Page 122 of For Your Love

“I’ll set up a separate trust fund for them after I sell it. I’ll insist Sean keeps his apartment. I also want to pay off your mom’s mortgage. I offered to do it before, but your parents refused. I’m hoping she accepts this time because I don’t want her to worry about working in order to make her house payment.

“Wow,” she said, in a hushed voice. “That’s incredibly generous, Finn.”

“I also made another decision.”

Her eyes widened in curiosity.

“I quit my job.”

“What?” Colleen asked a little too loud, and then covered her mouth. “Shit, I don’t want to wake up everybody.”

He silenced her with a soft kiss. “I’m going to work in a family law practice. I’ll work for a few years and save enough money for grad school.”

“Wow. Anything else you want to tell me?”

This was it. His stomach churned with a mixture of panic and excitement. “Once the building is sold,” he said, pausing to make sure he had her full attention, “I’m setting money aside to pay for your education.”

“Myeducation?”

He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “I want you to have your Ph.D.”

Colleen searched his eyes.

He anticipated that she’d be surprised, maybe even shocked. But something stirred behind those cornflower blue eyes, a lingering doubt perhaps. He had to clarify what he was offering to her. “I’m giving you the future you’ve always wanted.”

Colleen got to her feet, wrapped her arms around her waist, and turned away from him.

She wasn’t angry, but her reaction concerned him. Finn had assumed she’d jump at the opportunity, but now he wasn’t so sure. He couldn’t alter the abuse of her past, but he could give her something that was taken away and restore her dreams. He kept an eye on her as she paced slowly around the pool, with only crickets and a barking dog in the distance.

She returned to his side, took his hand, and gave him a calm smile. “I love you and I appreciate what you’re offering, but my answer is no.”

His heart plummeted. He’d been certain she would have accepted his offer. “But I thought—”

This time, Colleen stopped him with a kiss. “That part of my life is over. I’ll always love research, but I like teaching more.”

“But I want this for you.”

“I know you do, but I’m excited about my new business. There’s a market for it and I believe it’s going to be a success. And creating an art appreciation course for seniors will be so much fun.” She chewed on her lip for a moment, before it curled up into a smile. “But I’m glad you want to go back to school. I think you should use that same money for your education.”

Finn shook his head. “No.” He was resolved to never take anything from his father again. The only path was to break all financial ties from his father. “I’m not keeping any money from the O’Connor Tower sale. If I go back to school, I’ll do it on my own.”

“Then do it your way,” she said, her eyes lighting up. “I want you to go as far as you want to go.”

Finn laughed. “I’ll be the oldest graduate student in college.”

“Maybe, but you’ll be the sexiest graduate student.”

He kissed her again. “This means I can’t offer you a Tribeca loft, or a lot of other things I want you to have.”

“But I have you. And that means more to me than all the money in the world.”

“Does that make me your prince?”

“No,” she said, her eyes sparkling with happiness, “it makes you my king.”

EPILOGUE

One year later

---