I pulled out my phone to shoot him a text.
Me:thank you for the coffee. pretty sure you should still be in bed. you look like shit.
I set my phone down and watched. A few seconds later I saw him retrieve his phone from his pocket, squint at it, and then look up toward our balcony. I took another sip of coffee and sat back as my phone buzzed.
Finn:Feel like shit too. We need to talk but my folks wanna know if we’re coming to family dinner tonight. Told them I didn’t know if you’d be up for it
My eyes flicked up to see him drop another bag in the truck bed before turning back to the creek. We did need to talk, but I didn’t know what to say. In the light of day, it was easy to see that his reaction had been caused by his PTSD, but it didn’t take away the ache in my chest as I thought about how he’d treated me. Inever wanted to be on the receiving end again, but there were no guarantees in life and if I loved him, it meant something like this could happen again. Would happen again. What mattered is how we’d move through it when it did. My phone buzzed in my hand.
Tabitha:Just sent over the filing docs for your review. Oliver asked if you’d be up for a meeting first thing Monday morning. Does that give you time to review?
Work. I could focus on work. We had Jordan’s criminal charges, the investigation, our lawsuit and filings with Titan. And I needed to figure out what I could do to make sure Catalyst remained safe and viable.
Me:plenty of time. I’ll read them today.
Me:will you schedule a meeting with John so we can start putting together more concrete options for buying out Oliver?
Tabitha:Sure thing boss!
I finished my coffee and went back inside. Even though the room was quiet and I’d be alone for several hours, it was too stifling. There were too many expectations in the space. I pulled the covers up on my bed, showered and dressed, and picked up my laptop. Nolan’s office it was.
I sent Finn one more text:
Me:working in your dad’s office today in case you need to sleep more.
Three dots appeared then disappeared before I got thumbs-up reaction to my message.
I shouldered my bag, stopped at the restaurant for a yogurt and granola parfait, and crossed the grounds to the main house. I let myself in and moved past the kitchen and den toward the garage that had been converted into an office for Nolan and small apartment for Móraí. I was surprised to see Penny’s table empty. My eyes flicked to Nolan watching me and my stomach flopped.
“She’s playing with Belle today,” his eyes were warm and when I raised my eyebrows, he chuckled, adding, “Belle’s watching her. I think she was going to take her horseback riding.”
“She’s six,” I moved to my desk and pulled out my laptop.
“Darlin’ most kids ‘round here have been ridin’ horses since they were in nappies,” he laughed.
My cheeks warmed at the nickname, my heart thudding to remind me how much I missed Finn already. Nolan must have noticed because he cleared his throat as I sat down.
“You ever see him act that way?” he asked quietly. I couldn’t make complete eye contact, so I busied myself opening my laptop and plugging in the extra monitor.
“No,” I shook my head finally, looking at my hands on the desk. “Have you?”
“Nope,” he responded. “None of us have. He’s never… that’s not the Finn…” He choked off and I looked up. His eyes were glassy.
“It’s not his fault,” the words rushed out of my mouth before I could stop them, but they felt like they were more for me than him. Maybe for both of us. “It’s the accident. His mind doesn’t work the same as it used to. He didn’t mean to.”
“Still not right,” his voice was gruff. “I’m sorry he treated you that way. If you want to stay at the house or in another room at the lodge, we can—”
“Nolan, it’s okay,” I interrupted him. “It really sucks right now, but it’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out.”
“I don’t think he’s ever looked at another woman the way he looks at you,” he shrugged. “Not even Lou. I’d hate to think he might lose you because he can’t control things.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” I swallowed against the lump in my throat, my own eyes feeling watery. “He’s too important to me and I love him.”
A tear slipped down my cheek and then another and I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. What was it about the Walker men that made me want to cry in front of them?
“Well that’s somethin’ then, ain’t it,” Nolan smiled fondly, crossing the room to offer me a tissue and then pulling me against his side. I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped as he went back to his desk and sat down, realizing he was only the second person I’d told about my true feelings for his son.
I opened my secure folder and downloaded the documents and briefs Tabitha sent over. “Mind if I print out a whole bunch of stuff?” I asked, glancing up at him shyly. “I need to read all these legal documents, and I do better if it’s paper instead of a screen.”
