I took a step back. “I haven’t been lying, and I said almost two months!”
“Really? So 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.”
I rolled my eyes and sat at my chair. “Mom, you do see how silly that is, right?”
With a shrug, my mother blew out her cheeks. “I do. But when your father found out Finn was at his new station, I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He came home that first day and told me Finn was like his old man. A lady magnet. Mentioned something about him making out with an EMT or something behind the station.”
My heart dropped to my stomach at the idea of Finn kissing another woman. Trying not to let it bother me, I stood up and gathered my things.
“Well, I can’t help that Daddy had his feelings hurt by a five-year-old. Or that Finn happens to be a firefighter.”
“With a reputation.”
My eyes lifted and caught hers. “If I remember right, didn’t Daddy have a bit of a reputation before he met you?”
“Touché.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m dating him, and I’m going to keep dating him.”