Finn's Christmas Dilemma (Holiday Hunks Book 3)

by Alicia Street

  Finn’s Christmas Dilemma

  Holiday Hunks

  Alicia Street

  Copyright © 2019 by Alicia Street

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Alicia Street with the exception of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Even after being featured on TV and hailed as a sex symbol in the media, Finn Brogan’s career as a dancer meant losing the respect of his father and brothers, hardworking construction workers who would never be caught dead in a dance studio. Finn returns home for the holidays intent on repairing the rift, but he runs head-on into an even bigger problem—his unresolved romance with the only woman he could ever love.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  A Note From theAuthor

  About the Author

  Also by Alicia Street

  Bonus Excerpt

  Chapter 1

  Finn Brogan sat at his parents’ dining room table taking in the sound of his brothers’ and nephews’ boisterous conversation, the smell of roast turkey and pumpkin pie, and the crazy clutter of pilgrims and turkeys and pumpkins everywhere he looked due to his mother’s tendency to overdo the holiday knickknacks.

  Coming back to the East Coast, to the North Fork and house where he’d grown up—a simple two-story Colonial like the others on this block—was like stepping into a time warp. All the rooms were set up in exactly the same configuration. Okay, the TV was now a flat screen and the sofa was not the same one, but it was the same brown tone, ditto the rug and the patterned drapes. Same glass bowl filled with butterscotch candies on the same wooden coffee table, a print of Constable’s Hay Wain over the sofa.

  It all stirred up a longing inside Finn for things he had somehow lost.

  Yeah, one of them was the bond with his father that he’d lost by choosing a career that was not manly enough in the eyes of Eddie Brogan. But the connection between them had never been all that strong. By the time Finn was five years old it was clear to him that the competition for Eddie Brogan’s attention was a challenge he could never win against his older brothers, so he humbly accepted his third-place standing. Actually, it was seventh place now that his brothers’ sons were the apple of their grandfather’s eye.

  Still, Finn had hoped his success and the fact that his mom had begged him to come home for Thanksgiving would lay the groundwork for a reconciliation with his father. So far he’d gotten no more than scowls and grunts from his dad, while his mother beamed at him like she was doing right now.

  Kate Brogan’s hugs and tears of joy when he arrived struck a deep chord of guilt within him, making Finn realize his five-year absence was the wrong thing to do. Just because his dad had thrown him out and told him not to come back did not mean his mother agreed.

  After coffee and the last piece of pie, he followed her into the kitchen to help clean up, telling Rick’s wife to go relax with the rest of the family. His mother looked grateful for that move. His father’s simmering hostility toward him had nearly toppled the holiday cheer a few times. No doubt his siblings welcomed the removal of the offending factor.

  “How about this for the leftover potatoes?” Finn asked as he pulled a lidded container from a kitchen cabinet.

  “You don’t have to do any of that,” she said. “I just like having you in here so we can talk without the others barging in.”

  Finn knew which “other” she was referring to. And what she really meant—that it was a good idea to put a little space between him and his dad. “You shouldn’t have to do all this by yourself,” he said, scooping the potatoes into the container.

  She glanced out the kitchen door toward the noise in the living room, then said, “Get yourself another cup of coffee and sit down. I have something for you and I promised you wouldn’t share them with anyone.”

  Confused, Finn put the container of potatoes on a shelf in the refrigerator and filled a mug with coffee and milk. “Promised who? About what?”

  Kate set a round cookie tin painted with autumn leaves on the kitchen table in front of him. Yep, same table and chairs that he’d eaten breakfasts and snacks at year after year. He opened the tin to see… “Are these pumpkin peanut butter cookies?”

  His mother smiled. “When I told Cheryl Collins you were coming home, she made a batch just for you and sent them over. You’ll have to go thank her later.”

  Glancing out the side window at the house next door, Finn thought about the woman who’d been like a second mother to him.

  And about her daughter.

  The last thing Finn wanted was to see Trinity visiting with her billionaire asshole husband. But there was no way Finn could tell his mother that. She had no idea his feelings for Trinity still ate away at him after all these years.

  “No, I wouldn’t want to intrude on her family’s holiday.” Yeah, it sounded lame and his mother’s smirk let him know it.

  As if reading his thoughts, Kate said, “Cheryl is having Thanksgiving dinner at her son Birch’s house, and when she gets home she will be alone. Did you forget Birch Senior passed away two years ago?”

  “Of course not.” He had sent flowers back then, but he’d been on tour and couldn’t make it home for the funeral. And it was a good thing he’d had that excuse because it was right at the time when Trinity’s modeling career was going strong and he had seen all those pictures of her with her rich Australian boyfriend on Facebook and Instagram. And the day he saw the announcement that they would be getting married was the day Finn stopped looking for anything about her online.

  The day he accepted she was no longer a part of his life and never would be again.

  His mother clucked her tongue. “If you don’t go visit Cheryl she’ll think you’ve turned into a snob now that you’re famous.”

  “I am not famous.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “People who are on TV every week are famous, Finn. My dentist’s receptionist corners me to ask all about you whenever I go there. And I get special treatment at my hairdresser’s because you’re my son. The gym I go to has a photo of you on the wall. It won’t hurt you to just—”

  “Give me her number and I’ll call her and come see her another time. I’ve got to leave soon, but, hey, I’ll be in that cottage here in North Cove for a whole month.” He had already spent the day trying to deal with his father. No way he was going to add on visiting Trinity’s mom to see a house filled with photos of Trinity. And her husband. Maybe even a kid by now.

  “You won’t be back in our neighborhood. I know you. You’ll be spending all your time at the dance school.”

  “Well, it’s pretty obvious I can’t stay here. The master of this house has made it clear I’m not welcome.”

  “I was not the one who asked you to leave.”

  “You didn’t defend me to him either.” He
r pained look made Finn immediately regret his words. “I’m sorry, Mom. I…”

  “No, I’m sorry. Your father is not an easy man to change. And I’m not too good at fighting. It’s just not in my nature.”

  His chest ached with guilt. “And I’m not too good at keeping in touch. I’d call more, but Dad’s work days vary, so I never know if he might be right there when you answer the phone. That’s why I usually stick to texts.”

  “And gifts.” Her eyes lit up. “It’s fun to get a package delivered and wonder what it might be or where in the world you sent it come from.” She looked down at the turkey she was putting away. “Did you say you bought a car the other day?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t want to deal with a rental for a whole month or ship my car from LA and back again.”

  “I know you make a lot of money, but to be able to just go out and buy a new car…”

  “Yes, Mom, I do. And I would happily get you a new car if you want one. Whatever you want, just tell me.”

  “You know your father would never allow that.”

  “Maybe you ought to learn to argue with him.”

  “You know I don’t like to fight and he will never change, so just leave it at that. Your father and I have had a good relationship for many years, and I’m not going to do anything to ruin it.”

  He wanted to ask her how it could be a good relationship if all the rules were made by her husband. But he knew it would hurt her, so he just changed the subject. “Ya know, I’ve traveled the world and never found a cookie better than Mrs. Collins’s pumpkin peanut butter cookies.” He dug into the tin for another. “I promise I won’t forget to thank her.”

  Kate nodded and said, “Trinity sells those cookies in her coffee shop that she opened not far from here.”

  What? Finn’s jaw hung open and he quickly stuffed a cookie in so his mother would not notice. After a moment of odd silence during which he considered changing the subject again, telling himself he had managed to purge Trinity from his mind and heart, the masochistic side of him that was still hungry to hear about her took over. Pathetic.

  “Trinity has a coffee shop? Last I heard she was working as a fashion model in Paris.”

  His mother swept a hand through the air. “That’s over. She started a coffee roasting business. Sells her coffees online and to specialty stores. And she has a cute little cafe that serves desserts and simple sandwiches along with her fancy coffee drinks.”

  Finn sat there speechless, so his mother continued. “It’s in a house along Route Twenty-five on the way to Jamesport. She hired your brother to renovate it for her. The downstairs is a cafe and roasting area and she lives upstairs.”

  Lives upstairs? “But…I thought her husband was this super wealthy Australian guy who—”

  “Oh, she broke up with that guy a long time ago. Turned out to be bad news.”

  And all this time he’d pictured her prancing around on that slimebag’s yacht. “What about her modeling career?”

  “Done.”

  Mystery solved. Even though Finn had sworn off cyber-stalking her, he figured he would run into a blurb or photo of her now and then over the last couple years. But he hadn’t. Nothing. And now he knew why.

  As he sat there trying to figure out what to say, his mom asked, “Do you have a woman living with you in that condo you bought out there in…what’s that place called?”

  “Malibu. You should come visit me sometime. I’ll cover the airfare. And, no, I don’t have a woman living there. Just me.”

  “Are you dating anyone special?”

  “Dating? I…uh…”

  She waggled a finger at him. “I’m not talking about the women I see you with at all those tours and galas every time I put your name into google. I know there are plenty. I want to know if there is someone you are serious about. Someone you might even be in love with.”

  “No, I…” Geeze. Not the conversation he wanted to have with his mother.

  “Just because you’re having a good time now does not mean you won’t reach a point when you want a woman who—”

  “Mom, just stop, okay?”

  Kate snickered, then turned away and went back to organizing the leftovers on the kitchen counter. Without looking at him, she said in a quiet voice, “Do you remember when you and Trinity used to run around jumping in the piles of leaves and then come in for cookies and milk? You two were inseparable.”

  “Yeah,” Finn said, his voice coming out on a rough breath. He cleared his throat to mask the feelings his mother would no doubt recognize.

  “Well, she’s not married. Not even dating anyone. You’re the one she should marry.”

  “Mom, we were only friends. And barely that by the time we were sixteen.”

  “Why didn’t you ever ask her out? If you had, she wouldn’t have ended up with that basketball player.”

  He snorted. “I doubt that.”

  “She adored you.”

  “No, she didn’t.”

  “And you worshipped her.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Don’t lie. I’m your mother. I wasn’t blind all those years.”

  He sighed, shaking his head. Yeah, okay, so he was lying. He’d been in love with Trinity for as long as he could remember. That didn’t mean they belonged together, especially now, after they had both gone their separate ways. “Listen, it’s getting late and I’ve still got unpacking to do.”

  As Finn stood and stretched, his mother jotted some things down on a napkin and handed it to him. “This is Cheryl’s phone number. And this is the name and address of Trinity’s coffee shop. Go and see her.”

  As much as he wanted to do just that, his pride made him say, “Why?”

  “Because you were the best friend she ever had and right now she needs a friend. She’s been through hell.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “That’s a story for her to tell, not me.

  Chapter 2

  It was almost closing time when the bells over the door of the Three Girls Roasting Company cafe jingled and Trinity Collins looked up to see a dark-haired guy in a black leather jacket and shades stroll in. At first glance her woman-sensors saw only the hot-looking body and movie star face, but then she noticed his granite-carved jaw had a sweet cleft in the chin and he walked with the confident, graceful stride of an athlete, or rather her favorite kind of athlete—a dancer.

  Finn Brogan.

  Her heart swelled and the old Trinity would have raced up to him and thrown her arms around him. But something inside the new Trinity made her chicken out. Kept her feet frozen in place.

  As she watched heads turn at three of her four tables, a sizzling excitement buzzing through her female clientele, Trinity was reminded of those old tortoise and hare fables. Who would have thought their roles would switch so drastically?

  Before Finn made it another step, he was surrounded by three women, followed by two giggling teens, all asking for selfies with him while gushing over his amazing talent and talking about their favorite dances from Dance Time the weekly TV show where Finn sat on a panel as one of the celebrity judges that also occasionally offered performances themselves.

  Despite getting the wind knocked out of her sails, the competitive streak that had always run deep in Trinity had survived the fray and now reared its head and got her feet moving. She was glad at least she had worn her skinny jeans today even though the olive green sweater was not her best color.

  “Oh my God, I don’t believe it!” she called out and raced across the cafe.

  He looked up at her with that same boyish smile she knew so well, and suddenly she got an image of the two of them on a summer evening chasing fireflies in her backyard. Pushing her way through the cluster of groupies, she wrapped her arms around his strong muscular torso. Finn hugged her back and, yeah, it felt real good.

  Trinity stepped back and eyed him up and down. He’d always been gorgeous and he’d only gotten better with age. “Wow. Look at you. How’s it fee
l to be a big star?”

  “I’m not a star,” he said, with a shy tilt of his head that no doubt had the women watching them wetting their panties. “Just a guy who loves to dance and got a lucky break.”

  That got an “awww” from their female audience. Trinity gestured to the women surrounding them and said, “I’m sure these ladies would disagree.”

  “No, it’s true,” he said. “There are lots of talented guys out there who can do what I do. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”

  Trinity shook her head at his endearing shrug. “Typical Finn. Haven’t changed a bit. Still way too humble.”

  “Hey, how’s the coffee around here?” he asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

  “Come on in and find out,” Trinity said, threading her arm through his and leading him toward the back of the cafe.

  Before they reached the counter, she heard her two business partners and fellow baristas whispering.

  “He’s even sexier in real time than he is on TV,” Brina said.

  Caroline added, “Odd that someone who’s on fire in front of a camera gets bashful with all the attention he’s getting here.”

  Not sure if Finn heard them but deciding to ignore that, Trinity stepped up to her friends and said, “Finn, meet Caroline and Brina. These ladies are my partners in crime who opened this cafe with me.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Did you know Finn is a NoFo boy? We grew up together not far from here,” Trinity said, then headed to a cushioned love seat in the corner of the room.

  Nellie, her elderly black cat who was dozing in the back hallway, came toward them and sniffed Finn, who easily won her over with some scratching behind the ear.