The feeling he had buried ten years ago was back, whether or not he liked it.
And louder than ever.
CHAPTER 9
Holy shit!
For a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. Or maybe it was the stress. The heat. The fact that all sorts of crap was playing havoc with her project.
But no. It was him.
Finn Ryder.
Of all the things that could have happened today, seeing him wouldn’t have been just last on her list. It wouldn’t have made the list at all.
And yet here he was, standing here with broad shoulders filling out a black T-shirt, jeans low on his hips, and dusty boots. His jaw was a little sharper, his arms thicker and his dark hair cropped shorter. But he had the same dark eyes, the same unreadable expression.
The boy had become a man. And oh boy, what a man.
Her heart pulsed erratically. She tightened her grip on her clipboard. She was disoriented for a moment, then nervous in a way she hadn’t felt for years.
How long had it been?
Ten years—she should know. Luke was nine. And the last time she and Finn were together, well…
They had been friends for years. Best friends forever. Laughed at the same dumb jokes. Sat in comfortable silence.
And then graduation night came. It had been a blur of parties. They ate, drank, and laughed. Then later that night, the music turned slow and sweet. He had his arms around her waist. Their bodies tight together. She had looked up, saw desire and heat in his dark eyes, and took a chance.
She kissed him.
That kiss led to a little motel on the outskirts of town. The room was small. The AC was clunking in the window. The drapes were faded, and there was a funky odor coming from the rug. The bed was just a double. Finn took up more than half, but they didn’t care.
Finn’s arms wrapped around her, and she was in heaven.
They’d spent the night making love. It hurt the first time, but he was gentle and let her get used to him. Held her like she was the most precious thing in his life. Loved.
She thought he’d come around and knew that she loved him. She had been patient. It was all she ever dreamed of with Finn—to have him love her, to marry him, have his children.
He would deploy today. Lainey was sure he’d ask her to wait for him. And she would. College would keep her busy while he was away.
But when she woke early, stretching out all the aches in her body and looking over, expecting to find Finn lying next to her, the bed was empty.
Maybe he went out for coffee. She sure could use a cup. And a sweet roll.
She waited all morning. There was no note. No goodbye, just an awful sinking silence.
And still she waited.
Waited until the motel staff knocked on the door and told her she had to leave. Even then, she sat on a bench outsidethe office for another couple of hours, hoping against hope he’d come back.
He never did.
Finally, she called a cab and left. Never told a soul what had happened. When she found out she was pregnant, she asked her mother if she could move in while she went to school. It would save money. She worked as long as she could. Her mother picked up the slack.
She never told anyone who the father was. She’d written Finn a few times just to inform him she was pregnant, not asking for anything. Sent the letters to his mother’s house. He never wrote back. Never tried to get hold of her.
So she moved forward. Built a future for her and their son. A future that didn’t include Finn. Although nature was funny that way. Every time she looked at Luke, she saw Finn. She told Luke the truth—that his father was someone she once loved who didn’t know about him.
