Lainey found Lena Morales in the crowd, tears dripping down her face as several women hugged her tight, all smiling.
Lainey felt a rush of satisfaction. She hadn’t asked for much. But she had asked for this. The council had been more than willing, especially since she hadn’t sued or gone to the press.
It was one small way she could turn something ugly into something good. Maybe even something lasting.
Finn stood in the crowd,his hand wrapped around Luke’s smaller one, watching Lainey cut the ribbon. He was so proud of her, it hurt.
The council gave her a half-assed apology, like that was supposed to make up for turning a blind eye to everything that had been happening. Maybe they didn’t know what Cho was up to, but that was no excuse. Checks and balances existed for a reason, and they failed her—failed the town.
Truth was, they should have been kissing her feet for not dragging them through court or handing the press the scandal of a lifetime. Especially in a small town where secrets had a life of their own.
But Lainey hadn’t made it about herself. Not once.
The transitional housing was at the heart of it. Not only had she made it happen—for Lena, for the women of the shelter trying to navigate their new normal, their second chances to build a life they dreamed of.
And then she went a step further, quietly meeting with the council about his site and using it for housing for veterans. She hadn’t made a big deal of it, never even told him what she was doing, didn’t ask for credit. Just change. Hope for people who deserved more than what they were handed in life.
Someone had caught it on video—Richard Cummings getting cuffed and hauled off by the Feds looking like he’d gone ten rounds in the ring and lost every one of them. It have Finn enormous satisfaction. His brothers might have had something to do with the condition Cummings was in. Finn wasn’t asking any questions.
Truth be told, if he hadn’t needed to get Lainey to the hospital, Cummings would never have been arrested. He’d be six feet under. No regrets.
And when Cho got arrested? Finn was there for that. Liam tipped him off, and Finn had made damn sure his was one of the last faces Cho saw on the way out.
But things were slowly getting better, and for the first time in a long time, it felt like everything just might be okay.
Lainey was healing a little more each day. Still woke up some nights with nightmares she couldn’t outrun. When that happened, he held her. Kissed her. Made love to her until the nightmares faded and she could sleep again.
Luke clung to both of them a little tighter—more hugs, longer bedtime stories, endless questions. Finn didn’t mind. The kid had survived what no child should go through and still saw himself as the hero in his own story. The guys ate it up.
And when Finn suggested Luke take self-defense classes, he jumped in with two feet. Took to it fast. Too fast. He was determined never to feel powerless again.
Just like his mom.
The woman who never backed down. Who gave their son a chance to live and almost lost her own life doing it?
Finn’s heart thudded in his chest as he thought about what he could have lost. But more than that, it beat strongly with everything he had now.
A family he loved more than anything. One he would protect with his life.
CHAPTER 51
The townhome was quiet.He’d finally convinced Lainey to go out with her friends—dinner at the new Brick & Barrel Gastropub. She protested for a bit until Luke told her he wanted alone time with Finn. Smart kid, that one.
Joy and Naomi had picked her up a little while ago, and now Finn stood in the kitchen holding a small velvet box in his hand. He turned it over once. Twice.
Taking a deep breath, he walked to the couch where Luke sat cross-legged on the floor, concentrating on the new Lego space shuttle Finn bought him the other day.
“Hey buddy,” Finn said, lowering himself onto the couch next to him.
“Dad, this is so cool. Want to help me build it?” Luke asked, clicking another piece into place on the shuttle’s undercarriage.
Finn nudged him gently. “I’d love to. But first, I need to ask you something important.”
Luke finally looked up. “Is it about the launch?”
“In a way.”
“Are we still going?” He frowned slightly.
