fist pumped, a big smile on his face, and then started pulling things out of my cabinets. I watched, amused that he knew where things were. The cutting board, the knife, the seasoning.
“What kind of pan do you need?” he asked as he opened the cabinet where I stored all my pots and pans.
“Actually, I was going to walk over to Chance’s. He lets me use his grill as long as I share.”
“You two are close?” he asked, though it sounded more like a statement. “I mean I know you live close, but you seem to really get along well too.”
“We are. We do.”
“He’s protective of you, but he never said much about what you were like.”
That didn’t surprise me. Chance held my secrets closely. Some part of him was probably embarrassed about the whole thing – that he had a sister who was an addict and that he’d been dragged into my mess. He’d never admit that, of course. I knew he loved me and that he felt guilty for not being there when I first started using, but he couldn’t have stopped me. He liked to think he could have – that big brotherly ‘I would have knocked some sense into you’ mentality – but I was good at hiding it from the people I loved. Until I wasn’t.
“One of the guys asked about you once. Said he’d seen a picture of you on Chance’s social media or something and wanted to know if he could get your number. I thought Chance was going to punch him just for suggesting he was good enough for you.” Finn shook his head like he was remembering it. “Can’t say that I blame him. If you were my sister, I’d be protective, too.”
My face heated with the sort of compliment. I put the steaks on a plate and Finn took over seasoning while I wrapped potatoes in foil. “Chance always wanted to keep me from dating his friends. The first time I admitted I had a crush on one of them – I was probably only in fifth grade or so – he freaked out and told me I was never ever to date his friends. That he’d make sure they knew I was off limits. After that any time any of his buddies were over, he’d get pissed if they even said hi to me. I mean hello, it’s not like they were interested in Chance’s skinny, awkward little sister. Most of the time guys, even my own age, were just nice to me to get to Chance. He was always popular, the guy people wanted to know and be friends with. Even before he became Chance the soccer star.”
“I see you were as clueless back then as you are now?”
“How do you mean?” I asked.
Finn studied me for a long moment. Blue eyes searched for… something. “You’re beautiful and interesting, and your brother was right – none of those guys were good enough for you.”
My face flamed and I couldn’t even squeak out a thank you.
“Are we ready?” he asked, completely unfazed like he hadn’t just given me the nicest compliment I’d received in… forever.
Finn carried everything while I walked behind him feeling a bit ridiculous with empty hands but enjoying the way he was such a gentleman. Richard had manners, but he had less of the alpha must-do-all-the-manly-things way about him. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed that he didn’t treat me like I was incapable, but Finn didn’t either. Finn had a way of swooping in and taking a load off in a way that was just sweet. And Finn wasn’t sweet. Maybe that’s why it felt that way. He was so rough around the edges that when he did something, no matter how small, it made it feel more important than it was.
Chance and Aubrey were excited to see us. Even more excited when they realized we’d brought food. Chance and Finn took over grilling and I sat down with Aubrey. She’d abandoned a glass of wine and poured us both coffee.
“You know it doesn’t bother me if you drink.”
She smiled maybe a bit sheepishly. “You always say that, but it just doesn’t feel right. Besides, that wine was going to put me to sleep by eight.”
Chance and Aubrey never kept much booze stocked in their house. A bottle or two of wine and a few beers max. It made me love them just a little more for how much they respected me and the lengths