Hold Me Close (Ryker Falls #5) - Wendy Vella Page 0,26
lowered to the bar.
“Mrs. L gave it to me. Apparently I’ve had a tough time of things lately and needed cheering up.”
“Aww, now that’s sweet, her thinking of you as a big guy.”
“I’m a big guy,” Fin said, emphasizing the big.
“We’re serving wieners today, you want one?” Joe fired back, lowering the now full mug onto the bar before him.
“Your mom told me I’m helping with the New Year’s Eve treasure hunt, and it’s called Hunt For Your Honey, Dylan,” Fin said after he’d taken a mouthful. “I may have made an enemy for life by telling her that her daughters were old enough to find men of their own.”
Dylan winced. “Nice try, but it won’t work. I told her no when she asked me to help her. She’s clearly moved on to you. I didn’t know about the name though, but it figures seeing as she’s going with a theme, and that’s matching my sisters up with men so they can give her grandbabies.”
“Damn, why didn’t I think of that.”
“Saying no?”
“Yup.”
“It pays to say it early when she’s trying to get you to do something, and keep saying it until it’s lodged in her head. You have to say it like you mean it too. None of this respectful weak stuff. A hard no works most times.”
“No weak stuff. Gotcha, thanks for the tip. I’ll track her down and try that; that is, if she ever speaks to me again.”
“Not all bad then,” Dylan added.
“Anyone seen Maggie today?” Pip asked.
“Me,” Fin said, hoping no one pushed him on where and when.
“Where?”
“About.”
“About where?” Pip had wandered around the bar and was pouring herself a soda. She then braced her hands on it and gave him a look that said she wasn’t moving until she had answers.
“I took my bike out for a run after yoga class and found her car broken down. I picked her up and took her to visit her folks.” Nice. Keep it simple and precise. No one would know that in fact it was way more than that.
“On your bike?”
“Yes, on my bike, and she made it in one piece.”
“How did she seem?” Pip leaned in to eyeball him.
“Normal.” His sweater felt like it was strangling him.
“Normal as in normal, or normal as in a bit off?”
“What the hell does that even mean? Sorry, Gracie,” he said to the little girl who was coloring a Santa, carefully in the lines, in a book.
“Okay, spill.”
“Spill what?” Fin looked from Pip to Joe and Dylan. All were looking at him with expectant expressions on their faces.
“What you’re not telling us,” Pip added. “You’re really vague, and that usually means you’re working hard not to tell us the truth without actually lying, because you hate doing that.”
“I can lie,” Fin defended himself. “Just when it’s for a good cause. Besides, lying is not something to be proud of.”
“All true, however, you’re the worst at it,” Joe said. “Just out of curiosity, when is a good cause?”
“When you do those dance moves and think you’re cool.”
“I can dance!”
“See how good I am.”
“Asshole.”
“Shithead.”
They both whispered so Gracie didn’t hear.
“So, about Maggs.” Pip, with her usual tenacity, had not moved on. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“Can’t a man enjoy a quiet beer in this establishment?” Fin sighed. “And why would I not tell you something about Maggs?”
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t.”
Fin sighed again because it fit the moment. “She was on the side of the road; her car had broken down. I asked if she wanted a ride, then gave her one. I didn’t get to meet her family, as they were doing ranch stuff.”
“Nash can be niggly, but he’s basically a good guy. He just hates it when Maggs dates losers, and maybe if he’d seen you, he’d have thought you were one of those… which of course is right.”
Fin rolled his eyes at Joe.
“Plus you arrived on Harriet, so it’s possibly good they didn’t see that, as her family are protective of her.”
“Harriet?” Fin asked.
“Harriet the Harley,” Pip smiled.
“You just completely emasculated my bike.”
“Okay, even I can see BS when it’s staring me in the face,” Dylan said. “Your eye is twitching. That’s a hell of a giveaway there’s a lot more to this story. You only twitch when you’re evading the truth, Fin. So let’s hear what you’re not telling us about Maggie.”
“You do not know that about me!”
“To be fair, he likely does,” Joe said.
“Don’t you start that profiler shit with me, bud.” Fin felt cornered and