Just thinking about it made my eyes sting.
“Are you okay?” Molly’s voice was soft, sensing my sadness.
“I’m fine,” I said, wiping at my eyes.
I had to remind myself that today was a happy day. I wouldn’t think about my father or anything that would make me sad.
Finn made his way across the lawn. His hands were shoved in his pockets, looking as uncomfortable as a man who hated wearing suits could look.
“Hey, Finn.” I waved awkwardly and smoothed a hand along my dress.
His mouth stretched into a half smile. “Harlow, there’s something I’d like to say to you.”
“Not now, Finn.” Molly elbowed him in the stomach.
“It’s nothing bad, I swear.” He held his hands up. “I owe you an apology.”
I blinked. “Oh.” I wasn’t expecting that.
His laugh was uneasy, a reminder that this was difficult for both of us. “I’m sorry for how I treated you when you came back into town.”
“It’s okay. I would have done the same thing.”
He squeezed Molly’s shoulders while keeping his gaze on mine. “I was still wrong. Molly told me the reason why you left. I’m sorry that I was so hard on you.”
Molly had no idea until I sat her down at breakfast the other day and told her why I stayed away. She was pissed at first, but once I explained that I didn’t want to put her in a position to lie or keep a secret from Finn, she took it far better than I expected her to, which was a massive relief.
“Thank you, Finn. You didn’t need to apologize, but I appreciate it.”
He held his hand out. “Friends?”
I knocked his hand away and hugged him instead. “I’m ready to put the past behind us and start fresh.”
“Thank God.” Molly sighed deeply and glanced between us. “Now I don’t have to worry about you two strangling each other whenever you’re in the same room together.”
The three of us laughed. I hadn’t realized how much the tension between Finn and me had weighed on everyone around us.
“Molly told me about the plot of land you secured over on Pottery Road. Sounds like you’ve got a solid business plan.”
When I put my apartment in New York on the market, it sold on the first day. The buyers offered me cash, so I used my savings for the down payment and then went to the bank to take out a loan. Dawson Landscape Designs wasn’t just a silly little dream anymore, and I had no idea how freeing it would feel to own something that was completely mine until I signed the paperwork.
“Thanks, it feels real now.”
“I’ve got a lot of connections and can send plenty of customers your way when they’re looking for design options.”
“You would help me?” I stared at him, wondering what was happening. Extending an olive branch and apologizing was one thing, but this was on a whole other level.
He nodded. “If you let me. This is going to be a big change for you.I’ll help with whatever you need.”
“I appreciate that because I’m going to need it.” I laughed.
He nodded. “I’ll go get us a drink.” He kissed Molly’s temple and disappeared into the crowd.
She turned to me with a smirk. “See, he has a heart in there somewhere.”
“Whoever would have thought?”
I was still smiling when a warm hand slid around my waist. “Did I just witness a truce between you two?”