Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
I drew in a sharp breath when I saw the word “love.”
“Who are they from, Rory?”
Lifting my gaze to meet hers, I replied, “You do realize I’m a grown woman and you have no right to demand this of me.”
Her features softened, and she took a step back and walked to the window. “I’m sorry. But the idea of you seeing someone and keeping it a secret…” She let out a harsh breath as she turned to face me.
“Why, Rory? Why keep it a secret?”
With a bitter laugh, I shook my head. “Are you serious, Mom? If Dad found out I was dating a firefighter, let alone Finn Ward, he’d fly off the handle. Kind of like what just happened here a second ago. I’m not a child. I have the right to decide who I’m going to date and who I’m not.”
She smiled, and I frowned. Was she upset? Why was she smiling?
“Oh, Rory honey, I don’t care who you date. I just want him to make you happy.”
Relief swept across my body as my shoulders relaxed. “He makes me so happy, Mom.” I glanced down to the flowers. “He makes me feel so alive. I didn’t realize I was lost until I found him.”
She opened her arms, and I walked into them. When she engulfed me in a hug, I started to cry. “I know Daddy isn’t going to understand, but I think I love him.”
“Oh, Rory! Are you sure? It might just be an infatuation. Or maybe the fact that this is the first man you’ve dated since college. You might be feeling things because they’re so new to you.”
Drawing back, I looked into her eyes. “They are new feelings. Feelings I’ve never experienced before. I’ve been on dates, Mom. I know the difference between a crush and what real love feels like.”
She closed her eyes and nodded before looking back at me. “I know. I’m sorry—this just all seems so sudden to me.”
“Well, probably because I’ve been keeping our relationship a secret.”
“For how long?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. A month or maybe close to two.”
“Two months? Oh Lord. You’ve been lying to us for two months?”
I took a step back. “I haven’t been lying, and I said close to two months!”
“Really? All those times we asked you over for dinner, were you with Finn?”
“Maybe once or twice.”
She rolled her eyes while tossing her hands up in the air. “Rory Adams. You’re going to have to tell your father now.”
“What? Why?”
“Why in the world not?”
“Please don’t tell Daddy. I’m not ready yet for his reaction.”
She brushed me off with a wave of her hand, and anxiety instantly took ahold of me. “That’s silly. He’s going to be happy for you.”
“Mom. Look at me.”
She did, and I took her hands in mine. “Dad is not going to be happy I’m dating a firefighter. Nor is he going to be happy I’m dating a firefighter from his station.”
She frowned. “And it’s Finn.”
“What does he have against Finn?”
In a poor attempt to hide her smile, she looked over at the flowers and then back at me. “When you kids were little, maybe five or so, Finn would follow you everywhere when we would visit his parents. It was the cutest thing. Of course, Jenn and I thought it was adorable. Finn even pushed Wes down once for standing too close to you.”
I smiled. “Really? I don’t even remember Finn.”
Her smile faded some. “No, you wouldn’t. You were so young.” She released a breath and looked out the window. “One day Finn announced to your father that he loved you. Of course, your father told him he was too little to know what love was and that Finn couldn’t have you because you belonged to him.”
My stomach flipped. Maybe Finn and I were meant to be together. Destined from the very beginning.
With a giggle, I asked, “What did Finn say?”
She peeked back over at me and grinned. “Told your father he didn’t know what he was talking about and that someday he would marry you. Well, you know your father. He didn’t take that very well. He told Finn it would be a cold day in h. e. l. l.”
My head pulled back in question. “Why are you spelling it?”
My mother laughed. “Because your father spelled it. Jenn and Mike thought it was funny, but your father didn’t. Of course, I thought at the time that he was just being overprotective and silly. Then, when you kids started getting older, your father stopped wanting to go to the Wards. He would meet Mike all the time at their normal hangout, but we never did get together again as families.”
“That’s so sad,” I said, wrapping my arms around my body. “All because Finn told Daddy he liked me?”
She lifted a brow. “He told him he loved you and was going to marry you.”