Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
“What?” Rory gasped.
“My father is the head gardener here at the museum. Has been for the last twenty years.”
Rory covered her mouth in surprise. “I’ve spoken with him a number of times! He’s an amazing and talented man.”
I could have sworn Alex’s chest puffed out. “That he is.”
“Do you also work in the garden?”
“Oh hell no. I work in the museum’s financial operations.”
“In other words, he’s a math geek, and always has been.”
Alex punched me in the arm. “If you want to enjoy your lunch, you’ll stop talking.”
I lifted my hands. “Lead the way, oh mighty one.”
“That’s better.”
We talked quietly as we made our way to the gardens. The second we stepped out into the atrium, I knew I had hit a home run. Turning to see Rory’s face, I was overcome with joy at seeing her so happy. These new feelings I was experiencing both freaked me out and gave me a warm fuzzy, all at the same time. I made a mental note to talk to Preston to see if this shit was normal. The one thing I did know for sure was, I wanted to see that look on her face every damn day.
She covered her mouth and slowly shook her head before she whirled around and threw herself into my arms and said, “It’s beyond beautiful.”
My eyes lifted and caught Alex’s. He gave me a thumbs-up and retreated into the museum. When I turned my body, I continued to hold Rory in my arms while I took in the table in the middle of the courtyard.
Holy. Shit. I was going to owe Alex big-time for this one.
Rory
Gardens and surprises
I loved the feeling of being wrapped in Finn’s arms. If there hadn’t been a beautiful table set up in the middle of one of my favorite gardens, I would have kept my arms locked around his neck. Reluctantly, I let go, and loved that he held on and slowly lowered me down. The feel of our bodies together was enough to almost make me combust.
When I turned to the courtyard, I let out a sigh. “Finn, no one has ever done something so amazing for me!”
“Good. Then I score some extra points.”
I hit him lightly on the stomach, and he quickly took my hand in his and led me down to the table.
“I wish I could take the credit for thinking of this on my own, but my baby sister gave me the idea.”
“Angela, right?”
His smile widened. You could see the love he held for her swimming in his eyes. “Yeah, Angie. She’s the best, but she’s going through some hard times right now.”
When he pulled out my chair, I stopped and looked at him. “Is she okay?”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “Oh yeah. It’s called the wrath of our mother. Angie’s getting the whole it’s-time-to-start-thinking-about-settling-down thing from our mom.”
Constricting my brows, I asked, “How old is she?”
“Nineteen.”
I let out a laugh while waving my hand in a dismissive manner. “She’s a baby still. Why is your mom pressuring her to settle down at such a young age?”
Finn sat and looked at me with a serious face. “Because that’s my mother. I don’t think she wants her to get married, just settle down and date one guy. When my brother Preston found Harmony, and then they found out they were having a baby, all hell broke loose because my mother insisted the rest of us follow suit.”
“A baby! How far along is she?”
“She’s due any day.”
“Oh, how exciting!”
Finn let out a halfhearted laugh.
I couldn’t help but watch his face. “Do you not like kids?”
Snapping his eyes up to mine, he replied, “I love kids. Why would you ask me that?”
“I don’t know—you just didn’t seem very thrilled for your brother.”
He laughed. “Hell yes, I’m thrilled. Been giving him hell about it for weeks. He was a little freaked about becoming a dad. I finally had to stop teasing him when he threw up and tried to hide it from Harmony.”
“Oh no! Poor guy. ‘Harmony is a beautiful name.”
Finn’s face softened. “Yeah, it matches her personality. She had it rough, though. Lost her husband and young son in a car accident. Preston was one of the firefighters who responded to the wreck. Tried to save Harmony’s son but couldn’t.”
My hands covered my mouth. “That’s terrible. To lose both your husband and your son at the same time. That poor woman.”
“Yeah. She was pretty young also. Only twenty.”
A feeling of heartache hit my chest for this poor woman I’d never met.
“But then she and Preston became good friends and fell in love. He says she saved him, and she says the same about him. They were meant to be together. I have no doubt about that.”
I was caught off guard by how tenderly Finn spoke about his brother and sister-in-law. I had a feeling there were many layers to the man sitting opposite me. I looked forward to peeling each one back.