Finn (Casella Cousins #3) - Kathryn Shay Page 0,27
of them in his arms. When they drew back, Ronan grabbed Finn’s shoulders. “Whew. Glad you didn’t punch me again.”
Bridget sat there staring. Paul stood. “Sit here, Ronan.”
“Thanks, Paul.”
Before he sat, he turned his attention over to the other guest. “Hello, Millie.”
“Hello, Ronan.” She gave him a big smile.
Paul started to walk away. “I’ll get another chair.”
Bridget scraped back hers. Her glare at her oldest son was frigid. “You may have mine, Paul. I seem to be excluded from all this camaraderie.” Gathering her purse and sweater, she walked out.
For a brief moment, Ronan’s heart clutched like it used to when he was little and she spurned him. But the experience passed quickly. He leaned into Hayley. “Did I spoil the party?”
“Are you kidding, you saved it.” She looked at Finn. “That was awful.” She transferred her gaze to Millie. “I’m sorry for how she acted.”
“Truthfully, I expected it.”
Finn put his arm around her. “Now I’m sorry I asked you to come.”
“Are you kidding? I’m thrilled to meet Ronan.” She’d purposely turned the conversation back to him.
“I’m honored.”
Finn said, “Sorry I punched you last time. Is that why you didn’t reveal yourself to Hayley and me at my birthday party.”
“Not at all. I wasn’t ready.”
Finn said, “Thanks for the watch.”
“I don’t need it any longer.”
Hayley asked, “What’s been going on with you?”
“I’m living in New York.”
“We figured that.”
“For how long?” Finn asked.
“Five years.”
Hayley’s cup of decaf rattled as she put it down. “And all that time…”
He put his hand over hers. “Hayley, I couldn’t come to you guys. Some things happened to me when Dad died. I found out stuff.”
“Bad stuff?”
“Earth-shattering.”
“Can’t you share it with us?” Hayley’s voice was wobbly.
“Not yet.”
Ronan still hadn’t decided how much of the whole story to tell them. He was finishing up his therapy and working that out.
“I don’t understand.”
“I do.” Paul intervened. “I understand completely. I couldn’t go to see my family, was back a long time, too.”
“That’s right,” Hayley put in.
Ronan took in a deep breath. “I came tonight for two reasons. One is to find out how you are?” He smiled at Hayley. “Congrats on my niece or nephew.”
“You know?”
“Hmm. Tell me about that and about your work.”
“You seem to know a lot about me.”
“Yeah, but not from you.” He winked at Paul. “Come on, sis.”
She and Paul talked about the firm.
Then he turned to Finn. “The second reason I’m here is to tell you I’ve got money to invest in your building if you need it.”
Finn gasped. “I…”
“What’s going on with the building?” Hayley asked.
“I found out it’s being sold to a condo developer.”
“You could lose Fitzgerald’s?” Hayley asked.
“I could.”
Millie gripped his hand.
“You won’t.” Ronan had promised himself this.
“I can’t take more from you. The lake house, our apartment. You gave those to us.”
“Only my third. I didn’t want anything from our father. Even the money he left to us.”
Finn said, “I used some of the five million to get Fitzgerald’s off the ground. And expand. Do upgrades.”
Millie sputtered. “Your father left you each five mil?”
“Yes, he did.”
Hayley sighed. “I put some of it into our firm. The rest I saved. You can have mine, too.”
“This was my thinking about the money,” Ronan explained. I invested it in risky stock. Thought I’d simply gamble it away.”
“Ah, so you lost it?” Paul asked.
“The opposite. The amount doubled. At that point I put it in an account and forgot about it. When I heard what was going on with you, Finn, I put your name on the account too. You can have it to invest in the building. I don’t want it.”
“Ronan…”
“This isn’t up for discussion. Just know it’s there if you need it.”
Ronan started to rise. Hayley grabbed his arm. “Please don’t leave, Ronan. Like you’ve done twice before.”
“Leave? Hell, sis, I’m gonna cut the cake.”
* * *
Finn was choked up for the rest of the night. It was like it always had been with Ronan. He made everything fun. Yeah, they weren’t kids anymore, but having him here was a gift.
“So, the director said, ‘If you don’t take your pants off right now, I’ll take them off of you.’ The cast and crew guffawed, letting the starch out of the guy, and he walked out.”
“You did the love scene, though.” Hayley put in. “I’ve got the movie.”
“Yeah, but we did it my way.”
“It was very tasteful.”
As the time passed, Finn could tell Hayley was flagging. Paul must have seen it, too. “I think Hayley needs some rest.”
Ronan stood when Paul did.
“I