“I’m sorry that happened, Finn. It wasn’t fair.” Cerise pulled away and gently lifted his chin so that Finn’s eyes were on hers. When she was sure she had his full attention, she smiled and brushed a hand over his cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong, sweetie. It wasn’t your fault.” How did she say this without maligning his only remaining family member? “Your Aunt Poppy, well, she’s adjusting to having you in her life. She’s probably scared that she’s going to do everything wrong. And when she has doubts, she sends you back to the place where she knows you’ll be looked after.”
She was giving his aunt way more credit and compassion than the other woman deserved. Finn’s guilt that he was always to blame was a default emotion he was justified in feeling, but it was wrong. Poppy had done everything to make it seem like her relationship woes were her nephew’s fault.
“I tried to be good all the time. I didn’t make a mess, well, not always, but I tried to keep my room clean. I ate everything sheput in front of me, even if I hated it and almost threw up. I didn’t want her to think I was ungrateful.”
“Finn, I may have just met you, but even I know you aren’t to blame for what your aunt did,” Brodie interjected.
“All of Aunt Poppy’s boyfriends after Garrett seemed to hate me. I don’t know what I did but I was always sent away when she’d been seeing them for a couple of weeks. Every time she picked me up from the home again, I hoped I wouldn’t have to go back. I tried harder and harder to do everything right, but it still wasn’t enough. She still kept sending me back.”
Every word he spoke shattered Cerise’s heart all over again and her love for the little boy in her arms mended the pieces together. No way was she going to let Finn go back to his aunt, even if she came crawling back for him and promised to never dump him at the home again.
There had to be a way for her to keep Finn permanently. Could she adopt the boy?
She allowed the thought to ferment in her mind. Such an extreme thought, but the more it floated around, the more she liked the idea a lot. When she could, she would ring Daphne and find out if it was possible. Poppy would probably have to sign over her claim to the boy, but Cerise could make a case that she could have her own life again and not have to worry about Finn. While she was no celebrity and the odds might be against her, she would give it her best shot if it meant giving Finn the security he needed.
Of course, it would mean she’d have to readjust her schedule with the hospital. Maybe instead of working in an ER she could find a job in a small practice and work a normal eight-to-five day. Sure, she’d miss the rush of the ER but, for Finn, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
She pulled Finn into a hug. “You are a wonderful boy, Finn. I love having you stay with me.”
Brodie reached out and ruffled Finn’s hair. “Cerise is right, Finn.” Their eyes met over the top of Finn’s head and an electrical current passed between them. “How about we take a walk to the creek,” Brodie said, his focus never leaving her.
“Yes,” Finn’s response was muffled but no less enthusiastic.
“Let’s go then.” Brodie winked and stood, effectively cutting the connection that throbbed between them.
The walk didn’t take them long and when they got there, Cerise smiled at the excitement in Finn’s eyes. So many little things brought the child joy and showed her how much he’d been missing out on over the past couple of years since his parents died.
Had his dad taken him to do father/son things?
What about his mom ... had she made him treats?
Even though she may not have met Finn’s parents, she had a feeling they did everything she thought and more. Finn wouldn’t be the type of boy he was if he hadn’t been showered in love. And she should know, since she’d seen plenty of girls at the home when she was growing up who were bitter and evil because love was missing from their lives. She, herself, may not have had a long, loving childhood, but for a short while, she’d had it, and it had shaped her into the person she was today.
The last thing she wanted to see was Finn turning into a rebellious teenager and that was possible if Poppy continually shuffled him to and from the home like she’d been doing. It only reinforced her determination to try and do what she could to make her home, Finn’s home.
Permanently.
Brodie watchedas Finn splashed around in the shallows of the creek. He was laughing as he kicked up the water. The shadows that had surrounded the boy when he’d met him that morning in the diner had disappeared with every passing second Finn spent with Cerise in the short time they’d been at the ranch. He also liked to think he was a little bit responsible for Finn’s happiness.
He looked over at Cerise, the sunlight shining off the glitter on her cheeks. Her eyes were glued to Finn, making sure nothing happened to him. Her teeth worried her bottom lip, so while she may look relaxed and happy, there was something troubling her.
He sidled over to her. “Hey, Sparkles, he’s having fun, isn’t he?”
He caught the way she jumped when he spoke. Geez, she really had been lost in her thoughts.
“He is.” She turned to face him, placing her hand on his forearm. His skin sizzled at the slight touch, like every other time. It was like they both had electric charges running through them. “Thank you for suggesting this. He needed it.”
“I know this isn’t really my business, but you said this is the third time you’ve had him.”
“Yeah, I told his case worker, after the first time he stayed with me, that if it happened again, if Poppy decided her current boyfriend was more important than her nephew, then I wanted to be called. I wanted him to come stay with me. He needed some sort of stability and while there are great foster homes out there, there are some really bad ones.”
“Shit, that doesn’t seem fair.” Brodie couldn’t understand how anyone could turn their back on a family member.
He was aware it happened, and that there were hundreds and hundreds of cases where drugs, alcohol or partners were more important than immediate family. Growing up in a loving family, he’d never had to experience what Finn was going through. His parents had loved him and his brother unconditionally, and he’d returned that love by giving them a life they never imagined they could have in retirement. They’d nurtured him and encouraged him, so giving back to them was a no-brainer. Helping his brother achieve his goals was something he’d done without a blink. Rowan was successful because Brodie had believed in him and given him a head start. Now Rowan was independently wealthy and, when he’d tried to pay Brodie back the money he’d given him, he’d thanked his brother, but suggested they donate the money to a charity, so that’s what they’d done.
“No, it’s not fair, which is why I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that Finn doesn’t go back to Poppy.”
The determination in Cerise’s voice surprised the heck out of him. It seemed in such contrast to the girl who wore glitter on her eyes and cheeks. But he shouldn’t really be surprised. She was an ER nurse, and they had to have steel spines to deal with what they saw on a daily basis.
