Page 163 of My Merry Mistake
His hand slides down my arm and wraps around mine. He tugs me to a stop. “Oh, hey, before I forget . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Raya
Ican remember, as a child, watching a nature documentary about lionesses and their cubs. The cubs would fake pounce, tackle, wrestle, and roll around with one another, kicking up dust and not caring what they’d knock into, and the lionesses would just look on, making sure they didn’t really hurt themselves.
Finn’s family is like that.
The house is beautiful and homey, fun and loud, and raucous and lovely. And not at all what I imagined.
I did imagine it sometimes, because I don’t know anyone who grew up on a ranch in Montana.
And because I spent a lot of time thinking about him.
I notice the line of shoes right inside the front door, and I quickly slip mine off.
“Oh, Momma’s gonna love you.” Finn nods at my stocking feet with a smile.
The lower level of the house is open, one room flowing into the next without walls or barriers, yet somehow, the space is cozy and inviting. From where I’m standing, I can see straight into the living room, where a group of guys is watching a footballgame. A pretty, younger woman is standing in the entryway along with Finn’s mom and the two little girls.
“Don’t worry, nobody expects you to remember everyone’s names,” Finn says, closing the door behind us.
But I’m determined to learn them all.
I smile up at him, and when my eyes catch his, a pang of desire rushes through me. What I really want to do is find somewhere quiet withnopeople so I can kiss him again and again until it feels like second nature.
My heart practically short-circuits at the thought.
Finn’s mom motions for me to hand over my coat and looks down at my feet. She practically beams and says, “Honey, you are welcome hereanyday of the week. Someone raised you right!”
“She flew here to tell me she loves me,” Finn grins.
“Finally wore her down, eh?” A guy sitting on a couch in the living room says.
“Well, come on—come inside. We’ll introduce you to everyone,” his mom says. “Finn, did you get her bag?” Then, to me, she adds, “We have plenty of room.”
“Oh my goodness, no, I can stay at a hotel or—” I really didn’t think this through. How very unlike me.
“Don’t be silly,” she says. “We have two empty cabins on the back of the property. It’ll be nice and private.”
“Should be more,” one of the guys prods.
“Don’t you start,” their mom says.
“My brother thinks we should host tourists,” Finn says, leaning toward me.
“It’s a goldmine, but what do I know?” the guy says, hands raised.
“Ignore them, Raya. They’re the worst.” The younger woman smiles at me. “I’m Rowe. Youngest sister.”
I smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“We’ve heard a lot about you,” she says.
