“You could’ve helped me down!”
“I was higher than you were! I wasn’t going to climb down just ‘cause you were bein’ a baby.”
“I wasn’t being a baby, shit-for-brains!”
“Boys!” Bridget huffed. “Language.”
The conversation moved toward other memories, the mid-summer light shifting softly through the glass and across the walls while everyone visited.
“Alright,” Bridget stood finally, clapping her hands once. “Everyone go get ready. Dinner’s at seven at the lodge and I don’t want us to be late. We’re the owners and it’s embarrassing.”
“Yes ma’am,” Finn stood and pulled me up.
We headed back to our room, the early evening light slanting through the windows. I pulled my mustard blouse from a hanger and then Finn’s chambray shirt.
“How was your session with Elena?” I handed him his shirt.
“Good.” He stripped off his t-shirt and pulled the button up across his shoulders. “Final check-in, mostly. She wanted to make sure I was solid on everythin’ we’d covered. Talked about next steps. She asked about my plans for when we get back to Salt Lake.”
“And?” I pulled on my blouse, buttoning it in the mirror by the dresser.
“Said my new trajectory was good.” He pulled on his chinos. “Changed, and good.”
“Of course it’s good,” I turned around. He was working on the buttons of his shirt, getting a couple done before his fingers fumbled slightly. I crossed to him, brushing his hands aside gently.
“Let me,” I started at the bottom button and worked my way up. “This is a good look on you, by the way.”
“Yeah?” He smiled warmly, hands settling on my hips while I worked. “You’re not lookin’ too bad yourself, darlin’. That color’s perfect on you. Might need pants though.”
“I thought you preferred no pants.” My cheeks warmed as I finished the last button. “How’s your hip feeling? The injection site?”
“Little tender and stiff, but that’s expected. It’ll go away. You did perfect.”
“Only way I know how to be,” I winked, stepping back to finish getting ready while Finn tucked in his shirt and reached for his belt.
When I looked up, he was watching me with that soft expression that still caught me off guard sometimes.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just thinkin’ about how good this feels. All of this.”
“Yeah,” I crossed back to him, reaching up to smooth his collar even though it didn’t need it. “It really does.”
He caught my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm before lacing our fingers together. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Firepit?” Dom asked, wrapping his arm around Enzo as we left the restaurant. Nolan, Bridget, Elowyn, and Luke had already disappeared into the dark, headed back to the house.
Finn’s hand found mine. “Firepit.”
Dom and Finn loaded chairs and blankets into the back of the truck. Enzo appeared with a bottle of whiskey.
“Dad’s gonna start charging me,” Dom chuckled, kissing Enzo. “Perfect though.”
“Of course it’s perfect,” Enzo smirked. “It’s time to celebrate the fab four!”
The area was carved out near the tree line at the edge of the property. The lights from the lodge and guest firepits glowed warm in the distance and stars sparkled above us. Dom and Finn pulled out the camp chairs and set them up around stone pit in front of the log seating.
