Page 60 of Wintertime Love (Holiday 2)

I gape at him.

Lucia straightens up, asking slowly, “So, you’re going to move to Wicca Springs and start a business here?”

Finn nods.

I glance towards the empty bar across the street that has seen zero activity since it was purchased by this man. “What business?”

Finn moves his shoulders in a careless shrug. “Kind of an investment, really.”

From the look in his eyes, I know I won’t be able to pry anything more out of him and I sigh, despondently. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

The words are spoken affectionately and Finn grins, raising his mug in open acknowledgement of that fact.

Nick distracts Lucia with questions about her recent date and I watch them flirt, briefly, before turning my attention towards my own man, who’s playing with the toothpicks jar.

I slap his hand away, scolding, “Don’t do that. People have to put that in their mouths.”

He gives me an aggrieved look but stops.

There are not a lot of people inside right now so I lean forward and peck him on the lips to his surprise.

“What was that for?”

I smile, hesitantly. “For forcing me to spend the entire Saturday with you.”

His eyes darken in understanding and he turns my hand over, tracing the lines on my palm. “It was better to celebrate them rather than mourn them.”

I had wanted to spend the day alone when he had barged into my room, Saturday morning and had dragged me out of bed. My aunts had been taken aback to see me around and for some reason it had ended up with me spending the entire day with all of us together, almost like a family, if you include Finn. But the anguish in my heart has slowly ebbed away as my aunts had taken out picture books with photographs of my parents then told us stories and escapades of my Dad and my parents.

I was regaled by things I never knew about them and it was both fascinating and helped lighten the load on my heart. And I would have done none of it, if Finn hadn’t forced me into it.

“Yeah,” I say, softly. I look over at the clock and then turn to him. “Did you book your ticket?”

Finn’s going to leave in four days and I know it’s unreasonable, but I’m already feeling a little lonely. I know he’s going to be back after Christmas but it’s like a very important part of me is going to go with him. And I’m suddenly not looking forward to Christmas without him.

“Not yet,” he says, a slight tension in his eyes.

I blink as I glimpse this. “Is everything all right?”

He nods. “Yeah. Nothing you need to worry about.”

I cover his hand with mine, feeling concerned. “Hey, are you really sure that moving here wouldn’t affect your work? I don’t want you to get into trouble because of –“

Because of me.

He looks startled for a minute before an impish smile flits on his lips. “I am my own boss. And I’ll fly in every fortnight to check in on the office. Besides…” He grins, “I do most of my work while travelling around. It wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

“And your business partner? They’re okay with this?”

His smile slips from his lips before he firms it. “I don’t see how this is anyone’s business but mine.”

I know I’m digging my own grave here but I can’t help but say, “Finn, you know we’ve barely know each other for a month and yet, you say you’re moving here for me. I don’t think—”

“When a McCarthy man decides on a woman, there’s no budging him.” There’s a light smile on his lips but a dark gleam in those stunning eyes.

I swallow at the intense way he’s watching me and my heart flutters. Suddenly, this thing seems more than just a simple romance. Maybe him buying a house here should have been the first sign but I sometimes can be a little dense. “I don’t understand,” I stumble out.

Finn gives me a casual smile. “Oh, Darlin’, you didn’t think I was going to let you go, did you? That house is going to be furnished by it’s new Mistress.” He bops me on the nose.

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