Chapter 5 #2
“And not just because you’re the only one who cuts hair on this island.”
They shared a laugh that filled Chloe with a sense of belonging that had eluded her for so much of her life.
In that moment, she realized that for all the effort she’d put into building her business relationships on the island, she hadn’t spent nearly enough time on her personal ties. Perhaps it was time to change that.
“So Finn…” Katie raised her brows.
“Is the sexiest thing on two legs I’ve seen in quite some time.”
“I’d agree with you, but I happen to think his cousin is the sexiest thing on two legs.”
“You have to think that. You’re marrying the guy in a couple of weeks.”
“It’s also true.”
Chloe laughed. “Spoken like a loyal fiancée.”
“I call it like I see it.”
“I saw Shane at the Wayfarer, and he said to tell his girl hello.”
“He’s so sweet.” Resting her arms on the table, Katie leaned in.
“And for what it’s worth, Finn is a good guy.
They all are. They were raised by three of the finest men I’ve ever known, and they sure know how to treat the women in their lives.
Shane makes me feel like a queen on a daily basis, and I know the other McCarthy spouses and girlfriends feel the same. They’re amazing men.”
The thought of being treated like a queen by Finn McCarthy filled Chloe with yearning to know what that might be like.
But she no sooner had those thoughts than she shook them off, remembering that he planned to leave the island soon and nothing good could come from indulging the attraction she’d experienced with him.
She had another reason for remaining unattached, and she couldn’t forget that either.
“That’s good to know, but he’s a short-timer.
I don’t need to get excited about him and then have him leave. ”
“I hate that he’s leaving. Shane will be so bummed. He loves having all his cousins here. Did he say why he was going?”
“Not to me.”
“Well, that’s too bad. I like the idea of you seeing him.”
“Eh, it was over before it began. No biggie.” Though Chloe projected an aura of indifference, the disappointment stayed with her for the rest of the day.
Finn finished his workday and rushed home to shower and shave.
He had a date. An actual date with a woman who interested him, a woman who’d said she was sorry to hear he was leaving the island.
That simple statement had him rethinking everything.
If he stayed, would she be in the picture?
If so, she would be enough to change his plans.
“Stop.” He spoke to his reflection in the mirror as he shaved.
“You already made your decision, and you aren’t going to change your plans for a woman you only just met.
” Except… “No. Tonight is just another night with the family and nothing more. Stick to the script.” Maybe if he kept telling himself it was just another night, he might start to believe his own bullshit.
His reaction to her defied explanation or reason.
All he knew was that the minute he walked into the salon and saw her, the air around him had felt different, charged with something bigger than anything he’d felt before.
He felt stupid explaining it to himself that way, so he couldn’t imagine trying to explain it to anyone else.
Over the weekend that he’d spent partially with Riley and Nik and partially alone, he’d decided the reaction to her had been an anomaly.
A one-off. The result of meeting a sexy woman he found attractive.
By the time Monday had rolled around, he’d written off the entire experience as irrelevant.
She’d said she wasn’t interested. His father had taught him from an early age how to accept no as an answer from a woman.
And then she’d shown up at the Wayfarer earlier, and it was game back on. The same feeling of electricity in the air had accompanied her into his space, leaving him feeling amped the way he did when he drank too much coffee.
I wish you weren’t leaving.
God, how many times had he relived that moment in the hours since she left?
Hundreds? It wasn’t only the words, which had been powerful in their own right.
He was haunted by how she’d looked at him as she said them, as if she saw something special in him and was sorry to miss out on whatever they could’ve been.
With his hands on either side of the pedestal sink, he dropped his head, hoping to alleviate the tension that’d gathered in his neck. He’d turned this date into a big deal when he knew it couldn’t be.
His phone buzzed with a text that snapped him out of his thoughts.
Hey baby! Counting down the days until you get home. Can’t wait to see you. Love you!
The text from Missy reminded him of the unfinished business he had with her.
He replied to her text with a smile emoji, his stomach aching from the odd sense of dismay that had come over him when he read her text.
He didn’t want to hear from her. He wanted to hear from Chloe, which was bonkers considering he’d known Missy for years and Chloe for days.
As he got dressed in a clean button-down and jeans, he thought about what his dad and Riley would have to say about him “going home to Missy.” Even if that wasn’t exactly what he was doing.
He was going home to work and figure out his life.
If Missy was part of that life, that would be his call to make and no one else’s.
He refused to allow his dad or brother to get so far inside his head that they made major life decisions for him.
Missy had made it clear she wanted to be on-again, texting and calling frequently to tell him she missed him, she loved him and wanted to start over, this time as adults and not the stupid kids they’d been way back when.
They’d both changed and matured and held on to their friendship for all the time they’d been apart. That had to count for something.
He wanted to be fair to her, to judge her on the person she was today, not who she’d been in the past when their relationship had bordered on toxic at times.
That was what his dad and brother remembered.
They hadn’t been privy to the good times—and there’d been a lot of them.
Enough to keep him in touch with her for the two years he’d been gone.
But tonight wasn’t about her, he thought as he got into his truck. Tonight was for Chloe and his family. There’d be plenty of time later to figure out what he was going to do about Missy and the unfinished business he had with her.