Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Since Finlay and her ex had only moved into the house a week prior to the wedding, they hadn’t even finished unpacking boxes.
He’d already taken his things—and that included the couch his mom had given them, the TV, and the fancy grill he’d bought with this year’s bonus—so she didn’t have much to do to prepare for her new roommates.
Mostly, she had to finish putting her stuff away. She unloaded quickly and methodically, leaving the empty boxes in the hallway. She’d break them down and get rid of them right before Cody got home from school.
It should be sad, she knew that. She should be crying for all she’d lost.
For the husband she’d lost. The babies she’d planned on having.
Instead, her head was spinning with the absolute thrill of being with Jude McKenna. Even if it was fake, she got to live with the man she’d once wanted body and soul.
And pretending to be married to me and a mother to a kid that’s not yours is going to get you there?
Well, that was the thing. It would be the worst kind of torture. But if she went in knowing it was temporary, maybe she’d be okay.
And you know what? Maybe living with Jude would make her see him in a whole new light.
Maybe he’d be all dark and moody and keep to himself.
Or he’d chew loudly. See, those were all the details she didn’t know about him.
He might not brush his teeth every day. That would be gross.
Or what if he left clipped toenails all over the bathroom counter?
No, you know what would really do it? Turn her off completely? If he ignored Cody. If he scrolled through his phone instead of actually getting on the floor and doing puzzles with him. If he didn’t tuck him in at night—well, she wouldn’t stand for that.
As a child, she’d put herself to bed most nights, and the loneliness… Yeah, it wasn’t something she could bear to watch with Cody.
After cleaning the bathrooms, she checked the time. Jude would be there any minute. She collected the packing paper and hauled it into the garage. Both the recycling bin and garbage can were full, so she rolled them down the driveway to the curb.
The cloud cover made it extra cold, and light snow flurries had crystals dancing and swirling around her. What would Jude think of her neighborhood? It didn’t fit him at all.
Across the street, as a mom unloaded groceries from her SUV, her toddlers made snow angels on the lawn. I want that. I want that so much. Next door, a neighbor chatted with a friend through the window of an idling car. Plumes of exhaust rose into the frigid air.
She loved how everyone went all-out with Christmas decorations. Strings of lights dangled off eaves and wrapped around bushes. Front doors held wreaths with bright red bows, and giant ornaments hung heavily from branches. Some of the lawns had blow-up Santas, snowmen, and reindeer. It was magical.
When she started to turn back, she noticed a woman crossing the street.
Oh. Excitement sped through her. Is this it? Is it happening? She wasn’t sure if this was the woman who hosted the annual Christmas open house, but if it were…she’d waited a lifetime for this moment.
She checked her mailbox every single day in the hopes of getting that coveted invitation. Silly to have worried. Of course, she’d be invited. She lived there now.
With a welcoming smile, the older woman approached, clutching a dark green envelope in her gloved hand. “Well, hello there, neighbor. I’m Janice Atherton.”
“Finlay O’Neill. So nice to meet you.”
“Are you all settled in?” The woman tipped her head to the house.
“Getting there.” Finlay had wondered what kind of reception she’d get after running out on Matt, but it looked like everything would be all right.
That was awesome because she didn’t have grandparents, so the idea of this kind woman taking her under her wing just made her feel all kinds of good things.
“Well, that’s just great.” The woman smiled. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do. I was an interior designer back in the day, so if you need help with décor, I’d be glad to take a look.”
“I would love that.” On a teacher’s salary, that wouldn’t happen anytime soon, but it’d still be fun to make a batch of shortbread and a pot of tea and at least talk to her.
The woman’s arm lifted.
Here it comes. The invitation I’ve dreamed of getting since I was a teenager.
She had pictures on her vision board of candlelit homes, a grand Christmas tree laden with glittering ornaments, guests dressed up in holiday outfits—the women in sparkling jewels, the men in sweaters and slacks—and a buffet table crowded with festive platters.
Just when Mrs. Atherton started to extend her arm, a motorcycle roared up the street, and the woman froze.
The envelope hung between them. Not close enough for Finlay to take it.
The woman glanced around, as if making sure there were no kids for the rider to mow down. But it was Jude, and he’d never be that careless. After parking in the driveway, he got off the bike and set the helmet on the seat.
She had to make a split-second decision to either address the fiancé switcheroo or ignore it. But with Cody’s safety at stake, she had to keep up the fake engagement. “Hey, honey. Come over and say hello.”
He sauntered over, cutting across the snow-covered lawn, and just stared the woman down.
Not the time to scare the neighbors, honey. “Mrs. Atherton, this is—”
“I know Mr. McKenna.” The woman’s mask of politeness turned brittle.
Clearly, this woman had a history with Jude. Well, Finlay wouldn’t allow him to feel unwelcome over something he’d done as a child. She slid an arm through his and drew him up close. “He’s my fiancé.”
For the first time, Finlay understood the expression the color drained from her face.
“I see.” The woman lowered her arm. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair and let you settle in.” With that, she turned and walked away, taking the envelope with her.
“What was that about?” Jude asked.
“She was just welcoming us to the neighborhood.” She hurried back to the garage, her eyes stinging.
Jude followed her, hitting the remote to close the door and plunging them into darkness. She was about to head into the kitchen when his deep voice issued a command. “Hold up.”
She kept her back to him. He didn’t need to see how upset she was.
“Let me explain. A bunch of us went to the bonfire out at the Anderson’s farm back when they hosted them for the Fourth of July. We had no business being there, and her son let us know that. He and Marco got into a fight. I wasn’t part of it. I’m not the reason her son went to the hospital.”
“No, Jude.” He’d gotten it all wrong, but he didn’t need to know he’d cost her that invitation. She turned to face him, his features harsh in the dim light. “I’m not angry with you. Not at all.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Look, if this is going to work, if we’re going to live together, then we have to be honest. Besides, I can read you like a book.”
“It’s too dark in here to see anything.” That wasn’t entirely true. Light came from the bottom of the garage door.
“I see you. I always see you. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
Oh, that was really sweet. And had he moved closer? She didn’t think so, but it felt like he was crowding her against the door. “I’ve done a really stupid thing, and now I’m dealing with the consequences.”
“Meaning?”
“Well, I mean, two days ago, I was living here with Matt, and now, I’m here with a different guy and a little boy. How do I explain it?”
He gave a curt nod, as if to say, I can fix that. “We don’t have to live together to be engaged. Cody and I can stay with my dad.”
No, she wanted them there with her. She wanted her house to smell of pine from a freshly cut tree and warm, baking cookies.
She wanted to hear laughter coming from another room while she wrapped presents.
But also, his idea wouldn’t work. “Your dad lives too far away, especially in winter. I’d hate for Cody to miss more school when it’s so important to him. ”
“I’ll do whatever’s best for you. I don’t want to embarrass you in your new neighborhood.”
“I think we have to remember why we’re doing this.” Especially since, after the way that woman had treated Jude, Finlay’s interest in making friends had dropped several notches. “The only thing that matters is Cody, and as long as we give him the best Christmas, I don’t care what they think of me.”
“You might not feel that way after we move out. They’re going to be your neighbors for the rest of your life, and we’ll be long gone.”
It stung to hear that. We’ll be long gone. But it was a good reminder not to get too attached. This is just temporary.
And it wasn’t even the point. “I don’t think there’s much I can do about it.
I’ve just become the woman who ran from one fiancé into the arms of another.
It is what it is. You and Cody are moving in, and if they don’t want to invite me to their block parties, then they can go—” Her jaw snapped shut before she said a cuss word.
“Fuck themselves. Come on.” He tipped her chin. “You can say it. They’re just words.”
She tried not to swear at all. If it became a habit, it’d slip out in front of her kids, and she didn’t want to do that. But this situation merited it. “They can go fuck themselves.” Ooh, that felt good.
His thumb and finger tightened on her chin, and his gaze lingered on her mouth. “Say it again. Only take out all the other words.”
She laughed. “You’re an idiot. And you’ve just proven my other point. This situation I forced on you is going to cramp your style.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said that. Why don’t you just tell me what ‘style’ is code for?”
Did he really need her to spell it out? “You’re a man with needs. If we’re pretending to be engaged, you can’t hook up with other women. It’s a small town, and people will talk.”
“Then how will I get my needs met?”