Oh, glad you like it! I totally forgot to mention that Finn is staying there indefinitely. But don’t worry, he’s really great!
She chewed her lower lip, dying to call Molly out because there was no way that she would have forgotten to tell her that Finn was here. Leaning against the counter, she stared at the screen, wondering why her sister would have lied about this. It couldn’t be because she was trying to set her up with him, could it? Molly wouldn’t do that. And besides, she had never hinted that she was remotely interested in Finn. She’d never told her sisters about that prom invitation.
She didn’t want to upset her, and Molly was almost eight months pregnant. The last thing she needed was stress. Ben was stressed enough for all of them. That was kind of cute. Really, the man was a dream.
“Ben claims he had no idea you were coming up here.”
Melody jumped at the sound of Finn’s voice again. She turned around to find him standing in front of the fridge, faintly disappointed he was now wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Ratty jeans. Worn T-shirt. Beard and shaggy hair. Who would have ever guessed this would be a look she’d find herself into? She straightened her shoulders, the realization that he’d texted Ben about her mildly alarming. He obviously wasn’t happy she was here.
She shook her head. “Don’t worry. Seriously. I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow. It will be like I was never here. Then you can get back to your…manly retreat,” she said, scrambling for words suddenly. She was never at a loss for words. But this last year had been a nightmare and had rattled her self-confidence more than she realized. Until it was too late.
He frowned at her. “You don’t have to leave. I’ve been up here for months. I can leave tomorrow.”
She shook her head. “No, no. Your problems are bigger than mine. You can hide.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not hiding. And I don’t have big problems.”
“No, no, of course not,” she said, searching for a polite way to say that she knew he was hiding and that him not ever being able to return to work was a way bigger problem from her having to leave work for a month.
His frown was fierce even though it was on such a gorgeous face. “Does everyone think I’m hiding?”
She started shaking her head and then nodded. “Maybe. But that’s okay. I’ve never been a fan of a family gossip. Not really gossip, even. More like concern. Everyone is concerned about you and why you’re not taking the physical to see if you can go back to work.”
He ran a hand over his jaw and mumbled something under his breath. “Fine. Thanks for the family intel. I think I’ll get to bed.”
“Wait. Finn. You stay here. I have friends in the city I can go stay with. Honestly, this rural Montana thing is getting old. Maybe I need to be in the city for Christmas.”
“You can’t miss the family’s Christmas,” he said.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That was the plan.”
He frowned. “Why?”
She shrugged and waved a hand. “It’s not a big secret. I just want time away. Like you want time away.”
“They aren’t letting me have time away. I know Molly and Ben…and my mother. I know I’m not off the hook,” he said with a hint of a smile.
“So, you’re going back to Shadow Creek for Christmas?”
He let out a ragged sigh. “I guess. And the baby’s due around that time so…I can’t miss that.”
She smiled faintly. “Right. I couldn’t miss that, either, but technically the baby isn’t due until mid-January. I’ll be back by then,” she said, her voice trailing off as she thought of what this baby meant for her sister, for Ben. This baby was desperately wanted, and even still, she knew that it would bring out deep wounds for her sister, and there was no way she could let her go through that without backup. She knew Ben would be there for her, but Melody and their youngest sister, Addie, would have to be on standby.
“My mother is betting on Christmas,” he said.
She shook her head. “Too early. But anyway, I should get to bed,” she said, glancing at her phone as it vibrated. There was a text from Addie. She reached out to surreptitiously inch it closer to her so she could read it.
I know I should have told you that Molly was trying to set you up with Finn, but I was sworn to secrecy! We love you guys, and it seemed like a great idea when we were sitting by the fire and I finished my second glass of wine. Now, not so much! Love you, have fun!
Melody closed her eyes. She knew it. Of course it would be Addie to fess up first. Addie was the softy sister. She had a big heart and had never gotten caught up in their mother pitting them against each other. Sadly, though, Melody knew it was because their mom had dismissed her. Molly and Melody were both academically driven, focused on the sciences and math. Addie had been a dreamer, a natural in the arts…which their mother cruelly deemed useless. She had also ridiculed poor Addie for not being as thin as she “should” be.
None of them had escaped that house without scars.
“Problems?”
She snapped her eyes open and shook her head, turning her phone screen-side down on the counter. “No. Nothing.”
“You look like someone who just found out their sibling tried to set you up.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You know?”
“This whole thing had Molly and Ben written all over it,” he said in a grim voice.
She tried not to be insulted by how grim it sounded. “I don’t know what they were thinking.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s that thing that really happy people do when they’re married and assume that everyone else needs to be married or with someone in order to be happy.”
Finally, someone who understood the way she thought. “Addie is doing the same thing. Now they’ll all have kids. Which means they’ll think everyone need kids to be happy. It’s obnoxious.”
“Presumptuous.”
“Irritating.”
“Stupid.”
She nodded, and neither of them said anything. She stood across from Finn, in the adorable, happy little cottage, and had never felt more alone or more miserable just talking about their siblings and how happy they all were. Maybe they were all right and she and Finn were wrong. After all, they were the only two who had shut themselves off from the world during the most wonderful time of year. “So…I’ll just go to bed.”
He gave her a nod. “Right. Me, too.”
“See you in the morning. I’ll let you know before I leave,” she said, picking up her bag and wondering where the heck she was going to go tomorrow.