When I looked up at Rory, I noticed her eyes looked swollen. “What’s wrong with your eyes?”
Her smile faded. “What?”
“They look puffy and red.”
She finished off her piece of bread and drank some water. “Lack of sleep, I’m sure.”
A feeling moved over me as I watched her bend down to give Flash some love. “Should we get going?” she asked, too casually.
There was something she was hiding, and I was going to figure out what in the hell it was. Taking a drink of my coffee, I nodded. “Yeah. I just need to get dressed.”
Her smile was forced as I walked by her and kissed her on the cheek. Had I said something last night? I was pretty sure I hadn’t.
She’d been quiet ever since we left Preston and Harmony’s. Rubbing the tension in the back of my neck, I pulled out my phone and sent a text message off.
Me: Did Rory happen to mention anything being wrong when you guys went for a walk?
I tossed my phone onto the bed and waited for Angie to text me back.
Little Sis: Nope. Nothing. Why, what’s wrong?
Me: Probably nothing. My imagination.
Little sis: Probs. Love you, big bro. Got to run. Hugs to Rory!
I sat down on my bed and blew out a deep breath. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. There was something different in her eyes this morning.
Shaking it off, I stood and pulled on a pair of jeans, then a light sweater shirt. The temperature was supposed to be on the chilly side today.
With a quick run of my fingers through my hair, I took off back to the living room. Rory was on the balcony talking to someone. I grabbed Finn’s leash and he came flying over to me, jumping around like an idiot.
“You ready to go spend the day with other dogs?”
Flash jetted his front paws out and barked. Laughing, I clipped the leash on. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“All ready?” Rory asked.
“Yep. Who was that?”
“Russell. We have a meeting with the client and his accuser tomorrow morning. I’m hoping it’s to tell us she’s dropping the chargers against Robert Long.”
I shook my head and grabbed Rory’s bag. “I hope so. He’s a good guy, and I never believed those accusations in the first place.”
Rory simply nodded her head as she reached for her purse. “Yeah. You know, I think McCormick’s butt hurt that it was me who exposed this lady.”
I shut the door behind me, then locked it. “Fuck him. Let’s not talk shop. Today is all about us.”
Her eyes filled with happiness, then suddenly looked sad. “Sounds perfect.”
Jesus, why is she so emotional?
She clapped her hands together, her mood instantly changed. “So…you going to tell me where we’re going?”
I chuckled and shook my head. Grabbing her hand, I kissed the back of it. “Nope. You’ll find out soon enough.”
With a sweeter-than-sweet smile, she gazed up at me as we headed to the elevator. “Another surprise huh?”
I kissed her nose. “Well, I know how much you love them.”
“Yes I do, Mr. Ward. Yes. I. Do.”
—
The streets were lined with red and yellow leaves as I drove through town. This was one of my favorite times of the year.
“Salem? We’re spending the day in Salem?”
I could hear the excitement in her voice. “Well, when you said you hadn’t been since you were a little girl and it was one of your favorite towns, I thought why the heck not.”
She bounced in her seat. “How do you always know what I want to do?”
Laughing, I took her hand in mine. “Because I listen when you talk.”
Her head turned, and she stared at me with nothing but love in those beautiful baby blue eyes.
“I hope you like carnivals.”
“What? I love them! The carnival in Salem is amazing!”
There was no way I could contain the smile on my face. I loved making Rory happy, and I had the strangest feeling I needed to do that today more than ever.
Chapter 46
Finn
What went wrong?
“Best candy apple ever!” Rory stated as we headed back to my car.
Laughing, I adjusted the giant stuffed animal in my arms.
“I still can’t believe you won it.”
“He underestimated my ability.”
Rory giggled. “You know they were secretly moving those targets, right?”
“Of course I did. Why do you think I stood there for so long watching before I knew I was ready to walk up and shoot ’em all down?”
Rory let out a contented sigh as we walked through the town.
“I love the fall. The smells, the sounds, the beauty of it. It’s my favorite time of year. No, wait—winter is. No. No, I think it’s fall.”
I chuckled and shifted the bear again. “It’s mine, too. When I was younger I always looked forward to going to all the fall fests. Apple cider.”
“Pumpkin carving!”
“Making scarecrows.”
Giggling, she said, “The smell of cinnamon in everything!”
I rolled my eyes. “Ugh…yes.”
A young man approached us, a huge grin on his face. “Good afternoon! Would you like to take part in tonight’s haunted-footsteps ghost tour?”
With a polite nod, I responded, “No thanks. We’re heading back to Boston.”
“It’s a lot of fun.”
“Nah, we’ve got plans this evening, but thank you.”
Rory took another bite of her candy apple before tossing it into a trash can. Facing me, she asked, “What’s the plan for tonight?”
With a wink, I stated, “You’ll see.”
She shook her head, and I held the door open for her as she slipped into the car.
“You like surprising me, don’t you?”
Leaning in, I softly kissed her lips. “I like to see your face light up and your beautiful blue eyes sparkle.”
Her grin faltered a bit before she kissed me back. “I love you, Finn.”
“Love you more, Éan.”
Drawing back, I shut her door, then popped the trunk open. I couldn’t wait to put the giant-ass teddy bear down. My arm was cramping carrying it all around.
The letter sticking out of my bag caught my eye. Smiling, I picked it up.
What I love about us…
The second I’d come across the time-capsule book, I knew I needed it for Rory. I’d written out two letters from the book so far. I was going to put this one in her bag in hopes she found it tomorrow. The other one I had sent to her mother to give to Rory on a certain date.
I placed the letter back in my bag and shut the trunk. Never in a million years would I have pictured myself buying a damn Letters to My Love book.
Laughing, I rubbed the back of my neck, took in a deep breath of crisp fall air, and made my way to the driver’s side of the car.
This weekend hadn’t turned out exactly like I planned, but I had a feeling things were only going to get better.
—
The lights of Boston held my attention while I waited for Rory to get ready for dinner. The only thing I told her was to dress nice.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I frowned.
Wes: Whenever you have a free minute. I need to talk to you.
I hit his number.
“Hey, you free right now?”
“Sort of,” I replied, glancing back toward Rory’s bedroom. “Rory’s getting ready to go out to dinner. What’s up?”
“Mandy’s getting married.”
Oh shit.
Mandy and Wes had dated all through high school and college. When Wes had taken a job in New York City and asked her to marry him, Mandy told him no, that her dream was to take over her family’s restaurant in Boston. It had devastated Wes.
“What? Who is the guy? When did they start dating?”
Wes let out a fru
strated sigh. “I don’t know. The last time I saw her was at the club the night we all went with Harmony. Right before Preston and she finally hooked up. Mandy and I spent the evening together at a hotel, and the next morning she was gone. I hadn’t heard from her until today, when I got the letter. She said she wanted to tell me before I found out from someone else.”
“Damn, dude, I’m really sorry.”
“I’m moving back to Boston.”
His words hit me dead-on. “You’re doing what?”
“I’m ready!” Rory said.
Spinning around, I nearly dropped the phone. “Holy shit,” I whispered.
“Hey, I’ll let you go. Give me a call tomorrow.”
I nodded and moved closer to Rory. “I…I will. Hey, Wes?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
I knew my brother. He was coming back to Boston for one reason only. To win Mandy back. And I wasn’t so sure that was a great idea.
With a gruff laugh, he replied, “No promises.”
The call ended and I shoved the phone into my pocket.
My eyes raked over Rory. She wore a light blue dress that showed off her amazing body. Her legs looked like they went on forever. The blue in Rory’s eyes seemed to stand out even more against the dress…especially with her hair pulled up and placed perfectly on top of her head.
“You look beautiful, Éan.”
Her cheeks turned pink. Damn, how I ached for this woman.
“Shall we head out?”
With a nod, I extended my arm for her. The moment she touched it, my body came to life. I couldn’t imagine losing her to another man. My heart hurt for Wes.
“It’s a good thing that, where we’re going, we’ll be alone. Otherwise I’d be fighting the men off you.”
She laughed as she nudged my shoulder with hers and we headed to the elevator.
When we got outside I was able to immediately hail a cab. I told her about Wes’s call, and I could see that she was moved by his pain.
The taxi pulled up to Mamma Maria and stopped.
Rory sucked in a breath and grinned from ear to ear. “Finn, I love this restaurant!”
“I know. I asked your mother what your favorite restaurant is.”
Rory launched herself into my arms. Placing her mouth next to my ear, she whispered, “Please don’t ever think I don’t love you.”
I drew back, a bit confused. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m starving!”
I paid the driver and stepped out of the cab, helping Rory to get out as well. The hostess smiled as we approached her. The restaurant was dimly lit, and you could barely hear conversations drifting across the room. The smells instantly made my stomach growl, which caused Rory to giggle.
“Good evening. Do you have reservations?”
“Yes, it will be under ‘Finn Ward.’ ”
Glancing down at her book, her face exploded into a full-on grin. “Yes! The Rossini Room is ready for you.”
Rory turned to me and lifted her brow. “ ‘Room?’ ”
Lacing my fingers with hers, I winked. “It’s a small room, but I wanted privacy.”
She slowly shook her head. “Finn Ward, you have got to be the biggest romantic I’ve ever met in my life.”
I kissed the back of her hand. “Nah. It’s seeing you smile that makes me do it. I only want you happy.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she bit down on her lip. The only thing she said was one whispered word. “Finn.”
“Right this way, Mr. Ward.”
We followed the hostess up to the second floor. The room was set up with one single table. The lights were dimmed, and the candle on the table cast a flurry of shadows that danced on the walls.
“Oh my, it’s perfect.”
My phone rang in my pocket with the fire station’s ringtone.
“It’s the station. Let me grab this.”
Rory’s smile faded.
“This is Finn.”
“Ward, we’ve got a situation,” John said.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, taking a few steps away from Rory.
“There’s been an accident. It’s Zeb.”
My heart dropped. “Is he okay?”
The silence on the other end told me the answer to that question.
“He’s in critical condition.”
Scrubbing my hand down my face, I asked, “What happened?”
“He fell through the floor of a warehouse. A few broken ribs, some internal bleeding, and a head injury. They have him in surgery now to try and stop the bleeding.”
“Fuck,” I whispered. “Sissy?”
“She’s not doing too good. Colton is at the hospital now.”
“I’m on my way.”
Hitting End, I turned to Rory. Her face was white as a ghost. “Éan, I’ve got to go.”
She swallowed hard. “What…what happened?”
“It’s Zeb. He fell through a warehouse floor and is in pretty bad shape.”
A tear slipped from her eye.
“Do you want to come with me?” I asked.
She stared at me for the longest time before finally answering. “No. I’m going to head back home.”
I shook my head. “You don’t have to go home. Go back to my place, and once I make sure Sissy is okay—”
“Sissy?”
I glanced away for a quick second before looking back into her eyes. “Zeb’s fiancée.”
Her hand covered her mouth.
“Once I make sure she’s okay and so is Zeb, I’ll be right behind you.”
Her hand dropped to her side. “I can’t.”
Confusion swept across my body, along with a sense of panic. “You can’t what?”
“It’s okay, just go, Finn. Zeb and Sissy need you. I’ll be okay.”
“We’ll share a cab.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
The hostess asked, “So that means you’re no longer using the room?”
“Yes, just bill my credit card what you need to. I’m sorry.”
I took Rory’s hand in mine and we headed back down the stairs and out front. I called for a taxi, and we quickly slipped into the backseat. I told him to take me to the hospital and then gave him the address to my condo.
We sat in silence as Rory stared out the window. Taking her hand in mine, I squeezed it.
“That could be you, Finn. You were supposed to work tonight.”
I tugged on her chin, making her meet my gaze. We were face-to-face, eye-to-eye. “It wasn’t me. So don’t even think that way.”
“When were they getting married?”
“They are getting married four days before Christmas.”
A tear slowly made a path down her beautiful face. Using my thumb, I brushed it away. “He’s going to be okay, Rory.”
She forced a smile.
“We’re at the hospital, sir.”
Placing her hand on the side of my face, she softly spoke. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Éan.”
I gently kissed her lips, then rested my forehead on hers. “I’ll meet you back at my place.”
She didn’t answer me. Pulling out a few twenty-dollar bills, I handed them to the driver and repeated my address. I quickly exited the cab and started heading in.
“Finn! Wait!”
Turning, I saw Rory running over to me. She slammed into my body and held me tight. “Kiss me. Please kiss me.”
Drawing back, I held her face in my hands and kissed her. She deepened the kiss while wrapping her arms around me, holding me tight. It almost felt as if she was kissing me for the last time.
When she finally pulled away, she smiled. “I’ll see you in a bit, okay?” I said as I gently tapped the tip of her nose with my finger. She nodded.
“I’ll be praying for Zeb.”
One more quick kiss and I replied, “Thanks, Éan.”
I headed into the hospital and looked back to see her
getting back into the cab. She leaned forward and said something to the driver. I stopped walking and faced the cab. Glancing my way one more time, she waved as the cab pulled off.
After making my way into the hospital, I found Colton and Sissy. We waited together for an hour before the doctor came out.
Sissy jumped up and rushed over to him. When he told her they’d stopped the internal bleeding and that Zeb had woken up in recovery and asked about her, she jumped into the doctor’s arms and cried.
I turned to Colton and we shared a look of relief. Sissy was now in a full-blown cry, thanking the doctor over and over again.
The thought of Rory being that scared did weird things to me. I sent her a quick text telling her Zeb was going to be okay. She didn’t respond until I was in the cab and heading back to my place.
Rory: I’m so glad he is okay.
I was taken aback by how short her text was. She hadn’t asked about Zeb or Sissy. Something felt wrong.
Terribly wrong.
I ran to the elevator when I got back to my building. Racing to my door, I almost knocked down a neighbor. I rushed inside.
“Rory?” I called out.
Flash jumped up in his crate and barked.
She isn’t here.
Me: Where are you? Did you go back to your place?
There was no response to my text.
Something caught my attention as I walked over to the crate and let Flash out.
To Finn.
A sinking feeling hit my stomach as I stared down at the envelope. My hands shaking, I opened it. The key to my condo was in it, along with a letter. As I pulled the paper out, my heart pounded in my chest and I was struggling to bring in air.
I read her letter through blurred eyes.
My Sweet Finn,
I know I promised to never leave you, and my heart is breaking as I write this, but we can no longer be together. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it’s the only thing I know to do. Please try to understand I wouldn’t do this unless I had to.
The last few months have been the most amazing time of my life. I wouldn’t trade them for all the gold in the world. And no matter what you may think of me right now or in the future, please know that I love you. I’ll always love you.
Please don’t hate me. I don’t think I could stand it if you hated me.