Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Only the sound of forks scraping against plates and loud chewing broke up the awkward silence that had suddenly descended. Disappointment made him scowl. “You didn’t get me a ticket? So what, you all stopped by my house to fuel up and rub it in before every Finn man over the age of five goes to the game expect for me?”
This was like the opposite of a Finntervention.
Unless they were trying tough love now.
“When you put it like that…” Wyatt hunched his shoulders protectively over his plate when Noah nudged him into silence.
“It was a gift,” Shawn offered carefully. “Like the salon invitation.”
“A gift? From who? Bellamy, Declan or Ken?” Those three were always competing on who could spoil the family more. That still didn’t explain why he’d been excluded.
“None of the above,” Rory answered. “Maybe gift is the wrong word. More like an introduction?” When James glared at him he sighed in frustration. “Well, what would you call it?”
“If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t invited to either one,” William said glumly.
“It doesn’t. I don’t feel any better about that.” Solomon set down his fork abruptly. “What’s going on here?”
“It’s a surprise,” Wes Finn said, smiling through a gap in his teeth as he reached for another slice of bacon. “We can’t spoil it or we won’t get the big pretzels.”
He narrowed his eyes on the adorable child. “A surprise? For me?”
Jake couldn’t shush him in time for him to nod. “Yep. But it’s a happy one, Uncle Younger. Dad said so.”
He reached for a glass of juice on the table and guzzled it down, his throat suddenly dry and tight. A happy surprise for him. He didn’t want to get his hopes up.
The women were at a salon.
The men were invited to a college football game.
It’s a coincidence, idiot.
Seamus started to chuckle. “Hell, I told you he’d figure it out if we all showed up like this.”
Solomon ignored him, looking for a sign of weakness in each family member. “Did these invitations come from the Wayne family?”
“Son of a—” Brady glanced over at Wes and cut himself off. “Would you stop trying to solve the puzzle and eat your darn breakfast? When was the last time we all got together to talk sports and eat like pigs? Never, that’s when. So let’s enjoy it.”
But he wasn’t hungry anymore. “Why would they invite you anywhere?”
His uncle caught his eye. “From what I hear you made a good impression a few months back. Good enough that a lovely woman named Cassandra contacted Seamus to get all our numbers. She and her husband extended the invitations.”
Just like that, his heart plunged into his stomach. Not Hugo. Cassandra. “Oh. That’s nice of her. She’s…she’s a wonderful woman.”
Of course she’d want to meet the rest of the Finns. Thoreau worked with Seamus and Solomon and Hugo had been… Well, they had been.
“Look at his face,” Noah groaned. “I can’t take it. Not from our resident tough guy. Someone put him out of his misery.”
“The baby has changed you,” Wyatt said, shaking his head at his brother. “You’ve lost that killer instinct, No. Is it the hormones?”
“Kindly stuff it, Wy, or we’ll start discussing your new TMI addiction,” Noah said, fighting a smile.
Rory’s phone buzzed and he picked it up off the table, glancing at it before putting his hand over Solomon’s. “Younger?”
“Yeah?”
He lowered his voice until he had to strain to hear him. “You deserve this.”
Then he got to his feet and clapped his hands. “Leave the dishes, guys. Cram the guilt, we’ll owe him one later. Everybody out now or the Finn Caravan will leave without you. William? Meet us around the corner and we’ll bring your things. Go. Now.”
Solomon startled in surprise when the Irishman obeyed, dashing out the back door without saying goodbye. “What the hell?”
“Language,” Wes called with a laugh, dragging Jake behind him as he led the mass exodus toward the pile of jackets by the front door.
He stood as the men in his family patted him on the back and shoulder on their way out the door. They were smiling, beaming, excited about the game. He still couldn’t believe they were leaving him. What a shitty thing to do.
You deserve this.
A little below the belt for Rory.
Brady was the last to leave. “Do you remember that time Ken broke things off with me and you and Seamus forced me to confront him? Act like a man and just be happy, damn it. Isn’t that what you said?”
God, that was a lifetime ago. “Barely. But before any words of similar wisdom pass your lips, I should remind you this isn’t the same situation.”
“You’re right. I needed to go to the mountain.” Brady’s smile was so warm and loving Solomon almost hugged him. “This time it’s coming to you. So be happy, damn it. It’s a good look for you.”