“I’ve wanted to take Jasmine home with me for years,” Tammy adds, her fake smile still plastered on her face.“You know, to give her a proper upbringing.”
“The MacLaines are a wonderful family.Jasmine is a lucky little girl.”I say this with a straight back and my nose held high.“Jasmine’s also a veryhappylittle girl.But your interest in her is sweet.Thank you.”
Lana rolls her eyes so hard that I worry they’ll get stuck in her skull like that, and she’ll have to roam Sweetbriar like one of Finn’s online gaming zombies.
“You should see what that girl brings to lunch,” Tammy whispers to Lana, making sure I can hear every word.
“Ifshe brings lunch,” Lana says.“Normally she’s forced to get the school lunch.”
“I made her lunch today,” I tell them.
They both turn to me, eyebrows raised.
“Today was brie and cranberry sandwiches on homemade sourdough, an arugula salad with vinaigrette, and a kiwi and strawberry fruit salad in honey-sweetened crème fraiche.”
I have no idea how I just came up with that, but I’m on a roll.I think I’ve been watching too many cooking videos from my favorite chef, Pierre La Croix.I’ve been obsessed with his French cuisine instruction for years.And finally it’s paying off, because their eyes are as big as dinner plates now.
This is so much fun that I stifle a giggle and finish them off.
“And for dessert, Jasmine has a homemade chocolate chip scone.We’ve been doing a lot of baking from scratch together.And Jasmine is becoming quite the kitchen professional.”
I smile at them.
“But she does like to buy a carton of milk at the cafeteria.Is that what you mean?”
My work here is done.
Their mouths are wide open.I can see where their tonsils used to be, and I can count the fillings in their teeth.Seven for Tammy.A big fat eleven for Lana.I’m so fixated on their stupid faces that I don’t hear Finn drive up.
Like a miracle from heaven, he’s standing next to me, towering over us.He’s wearing work jeans and work boots, and a tight white T-shirt that outlines every muscle in his torso.His thick hair is windswept.
His violet eyes are almost neon in the sunlight, and he looks from the moms to me and back again.He throws me a questioning look, and I avert my gaze, embarrassed that these women had the nerve to disparage his parenting and his family.
“Hi, Tammy.Hi, Lana.”His baritone is back.The women freeze like two deer in the high beams.
Finn puts his hand firmly on the small of my back.I relax and forget about the obnoxious women.I’m safe, back on my feet.I know who I am and who’s by my side.
There is no better feeling in this whole, entire world.
“Have a great day,” he says, steering me out the front door to his car.He opens the passenger door for me, and I get in.He slides into the driver’s seat and starts the car, just as I click the seatbelt in place.
He waits until we come to a stop at the red light to ask his question.“Are you all right?If they were unkind to you in any way, I’ll set them straight.”
He’s gripping the steering the wheel so hard that his knuckles are white.I rest the back of my hand on his forearm and glide my fingers up from his wrist to his elbow.I’m pleased with myself when his grip loosens.
“Nothing like that,” I say, deciding to spare him their unkind words.“I was just telling them that I made Jasmine brie sandwiches for lunch.”
He frowns.“But it’s sloppy joes day at school.She would never miss a sloppy joes day.”
“I know.”I burst out into laughter.“But I made up an entire lunch menu in my head, full of the snootiest French things I could think of!You should have seen the looks on their faces.”
I’m laughing so hard now that it’s contagious.Finn starts to laugh, too.Just before he pulls me in for a sweet kiss.
He caresses his thumb over my bottom lip and slides his gaze over my face.
“Yeah, I’ve known those two all my life.They’re real pieces of work.”He places another gentle kiss on my mouth.
“It was standard mean-girl stuff, Finn.Women talk to one another like that sometimes.Believe me, I’m used to it.”
