Chapter 27 #2
Though he said what she needed to hear, Chloe still had her doubts. What father would want to see his twenty-seven-year-old son settling down with a woman who could one day, in the not so distant future, be physically disabled?
“Whatever you’re thinking, knock it off.”
“I’m not thinking anything.”
“Oh, yes, you are. You’re thinking about all the bad things. Let’s think about the good things, shall we? Like last night. That was a good thing, wasn’t it?”
“A very good thing.”
“And the night before. And the one before that…” He shivered. “I swear to God, I can’t even think about it without embarrassing myself.”
“Bedtime has become my favorite part of the day.”
He brought her hand to his lips and carefully kissed each of her swollen knuckles. “Mine, too. You’re all I think about, sweet Chloe, so whatever you’re worried about, let it go. No matter what happens with my dad, we’ll still be going home together after. Tonight and every night from now on.”
“You’re so certain.”
“You’re not?”
“I want to be.”
“You can be. It’s all good, babe. I swear. It’s never been better.”
He made her want to believe in rainbows and unicorns and happily ever afters. Even when she told him she would never get married, he’d taken it in stride and continued to dazzle her with his presence—to the point that she could no longer remember what life had been like before him.
Life hadn’t been as much fun before him, that’s for sure. In the days that she’d spent with him, she’d laughed more than at any time. He made her laugh, he made her think, he made her want things she’d never wanted before, and he made her scream from the pleasure they found together.
“I talked to Big Mac today, and he and my aunt Linda are very interested in the spa idea, but they’d want to put it at the hotel in North Harbor rather than at the Wayfarer. They have plenty of space on the North Harbor property and feel it would be a better fit there. What do you think?”
“I suppose that could work, but I’d lose the walk-in business that I get in town.”
“So keep the Curl Up and Dye open. Nothing says the spa has to include a salon. If you keep the place in town devoted to hair and everything else at the spa, then they wouldn’t be in competition.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” she said, impressed and amazed by the effort he was putting into solving her problems.
“It’s important to you, so it’s important to me.”
“I just hope your aunt and uncle aren’t doing this just for me.”
“Sweetheart, they’re brilliant businesspeople, and the only way they’d take on something like this is if they think it’s a great idea, too. Aunt Linda is already talking about off-season spa and breakfast packages and marketing them to women as a getaway.”
“I’m excited to be involved in this, and I just want to thank you for suggesting it to them. I really appreciate it.”
“I’m just glad they went for it and that it gives you one less thing to worry about.”
“You have no idea what it means to me that you came up with this idea and sold it to your aunt and uncle.”
“I know, sweetheart. I just hope it works out.”
They arrived at his dad’s home, the small house that had been Chelsea’s before they were married.
Finn cut the engine and glanced over at her. “Everything will be fine with my dad, so don’t be nervous. Okay?”
Chloe nodded, deciding to trust him even as butterflies stormed around in her belly.
“Wait for me.” He insisted on helping her out of his truck every time they went anywhere together. Opening the passenger door, he surprised her when he put his arms around her. “Any time it’s too much for you, reach for me. I’ll be right there with you.”
God, she loved him. How was that possible after only knowing him for ten days? She didn’t know the how of it, but there was no question that this was love. She loved him, and judging by the way he looked at her, he felt the same way.
“Come on.” Keeping his arms around her, he lifted her out of the truck and let her down easy, holding on until she had her feet under her.
“You’re going to throw your back out hauling me around like that.”
“Please…” His tone dripped with disdain. “You’re a feather.”
“Sure I am.”
He patted her on the ass and directed her to the front door, where his dad waited for them wearing a big smile and an apron that said, “Kiss the Cook.”
“Sexy, Dad,” Finn said.
“It was a gift from my wife.” He hugged his son and then surprised Chloe by hugging her, too. “Welcome to my humble home.”
“Thanks for having me.” She handed him the bottle of Chardonnay she’d picked up on the way home from the salon.
“It’s a pleasure.”
“What’s for dinner?” Finn asked. “I’m starving.”
“I got lobster that was caught today.”
“Oh, yum.” Finn glanced at Chloe. “You like lobster, right?”
“Ah, yeah, I love it.” She was immediately concerned about whether she’d have to break open the shells. Even with the tools, that might be a challenge for her.
“I gotcha covered, babe.” Finn spoke in a low tone that only she could hear. “Don’t worry.”
And that, right there, was why she loved him. Because he understood her, he saw her so completely, like no one else ever had. She offered him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
“Drinks?” Kevin asked.
“I’ll have a beer, and ice water is good for Chloe.”
“Coming right up.”
They took their drinks to the back porch, where Kevin had a pot simmering on the stove attached to the most elaborate grill Chloe had ever seen.
“That’s quite a setup,” she said.
“A man and his grill,” Kevin said with the same disarming smile his sons had.
“Dad is very serious about his grill. Riley and I used to joke that he liked his grill better than us.”
“There were times, especially during the teenage years, when that was actually true.”
Chloe laughed at the face Finn made.
“We weren’t that bad.”
Speaking directly to Chloe, Kevin said, “They were that bad. Worse than bad sometimes.”
“I believe you.”
Kevin cracked up laughing. “I like you, Chloe.”
“Thank you.”
“You can’t think he’s funny,” Finn said. “That’s not allowed.”
“Oh, sorry, you should’ve told me that before we came.”
“I did tell you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
Kevin rolled his eyes. “I believe Chloe.”
“This is a tough crowd,” Finn said, smirking at her.
She appreciated the laughter and the humor that had put her at ease with Kevin. The McCarthys had a unique gift for making everyone feel welcome and included, and she should have known that Kevin would be no different than the rest of his family that way.
“I’m glad we could finally find a night to do this,” Kevin said, sipping from his beer.
“We are, too,” Finn said. “Chloe and I appreciate you feeding us.”
“That’s always my pleasure. You know that.” Kevin leaned on the table. “I have to confess to being surprised that you were interested in my professional services.” To Chloe, he said, “Neither of my sons has ever wanted my advice about anything.”
Finn sputtered with outrage. “That’s not true!”
Kevin laughed. “Trust me, it’s true. So, what’s going on?” He looked to Finn, then Chloe and back to Finn.
Chloe glanced at Finn. “May I?”
He gestured to give her the floor. “Go for it.”
She placed her hands flat on the table. “I was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.”
“I wondered if that’s what it was.”
Chloe stared at Kevin, stunned. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve noticed your hands when you were cutting my hair.”
“You already knew.”
“I suspected. I didn’t know for sure until now.”
Chloe sat back in her seat, uncertain of how to proceed.
Finn picked up the slack for her. “Chloe is concerned about the impact of her condition on our relationship, among other things.”
“Which is totally understandable.”
“It’s not going to get better from here,” she said. “In fact, it’s actually been getting worse.”
“From what I understand, it can take a while to settle on a treatment plan. What works for one RA patient does nothing for another.”
“Yes, that’s what David has told me.”
“How long have you been under treatment?”
“About a month. It took a long time to get an actual diagnosis.”
“Were you negative for the RA factor?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, that does make for a tougher diagnosis. And it’s probably too soon to tell for sure if the current meds are going to work for you.”
“They’ve helped somewhat, but my hands are the biggest problem I have.”
“And you need them to earn a living.”
“Exactly. Becoming disabled is my greatest fear. Without a job, I can’t afford health insurance, and without that…”
“I totally understand where you’re coming from. What do you think, son?”
Finn turned his formidable gaze on her. “I think Chloe is the most exceptional human being I’ve ever met, and in case she hasn’t already figured it out, I’m madly in love with her, and other than my concerns about her well-being, I don’t give a flying fuck about anything other than spending as much time with her as I possibly can, every day for the rest of my life. ”
Chloe felt like she’d been hit by lightning—again. To hear him say that, out loud, in front of his dad no less… She had no idea what to say. No, wait, that wasn’t true. She knew exactly what she needed to say. “I love you, too.”
And then he was kissing her as if they were alone rather than at a table with his dad watching their every move.
Kevin’s chair scraped on the patio as he got up. “I’ll just, um, give you guys a minute.”
They came up for air many minutes later, and Chloe could only stare at him. “You’re too much.”
“Was it too soon?”
She shook her head and blinked back tears as she caressed his face. “It was perfect. I’ll never forget it.”
“I’ll never forget you saying you feel the same way.”
“How could I not? You’re…everything.”
“It’s the same for me, sweetheart. Let me ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“If I went to work one day and fell off a ladder and broke both my legs and couldn’t work for months, would that change the way you feel about me?”
“Of course not. I’d take care of you.”