“For her or you?” Bennett says with a chuckle and I find it hard not to laugh myself.
Without another word Lark grabs the girl’s hand and pulls her toward the door. I stare after them feeling terrible for her and for his wife at home. Why do men like him and Ryan think it’s okay to cheat?
“Hey.” Finn places his finger on my jaw and turns me so he can see my face. “You okay?”
“It’s just sad,” I say, with a shrug. “Rachelle is at home, thinking her husband is at the office or at a business dinner. But instead he’s out with some girl that has no self-esteem and probably feels like he is this great guy that will eventually give her everything she wants.” It breaks my heart. “Like her happiness is all he wants and then he goes home telling his wife all the same things before kissing both her and his daughter goodnight. It’s disgusting, and I guess I just don’t understand how anyone could think doing that to another person is right. It’s degrading and it sucks.”
I hate feeling like I’m the one to blame for Ryan stepping out on me. I didn’t do it, I didn’t force him to being a lying asshole. But at the end of the day, I am the one still left feeling like I’m the one lacking the ability to hold onto a guy.
“Stop,” Finn says and I pull my head out of the thought and look at him. “I know the shit rolling around in that head of yours and it needs to stop.”
“I didn’t.” I pause, trying to rephrase my words. “You don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t enough, and the somehow you pushed him to cheat. Like you didn’t give him what he needed and the fact that he went out looking for me is on you.”
I hold his stare.
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he adds and I say nothing.
He cups the side of my face, staring at me with such intensity that I feel like he is looking into my soul. “You’re beautiful, andkind.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “You deserve a good man, and I hate to tell you babe, but Ryan isn’t a good man. That’s on him, not you, because he was lucky to have you and too dumb to know that.”
He drags his thumb over my lower lip and I watch as his focus drops to my mouth. On instinct I lick my lips and catch the tip of his finger. He turns his head, cracking his neck and then I see the way his jaw muscle flexes.
“The man that will one day have the gift of holding your heart will be one lucky son of a bitch.” I’m floored by his words and the way he is continuing to watch me. “Don’t for a second ever think you aren’t good enough, but the truth is, sweetheart, you are too damn good.”
Finn moves in and presses a kiss to my forehead before stepping back and leaving me in the middle of a crowd of our friends to decipher my thoughts.
“Um, hello,” someone says at my side, but I don’t take my eyes of his back as he retreats to the opposite side of the bar. “What did I miss?” I glance over to see a confused, or maybe surprised look on Lexi’s face as she moves in to Bennett’s side.
“I think we are all wondering the same thing, babe,” he tells her, hugging her in close.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Finn
“I shouldn’t be gone morethan a couple hours.” My mother hugs my father for the tenth time in less than five minutes. “It’s lunch,” she adds, almost frantic as she worries her hands before her. “Maybe a stop in at the craft store.”
I knew different and so did my dad, but we let her ramble on.
“Are you sure I don’t need to get you anything?”
“Mama.” My father finally grabs hold of her shoulders and locks her stare. “I’m a grown ass man that can make his own snack if I need one. I’ve got plans with Finn, and you need to stop fussing. Go have fun with the ladies, enjoy lunch, and crafting, hell dinner and a midnight show.” She tilts her head and arches her brow. “I mean it, get on outta here.” He kisses her and I don’t look away. Shit like that used to gross me out but seeing how much the two of them still love one another after all these years warms my heart. I never want to forget the connection they share.
After a few more hugs, and practically walking my mother to the door, she goes out to meet Anita and Marnie who are waiting in the driveway. My father and I watch as she climbs up in the backseat and they back out of the driveway.
“They have the entire afternoon and into the evening planned right?”
“They do,” I assure him and his smile widens. “Fishing on Hudson Lake for us?”
“The truck is loaded and the cooler is packed.” I’d been looking forward to it all week. “Buck and the guys are all meeting us there,” I add. “He’s bringing the grill, insists on it. So we got our own day planned.”
This is one of his good days, not only is he up moving around well, but his spirit seems to be lifted. I know it’s more because of my mother than him. He lives for her smile and getting her out of the house to do something for herself for a change is the best medicine.
After checking over everything to confirm we’ve not forgotten things we need, we load up and head east toward Hudson Lake.
All the guys are already there waiting with everything set up. The clearing looks like a campground with a tent up, and tables and chairs inside for eating. Wood is piled for a fire and all the trucks are backed up, tailgates down and fishing gear ready.
I find myself getting choked up and I pull into the empty spot next to Buck’s. A man that I refer to as my second father. Bennett and Brantley’s parents have always been there for me, even when I didn’t ask, they came running. For my parents too, they were the first people to show up after my father’s diagnosis and the first to offer rides to treatments and appointments.
