5. Finn #2
“Do you need a hand carrying it to your car?” Chester was back to being professional, reminding me of the barriers between us. The ones he wanted there.
The ones I wouldn’t cross without an invitation.
Fuck.
Well, hopefully he had someone in his life who’d go above and beyond for him. I wasn’t even jealous of whoever that man might be.
I just hoped he gave this kind soul the happiness he deserved.
“No, I’ll manage.” Ismiled up at the man who’d healed a part of me without even realising it.“Thank ye again. This is truly beautiful.”
The only outward sign of his pleasure was the pink in his cheeks. He was completely professional as he took my payment and invited me to stop by for any future needs.
I wouldn’t. As delightful as Chester was, I couldn’t.
My wolf was already too attached and I knew next to nothing about the man.
If I let myself keep coming down here, one day I wouldn’t be able to leave.
The control I’d prided myself on would be slowly eroded by Chester’s soft smiles and quiet blushes.
I had to exercise it now before it was too late.
I’d have to find a new swimming spot too. Distance was what I needed. Miles upon miles between me and the man who made me feel too much.
“Thank you and take care,” I said, holding Chester’s gaze steadily. “You’re a wonderful person, Chester. I’m so grateful I came in.”
He smiled almost wistfully. “Me too. Take care, Finn.”
My wolf howled as I carefully lifted the box and carried it out of the shop. I took my time putting the box in my boot. I used the excuse that I was making sure it was secure, but in truth, I think I was stalling. Waiting to see if Chester would come out after me. Maybe ask me out for coffee.
Keep dreaming, Finn.
With the box packed in with jumpers and an old scarf I’d found in the back seat, there was no reason to hang around any longer. Closing the boot, I stepped back onto the pavement as the door to the shop opened. My head twisted around so fast that, if I were human, I would’ve got whiplash.
Disappointment hit me like a sledgehammer when it wasn’t Chester who stepped out, but Reid. “Oh good, you’re still here.”
I pasted on a smile. “Did I forget something? ”
“Nope.” Reid bounced on his toes, glancing back at the shop. “I have to be quick before Chester realises I’ve left.”
I groaned inwardly. “Listen, I’m flattered but?—”
“Oh please.” Reid waved a hand dismissively. “Trust me, hitting on you is the last thing I want to do now. No, I want to talk to you about Chester.”
“Okaaay…” Now I was the one glancing at the shop. “Does he know you’re speaking to me?”
“Fuck no. He’d have my guts for garters. Metaphorically, of course. I don’t think Chester is capable of hurting a fly.”
No, I didn’t think he was. “Maybe ye shouldn’t be speaking to me about it then, whatever it is. I don’t want ye to betray his confidence and I certainly don’t want to be part of anything that might cause him upset.”
Reid bit his lip before shaking his head. “No, I need to say this. I’ll kick myself if I don’t. That’s not something I recommend, by the way. This boy I knew once—Trevor, his name was—he tried to do that and tore his scrotum.”
I winced and instinctively dropped my hands to cover my groin.
“I wonder if it ever healed?” Reid tapped his chin, oblivious to my horror.
“I should try and track him down online and ask. I think Jemma is still friends with him. Oh, if I speak to her I must ask her for her brownie recipe. The last batch I tried were rubbish. That’s probably because I forgot I was baking them and left them in for an extra hour.
Or two. That’s not my fault though. I was playing the new Demon Hunters game and got distracted. Have you played it?”
“Umm, no.” I tried to keep up with his thought process and immediately gave up. “What does this have to do with Chester? ”
“What?” He stared at me blankly for a moment.“Oh! Sorry, nothing. My brain does that sometimes. Too many train tracks and not enough conductors.”
“That’s okay.” I smiled at him, privately vowing never to introduce him to Logan. None of us would ever get a word in again. “But maybe ye should say what ye want before he notices you’re missing.”
“You’re right.” Reid took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “You like him, yes?”
My brows shot up. “I don’t know him well enough to answer that. And even if I did, I’m too much of a gentleman to share that with ye.”
Reid snorts. “A gentleman, sure. Until the clothes come off, I imagine.” Before I could deal with that comment, he rattled on.
“Listen, Chester is a great bloke. The best, really. He never gives me shit when I lose track of time or spend too long fixating on a particular bouquet. I’ve been fired from more jobs than I can count because of my ADHD, but Chester…
he understands. He doesn’t try to ‘fix’ me, he just works with what I can give him at that moment. ”
Suddenly, I understood Chester’s defensiveness when I’d questioned his tolerance of his employee’s timekeeping. “He sounds like a wonderful employer.”
“He is.” Reid shuffled uncertainly. “And he deserves to be happy.”
“Is he not? Happy, that is.”
“No.” Reid wrapped his arms around his torso.
“He doesn’t talk much about his past, but I think something happened to him.
He has these moments, flashes really, where he’s bright and cheerful.
Then he pulls himself back in, like he’s frightened someone’s about to tell him off for expressing emotion. ”
I froze, replaying my few encounters with Chester. Shit, Reid was right. That was exactly what he did.
“He doesn’t have any life outside the shop.” Reid spoke fast, his confession hushed. “He works and then he goes home. That’s it. He doesn’t date, doesn’t socialise, doesn’t have any family. He’s all alone.”
I dropped back against my car, raking a hand down my face. Fuck. It wasn’t like I had a lot going on, but I had the clan. I had my brother and the others. “Why are ye telling me this?”
“Because you made him smile,” Reid said solemnly. “I haven’t seen him smile before. Not like that. The professional, boring one, sure. But the one he gave you? That was new.”
My wolf was trying to haul me back towards the shop, desperate for more smiles. “Chester isn’t interested in anything with me.”
“Chester doesn’t know what he wants. Like I said, he doesn’t talk about what happened before he moved here, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good.”
I ran through everything Reid had said then sighed. “I think ye might be right, but that’s exactly why I canna pursue him, Reid. If he’s been hurt in the past, the worst thing I can do is force something he doesn’t want.”
“I’m not asking you to force something.” Reid gave me a withering look. “I’m asking you to be there for him. I don’t think he’s in danger now, but I can’t guarantee it. I think he’s run away from someone.”
My hackles raised. “Who?”
Reid shrugged. “I don’t know, but I won’t lie, I’d feel better if I knew you were looking out for him too. That’s what I’m asking you for, Finn. Keep showing up. Let Chester get to know you. Show him that he can trust you. That you can keep him safe.”
My eyes narrowed. “What makes ye think those things are true?”
“Because I know who you are, Finlay McCarthy, leader of the McCarthy Clan.”
I froze. “But…you’re human.”
Reid rolled his eyes. “No points for astuteness, counsellor. Let’s just say I’m in the know and leave it at that. Your reputation precedes you. You’re known to be kind, just, and fiercely protective. Exactly the qualities Chester needs.”
I was completely speechless as Reid winked and walked backwards towards the shop. “Just think about it, Finn. And don’t worry, your furry secret is safe with me.”