Marshall's Park, The Complete Series . 01-2014 Read online

  Before Finn could reply, Meredith had turned on her heel and was halfway up the drive. She met the man, whom she spoke to for a few minutes and after one long, condescending look at Finn, the man looped his arm through hers and they walked back up to the house.

  “Coffee it is then,” Finn mumbled to himself. His gut churned and for the first time since this crazy notion popped into his head, he wondered if he was doing the right thing.

  Finn checked his watch again. She’d said twenty minutes, but it was already creeping around to thirty-five. He worried at his lower lip with his teeth. Had she changed her mind?

  “Would you like another?”

  Finn looked up to find the waitress standing beside the table with the coffee jug in her hand. He shook his head. He’d already managed to polish off three cups in the last half hour. “I’d better not. One more and I think I’ll fly home to San Antone under my own power.” Finn grabbed the menu and quickly scanned the drinks section. “Um… can I just have an orange juice, lots of ice?”

  “Of course.” She gave him what he assumed was her best ‘I’m smiling so you’ll tip me’ smile and headed back to the counter, just as Meredith came through the door.

  Thank God. Finn hoped he hadn’t said that out loud, but didn’t really care if he had. He stood up and waved her over. Even though there was only one other customer in the whole place. She smiled at him, which he took as a good sign and when she sat down in the chair next to him, she didn’t seem as though she wanted to run for the hills at any given moment—which he took as good sign number two. “Hey.” It seemed lame, but he didn’t really know how else to start.

  “Hey.”

  The waitress put Finn’s orange juice in front of him and took Meredith’s order of a cappuccino. “That’s Aiden’s coffee of choice,” Finn said when her drink was delivered by the waitress a few minutes later.

  Meredith smiled softly. “I know. He made me my first one when I was twelve. Said I was old enough to have ‘real’ coffee, and he was going to teach me how to appreciate it.”

  Finn grinned. That sounded like something Aiden would say. He let his gaze travel over the curves of her face. “You look like him. You have his eyes, and his smile.”

  “You said he was okay?” she asked, taking a sip of her own coffee. “And the baby?” she frowned. “I guess she’s not a baby anymore.”

  “Kaylee’s almost six.” Finn’s confusion got the better of him as he stared at her. He didn’t get it. How did she not know that? “How do you not know that? She’s your niece.”

  Meredith sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair. “What has he told you about us? Nothing I bet.” There was no bitterness in her voice, only sadness. “Not that I blame him for that. Being part of this family is not something I’m particularly proud of myself.” She tilted her head and studied Finn from beneath her lashes. “Are you close with your family?”

  Finn nodded. “I have two parents, two brothers and a huge extended family. We’re all very close.”

  “And Aiden and Kaylee? They’ve taken them in?” Her expression was hopeful as she leaned in closer. “Made them feel like their own?” At Finn’s nod, she smiled, relieved. “I’m glad. How long have you known him?”

  “Not that long, but it feels like forever, you know?” Finn sipped at his drink and then decided it was time to ask some questions of his own. “Why did we have to meet here? Why couldn’t I come into the house and wait for your parents? And who was that guy on the driveway?” He didn’t like the way her already pale skin suddenly appeared a shade paler. “Meredith?”

  “I was twelve years old when Finn and Holly announced they were pregnant.” Her voice was so quiet Finn had to lean in to hear her. “I don’t know how much Aiden has told you, but neither sets of parents were what you would call ecstatic. I remember the fights, the yelling, all heard from the top of the stairs, of course. No one was interested in what a kid had to say. Seen, not heard was very much my parents’ view.”

  “He told me about Holly, and that he’d decided to raise Kaylee alone after he realized he couldn’t sign the adoption papers.”

  “The adoption decision came later,” Meredith said, stirring her coffee. “First on the list was marriage.”

  “They wanted them to get married?” Finn asked. He was shocked, Aiden hadn’t mentioned marriage.

  “That would have been the ideal solution. My mother didn’t think Holly was good enough to bear the Reid name, but she would overlook her pedigree if they married and saved the family shame. But, of course, as you know, there was one tiny little detail Aiden had left out, until he was facing a life with not only the wrong person, but the wrong gender.” She huffed out a joyless laugh. “You can probably imagine how my parents reacted when he told them there would be no marriage because he was gay. We had to call the doctor out for my mother who fainted like the good Southern woman she is. The fights after that were so much worse. The things they called him, the way they made him feel—”

  She shook her head as if to clear the thought. “They railroaded him into the adoption. Holly had already agreed to it. The last thing she wanted was a baby interfering with her big plans to go to LA and become famous. Last I heard she was working in a Dunkin’ Donuts. So much for fame and fortune, huh?”

  “But Aiden couldn’t sign the papers.”

  “Nope,” Meredith said and then took a sip of coffee, chasing the froth with her tongue. “I knew he couldn’t. So did my parents, deep down… really deep down. But when he told them he was keeping her…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “I was so proud of him for standing up to them. He packed some things and then came into my room to say goodbye.” A single tear spilled over her lashes. “I can see him now. Standing in the doorway, Kaylee in his arms. Of course, I begged him not to go. I was scared. Selfish. I didn’t want to stay in that house alone. But he said I had to be brave and that he would send for me when he could. By the time I was fifteen I’d stopped waiting for him to rescue me.”

  Aiden had been planning to go back for her? Finn reached out and curled his fingers around hers. “Meredith,” he said firmly, holding her gaze. “I don’t know what happened, but I do know this. If Aiden was coming back for you, something must have prevented him, something out of his control. The Aiden I know wouldn’t have left you there unless he had no choice.”

  “Oh, I know that,” Meredith said, covering his hand with her free one. “I forgave him for that a long time ago.” She looked at the clock above the counter. “I don’t have much longer. I managed to leave on the pretence of meeting a friend. She’s covering for me, as I have no doubt Mitchell telephoned her the moment I left. He’s who you saw on the drive. My parents’ eyes and ears.”

  “He spies on you?” Finn was aghast.

  Meredith waved the question away with a snap of her wrist. “I’m used to it.” She stared at him, a frown creasing her brow. “Finn, why did you come here? I assume Aiden doesn’t know?”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Finn sighed heavily. “Look. There’s something missing in him. A hole that not even I can fill. Sometimes I think the fact that my family have taken him and Squirt to their hearts only reminds him of what he doesn’t have from his own. Of course, he has Patti she’s only a small part of him. He’s made a wonderful life for him and Kaylee and I can’t even begin to tell you how privileged I feel to be a part of it.” He shrugged and tossed her a rueful smile. “I guess my parents are right. I love them both so much, I just don’t understand why their own blood could shut them out.”

  “The Reid family is not one you want messing around in your beautiful life, Finn. Believe me when I say you’ve already got the best part, and you should thank your lucky stars you don’t have anything to do with the rest of it.”

  “I just don’t understand how anyone could abandon their child,” Finn said, not caring if he sounded cold. “Aiden couldn’t abandon Kaylee, so how could your parents find it so easy to abandon him?”

  “My parents’
standing in the local community is all they care about,” Meredith began. “They did the only thing they could to ensure they would still be able to hold their heads high at the country club, so they would come out as the victims, blame free.” Meredith closed her eyes briefly and swallowed. “They wiped him out and, after he left, his name was never mentioned again.”

  “Jesus,” Finn said on a breath, his heart clenching at the thought of these people doing that to Aiden—his Aiden.

  “My mother had all the photos of him removed and any family portraits were re-sat. It was as though he never even existed. That’s the kind of people they are. You don’t want them in your life.”

  “What about you?” Finn said, leaning toward her. “Don’t you want to see him?”

  Raising tear-filled eyes to Finn’s, Meredith smiled softly. “Too much time has passed… for both of us. Besides, my parents would never allow it.” She finished her coffee in a series of gulps. “That’s the way Aiden said it should be drunk. Allow it to cool and then knock it back.” She pushed back her chair and stood up. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Thank you for coming, Finn. It means a lot to know how happy he is. Aunt Patti tells me some but she gets cross with both of us for being stubborn. I love him. I never stopped. Maybe one day you can tell him that.”

  “Meredith, please, I’m sure he’d rather hear it from you. Isn’t it time you stood up to them and made your own decisions?” Finn pulled out a pen from his jacket pocket and ripped the bill in half, then scribbled some details on the back. “Here’s my number and my parents’ address where we’ll all be until Monday night. In case you change your mind.”

  Meredith leaned down and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Just make him happy. I hope he knows how lucky he is.”

  Finn watched her walk away, her head held high, not even glancing through the window at him as she left. He sank back into his chair. There were a multitude of emotions rushing through him. So many, he didn’t know which one to grasp and deal with first. Anger, pain, helplessness. He beckoned the waitress over and ordered a sandwich. He wasn’t sure he’d taste it, but his stomach was empty and starting to kick up a fuss. There were three hours to kill before he had to be back at the airport, and eating here was a damned site better than picking up fast food on the concourse.

  As he waited for his food, Finn put his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. Right now he wished those three hours would hurry up and pass. His heart hurt and he wanted to be surrounded by lavender soap and cookie dough. He wanted to be home.

  IV

  Aiden slid the key into the lock slowly and turned it gingerly. The house was completely dark. Not that it shouldn’t be, it was almost two in the morning. He stepped over the threshold and closed the door as softly as he could behind him, before locking it again. His presentation had been a success, thank God, and once it was over the only place he wanted to be was San Antonio.

  Unfortunately, his boss had other ideas and he’d ended up in a restaurant, followed by a strip joint—and not the good kind with slender twinks in tight shorts and hunky bears dressed as firefighters. He was sure he’d felt more uncomfortable at some point in his life but, sitting alongside the stage with a six foot blonde shoving her g-string covered ass in his face, he couldn’t remember when.

  He’d sat huddled in his seat Googling flight listings to San Antonio in the desperate hope he could get on one tonight. The Gods must have been smiling upon him because he’d managed to bag one of the last seats on the last flight, which left him enough time to drive home, pick up his suitcase and head to the airport. He could only hope his boss wouldn’t remember how he’d told him in no uncertain terms he was leaving—if he’d heard him from the depths of the cleavage he’d been buried in that is. By the time he’d taken his seat on the plane, it had been past ten so he’d fired off a quick text to Molly telling her his plans and asking her to not tell Finn. She’d replied, promising to keep quiet, and if it had been possible to hear a text, he knew he would have heard her giggling like a schoolgirl about how “cute” they were.

  Aiden covered a yawn as he slipped off his shoes and left them by the front door. He wasn’t going to lie, he was shattered. This account had really taken it out of him and traveling to San Antonio in the middle of the night probably hadn’t been the best idea he’d ever had. But if it meant waking up in Finn’s arms, it was definitely worth it. He only hoped Finn would feel the same way in about three minutes when he woke him up.

  He padded down the long hallway until he reached Finn’s room at the back of the house and turned the handle, wincing as the door creaked ominously as it opened. Aiden froze, his gaze shooting to the lump in the bed that was Finn, then to either side of him down the hall to make sure he’d not disturbed anyone else. Satisfied the rest of the house was still sleeping soundly, Aiden stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him with a click. He crossed the room and deposited his bag on the sofa in the corner of the room and then stretched his arms high above his head. The thick muscles in his shoulders twitched in complaint at the movement.

  “If you’re a burglar, I’d just like to point out that stealth is not your strongpoint.”

  Aiden smiled, warmth flooding through him at the sound of Finn’s voice. He didn’t reply, at least not right away. He was otherwise occupied with the task of taking off his every day suit and stripping down to his birthday one. There would be time enough for conversation once he was snuggled up against the beautiful body he knew waited for him beneath the covers.

  Finally, naked and horny, Aiden jogged across the room to where Finn held open the covers, waiting for Aiden to join him. He climbed into bed and then shuffled across the cool sheets to pull Finn into his arms.

  “Holy crap,” Finn squeaked. “How do you get your feet this cold?”

  “I can go back to LA if you want,” Aiden teased, running his foot up the length of Finn’s calf. He was yanked even closer to Finn’s warm as toast body in response to his suggestion.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Finn said, his voice husky and still tinged with sleep. “Possession is nine tenths of the law, and since I’m holding your ass right now, that makes it mine. If you try to leave I can actually have you arrested for stealing.”

  “Is that so?” Aiden’s lips parted on a gasp as Finn’s long fingers kneaded the globes of his ass.

  “I don’t make the law. I just uphold it.”

  “You’re so full of—” Aiden’s words stilled on his tongue when Finn pressed his hand across his mouth.

  “Nu-uh, no cursing at Nana’s, remember?”

  Aiden rolled his eyes and pulled Finn’s hand away. “Would you just shut up and kiss me already?”

  “What?” Finn slapped a hand to his chest. “I hope you don’t expect me to put out just because you flew out early on a romantic whim.”

  Aiden raised a sardonic eyebrow. “Hell yeah I expect you to put out.”

  “Okay.”

  Finn expertly rolled Aiden beneath him and captured his lips in a very thorough kiss, his hands caressing, his hardening shaft against Aiden’s. “God, I’ve missed you,” Aiden groaned when Finn allowed him up for air and began to press open-mouthed kisses down his torso. “Wait a minute.” He grabbed Finn’s face and hauled him up to look in his eyes. “Your Nana’s not in here is she?”

  “Ssh. I’m workin’ here,” Finn said sternly then returned to kiss and lick along the fine line of hair on Aiden’s belly and below. “Besides, she’s under the bed—she can’t see a thing.”

  *

  “Daddy!”

  Aiden opened one eye in time to see Kaylee bound into the room and launch herself onto the bed. He quickly brought his knees up so she didn’t damage anything important and smooched up closer to Finn. “Squirt alert,” he hissed into the back of a sleep warm neck and chuckled when Finn squeaked like a mouse in a trap when their daughter landed on him.

  “Too late,” Finn huffed through gritted teeth.

  “We’re s’posed
to pick you up after breakfast,” Kaylee said excitedly, kissing Aiden’s stubbled cheek.

  “I got lonely,” Aiden said with a smile, brushing her dark hair from her eyes. “It was way too quiet at home without Monty and his glamorous assistant, so I came early to surprise you.”

  “Cool! Nana’s cooking bacon. She said you should get up now.”

  “No, Nana did not,” said a voice from the doorway. “I think Nana said, ‘I’m cooking breakfast and don’t disturb your fathers until I’m done.’ Don’t you?”

  “Ben!” Aiden smiled at Finn’s younger brother. “Get over here.”

  “Do you have pants on?” Aiden blushed, which he guessed pretty much answered Ben’s question, who shook his head. “Then I’m good where I am, thanks. We can hug it out later, when there are more layers between us.” He hauled Kaylee off the bed. “Come on, missy. Let’s leave the men to their… men things and eat all the bacon before they get their lazy behinds out of bed.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Finn called after them. “Just because you haven’t been home for a month doesn’t mean you get the bacon!”

  “So,” Aiden yawned widely. “What did you and Kaylee do yesterday? She was yapping about cupcakes before you left the house.”

  “Well, Kaylee stayed here with Mom and Pop, and I believe cupcakes were indeed on the menu,” Finn said, pushing himself up on the pillows. “Apparently my cupcaking skills weren’t needed, so I spent the afternoon catching up with a couple of the guys. You don’t mind do you?”

  “Mind what?” Aiden asked, snuggling against Finn’s side. Kaylee’s exuberant bouncing had forced him to vacate the warm cocoon he’d created for himself during the night and he wasn’t beneath stealing some of Finn’s. “You spending time with your friends? Why would I?”

  “No. That I left Kaylee with Mom and Pop?”

  Aiden raised an eyebrow. “Do I mind you leaving her with her grandparents? Um… no, I think not.” He was enfolded in a bear hug tight enough to squeeze his breath from his lungs and pin both his arms to his sides. “Can’t breathe,” he squawked, slapping futilely at the outside of Finn’s thigh—being the only place he could reach. Finn let him go and barely gave him time to gasp in any air before he was being kissed extremely thoroughly. When he’d focused again after the post-kiss haze, he combed his fingers through Finn’s hair, a lazy smile on his lips. “Wow… what was that for?”