The Beach Hut on Plum Island

4. CHAPTER 4

Finn watched as Alex hurriedly signed the room service bill and made a swift exit, leaving behind an atmosphere thicker than the ocean mist on a chilly morning. Harriet stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock, while Finn felt like he was standing on thin ice, unsure of where to step next. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, urging him to find a way to break through the silence and tension that enveloped them.

He cleared his throat, hoping to dispel some of the heavy air in the room. “Um, I’m sorry to barge in like this,” Finn began, his voice coming out softer than he intended. “I, uh...”

Their eyes met, and he was struck by how green hers were. They were wide with shock before Harriet’s head swiveled to the spot where Alex had just stood as if hoping he’d suddenly reappear.

Finn’s heart sank as the magnitude of her situation suddenly hit him. He’d come here with the intention of helping and being a supportive friend, although he and Harriet were more acquaintances than friends. But now he feared he had only added to Harriet’s distress.

I knew this was a terrible idea!Finn sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said, his words feeling inadequate in the face of Harriet’s stunned silence. He knew how she felt. “I didn’t mean to intrude or make things more difficult for you. I told Caroline, Jennifer, and Alex to let you in on their plan, and then we could meet and discuss it.”

Finally, Harriet blinked, her eyes focusing on Finn as if seeing him for the first time. “No, it’s not your fault,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just... I wasn’t expecting… this.”

Finn nodded, understanding flooding through him. “Yeah, I can imagine,” he said, his discomfort easing slightly as Harriet acknowledged his presence. “At least my sister and Jennifer blindsided me.” He smiled.

Harriet’s lips twitched in a semblance of a smile. “Are… are you hungry?” She pointed to the trolley laden with dishes, a teapot, and a coffee pot. “Alex ordered enough to feed a few horses.”

Finn looked at the trolley and nodded. “I could eat.”

Harriet’s smile widened, and Finn felt a warmth spread through him at the sight. “Should we move to the dining table?” Harriet was about to wheel the trolley, but Finn stepped toward it.

“Let me,” Finn offered.

Harriet pursed her lips, nodded, and led the way to the dining table that looked out over Cobble Beach. They unloaded the dishes onto the table in silence and took seats opposite each other.

“Can I pour you some coffee or tea?” Harriet asked.

“Do you have water?” Finn asked. “I’m all coffeed out for the day.”

“Sure.” Harriet stood and walked into the kitchenette to pull two bottles of water from the refrigerator and two glasses from a cupboard.

“You can still have coffee,” Finn told her, smiling.

“Oh, I didn’t order the coffee. That was Alex,” Harriet told him, retaking her seat. “I ordered herbal tea.”

“Oh, what kind of herbal tea?” Finn opened the bottle of water and poured it into a glass Harriet had put on the table.

“Ginger root with cayenne pepper, fresh orange, and lime pieces,” Harriet said.

“That sounds interesting,” Finn looked at the fancy teapot. “If there’s enough in there for two cups, I wouldn’t mind trying it.”

“Sure,” Harriet said, pouring some of the tea into the cup in front of Finn. “It’s delicious. You have to get used to the peppery taste, but the fresh orange and lime smooth it out.”

Finn watched Harriet pour herself a cup, splash a bit of the cold water into it, and take a sip of the tea before mimicking her.

“You might want to put some honey in it, as it’s your first cup,” Harriet warned him, pushing the bottle of honey toward him.

“Okay.” Finn used the honey dipper to twirl a decent amount of honey into his cup, stirred it, and sipped it. His brows raised in surprise. “This is good.”

“Yes, I made Liam put it on the menu,” Harriet told him. “I found it at a small coffee shop in New York, and it became my favorite tea.”

“It’s refreshing and has a kick to it,” Finn said, taking another sip before putting the cup back on the plate. “So what did Alex order?”

“I wasn’t really listening,” Harriet admitted. “I’ve been a little distracted.”

“I’m not surprised,” Finn said, lifting the lid off the dish. “Oh, wow!”

“Surf and Turf, of course,” Harriet rolled her eyes. “It’s Alex’s favorite dish, so he thinks it’s everyone else’s.” She pulled the lid off hers and found she had the same. “That rat!”

“What?” Finn asked as he took the lid from Harriet’s food, combined it with his, and put it back on the trolley.

“I didn’t order a surf and turf,” Harriet told him. “I ordered a Ceasar salad with grilled chicken breast pieces on the side.”

“Mmm,” Finn said, pulling the lid off one of the smaller dishes. “Ah, I believe this is your salad.”

“He ordered it for two,” Harriet pointed out. “I hope you are super hungry.”

She pulled the lid off the final dish and found two toffee caramel chocolate mousse.

“Is that what I think it is?” Finn felt his mouth water. He loved Liam’s hotel’s toffee caramel chocolate mousse.

“If you think it’s chocolate mousse layered with thick caramel and drizzled with toffee sauce, then yes.” Harriet beamed, closing the lid on the dish. “Let’s keep it fresh.”

“My kids are going to be so jealous,” Finn laughed. “They love that dessert.”

“Oh, then maybe you should take it home for them,” Harriet suggested.

“No way!” Finn looked at her and shook his head. “Tucker’s staying at Reef’s house tonight, and Maggie’s out with Aunt Betty and Sam Donovan.”

“Oh, so you’ve got the day off from parenting,” Harriet said, spreading a napkin over her lap.

Finn sighed. “Yeah.” He, too, put a napkin on his lap. “While they can drive me crazy, I miss them so much when they’re not at home.”

“Are Betty and Sam dating?” Harriet moved the subject away from his kids.

“I think so.” Finn’s brow furrowed. “They hinted at it a few times but haven’t come right out and said it.”

“I think they make a great couple.” Harriet started digging into the lobster while Finn started with the steak. “Oh, shoot. I didn’t even ask if you can eat seafood.”

“I can eat it,” Finn assured her. “I just like leaving the best for last.”

They made small talk for the rest of the meal, and Finn found Harriet to be intelligent and as down-to-earth as Jennifer and his sister said she was. When the meal was over, they packed the trolley, and Finn pushed it out of the room, surprised to see that the sun was starting to set.

“Wow, is that the time already?” He looked pointedly out the window.

“Oh!” Harriet blinked and glanced at her wristwatch. “It is getting late.”

“Do you have somewhere you need to be?” Finn asked, surprised that he really didn’t want the evening to end just yet. He was really enjoying spending time with her.

“No.” Harriet shook her head. “I thought that you might need to get home for Maggie.”

“No, she’s staying with my aunt tonight,” Finn told Harriet.

“Would you like to have a sundowner on the balcony?” Harriet asked.

Finn noticed her fidgeting with her hands in a nervous gesture he’d never seen before. She seemed a little shy and hesitant to ask him, which surprised Finn because he’d always thought of her as barging through life filled with confidence. His heart jolted, and their eyes met; his breath caught in his throat as he once again was taken in by how green hers were.

“Sure.” Finn cleared his throat when his voice sounded a little hoarse. “I’d love to.”

“Would you like red wine, white wine, champagne?” She pointed to the phone. “Or I could order you something from the bar.”

“Red wine will be fine,” Finn told her, following her to the kitchenette.

Harriet looked through the winerack and picked out a bottle of twenty-ten Petrus Pomerol red wine. A red wine made primarily from Merlot grapes from the Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. “Is this okay?”

“That’s great,” Finn said, trying not to choke on his own saliva at the pricey wine. “May I open it?”

“Thanks.” Harriet handed him the bottle and opener.

Their fingers brushed, and a spark zapped up his arm, nearly making him drop the bottle, which, luckily, Harriet didn’t see as she spun around to grab wine glasses.

“Do you want ice?” Harriet asked.

She pulled an ice bucket from a cupboard near the refrigerator, filled it with ice, and then walked to where he was and popped a few blocks into one of the glasses.

“No, thank you!” Finn’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why do you put ice in red wine?”

“I find it makes it smoother,” Harriet admitted and grinned. “I also started doing it because it drove wine snobs, like my parents, Alex’s, Brad’s, and Dawn’s parents crazy.”

Finn nearly didn’t hear what she said as the grin transformed her face from gorgeous to heart-stopping, almost stopping his heart. He had to look away and hoped she didn’t see his hands shake as he poured the wine, but her words made him chuckle. Harriet Joyce really was a bag of refreshing surprises.

“I can imagine how upset wine snobs would get.” Finn took the bottle and his glass before following Harriet to the sliding doors and out onto the balcony. “They wouldn’t look kindly on having a block of ice dunked into this nearly nine-thousand dollar bottle of wine.”

As they stepped onto the balcony, a gentle breeze greeted them, carrying with it the salty scent of the ocean. Finn followed Harriet to two comfortable chairs positioned to overlook the breathtaking view of Cobble Beach and the vast expanse of the sea beyond.

The fading sunlight painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the landscape. Finn took a deep breath, feeling the tension of the day begin to melt away in the tranquil atmosphere.

Harriet settled into her chair, tucking her feet underneath her as she gazed out at the horizon. Finn followed suit, sinking into the plush cushions and allowing himself to relax for the first time since he’d arrived.

“No!” Harriet’s brows rose in mock shock. “Is that how much this wine costs?”

“It’s not just the price,” Finn ignored the sarcasm with a half smile. “It’s how the wine has been blended and crafted to form this perfect blend of fruity and licorice flavor.” He looked at the label. “It really should’ve been left for another seven to ten years to really bring out the flavor of the wine.”

Harriet gulped the wine and swallowed before holding it up and saying cheekily, “It needs more ice.”

Finn laughed when she reached over and put a few more blocks of ice into the wine.

“I must admit to feeling slighted for the wine,” Finn told her.

“I find red wine can be a bit heavy,” Harriet explained. “The ice smooths it out.” There was that heart-stopping grin again. “I made a red wine slushie once.” She snorted. “I was not too popular with my parents as it was from one of their collections.” Their eyes met as she glanced at him, and this time, her green eyes sparkled with mischief. “My parents and the other parents I mentioned earlier do these wine getaways where they fly all over the world and America.” She sipped the wine this time. “They call it their wine safaris.”

“Is that where you got this wine from,” Finn asked, taking a sip and savoring the taste that burst in his mouth. “Because I don’t remember Liam having it on his wine list.”

“No. Dawn and I picked it up on a trip to France two years ago,” Harriet told him before giving him a quizzical look. “How do you know so much about wine?”

Finn sighed as he gently swirled the rich burgundy liquid in his glass. “I’m one of those wine snobs like your parents that like to go on wine safaris.”

“I believe it can be quite the grapevine jungle out there.” Harriet laughed as she relaxed into her chair. “I prefer champagne, but I’m not allowed to drink it at home and can only have two glasses at a function.”

“Is that because you put ice in it?” Finn smiled as she laughed. It was good to see her relaxing and becoming more herself.

“No!” Harriet looked horrified. “Now, I’m a champagne snob, so I would never ruin it like that.”

“I believe you have quite a stash of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay champagne stored in Liam’s wine cellar,” Finn commented. “At least ten bottles, I think he said.”

“Yes. That’s only a small part of my collection,” Harriet told him. “I have another three hundred and eighty bottles in a special storage in New York. I have another ten to go to complete my collection of four hundred bottles.”

Finn’s jaw dropped slightly as he stared at Harriet in disbelief. “Why?”

“A bet I have with Brad Danes’s father, Travis,” Harriet told him, sipping her wine.

“You’re collecting four hundred bottles of wine for a bet?” Finn spluttered. “Four hundred bottles of wine that cost roughly three thousand dollars a bottle.” He did a quick calculation in his head. “That’s over a million dollars worth of champagne.”

“Uh-huh!” Harriet nodded. “I’m always trying to raise money for various causes and research.” She looked at the wine in her glass. “The functions I go to there are always an abundance of extravagance.” She glanced at Finn, her eyes shadowed with thought. “Even fund-raising functions are filled with expensive wines, champagne, other beverages, and food.”

“I’ve been to a few of those in my lifetime.” Finn understood what she meant.

“I look around the room and calculate that the amount that was spent on the party could’ve just been donated to the cause,” Harriet said. “Instead of laying out such a lavish spread, do something unique like a potluck.” She sipped the wine before continuing. “Or at least something cheaper than the fancy spread that gets laid out, and half of it goes to waste.”

Finn stared at her in awe. “I couldn’t agree more.”

He refilled their glasses and added four blocks of ice to Harriet’s wine.

“Thank you,” Harriet said. “My parents threw me a birthday party five years ago, and they went all out as they usually do when they throw me a party.”

“Don’t they always throw you a party?” Finn asked.

“No!” Harry made a face. “I don’t like birthday parties. I like to celebrate it quietly. My dream is to have just my friends and family around a barbeque.” She sighed and glanced toward the ocean where the sun was waving goodnight as its rays shimmered on the sea’s surface. “Because my dream has never been realized, I tend to go away for my birthday with Dawn or on my own.”

“I get that,” Finn said. “I love waking up and having my kids make me breakfast in bed. We usually have a few friends and family over for a barbeque or dinner. I’m way past the big party birthdays.” He looked at her. “How did this bet come about?”

“I was moaning at how much waste and extravagance there always is and that if I had just taken one bottle of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay for every party we had over five years, I’d have enough to fill a bath,” Harriet explained. “That’s roughly four hundred bottles of champagne.”

“That’s an odd thing to say,” Finn said.

“When I was a kid, I saw this music video of these women diving into huge glasses filled with champagne,” Harriet told him. “After that, I wanted to bathe in champagne as well. It became a joke among my family and our friends.”

“Oh!” Finn nodded. “So you said you could fill a bath with it?”

“Yup!” Harriet nodded.

“So you’re collecting it to bathe in it?” Finn asked.

“No.” Harriet shook her head. “Travis Danes told me that he doubts one bottle of champagne would make a difference in the world. I told him that one bottle of champagne from just the functions our family has over five years added up to millions—millions that could go to a good cause instead of just being wasted and thrown out.”

“They throw unused champagne away after a function?” Finn was astounded.

“No!” Harriet frowned. “If it’s been opened, yes; if not, it usually gets distributed between the staff or people who worked the function. The same way the food does.”

“So it’s not going to waste,” Finn pointed out.

“Do people really need alcohol?” Harriet asked. “Or expensive alcohol anyway?” She shrugged. “My grandfather’s favorite wine came from a small vineyard in the South of France that wasn’t well known, and their wines were not expensive. They were affordable.” She smiled fondly as she spoke of her grandfather. “He also didn’t think much of extravagance and preferred good home-cooked meals. He’d always say there’s a reason they are called hearty meals.”

“Is your grandfather still around?” Finn asked her.

“Yes, but sadly, his health is declining rapidly.” Her eyes darkened with emotion and she drank some wine.

“I’m sorry,” Finn said with compassion. “I don’t remember my grandparents.”

“I’m sorry,” Harriet said, her eyes widening and her cheeks flushed pink. “My goodness, I can’t believe I’m chatting your ears off about my crazy stuff.”

“It’s not crazy,” Finn assured her and meant the words that followed. “I’m enjoying listening to you tell me about your family.” He shrugged and glanced at the darkening sea. “I never knew my real mother. She died when I was born. Then, my stepmother, Caroline’s mom, became my mother and she passed away years ago from cancer. My father died not too long ago. So now it’s just Caroline, me, and our kids.”

“And your extended family here on Plum Island,” Harriet reminded him. “That’s the one thing I’ve learned in the year I’ve been here: how quickly your friends become part of your family.”

“That’s true,” Finn said, raising his glass. “Are you going to finish telling me about the bet?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Harriet nodded. “That’s when Travis bet me that if I could collect enough bottles of champagne to fill a bath, he’d buy them from me for two point five million dollars.” She grinned at the look on Finn’s face. “But I could only take one bottle per party, and it could only be from functions my family, the Danes family, Dawn’s family, or Alex’s family hosted.”

“Nice,” Finn said. “Where did the five years come in?”

“I had five years from that night to collect the champagne,” Harriet explained. “Travis picked the type of champagne, and I’m limited to taking only one bottle per party.”

“Oh!” Finn said as things started to make sense. “That’s why Caroline told me to take a bottle of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay and give it to her at the end of their wedding reception. She gave it to you.”

“Uh-huh.” Harriet grinned. “While I’ve been here, my champagne collection has been growing a lot faster.”

“So you’re doing this to get the millions from Travis Danes?” Finn asked.

“No. I’m doing it to prove the point that if just one bottle of champagne could add up to millions that could be given to a good cause, imagine what cutting right down on extravagance could do,” Harriet told him. “When I win, the proceeds will go toward a good cause, and Alex has given me an idea of which cause it’s going to go to.”

“The research clinic Daniella wants to turn the glass house into,” Finn guessed.

“Yes.” Harriet nodded and frowned. “Although I’m not too sure about the house being the best location for a research center.”

“Okay, we’ll circle back to that,” Finn told her. “Back to the bet.” He took a sip of wine before continuing. “You said when you win. You didn’t say what happens if you lose.”

“Well, if I win, I don’t just get the millions from Travis. I’ll get matched donation amounts from my parents, Alex’s parents, and Dawn’s parents.” Harriet sighed. “That’s nearly nine million dollars for a special cause.”

“What happens if you lose?” Finn wanted to know.

“Then I have to give Travis what I have collected, and he’ll auction it off at the next charity function of his choice,” Harriet answered. “And Dawn, myself, Alex, Brad, and Ethan each have to donate our time for three months to a cause of our parents’ choosing.” Her eyes widened in horror. “And trust me, it’s not working at a soup kitchen or reading to older people. They’ll have us doing things like cleaning up beaches, penguins, roadsides, etc.”

“I can picture all of you alongside the road picking up trash.” Finn laughed.

“Well, don’t.” Harriet raised her chin. “Because I still have a couple of months to go before my birthday, and I intend to win.”

“So you can donate all that money to Daniella’s research center!” Finn gave a soft laugh and nodded.

Harriet Joyce was a complete enigma, and he couldn’t believe he’d thought otherwise. Finn had no idea why he’d instantly put up a wall when he met Harriet a year ago and then kept her at a distance. In so doing, Finn hadn’t allowed himself to get to know her or see beyond what he wanted to see of a New Yorker whose jeans cost more than most people’s houses.

“But I wanted to tell Alex that he should move and upgrade the library, along with all it has to offer, including the recreation center, halls, and conference rooms, to the glass house,” Harriet told Finn her idea.

“And keep that big old rambling mansion as the clinic,” Finn finished for her. “Now that’s an awesome idea and one I’d also get behind.”

“While I can see the logic of wanting to let the patients be near the beach,” Harriet pointed out, “I just think that it’s not the best for them as it can get cold.” She gestured with her hand. “Look what happened to Alex just by getting his injured hand wet. Those rocks are quite dangerous.”

“I know.” Finn nodded in agreement. “I also think Alex and Daniella wouldn’t struggle as much with permits and building permission if they did it that way.”

They fell into silence, both looking at the ocean, but this time, the silence wasn’t as strained or awkward as it had been when he’d first arrived. He looked into his wine glass and knew they’d both been tiptoeing around the real reason Finn had shown up apparently unannounced at her door. While he was enjoying his time with Harriet more than he’d expected to, he knew they needed to discuss the elephant in the room.

He blew out a soft breath. “Harriet, while I enjoyed this evening, I think we need to talk about the reason I came here.”

He glanced at her, and her eyes widened in despair.

“Finn…” Harriet took a glug of wine. “I’m sorry. I should never have blurted out what I did to my parents. I was silly and I panicked.” She ran a hand through her hair. “My mother phoned Dawn to ask her, and my crazy friend endorsed my lie.” She closed her eyes and pursed her lips before continuing. “I was busy getting ready to leave Plum Island when Dawn rallied the troops. She brought Jennifer, Caroline, Daniella, and Carly with her to find out what was going on.”

“More wine?” Finn asked as he felt Harriet hadn’t finished explaining.

She nodded, and he busied himself, pouring as she continued.

“I told them I said it to buy myself some time to make travel arrangements and disappear until the smoke cleared.” Harriet waited for Finn to drop four ice cubes into the glass. “I had no idea they were going to drag you into my mess until Alex showed up.” She glanced at him. “Actually, it wasn’t until you knocked on my door that I realized what their big plan to help me was.” She dropped her head back and blew out a breath before looking at him. Her eyes shone with apology and mortification. “I’m so sorry, Finn. It’s not my plan to drag anyone else into my family’s politics and craziness.”

She fell quiet. Her head dropped, and she played with the ice in her drink, poking it with her index finger.

“Harriet, I want to help,” Finn said softly and gruffer than usual as he realized he meant it and smiled encouragingly at her. “Even if I didn’t want to, I’m afraid now that my daughter knows you’re a princess… she’d hound me until I did.”

“Oh no!” Harriet looked pained. “That’s another thing. Now everyone knows my dirty little secret.”

“It’s hardly dirty or little,” Finn pointed out. “But as a former surfing champion trying to live a quiet life incognito…” He drank some wine and paused. “I understand why you wouldn’t want to advertise who you were.”

“Thank you.” Harriet’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and her voice was soft. “And I’m sorry I stole your pickup and boat.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Finn laughed. “It was for a good cause.”

They fell silent for a few seconds before Harriet broke it.

“Thank you for wanting to help, Finn,” Harriet said. “That’s so sweet and kind.”

“I hear a but,” Finn said.

“But…” Harriet smiled. “This is my mess and my family drama. I couldn’t possibly drag you or any of my friends, who are my family, into this.”

“You’re not dragging anyone into anything,” Finn assured her. “We all want to help. Yes, including me.” He smiled as their eyes met. She is wonderful inside and out. “I’m sorry but I can’t take no for an answer, or I’ll have a lynch mob after me. Which means that wherever you’re running to, you’d better book for one more because I’m disappearing with you.”

That elicited a soft, rich laugh from Harriet. “I was thinking of visiting Cape Town.”

“That’s it!” Finn exaggerated with his hand. “Let’s go. I love Cape Town.”

Before she could answer, her phone rang. Finn saw Harriet frown.

“It’s Dawn.” Harriet looked at Finn. “Do you mind if I take it?”

“No.” Finn shook his head.

“Hello?” Harriet answered. “You’d better be phoning to grovel for interfering with my plans to move to Cape Town.”

Finn grinned and turned toward the ocean as he breathed in the cool evening air.

“What?” Harriet’s shocked voice had his head swiveling toward her as he looked at her questioningly. “Now?” She glanced at him wide-eyed and looked toward the door. “I…” She looked at Finn again. “I’ve got to go.” She hung up.

“What’s going on?” Finn asked worriedly.

“My parents!” Harriet said breathlessly. “They’re here, making their way up to my room.”

Finn looked at her, not registering the urgency in her voice or eyes for a minute before it dawned on him. “Oh!” he said, fumbling in his pocket and pulling out a beautiful diamond ring. “Here, put this on.”

“What?” Harriet looked at him dumbfounded.

“Here.” Finn took her ring finger and slid the ring on. “I guess we’re engaged.”

He saw the protest form on Harriet’s lips as there was a knock on her door. Harriet sat staring at the ring on her finger as if she was in a trance as another knock rapped at her door.

“Harriet,” Finn stood and pulled her up with him, “you need to close your mouth. There you go.” He smiled. She’s adorable. “You can do this.”

The knock resounded through the suite once again. “I’ll get it,” Finn said and, on impulse, leaned forward to kiss her forehead, the contact sending electric shocks through his system.

Finn gently pulled away, turned, and went to answer the door, taking a few deep breaths as he did. How hard can it be pretending to be engaged to a beautiful woman who just happens to be a freakin’ princess? As Finn wrapped his hand around the door handle, he hoped he could remember how he was supposed to greet royalty.

Finn pulled the door open and stood facing a woman who he, even without knowing who she was, would’ve known she was Harriet’s mother.

“You’re Finn?” Harriet’s mother looked at him in surprise.

“Yes.” Finn nodded with a warm smile. “You must be Harriet’s… sister?”

Julie Joyce’s face instantly lit with a smile. “Now that’s the oldest line in the book, young man.”

“Mother?” Harriet’s voice came from behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello, sweetheart,” Julie greeted her daughter as Finn stepped back to allow Julie to enter. “We had to come because your father wasn’t going to leave you to face your crazy uncle on your own.” She turned and smiled at Finn. “Although I see you already have a knight in shining armor at your side.” Her eyes widened as they fell on Harriet’s hand. “Oh my, what a beautiful ring.” She turned and looked at Finn. “Is this a family heirloom?”

Finn nodded. “Yes. It belonged to my mother.”

“Julie, I thought we were going to our room and calling Harriet before barging in on her,” Patrick Joyce said. He walked into the room, stopping when he saw Finn. “My goodness, I know you.” He held out his hand. “You’re that surfing champion.”

“Father, this is Finn,” Harriet said, going up to her father and hugging him. She turned and looked at Finn. Their eyes met and held. “My fiancé.”

Well, just like that, I’m engaged,Finn thought to himself just before all thoughts flew out of his head when Harriet linked her hand with his. This is going to be interesting and disturbing, he realized as he braced himself for what was to come.