“Okay, now we’re all starting to look ridiculous,” Mom said, pulling away. “I love all of you. And I’m fine. It’s my prerogative as your mother to cry on your wedding day. All of your wedding days. Might as well expect it.”
Honor looked at Brenna. “I’m not getting married.”
“Neither am I.”
Mom shook her head. “Not today you aren’t. But eventually you’ll find the man who makes you swoon like Jason did for Erin.”
Erin lifted her chin. “I never swooned.”
Jason came over and slipped his arm around Erin’s waist. “I seem to recall some swooning.”
“You lie.”
“Come on,” he said. “We’re supposed to dance. Then we’ll see who swoons and who doesn’t.”
Erin waved her fingers at them as Jason led her to the dance floor while the deejay announced the bride and groom’s first dance. They all followed to watch. Brenna smiled as Elvis sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” They used to watch their parents dance to that song all the time. And then they’d all join in, dancing with each other, with Mom, with Dad. Hearing that song was the sweetest memory. Brenna could understand why Erin chose that song for her first dance with Jason. It was all about love.
She heard the sniffle next to her and reached out for her Mom’s hand.
“It’s lovely.” Mom lifted a tissue to her eyes.
After that, the bridal party had to dance along with the bride and groom. Finn took her hand.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Don’t step on my toes,” she said as he led her onto the dance floor.
“Babe, I’m so good we’ll be dancing on clouds out there.”
She couldn’t hold in her laugh as he wrapped his arm around her and tugged her close. But he glided her across the floor effortlessly, and all she focused on was her hand in his, and the way he held her with such confidence, his eyes locked with hers while words of a love song filtered through her brain.
This all felt so good, so right, and yet it was dangerous to let herself fall so hard with Finn.
But what if you did fall? Would it be so bad?
A loaded question meant to be pondered later. For now she let herself be carried away by the music, by the man holding her, and the extremely happy mood she was in.
She tilted her head back. “Thank you.”
He lifted a brow. “For my expert dancing skills?”
“Definitely that. But mainly for being here with me the past couple months. It’s meant a lot that you’ve had my back.”
“I always will, Brenna. You can count on it. Whenever you need me.”
A strong promise. But could he keep it?
As the night progressed, she found herself staring at him as he stood across the room talking to the guys. She couldn’t help looking at him all the time. It seemed to have become her favorite pastime. And who could blame her with his dark hair, those mesmerizing eyes and his incredible body? Not to mention the kind of smile that could light up a woman’s world.
He’d certainly lit up hers.
What if she did allow herself to fall in love with Finn? What if she gave in to all these emotions that continued to bombard her? What might happen?
She knew what might happen. She could get hurt—again. Finn could turn out to not be the man she thought he was.
That had happened before. Mitchell had seemed perfect for her. They were both driven, had wanted things for their future that required hard work and sacrifice. They had both talked at length about what it would take to get where they wanted to be.
On paper and in conversation, it had sounded ideal. She liked to work and she appreciated a man who didn’t expect her to have dinner on the table at five o’clock every night. She wasn’t traditional like that, and neither was Mitchell. Sometimes she’d roll in after seven. Often he’d come in after eight. They both led busy lives and at first they jelled.
But then came the arguments. Brenna chalked it up to the two of them not spending enough time together, something she’d originally thought would work out just fine. Then she realized that Mitchell had gotten used to his routine, having things the way he wanted them, and he wasn’t willing to be flexible. It was either his way or no way.
Brenna figured out fairly quickly that her reply to that was no way. The problem was, she hadn’t seen it coming.
Or maybe she’d been so blinded by the romance of it all, she’d only seen what she wanted to see.
It would be so easy to fall into that same routine again. It was easy to see the hotness, the sweetness, the utter perfection of Finn. What she needed to do was dig into his faults, into what the traps could be, before she made the same mistake twice.
Or maybe you could quit nitpicking and just go with your heart?
She shrugged off that ridiculous thought.
No, this time she intended to do it right.
Or not at all.
CHAPTER
• • • • • •
twenty-seven
FINN HAD NO idea what was up when Brenna texted Wednesday night to tell him they were both taking the next day off, she’d already cleared it with her dad and she had a surprise for him. Then she’d told him to be ready to go by five a.m. and to meet her in front of the house.
What the hell did Brenna want to do at five a.m.?
Either way, he was up, he’d had coffee, Murphy had been outside and was fed and he was ready for . . . whatever. It was cool out this morning so he put on a jacket, grabbed the dog and walked over to the front of the house, frowning when he saw the big truck parked there with the boat trailered behind it.
Brenna came out the front door with a large bag.
“Oh, good, you’re here. Take this. I’ve got coffee inside for both of us.”
“Where are we going?” He went up the steps and took the bag from her. “And where do you want me to put this?”
“In the truck.” She looked down the steps.
“That’s your dad’s truck.”
“Yes.”
“And your dad’s boat.”
“It’s the family boat. I thought we’d go out on the lake today. Maybe do a little fishing. If the idea of that suits you.”
His lips curved. “It does. But don’t you have work to do?”
“Every day. Today, though, we’re skipping out on work to have a little fun. Any complaints about that?”