Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Yes,” Anne agreed, exhaling sharply. “He just wants Finn to have all the things he has.”
“You mean the things I have?” I asked her.
Deep sigh from her then. “Yes, but—it’s different.”
“How so?”
“It’s not anything you’re thinking,” she assured me.
“I think it is,” Aja said in that warm, mellifluous voice of hers as she stepped in beside me and slipped her arm through mine. “Your husband wants his son to have a wife.”
“He––”
“Which is his right,” Aja soothed her. “In this time, in this climate—my goodness, we’re all scared and worried, aren’t we? Things get more crazy by the day. I mean, there was a time not too long ago when my husband and I couldn’t be married. I’m so fortunate that there were people who came before me who fought so we could be together and have our precious, albeit annoying, children,” she said with that smile that made her eyes glow. “So it’s all right that Finn’s father would prefer if he married a woman, but I suspect, if he desires to stay on good terms with his son, then what he’s doing now is ill advised.”
“Oh dear God, what is he doing?” Anne rushed out.
Aja tipped her head toward the door, and there was Eammon and Caden, his middle child, standing with a beautiful young woman with gorgeous auburn hair, bright green eyes, dressed like she’d stepped out of a windswept beach town romance novel.
“What a stunning young woman,” I said to Anne.
“Is that Moira Callahan?” Isabelle asked.
“It is.” Anne sounded despondent.
“I thought she moved to Pittsburgh to go to grad school to become an architect.”
“She did,” Anne whispered. “She’s home for the summer.”
“Architecture, you say?” Aja smiled almost evilly. “Moira. From Carnegie Mellon, yes?”
“Why yes, that’s right. Finn and Moira dated the entire time she was an undergrad,” Isabelle informed me. “All four years.”
“How lovely,” Aja said, and when both Anne and Isabelle looked at her, all they saw was sincerity on her face.
“I’m Isabelle Rogers,” she said, smiling at my sister-in-law, offering her hand. “We didn’t get a proper introduction.”
“No, we didn’t,” Aja agreed, taking her hand. “I’m Aja Harcourt.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“And you,” Aja assured her. “Oh look, they’re walking Moira over to Finn.”
When Moira reached him, he looked so happy. His face lit up, and he grabbed and hugged her. He then put up his hand for her to wait, and he darted across the room, grabbed Kola by the hand from where he was with his father, Duncan, and Dane, and led him over to Moira.
I watched as my son smiled before he even reached them, and I saw too, Finn’s ex light up as she gazed at my son. As soon as she could reach him, she lunged, and Kola caught her. From Eammon’s face, it was not at all what he was expecting. Moira was thrilled to see Kola.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you both,” Aja said, doing Moira’s part.
“It’s been awesome getting to know you on the phone.” I did Kola’s.
When Kola took her hand and smiled at her, Moira flushed bright red.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I continued as Kola. “He’s really gonna like you.”
“I really hope so,” Aja replied dramatically with a catch in her voice.
“What are you two doing?” Anne asked us.
Aja waggled her eyebrows at Finn’s mother as Kola led Moira, who was holding his hand so tight, back to Duncan, his father, and most importantly, Dane.
As we all watched, Moira’s shoulders went up before she took a deep breath and then lifted her head to meet the steady cool gaze of my brother.
“Who is that, now?” Isabelle asked.
“That is Dane Harcourt, one of the top architects in the country, and more importantly, my husband and Jory’s brother.”
Isabelle turned to look at me and Aja.
“And obviously, he’s gorgeous.”
“Yes,” Isabelle agreed quickly.
Aja’s smile was warm. “She has a summer internship with him,” Aja told both women. “So really, the only man here that Moira Callahan gives a crap about is the one she’s gazing at right now like he’s God.”
“Anne, your husband looks a bit upset.”
When she looked for him, she saw what I did. Eammon seeming suddenly tired and Caden with his arm around his shoulders. A few feet away was Finn, staring at Kola, who was strutting back to him appearing terribly pleased with himself. When Kola reached him, grinning crazily, Finn took his face in his hands, drew him forward, and delivered a scorching kiss that made everyone turn and clap.
“Ooooh,” Hannah said under her breath as she reached us, “no offense, Mrs. Murray, but what is Caden thinking, bringing Finn’s ex to his engagement party?”
“She was invited by your brother,” I corrected her before Anne could answer. “She’s working for your uncle this summer.”
Hannah turned to check where Moira was. It was funny how she was nodding and shaking her head, not speaking, just yes or no, absolutely soaking in Dane’s focus. “Oh okay. That’s all right, then.” She turned to Anne. “Begging your pardon, ma’am, but if Caden tries to do anything to break up Kola and Finn—they’ll be finding parts of him for weeks.”