The Engagement Arrangement (Boots and Bouquets #2) - Jaci Burton Page 0,99
steps.
Not that he’d figured out what those steps were just yet. But he would. Soon.
A light rain began to fall, the taps on the roof reminding him of his childhood. A fire roared in the fireplace, keeping the small cottage warm. Perfect. He sat on the sofa and put his feet up, sipping the coffee he’d poured.
Being alone wasn’t so bad. He liked it out here—a chance to commune with his homeland again, to breathe the sea air and remember what it felt like to be in Ireland.
The first few days he’d stayed in the village where he’d grown up, though he didn’t know but a few people there anymore. Still, it felt good to reconnect, to go visit his parents’ graves, to feel closer to them somehow. It had been so long.
He’d spent some time at the cemetery talking to his ma, telling her about his troubles with Brenna. Just talking it out had helped give him some perspective. Then he came up to this place and had fallen instantly in love with the seclusion and the beauty of it. He drove down to the village for groceries, but otherwise, he was completely alone.
Alone and missing Brenna so much he thought his heart might shrivel up and die from it. But he couldn’t change how someone else felt, he could only manage himself.
Still, he intended to go back and fight for her, convince her that what they had together was the real thing. And if it took him the rest of his life to convince her, then that was what he intended to do. Because that was what you did when you loved someone—and you knew that that someone loved you back, even though she might be afraid of love.
He was a patient man. And Brenna needed him.
There was a knock on the door and he frowned.
No one should be up here.
He walked to the door and opened it, shocked as hell to see a totally soaked Brenna standing there, suitcase on wheels trailing behind her. She looked utterly miserable and pissed as hell.
“Really, Finn? You had to come all the way to Ireland to get away from me?”
“You think this trip was all about you?”
“Wasn’t it? I’m wet. Can I come in?”
He stepped aside to let her drag her suitcase in. She left it at the door, shook off the water from her raincoat and undid the buttons, hanging it on the hook by the door.
Finn went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, then brought it out to her.
“Thanks.” She sat on the bench and pulled off her boots.
“Want some coffee or tea?”
“Coffee would be great, thank you.”
He poured a cup for her, then carried it into the living area where she’d taken a seat on the chair by the fireplace.
“Thanks. Nice place.”
“It works for me. What are you doing here, Brenna?”
“Oh, we’re getting right into it. Okay.”
“No reason not to, is there?” What he wanted to do was grab her up into his arms and hold her, kiss her and tell her how he felt. But he knew she’d made this trip to talk to him, so he was going to let her do that.
“I guess not.” She took a sip of the coffee, then set it on the table and stood, coming over to stand in front of him. “You left without saying anything. I missed you.”
His heart pinged, but he pushed it away. “I left so I could have some time to think.”
She tilted her head back and he tried not to get lost in her eyes. “Think about what?”
“Next steps. My future. What I want.”
He jammed his hands in his jeans pockets to keep himself from reaching out to touch her. He’d spent the past week reconciling in his head how he was going to deal with seeing her every day, working with her every day, and not touch her, not kiss her, not think of her as his. And now she stood right across from him, having traveled thousands of miles to see him. He was confused as hell.
“What do you want, Finn?”
He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Honestly, Brenna? I don’t know yet. Right now I just want some peace.”
He walked away from her and stood at the door to look at the sea, at the rolling waves and the rain coming down, the fierceness of nature mimicking the storm roiling inside him.
And then she was next to him and her hand was on his shoulder, her touch burning him