Finn (Casella Cousins #3) - Kathryn Shay Page 0,5

I need a bath and some quiet, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, it is.” Scout followed him to the kitchen.

Grandma patted the couch. “How was your day?”

“Up and down.”

“That boss of yours giving you trouble again?”

“Yep.” But now that she was pretty much over her crush, things were easier. “What did you do today?”

“I walked my three thousand steps for a mile. Henry came with me this time. Tomorrow is our gym day.”

“That’s so healthy for you.” Millie often walked with her friend Erin in the mornings. And after work with her dog.

She chatted with her grandmother, who she adored, until grandpa came back with her dinner and Scout. The scent of fried chicken made her mouth water. She’d bet there was potato salad and corn in the bag, too.

“You sure it’s all right if I don’t stay?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Grandma told her. “Take the food to your apartment. Eat and rest.”

Grandpa added, “We love visiting with you, but not at the expense of your health.”

“I will go up. I’ll zonk out early. Which means I’ll wake up when you do and come for coffee.”

“We’d like that dear.”

Carrying her supper, she took the dog’s leash and they went back out the front door and spent a little time on the lawn so Scout could do his thing. As she waited, she thought about Finn.

He hadn’t been excited about any of hers and Emerson’s suggestions. Granted, Emerson pushed hard to put flyers in all the bags the books went in, but Mille knew Finn never allowed inserts into purchases at Fitzgerald’s. But she thought her suggestion about using the smaller window opposite the main one was a possibility. Finn said he’d have the same objections putting something there, as he did with the larger one.

Stop complaining about him. The store was his life, which she thought was sad. He should do what he wanted with it.

She and Scout crossed to the staircase that went up to a private entrance on the second floor. Scout leapt up the steps with vim and vigor. Millie, however, lumbered her way up them. Once inside, she poured out some dog food for Scout and sat with a glass of wine to eat her dinner.

A while later, she ran a bath. After immersing herself in the warm water for ten minutes, she began to doze off. So she got out, dried off, then fell naked into bed and pulled up the covers. Scout joined her and soon the world went dark.

Chapter 2

* * *

Most mornings, Finn took the elevator from his apartment to the fourth floor. He entered the medium-sized gym with his keycard. Today, he’d kick up his heartbeat. Jumping onto a treadmill, he started slow. Weight machines and free weights were on tap for tomorrow. There were two other patrons here this early, and only the noise of a TV broke the quiet.

The set had been turned to a program called She Said, He Said that he’d caught once or twice in here when someone else chose the station. A popular daytime host sat in one chair with two people opposite her.

The pretty blond woman, a blogger, spoke first. “I wholly disagree with many of the assumptions in How to Make It With Modern Women.

Hmm, despite the double meaning of the title, which was meant to titillate, Finn was interested.

“Do tell,” the author shot back. Unfortunately, he was male and already Finn could detect an arrogant tone, as well as the manly way he occupied his seat—legs spread wide apart, arms on the chair, sitting back negligently.

“Women want romantic partners who respect them, Mr. Forsythe. Not men or other women who solely find them hot.”

“But would you agree that hotness is a must for men?” Forsyth retorted. Finn noticed his dark hair was tousled, intentionally, he guessed.

“I don’t know if it is. I simply wouldn’t want that as a basis for any relationship with anybody. Most women I hear from don’t either.”

Finn was torn about that. He did find the women he dated attractive. But hot didn’t mean the same thing. For example, he wouldn’t call Millie hot, but she was attractive.

The host’s face was animated now. “Can you elaborate more, Mona?”

She held up a paper. “Sure, I took notes.”

The author rolled his eyes.

“Women want to be respected in a relationship. Part of that is open communication that’s tactful.”

How can you openly communicate if you were pissed as hell? Like he often got with Millie.

“They also want men who are trustworthy.”

I got that one