by Reina Torres
#
He loved being a father. It was the one thing about his marriage he didn't wish he could redo. Matt was his joy and every minute they spent together was a gift.
But it was moments like that. Quiet nights when he laid awake on half his California King bed that he realized he wanted someone beside him, tucked against his shoulder, resting peacefully together. For quite a while he'd imagined dark curls and a petite curvy form in his mind. He’d imagined two boys about the same age playing in their room, making enough noise to raise the dead.
Trey DeLuca married Sara, and now they were waiting for the birth of their baby to give Cooper a little sibling to dote on. Their wedding had been a real turning point for him. But instead of putting his lonely pangs to rest, it had stirred up other issues.
Since then, Roman's dreams had been filled with visions of honey blonde hair, a lithe figure, and taunting looks, leaving him anxious and covered in sweat. Warm hands on his skin, lips skimming over his flesh, and his fingers in her glorious spill of hair. It was complete and utter torture, falling under the spell of her passion only to be shaken from his dreams one second before his release. His alarm, he decided, hated him and he hated it right back.
#
Finley arrived at the Fire Station and let out a sigh of relief. It was sad really. She was, as she often put it, a grown ass woman. And yet she felt like she was back in high school, looking around the corner for Mrs. Portnoy, the guidance counselor. She hadn't been someone who got in trouble at school, but Mrs. Portnoy had always tried to help her, by giving her hints on how to be ‘hip' or 'cool.’ Those sessions in her office had been the only real torture that she'd had to endure in those years.
As she crossed the parking lot to the side door of the Station, Adam swung the door open and gave her a short wave. “You look like you’re on the run from something.”
Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrow crooked up with a sharp glare. “Ha ha, very funny.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I call ‘em as I see ‘em,” he explained. “And you,” he pointed a finger in her direction, “look like you're about to jump out of your skin.”
She pushed past him inside the Station. “You would be too if you had everyone staring at you like they knew your business.”
Adam let the door swing shut behind them, enjoying the little jump of her shoulders when the big metal door clanged into the frame. “I think you’ve been away too long if you don't remember that everyone gets that way around here.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Yeah, but I thought you Baudouins were used to that, since you're St. Helena royalty.”
He brightened for a minute. “Can I quote you the next time I’m playing pool with one of the DeLucas?”
She smacked him on the arm as they walked through the day room and Daugherty gave her a nod.
Adam jogged up ahead and swung the door open so she could just concentrate on her camera bag. “Seriously,” he explained, “when Harper and I were trying to figure out what was happening between us, we had the whole town watching and staring at my underwear.”
Finley crooked an eyebrow at him and continued on into the engine bay where, thankfully, the men had set up everything the way it had been the other day. “Yeah, I guess you would understand,” she let out a light sigh, “I'm still hearing things about the other night at the Spigot. I'm surprised that Nora Kincaid hasn't gotten together a petition to run me out of town.”
Adam stopped short and crossed himself like a priest. “Don't put ideas like that out into the universe, Finley. Nora might be listening.”
They shared a laugh and she set down her camera bag before she continued on. “Don't tell me you haven't heard about it?”
When he remained silent, Finley looked up at him over the open camera bag she held in her hands. The comical twist of a smile on his lips made her groan. “What did you hear?”
“Nothing definite,” he began, trying to ease her anxiety, “but there might be a story circling about a certain Fire Captain who may or may not have busted up some kind of undercover, clandestine private speed dating session.”
She bit down on her bottom lip and waited.
“And that Captain was seen driving away with you. Now, I don't have any money on it, but I hear odds are on a hot and heavy hook up.” He didn’t stop. In fact, he couldn't seem to stop himself. “I'm not asking for confirmation, God knows I don't want details, but if you guys did… I'd offer you both my congratulations. Most of us are still wondering why you two didn't get together a long time ago.”
Finley opened her mouth to reply and stopped to nod at Will as he walked in the room. The poor guy looked like he was treading on eggshells. There were good odds that he was worried about a repeat of the other day.
“Most of who?”
Adam had been walking away when she'd managed the soft question. He turned back and waited until she repeated the words. “Pretty much everyone who knows you guys, and it's not a joke, just so you know. You two are good people. And good people… Well they deserve other good people.”
Finley stared at him as Will shrugged out of most of his clothes just a few feet away. “Wow,” she shook her head at him. “Who are you? You never used to be like this!”
Adam shrugged. “Harper is pretty amazing. Falling in love with her,” his smile brightened even more, “changed everything about me.”
She wanted to say something nice to him. She wanted to, but she felt her throat close up, strangling air from her lungs. The last thing she wanted right now was to have someone change her. All Russ had done was change her life and what had she gotten for it? A trip back to where she started and an ex-husband shacking up somewhere with another woman.
She turned when Shay walked in, carrying the Dalmatian puppies. By the time she turned back around, he was gone.
#
Roman found the parking lot full again, but this time someone was in his spot. He turned his car around and found a spot on the street. He'd planned to dash in and get some paperwork done so he could track Finley down before he went to pick up Matt from school.
He stepped out of the car and crossed through the lot, his mind on the Community Event Schedule. He didn't recall anything on the calendar, but then again, he had been distracted recently.
He swung the door open and moved into the day room. Empty. He crossed to the calendar and stopped short. Penciled in on today's square was ‘photo session.’
The thought that Finley was standing in the engine bay twisted in his gut. He wanted to walk in there and watch, but since he was the reason she had to come back and finish the photo shoot, he decided to give her a wide berth until she was done.
Taking out his phone he sent a text to Adam and received one back less than a minute later. Setting it off to the side, Roman sat down behind his desk and reached for a folder on top of the first pile.
#
Finley sat back on one of the stools that Adam had set out beside her equipment table. While the St. Helena crew kept everything clean and tidy, it was easier to use a table rather than the floor.
That, she mused, and it was better not to catch a glimpse of Will eyeing her backside every time she straightened up. It was funny during the first shoot, but now… not so much.
She plugged her camera into the laptop that Harper had sent to the station with her, loading up the photos while Will busied himself corralling the two Dalmatian rascals that he'd been posing with.
Shay chuckled as she watched the handsome man nearly trip over the hose they’d been using as a prop. “So how does it look?”
As if the laptop heard the question, the screen flashed as the photo program opened in full glorious color. Shot after shot of brawny fireman filled the frame, one pup held gently in his large hand and the other puppy at his feet with a hose held between his little teeth, ready to hose off the soot covered man. A little tweak of the turnout pants had them peeled back to expose the top curve of Will’s sculpted backside.
; Shay raised a brow and blew out a breath. “You do nice work… Very nice!” Fanning herself she leaned in closer to Finley. “Let's not tell Jonah that I hung around to watch the shoot, hmm?”
Finley shrugged. “You had to make sure the puppies were safe, right?” Her eyes snapped with laughter.
“Oh, of course! Yes,” Shay clapped her hands together and the puppies howled back, "safety! Only the best excuse ever.”
Will crossed over to the table with a puppy tucked under each arm. “We about done?” He looked between the two women. “If we still need some shots no problem, I'm just asking because this stuff you put on me is starting to itch.” The puppy under his left arm started to whine and wiggle against him. “And I think this one might need to take a trip outside in the grass.”
Shay rounded the table. “I’ll take her. Thanks.” She gave Will a broad grin. “You’re great with them.” The puppy in question eagerly jumped into her arms and licked her pink tongue along Shay’s jaw. “Let me know if you’re interested in adopting.” She started for the door and called back over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
“No hurry,” Finley replied with a laugh, “We're done!”
Will still held one puppy under his arm and let it squirm up until he cuddled it against his chest. “Great! Thanks for coming back to finish this. I thought after the last session, that Cap would assign someone else.”
Finley shook her head. “You're great in front of the camera, Will. You have a great instinct and know how to angle to the camera for the best view. She relaxed and her smile brightened. "You made my job really easy.”
“Well,” he moved a step closer and chuckled as the puppy tried to climb up onto his shoulder, “you made it really easy to show off.” He cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me sometime.” He quickly amended the question. “Tonight?”
Finley pressed the release and twisted the lens to remove it from the body of the camera. “Will, I already said I'm going to have dinner with-” a metallic squeak stopped her short and turned her toward the door expecting to see Shay and use her as an excuse to politely decline his offer, but it wasn't going to be that easy. “Roman.”
“Roman…” he looked back over his shoulder and saw the broad shouldered frame of the man standing just inside the room. “You're going out with Cap?” He swung his gaze around to look at Finley, his mouth pulling into a tight grimace as Roman stepped beside him. “Hey, Cap, I didn't know.” Will backed away from the table looking at the squirming puppy in his hands. “I better take him outside-”
Whatever else he said was lost as she watched Roman close the gap between them. He was close enough that she could see his eyes darken as he looked at her, the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.
“I didn't know you were here.”
He nodded. “I've been in my office for the last hour or so.” Roman saw her curious look and continued on. “I had a feeling if I interrupted you'd never talk to me again.”
She set the body of her camera into her bag, strapping it in for transport. “Maybe. Maybe not,” she turned to look at him and changed her mind, “yeah, pretty much.” She closed the top of her bag. “I'm sorry I didn't call you back. I just couldn't-” she shook her head and dropped her hands to her side, “I just couldn't figure out what to say.”
He tilted his head a little to the side and bent his knees so that he could look her in the eye. “That's the point of talking, I guess. You start with something and go from there.”
She gave him a little grimace. “Talking… not something I'm big on anymore.”
The words hit him hard. She could see that much in the tight lines around his eyes, the thinning of his lips.
“We used to talk all the time.”
#
He waited, wondering after a few heartbreaking moments, if she'd forgotten how close they’d been growing up. But finally she nodded, a soft wavering sigh passing between her lips.
“That was a long time ago, Roman.” She shook her head. “I was a different person back then so were you.”
“I'm not that different. I’m still-”
She laughed, and he stopped short, waiting for her to continue.
“You're a father now. You have someone who needs you day in and day out.” She stood and moved away from him, packing up her laptop and setting it in its case. “I've done that, belonging to someone. It was supposed to be an adventure,” she bit off the words, “a grand experiment. I was supposed to be a wife and a partner, but what I ended up being was a drudge, a glorified personal assistant without a salary. Now,” she zipped up the case and reached for her camera bag, slinging it over her shoulder, “I want to be me. Just that.”
She started to move away and he caught her arm, holding her in place.
“Finley, you can still be you. You always were with me.”
“You're serious.” She shook her head. “You think it's that easy?”
“I never said easy,” he countered, “but worth trying. We would be good together.”
She pulled her arm free and backed away. “That's the problem,” she reached around him and picked up the laptop case, “you're already talking long term, Roman. I can't give you that. I can't even give myself more than a couple of weeks,” she explained, “I still have to find jobs to live on. If I find it here, great, but I may have to go somewhere else.”
“Finley,” he reached for her again, this time holding out his hand to her, “we could be-”
“No ‘we’ can't, Roman.” She backed away, her expression hard, but her eyes pleaded with him. “I need to figure this out for myself. I need to be me for a while, maybe even forever. So maybe it's a good idea if we try to not be anywhere near each other.”
She was almost to the door when he stopped her with his words. “You were always so stubborn.”
He was surprised by the smile that twisted up the corners of her mouth, but didn't quite reach her eyes.
“And you always saw more in me than there really was.” She let go of a breath. “I missed that.”
She left the room, stepping into the brightly lit hallway a moment before the door swung shut on his words.
“I missed you too.”
Chapter Eight
Finley put the car in park and stepped out into the early morning sunlight and took in the brilliant facade of the home. “Just lovely.”
“I'm glad you think so.” Stepping out from the long slant of sunlight, Abby gave her a bright smile. “We've worked so hard on Oakwood.”
Following Abby to the front walk, Finley grinned at the other woman. “I saw the lovely stone markers on either side of the road on my way up.” She paused to watch a pair of Stellar’s Jays sweep through the sky. “I’ll make sure to take a few shots for you to use as well.”
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Abby’s wide grin made her look a few years younger and Finley envied her the happy warmth coloring her cheeks. “I knew you were perfect for this project.” Fishing in her pocket she withdrew a ring of keys, sorting through the collection of varied colors of metal. “When we were talking about the development brochures the other night, I remembered the art show they had at the community center when you were in high school. You had that series of St. Helena architecture on display.”
“Wow. That seems like a lifetime ago!” Finley brushed her hair back from her face with a chuckle. “The old winery buildings… I got so dirty doing those photos.” It was a fantastic memory really. In her usual unfashionable overalls, a long sleeved plaid shirt, battered straw hat on one end and thrift store sneakers on the other, she'd traipsed all over the vineyards of the oldest wineries in St. Helena and taken countless photos from every angle possible. Dark spider webbed corners, or the back of a wagon laden with empty crates, and even laid flat on the ground beneath a row of vines with windblown dust caking on her neck. “I haven't thought of those in years.”
Abby found the right key and slipped it in the lock. “Well, they
certainly made an impression on me. When Roman reminded me about-”
“Roman?” Finley stopped short just outside of the front door. “What does he have to do with this?”
Abby’s smile held a note of playful secrecy. “Oh, I forgot to tell you about that.”
Finley's expression paled a little. “Yes.” She steeled herself for the revelation. “I'm pretty sure you forgot on purpose.” She couldn't help the wry twist of her tone.
“That's why I thought I should come clean with you before you start.”
Nervously worrying her lip, Finley had to remind her old friend. “And I'm still waiting for you to come clean.”
Abby stepped down into the sunken living room and she waved Finley over to the glass doors on the other side of the living room. “It was simple really,” she explained, “the photographer we’d hired to take the pictures had a family emergency in Florida. At first we dug into the pile of portfolios, but I was ready to pull my hair.” She played with the curtain, adjusting the fall of the fabric along the French door. “I was in line at The Sweet and Savory for a 50 Shades of Chocolate, and Roman was sitting at a table with Matt, having an afternoon snack. Roman saw the look on my face and pulled over an empty chair, inviting me to sit with them. When I sat down, he asked me how I was and I just started explaining. After a few sentences he was staring at me smiling. I asked him if I had spilled something on my blouse and he shook his head and told me to ‘Call Finley.’” Abby laughed at herself. “It was brilliant, really, and much too obvious for people as stressed out as we were.”
Finley listened to the words and mentally counted back the days. He'd made the suggestion to Abby before they'd had their conversation at the fire station. This hadn't been some stopgap measure to keep her in town. Abby’s words filtered into her head.