Chapter 8
“At least he hasn’t run away this time.”
Finch let out an unmanly yelp at the words. Turning, he found his sisters and a niece. “Shit, Blue, my heart nearly stopped.”
He was down the back of his parents’ property, inspecting the chicken enclosure on a frigid winter morning. While his parents normally preferred the hens to be roaming all over the property, they liked them enclosed during the colder months.
“You trying to find Cluck Norris’s escape route?” Birdie asked.
“I am.”
Apparently, there was a rogue hen who didn’t seem to understand that it was too cold for her to wander around in the garden in these temperatures. Cluck Norris, as their father called the escapee, had found a way out, and now Finch had to locate the hole and fix it.
“It’s freezing out here.”
“Then go back inside and leave me in peace, Blue Jay,” he told her.
He’d worked at the Beckers’ for five days, and much as he loathed to admit it, Finch felt better for the experience, if not the continual counseling from Klaus and any other local who drove through for coffee.
Yesterday Larry Limpet had told him to start fishing, as it cleared the head, which had surprised Finch because from what he remembered of the man, he wasn’t a sociable type. He’d then further shocked him by offering to take Finch out in his boat.
“How are you finding the work on the coffee hut extension?” Blue asked instead of taking his advice.
“I’d rather not be doing it,” he said.
“You’re still standing, aren’t you, so what’s the problem?” she retorted, lowering her daughter, who she was carrying, to the ground.
“Finch, be nice,” Birdie, the family peacemaker, said.
“Hey, Chloe, come and give Uncle Finch a hug so I don’t wrap my hands around your mom’s neck and squeeze.”
The little girl walked his way, giving him a wide smile. She lunged at him in her one-piece puffy yellow ski suit, and he picked her up, then threw her into the air, which produced a shriek of laughter.
This was one reason he’d never regret coming home. He got to spend time with his sisters’ kids, who loved him unconditionally and, unlike their parents, didn’t hound him with questions he had no answers for.
“Jay thinks that shriek could pierce an eardrum,” Blue said.
“He’s not wrong,” Finch agreed, settling Chloe against his shoulder. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and squeezed. “What is that on your head, Blue?”
She patted the ear flaps of her brown hat, which looked like something a hunter would wear. “Jay got it for me because I was always moaning about having cold ears.”
“Or, he was playing a bad joke on you, and you fell for it,” Finch said.
His sisters were opposites in personality, but there were physical resemblances, like hair color. Blue was taller, strong-willed and opinionated. Birdie was softer and didn’t like conflict.
“How are you, Finch?” she asked.
“Where are your other kids?” he asked instead of answering Birdie.
“With Mom and Dad, learning the benefits of embracing a back-to-the-land mindset and viewing the garden as a sacred, interconnected ecosystem,” she replied with the practiced ease of a McAllister child.
“Already?” Finch asked.
“What do you mean, already? We were grubbing about in the garden in our diapers, getting lectured like they are,” Blue said.
Finch and Birdie both nodded their agreement because it was true.
“They’ll be here soon,” Blue said. “We wanted some time alone with you first.”
“You two need to stop with the interventions,” Finch said. “I’m dealing with this my own way, and I don’t need you interfering. I’ve had too many calls from locals asking for my help. I said no to four of them. Klaus got me at a weak moment, and now I’m working for him.”
“What interventions?” Blue said, looking him dead in the eye. She was lying, of course, and Finch knew this because it was a skill he’d perfected too. “We’re not interfering. We’re making sure you’re all right,” she said.
“Do you like working for Mr. Becker?” Birdie asked.
“You’re not allowed to call him Klaus yet?” Finch asked, momentarily distracted.
“Really? That sucks. I’m allowed too,” Blue added, never missing an opportunity to annoy a sibling.
“Yeah, it does,” he said.
“Whatever, and maybe I don’t need to because I have myself together,” Birdie said.
“You’re not buying that, are you?” Blue asked, looking at Finch.
“Not for a single minute.”
Birdie rolled her eyes.
“But back to Klaus,” Birdie said, emphasizing the name. “It’s odd he asked you of all people to build the coffee hut, don’t you think?”
“Your sister likely got Klaus to lure me there, and that was after the four other people she asked to call me. Seeing as I didn’t give them my number, someone had to have.” He looked at Blue.
“Come on, lure? You could have said no,” Blue scoffed, not denying his accusations.
“Right, like that would have stopped you.”
“We’re worried about you, Finch,” Birdie added. “You’ve been in the military since you were eighteen years old. This is a big adjustment. I think helping Klaus is a great idea.”
“No, really? I didn’t know I’d been in the army that long.”
Birdie looked like she was going to cry at his words. Being rude to her was like kicking a puppy.
He sighed. “Sorry, but I need to do this in my time.”
“But you are going to keep helping Klaus?” Blue persisted.
He nodded and then blew a raspberry into Chloe’s neck, which had her shrieking again and her mother wincing. Job done.
“Good, and now it’s time to shower and shave that shit off your face. You look like crap, Finch,” Blue said. “Get a haircut too.”
She, a former New York fashion designer accustomed to wearing the latest trends, had opted for oversized sweats that had to be her man’s and paired them with an old jacket that he thought was their father’s, and she was telling him he’d let himself go?
Finch took it all in, plus the messy bun and boots with fur trim.
“I mean, if we want to talk about needing a makeover….” He let the words fall away as he looked her over.
“Nice try. I have twin hellions who are coming up on two and run me ragged from sunrise to sunset.”
“Did one of them spit up all over you?” Finch asked.
Blue looked down and saw the stain on her sweatshirt. “That was Chloe. She threw a spoonful of her breakfast at Troy and missed.”
“Good girl,” he said to his niece.
“Back to you,” Blue said.
“Not back to me.”
“Hello!”
“I’m moving out,” he said through his teeth at his mother’s greeting. His family meant well, but he’d had enough and needed solitude. Where he would go was another matter entirely.
“No, you’re not,” Blue scoffed. “Where would you go?” she added, echoing his thoughts.
“I’ve lived without family for years. It suits me, and even more so now that I realize just what an interfering group you are. Maybe I’ll move to the other side of the world, where none of you can find me.”
“Cake and muffins!” Meadow called. “Jay and Sawyer are here and putting the coffee on.”
“You brought your men?” Finch glared at his sisters.
“They came with us to annoy you,” Birdie said. “Now, come and have coffee.” She took his hand. “Blue’s right. You’ve been avoiding us, and we’re worried about you. Families worry about each other, Finch. That’s how this works.”
“I’m all right, Birdie, and I now have a new career as a builder.” He’d said the words to make her smile.
“Builder,” Chloe said kissing his cheek. “Dollhouse.”
“You want a dollhouse, and Daddy won’t build you one?”
She nodded.
“That’s mean. Maybe Uncle Finch can look into that project, okay?”
She hugged him hard.
“And already she has him wrapped around her finger,” Blue muttered.
“Did you hear about Nina’s mom, Finch?” Birdie asked as they reached the house where their mom stood waving at them like she hadn’t seen them for five years. “That was the day we took her to visit Shirley. You remember because we took you home from Circle Left too.”
“Yes, I remember.” And I hugged her. He kept that to himself because it would open up all kinds of questions he didn’t want to answer.
“The girls wanted to spend the evening with her last night, but she’s not up to that yet, apparently. But she told me about her news over the phone,” Blue said.
“What news?”
“She’s buying Circle Left. Her mom left her some money.”
“That’s quick.”
“And exciting,” his mom said. “But odd because I remember Shirley struggled a lot when Nina was young. She worked long hours just to survive. Everyone helped where they could, but she was a proud woman.”
“Were you friends with her, Mom?” Birdie asked, which meant Finch didn’t have to. Nina intrigued him, and he wanted to know more about her.
“Yes, of course. We were all friends. She was nice, Shirley. I remember once when she came here and drank too much elderberry wine at book club, she let it slip that her husband hadn’t been a good man.”
“In what way?” Blue asked.
“She didn’t clarify, and the next day, she said to pay her words no mind because when she drank, she got loose lips,” their mom said.
“That’s odd,” Birdie said. “I’m pleased Nina is buying Circle Left, though, and really glad I went with her to the home the day before Shirley passed away.”
He, too, liked the idea that it was going to a local. Nina was all class, so anything she did to the place would look good. That being said, Finch hoped she didn’t do anything drastic.
When he stepped inside the cottage, the warmth from the woodstove felt good. He found Sawyer and Jay Haddon, Blue’s partner, with the other kids in the family.
His mother headed for the kitchen and began fluttering around in her colorful kaftan.
“Does Nina know anything about running a place like that?” Sawyer asked. He was holding Blue’s boy Troy on one hip.
“I don’t think anyone would know about running a place like Circle Left,” Jay said.
“Hospitality,” his dad said. “It’s something she’ll need to learn.”
“Well, she’s got plenty going on at the moment, but it might help her get through losing her mom,” Blue said. “Nancy and Hank want to make it a quick transition, I believe. JD is going to be pissed at having her leave The Gnat,” she added.
“Maybe she won’t leave,” Jay said. “She could just get a manager.”
After lowering his niece to the floor, Finch took the coffee Jay handed him.
“So, if you’re building the coffee hut extension, do you want to come and build for us?” Sawyer asked.
Finch shot Birdie a look, which made her blush. She’d obviously set her man up to ask him that question.
“No, thanks. I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.”
“Always need help at the timber yard,” Sawyer added.
“I’ll stop you there, bud,” Finch said, raising a hand. “I don’t need an intervention. What I need is for my family to back off.”
“Mine never have. Not sure why you think yours should,” Sawyer said, not offended by his words. “It’s well-meant, Finch.”
“I know, but I don’t need it.” He looked at the faces around him. “I’ve got this. Just give me time.”
Time was all he had these days.