Give Me Butterflies (Oaks Sisters #1)

Chapter 46

Millie

I could stay in this bed, in the shelter of Finn’s arms, for the entire day.

Maybe a week.

Maybe forever.

Unfortunately, his alarm is chirping from his nightstand, signaling that I actually have to get up for work today. But the

green duvet over us is so warm and cozy, begging me to call in sick.

Yesterday left me emotionally spent, and I desperately want to ignore the outside world while I just live in the glow of last

night with Finn.

But I can’t hide. I have to face everything at work and deal with it.

Or I’ll never move on.

Finn reaches for the phone, trying his best not to disturb me. After he stops the alarm, he wraps his arm around me again.

“Good morning,” I grumble, tilting up to catch his gaze.

His eyes crease in the corners as he grins down at me. “Good morning to you.” He kisses my forehead. “I’ll never get over

how good it feels to wake up with you.”

I sigh against his chest. “Let’s never get up, then.”

“Mm, that sounds good. But what about food?”

“That’s what delivery services are for.”

“They don’t usually do bedroom deliveries.” He laughs.

“We’ll tip them extra,” I say, burrowing closer.

“Good plan, but the girls will miss us.”

“We’ve got plenty of room for them.”

“You have a solution for everything.”

I nod. “But maybe I also just don’t want to face the world quite yet.”

Finn hums in understanding, running his fingers through my hair as the bedroom door clicks open. Two little giggles echo from

the hallway. “The wildlings are coming,” Finn whispers into my hair.

Avery and Eloise squeal while running toward us, and Finn bursts up to surprise them. He wraps his arms around them, pulls

their bodies onto the bed, and yells, “Cuddle puddle!” They wiggle and giggle above the duvet, kneeing me in the thigh, and

Finn takes an elbow to the face.

Amid the joyful snickering, I suddenly remember my daydream. My fantasy: sweet touches and soft words and playful little girls

asking for pancakes.

My throat clogs with emotion. I got it. I got the daydream and the fantasy all rolled together, and I can live in it forever.

I look to Finn over Eloise’s wonderfully untamable hair. “Do we have time to make pancakes?”

The wattage of his smile blinds me. “Always time for pancakes.”

***

An email from Sharon pings into my inbox midmorning, asking me to meet her for lunch, and I have to force myself to remain

calm.

This’ll be fine. Even if she has bad news for me, she’s a kind, understanding woman, and I trust her to deliver it well. I can smile graciously and thank her for the opportunity, then fall apart somewhere else.

My chest pinches when I look around my office and picture Kyle at the empty desk. My plants would be shriveled and dead, the

office atmosphere a ghost of its past life.

Anxiety is already prickling through me, so I reply quickly, then fill a watering can in the lab room for something to do.

When all the plants are happy, I decide the office floor could use a sweeping.

None of that actually lessens my anxiety, but thankfully, I’ve wasted enough time that I can start toward the café. My chest

inflates as I take a deep breath and slowly let it out. I give the office one last meaningful look, shake out my imaginary

wings, and walk toward The Buttered Bistro.

***

Sharon sits at a patio table under a dogwood tree that looks like the perfect oasis from the summer heat. She waves me over,

her armful of bracelets jingling as she does.

I slide into the seat across from her. “Hi. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Of course. Have you ever been here?” Sharon asks, pushing her menu aside.

When I tell her I haven’t, Sharon goes through her favorite items on the menu. Then she leans into the table and whispers,

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. My husband is the chef, so everything is amazing.” She gives me a saucy smile. “I like

to eat here because it gets me food made by a sexy man, and it reminds him to stay on his toes.” She winks, and it forces

a light laugh out of me.

Once we’ve placed our orders, Sharon folds her hands on the table. “Let’s get to business. I want to be straightforward with you about yesterday so I’m not holding you in suspense any longer than necessary.” She tilts her head with a smile. “So let me start by telling you how wonderful you did in the interview.”

“Thank you,” I say, bubbles of confidence filling my chest. I lift my shoulders a smidge.

“It was refreshing to hear your ideas, and they align perfectly with my thoughts and the rest of the hiring committee’s hopes

for the entomology department.”

I nod, my fingers tapping a rapid beat on my thighs.

“And I’m beyond excited to tell you that we’ve decided you’ll be perfect for the position.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief as my heart soars. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, my dear. I’m so proud of you.”

I lift my chin. “I’m pretty proud too.”

“You should be. As you left yesterday, we all looked at each other and nodded. We just knew you were the right person. You

had this steady confidence and strong passion that we felt through every answer you gave.”

Tears sting in my eyes. Damn, these emotions the last two days have me acting like a blubbering mess, but it feels so satisfying

to know I got this job because I’m the right person. Because I deserve it.

“That being said...” She sighs, her tone dropping an octave. Her chin lowers as she levels me with a serious look. “Why

didn’t you tell me that you knew the other applicant?”

The blood drains from my face, and I swallow. “It... it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.”

She nods. “Well, I wasn’t aware until he had a breakdown of sorts in his interview yesterday. He was shouting and making accusations

about you and your merit as an applicant.”

The sudden urge to throw up sweeps through me. If it wasn’t for the fact she already offered me the job, I’d crumple to the ground with humiliation.

“And I was shocked,” she continues, “because he seemed like a completely different person from the man I met in the first

interview and last week while he was here.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, because it’s the only thing I can think to say.

“Millie, I am sorry. You have nothing to apologize for.” Sharon reaches across the table to put her hand over mine. “Women in science

need to stick together. I don’t know your whole story, but I do know that man I met yesterday is not the kind of person I

want working at our museum. And he’s not the kind of person I want hurting one of my employees either. So I want to apologize

for not seeing that sooner.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t see it for a long time.”

She shakes her head sadly. “You’re very strong, Millie.”

I scoff a laugh. “People keep telling me that, but I’m not. I couldn’t even tell anyone what was happening at the time.”

Her brows lower. “That doesn’t say anything about your strength. You were strong every day of that relationship. You were

strong last week, enduring being around him. You were strong yesterday, showing up for that interview. And you’re strong today,

having this conversation with me. Strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet power that isn’t so obvious to the world.”

I bite my lips and nod, her words reminding me so much of what Lena’s told me in the past.

“It’s one of my greatest joys in life to prove idiots wrong—especially men,” she continues, raising an eyebrow. “So I’m over-the-moon excited for you to prove that idiot wrong. While he was being walked out of the museum by security, spouting nonsense about some of my favorite employees, he was only solidifying my decision.”

My chest is lighter as I take a deep breath. It feels so good to hear that someone finally saw his true colors.

We’re interrupted by a dashing older man in a black apron, who approaches our table with a wide grin and two plates of food.

“I had a feeling this was for you,” he says warmly as he sets Sharon’s plate in front of her and kisses her on the cheek.

“This looks fabulous,” she coos, then motions toward me. “Darling, this is my new entomology director, Millie Oaks.”

The title hits me in the chest. Millie Oaks. Entomology Director. It sounds like a dream.

“Nice to meet you.” He smiles. “How does everything look?”

Sharon’s eyes rake over her husband seductively, and he blushes all the way to his ears. “Delicious.”

He kisses Sharon’s cheek one more time, and as he turns to go, she smacks him on the butt and bursts out in cackling laughter.

***

“I did it!” I barge through Finn’s office door with a squeal, and he swivels his computer chair and jumps to his feet. Practically

vibrating with excitement, I grab his tie and yank him toward me.

He wraps me in that safe, protective shield I love, and I let myself burrow into it. “Holy shit. I knew you could.”

I shake my head against his chest. After weeks of worry and stress, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I can

finally breathe all the way in. My thoughts are all jumbled after lunch with Sharon, but gratitude pumps through my veins

like adrenaline.

My arms squeeze tighter. “I know you wanted to tell Sharon about Kyle, but it feels so good to know I got the job on my own.”

He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re perfect for that job, and I can’t wait to watch you shine.”

“Thank you.” I pull back and meet his eyes. “Apparently, Kyle had to be escorted out of the museum after yelling at the panel

that I was only interviewing because we were sleeping together.”

“What?” he croaks.

A small grin plays on my lips as I remember my conversation at lunch. “Sharon said she never even entertained the accusations.”

I narrow my eyes. “She said you told her you had feelings for me when you dropped out of the interview process.”

Finn’s cheeks turn pink. “Maybe I did.”

“You told our boss that you had feelings for me weeks before you actually told me?” I shake my head in disbelief.

He cups the back of my head and brings my lips to his. “Yeah, stella mia . I had to make sure she knew the truth and never thought we were trying to cheat the system.” He nips at my bottom lip before

he pulls back and adds, “She was all over that, by the way. Told me to go for it.”

My chin quivers. “Thank you for supporting me even when you didn’t know you were doing it.”

“I always will,” he says, his mouth coasting over mine and tickling the sensitive nerve endings.

He groans as I part my lips and let him claim my mouth. Our arms tighten around each other as he kisses me thoroughly and

hungrily, and I wish we weren’t at work right now. I force my movements to slow, and we settle into a languid pace before

I pull my swollen lips away.

His voice is breathless as he asks, “How should we celebrate?”

“Want to go to Fern River with me?”

He smiles wide. “Absolutely. The girls have been begging to go back.”

Pulling my phone out of my back pocket, I shoot off a quick text in our group chat.

Oaks Folks

Millie: Any cake left from last night?

I peek up and find Finn watching me with a serene smile and soft eyes. I’ll never get over how I used to only see scowls from

him but now get to see this .

My phone buzzes with a response, and I drag my eyes away.

Dad: You know your mom always makes twice as much food as necessary.

Millie: Mind if we come visit?

Mom: Only if you bring Ave and El.

Finn comes to stand behind me and drops his chin to my shoulder, laughing as he watches the replies come through.

Millie: I’ll bring them. Finn too, if that matters.

“Of course it matters,” he mutters, nipping my earlobe.

Dad: Good. I need his help with something in the barn.

Mom: I’ll go get some groceries the girls like.

“Your mom is the best,” he whispers, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Serena couldn’t even have her chef make something the girls would like, and your mom is going to make a special trip to the store for them.”

I turn my head and kiss his cheek. “That’s because they’re worth it.”

Fabes: I’ll be there too. Can’t wait to see you guys!

Tess: Does this mean the interview went well?

Dad: Hopefully, it’s good news since she’s coming all this way to tell us.

Millie: I’m coming for the cake I was promised.

Fabes: Too bad. Fucking Theo ate your piece.

Mom: Fable Oaks.

Fabes: Sorry, Mom.

Finn nuzzles my neck and squeezes me tighter in his embrace. “What’s up with Fable and Theo? Why does she hate him so much?”

“Mmm,” I hum, leaning my head back into him and letting him support me. “Have I really not told you about the video?”

He shakes his head against my neck.

“Well, I’ll tell you the whole saga on our way to Fern River.”

I shove my phone back into my pocket and turn in his arms. His navy eyes search mine before he gives me a playful smirk. “Do we get to sleep in the same bed on this trip?”

“I was thinking a night out on the overlook might be fun. The ground is a little hard, but you know the views are amazing.”

I wink saucily.

He quirks a brow as his heated gaze travels down my neck and shoulders. Pulling back a little, he follows my curves down my

body. “Yeah, the views are spectacular,” he says, voice husky and warm. “I love every single thing about them.”

My cheeks heat. “You must really like stargazing.”

He shakes his head. “Fuck the stars, baby. All I see is you.”