Found (Lost & Found Book 2)

by Scarlett Finn

  Ritchie was their point man. The one they were waiting for word from. He was late. They were late.

  At the end of the aisle closest to the roof access door, Poppy was trying not to panic, trying not to pace. The kids were dressed up, running around, having a great time. Primrose and Preston were canoodling. Everyone was in good spirits… everyone except her.

  Second guessing herself, Poppy doubted her conviction. Coming up with the idea of a surprise wedding had maybe been more infernal than inspired.

  “He’ll be here.”

  That sly, yet confident voice belonged to Grammie. She’d been loitering nearby in between bouts of laughing with the children and whispering with Val. The two women had a lot in common, so it was no surprise that they’d become friends. Poppy just couldn’t figure out why everyone was so calm.

  “Ritchie was supposed to have him here twenty minutes ago,” Poppy said, still fixated on the door. “Do you think he figured it out?”

  Grammie came into her peripheral view. “If he figured it out, he’d be here already.”

  The only one who’d be able to help Poppy if everything fell apart was her Grammie. “Maybe he figured it out and decided he didn’t want to do it like this.”

  “He loves you,” Grammie said, rubbing her granddaughter’s arm. Poppy couldn’t say she was all that happy with the amusement in her grandmother’s voice. “He wants to marry you.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t want to marry me like this,” she said, throwing up her arms. “Look at me, this is ridiculous.”

  The fresh bouquet in her hand sent out a stream of its floral scent. The marquee was gleaming, the chairs dressed, everyone was in new, tailored clothes, and there was Poppy, the bride, wearing the same paint-splattered, torn dress the groom had seen her in a bunch of times.

  “It means something to both of you. He’ll get it.”

  “He won’t get it if he never gets here,” Poppy said, thrusting her flowers at Grammie. “Hold these, I’m going to get my phone.”

  She didn’t wait for a response before rushing through the door to the stairwell that would take her all the way down to the first floor. Poppy only got down one flight. As she rounded to the next, she was faced with two men at the bottom, seemingly ready to ascend the way she’d planned to descend.

  “Uh…” Ritchie said, looking from the guy at his side to her and back again.

  There was no reason for her to be anywhere near the roof or on any of the upper floors of the Venture. They weren’t renovated or habitable. Poppy was considering using the excuse of snooping when Turner began to come up the stairs.

  “Ritchie tell you about this nesting issue on the roof,” he asked, wearing a smirk.

  Turner’s friend was ascending one step behind him. The faces Ritchie was making made it hard to focus on her love, but Poppy was drawn in by his smile.

  “Why are you smiling like that?” she asked.

  “I like that dress.”

  “Oh,” Poppy said, glancing down. “Right. Yes, I know you do.”

  He stopped on the step beneath her and still managed to be taller than her. “Grammie bring it with her?”

  Grammie? Wait. He shouldn’t know that Grammie was even there. Unless… She figured out the smirk.

  Poppy sighed. “You know.”

  Turner slapped a hand onto Ritchie’s back giving him a push. “We’ll meet you up there.”

  “Okay then,” Ritchie said without asking any more questions.

  Neither of them said anything until they heard the door to the roof swing shut above them.

  “How long have you known?” she asked.

  “Since around the time I caught you all conspiring in my mom’s room at the estate.”

  “What?” she said, sagging in disappointment. “That was forever ago.”

  He laughed and put his arms around her. “Babe, between my sisters and yours, Grammie and my mom, there was no way this was going to stay a secret.”

  “Who told you?”

  “No one had to tell me,” he said, tucking her hair back behind her ears. “I can read all of you, remember? Discretion isn’t a Maddox strong suit.”

  Slapping a hand onto the bannister, Poppy exhaled. “Well, I guess there’s no point now.”

  “No point? Babe, you went to all this trouble… You saying you don’t want to marry me now?”

  “Of course I want to marry you, I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “I don’t know the details… and I love you more for all the effort.”

  “I wanted to take something off your plate. I thought I could do this, it would be done and—” Recalling the previous morning, her narrow eyes flicked to his. “You didn’t want to get the marriage license.” His smile grew, which earned him a light shoulder punch. “You were playing with me? That was mean!”

  “I couldn’t agree too quickly,” he said. “That would ruin the surprise.”

  “The surprise that you knew all along. Hmm, yeah.”

  “Candy-Cane,” he said, nuzzling her neck when she turned her head away. “I want to get married to you, right now, like this.”

  “I don’t know if I want to marry a man I’ll never be able to surprise.”

  “That you said yes was a surprise. Didn’t think I’d be that lucky.”

  “I love you,” she said, running her fingers into his hair to guide his mouth nearer to hers. “I was so excited to marry you that I planned the whole thing in a week… If this is too fast, if you’re not sure—”

  “I’m sure,” he said, kissing her quick. “I love you. Let’s do this.”

  Taking her hand, he guided her back up the stairs to where their families were waiting.

  In every second of her life, Poppy had been losing herself, playing at being someone she wasn’t. Until meeting Turner, she hadn’t appreciated just how full and happy her life could be. She’d found him working in a place he loved, alone and missing a piece: her.

  For the rest of her life, Poppy vowed to do whatever it took to ensure neither of them were ever hurt, alone, or lost ever again. That was her happily ever after.

  Thank you for sharing this adventure!

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  Coming soon from Scarlett Finn…

  ONE

  With her headphones on, Tess Anderson couldn’t hear her mother’s words. From the corner of her eye, she’d been watching her pacing for a while. With pacing, came muttering. Always.

  Her mom, Anne, was on edge about something. That wasn’t exactly a revelation. When was she not? Throughout Tess’ life, her mom forever had something on her mind.

  That wasn’t to suggest they didn’t have a happy life. There were times Tess had almost been able to forget. Sometimes they would relax and let themselves live for a while. It never lasted. Inevitably, they’d return to the only life Tess had ever known: on the move, starting over somewhere new.

  Humoring her mother was Tess’ full-time job; though it didn’t pay enough for them to live on. To make money, she used the various skills she’d acquired through the years. At that moment, her fingers were working hard to finish clients’ alterations with her sewing machine. Once they were done, she’d bundle the apparel up with the knitting and crocheting she’d already done. Then it would be on to delivering the altered garments to her customers and the wool items to the store who sold them on consignment. Time was running short; Tess didn’t want to be late for her shift slinging drinks at a nightclub. So it wasn’t that she didn’t care about what her mother was saying, just that she was on a clock.

  Her mom was everything. They were all each other had. Growing up, Anne taught Tess how to survive. That started with impressing on her the importance of learning a skill. Not just one, but as many as one could master. Wasn’t like she had much else to do.

  Tess couldn’t say her upbringing wasn’t “normal” because it was. Normal for her anyw
ay. Her normal didn’t look anything like the lives of characters on TV and in movies. There were no big family holidays. No high school prom or eating in the lunchroom. Tess didn’t have friends, not then, not now. Distance was important for perspective. Getting too close could mean problems or reluctance when it came time to leave. It would always come time eventually.

  Whenever she had colleagues, Tess did her best to fit in without forming attachments. Her best was damn good too. No matter what happened, ever, fitting in was the most important thing.

  Always smile. Never stick out. Camouflage. Don’t start the fight… though she was allowed to finish it.

  Her headphones were yanked from her head. Her mother loomed over her holding them in one hand. “Are you listening to me?”

  “I am not listening to you. I’m listening to Prince,” Tess said, switching her focus back to the sewing machine and lowering her volume. “He makes more sense.”

  “Please do not mutter at me, I despise the muttering.”

  Concentrating on her work, Tess pressed the pedal under foot and ran the last seam into the needle. “Mom, you know I’m no good at subtle. If you want to tell me something, tell me.”

  The frustration in her mother’s next exhale was obvious. “Twenty-seven years I’ve been keeping you alive. You know, one of these days, you’ll be responsible for yourself.”

  Like she’d never heard that before.

  Tess smiled. “Momma didn’t raise no fool.”

  It wasn’t until her mother sank into a crouch that Tess really started to pay attention. Anne took her hand from the table, which made her turn to look down into the concern of her mother’s expression.

  “Light-Sprite,” she said. “I would never want to worry you.”

  In her mom’s times of anxiety, Tess had learned it was a good idea to listen. Although her fears had never come to anything, if Tess didn’t listen, Anne got stressed. Then they’d fight. Arguments would lead to someone storming out. Someone being her… When she was younger anyway. Sometimes her mom would find her, sometimes she’d just go home. Either way, fleeing caused so much damage.

  It hurt Tess to see her mother that way, strung out, desperate, devastated. She’d decided years ago that she couldn’t do it anymore. That no matter what, she had to stick around. Even if their way of life was killing her slowly.

  All her life they’d lived a vagrant existence, never staying anywhere for long. Changing last names, jobs, cutting ties, disappearing. In all those years, her mother never gave her a full explanation for the need. More than once, she’d wondered about her mother’s mental health, but Anne was never erratic. Her thoughts and decisions were reasoned and calm.

  Even if she did have mental health issues, the two of them didn’t have anyone else. Tess vowed long ago that nothing would take her from her mother’s side. The woman loved her. Had raised her completely alone, without any help, and had never endangered her safety.

  For the most part Tess liked her life; it was the only one she knew. A few times, when she’d made friends or maybe liked a guy, she’d been sorry when it came time to vanish. But in those times, these days, her arguments were fleeting.

  As a child, it was fun to go off on an adventure. To be someone new, something different, anyone she wanted to be. It hadn’t been until Tess was around sixteen that she began to recognize their lives were different. Not everyone isolated themselves and packed up their lives to flee at a moment’s notice.

  “It’s time to go, isn’t it?” Tess murmured.

  Her mother cupped her face, trying her best to smile. “The things we do for love.”

  The song was one of her mom’s favorites. She’d sung it to her as a child. It had been a source of comfort since way back then.

  Opening her mouth to take a deep breath, Tess adjusted to begin making plans. “When? Do we have time?”

  The moment of hesitation on Anne’s lips hid her smile for just a fraction of a second. “Yes. We don’t have to leave right now.”

  “But soon?”

  “Soon.”

  Time to run errands and work her shift. Soon could mean later that night or the next day. Maybe they’d leave in a week or two. Whenever it was, Anne had just issued the final warning. Her mom was letting her know it was time to say goodbye to yet another city.

  © Scarlett Finn

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  LOST & FOUND

  LOST

  FOUND

  MCDADE BROTHERS

  ALL. ONLY.

  ONLY YOURS.

  WRECK & RUIN

  RUIN ME

  RUIN HIM

  GO NOVELS

  GO WITH IT

  GO IT ALONE

  GO ALL OUT

  GO ALL IN

  GO FULL CIRCLE

  EXILE

  HIDE & SEEK

  KISS CHASE

  THE BRANDED SERIES

  BRANDED

  SCARRED

  MARKED

  THE KINDRED SERIES

  RAVEN

  SWALLOW

  CUCKOO

  SWIFT

  FALCON

  FINCH

  THE EXPLICIT SERIES

  EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION

  EXPLICIT DETAIL

  EXPLICIT MEMORY

  RISQUÉ SERIES

  TAKE A RISK

  RISK IT ALL

  GAME OF RISK

  HARROW DUET

  FIGHTING FATE

  FIGHTING BACK

  MISTAKE DUET

  MISTAKE ME NOT

  SLEIGHT MISTAKE

  STANDALONE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

  RELUCTANT SUSPICION

  RESCUED

  STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

  GETTING TRICKY

  HEIR’S AFFAIR

  MAESTRO’S MUSE

  REMEMBER WHEN…

  RIVALS ON AIR

  SWEET SEAS

  THIRTEEN

  XY FACTOR

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