Third Time's the Charm

by K. Evan Coles

  “Way to make an impression,” Luke said with a smile.

  Ugh.

  Finn swallowed down his unease and took hold of Luke’s hand. “You’d better give me the tour before I eat one of your throw pillows.” His stomach rumbled again and Luke snorted with laughter.

  They stopped in the kitchen for Finn’s coffee and he sipped it gratefully as Luke led him through the two-bedroom unit. The place exuded comfort and had a very Luke feel, both inviting and polished with splashes of rich color among the warm wood hues. Huge windows bathed each room in light, and a long covered balcony ran the length of the back wall of the building. Finn smiled to himself. He could imagine them spending time together here, provided Luke wanted that. Finn hoped he did.

  The one exception to the overall vibe was Ella’s domain in the smaller of the two bedrooms. While tidy, it almost pulsated with a rainbow of color. Strings of white fairy lights crisscrossed the ceiling and posters plastered the walls, along with photos and art, and everywhere were signs of a young girl with very definite and varied interests. Finn stood in the doorway, staring at the table filled with LEGO models, the bright turquoise Converse by the closet and a black acoustic guitar on a stand in the corner. He let out a low whistle.

  “This is amazing and slightly terrifying.”

  Luke laughed. “Life with Ella.”

  “Is that a Storm Trooper helmet on the bed?” Finn asked.

  “Yes. That’s Captain Phasma’s helmet,” Luke replied. “Ella’s developed a love-hate thing with the character since the new Star Wars movies came out.”

  “Does she watch Trek, too?”

  “Absolutely. Her favorites are Bones and Beverly Crusher, and she’s got a secret soft spot for Mr. Spock.” Luke reached past Finn to close the door and they turned back toward the living area. He slipped an arm around Finn’s waist.

  “I told you before that Ella likes a lot of stuff Pete and I do, but I’m not sure how it’s going to work as she gets older.” His expression shifted, becoming uncertain. “I guess we’ll figure it out together.”

  Finn nodded. In concept, he understood Luke’s concern—Ella’s impending teenagerhood was a big deal for her whole family. However, her father was due back in the fall. Peter wouldn’t continue leaving her with Luke if he didn’t have to. Would he?

  “When does your brother’s deployment end again?” Finn asked.

  “Octoberish,” Luke replied. “He shipped out in May and we expect him back before November.” He stared at the windows overlooking Beacon Street, his gaze losing focus as it lingered. “Depending on how things play out, of course. And how Pete wants to move forward.”

  Joanna called them to the table, and Luke gave Finn a smile that made his insides melty.

  “C’mon, Doc. Let’s get some bacon into that belly of yours.”

  Talk turned to Finn’s job as they all tucked into the big meal. He was pleasantly surprised by the Ryans’ interest in his experience at MGH, particularly Joanna’s. She’d left a career in hospital administration after she and Brad were given the opportunity to adopt Peter.

  “We talked about my trying to balance work and motherhood, and Brad did more than his fair share once Pete came into our lives,” she told Finn. “But in the end, I decided I’d stay home for a while. Of course, a while almost turned into forever. The boys were in high school before I re-entered the workforce.”

  Joanna speared a piece of fruit salad with her fork. “Staying home was the right decision for us, though. Pete was almost two when we brought him home and he had some minor intestinal issues that needed attending to. I didn’t feel right leaving him in someone else’s care all day, especially since that’s how he’d been living for over a year anyway.”

  “His parents were killed in a car accident not long after his birth, and his maternal aunt took him in,” Brad said. He passed Finn a platter of scrambled eggs. “She became ill and had no other family and worried Pete would end up on the street if something happened to her. She surrendered him to the orphanage before his first birthday. Eighteen months after that, we got the call about Luke and started down the road to being a family of four.”

  Finn had little trouble imagining the Ryans as a young couple who welcomed little boys without families into their home. “So Pete and Luke learned to speak English with you?” he asked.

  Joanna laughed. “Technically, yes, but we didn’t teach either of them much when it came to language. Pete soaked it up like a sponge and Luke was born in North Dakota—he came to us already burbling English words. We had a babysitter who spoke Spanish, but she was more help to Brad and me than the kids. Pete had a knack for languages anyway. He learned French in high school and picked up Italian and Portuguese in college.”

  “Joanna and I remain terrible at every language but English,” Brad said. “Neither of the boys ever had trouble letting us know what they wanted, though, and neither did Ella.”

  Finn looked over the table at her. “How many languages do you speak?”

  “Three,” Ella replied. “Dad uses English, Spanish and French around the house.”

  “He did that at our house too,” Brad told her. “Your Gram and I figured we were ready for another Spanish-speaking baby because your dad had it under control, even though he was a baby himself.” They all laughed. “Then we got the call about Luke and realized we could all talk to him right away. Naturally, Pete started teaching Luke Spanish on day one.”

  Finn turned to Luke, who was busy spreading cream cheese on a bagel. Luke rarely spoke about his adoption, and Finn paused before he asked, “You speak Spanish?”

  “Some,” Luke replied. “I’m not a language nerd like Pete, though, and I need more room in my brain for computer languages than anything else.”

  Joanna tsked at him. “That’s not true, sweetheart, and you know it. He spoke near-fluent Spanish by the time he entered school, thanks to Pete, and continued with it through college,” she told Finn. “I’m certain he’s still pretty fluent, though he’d deny it.”

  “He uses Spanish with me when he feels like it,” Ella said and laughed at Luke’s scowl. “Dude, you’re busted.”

  “Don’t call me dude.” Luke wrinkled his nose at her then turned his focus on Finn. “How much room do you have in that big brain for languages, Doc?”

  “Oh, not much,” Finn said. “I learned some Latin as part of my medical training, and I passed enough Spanish classes to meet my undergrad core requirements. I speak a little Spanish with my patients when I need to, but I’m far from fluent.”

  Luke smiled at him. “Well, you know how to put people back together again, so you get a pass. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us.” He turned to Ella with a gleam in his eye. “Oh, man, this doctor talk reminds me that I have a joke. How do you take a pig to the hospital?”

  Ella narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before her face lit up with a grin. “A ham-bulance!”

  Finn sipped his coffee while the others laughed, struck by what he’d seen. No one had batted an eyelash when Luke changed the subject away from adoption, not even Ella, and she clearly enjoyed needling him about almost everything. What is that about?

  “Finn?”

  He jumped slightly and snapped back to the conversation. “Sorry, I lost the thread there for a second.”

  Joanna smiled. “No worries. I asked about your family back in Chicago and whether you planned to go home for the holidays this winter.”

  “I don’t have any firm plans at the moment,” he said. “I’m the new doc, which means my hands are tied when it comes to scheduling.”

  “Living halfway across the country from your family can’t make things easy either,” Brad said.

  “In the sense I can’t pop by to see them on my day off, that’s true, yes. But my schedule’s been unpredictable for a long time, and they’re used to it.”

  “Do you think about moving back?” Joanna asked. “Your whole career is ahead of you, after all, and I’d imagine the hospital
s in Chicago would be glad to have you.”

  Finn exchanged a grin with Luke. They’d had a very similar conversation only minutes after he’d asked Luke out for the first time. “I’m still getting to know Boston and I’m happy here,” he said. “Of course, it’s shortsighted to say I’d never move back to Chicago, or anywhere, really.”

  “Never say never, Doc,” Luke teased. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he stole a piece of Finn’s bacon.

  Finn batted at him playfully and the conversation shifted again, so it took him a few minutes to notice a change in Ella’s demeanor. The vivacious girl he’d glimpsed had stopped talking and a hardness lurked in her eyes when she glanced Finn’s way.

  Uh-oh.

  Finn gently chewed the inside of his cheek. As the conversation around the table rose and fell, he attempted to engage her several times but she met each attempt with monosyllables. She seemed fine with her grandparents and Luke, though, and Finn could tell from Luke’s expression that he’d noticed the shift, too.

  After everyone rose to clear the table, Finn found himself alone with Ella in the kitchen, and he tried once again. “Luke told me you’re going for your yellow belt in taekwondo class next week. He’s pretty excited to watch your test.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ella placed a platter on the counter beside the sink. “Simon’s invited too.”

  And you’re not.

  Finn heard her unspoken words loud and clear. Simon being invited came as no surprise—he was one of Luke’s oldest friends and an assistant uncle of sorts to Ella. Finn hadn’t forgotten the snippet of conversation he’d overheard the weekend before at Simon’s party, however.

  ‘I hate you so much,’ Luke had said with a laugh.

  ‘You love me and we both know it,’ Simon had shot back. ‘I’m a hard habit to break.’

  A bubble of resentment rose inside Finn. How could he establish a rapport anywhere close to the one Simon had built with Ella if she dismissed Finn after only a couple of hours? More importantly, why did he even care? Ella wasn’t Luke’s daughter, and soon her dad would be back and everything would change. Finn didn’t need to become best friends with this kid—if she didn’t want it either, what was the point?

  Finn lowered the plates into the sink. “Well, good luck. I’m sure you’ll be great.”

  He forced himself to smile while Ella simply watched him, her brow furrowed. She lingered for a beat, then left the kitchen without a word. Finn shifted his focus to the dishes and quelled a sigh.

  Ugh.

  Chapter Thirteen

  With the brunch dishes cleared and Ella gone to her room to gather her things, Luke realized Finn had remained behind in the kitchen. Intent on stealing a kiss or two, Luke sought him out and was struck by the sight of Finn at his sink rinsing plates and placing them in the open dishwasher.

  I like him here.

  Luke’s heart beat faster at the thought of Finn feeling at home in this space. Unfortunately, Finn’s tense posture didn’t speak to comfort just then. Luke thought that if Finn turned around right now, his pretty eyes would be troubled. Luke suspected a certain ten-year-old girl was the cause, too.

  He exhaled quietly. He’d deal with Ella after he made things right with his man. Stepping forward, he pressed his palm between Finn’s shoulder blades.

  “Hey, Doc,” he murmured.

  Finn relaxed under Luke’s touch. “Hey. Where are the others?”

  “Mom’s helping El get her stuff together and Pops is nerding out over the GPS app on his phone. What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

  “Just making myself useful,” Finn replied. The words carried a weight Luke didn’t like. As far as he was concerned, Finn didn’t need to be anything but himself, no matter where they were.

  He dropped his hand to the small of Finn’s back. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  Luke knew Finn meant it. Washing dirty dishes was easier than dealing with Ella’s moods. Cleaning didn’t top Luke’s list of Fun Things To Do With Finn Thomason, however.

  When Finn’s hands were empty, Luke gently took hold of his wrists and guided them under the running water to rinse away the soapsuds. He let Finn go and turned off the faucet, then grabbed a towel from the hook by his hip. Finn stayed quiet while Luke dried their hands, and Luke’s heart ached a little at the unhappiness on his face.

  Luke put the dishtowel aside. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Finn gave him a small, crooked smile. “Me too.” The smile grew wider as Luke slipped his arms around Finn’s waist.

  “I like seeing you here,” Luke said, “and I hope you’ll come to like it, too.”

  “I do like being here.” Finn’s expression grew almost painfully earnest. Clearly, he had something to say, and while Luke worried those things could hurt, he reminded himself to listen.

  “I want to be here, Luke, but I hate the idea of making trouble for you.”

  “You’re not making trouble for me, Finn, I promise. I’ll handle Ella.”

  Finn grimaced. “No, I didn’t mean anything by that—”

  “I know,” Luke cut him off gently, “but I need to anyway. This thing with her has been brewing for a while.”

  “Really? But she just met me today.”

  “She’s been hot and cold about my dating pretty much since the beginning. And by hot and cold, I mean subzero most of the time.”

  “Damn.” Finn’s face fell slightly and he leaned back against the sink. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because there was nothing you could do about it. Besides, I’m allowed to have a personal life, regardless of what Ella thinks.” Luke shrugged. “And she hadn’t met you and I didn’t want to be an alarmist.”

  Finn shot him a dubious look. “Good call?”

  Luke chuckled. “She’ll learn to deal with it. She’s going to have to, Finn. Her dad’s not planning to stay single forever either, and there’s no reason he should.” Luke paused when Ella hollered his name. “Lord, what now?” he muttered before he hollered back. “Be right there!”

  He focused on Finn again. “I know we’re not done here. But right now, I want to get Ella and my parents on the road and out of our hair. You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to this, and not only because I plan to hide your clothes to keep you from leaving.”

  Finn’s stony expression cracked. “You’re such a weirdo. Go on,” he said and turned Luke loose. “Call if you need backup.”

  Luke’s smile faded as he made his way out of the kitchen. Ella had been in an unearthly mood for days, by turns snappish and snotty, and far more emotional than he was accustomed to. Luke recognized part of it was rooted in her reluctance to meet Finn, but he still didn’t have a clue why Ella felt that way and he fucking hated it.

  Then again, he didn’t much like the sight that greeted him in Ella’s room, either. She sat on the floor, her face set in a pout and the contents of her overnight bag spread around her. Luke could tell she was seconds from losing her cool and quickly glanced at his mother in hopes she’d clue him in.

  “Ella wants to pack something different for the concert tonight,” Joanna said, her tone serene and the tiniest bit amused. “Not that the outfit you picked out together is in any way lacking, of course.”

  “Right.” Luke rubbed his hands together. “I’ve got this, Mom. Why don’t you go make sure Pops isn’t trying to arm wrestle with Finn?”

  Joanna chuckled. “It wouldn’t be the first time he tried that trick with a friend of yours. I swear that man flirts more than any woman does. Ella, it’s almost eleven-thirty,” she added. “Your Pops wants to get on the road soon, so please don’t give your uncle too hard a time.”

  The tips of Ella’s ears went red, but her voice sounded meek when she replied. “Yes, Gram.”

  Luke waited for his mother to leave the room before he squatted down in front of Ella. “Decided against the dress, huh?”

  “I don’t like any
of my clothes,” Ella muttered. She glowered at the garments spread on the floor, all of which she’d liked perfectly well the night before.

  Luke restrained himself from pointing out that very thing. Then Ella glanced at her closet and he knew he had to act fast. Otherwise, she’d be tearing everything apart in a fruitless search for something she deemed worthy.

  “What about those purple jeans you made me buy?”

  Ella’s gaze snapped back to Luke’s. “You said the jeans were for back to school.”

  “They are, but you and Gram and Pops will be sitting on a lawn listening to classical music. You think you could manage not to kill them if you put your mind to it?”

  Ella sat up straighter. “Yes, dude. I mean Uncle. Yes, Uncle.”

  “Oh, so now I’m Uncle.” Luke wrinkled his nose. “Go on and get them out of the closet while I pack up the rest of your crap.”

  “Hah, you said crap.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t say shi—oops.”

  Luke smiled as Ella’s fit of brattiness dissolved into giggles, then eased himself onto his knees so he could re-pack the bag. He sat down when she returned with the coveted purple jeans.

  “What’s going on with you today, El? It’s not like you to be rude to a friend.”

  Ella’s nostrils flared and she pushed her lips out, both typically signs of bad temper. The irritation in Luke’s chest faded as she sat, however, because Ella twisted her hands in her lap and he understood that she was stressed out rather than angry.

  What the fuck?

  “Finn’s your friend, not mine, remember?” Ella asked, and damn, but she looked forlorn.

  Luke’s mood sank some more. How in the world had things gone so wrong over eggs, bacon and bagels? Carefully, he scooted over the floor and around Ella’s overnight bag so he could sit beside her. He made sure his knee met hers.

  “You’re right,” he said. “Finn is my friend. I’d like it if you made friends with him, too. Or at least got to know him.”

  Ella sighed. “Why?” Her dejected tone hurt to hear.