Page 12 of The Beach Hut on Plum Island
“I’m going skating with Aunt Betty and Uncle Sam today,” Maggie said happily.
“I know. Aunt Betty’s been speaking about it non-stop.” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Remind her to get me an ice cream sandwich,” she said behind her hand so Finn wouldn’t hear.
Maggie skipped away when Tucker called her to finish with the dishes.
“Finn, we need to talk to you in private,” Caroline said, her face making him pause for a moment as a cold feeling crept up his spine.
“Is something wrong?” Finn’s eyes narrowed.
“Uh…” Jennifer glanced at Caroline before turning to Finn. “This is a delicate matter.”
“Okay,” Finn said, his frown deepening. “Let’s go to my office.”
“Hi, Aunt Caroline, Aunt Jennifer!” Tucker called from the kitchen doorway.
“Hey, Tuck.” Jennifer grinned, waving to the young man.
“Hi, Tuck.” Caroline smiled as they followed Finn to his home office.
“Would you like something to drink?” Finn asked, holding the door open for them to enter.
“No, thank you, I’m good,” Jennifer said, taking a seat in front of Finn’s antique oak desk.
“No thanks, Finn,” Caroline declined as well, taking a seat beside Jennifer.
“Okay.” Finn sat in the office chair behind his desk. His eyes narrowed as he looked from Jennifer to his sister, Caroline. He didn’t like the look on their faces. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like what you two are here to say?”
“Oh, no!” Caroline waved her hand. “It’s nothing bad.” She glanced at Jennifer.
“Well, nothing, like, bad, bad!” Jennifer shrugged, pulling a face as she looked at Caroline.
“It’s more like we need you to help out a friend of ours who’s in a bit of a jam,” Caroline told him.
“What kind of jam?” Finn raised an eyebrow as warning bells started to ding in his head.
“The sort that requires the help in the form of an escort of sorts,” Caroline hedged, biting her bottom lip.
“Like a bodyguard?” Finn’s brows furrowed as he looked at his sister questioningly.
“Yeah, that too.” Jennifer pointed with her index finger.
“I’m confused.” Finn glanced at the two women before him. “Let’s start at the beginning.”
“We need you to be Harriet’s fake fiancé,” Jennifer blurted. “Ow!” She jumped and glared at Caroline, who had obviously kicked her.
“I thought we were going for tactfully introducing the subject?” Caroline shook her head at her friend. “Not the Jennifer bull in a China shop method.”
“Sometimes that’s the best method,” Jennifer defended her actions. “Do the quick blurt it all out and run with it method.”
“Stop!” Finn’s voice cut through their argument like a whip cracking through the air. “Did I just hear that correctly, or did my brain somehow misinterpret what Jennifer said?”
“What did you hear?” Jennifer asked, tilting her head slightly sideways.
“It heard that you and my sister want me to be Harriet’s fake fiancé,” Finn repeated, stilling the urge to snort at the absurdity of their request.
“You heard correctly,” Caroline confirmed with a nod, then held up her hand, stopping him from answering. “And before you get all huffy and Finn like…”
“I don’t get all huffy, and what does Finn like even mean?” Finn looked at her, feeling a little insulted by his sister’s words.
