked me yet?”

  “What are you doing next Saturday?”

  “Hmm, let me check my busy, busy schedule. Oh wait, I’m free.”

  “Are you sassing me?” Finn moved across the kitchen until he was in front of her. He pulled the beer bottle from her hands, before he set his and hers down on the counter. And then he was closing all of the distance between them, hands on either side of her, caging her in against the counter.

  “I am.”

  “You’re the one making friends left and right all over town.”

  “Weren’t you the one telling me to make friends?” She placed her palms on his chest, the warmth of her hands coming through his shirt.

  “I do remember saying that at one point. But that was before I had you all to myself for extended amounts of time. Turns out, I don’t like sharing.”

  “Well, as you’re working at the Sheep tomorrow night, technically girls’ night isn’t taking away from our regularly scheduled programming.”

  “That is true.” His hands moved from the counter and to her hips, pushing up under the fabric of her shirt. “Well, I have another night I’d like to book you for.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Three Saturdays from tomorrow, the second weekend in March, there’s a charity dinner. There’s this kid, well, he’s nineteen now, so maybe kid isn’t the right descriptor. Anyway, his name is Dale Rigels. He had brain cancer two years ago. Totally in remission now, clean bill of health.”

  “Oh good.” The worry that had shown in her eyes a second ago faded.

  “Well, they’re doing a charity dinner and live concert in his honor. Proceeds go to the hospital to help out other kids in the county affected by life-threatening diseases. And I was wondering if you would go with me.”

  “You sure you’re still going to want me around in three weeks? You could get sick of me.” And now her eyes lit up with humor. Finn was sidetracked for a moment at the sudden influx of gold.

  “I’d bet good money that I won’t.” His head moved down, his lips hovering just above hers.

  “Then yes,” she whispered.

  He closed the remaining space, his mouth covering hers. God he loved the taste of her. Loved the way her hands moved up and around his neck, fingers delving into his hair. Loved the way her breasts pressed against his chest.

  Yeah, he wasn’t getting sick of her anytime soon.

  * * *

  Saturday night was the first time Brie had been with all of the girls: Paige, Grace, Mel, Hannah, Harper, Beth, and Meredith (Finn’s cousin). If she hadn’t been around all of them in much smaller groups, she might’ve been slightly intimidated.

  They were all seated around a round table in the corner of Caliente’s. It was a good thing that Brie liked Mexican food. Plus she got steak tacos and they were all drinking margaritas (except for Beth), so it was different enough from her meal the previous night.

  The next two hours were filled with good conversation, a lot of laughs, and a number of refills on margaritas. Brie was on her third when the tequila started to kick in and she started talking…about everything. The more she talked the more she felt a weight lifting off of her shoulders.

  Sure, she had Finn to talk to, and she was opening up to him more and more. But there was something about sitting with that group of women, talking freely, and with no judgment that was freeing. By the end of the dinner everyone had promised to lend a hand in helping clear out the museum of stuff in Bethelda Grimshaw’s house.

  “And I can pay you guys in wine,” Brie promised. “Well, except you.” She looked to Beth.

  “Hey, I will gladly take an unopened bottle and crack it open in seven months.”

  “Deal.”

  It was then that Brie broached the pink elephant that had been sitting at the table. The topic of Finn had been hedged around. Brie had mentioned him when it came to helping her at the house, catching a few raised eyebrows, but nobody pressed.

  The thing was, she needed to talk about it. Talk about what was going on with someone. Her biggest confidant in Mirabelle was Finn. So she couldn’t exactly talk to Finn about Finn. And she still hadn’t told her parents about this little trip down south, not that Finn would be brought up there, either.

  Hey, Mom, let me tell you about this guy I met who I’m currently having mind-blowing sex with.

  That conversation would not be happening. No, every time she talked to her parents she artfully avoided what was going on. She told them about where she was with her thesis, that she’d adopted a cat (she even sent them pictures of Lo from when the cat was being particularly snuggly), and told them about the show she and Finn had started watching on Netflix�
�she just left out the part about Finn.

  As for her friends back home, that communication had pretty much just been texts.

  Lyndsey was currently dealing with a newborn baby in between teaching that semester. Brie’s other friend Ashlynn was planning her wedding for the summer. And Lauren was packing up her life to move across the country to start a new job in San Francisco. Everyone was dealing with their own lives.

  There was also the fact that anytime that would’ve been open for a phone call—the evenings and weekends—was now being taken up spending time with Finn. Brie had no complaints about that, either. She wasn’t much of a phone talker anyway. She liked the face-to-face interaction, seeing reactions, feeling the mood.

  Besides all of that, none of her friends back home knew Finn. None of them had met him. Sure they could give insight on men in general, but not that man. So now she was sitting at a table, in a little Mexican restaurant, with a table full of women who could provide insight.

  She was diving in. “So about this charity dinner in three weeks…I have a date, but no dress.”

  “And who is the date with?” Grace pressed, clearly already knowing the answer.

  Brie hesitated, filling the moment by taking a sip of her margarita. “Finn.”

  “Finally.” Harper drug out the word like it had been killing her not to ask about the man in question. “Are we now allowed to talk about what’s going on there?”

  “For as long as I’m in town, we’re seeing each other.”

  “I made that deal once,” Hannah said.

  “And how did that turn out for you?” Brie asked before she took another sip from her glass.

  Hannah’s mouth formed a bit of a smirk. “I married him.”

  Brie choked, setting her glass on the table as she grabbed a napkin and coughed into it.

  Grace reached over, patting Brie on the back. “To be fair, the second Hannah came back into town there was no chance in hell Shep was letting her leave unless he was with her.”

  “This is very true,” Meredith agreed. “My cousin pined for Hannah for thirteen long years.”

  “Also, true,” Mel said before she took a sip and set her glass on the table.

  “So, OK, what does seeing Finn entail?” Paige rested her elbows on the table as she leaned in closer.

  “Well, it only really started last Friday, he came over to help me with my heating issue.”

  “Is that a euphemism for sex?” Harper asked.

  A burst of laughter escaped Brie’s chest. “No, the HVAC unit went out and I couldn’t get the fireplaces started.”

  “Oh.” Harper’s mouth moved to the side in a pout of disappointment.

  “He did stay the night though.”

  “Oh?” The pout disappeared and her eyes went wide.

  “We spent the weekend together. And then after dinner at his parents’ house on Sunday, he took me over to his house—” Brie stopped talking as every woman at the table reacted to those words, looking stunned. “What?”

  “He took you to his house?” Grace asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “And did you guys stay the night there?” This question from Beth. “Both of you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow.” Meredith leaned back in her chair, looking at Brie in amazement.

  “What?”

  “Brie, Finn has been back in Mirabelle for three years. Ever since he graduated.” Hannah lifted her hand in the air, holding three fingers up for emphasis. “He’s owned that house for almost that long. He’s never once brought a girl home with him.”

  And now it was Brie’s turn to be stunned. That would mean Finn hadn’t carried any other woman up those stairs and to his bedroom…that would mean Finn hadn’t had another woman in his bed…or had spare toothbrushes laying around for his one-night stands.

  “You’re serious? Never?”

  “Never.” Hannah shook her head. “He’d break one of his rules if he did that.”

  “He has rules? Why?”

  “Well, let’s just leave it at he had his heart broken once, and this is how he deals with it.”

  “You mean Rebecca?”

  “Yes. You know about Rebecca?” Harper asked, surprised.

  “Yes. He’d told me he didn’t do relationships and I wanted to know why.”

  “All right, that’s beyond interesting that he told you about that. But moving on, yes he has rules, and you’ve broken all of them,” Grace said as she gave Brie an admiring and approving look.

  “What are they?”

  The women all gave each other quick glances, before Harper shrugged her shoulders. “It isn’t like they’re exactly secrets. Especially as Finn has prescribed by them pretty much since he moved back.”

  “True.” Hannah nodded. “First is no locals.”

  “Oh, that one I knew. He mentioned it to me when he said he didn’t do relationships. The thing is, I’m not a local.”

  “But you’re in town indefinitely,” Paige said.

  “Yes, but I’m not staying in Mirabelle.” It wasn’t the first time Brie had said that, hell it wasn’t even the twenty-first time. Why did she feel the need to keep saying it like a mantra?

  “Ladies? Consensus?” Grace looked around the table.

  “Sorry, honey, I’d say you qualify.” Harper gave a commiserating head tilt.

  “Me too.” Paige agreed.

  “Me three.” Mel nodded.

  “And that’s because the whole point of his no locals rule is so that he doesn’t run into them after he…” Hannah trailed off, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

  “He sleeps with them? Don’t worry. No need to hedge. I know what I’m dealing with there.”

  “Yes, after he sleeps with them. And since he can run into you, it counts.”

  “OK, I’ll give it to you.” Brie put her hands in the air in a conceding gesture. “What’s his next rule?”

  “No spending the night. Which is why he never brought girls to his house…until you, apparently. If he did, then he couldn’t exactly leave and he isn’t that big of an ass to kick someone out after.”

  “Just big enough to walk out on them while they’re sleeping.” The words were out of Brie’s mouth before she could stop herself. Damn. She really needed to remember that loose lips sink ships.

  “Is that why things were weird with the two of you in the beginning?” Harper asked. “You two…and then he…?”

  Well, she was apparently in this conversation. No backing out now. “Yes.”

  “Well, as he’s used all of his rules on you, I don’t feel badly in the slightest that we are telling you about them.” Harper made a sassy pout with her mouth this time. “His last rule is no repeats.”

  “He actually told me that rule, too.” And they’d broken it. Over and over and over again. In fact, the last time had been before he’d dropped her off at dinner. He’d backed her against the wall, pulled her legs around his waist, and…

  “So for almost three years he’s lived by those rules,” Hannah said, bringing Brie back to the moment. “And you broke them in a little over a week.”

  “Bravo.” Grace held her margarita glass in the air in a salute to Brie before she took a drink.

  Brie wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about those three rules, but she held her own glass in the air and took a sip. It wasn’t that she was upset by them, because she wasn’t. Well, not exactly. She couldn’t blame him for anything he did in the past. Just like she couldn’t get upset for anything that happened in the future.

  Because she wasn’t the future. She was the present, which was what she would be until she became the past, and that was all she’d asked for when she walked into that bar.

  “To be fair to him, that first night we spent together was the day of Bethelda’s funeral, and I maybe wanted a bit of a distraction. He had absolutely no idea why I was upset, but he provided that distraction.” With gusto.

  “Of course he did.” Paige shook her head as she smiled.
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  “That wasn’t exactly something I was accustomed to doing, picking up a guy at a bar. But then I met him, and he made me forget what I was dealing with…” She trailed off, suddenly feeling a little unsure of herself and where this conversation was going. It was like the plug had been pulled and now everything was spilling out.

  “Sweetie.” Grace reached over and touched Brie’s hand. “It’s OK, you don’t need to explain yourself.”

  “Seriously, there is no judgment at this table,” Harper agreed. “My husband is the result of a one-night stand, one in which I, too, was trying to forget something.”

  “What was that?”

  “My fiancé called off our wedding three months before the day we were supposed to be married. I of course didn’t want to be here on that weekend. So I went up to Nashville to stay with my aunt. Met him at a bar…and now we’re married.”

  Wow…that was two parallels from Brie and Finn’s current situation, and both of those parallels had included marriage for the couples in question.

  Not that Brie was marrying Finn. That was ridiculous. Where in the world had that thought even come from? Good Lord how much had she drank?

  She reached across the table, grabbing the almost full glass of water and taking a long drink of it.

  “So dresses for the charity dinner.” Brie changed the subject, going way back to the beginning of that particular conversation.

  None of the girls commented on said subject change and went with it, telling Brie they hadn’t gotten dresses, either.

  “Since I have so many, I was thinking about wearing one of the bridesmaids’ dresses I have,” Mel said.

  “See, you can wear them again.” Grace laughed.

  “You guys want to scrounge through our closets and see what we have? We could do a girls’ night again next week. Have a fashion show at someone’s house.” Paige looked around the table for agreement.

  “I can’t on Saturday. Finn is taking me out somewhere.”

  “Oh really?” Harper raised one of her eyebrows high. “How fascinating. What about a Friday fashion show then?”

  “That works for me.”