by Lisa Worrall
“You’re welcome, love,” Shirley said, half-turning in her seat. “Would it be considered nosy if I asked why you have no trousers on? Why would your friends do that?”
Finn sighed heavily. “I’m getting married tomorrow and we were out having a few beers. Kind of a mini bachelor party, you know. I don’t really remember what happened, but I woke up on the beach, alone and without my pants.”
Shirley dropped a wink at him and Finn felt the warmth of blush suffuse his cheeks as she said. “Well, I suppose you’re lucky that’s all they stole.”
Bern roared with laughter and caught Finn’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “Ignore her, son. It’s been a while since she saw a bloke without any trousers. Mind you, she ain’t seen much of anything since I had me hip replacement.”
“Hush, Bern,” Shirley scolded, mock-punching her husband on the arm. “You’ll embarrass him.” She reached through the seats and patted Finn’s knee. “Don’t listen to him, dear. He thinks he’s Tommy bloody Cooper. Here,” she fished a bottle of Pepsi out of a huge purse and handed it to Finn. “Now, tell us all about yourself. You know who we are already, he’s Bern, I’m Shirl. What’s your name? And who’s the lucky girl you’re tying the knot with tomorrow?”
Finn unscrewed the bottle and put it to his lips. The cool soda soothed his cracked throat and he drank half of it before he stopped swallowing. As he replaced the top, he cleared his throat. “I’m Finn. Finn Thomas and I live in North of Montana. The idiots who left me here were my brother AJ and my so-called best friend, Chris. All of my family are gathered for the wedding in various hotels and my fiancé’s name is Aiden.” Finn winced, waiting for the usual raise of eyebrows, but it didn’t appear.
“How lovely,” Shirley said on a romantic sigh. “I love a good wedding. My nephew, Stephen and his Joseph got married a few months ago. It was gorgeous. In this old church near Southend Airport. It was a beautiful day. As I’m sure yours will be tomorrow. Which is why we need to get you home.” She winked at him again. “I mean, if there’s two grooms, it means neither one of you gets to be late, does it? That’s one of the good things about being a bride, you can keep ‘em on their toes for half an hour or so. You know, start as you mean to go on.”
Finn grinned, in spite of the heavy pounding which had started in his temples as he began to sober up. Although he was having a little trouble with the thickness of their accents, it was glaringly obvious that Bern and Shirl were good, honest, down to earth people—with an extremely saucy sense of humor.
“Don’t listen to ‘er, Finn. My bald spot was inherited from my dad, not from the pressing down of ‘er thumb!” Bern chortled to himself at his own joke, but Finn didn’t miss the look of deep, abiding affection that passed between them. “You going to tell me where you live then, Finn?”
“Yes, of course, sorry.” Finn ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know where my head’s at.” He reeled off the address.
“Soaked in tequila by the smell of you, son,” Bern replied, tapping in the details Finn provided. “Looks like we’ll have you home in no time. At least they had the decency to leave you fairly close. It could’ve been worse.”
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kindness,” Finn said, blinking as Shirley waved a silencing hand at him.
“Don’t be silly. We’re happy to help.” There was that lascivious wink again. “There is one condition, though.”
“A,” Finn swallowed hard, “condition?”
“If you ever see Bern with no strides on in the middle of the night, for God’s sake pick him up.”
Finn laughed at the twinkling in her eyes and the huff from Bern. “I will, I promise.” He leaned back against the headrest, closed his eyes and this time his sigh was one of contentment. He was on his way home.
After reassuring Shirl that he could get into the house with very little trouble, Finn stood on the sidewalk and waved until their tail lights disappeared into the night. He walked around the house and hoisted himself over the gate and into the back yard. When he was certain he hadn’t disturbed anyone, he trotted over to the ceramic West Highland Terrier that sat by the back door. He picked it up, turned it over and opened the trapdoor underneath. When Aiden had bought the damn thing, Finn had berated him. He hadn’t liked the idea of leaving a key to the house in it. But right now he had never been so grateful to see the cute little face of the Westie in his life—or the key he now held in his hand.
Fifteen minutes later Finn had locked the back door behind him, crept up the stairs into his bedroom, tiptoed past a sleeping Aiden to the en suite and showered away the remnants of the beach and what he was sure would come to be called Finn’s big adventure—by the time they’d all stopped laughing.
Finn quickly dried himself and scrubbed a towel through his damp hair before tossing it into the hamper. He stood at the sink to brush his teeth and pulled a face at his reflection. He could hear the minister now. “Are you, Aiden, really sure you want to take this sorry looking piece of crap?” I am so gonna kill those assholes! After rinsing, he wiped his mouth and turned off the light. As he crossed the room he heard heated mumblings through the crack in the bedroom door. He tiptoed out onto the landing and leaned over the banister, quickly ducking back when AJ appeared in the hall, his cell phone pressed to his ear. Although he wasn’t able to hear the entire conversation, he did manage to glean that AJ was obviously talking to Chris and they had returned to the beach at some point to find him gone.
Finn smiled to himself and walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He had no intention of revealing his presence. As he slid between the sheets and Aiden curled around him in his sleep, all sleep-warm and comforting, the smile on his lips widened. Let ‘em stew for a while. See how they like it.
II
Finn wrinkled his nose in annoyance. Why is it raining in the bedroom? He brushed a hand at the droplets of water on his face and turned over to bury his face into the pillow. As he did so, he reached out an arm for Aiden, but the bed beside him was empty.
“If you don’t open your eyes, the whole jug is going over you, I mean it, asshat.”
Finn mumbled something obscene and debated ignoring him, but by the anger in Chris’ tone, Finn didn’t doubt for a second he would make good on his threat. He slowly turned over and blinked sleepily as Chris’ and AJ’s faces swam into focus. He yawned, scratched his fingers through his hair, glanced at the clock on the bedside table to find it was eight o’clock, and mumbled, “Mornin’.”
“Mornin’?” Chris repeated. “Seriously? That’s all you have to say for yourself? Mornin’? Do you have any idea of the night we’ve had? Where the hell did you go? Why didn’t you call us? How long have you been home? Do you know how long we looked for you?”
“Probably not very long considering I made it home before AJ was talking to you on the phone in the hall.” Finn glared at them in disbelief. “And how the hell was I supposed to call you? I keep my phone and my wallet in my pants. Did it not occur to you that when you were taking my pants you were also taking my only means of communication? No pants—no phone! What the hell were you thinking? Leaving me in the middle of nowhere, half naked, the night before my wedding? Who does that?” He huffed impatiently. “Not that I need to ask whose idea it was.” He pointed at Chris. “Don’t you know better than to listen to the brain trust over here? The best idea AJ ever had was to butter up his head before putting it through the banister.”
“Hey!” AJ interrupted, his tone affronted.
“Hey?” Finn turned on his brother. “Really? I woke up on the beach to a dog peeing on me. Then I threw up in a homeless guy’s bedroom before being Chanel’d by a terrified cleaning lady. If Bern and Shirl hadn’t picked me up and driven me home, I’d still be out there and Aiden would be marrying himself! You’re lucky I’m not tellin’ Mom.”
AJ shook his head and held up his hands. “Now, now, let’s not do anything hasty.”
“See?” Finn scowled at Chr
is. “You threw in with a grown man who’s still afraid of his mommy. Good for you!”
“Pfft, like you’re not,” AJ scoffed.
“I ain’t got nothing to be scared about,” Finn pointed out. “But you better watch your back, numb-nuts. You got lucky. But if you do anything to fuck-up even one second of this day; I will not only tell Mom, I’ll lock you in a room with her. And as for you,” he jabbed Chris in the stomach with his finger. “I’ll throw you to Patti who will—” Finn snapped his lips shut as the bedroom door opened and Aiden walked in carrying a tray laden with breakfast.
“Wow,” Aiden said, obviously highly amused. “What a sorry looking bunch. How drunk were you?”
Finn glared at Chris and AJ, daring them to say anything. He gave Aiden an adoring smile as he pushed himself back against the pillows. “Pretty much as drunk as you probably think.” He waved a hand at the tray Aiden put down at the foot of the bed. “What’s all this?”
“Well, I thought to myself,” Aiden replied, as he climbed into bed. “If you can’t have breakfast in bed on your wedding day, when can you?” He looked at pointedly at AJ and Chris. “Although when I imagined it, we didn’t have company.”
“That’s your cue to get out,” Finn said to the two men, nodding toward the door. “I’m sure Meredith or Patti,” he directed his narrowed gaze at AJ, “or Mom, can rustle you morons up something downstairs.” He chuckled softly as AJ practically fled the room with Chris hot on his heels.
Finn picked up a strawberry from the bowl and bit into it. Considering the alcohol he’d consumed last night, he was surprisingly hungry and headache free. “Mmm,” he moaned as the juice burst on his tongue. “Shouldn’t you be climbing the walls by now?” he teased, nudging Aiden with his elbow. “I heard a rumor that you’re getting married today.”
“Really?” Aiden said, his mouth dropping open in a mock ‘o’ of surprise. “Now that’s spooky. I heard the same thing about you.”
“Then it must be true,” Finn said with a fond smile and leaned in to kiss Aiden gently. “So, this getting married business, are you ready for it?”
“Tying myself to you for the rest of my life?” Aiden smiled and kissed Finn back. “Hell yeah.”
“Is it considered unlucky for the groom to ravish the groom before the ceremony?” Finn said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“I don’t think so,” Aiden said, his lips parting on a gasp as Finn’s fingers slid beneath the hem of the T-shirt he wore.
“This day just keeps getting better and better.” Finn stroked the soft skin of Aiden’s belly, unable to drag his gaze away from Aiden’s lips. He frowned when Aiden suddenly gripped his wrist and pulled it out from underneath his T-shirt.
“But it is unlucky to get caught by your mother ravishing the groom before the ceremony.” Aiden sighed and set Finn’s hand back on the bed. “And I think getting off in front of one member of your family is my limit. Gamma still can’t look at me without giggling.” Finn snorted and received a poke to the ribs.
“What? It was hilarious.”
“For you maybe,” Aiden said, un-amused.
“And Gamma.” Finn pulled a face as Aiden picked up another strawberry and smushed it against his lips, smearing the juice all over him. He would have complained, but when Aiden licked it off again in a hot and dirty kiss, he thought it might seem rude.
“Are you kissin’ again?”
Finn grinned against Aiden’s mouth and pulled back as Kaylee’s voice broke through their fog of contented smooching. “Yes,” he quipped, beckoning her to the bed. “Is that okay with you?”
Kaylee bounced across the room and crawled between them, narrowly missing the tray of food, which Aiden quickly moved to the floor beside the bed. “I guess,” she replied, her expression thoughtful. “I can just close my eyes.” Finn chuckled and Aiden shook his head fondly as she said, “When can I put my dress on?”
“Not yet, sweetie,” Aiden replied. “The caterers will be here soon and when they’ve finished setting up, Aunt Meredith is going to braid your hair and make you even more beautiful, if that’s at all possible. Then you can put your dress on.”
Finn’s lips twitched at the ridiculously heavy sigh Kaylee emitted.
“Okay.” She drew out the word and slumped against the pillows.
Finn nudged her with his shoulder. “You’re wearing your thinking face,” he said softly. “What’s going on in that head?”
A frown creased her smooth brow. “What do I call you—after?”
“After?” Finn wasn’t sure his brain was up to thinking as hard as she obviously was.
“After the man tells you to kiss.” She rolled her eyes, her opinion on their PDA already clear.
“You can call me anything you want, honey.” Finn looped a strand of her nut brown hair over her ear. “Today doesn’t change anything. I’m still me, you’re still you and Daddy is still Daddy, and we’ll still be a family.” She nodded solemnly and Finn caught the glisten in Aiden’s eyes. He swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat, proud of himself for coming up with something even half decent considering he wasn’t firing on all cylinders yet. Finn smiled at Aiden over the top of Kaylee’s head as she contemplated her response. When it came, it wasn’t quite as profound as Finn’s explanation, but then she was a woman of few words.
“Cool.”
Finn leaned against the pillows, his heart swelling in his chest. How did I get this lucky? The thought was unbidden and genuine. What the hell had he done to deserve to be a part of this beautiful family? The past year had been a roller coaster ride that had sometimes had him hanging onto the safety bar by his fingertips. But what a ride it had been, and, listening to Aiden and Kaylee giggling as they made a face with fruit on one of the pancakes, he knew the best was yet to come.
Startled out of his reverie by the sound of the doorbell, Finn glanced at the clock. “Is that the caterers already?”
Aiden scrambled out of bed, Kaylee hot on his heels. “I specifically told them not to get here before nine,” he groused on his way out of the room.
A few moments later, Finn dropped the fork containing the piece of pancake he’d just speared back onto the plate and rushed down the stairs at the sound of Aiden calling his name. He vaulted down the last few stairs and skidded to a halt behind Aiden at the front door. Aiden looked pale. “What’s wrong?”
Finn followed Aiden’s gaze and his stomach bottomed out. On the doorstep stood a small girl, holding an envelope and a backpack. He didn’t recognize her, but from casting a quick eye over her she looked to be a couple of years older than Kaylee and in need of a good bath. She had a beautiful doll-like face beneath the dirt, huge fear-filled brown eyes and by the distinct tremble of her lips, was desperately trying not to cry.
Finn hunkered down in front of her and flashed her his best reassuring smile. “Hi, honey. Are you looking for someone?” She nodded and he smiled again. “Do you want to tell me who it is?”
Her voice was so timid and quiet, he had to strain to hear her. She obviously noticed his difficulty and repeated the name. “AJ.”
Finn swallowed then looked up at Aiden. “Aiden, could you go and get AJ? He’s in the kitchen.” He hoped his eyes conveyed the unspoken instruction to bring his mother, too. Aiden nodded and disappeared down the hall, his bare feet slapping on the wooden floor. He turned his attention back to the little girl, who he knew now to be Shelby. Finn held out his hand. “You must be Shelby,” he said softly. “I’m Finn, AJ’s brother. And this is Kaylee.”
Beside him, Kaylee held out her own hand and his heart melted as Kaylee said brightly, “Hi Shelby, come on.” She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “You can hold my hand if you want.”
After a few moments consideration, Shelby slipped her hand into Kaylee’s and stepped over the threshold.
Finn closed the door behind her and turned at the sound of running feet from the kitchen. He watched, in stunned amazement, as his big bear of a brothe
r, tears streaming unbidden down his cheeks, dropped to his knees, clasped the little girl in his arms and murmured her name into her hair, over and over.
AJ picked her up and carried her into the living-room, sitting down on the couch and holding her on his lap. Finn, Aiden and every other person in the household followed them into the room and found a seat where they could. All anxious to know how the little girl came to be on the doorstep in such a state.
Once both their tears had subsided, AJ smoothed her hair from her eyes. “Where’s Mommy, Shel?”
The tearful little girl handed him the envelope she’d been clutching. “She said I had to give you this, and then they left me.” Shelby began to sob anew and AJ passed the envelope to Finn so he could open it while AJ comforted her.
Finn ripped it open and took out the single sheet of paper contained within. He unfolded it and began to read the barely legible scrawl, shaking his head in awed disbelief by the time he’d finished.
AJ,
Greg has got a job in Nebraska and we can’t take Shelby with us, so I want you to have her. You were more of a parent to her in the three months we were together than I have been her whole life. I know she’ll be safe and happy with you.
I have signed away all my rights to her and I won’t change my mind. Greg and I are best alone. Maybe someday you can explain everything to her and I hope she won’t hate me too much.
Melissa.
Beneath her name was a paragraph relinquishing her parental rights and charging her to AJ’s care, signed by Melissa and witnessed by someone whose signature he could not read. Probably the boyfriend. Finn wasn’t sure how much legality there was in the letter, but that wasn’t important right now. Shelby was. He passed the letter to his mother, who in turn passed it to his father. Both of whom looked as shocked as he felt.
“What does it say?” AJ asked, his gaze flitting between Finn and his parents as he stroked Shelby’s hair. “Finn? What does it say?”