Page 90 of The Moment He Couldn’t Walk Away

“Morning,” Lynx said when Nina arrived in the kitchen.

Unlike his big brother, this McAllister clearly would rather be in bed, she thought, taking in the scruffy hair and squinty eyes.

“Morning, and I’m sorry that you’re out of bed early due to me.”

“He’ll cope. Besides, it’s good for him to live in the real world occasionally and see a morning like regular people.” Finch handed her a mug of coffee as he spoke.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome.” Their eyes met briefly, and then he turned back to the counter.

Nina always tried to be honest with herself, and right now she was feeling all kinds of things for Finch, which she told herself was entirely due to the craziness that was currently her life.

“Sit and shovel this in before the sheriff arrives,” he then said, heading to the small dining table with plates loaded with food.

“Better do as he says because if you don’t, he’ll just fire more orders at you,” Lynx said, waving her before him. “It’s his big brother complex. When we were young, someone had to take control because—well, you know who our parents are. Order isn’t something they excel at.”

“You were lucky to have him, then?” She felt a need to protect Finch, which was ridiculous, as this was his brother.

“Extremely lucky. No telling where we would have ended up without him.”

He meant it. Nina could hear that in his voice.

“Sit.” Finch waved to the chairs around the table. “Eat and drink before Sheriff Dans arrives.

“He used that voice on us all the time, growing up. Mom and Dad weren’t big on rules, other than we needed our eight hours a night. Finch loved rules,” Lynx said, “so he was the one who set them in the McAllister household.”

Finch didn’t comment, just put a large mouthful of toast and eggs into his mouth.

He needed a shave, and his hair, which Jessie had cut to perfection, was standing up off his head. He looked a little grumpy and a lot mean, and she knew he’d rarely been either before the accident that had changed his life.

“We got to school with our bags packed, on time, because he made us.”

Nina remembered those school mornings when she’d arrive alone and watch others do the same, but with their siblings. Usually arguing, or just annoying each other, but to her that would have been better than having no one. She always felt bad for thinking like that because her mother had made her life wonderful and she had friends, but there had always been that longing inside her.

She took a seat with the brothers and ate. The eggs were good and the coffee strong. There was no conversation until they heard the crunch of tires on gravel, and the silence was surprisingly comfortable.

“That’s more than one car,” Finch said, collecting the plates and taking them to the kitchen.

“Maybe he and Dan came in separate vehicles, or he’s brought one of the other deputies with him?” Lynx said.

Nina got up and headed to the front door to see who else had arrived.

“Wait.”

“Why?” She turned to look at Finch, who was following.

“Because I said wait.”

“I’m not in danger with you and your brother here, Finch. That, plus no one is driving up to the front door to grab me.”

“This is not a joke, Nina.”

“No, really? Because it’s one hell of a joke having someone break into your house, then toss the contents around. Plus, there’s the fire that could have taken all my possessions and my house.”

Finch stepped around her and then held her behind him as he opened the door. “It’s Dan and the sheriff,” he said.

“I better make more coffee,” Lynx said from behind her.