Page 99 of The Moment He Couldn’t Walk Away

“Out here, Finch! And bring Nina!”

That was his mother yelling his name, which usually meant she wanted him to do something his father couldn’t.

He grabbed his jacket because it was bloody freezing and then stomped his feet into the boots that were at the back door. Stepping outside, he closed the door to stop the heat inside from escaping, and looked at his parents’ house. His mother was standing on her deck, waving at him through the trees.

“What’s up, Mom?” he yelled back.

She just proceeded to make hand gestures, which told him precisely nothing. Finch jumped off the deck and made his way across to his parents’ house through the shrubs, randomly planted fruit trees, and the occasional bunch of spinach that was put there, because his mother had decided that exact spot felt right for it.

The McAllister land had no cohesion, and yet his mother said everything was where it should be, which made sense to McAllisters, but no one else.

Jumping a low bed that had been prepared for spring planting, he reached the rear of his mother’s house and stopped.

“It’s freezing” were the first words that came out of his mouth as he studied the scene before him. “Have you all lost your minds?”

Chapter 27

Her body felt more relaxed than it had since the fire, and weirdly, she felt more at peace, which, when you got right down to it, was odd because her father was likely heading to Lyntacky, and someone was trying to find something her mother had brought here. And then there was the fire that could have taken her life.

It was Finch who made her feel good, and not just his body but the fact that he’d opened up to her about himself and what he felt for her. He hadn’t actually said, “I care for you, Nina,” but he’d implied it, and while she wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, she liked knowing he was right there with her.

Because she cared for him too. Now wasn’t the time to delve into their future, if they had one, but the more time she spent with Finch McAllister, the more she liked him.

Lynx had told her Finch’d been the one to help raise them when they were kids, and she was sure he’d been a good leader in the army. The man was a born protector who had lost himself since the accident, but Nina thought maybe she was helping him with that, like he was helping her deal with what life was hurling her way right now.

Right now, they had to go through all the things they’d brought from her place and see if there was anything that could be important to someone, namely her father, so she opened her suitcase and got dressed in warm leggings, a long-sleeved thermal, and a grey woolen sweater that came to mid-thigh. It was her comfort sweater, and one of her favorites. Socks came next, and then her fur-lined slipper boots.

When she left the room, she located Mabel still sleeping by the woodstove, but there was no sign of Finch anywhere inside the house. A loud shriek had her grabbing a throw rug off the sofa and moving to the back door. After wrapping it around herself, Nina stepped to the edge of the deck, she heard another shriek.

She took the steps down and made her way toward the senior McAllisters’ house, where the noise was coming from. The sight that greeted her was odd, considering the weather, but they were McAllisters, who had a reputation for odd.

The entire family were seated around a huge firepit on chairs and wrapped in blankets. Thankfully the snow had stopped falling, but then Nina doubted that would stop this gathering.

“Hi, Nina.”

“Hi, Mr. McAllister,” she said to the man approaching. “Is this a special occasion?”

“Hamish, dear, and nothing special other than it’s all the people Meadow and I love in one place. And now that you’re here, it’s even more special.

She saw some of Finch in this man, mainly in the eyes and around the mouth. He wore loose multicolored pants and a thick hand-knitted sweater with matching beanie.

“I’m sorry you’re going through some things, and about the fire today, my dear, but you let that go for a few hours and enjoy some peace here with us. You go on and find a seat, Nina. There’s plenty to drink and eat.” He wandered off.

She looked for Finch and found him standing with one of Blue and Jay’s twins on his shoulders. His eyes were on her.

Blue approached her next, her friend looking worried, which wasn’t an expression she wore often these days. “I’m so sorry about the fire, Nina.”

“I’m okay, Blue.”

“You say that, but I know you, and you’re not. This whole thing is weird. Jay told me what’s been going on. But if that shit-weasel father of yours comes looking for you, he’s going to be sorry,” Blue said.

“I bet he will,” Nina said finding a laugh.

She made her way to Finch’s side slowly, greeting people on the way. He’d gotten rid of his passenger, who was now running around with the other kids.

“My mother decided it was time to get her brood together for a fire pit evening, even though it’s the middle of winter,” he said. “Afterward, we’re all going into town to watch the lights turn on.”

“I wonder who they’ll pick?”