Ever since then, she’d gone out of her way to avoid him. He never mentioned it and was always overly polite to her—the kind of polite a person was when they felt bad for the other person. It didn’t matter anymore anyway. They never would have worked out. She’d been ridiculous and insecure and desperate. She was an adult now. She only had half the issues she used to have.
“I, uh, wasn’t expecting you,” he said, glancing over her shoulder. “Are you by yourself or is the entire family going to burst through the door behind you?”
She was slightly relieved that he seemed to find “just her” more palatable than the entire crew. But why was he even here? “Just me. And pizza.”
He ran a hand over his jaw, his eyes traveling from her to the box on the ground. “We need to save that pizza. I haven’t had Luigi’s in months.”
Of course he was happier about the locally famous pizza than he was about her impromptu arrival. Maybe he really wasn’t expecting her up here at all, and not just at this hour of the night. She certainly hadn’t been expecting him. She crouched down and picked it up, placing the closed box on the counter. “Right. Well, help yourself. I’m pretty sure it’s ruined.”
“Uh, Luigi’s is never ruined. I can peel the cheese off the lid if necessary.”
He walked toward the kitchen, and her mouth went dry because, despite the limp, the beard, and the shaggy hair, Finn was still the most gorgeous thing she’d ever seen. The beard made him look serious. Like, so different from Ben’s younger, easier-going, life-of-the-party brother. So different from the guy who had said no to taking her to prom. Not that she actually remembered that day or thought about it. Ever. Once in a while. Maybe a little more now that she’d moved back to Shadow Creek.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not going to eat your entire pizza. Maybe just a slice. This extra-large size is hardly big enough to share.”
She flushed and forced a laugh, like this was all normal and that the threat he posed to her pizza was why she’d been ogling him. “That’s funny.”
He blinked. “I wasn’t joking.”
He thought she was going to eat a fully loaded, party-sized pizza by herself. She had no idea what that said about either of them. “There’s plenty. Trust me. Also…um, what are you doing up here? Mol made it sound like I’d have the place to myself.”
Something flashed across his brown eyes. “Same here. I had no idea you were coming up. Molly and Ben were just here last weekend and didn’t mention it,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, causing ripples of muscles to be highlighted. He was clearly comfortable standing in the middle of the room in only his underwear. She was the only one having issues with him standing there like that.
“It was sort of a last-minute decision.” More like a last-minute plea for help because she’d basically been told to go on a vacation for a month by her boss. She just wasn’t sure how to take a vacation. And vacation implied that she was supposed to enjoy herself, which she was definitely not good at. She hadn’t been about to waste money on a trip somewhere just to not have fun, so when Molly offered this place, she’d readily agreed.
“Oh, well, uh, I can just stay out of your way,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, no, that’s okay. I’ll sleep here tonight and then head back to Shadow Creek tomorrow.” She would not subject another person to her junk food–infused pity party of misery.
He shrugged, and she forced herself to keep her eyes on his and not the muscles that moved. Clearly, she was nearing some kind of breaking point. One night sharing a cute cabin with Finn was fine. He couldn’t possibly remember the time she’d asked him to prom. That was over ten years ago. She still remembered it like it was yesterday, unfortunately. He looked just as non-plussed by her now as he did then.
“All right, no big deal. There’s like a thousand bedrooms here, so pick whichever one you want. Have a good night,” he said, turning toward the hallway.
Her heart sank a little. It’s not that she expected them to have a conversation or that he’d be happy she was here, but…their siblings were married and about to have a baby. They were practically family, and Finn talked to everyone. Everyone loved Finn.
She unloaded her groceries, a wave of sadness washing over her as he walked away. Was she lonely? She was never lonely. She didn’t need people at all. She never had. Maybe it was all this holiday stuff and seeing both her sisters happily married. So happily married. And she was…nothing right now. “Sure, good night. I’ll put the pizza leftovers in the fridge,” she said, calling after him.
He paused and then turned around. She ignored the slight fluttering in her stomach. Maybe he’d stick around and talk. “Do you need help with your bags or anything?”
Her heart sank. He’d asked with the politeness that had been instilled in him and nothing more. Not an ounce of friendliness. He actually sounded even more miserable than her. She shook her head. “Nope. I’m good. Thanks.”
He gave her a nod and proceeded to walk down the hall with that limp that reminded her that he was going through his own crap. The last update from Molly regarding his health was that it was still unknown if he’d be cleared to be a firefighter again, but that he was doing great otherwise. Maybe that’s why he was still hiding out here. Her heart squeezed as she thought of how close he’d been to losing his life and his leg.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled off her coat and turned on the lamp beside the front door. She quickly surveyed the small cabin. If she were in the mood to appreciate anything, this would have been it. A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace dominated the small area, and the red overstuffed sofas were cheerful and filled with various Christmas pillows. Candles were arranged on a tray on the ottoman coffee table, and Buffalo Plaid throw blankets sat on the armrests and in a basket beside the lone armchair. It was a spread straight from the Pottery Barn catalogue.
She let out a sigh and turned to the kitchen. White cabinets with mouldings and trim that gave it a farmhouse feel graced the other side of the space, and a small white table was tucked into a corner complete with a window seat and view of the front yard. It reeked of happy people. Molly and Ben were happy people. They deserved all of this.
Speaking of Molly and Ben, she pulled her phone out of her purse and texted her sister. She couldn’t get angry with her. She could never get angry with Molly because Melody had been a horrible sister, and she basically now had to spend the rest of her life making it up to her.
Just walked into the cabin. It’s so cute. Thanks again for letting me stay here. Um, why is Finn here?
She put the phone down on the stone counter and proceeded to gather all the items that needed to go into the fridge. Opening the fridge, she was relieved to see that there was a jug of filtered water, jars of supplements and protein powder…and beer. No wonder Finn was so excited to see the pizza. She ran over to her phone when it vibrated on the counter a minute later.