17. Gauntlet
Gauntlet
W hy was she so nervous? Haley smoothed her denim skirt and ensured that her top was wrinkle-free. She checked the mirror and reassured herself that her hair didn’t look as frazzled as she felt. Accepting that she was what she was, she hopped out of the car.
The house was pure adorable. Cheerful blue siding, bright as the summer sky, and was accented by charcoal gray trim and white window frames.
No annuals this year, but the established perennials declared the curb appeal was timeless.
Fine gravel was lined by solar powered lights that accented a welcoming path; the concrete steppingstones guided her to the front porch.
Reaching the front door, she took a steadying breath before ringing the bell. Zoe appeared seconds later, swinging open the door. “Haley, I’m so glad you came. Come on in.”
“You have a beautiful home.” She stepped into the eight-foot square entry.
A wide opening ahead led to the kitchen and what she suspected was a connecting family room.
To the left, a short hallway led to a formal living room that looked untouched, with another hallway that looked to connect a main bedroom.
Also to the left, a narrow stairwell with steep steps told the true age of the structure.
A coat closet was on her right, concealed with louvered doors.
Noting the recently vacuumed floors and Zoe’s fluffy green socks, she kicked off her ankle boots and set them in the basket.
“Oh, you don’t have to take off those cute shoes. We’re casual around here.”
“No worries. The floors look so nice, I’d hate to be the one to mess them up.”
Zoe laughed, “Pops insisted we prepare for our guest. We haven’t really had anyone over since Mom passed, so we’ve all had to remind ourselves what manners look like.”
From the kitchen, she heard Finn’s rumbling voice holler, “Haley?” Appearing seconds later, Finn was wiping his hands on a pink tea towel, looking adorably flustered. “Sorry, kitchen emergency.”
Glancing behind him, she asked, “I’m good, do you need to take care of it?”
“Nah.” He grinned, tossing the towel back with an easy lateral into the kitchen, not looking to see that it had landed on the corner of the island as intended.
A voice remarkably similar to Finn’s griped from the kitchen, “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got eight arms.”
Zoe rolled her eyes. “That’s our little brother. He’s helpless. I’ll fix it.” As she wandered into the kitchen, Haley watched as she shrugged before disappearing around the corner. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, I’m here.”
Finally alone, Finn leaned against the doorway and grinned at Haley.
Her cheeks heated as she suddenly felt completely on the spot, toes curling inward on the worn linoleum floor of his entry as he stood so at home, grinning like a fool, barefoot in old jeans and a faded black t-shirt, gauging her impression of his family.
An exasperated voice bellowed from the family room, “Finn? What channel is the game on?”
“NBC,” Finn hollered over his shoulder, then looked back at Haley and grinned again. “Want to risk the chaos, or head straight upstairs so I can show you my bedroom?”
Rolling her eyes, she set her hands on her hips. “And miss the Seahawks?”
Tsking, he stepped closer and wrapped his hands around her waist. “I’m only letting that slide since the Fire don’t play until tomorrow.
First game of the season, first game without me.
We’ll see how they fare.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers.
“But I’d better still be your favorite player. ”
Nipping at his lip, she teased, “You’ve always been on my fantasy league.”
“MVP?”
“Hall of Fame.”
Groaning, he pulled her hips tight against his, kissing her again.
From the family room, she heard another holler, “Finn? Stop making out with your rebound and help me figure this thing out.”
Without releasing her, he shut his eyes and cringed under the closed lids. “As part of his man cave, he switched to satellite so he can watch any game at any time.” He slid his hand into hers and led the way into the fray.
The kitchen was bigger than she had expected, bright and open with high ceilings overlooking the family room.
Lighting up as they approached, Scott tossed down the remote and hopped up the four steps from the family room to the kitchen where she stood next to Finn.
Like his son, he moved like a gazelle. Strikingly handsome, he looked remarkably like Finn, plus twenty years, if that.
“You must be Haley. It’s nice to finally meet you. ”
Accepting the friendly handshake, Haley was so disarmed by the casual ease of the home, the family, she felt the tension drain from her shoulders. “It’s great to meet you Mr. Halseth.”
“Scott, please.” He winked, then released her hand. “Can I get you something to drink? Beer? Lemonade? Water?”
“I’d love a beer.”
Finn squeezed her hand. “I can grab some.”
Scott shook his head. “No, you figure out that damn TV. I’ll bring you a beer if you can get me Seahawks.” He turned to Haley. “We’ve got the latest from Zane. Why don’t you come pick out what you’d like.”
How many parties had she been the one offering drinks? Not serving them, of course. She’d snag an occasion-specific signature apéritif from a caterer’s tray and toast with her guests.
“Great.” She smiled, following him toward the fridge.
From the oven, another handsome Halseth turned and waved. “Hi Haley. I’m Evan. Hope you like halibut. If Finn didn’t butcher it beyond salvaging.”
Finn griped from the family room, “Next time, buy it de-boned, dipshit.”
Haley flipped her hair to its usual part, forgetting about her wound she’d been hiding. Chopping a bunch of spinach at the island, Zoe caught sight of the scar. “Oo, is that from the fall? That’s a doozy.”
Of course he’d told his family. Haley was realizing that the Halseths told each other everything. No wonder they were so relaxed around each other. No secrets, no sneaking around, no worrying about silent judgment. “Yes. I probably should have gotten stitches.”
Scott pulled out a handful of beers. “Just make up a good story. Like you were diving off the Great Barrier Reef.”
“As if falling off a cliff isn’t daring enough?” She jabbed back, laughing at the charming quirkiness that was the Halseth family.
Displaying the variety for her to choose from on the island, Scott nodded appreciatively. “That is impressive all on its own. Pick your poison.”
She grinned again, her cheeks almost growing sore from smiling so much around genuinely enjoyable people. “I’ll take the Hound of Hell. I haven’t tried that one yet.”
“Good choice.” He poured a few into glasses for those ready for football. “Evan? Zoe? Want a beer or not yet?”
Jumping back as oil from the pan splattered as he set a battered strip of fish in for homemade fish and chips, Evan winced. “Now would be good. This may cause severe burns. May as well start numbing the pain.”
Snorting, Zoe glanced back at his progress. “Join the club. You need to spend more time at the restaurant rather than lazing about while your meats cook themselves in the smoker, turning them every so often so you look like you have something to contribute.”
He flipped her off, grabbed a beer gratefully from Scott, and stood back as he used some long-handled tongs to flip another fish.
Scott motioned down the few steps to the family room. “We’ll leave them to it. Now, down to the important stuff. Can you make this place into a man cave?”
Nodding, she scoped out the mid-sized family room. “I can’t say that I’ve ever made a man cave, but I’ve got some ideas. I’d like to see what you have already so I know what we’re starting with.”
Finn leaned forward from his spot on the couch and took her hand, pulling her back to sit next to him. “Don’t do it. You’ll get trapped in there forever.”
“What?”
Scott snorted, plopped on the floral armchair, and aimed toward the game.
“I’ve got a few boxes in the garage of sports memorabilia.
From games I’ve been to, pretty much everything ever printed with Finn’s name on it, some stuff from my stint at Arizona State.
And, of course, some from the high school team. ”
Haley winked conspiratorially. “I’ll come over sometime when Finn’s at work so we won’t be interrupted.”
Tracing his thumb over their joined hands, Finn squeezed a subtle affirmation, while saying out loud, “If you’re still sorting all that crap out after I close up the bar that night, I’m not rescuing you. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Assessing the room, Haley asked, “What’s your budget and what specifics are you looking for?
” Not that she’d ever even considered a man cave, but she enjoyed a challenge.
Nor had she ever walked into a room she didn’t have mentally redecorated within twenty minutes, but sharing her ideas out loud was generally not considered socially acceptable.
Scott ran through some numbers, some ideas he’d been bouncing around.
“Nothing too cave-like. I mean, we have the formal living room that I’d eventually like to update into a place people actually want to sit, or for grandkids to play in if these goofballs ever get around to it.
But I want this room to say, ‘come on in, put your feet up, and watch the game’. ”