Chapter 8
Vee
Leaving Maker’s Mark, I gazed around the parking lot illuminated by tall lights, the cold crystalizing in halos around each one.
The dusting of snow from earlier sparkled like tiny diamonds.
As Fin drove us home, I recounted my conversation with Grant.
I didn’t leave out a sordid detail. I even confessed that I’d contacted Det. Oldson yesterday morning.
I shook my head.
It seemed like more time had passed.
Fin listened, his knuckles blanching as he tightened his grip of the steering wheel. “I was ready to deck him when I entered your office.”
My lips curled with a memory. “That might have affected your scholarship.”
He turned with a grin. “Only you can make light of your cousin yelling at and threatening you.”
“I’m not making light. I’m choosing happiness.”
“If I punched out Grant Marsh, who would have final say on cutting me from the team?”
Humming, I joked, “Let me enjoy that vision for a moment.”
“Grant or his father? Coach Tilson?”
I inhaled. “Final say would be me.”
His grin was back.
I continued. “But all the people you mentioned would be involved. As much as I love and appreciate the idea of you standing up for me, physically attacking anyone isn’t recommended. Besides, I’ve dealt with Grant my whole life. He doesn’t scare me.”
He furrowed his brow. “Why would he confess all of that to you?”
“I don’t know. It didn’t feel like a confession as much as an announcement. He’s standing with Daphne and assumed I somehow precipitated the detective questioning her.”
Fin’s strong lips quirked. “You did.”
“I did, but I didn’t admit that. I was convinced that Bre had been wrongfully accused. Now I’m as confused as ever.”
Outside the Vine, lights twinkled in the trees.
Fin parked his truck in the garage. Despite the garage being covered, the air was cool.
I pushed my hands into my coat pockets. As we walked to the elevator, a realization came to mind.
Even the most mundane things felt right at Fin’s side.
He had confidence in his being that radiated through the air.
His height and muscular build were his armor.
At his side, I had a sense of security and vulnerability.
Those two things seemed to contradict one another, but in reality, one wasn’t possible without the other.
A gentleman waited near the elevator doors. As we approached, Fin casually placed his right hand in the small of my back. The man nodded as the elevator arrived.
I stepped in first, followed by the older man.
Fin slid in, taking his place at my side as his hand again made contact.
More people joined us on the first floor.
It wasn’t that past situations like this made me uncomfortable; I was confident on my own.
It was that in Fin’s presence, I felt reassured.
We rode in silence as residents got off on various floors. After the last couple got off on the fifth floor, I leaned into Fin and smiled. He brought his lips to my hair and kissed me.
Once inside the condo, I entered the security code into the panel, and Fin flipped the switch, bringing light to the darkness. The sky beyond the windows was dark, the only illumination coming from the lights stories below.
Fin continued our earlier conversation. “Now are you sorry you called the detective?”
I exhaled. “I don’t know.” Taking off my coat, I hung it in the entry and shrugged. “My theory was simple. Bre bought the antihistamines, but she wasn’t around Dad on Sunday. Daphne was.” I helped Fin with his jacket.
“Now, if you go with Grant’s new information, Bre could have had access to your dad and Grant is Daphne’s alibi.”
I pressed my lips together. “Convenient, isn’t it?” As we walked toward the kitchen, I voiced my thought aloud. “I never asked Bre if she saw Dad on Sunday. I wonder if she did.”
“Call her.”
“Remember, my attorney, Trish, discouraged me from contacting her.”
Fin lifted his eyebrows. “I can contact her.”
Nibbling my lip, I gave that some thought. “Just call her up and ask? That seems blunt.”
“I’ve found the direct approach is always better.”
“She was helpful with Dad’s initiative to boost infrastructure.” I inhaled. “Okay. You call, but I’ll talk.”
Fin pulled his phone from his pocket. After finding Bre’s contact information, he hit the green call icon, then the speaker icon, and laid the phone on the counter. Together we stared at the screen, waiting as the phone rang.
Bre’s voice came from the phone. “You have reached the phone of—”
I hit the red disconnect icon. “I don’t want to leave a message.”
“I agree.” He kissed my forehead. “It’s ridiculous that Grant would insinuate you had motive.”
Wrapping my arms around Fin’s torso, I laid my cheek against his chest. The steady drum of his heart soothed my throbbing temples.
After a moment, I leaned back and looked up into his sapphire gaze.
“If you still want to, I want you to move in. I can’t imagine what the last two months would have been like without you here. ”
“I want to be here.” His cheeks rose. “I was nervous that mentioning it would send you spiraling, like it did when Clark mentioned the same thing.”
“Leigh was right when she said I had commitment issues. Dad said it wasn’t the commitment; it was the person to whom I was committing.”
“That’s my fault.”
Smiling, I nodded. “In hindsight, I see that. For some reason, I never associated it with you. Now, commitment feels right.”
His eyes sparkled as he cupped my cheek. “We wasted too many years apart, Vee. I tried to get over you. I never did. To think we could have avoided all the hurt feelings and damaged pride if we’d talked.”
“I tried.”
His smile dimmed as he nodded. “Pride is a bitch, especially when you’re young and unwilling to consider the other side of the situation.
I wish I could tell you that if I’d known who your father was all those years ago, it wouldn’t have affected my feelings for you.
I can’t. I fell in love with my Vee, not the daughter of the owner of the Coopers.
And now, when we’re together, you’re still my Vee. ”
Blinking away the tears prickling my eyes, I leaned into his touch. “That’s who I always wanted to be.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Let’s make dinner and go to sleep.
A few hours of sleep on the plane with snoring football players and a few hours here is catching up to me.
” He turned toward the refrigerator. “I haven’t been grocery shopping in a few days.
New plan. We can order from downstairs?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Nearly an hour later, I was changed out of the jeans and sweater I wore to Maker’s Mark and wearing pajama pants, soft socks, and an oversized Coopers sweatshirt. While a new round of light snow fell beyond the windows, inside was warm and cozy as a fire crackled in the fireplace.
Fin and I sat side by side at the breakfast bar. My delicious portobello and avocado sandwich was nearly consumed as was Fin’s smashburger, complete with a fried egg. The wine from our glasses and the food in our stomachs had me ready for sleep.
“Do you want to watch last night’s game?” Fin asked.
“How could that only have been twenty-four hours ago?”
He scoffed. “I’m glad it was only last night. That gives me six more days to heal.”
Turning my stool, my knees brushed against his legs. I shook my head. “I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“Spoiler alert, I’m fine.”
“You can watch the game. I’m going to get ready for bed. I feel like I could sleep for days.” I remembered something. “Oh, I forgot to mention the flowers I received at work today.”
His smile faded. “Don’t tell me, they were from Clark?”
“No, weirder than that.”
“Hard to believe there’s anything weirder than Clark. Who sent you flowers?”
“Are you jealous?” I teased.
“Should I be?”
“It depends on how you feel about Pirates of the Caribbean.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“Jack Sparrow.”
Fin pressed his lips together. “Is that supposed to be code for something, or did a fictional character send you flowers?”
“Amber roses. Very pretty until they freaked me out.”
Fin straightened his neck. “Why did they freak you out?”
“The card attached had my name on the outside. Inside the card read something like congratulations on a great season, and about me being in the spotlight now, handling fame. The kicker was the end where it said the truth will come out, and oh, Dad isn’t here to stop it.”
“Fuck, Vee. That sounds like a threat. You need to call the police. Was it signed Jack Sparrow?”
“There wasn’t a name on the card. Jen contacted the florist, a local one. They said the order came from a thing called a floral wire service. They got the order from FTD or one of those networks.”
“The buyer didn’t personally enter the florist?”
“No. The only information they would give Jen was the name on the order.”
“What about payment information?” Fin asked.
“They won’t release it without a warrant.”
“And you reported this, right?”
I laid my hand on Fin’s leg. “The day was busy. We have so much to do to get ready for the divisional round.”
His nostrils flared. “Did you keep the card?”
“I did.”