by J. H. Croix
I still hated that answer. Because we'd been close, and I missed her so damn much.
“I’m sorry,” he said simply, his eyes warm, searching my face. I sensed he was trying to assess how upset I might be.
“Thank you. It's okay. It sucks, but you do get used to it.” I gave myself a shake. “Anyway, Sal and his wife were good friends of hers, so I still come here,” I offered, suddenly realizing that this place might seem to have more meaning than I wanted him to consider.
Sal conveniently saved me, coming out through the swinging doors beside the kitchen and calling my name as he walked across the room. “Jana girl,” he said in his gruff voice.
My heart softened the moment I saw him. I adored Sal. He was round and portly with gray hair. His twinkling brown eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile when he reached us. I stood to give him a quick hug. He squeezed me tight and then set me back, sliding his hands down over my shoulders and squeezing my hands as I slipped into the booth.
“Hey Sal,” I said.
“It's been too long. I was just saying to June the other night that I wondered how you were doing,” he replied.
“Well, here I am. Is June around this morning?”
Sal shook his head. “No, she took Dots to the vet,” he replied, referring to their dog.
“Oh, is Dots okay?”
“She’s just getting her shots. Nothing to worry about. June will be here in a little bit. How long will you be here?”
“Long enough to finish breakfast,” I offered.
I felt his curious gaze flick from me to Finn.
I glanced from Finn to Sal. “Sal, this is Finn, and Finn, this is Sal,” I offered, gesturing between them.
Finn stood and reached to shake Sal’s hand. Sal sized him up, his gaze skeptical. I supposed it was an event for me to bring a man here. In many ways, Sal was the closest thing I had to a father.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Finn said.
“You as well,” Sal returned before glancing to me as he released Finn’s hand. “What’s a British lad doing here?” he asked.
Finn’s answer came smoothly. “I attended university here and stayed,” he offered simply. His explanation barely scratched the surface of the story, but it was the truth.
Sal nodded and then embarrassed the hell out of me. “Are you her boyfriend?” he asked sharply.
Finn had just returned to his seat and taken a sip of his coffee. He almost choked on it. He gaze bounced to me as he reached for a napkin.
I caught Sal’s eyes. “We had dinner last night, and we're here for breakfast. Get over it. I'm an adult and have been for years.”
Sal narrowed his eyes at me. “I know you're an adult, but you don't have anybody to look out after you, so I figure I better,” he declared without the slightest bit of shame about being nosy.
Finn chuckled politely, looking from me to Sal. “I would expect someone to do that, although I daresay Jana can take rather good care of herself,” he said politely.
Sal grinned. “I like you lad. She can take rather good care of herself. If anything, she's a bit prickly.”
There was a softness behind Sal’s sarcasm. Finn chuckled, his eyes bouncing to mine. I saw the understanding flickering in the depths of his eyes, and it made me feel funny. My heart gave a little skip. Emotion welled in my chest. I felt ways I’d never expected to feel. Trust didn’t come easily for me after everything blew up with Rick. Trying to date was annoying enough. It was difficult to trust anyone, and yet somehow I trusted Finn.
“So what did you order for breakfast?” Sal asked, conveniently nudging the conversation along.
“Biscuits and gravy,” Finn said with a grin.
“Ah, Jana’s favorite. Have you had it before?” Sal asked.
“Can’t say I have. It's not that I haven't been to diners here in the States. I just haven't gotten around to trying it.”
Sal winked. “You’ll like it.”
Someone called Sal’s name from the kitchen. He gave my shoulder a squeeze and leaned over to drop a kiss on my cheek. “Try to come back soon and let us know you’re coming, so June can see you.” He threw a glance to Finn. “Nice meeting you. Take good care of her.”
At that, he hurried away, pushing through the swinging doors. The sounds from the kitchen behind the grill filtered out into the diner. I took a fortifying sip of my coffee and caught Finn’s eyes. “Sorry he put you on the spot. Sal’s kind of like… Well, I don't know, I guess he's kind of the closest thing I ever had to a father.”
My words slipped out and then my cheeks heated. My added explanation stumbled out on its own. “It was just me and my mom. My dad was never really around. June was one of her good friends from growing up, so she and Sal babysat for me a lot. We did holidays with them.”
Finn’s gaze was steady. He was gracious enough to accept that explanation and not ask for more. He took a measured swallow of his coffee before setting it down and adding a dash of cream. “It's nice to have people like that. Family isn't always simple.”
“No. I don't suppose it ever is. Where's your family?” I asked, shifting the topic away from myself.
“London,” he offered.
I knew a bit from Ethan, but I wanted to hear it from Finn.
“Both of my parents are still alive. My father runs an investment company, and my mother was a teacher, although she’s retired now.”
“Any brothers or sisters?”
“I have one younger sister. Sarah.”
“Is she in London as well?”
He shook his head. “Oh no. Sarah never stays in one place for long. At the moment, she's in Washington, DC. You might meet her because she texted me to say she might be out for a visit in the next few weeks for the holidays.”
I nodded along politely, curious to know what Finn’s sister would be like. As I contemplated this, I realized we were doing what people did when they were something more than casual. I shoved those thoughts away quickly.
In short order, we had our biscuits and gravy. I took a bite, moaning at the delicious flavor. It was homey and comforting and perfect. I glanced across the table to Finn to find his eyes on me, darkening.
He tapped his finger at the corner of his mouth. “You missed some gravy.”
I slipped my tongue out, curling it to capture the lost drop of gravy. His eyes darkened further, and my pulse responded in kind, heat flashing through me. Sweet hell. All he had to do was look at me, and I got hot and bothered. It didn't seem to matter I should be sated after our interlude this morning.
“What do you think?” I asked.
I forced myself to pause eating. After taking a bite, he held my gaze and then nodded firmly. “Delicious. It appears I’ve missed out not trying this sooner. I admit I was confused when I first heard the name of the dish.”
“What do you mean?”
“Biscuits are cookies in Britain,” he explained.
“Oh, like the sweet kind?”
At his nod, I burst out laughing. “Oh my god! No wonder you were confused.”
He grinned as he took another bite, tucking in to eat. Sal came over to check on us as we were leaving. Finn insisted on paying and wouldn't let me argue the point. Sal didn't help.
“Oh hush. He gets to pay.” Sal enveloped me in a big hug on our way out, and clapped Finn on the shoulder, which was high praise from Sal. He could be a standoffish sort of man.
As we walked outside, I meant to tell Finn we should drive back to Seattle. I didn’t.
“We should go back to the beach for a walk.”
Chapter 21
Finn
A few days later, I walked down the hallway at the courthouse, pausing at the door that led to the attorneys’ offices. When I flashed my badge, the security guard nodded from the window behind and let me through.
“Here to see Becca?” he called out as I passed by his open doorway.
“That I am. Is she in her office?” I asked in return. At his nod, I kept moving, ma
king my way to Becca’s office.
I rapped my knuckles on Becca's door. When she called out for me to come in, I stepped inside, closing the door behind me and muting the cacophony from the hallway. The District Attorney’s office in Seattle was always bustling and today was no exception.
Becca looked up from her desk. She was rarely frazzled, although today she looked on the verge of it. Her dark hair was pulled back in a knot and her blue eyes were snapping. She finished a phone call, setting the phone down and throwing a glare at it.
“Good morning, Finn,” she said in a syrupy sweet voice as if in attempt to counteract her annoyance at whoever had been on the phone.
“Morning Becca. I saw the news crew outside. I would suppose they’re here for Ray’s hearing.”
She rolled her eyes. “I would suppose. I spoke to Lynne Sutton this morning. She's holding up okay. Stressed, but okay. Have you had a chance to talk to her?”
“I called over this morning as well. She'll be here. Her family’s hired an attorney to help support her.”
“We have a solid case,” Becca said firmly.
“That we do. It shall be fine once we get through with court.”
Becca’s cell phone rang. Glancing down at her phone screen, her gaze softened. “Hang on. Let me take this.” She spun away. Her conversation was brief. I heard the end as she turned back. “Love you, I'll be home by seven.”
I surmised that was her husband. Only seconds on the phone with him, and she looked more relaxed. “How is Aidan?” I asked.
Becca flashed a smile. “He’s fine. He's worried I'm working too much.”
“Aren't you?” I countered.
She rolled her eyes. “Maybe. He works hard too though.”
“No doubt. Once you have your baby, perhaps you'll slow down.”
Becca cocked her head to the side. “I know. We’ll see how that goes. I can’t decide.”
“Decide about what?”
“Whether or not to cut my hours back once we have the baby. What do you think?”
Startled at her question, I was flummoxed for a beat before I replied. “I think that's between you and Aidan, don’t you?”
Becca chuckled. “I suppose. Aidan volunteered to cut his hours back, but I think I’d feel guilty.”
I nodded if only because I had no idea what else to say. I knew Becca well enough, yet not well enough to offer an opinion on how to handle work and babies.
“Speaking of settling down, what about you?” she asked.
“What about me?”
“You're handsome, you’ve got that hot British accent, you have a steady job and you’re actually nice. You are, as they say, a catch,” she said with a slight grin. “Should I set you up with one of my friends?”
The horror must've shown on my face because she threw her head back with a laugh. Her gaze sobered as her laugh petered out. “No seriously, you're a nice guy. You'd make a great husband.”
Unprepared for this turn in our conversation, I simply nodded again and shifted in my seat.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Becca asked, nudging me a little more on the topic than I wanted to be nudged.
“What's with you this morning? Getting rather personal, aren’t we?”
“Oh, cut it out. I know you well enough to ask. I don't mean to imply you should settle down, but I can't imagine you being alone for the rest of your life. You're not really bachelor material.”
I must've looked confused because she continued. “You're nice, you're stable, and as far as I know, you don't have a bad reputation as a jerk or a heartbreaker. You're discreet…”
I cut in. “What does being discreet have to do with it?”
“Oh, I don't know. It just means you're not openly an asshole, or arrogant and flaunting gorgeous women all the time,” she clarified.
I chuckled. “Fair enough. I suppose I should say thanks.”
Becca grinned. “Anyway, are you seeing anyone?”
Jana sashayed into my thoughts. I supposed I was seeing her, in a way I hadn't seen anyone in years. I didn't know what to call what we were to each other. It was as if a ball had started rolling, and we couldn't stop it. After we had brunch at Sal’s Diner over the weekend, she took me to what she declared was her favorite beach for a walk. We spent a few hours there, and on the way back to Seattle, we stopped and had an early dinner. It was the second weekend in a row where I’d spent both nights with her.
Considering that now, I tried to remember the last time I’d spent two weekends in a row with any woman. It hadn't been since Kristen and I had been together. I started to panic slightly every time I thought about it. Take now for example, I pushed the thoughts away because the one thing I didn't want to do was stop seeing Jana.
Rather than answering Becca’s question if I was seeing anyone, I asked, “How long have you and Aidan been married?”
Becca drummed her fingertips on the table, a smile unfurling. “Four years.”
“Does it get old?” I asked in return.
She laughed softly. “I'm not sure what you mean by that. You get comfortable—both good and bad comfortable—in the sense that I know all of his annoying habits and he knows mine. There are things I can count on every day, and I don't mean the big stuff. I mean the small stuff, like if I wake up with a headache, he gets me ibuprofen and tea before I even think to ask. He nags me about working too much, and I do the same to him. It's only been four years, but I've already figured out we have to work on it. Not in the sense of loving him, but remembering that you can't be with somebody day in and day out and not try. Why do you ask?”
I held her gaze for a few beats. “I suppose I'm seeing someone,” I finally explained.
She smiled softly. “I want to tease you, but I'm guessing you wouldn't be saying anything if this someone didn't matter.”
I shrugged. The moment Becca shared her observation, I knew it to be dead on. Jana mattered. A lot. Yet, I wasn’t certain I was prepared to face what that meant.
“Dunno. It's not something I've considered for a long time.”
Becca nodded slowly, keeping her gaze trained on me. “Rumor has it you've been a dedicated bachelor ever since your engagement broke up. Tell me about her. Who is she?”
I looked over at Becca, Jana waltzing through my thoughts—with her rich brown hair and streaks of bright color, her gorgeous blue eyes, usually with a glimpse of mirth in them, her lopsided smile and the bold, funny way she raced at life, I was finding it near impossible not to think about her. I pondered those few times when I saw vulnerability flickering in the depths of her gaze. Simply thinking about it tightened my heart. I cleared my throat and caught Becca’s eyes, schooling my expression to calm.
“Jana, Jana Sparks,” I said.
Becca cocked her head to the side. “Oh, isn’t she the paralegal for Zoe Walsh?”
I should’ve guessed Becca would know who Jana was. Becca had likely crossed paths with Zoe in court. “Yes, she is. She's finishing up her law courses next semester.”
Becca was quiet, her gaze reflective.
“What’s that look for?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Oh, I don't know Jana well, but there were some nasty rumors about her a few years ago. None of it her fault. I just felt bad for her at the time.”
She must've been referring to Jana’s comment about what happened after her relationship with Rick, or rather the bloody arse as I thought of him.
“What rumors?” I asked, curious to hear about it from someone other than Jana.
Becca shrugged softly and sighed. “She got involved with her old boss. It was a big to-do because he was married. She lost her job and lost a bunch of job opportunities because of it. I knew Rick was a fucking asshole. He had tons of affairs. He also had a nasty habit of having affairs with women who didn’t know he was married. Thank God his wife finally divorced him. Anyway, I just felt bad for Jana about the whole thing. I'm not saying it was smart to hook up with her boss, but the rest of it she didn’
t know. One thing I hate about our world is how men get away with being the assholes, and women get blasted. Even if the situation had been reversed, Jana’s was the one whose reputation would've taken a hit. Aside from his wife finally telling him to fuck off, Rick came through unscathed. I was glad Jana landed on her feet working for Zoe. I think they're good friends.”
I nodded. “They are. Jana mentioned that mess. It’s bullshit.”
“It sure is,” Becca replied, her tone resigned.
A fierce sense of protectiveness rolled through me. I didn't like hearing Jana had been the subject of nasty gossip. She hadn’t shied away from being honest about what happened. I wasn’t sure I could say much else about it, other than to swear Rick to hell.
“Well, she seems to be in a good place now with Zoe, and she's finishing up her own law degree.”
“You know what she plans to do when she’s done?” Becca asked.
“I think she plans to work with Zoe.”
Becca sagged into her chair. “Of course. Now, I’ll have another kick ass criminal defense attorney to deal with.”
I chuckled. “Not so sure she’ll handle your kind of cases.”
Becca flashed a grin. “Nah. Probably not. Zoe usually steers clear of DV stuff. She’s a bad ass though, and I'm sure Jana will be one too.”
I chuckled. Jana was already a bad ass. Her bold, charge at life attitude was part of what drew me to her so powerfully. I could only imagine she’d be a headache for prosecutors. She was sharp, witty and likely wouldn’t back down from a court battle.
Becca's phone rang just as there was a knock at her door. She looked to me, nodding towards the door as she answered the phone. “Mind getting that?” she asked before greeting her caller.
I stood to open the door to find Aidan there with two coffees in hand.
“Hello,” I said, gesturing him inside the office. “I’m guessing Becca’s expecting you.”