CHAPTER 75
Emma
At four thirty in the morning, the horse gives birth to a foal, and I burst into tears. It’s not just the miracle of birth. It’s not just helping Finn through the process. It’s because I know without a doubt that Finn and I have turned a corner. Moved forward.
Together.
I don't know where this is going to lead. I still can't believe a man like Finn MacLaine wants anything to do with a woman like me. But that’s what’s happened. And at least for as long as it’ll last, I’m his.
The vet arrives, and Finn is thrilled to hear that the foal and mother are healthy.
We send the vet on her way and stay outside to watch the sunrise.
Finn takes my hand, and we make our way to the lake.
I haven’t spent a lot of time there, but now I wonder why I haven’t.
It’s crystal clear waters shimmer under the rising sun.
I can see down to the rocky depths. Now and then, a fish swims by.
The sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore hits my ears.
Finn and I stand watching the natural beauty. His arm is wrapped around my waist.
“I have an idea,” he says. “Have you ever been to Catalina?”
“No. It’s in California, right?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t been there. I haven’t been anywhere.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I have a little house there. It’s not much, but the view can’t be beat, and it’s on the quiet side of the island. Jasmine is with Summer for the whole weekend. So how about we trade in the paradise of Yosemite Ranch for the paradise of Catalina?”
I look up into the stunning violet of his eyes, lighter than usual in the early light. “Are you sure? You don't have to take me anywhere. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Oh, my beautiful Emma. I owe you everything. And this is purely selfish on my part, because I want to whisk you away while I can. Because the second everyone knows we’re together, leaving in secret will be a thing of the past.”
“How will they know?”
“Because I plan to tell them—as long as that’s all right with you. Do you mind?”
Do I mind?
I laugh. I laugh with a full heart, so bright and joyful that I don’t recognize it as my own. “What should I pack?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t worry. I'm a great pilot.” Declan says this and pretends to be so drunk he can’t touch his own nose.
Finn punches him in the arm. “Next time you try to scare her, I'll punch you in a different part of your anatomy—not that you’re using it for anything.”
Declan jumps out of Finn’s reach.
“The good news is that I’ve never been on a plane,” I tell Declan. “You could be the world’s worst pilot, and I wouldn’t even know.”
“The passenger of my dreams!”
He disappears into the cockpit. I look around.
All I can compare this to is what I’ve seen on TV and online.
It isn’t a tiny two-seater, but it's not a huge commercial jet, either. It’s somewhere in between.
There’s leather couches and chairs. I see cocktail tables and a kitchenette and a bar.
The bathroom is toward the front of the plane, and Finn just told me there’s a bed in the back, and wiggled one eyebrow.
Declan just tried to give me a rundown of aerodynamics and the principles of lift and speed. I nodded a lot, but I still don’t get it. So I'm a little suspicious of what’s about to happen.
Finn wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss. The kiss doesn’t serve to make me less nervous. It just makes me want to get naked in a hurry, but there's no way I'm getting naked in front of Declan.
“No PDA, you crazy kids.” Declan has stepped back into the passenger area and he’s smiling at us. “Aren't you two supposed to be a secret?”
Finn lets me go, outstretches his arms to his sides, and leans his head back. At the top of his lungs, he yells, “Emma and I are together! Hear that, world? Together!”
Declan arches an eyebrow. “Finally! I can’t handle secrets. That’s why the Navy gently steered me toward transport instead of intelligence. Are we ready to go? Things have been super busy at the ranch, people flying in and out. I’ll be bringing someone back with us on the return.”
Finn ignores him, and so do I. He takes my hand and brings it to his lips. We sit on the couch, gazing into each other’s eyes.
I don’t even notice when the plane roars to life and start taxing down the runway.
“All right, gang. Air Declan’s about ready to roll down the runway. Buckle up.”
He disappears into the cockpit again. He announces over the intercom that we need to prepare for takeoff. Finn double-checks my seatbelt.
“It’s not a long flight,” Finn reassures me.
“Because we’re going to crash?”
Finn laughs. “Declan doesn't crash unless it’s on purpose. After you fly with him a few times, you can ask him about the time he crashed on purpose during the air show in San Diego, but don’t ask him about it until then. It's not for someone who’s afraid to fly.”
“Is there booze on this flight?” I ask. I’m not a big drinker, but I think an alcoholic drink would go a long way during this flight. Finn pushes a button on the table next to him, and a bar rises up.
“Something sweet or something with a kick?” he asks.
“Something with a big kick. A kick in the head.”
“A girl after my own heart,” he says, and I believe him.
Finn’s right. It's a very short flight. I thought we were flying all the way to Catalina, but we land in Long Beach. Once we come to a stop, Declan comes back into the passenger area and opens the door.
Before I can step out onto the stairs, Declan gives me a big hug goodbye, which takes me by surprise. Then he steps back and says, “Get used it it—we’re a close family. Have fun!”
Does he know something I don't?
Finn leaves the plane first and helps me down the stairs. A black SUV is waiting for us with a driver standing ready by the open back door.
It’s right about now that I have to stop and ask myself, is this really my life?
We slide in. “Where are we going. Finn?”
“We’re going to sail the rest of the way to Catalina. It’s not that long of a trip, but I do like to helm a boat whenever I can.”
“You know how to sail? All the way to Catalina?”
“I was a Navy SEAL, remember? I have a little boat of my own. I haven't been able to sail her for a while, so this is a good excuse. Not to mention, it’ll be nice to have you alone on the high seas away from all my nosy-ass family.”
I clutch onto his arm. “I’ve never been on a boat, either.”
“Do you get sick in the back of a car?”
I shake my head. He smiles at me, his beautiful violet eyes twinkling. I’ve never seen him this happy. I think he’s having a blast showing me around his life. “You’ll be just fine.”
We drive to the harbor and get dropped at the dock. Finn grabs my bag, and we walk to the end of the pier, where a huge sailboat is tied. Several men are on board, finishing up with preparations.
Fancy cursive letters painted on the back of the boat read, “Jasmine’s Joy.”
I stop in my tracks. This is Finn’s little boat? It’s huge! I think it’s what’s called a yacht. I can’t believe it’s sitting unused just waiting for whenever he’s in the mood to sail it. I can’t even wrap my head around how much something like this might cost. I don’t think I can count that high.
He thanks his crew, welcomes me on board, and gives me a tour.
Below there are two large bedrooms and a full-size galley kitchen.
There’s a wheel on deck to steer the boat and inside are the controls to start the motor.
There’s as many high-tech gizmos on board as on Declan’s jet.
There’s GPS and satellite communications.
I tell Finn that seeing how connected we are to land makes me feel safe on the water.
“You are perfectly safe with me,” he says. “I’m going to get the boat going. Would you like to wait below or come up on deck with me?”
I’m tempted to hide under the covers on one of those beds, but I want to enjoy myself with Finn, be a part of his world. Now that we're together, I never want to be apart.
“I’m going with you,” I tell him.
“Good.”
A few minutes later, I’m glad I chose to be on deck. It’s a breathtaking day, and the winds are with us, according to Finn. We sail through the marine traffic of Long Beach, and soon we’re out in open water. I thought I would be scared to death, but I’ve never felt so free as I stand at the bow.
Open water. Open air. Safe and loved. A whole world of adventure in front of me.
I keep looking at Finn behind the wheel. He’s completely in his element here, the wind in his dark curls, the ocean reflected in his dark sunglasses. He catches me looking at him, and his bright white grin flashes in my direction.
“You look happy, Finn!”
“I am! Because you’re with me!”
Oh, lord have mercy. Yet again, I have to ask myself… Is this my life? Is this my man? How did this even happen?
I turn back to watch the boat moving like an arrow through the green-gray ocean waves. People talk about the majesty of nature, and I’ve experienced a lot of that on Yosemite Ranch, but nothing like this. Nothing like being in the middle of the Pacific, sailing at a breakneck pace.
About an hour away from Long Beach, Finn slows the boat and joins me at the bow, wrapping his arms around my middle. “Shouldn’t someone be steering?” I ask him.
He chuckles low and deep into my ear and I feel his arousal pushing against me. “It’s called autopilot.”
I squirm against him. “Oh. Are you on autopilot, too?”
“Absolutely. Whenever I see you, whenever I think of you, I'm off to the races. I can’t believe I almost lost you due to my own stupidity, Emma.”
I turn and look up at him. “It’s behind us. Let’s forget all about it. We’re together now.”
Finn shakes his head. “I will always remember how empty my life was before you came, how badly it hurt when I thought I’d lost you, and how content I am now that you’re with me, in this moment.”
“I’m content, too. Happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
He glances down at me. I see my reflection in his sunglasses, and his lips curl in a half smile.
“You know what the best part is?”
“Hmm.”
“All the good shit in my life is better when you’re with me. I have more fun. I laugh more. I feel more connected to what’s real and important. It’s like you walked in and threw open the drapes, and the light’s poured in on me.”
A rush of desire and gratitude fills me. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have found this man, to have been welcomed into his world. Standing on my tiptoes, I kiss him ferociously, and he returns the kiss. One of his hands slides up into my hair.
The other unbuttons my shorts.
And before I know it, he’s inside me, and I’m flying. We’re flying.
The sea and salty air carry us. Together.