Fighting for Love

  “Thank you!” I replied sharply.

  My hands were shaking and my heartbeat was racing.

  I took a deep breath and pulled both tabs, shifting the front of the diaper away from Presley.

  Oh. Mother. Of. God.

  “It’s green! Why is it green, Finn?”

  When he didn’t answer, I turned to him. His face was about the same color as the baby’s poop.

  “Finn! Snap out of it. I need help!”

  He covered his mouth and handed me the box of wipes.

  Rolling my eyes, I focused back on the diaper and nasty green contents. At least Presley had stopped crying. Taking the diaper, I wiped her down to get most of the poop off.

  “Disgusting! Oh God!” Finn leaned over and started gagging. It took everything for me not to gag. Lifting Presley’s legs, I got the diaper out and handed it to Finn.

  “Take this! Quick”

  His face dropped. “W-what? I don’t know what to do with it!”

  “Finn! Please! The trash can!”

  I looked away and held my breath.

  “Drop it!”

  Turning, I laughed when I saw the garbage can in his hands. When he dropped the dirty diaper, I took some wipes and started to clean up Presley. Finn gagged each time he saw the green-poop-covered wipe.

  “Stop gagging—you’re making me gag!” I yelled, in between gags. My stomach was not feeling right, and I had to fight hard at not throwing up.

  I looked at Presley, and our blues met. When she smiled, my heart melted on the spot. The feeling of sickness instantly dissipated. Leaning closer to her, I did my best impression of baby talk.

  “Did you go potty-wotty in your diaper? Did you make a stinky? Yes you did! How does a pretty little thing make such a stinky-winky poop!”

  “What. Are. You. Doing?”

  Glancing over my shoulder, I stared at Finn. “I’m talking to her. She likes it! She’s smiling at me.”

  “She’s smiling because that nasty shit is off her.”

  I frowned and went back to cleaning her up and baby-talking. I placed the new diaper under her and stared down at it.

  “Does she need powder or cream or something?”

  Finn walked over and looked down. Presley decided to laugh right then, and before I knew it, Finn was talking baby talk to her too.

  “What, my precious little angel. Are you feeling all better-wetter? Is da princess all fresh and cwean? Is that a smile from my number one girl? Yes it is! Look at that pretty smile.”

  And my ovaries just exploded.

  I shook my head to clear my thoughts and went back to my task. “How tight do I put the tabs?”

  When he didn’t answer me, I turned to him. He was totally mesmerized by Presley.

  “When we have babies, I hope they get your blue eyes.”

  My heart dropped and my body completely froze.

  Tears built in my eyes as his words settled in my heart. I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. I wanted to tell him everything. Tell him I wanted him to stop being a firefighter. Tell him I wanted to live the rest of my life with him and give him as many children as he wanted.

  Instead. I pushed the heartache away. “Um, how…how tight should I make it?”

  He reached over and looked at the diaper. “I wouldn’t make it too tight. Kind of like how you do with Flash’s collar.”

  “What? You do realize you just compared a diaper to a collar.”

  He had a point, though.

  “Yeah. Here, move over. Let me do it.”

  I stepped to the side to let him take care of it. My emotions were all over the place as I took in a few deep breaths.

  Finn had mentioned kids.

  Kids with me.

  Our kids.

  My father’s deadline loomed in the air, making it hard for me to breathe.

  “There! Let’s put new clean pj’s back on you, shall we, princess?”

  I attempted to keep my chin from trembling.

  I wanted a future with this man. A family. A life full of memories. But I was too afraid to tell him the truth. Too afraid he would walk away from his dream because of my father’s hate.

  Turning, I walked to the window and gazed at the moonlight peeking through the tree branches. The light barely lit up the colored leaves that adorned the front yard.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  I prayed for strength. Forcing a smile, I spun around and looked at Finn and Presley.

  “Never better. How do we get her to go back to sleep?”

  Finn’s eyes drifted to my chest.

  “Uh, I don’t know how to tell you this…but…you’ve got shit all over your shirt.”

  My eyes snapped down to my shirt. “What? How?”

  When I looked up, Finn was frowning. “That’s nasty.”

  Flash barked, causing me to jump and Presley to start laughing.

  “I think you packed another of my T-shirts in the bag. I’ll go grab it.”

  “Well, just be here in the room. Dancing. I’m guessing that’s what princesses do when they’re tired.”

  Thud.

  There went another piece of my heart. Straight into his clutches. “I’ll be right back,” I said as I motioned for Flash to come with me.

  —

  After grabbing a clean shirt, I headed back upstairs. Walking into the room, I came to a stop. The sight before me was the most precious thing I’d ever seen. Finn was in the rocking chair with his eyes closed humming a tune from Beauty and the Beast. I leaned against the doorjamb and took it in. There was no way I was going to be able to survive without him. How I was going to be able to walk away from him was beyond me.

  Finn opened his eyes and smiled when he saw me. Returning the gesture, I lifted my brows and whispered, “Now what?”

  He slowly stood. “Now we get her in the crib and muzzle Flash.”

  I giggled and walked over to the crib. I made sure the sheets were clean before Finn laid Presley down.

  We both slowly took a few steps back. Finn reached for my hand and led me out of the room. My heart ached in my chest as I thought about what he had said earlier about our kids. I’d never really known what people meant when they said their heart was broken. I sure knew now, because mine was breaking more and more with every minute that passed.

  Chapter 44

  Rory

  Don’t let go

  Once we got back downstairs Finn and I cleaned up the small mess we’d made when we tried to do the deed on the floor. We settled back onto the sofa, and it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep. It felt like it had only been seconds when I heard Finn speak.

  “What are you guys doing back so soon? I figured you’d be out late.”

  I quickly sat up and stretched. Finn glanced at me and grinned from ear to ear before giving me a kiss on the lips.

  “Hey, princess.”

  “Hey,” I responded in a sleepy voice.

  Harmony placed her purse and keys on the side table in the front hall. “Preston had a bit of an…accident at the club we went to. We weren’t even there ten minutes.”

  Finn laughed. “Hold on….Let me get the popcorn.”

  He reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the bowl of popcorn and shoved some in his mouth. Preston shot him a dirty look that quickly turned into a dumbfounded look.

  “Did you have a black eye earlier?” Preston asked while leaning in closer to take a look at Finn’s eye.

  Harmony quickly moved to Finn and stared at him, moving his head around by his chin. It reminded me of something my mother would do.

  “What happened?” she asked me.

  With a chuckle, I held up my hands and declared, “It wasn’t me! He tripped and hit the coffee table.”

  “What? How?” Harmony asked.

  “I’m fine. I don’t need Nurse Harmony checking me out. We all know you just want an excuse to touch me.”

  Harmony huffed while placing her hands on her hips. “Yeah, that’s it, Finn.” br />
  Waving his hand, Finn said, “Get back to what happened with Preston.”

  With a long-drawn-out groan, Preston turned around. I gasped and covered my mouth, smothering my laugh.

  Finn wasn’t as successful, and totally lost it. “What in the hell happened?”

  “I attempted a lift.”

  My brows furrowed, as did Finn’s. “Huh?” we both asked at once.

  Harmony tried like hell not to smile.

  Preston sighed. “I tried to reach down and pick up Harmony and then do a cool dance move or something, and when I bent over too much…my pants split open.”

  “How is that even possible? Was she lying on the floor?” Finn asked.

  Harmony busted out laughing.

  “You’ve never had your pants split open?” Preston asked.

  Finn shook his head and laughed again. “No, I can’t say I have. You should probably start running again, bro, if you’re splitting your pants trying to dance.”

  Preston shot Finn a dirty look. “Fuck you, Finn. I’m going to bed. Good night, Rory.”

  I tried desperately not to laugh as I forced out a “Good night, Preston.”

  Turning back to Harmony, I giggled. “Oh, my that must have been interesting.”

  She slowly shook her head. “You have no idea. How’s my baby?”

  Harmony kicked off her heels and let her hair down. It fell along her shoulders, and I couldn’t help but notice the glow on her cheeks. She had needed this night out with her husband, and I was glad I had suggested it.

  “She woke up once when Flash barked. She had a very poopy and green diaper.”

  Harmony nodded. “Okay. You got her all cleaned up all right?”

  I puffed my chest out slightly. Proud that Finn and I had actually taken care of her well. “We did. She has on new comfy pj’s and she fell back to sleep quickly in Finn’s arms.”

  Harmony wore a huge smile. “Aw. She loves her uncle Finn so.”

  Finn walked over to me and took my hand in his. “As much as I’d love to stand here and chat all night about how amazing I am, we’re heading back to Boston.”

  “I thought you were going to stay in the guest bedroom,” Harmony said, wearing a pout.

  Laughing, Finn handed me my purse and bag. “Are you kidding? Look at my eye. Your house hates me.”

  “It does not!”

  I quickly gave Harmony a hug. “Thank you so much for everything. Tell Preston, too.”

  I’m sure she noticed I hugged her a little tighter and longer than I should have. When we pulled away, she gave me an inquisitive look.

  “Let’s chat tomorrow?” she asked in a hopeful voice.

  I gave her a warm smile. “Sure.”

  “Night, Harmony. Kiss the princess when she wakes, and tell her I’m sorry her prince had to leave.”

  Harmony chuckled. “I’ll do that. ’Night, you guys, and be careful driving.”

  Finn kissed Harmony on the cheek. “ ’Night.”

  My chest felt as if someone was sitting on it. Each step we took, the worse it got. I had to concentrate on my breathing once I got into Finn’s car. This was our last night together, and I would not ruin it.

  —

  Flash ran down the hall toward Finn’s front door. I prayed he didn’t bark, since it was two in the morning. I knew Finn was exhausted. He talked about everything and anything on the drive back, purely to keep himself awake. And there was no denying I was fighting to stay awake as well.

  Finn unlocked the door, and Flash jumped up and pushed it open and ran straight into his crate. Three turns, then he lay down and closed his eyes.

  “Well, at least we know he’s not a party animal,” Finn said, tossing his keys on the side table.

  I giggled and set my purse and bag on the sofa. “I’m so tired, my tired is tired.”

  Drawing me into his arms, Finn stared into my eyes. “Would you be upset if we just went to bed? I promise to make it up to you in the morning.”

  With a grin, I reached up and kissed him on the lips. “I think that sounds like a great plan.”

  He took me up into his arms and said, “Come on, baby. Let’s get naked and go to sleep.”

  Finn stopped walking and looked at me. “I would never have thought those words would ever come out of my mouth.”

  I dropped my head back and laughed. I kept laughing until he tossed me on the bed and started undressing me. Once I was naked, his lips moved to my neck, then down to my breasts. It didn’t take long for us to be tangled up in each other’s arms. Finn slowly made love to me, whispering against my lips how beautiful I was. How much he loved me. How amazing it felt to be inside of me.

  When he softly called out my name and buried his face in my neck, I let my tears fall, even as I seared every whispered word into my memory.

  Rolling over, Finn didn’t even bother to clean up like he normally did. He drew my body into his and held me. He was asleep within seconds. The sounds of his breathing should have soothed me to sleep. Instead they made the pain in my chest grow.

  How was I going to do this—walk away from the man I loved.

  I slipped his arm off me and snuck into the kitchen for a glass of milk. We hadn’t locked Flash’s crate, so he was sprawled out on the sofa. I couldn’t help but giggle when I saw him.

  “He’d be really mad if he saw you on there, Flash.”

  The dog let out a small whimper. Almost as if he was saying that what Finn didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

  After getting my milk, I sat down on the sofa and looked around the condo. I smiled when I saw the picture of Finn and me at the aquarium. The memory of that day flooded my thoughts. We had made so many memories in the short two months we’d dated. Tears filled my eyes. I sat the milk on the coffee table and drew my legs to my chest. Resting my chin on my knees, I let the tears slowly fall.

  Flash kept nudging my arm until I finally pulled him closer to me. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to live without him. He owns my heart and soul. My life is so much better because of him.”

  With a whimper, Flash rested his body against mine as I cried harder. “I have to let him go, boy. I’m going to break his heart, and he’ll never understand why.”

  Pressing my eyes closed, I fought to keep the endless tears in. “I-I don’t know what else to do. Oh, God, I love him so much. Daddy, why? Why are you doing this?”

  I buried my face in the dog’s fur, my body shaking as I cried.

  “I can’t do it. Please don’t make me do it.”

  Chapter 45

  Finn

  Bread, surprises, and teddy bears…

  I knew she was gone the moment my eyes opened. Reaching over to make sure, I felt the empty bed next to me. I slowly sat up and swung my legs over the bed. “Rory?” I called out.

  Rolling my neck to get out the tightness, I stood and walked to the bathroom, figuring Rory must have taken Flash out, since I didn’t hear either one of them.

  After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I headed into the living room. One quick look confirmed they were both gone, at the same that the smell of coffee hit me.

  “Coffee, come to me,” I chanted. I entered the kitchen, and came to a stop when I saw a plateful of what looked like pumpkin bread. I smiled. “Fuck yes. She made my favorite bread. I love her.”

  Cutting into the warm bread, I groaned as I shoved it all into my mouth. After finding my favorite coffee mug, I poured a cup of coffee, then sliced another piece of bread.

  Shit, what time did she wake up to make this?

  The front door opened and Flash came racing into the kitchen. “Good morning, monster beast. What havoc have you caused this morning?”

  Rory walked up to me and kissed me on the lips. She was dressed in another pair of my sweatpants. They were so damn big on her, but looked cute as fuck. She pulled my Boston Fire Department sweatshirt over her head, revealing a bit of her stomach in the process. My dick jumped, and I was ready to take her right here in
the kitchen.

  With a drop-me-to-my-knees kind of smile, she tilted her head and glanced between the bread and me. “I take it you had a piece…or two.”

  “You can’t expect me to walk into the kitchen and see this and not have a piece. And you made fresh coffee. Please. I was set up for failure the moment you took the bread out of the oven.”

  She laughed and playfully hit me on the stomach. “Was it good? It smells good.”

  “Hell yes it’s good,” I said as I popped another piece into my mouth.

  “Good. The first one I made sucked. So I Googled another recipe and made that one. I tweaked it a bit to make it my own. I’m glad you liked it.”

  I lifted a brow. “The ‘first one’ you made? What time did you get up?”

  She shrugged it off. “I don’t know. I couldn’t really sleep. I think I’ve got too much on my mind, with the case and all.”

  Wrapping my arms around her, I rested my chin on her shoulder. “Is that all it is?”

  “Yeah—why?”

  “Just making sure. Did you want to swing by your place to change before we head out for the day?”

  Her smile lit up her face. “Did you make plans already?”

  It was my turn to shrug. “Well, my plans to teach you all about camping this weekend got ruined, so I had to make a few changes. I think you’ll like them, though.”

  Her hand laced through my hair as her gaze met mine. “As long as we’re together I don’t care what we do.”

  Tapping her nose with my finger, I replied, “That’s what I want to hear. Now let me eat some more of this bread and finish my coffee. Then we’re off.”

  Rory laughed and moved to cut herself a piece of the bread. “What about Flash? Is he spending the day with us?”

  I looked down at the mutt. He sat there like a perfect little angel as he stared up at me. “I think it’s doggy daycare for this little bas—”

  “Finn! Stop calling him curse words.”

  Flash whined. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he barked.

  “No one likes a tattletale, Flash.”

  With another bark he jumped and ran over to Rory.

  “Oh sure, hide behind the girl. Pussy.”

  Rory shot me a dirty look while Flash wagged his tail.