Chapter 3
Chloe was unlike any woman Finn had ever known.
Quiet, self-contained, unimpressed with his flirting game and more focused on her dog than she was on him.
Finn was officially intrigued. He’d grown tired of women who threw themselves at him simply because they found him attractive.
Sure, he’d enjoyed the attention at one point in his life, but he was past that now.
Seeing Riley madly in love with Nikki had stirred something in him, a restlessness he’d never experienced before.
That restlessness had led him to the conclusion that it was time to go home and figure out the rest of his life.
But he didn’t need to think about leaving tonight when he had the intriguing Chloe to dine with.
He loved her small, colorful, eclectically decorated home that combined old and new pieces to create a cozy, comfortable atmosphere. Whereas he simply existed in the rental home he’d once shared with his father and brother, her house was truly a home. “Have you lived here long?”
“More than five years. I came out for my friend’s bachelorette party and fell in love with the island.”
“Was that your first time here?”
“Uh-huh. What about you?”
“I was here all the time as a kid, visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins. This time, I’ve been here almost two years.
Came out for my cousin Laura’s wedding and got bamboozled into staying to work for Mac.
My parents had just split, and my dad was in a bad place, so after he decided to stay for a while, my brother and I did, too. ”
“That was nice of you.”
He shrugged off the praise. “We like him. He’s a good guy, and he got kind of a raw deal from my mom.”
“How so?”
“After thirty years of marriage, she left him for another guy. He’d tell you now she did them both a favor, but at the time… It was ugly.”
“That’s shitty. Why couldn’t she just ask for a divorce?”
“That was our feeling, too, but we’ve moved on. He got remarried last Christmas, and his wife is expecting a baby soon.”
“Wow. How do you feel about a new sibling?”
“I’m excited.” That was the one major downside to his plan to move back to the mainland. He would miss out on seeing his younger brother or sister grow up. But he planned to be a frequent visitor. “My dad is really happy with Chelsea. That’s all that matters to me and Riley.”
“Chelsea is an amazing person. I love her.” Chloe cut the vegetables for salad while he prepared the garlic bread. “She’s crazy about your dad.”
“Yes, she is and vice versa. I suppose you know everyone on this island as the only one who cuts hair.”
“Not everyone. I didn’t know you before today.”
Finn laughed. “That’s true. I got my hair cut the last time I was home, which was about six months ago. I was long overdue.”
“I do know most of the women, though. They keep me busy.”
“Do you work by yourself?”
“I have one stylist who comes out for the summer. She likes it out here but can’t do the winters. That works out well because I’m much busier in the summer anyway. She’ll be here in June.”
“It’s cool how you managed to corner the market on something the island needed.”
“As soon as I realized they didn’t have a salon, I started making plans to open one.”
“That’s really amazing. I dream of owning my own business, and you made it happen at twenty-something. Very admirable.” He opened a box of pasta. “Do you have a couple of pots I could borrow?”
“Yep.”
While Ranger and his full belly lay off to the side, watching their every move, Chloe and Finn worked together to prepare dinner. When it was ready, they took their plates to the small kitchen table.
Finn opened a second beer while she refilled her water glass.
“This is nice. Thanks for inviting me over.”
“It was the garlic bread.” She took a bite, and her beautiful violet eyes lit up with delight. “Damn, that’s good.”
“Told you so.”
“Where’d you learn to cook?”
“Um, well, calling me a cook is being really, really generous. I know enough to survive, but I learned how to make garlic bread when I worked in an Italian restaurant in high school.”
“You learned well. Cut me another piece.”
Smiling, Finn did as directed.
“So much for my low-carb diet.”
“The low-carb diet goes against everything I believe in. Do you think anyone lies on their deathbed thinking ‘I’m so glad I stayed away from bread, pasta, potatoes, beer or my aunt Linda’s doughnuts’? I say no. No one wishes they had less of any of those things.”
“You’ve given this some significant thought.”
“Yes, I have. I don’t believe in deprivation. Moderation, sure. But deprivation—no.”
“Easy for you to say when you’re not carrying a single extra pound.”
“Neither are you.”
“Whatever you say.” Her tone dripped with disdain that delighted him.
“It’s true. Contrary to what popular culture wants us to believe, it’s actually quite sexy to have a little flesh on your bones.”
“Is that so?”
“Uh-huh. I’ve never been attracted to super-thin women, especially if they are super thin because they starve themselves. Life is too short. We need to eat, drink and be merry.” He cut another piece of garlic bread and nudged it in her direction.
“Easy, Satan. I’ve already had two pieces.”
“Awww, you gave me a nickname. Does that mean we’re going to be friends?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you have plenty of friends.”
Finn loved her sarcasm, her dry wit, the way her eyes sparkled. He liked the purple streaks in her dark hair, her amazing tattoo, the sparkling stud in her nose and her sassiness. “Tell me about your ink.” The last thing he wanted to talk about with this woman was other women.
She looked down at her colorful arm. “I’ve always loved to draw and paint.”
“Wait, you drew all that?” There was everything from birds to angels to demons and landscapes folded into a mosaic of color and conflict.
“Yes.” She seemed embarrassed to acknowledge her significant talent.
“That’s incredible. I’m truly impressed. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No, I really can’t.” He leaned in for a closer look and extended his hand. “May I?”
She eyed his hand warily. “Sure.”
He took hold of her left wrist and moved her arm so he could see the full sequence of images that depicted an angel running from a demon and prevailing after an epic battle. “This,” he said, trailing a light fingertip over her biceps, “is amazing. What inspired you to draw that?”
“Life.”
Finn wanted to unpack the baggage that came with the one-word answer, but he didn’t have the right to ask. Not yet anyway. “You’re very talented.”
“Thank you. I’m hoping to get the other arm done when I can afford it.” She withdrew her arm from his hold, got up to clear the table and began handwashing the dishes. “Check out the sunset.”
Finn stood to look out the kitchen window. The sky had exploded in a riot of pinks, oranges and purples. “Wow.”
“My favorite time of day on Gansett Island.”
He picked up a dish towel and began drying the dishes after she washed them. “Have you drawn it?”
“Many times, but I never seem to be able to capture the full beauty of it.”
“I’d love to see your drawings. I bet they’re fantastic.”
“They’re okay.”
Finn’s phone rang. He retrieved it from his pocket and saw Riley’s name on the caller ID. “Excuse me for one minute.”
“Go ahead.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“What’re you doing? We’re all at the Beachcomber. Niall is playing. Come on over.”
“I’ve got some other stuff going on tonight.” Finn glanced at Chloe, who was focused on the dishes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I thought you wanted to go out? What other stuff do you have to do?”
“Night, Ri.” Finn ended the call before his brother could get pushier. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. If you got a better offer, don’t decline on my behalf.”
“I got the better offer a couple of hours ago. I can hang out with my family any time.”
She used a dish towel to dry her hands, wincing.
“Are you okay?”
“My hands ache after a busy day at the salon.”
After noticing her swollen knuckles over dinner, Finn sensed there was more to it than that, but he didn’t ask. He wanted to, though. He really wanted to.
“Look, you seem like a nice guy, and this was fun—”
“But?”
She looked him dead in the eye. “I’m not interested.”
Stunned by her blunt comment, Finn could only stare at her for the longest time. In that moment, he realized he was very interested. Figured, right?
“I don’t mean to be rude.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I’ll, ah, just get going, then.” Finn grabbed his jacket from where he’d dropped it over a chair.
“Let me pack up your leftovers.”
“You can have them. No worries. Thanks for a fun dinner. I’ll see you around.
” After giving Ranger a pat on the head, he went out into the cool air, zipping his coat as he walked to the truck.
As he drove into town, he replayed everything that’d happened from the minute he walked into the salon until the second he exited her home.
This had been one of the more interesting and exhilarating evenings he’d ever spent with a woman, which was telling.
He was twenty-seven and had never experienced “chemistry” with a woman like he’d had with her from the first minute his head bounced off hers.
His thoughts were a jumbled mess of confusion and disappointment.
Women weren’t usually much of a mystery to him.
Missy was the only real “girlfriend” he’d had.
Since he’d been on the island, they had been off-again, but she’d always been there in the background, making it clear that he was the one she wanted when the time came to settle down—not that he’d encouraged that line of thinking in any way.
These days, he thought of her more as a good friend than anything more significant.