Finally Finn (Los Rancheros #4) (9 page)

“They had been trying to get pregnant for a
long time, probably two years. She had abnormal bleeding that they
thought was because she had been on the pill for so long, but she
was all about the life here, organic everything, no doctors, only
herbal shit, the whole thing. When she found out she was pregnant,
it was a relief for all of us. She would cry every time she would
get a period, and I wasn’t supposed to know that shit but Aiden and
I had gotten closer and I was still Annie’s best friend. She would
get depressed every time.

“She went to a midwife, and when the tests
came back, they were abnormal. She was sent to the hospital, they
did more tests and found out at the same time that she was pregnant
with twins, and had cervical cancer.” Batty breathes a deep breath
out of his mouth.

“It didn’t take five minutes for Aiden to ask
for an abortion and hysterectomy, and Annie to say she didn’t want
any treatment until after the babies were born. They fought
constantly. Finally, Aiden flew in specialists that said they could
start treatment after the first trimester, but the cancer was
severe. Everyone recommended an immediate hysterectomy.

“She was put on bed rest, then bed rest at
the hospital because she would just start bleeding. Annie knew she
was choosing her babies’ lives over her own, but she didn’t care
about that. They always came first.

“There was a chance the babies would be
miscarried or come early so she spent a lot of time at the
pediatric oncology unit. That was her favorite place to be. Aiden
couldn’t take her there, so I did. Those kids gave her the courage,
I think. She couldn’t wait to have the babies and start treatment
because those little kids were doing it.

“Hannah and Bridgette were born too early.
Annie almost bled out. It was a fucking mess. She had the
hysterectomy, and started chemo almost immediately afterwards, but
. . .” he trails off and watches the moon.

“Aiden wouldn’t leave her, ever. Wouldn’t go
see his kids. They were so tiny and on monitors that helped them
breathe and everything. He didn’t go to work anymore, so I did
that.”

“Where did you work before?” I chance asking.
He’s been talking for a long, long time. He snorts and my eyebrows
rise in surprise.

“I was a bouncer at a club.” He looks over
with a smile and waits for my reaction.

“Shut the fuck up!” I yell, pushing his
shoulder, just for effect.

“Yeah, I was dirt poor and living with my
dad.”

“Hey, some things don’t change.” I smile. He
smirks and throws an arm around my shoulders.

“I didn’t know how to do shit when I got into
the office. Aiden just signed over full rights to me to act as CEO,
and that’s never changed. They found out the cancer had spread to
Annie’s lymph nodes. She didn’t last long, but she made me promise
to take care of the kids. Aiden still hadn’t seen them. My dad had
food brought to her hospital room three times a day. He only took a
shower because the nurses would kick him out if he was unclean with
her lowered immune system.

“She died in September, just as all of the
leaves were changing, and we buried her next to the cabin they got
married at. Aiden moved in there and hadn’t left for six years,
until my dad got sick. I took the girls home when they left the
hospital, to Aiden and Annie’s house, and they’ve lived here ever
since.”

“So how do you go to the hospitals on
Sundays?”

“Aiden started watching the kids on the
weekend to give me and dad a break when they started getting more
self-sufficient. He still can’t take them for more than a few days
at a time. They look just like Annie, especially now.”

“And the angel?” He sighs and rubs his hand
down my arm absently.

“I met Ali through Deklan Thomas at a
fundraiser and decided to get it done. Aiden actually went with me
and got the same thing. He’s not okay.”

“All the more reason for the kids to know how
to swim,” I say quietly.

“Agreed. I should have been on top of that. I
work so much . . .”

“You’re gonna have to figure out how to
delegate or something, because all I’ve done is housework and take
care of them since I’ve been here and haven’t been able to do much
else.”

“You’ve been great. Sorry I jumped in the
lake.” I giggle, picturing him going in with his suit.

“Did you lose your cell phone?”

“Yeah, I have to get a new one tomorrow.” We
watch the sky starting to get brighter. “Or today, I guess.”

“We should go in. The kids are going to be up
soon. When do you leave?” Batty stands and offers his hand to pull
me up.

“After they get dropped off at school. The
flight isn’t bad, though. I’ll try to get back soon.”

“Alright.”

“Are you going to be okay here with them?” he
asks as he shoulders the bag and we walk back into the house in our
towels. My legs are stiff from the cool water and workout. Given a
few more hours, I doubt I’ll be able to walk.

“I’m fine. I’ll take them down this weekend
to go to the hospital again if you’re okay with it. The at home
visits are going to be a problem, though.” I follow Batty back to
the master bathroom and drop my towel when he does.

“I’ll figure that out. My dad’s doing better,
he just can’t move a lot. I don’t like leaving him alone at the
hospital,” Batty says, turning on the water and walking into the
shower. I follow close behind him and hug his cold back to my
front.

“I know. You’re a good son,” I say quietly,
thinking about my parents and cringing. “Sorry about scratching
your angel.” I change the subject quickly.

Batty turns in my arms and puts my head under
the water. “It was hot.” He kisses my lips. “And intense.” He
kisses my nose. “And probably necessary.” He kisses my forehead
then steps back to pour shampoo into his hands.

Finnigan Brennick giving me a head massage is
probably one of the most erotic things I’ve ever experienced. My
toes curl and goose bumps break out on my body.

“There’s one thing you need to get before I
can get back on a plane, baby.” I wipe my face and open my eyes,
changing places with him so that he can wet his hair.

“Okay.” Batty looks down at me with stubble
on his chin, his hair slicked back and water running down his face.
He takes my breath away.

“I was in love with a woman who didn’t love
me back for a long time. I’ve taken care of her kids. I’ve gone to
the hospital to volunteer where she did. I work my brother’s
business. You are the only thing in my life that I do for me.
You’re my rainbow in a black and white world, and I fucking love
that. I love what we have.”

“Me too,” I whisper, going on my toes to give
him a kiss.

“Aunt Sadie?” One of the girls knocks on the
door as I drop down on my heels.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” It’s the start of a new
day.

FRIDAY

In all of the commotion with Finn coming
home, and the talk about his past, I never got to talk to him about
letting the girls take riding lessons. We’ve talked on the phone a
few times since then, but he’s been so relaxed I couldn’t do
it.

Now I’m waiting at a huge mansion for Sean to
come out with two kids that resemble jumping beans. I know this is
Deklan’s house and that he approved me being here, but I’m still
nervous he’s going to come out of the house and have words.

“Oh my God, that’s the most beautiful horse
I’ve ever seen!” Hannah screams, making me jump. I turn to see a
man riding toward us from a side road.

Bridgette bounces on her toes like a bouncy
ball. “I wanna go first. Can I please go first?”

“No way, I saw it first. I’m riding
first.”

“No. I’m older.”

“No. I’m closer.” I sigh and get between the
girls.

“Break it up. Look there’s another horse.” I
watch Sean get off of the horse the size of a pony, but with braids
in its hair.

Sean holds out a hand to me and I shake it.
“Sadie, it’s great to see you. These must be your two little
moppets you’ve told me about. How are you lasses today?”

“So excited!” Hannah says with big eyes and
hands that are clutched together.

“Perfect, then. This is my partner, Jonny.
The horses are Cher and Donka. Which one of you is Bridgette?”
Bridgette raises her hand enthusiastically.

“Bridgette, it’s great to meet you. You’ll be
going with Jonny here. Hannah, will come with me and we’ll start.
Sadie, if you want to head to the backyard, you’ll be able to see
everything but be in a bit of shade.”

“Thanks, Sean,” I say as the men start
talking about stirrups and feet placement. I sit on the back porch
that is under an overhang, and shaded with ceiling fans. I watch
intently as the girls ride back to the stable while the men hold
the reins. They both wave to me, and I smile and wave back.

I check emails between watching the kids for
a while. When the door opens behind me, I turn to see none other
than Ali Pierce holding a tray with a pitcher of lemonade.

She smiles. “Hey, Sadie. Long time no see.” I
smile back uncomfortably.

“Yes. It’s been a few years. How are you,
Ali?”

“Perfect.”

“And your family?” She sits back in her seat
with a sigh while raising her glass. The beautiful sleeve tattoo of
ocean waves, mountains and sky is bright against her tanned skin
and black tank top.

“They’re fantastic. My mom-in-law took the
baby for lunch and Dek is working. I heard you’ve been pretty busy
yourself.” I roll my eyes and check the girls again.

“Yeah, with which part?”

“Well, Finn Brennick’s kids for one, and what
happened at the school. It’s all over YouTube.” I wave it away.

“I’m more concerned with being linked to him
than anything else.”

“Why?”

“Because of my reputation, and now being
involved with the show that he created. It will make him look bad.”
She grunts.

“Well, if he was so worried it seems like he
would have found someone else to watch them after it hit the news.
He hasn’t done anything yet. How is it taking care of twins?”

“It’s exhausting, but they’re pretty good now
that they’ve decided to like me.” Ali laughs.

“Which one didn’t like you?”

“Hannah. They don’t look it, but they can be
pretty scary if they try.” Ali laughs more, snorting at the
end.

“I bet. I can’t imagine watching two kids at
your age. Had you met them before?”

“No. I had no idea they existed until I had
to pick them up from school.”

“Hmm. Where’s the mom?” I take a deep
breath.

“He’s not their dad, he’s Uncle Finn. Their
mom died.”

“Ohhh,” she says, her eyes tracking the kids.
“The angel?” I nod. “Huh. I always thought he was a widow or
something.”

“Yeah, me too. We had a little heart to heart
the other night.”

“Oh, I bet he loved that. He seems as tough
as nails,” she says with a smile. I shrug with a grin.

“I have my ways.” Ali throws her red hair
back and laughs loudly, flashing her tongue ring, before holding
out a ringed hand to high five.

“You’re my kind of girl, Sadie. There’s just
one question: Why don’t you have any ink?” I swallow and mess with
the ends of my hair.

“I haven’t found anything yet.” It sounds
like more of a question than a statement.

“Well, if you ever find a big enough reason
to do it, come see me in L.A. I’d love to mess with some virgin
skin.”

“Isn’t your shop called skin something?” I
ask to veer the topic away from needles in my body.

“Shell Distortion. A lot of people find it
relaxing. Kind of therapeutic in a way.”

“Hmm.” I can’t imagine that. It just seems
like it would feel like fifty needles burying ink into your body.
“If I ever need a tattoo, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Sweet. Now tell me about this new project
you’re doing. Fandy seems excited about it.”

“Well . . .”

And that’s how I became friends with Ali, my
first friend. Ever.

FaceTime with Batty, phone calls, and we
still haven’t discussed my slip with the L word. I know I’m a
chicken shit, but I never even knew the thought was in my head
before the words were slipping from my mouth. My damn filter was
MIA. Hell of a time, too.

I don’t even really know what I’m doing
anymore. I thought I wanted it to be just physical, but then the
girls happened. His house in suburbia happened. The whole package
that I thought was Finnigan Brennick shattered one lake at a
time.

Now I care. I care about those kids and I
know about his past. I can’t unknow, and the craziest part is I
don’t want to. I want to know what he eats for breakfast and which
chipped mug is his favorite in that old house.

Do I want to take on two kids and a man at
the age of twenty-two? No freaking clue. Now that I know the story
behind his angel, a story I thought would seal the fate of me
walking away, I want to pick up his pieces and hot glue them back
together like a damn PTA project.

Batty used to be the image of cold, callous
and hot. Finn is caring, has a heart and, well, still fucking
hot.

“The press is two seconds away from putting
it together that you’re watching my kids. It’s not going to improve
your image to be connected to me right now,” I hear through the
phone and push it harder between my shoulder and ear as I get
frustrated.

“What the fuck do you want me to do,
Finnigan? You don’t want to be seen with me now. No, you know I get
that. I can—”

“Will you shut up for two seconds? I never
said that. Don’t put words in my fucking mouth, Sadie.”

“Finn, listen. You’re on the cover of
TIME
and I’m in
Star
for drug abuse. So—”

My heart stops. I’m running and fumbling with
the dropping phone as Finn yells in alarm, but the twenty foot hall
takes three years off of my life before I burst into the living
room. The girls are screaming so loud my eardrums just vibrate in
pain, not registering an octave at all.