Finn #2
“Welcome to the shop,” Adele said, avoiding my grateful smile. “It’s Monday, which means Charlie picks the music, and she’s all about boy bands.”
Merry’s face lit up. “Like BTS?”
“Hell yeah,” Charlie shouted from across the room. She gave Merry the finger heart signal. “I’m a member of the Army.”
Merry was in her element, looking around and studying all the tools, machines, and tables. And apparently Adele. “You’re tall,” Merry said, openly staring.
I cringed a bit, but Adele seemed entertained.
“Yup.”
“That’s so cool. I’m tall. Or at least I will be. That’s what Dr. Smith says. My dad is super tall, and my mom is short. But I think I take after him.” Merry sidled up beside me and stood on her tiptoes, marking her height on my chest.
“What about you? Do you have a tall mom or a tall dad or what?”
Adele laughed. “They are both tall-ish.”
“Cool. My dad always makes me watch tall-girl sports. Like basketball and volleyball. I think he wants me to feel good about being the tallest kid in my class, but I really don’t mind.”
“Good,” Adele said firmly, offering her fist for Merry to bump. “Being tall is awesome.”
The smile that spread over Merry’s face made my stomach clench. She was positively vibrating with excitement. “Do you like donuts?” she asked. “We brought donuts. I want to make sure my dad makes lots of friends at his new job.”
“That’s so sweet of you,” she replied. “And smart. Your dad isn’t great at making new friends, is he?”
“Hey.” Despite my protestation, Merry and Adele laughed, not even bothering to turn my way.
And I liked it. Maybe a bit too much. The tall, gorgeous, badass woman conspiring with my daughter against me.
What should be terrifying was actually pretty adorable.
Shit. My crush was not going to get any easier after this.
Adele spun, ready to head to her office from the looks of it, but she stopped and peered at Merry over her shoulder. “There’s someone else you should meet.” She let out a whistle.
That damn dog came running in response. “This is He-Man.”
The tiny demon dog trotted over and stopped a few feet away. He looked up at me and let out a small growl, his teeth peeking out from between his gums.
I could barely hear the sound, though, because Merry let out an ear-piercing scream. “Ooh. Oh my God, I love him. He’s so cute. Can I pet him?”
She was on the floor before I could warn her that Cujo had fangs. But to my relief, his response to her affection was to lick her face rather than attack like he had when I’d met him.
“I love him.”
“Good,” Adele said. “You can keep him company for me. I have a lot of work to do, and he gets angry when I don’t play with him.”
I caught her eye, surprised she’d finally allowed herself to look my way, and gave her a head nod, grateful for her kindness to my daughter and her willingness to understand my predicament.
“Can I give him some of my donut? This one has bacon on it.”
Adele dipped her chin. “Sure, but only a small piece.”
Merry ran happily toward the donuts with He-Man yapping at her heels.
“I’m really sorry,” I said, raking a hand through my hair. “She didn’t want to go to camp this morning, and I wasn’t sure whether this would be okay with you.”
She regarded me for a moment, almost as if she’d forgotten I was still here. “It’s fine. She’s way less annoying than you are.”
And then she turned and walked away without another word.
And I couldn’t tear my eyes off her.
After a quick meeting with Henri and his forestry consultant, I headed back to the shop.
Merry had been given strict instructions to stay inside my closet-sized office.
We’d brought along a book, her iPad, and an arsenal of snacks, so I figured she’d be entertained for the thirty minutes I was gone.
Though when I stepped into the tiny space, she was nowhere to be seen.
I did a lap, looking for her behind large equipment. Eventually, I worked up the nerve to check Adele’s office, and that’s where I found her, curled up on the love seat, asleep. He-Man was in her lap, his head nestled in the crook of her arm.
Adele was sitting at her desk, her hair in a knot on top of her head, typing furiously on her laptop.
My stomach dropped. “I’m sorry,” I said, striding toward Merry. “I hope she didn’t bother you too much.”
Adele shook her head and turned her gaze on me for an instant before going right back to the screen in front of her. “No bother at all. She’s cool. Must get it from Alicia.”
Dropping into the chair on the other side of her desk, I watched her work. Tiny wisps of blond hair curled at the nape of her graceful neck. She wore a gold pendant that looked like two intertwined gears.
“Done staring?” she asked, directing her attention to me again.
I coughed. “Yeah. Thanks for this.” I held out a hand, indicating my sleeping daughter.
She nodded. “You gonna tell me what’s wrong?”
I leaned back in the chair and cocked a brow. “Do you care? Or do you derive power from my pain?”
She pressed her lips together and rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly it. Tell me all about how miserable and shitty your life is. It’ll charge me up for the week.”
I didn’t want to smile, but the excitement that flashed in her eyes as she insulted me was captivating. Adele was a live current. She practically shot off dangerous sparks any time I came near, but that wasn’t much of a deterrent. I wanted to get closer, despite knowing that I would get burned.
I tilted forward, putting my forearms on her desk and lowering my voice. “It’s Merry.”
Her eyes widened, and she sat a little straighter. “She okay?”
“She’s having a hard time.” I watched as her expression changed.
The fire in her eyes banked and was replaced by true compassion.
The rapid switch threw me, but I kept going.
“We moved back here to give her stability. So she’d have the love of her extended family.
Alicia and I grew up here, and our families are here.
It seemed like the best choice. But it’s been unbearable since my dad’s arrest. For a second this spring, it felt like things were dying down, but now that the trial is coming up, it’s all come back with a vengeance. ”
“Are kids teasing her?”
I nodded. “Living here feels impossible most days. She’s being teased a lot. And the comments? These kids can be downright nasty. Then there are the adults who shoot us dirty looks and gossip about my family nonstop.”
“That’s fucking bullshit,” she said. The fury was back, though she kept her voice low to keep from disturbing my little girl, who was still sleeping serenely on the love seat. “She’s only ten.”
My chest squeezed in response. I appreciated her fury on Merry’s behalf. “We can’t escape it. If it’s not hostility we’re confronted with, then it’s pity and whispers. Rumors.”
She closed her eyes and let out a long breath, like she understood. And she probably did better than most. Because she had been the recipient of plenty of pity. The small-town rumor mill was inescapable and endless.
“People suck,” she said quietly.
Usually, my interactions with this woman were nonstop. Shouting, wild gestures, and the exhilarating feeling of sparring with a worthy adversary.
But in this moment, she was still, quiet.
She listened. And there wasn’t an ounce of pity in her eyes.
Only compassion. So I kept talking. “If it were up to me, we’d leave and never look back.
But her mom is settled and happy here. We came back so Merry could have the best possible childhood. But right now, that seems impossible.”
“You’re brave.” For once, she wasn’t lobbing an insult at me. No, there was no fire behind her words, no anger in her eyes. And I felt that compliment in my bones.
Unaccustomed to her kindness, I opened my mouth to make some kind of quip. But I clamped my jaw shut. It was just like me to ruin a human moment, to bluster over the vulnerability I had shown.
“I’m trying,” I said instead, my heart heavy in my chest. “To fix everything. To make it right for Merry. But I’m just so tired.”
“That’s why you’re here. Working for us.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded and held her gaze, hoping she could sense my sincerity. Sense how important this was. “I need the job. And I’m trying to make it work for Merry.”
“I respect that.”
We sat like that, regarding one another, for an uncomfortably long time. What the hell was happening? Were we becoming friends? My heart pounded as I studied her.
My palms were sweaty, and I could feel the weight of her gaze on my skin.
My brain spun with things to say, but I found myself completely tongue tied.
So I stood, breaking the spell, and woke Merry gently.
The day was coming to an end, and I was due to drop her off at Alicia’s tonight, where I was sure to get an earful about letting her come to work with me.
Once she’d stretched and yawned and hopped up from the love seat, Merry gave both He-Man and Adele giant hugs and said her goodbyes.
As we were walking out, I turned to close the office door behind me.
“Stretch?” Adele said. “You’re doing a great job with her.”
With a silent nod, I pulled the door closed.
She may have possessed the personality of a fire-breathing dragon, but Adele’s heart was good. And that only made this situation more dangerous for me.