Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
F inn loved her.
Hearing him say the words with a rasp of pleasure against her ear was a tangible thing. Rose felt the words as if she could wrap her arms around them and carry them. She supposed she could, inside her heart.
A smile graced her lips as she slipped her feet into her daisy rain boots. Wearing gardening gloves, she worked alongside Finn to collect fallen branches and smaller pieces of debris downed by the storm.
I love you.
His words accompanied her as they traversed the partially flooded and obscured trail that led through the woods to Finn’s childhood home. They repeated the cleanup process there until a small pile of branches lay at the end of the short driveway.
The three words echoed as they returned to the woods. They held power. Her former fiance had abused their meaning. She’d dreaded hearing them from him with his tone of condescension once they became engaged.
She hadn’t said them back to Finn. He’d covered her mouth with another kiss as soon as the last syllable left his lips. Was she ready to share her feelings with him?
A hint of blue sky beckoned ahead of them over the path they took toward town. The sound of distant chainsaws permeated the air. They saw downed trees on top of power lines while crossing Evers Hollow’s main road.
As they walked, Rose asked him questions about his residency, the people he worked with, and his life in Asheville. He answered her, also telling him about the little boy next door to him who was determined to become a World Cup soccer player.
“Landon’s having a birthday party in a few weeks. Want to go with me? We could stay at my place. You could meet some of my friends there.”
“I’d like that.”
She loved him. With Finn, things would be different—real, forever, what she’d always wanted with someone. She only had to say the words.
Everyone’s power on Ash Street was out. A couple of blocks over, Firebrew’s was on.
The coffee house was crowded. Molly looked frayed by the time they got to the counter.
A wide headband tied back her curls. The usual jewelry she wore was absent.
Shirley appeared in a similar state. The baked goods in the glass case were nearly cleaned out.
She and Finn each chose a muffin and coffee.
Rose grabbed a nearby table as soon as one became available.
Once seated, Finn asked, “Do I get to ask questions now?”
Rose lifted a shoulder. “With everything going on here, I feel you’ve heard too much about me.”
“Not everything.”
She picked up her mug. “Such as?”
“Why Criminy Mysteries?”
Nostalgia seeped into her. “Remember Mr. Munstead?”
“The gardener?”
“Yes. I helped him in the garden each time I came home.”
He said, “You helped him when we were younger, too. Roped me into it a few times.”
She nodded as she finished her last bite of muffin. “I told him all our stories growing up. He loved them. Suggested I write them down, see if they’d get published. One of my professors agreed.”
“I’m happy for you. You’ve made a career with it.”
“I still see Mr. Munstead,” she said. “He moved in with his daughter and her husband after he retired. We meet for a meal from time to time. Sometimes at Briar House so he can keep an eye on the maintenance of his work. They found a new pair of rain boots for me recently. Wildflowers. A little big, but I figure I’ll wear extra thick socks. ”
“Your rain boots—every time I see a pair, I think of you.”
Her cheeks flushed. She pressed her fingers over the crumbs on her plate.
Finn asked, “What’d you do before that in New York?”
“I was a columnist for a ladies’ magazine. Not very exciting, but I got my pinky toe in. The rest I had to work harder for. I wrote short stories in my spare time and had some published in magazines.”
“When’s your next book come out?”
“Beginning of next year.”
“What’s it about?”
“The dog.”
He winced. “That’ll be a hard one.”
Rose reached for her mug again. “Yes. It’s been a struggle to write it for a middle grade audience.”
“I heard the cops solved it, caught the killer.”
“Yes, it took awhile. They arrested someone in Florida. Lover’s quarrel.”
“How will you make it kid friendly?”
Rose set her empty mug down. “The dog will find a live person needing help.”
“Its owner.” Finn said.
“Exactly.”