Chapter 12 #2
Her words sink deep into my marrow, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion. Other than Mirna and Barb, I haven’t felt this wanted since my mother died.
It takes me a second to trust myself to speak. “Thank you,” I say past the lump in my throat.
She holds out her arms and when I don’t shrink away, she envelopes me into a warm hug. “Thank you for bringing my wayward son home,” she whispers into my ear, then gives me a squeeze. She lets me go and hurries into the house before I can respond.
My feet are anchored in place, guilt eating me on the inside like a moth in a closet full of wool. I didn’t bring her son home. But I can’t help wondering why he brought me. Did he know this would happen? And if so, he should have warned me.
A gust of wind hits me in the face, sending a chill down my back, so I head into the house.
As I’m opening the back door, I hear Alex in the kitchen demand, “Where’s Finley?” He sounds slightly panicked.
I hurriedly unbutton my coat in the mudroom alcove, about to call out to him but Mallory beats me to it, and she sounds outraged.
“What? You think we left her there?”
“She’s right behind me,” Valerie says cheerfully, but I hear the exhaustion in her voice.
“I’m here,” I say, stepping into the doorway as I unwrap the scarf from my neck. “I’m just slow.”
Alex has changed into sweatpants and a long-sleeve T-shirt, a new look I’ve never seen him in.
But I don’t have time to dwell on it. It’s the wild look in his eyes that settles when he sees me.
He walks over to me and takes over unwrapping my scarf.
What in the world? I can’t help looking up at him in confusion.
“I can unwrap my scarf, Alex,” I say with a forced chuckle.
“I know, but I was worried about you.”
I’m still confused, but I keep it to myself since it would probably cause more friction between him and his family.
“Why would you be worried about her?” Mallory asks defensively.
“She’s not used to the cold, Mal,” Alex says in a short tone. “And she’s so nice I suspect she wouldn’t tell you if she was ready to go home.”
His concern only adds to my confusion, but I don’t want them to argue over me, so I say, “Alex, I’m fine. And if I got too cold, I would have texted you to come get me. Okay?”
Something softens on his face as he studies me, then he nods. “Okay. Good to know.”
“We’re not monsters,” Mallory says in disgust.
He turns to face her. “Did you ever ask her if she was too cold?”
A sheepish look washes over her face.
“Y’all,” I say, holding up my hands. “I’m fine and I’m not five years old. I’m twenty-five and perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’ve done it for the past six years and I’m not only alive but thriving.”
We need a change of topic, and fast. I see Valerie pulling a pot out of the cabinet and jump on it. “Valerie, can I help you make the hot chocolate?”
She gives me a grateful look but shakes her head. “I’m fine. I’ll have this whipped up in no time. Mal, why don’t you get out the cookies Mrs. Baxter brought over.”
Mallory still seems to be holding a grudge against her brother. “I thought you came home to make the hot chocolate.”
Alex wraps an arm around my back and leads me to the island. “Sorry, Mal. I realized I don’t have Mom’s secret recipe.”
“Secret recipe?” Valerie asks with a laugh as she pulls a container of cocoa powder out of a cabinet. “It’s time all of you learn my secret family recipe for hot chocolate.” She points to the text on the back of the container. “This is it. Right here.” She sounds like she’s at her wit’s end.
I expect Mallory and Alex to pick at each other again, but to my surprise, they both burst into laughter.
I glance between them, knowing I’ve missed something but have no idea what.
“You said that recipe was handed down from grandma,” Mallory says.
“It was,” her mother says as she measures out the cocoa and dumps it into the pot. “And she got it off the cocoa container.”
“You always told us it was a special recipe,” Alex says, sounding bewildered.
“It was,” she says, glancing up at him. “The secret ingredient was love.” She nods to the cocoa container she’s setting on the counter. “You don’t see that in the recipe.”
“You know that that’s a cop out, Mom,” Mallory says with a huge grin.
“You kids believed it, so…?” she shrugs.
Mallory sets the plate of cookies on the counter while Alex heads over to a cabinet and pulls out mugs.
I’m relieved that they seem to have forgotten their grudge, at least for the moment, but I can’t help wanting to patch this up, whatever it is.
Stay out of it, Finley.
I know I should, but they have no idea how incredibly lucky they are to have each other. I would kill to have a family, let alone one as awesome as theirs. I can’t help thinking they can work this out.
A video phone ring comes from my jeans pocket, and I cringe and pull it out as all three of them glance at me. “I’m sure it’s my… friends. I was supposed to let them know I made it okay and I forgot.”
“You take that,” Valerie says then turns to Alex. “Why don’t you show her to the study so she has some privacy?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I follow him from the kitchen as I decline the call then shoot Barb a quick text.
I’ll call back in a moment
Alex leads me to a short hallway behind the front staircase to a paned-glass door.
He steps into the dark room, and I hesitate.
Then a lamp clicks on and a warm light spills out, and I take in the room.
Rich, warm paneling wraps the walls. Two desks face the walls on opposite sides.
A lamp on a small table beside a deep leather sofa throws a soft pool of light on a stack of books.
The place smells of wood polish and faint coffee.
“You can make your call in here.” He sees my gaze shifting between both desks. “My parents share this room. There wasn’t room for two offices, and they don’t seem to mind.”
I nod in acknowledgement.
He takes a step as though he’s about to leave, then stops, worry clouding his face. “Are you doing all right? Is my family too much?”
That’s a tricky question, but I offer him a warm smile. “No. I love your family.”
He lets out a short laugh. “Well, it’s early yet.
Give it a few days before you come to your final conclusion.
” He walks toward the door but stops in the doorway, turning as he holds onto the doorjamb.
He pauses, as though he wants to say something, then resignation fills his eyes. “Come find us when you’re done.”
He closes the door softly behind him.
I sit on the sofa, releasing a sigh as I sink into the supple leather, then press the video call button.
Mirna answers on the first ring, a look of desperation in her eyes. “Where have you been? You were supposed to call when you got to Vermont!”
I grimace. “I’m sorry. Things have been so busy this is the first chance I had to talk.”
Mirna’s eyes narrow. “Where are you?” Then horror washes over her face. “Oh my God. You’ve been kidnapped by pirates.”
I shake my head in confusion and laugh. “What are you talking about?”
“I see the paneling on the wall. It looks like a ship captain’s room. They’re already taking you across the ocean!”
“If only she could be so lucky,” I hear Barb say. “Quit hogging the iPad.”
“Blink twice if you’re okay,” Mirna says, the ceiling behind her is moving as though she’s pacing.
I blink twice, then for good measure, I throw in a third blink.
“That was three blinks!” Mirna cries in alarm then looks to the side. “What does three blinks mean?”
“It means you’re paranoid,” Barb snipes off camera.
“I’m fine, Mirna,” I say with a laugh. “I promise. I’m in Alex’s parents’ study so I can have some privacy. Why did you answer and not Barb? You hate video calls.”
“Because I had to see you for myself.”
“She snatched the damn thing out of my hands!” Barb shouts, still out of view.
“As I said, I’m fine. Put the iPad down so I can see both of you while I tell you what I did tonight.”
Mirna shoots a dirty look off camera and then sets the iPad on Barb’s kitchen table, propping it up on something. Both women sit in chairs, side by side.
“We’re waiting,” Mirna says primly, both hands on the table, one on top of the other.
“Give the girl a moment to catch her breath,” Barb says, lightly smacking Mirna’s arm.
I expect the older woman to retaliate in some way, but she’s giving me an expectant look.
A big smile spreads across my face. “I went Christmas caroling!” I can barely contain my excitement as I tell them about my evening, leaving out the cranky historical society members and Alex trying to coerce me into leaving.
Barb’s face is beaming, but Mirna still looks skeptical.
“You look positively radiant,” Barb says as she elbows Mirna. “Doesn’t she?”
Mirna’s mouth puckers. “I suppose she does look happy,” she says grudgingly.
“And tomorrow,” I say, “I’m baking with Alex’s mom and sister, and then Alex is taking me to the Christmas market!”
Barb clasps her hands together, obviously happy for me, while Mirna still looks concerned. “And his family? How are they treating you?”
“They’re lovely,” I say, my chest warming with gratitude. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms.”
Barb sighs contentedly. “It’s just like Christmas in the Woods. A woman runs off the road in a snowstorm and gets taken in by four mountain men brothers. They spend a week snowed in their cabin and think of all kinds of creative ways to keep her warm.”
Mirna gasps, looking truly scandalized. “That is nothing like Finley’s situation!”
I laugh, my cheeks flushed. “I have to agree with Mirna on that one.”
Barb looks nonplused. “But it could be like that. Alex does have a couple of brothers, right?”
My stomach revolts as I physically recoil. “Eww, Barb. Please don’t ruin this for me. The last thing I want to picture when I look at his brothers is your book.”
She shrugs. “You could do worse.”
I shudder. “No. Just no. I’m a one-man kind of woman.”
“Ha!” Barb scoffs. “You’ve been a no man woman for so long I suspect you don’t know what you are anymore.”
“Trust me on this,” I say, leaning closer to my phone screen and taking a firm tone. “There will be no more talk about your books where the woman sleeps with multiple men.”
“They’re called why choose books,” Barb says in a know-it-all tone.
“They should call them floozy books,” Mirna says in a huff.
I realize why Mallory and Alex’s bickering feels so familiar. It’s just another version of listening to Mirna and Barb. “Mirna, we don’t call women floozies anymore.”
Her upper lip curls. “I can’t bring myself to call them hoes.”
Leaning my head back, I fight a laugh then level my gaze with the screen. “We don’t call them hoes either. Women have a right to choose who and how many men they sleep with. Y’all fought for women’s rights, and their sexual partners are included in that.”
A grudging contrition covers Mirna’s face, but she crosses her arms over her chest and says petulantly. “Well, cheating is wrong, and I’m never going to condone that.”
“You’re right,” I concede. “I should have said we can’t judge what consenting adults of all parties involved agree to.”
She gives a sharp nod, and I wonder how I got into a lecture about slut shaming at ten o’clock at night on a video call.
“Listen, I have to go. Alex’s mom is currently making us hot cocoa to help us warm up after caroling and I don’t want to miss out.”
Barb grins. “You go get it, girl.”
I shake my head with a laugh. “How do you make drinking hot chocolate sound dirty?”
“It’s a talent,” she says proudly.
I study them both on the screen, my heart overflowing with love. “Thank you both for caring about me so much. You have no idea how much you two mean to me.”
“We know.” Mirna’s expression softens, then she says, “You’re special to us girl, and I hope you get your heart’s desire in Vermont.”
Tears sting my eyes because I know how hard that was for her to say. “Thank you, Mirna. You and Barb are the best grandmothers a girl could ever have.” Then I hang up before I start crying.
I often feel alone in the world, but Mirna and Barb are proof that I’m not. That family is more than blood.