Three Minutes to Happiness (18 page)

“He told me he loved me. In a room filled with his family.”

“Oh.” Belle blinked. Her mouth opened, then closed again.

“I haven’t been seeing him long,” Val explained. “Our relationship was only supposed to be casual, I didn’t want more.”

“You didn’t?”

I did. I do.
Since she’d walked out, Val hadn’t been able to think of anything else apart from the look on Finn’s face as she’d turned away from him. “I thought I didn’t.”

“How do you feel now?”

Val searched for words to explain the feelings that churned inside. Alone. Bereft, Empty. “I miss him. I miss being with him.” She covered her eyes to hide the sting of tears. “I think I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

Belle put her arm around Val’s shoulders and hugged her tight. “You never know when love will come calling,” she whispered. “The amount of time you’ve been together doesn’t matter. If you love him, you love him. I know you’re scared—your marriage break-up was hard on you.”

“Not as hard as you think.” Years of guilt poured out. “After Michael cheated, he begged me to give him another chance, but I was relieved, really. I didn’t want to be the responsible one anymore. Didn’t want to try to save our marriage.” She raised her tear-stained face to her mother’s. “What sort of person does that make me?”

Belle handed Val a tissue from the box on the dressing table. “Someone married to the wrong man.”

Chapter Nineteen

The fire Maggie and Val had built in the fireplace blazed. They sat before it, cross-legged, the white leather sofas pushed back out of the way. On the hearth, an open bottle of red had barely got the chance to breathe before it had been poured into large glasses. The huge wooden bowl, intended for salad, was full to the brim with hot, buttered popcorn.

“So, where are you meeting him?” Maggie asked.

“I said I’d meet him at his place.” Val drank some wine. “I thought about meeting him for a drink, but…”

“You didn’t want other people around.” Maggie nodded. “Just in case.”

It wasn’t that. She’d publicly rejected Finn; he had every right to do the same back. “Going to his house is hard for me. He’ll be in his element; he won’t feel threatened. I thought it was only fair that it happens at his house.”

“Fair enough,” Maggie said. “When?”

Val looked at her watch. “An hour.”

Maggie’s eyes widened. “An hour?” Her gaze flickered over Val’s jeans and casual cotton jumper. “What the hell? You need to get ready.”

“I thought I’d just wear this.” Nerves formed a fist around Val’s stomach and squeezed tight.

“No, no, no.” As if there were any doubt to Maggie’s feelings on the matter, she accompanied the words with a finger-wagging. “No way. You’re nervous as hell. You haven’t eaten for days, and you’re chugging that wine like it’s water. I’m not letting you go around there looking like a bedraggled waif. If you’re going to prostrate yourself before the mighty Finn and beg him to give you a second chance, you’re going to look like a goddamn goddess doing it.” Her mouth curved in a wicked smile. “I have the perfect outfit in mind.” She swallowed the last of her wine and stood. “Come on.” She reached for Val’s hand. “Finish your drink and get ready to rock his world.”

The taxi Val had ordered arrived on time. She picked up her purse, and glanced down at her legs, barely covered in sheer black hose. “You don’t think this is too much for afternoon?”

Maggie had insisted that the fitted black dress accessorized with black stiletto heels would knock Finn dead, and that any resistance he had to seeing her again would evaporate with one flick of her mascaraed eyelashes. The dress clung to her curves, and ended just above the knee, with an oversized gold zipper from neckline to hem. She knew she looked good, but couldn’t stop playing with the chain strap of her purse.
What if he says no?

“You look fantastic,” Maggie said. “Have you got everything? Your phone? Keys?”

Val nodded.

“Call me later.” Maggie placed a hand on Val’s back and gave a little push. “It’s going to be okay.”

Val turned and enveloped Maggie in a hug. “Thanks for being there.”

A horn blared from outside. The taxi was getting impatient. “Go get him, Val.”

*****

Finn had been so surprised to hear from Val, he’d agreed instantly to seeing her. After all, it was a Saturday. A day he almost always spent lying around at home, doing as little as possible. He’d forgotten that this Saturday would be different. In preparation for the first shooting episode of
Wonderful Houses
, he had an appointment with Jasper Smith, the client whose house was to be featured. On site—a swathe of muddy land outside the city.

He’d thought he’d have plenty of time to conclude business, but things weren’t going according to plan at all. Jasper had been late, and had brought a friend with him he insisted on chatting to about everything under the sun. By the time Finn had managed to focus his attention on the plans he’d brought, it was mid-afternoon.

Val was arriving at his house in half an hour, and there was no way in hell he’d get back in time. “Excuse me for a moment.” He left the two men talking, stepped a discreet distance away and called her.

“Hello?” Her voice was breathless. The hum of music was in the background.

“Where are you?”

“I’m in a taxi. We’re stuck in traffic. There’s a boyband playing in Dublin this evening.” She sounded frustrated.

Finn made a snap decision. “My meeting has run over. How about you divert and come out here?” She didn’t know he’d got the contract. Showing her might make their meeting less tense. “We won the
Wonderful Houses
contract, and I’m on site.”

“That’s great! Where are you?”

Finn gave her directions and heard her pass them on to the driver. He smiled as he stowed his cellphone in his pocket, and walked back. They would be going against the traffic. She’d be here soon.

*****

“Are you sure this is where you want to be?” The taxi driver leaned forward and peered through the windshield. “There’s nothin’ here.”

They’d pulled up behind Finn’s car on the quiet country road. He’d told her to get out here, and that he was working on the site across the field. She could just about make him out in the distance.

“This is where I want to be.” Val paid the tab, and tipped him generously.

“Shame you didn’t bring a coat, love.” The taxi driver frowned. “It looks like rain.”

“I’ll be fine.” With luck, Finn might have left his car unlocked. She angled her knees sideways, and stepped out. Slammed the door, and watched the taxi disappear.

She tried Finn’s car door.
Locked
.

She’d call him. Val fished around in her purse and found her phone. She frowned. Held it up and walked around for a few minutes, holding it up in the air searching for signal.
Damn. No luck.

She walked to the rusty metal gate between the hedgerows. Put her hand up high, and waved. Relief flooded her as Finn waved back, but changed to dismay as his arm swept back behind him in a come-on-over gesture. He was standing with two other men who must be his clients. There was obviously no way he could leave them and walk across the field to her. She’d have to go to him.

She unbolted the gate, stepped into the field on tiptoe, keeping her heels from sinking into the soft ground.
If Maggie could see me now.
She bit back a nervous laugh as she shot the bolt of the gate behind her. This certainly wasn’t what they’d imagined when she’d stepped into her do-me heels.

The ground was uneven, but at least it wasn’t muddy. It was too far away to see if the men were watching her unsteady progress across the uneven clods of earth, but they were facing her direction, so she tried her best to look as though walking across a field in heels was part of her everyday reality.

Her fingers were clenched around the chain strap of her bag. Under Maggie’s tutelage, she’d tousled her bob into a sexy style and sprayed it with hairspray. Unfortunately, the horizontal wind had totally undone the look she’d spent what seemed like forever creating. A strand of hair blew across her face, and got stuck on her lip-gloss. She pushed it away, careful not to smear
Berry Crush
all over her face.

If I could go back in time…
She ruefully thought back to her jeans, sweater and comfortable sneakers. Pulled in a deep breath, and plastered on a smile. Halfway there.

The sound was unexpected. The sound of thundering hooves, accompanied by a loud puffing. Val’s head snapped to the side. Her gaze took in a myriad of things all at once. The large, steaming body. Wide, oversized brown eyes—staring into hers.

Oh crap.

Keeping her eyes on the cow, which had halted way too close, she stepped forward. Into crap. She could swear the cow actually smiled.

“Yeah, funny.” She hissed under her breath. There was no way she could do anything about it now, the cow—she examined it more carefully, okay, teenage boy cow—flicked its ear in way that looked far from friendly.

She shook her foot. Shuddered. “I’m just going to walk carefully away.” She started to move, and the beast took a step closer. “It’s your field—I’m going to see my friend…”

Steam billowed out from the cow’s nostrils in a plume. Val waved her arms. “Shoo.”

Apparently it didn’t speak English.

A loud whistle cut through the air. Val looked up. Finn was running her direction, waving his arms and shouting. She’d never been more relieved to see anyone in her life.

The beast’s eyes widened, showcasing a thick band of white around the edges. With a snort, it kicked up its heels, turned tail, and thundered away across the field.

Then Finn was there. He gripped her arm. “Okay?”

Her foot was covered to the ankle in cowshit, her lip-gloss had hair stuck to it, and she was pretty sure her nose was red from the cold wind. “I am now.”

A slow smile started on Finn’s face. His gaze travelled over her body. “That’s one hell of a dress.”

“Wait till you see the back.”

He walked around her, taking in the view. “Wow.”

“I’m not exactly dressed for this.” The incredulity of the situation struck hard. “God, don’t tell me I have to go over and meet your clients. Not like this.” She started to laugh, and couldn’t stop.

“Country chic.” Finn was laughing too. Somehow he’d got closer, and his arm was around her waist. “I reckon he took exception to your leather purse.”

Val blinked away the moisture in her eyes, idly wondering if her mascara was waterproof or if she’d added panda eyes into the “irresistible me” mix.

“Do we…” She looked in the direction of Finn’s clients.

“No. I’ve finished, and told them we’re leaving.” Finn grabbed her hand. “Come on.”

At Finn’s car, Val stood next to the hedge, making sure she couldn’t be seen by his clients. There was no way she could get into his car like this. The smell was indescribable.

“I’ve got a bottle of water.” Finn opened the trunk, and pulled out a supersized bottle of mineral water. “I meant to go to the gym this morning, but life got in the way.”

“Great.” Val took it from him. She tried to tug down her hose, but the dress was too tight. “Okay, I’m sorry about this…” she warned. Then she grabbed the hem and edged it up to her waist.

“I’m not sorry.” Finn leaned against the car and grinned.

She peeled the hose down her legs and kicked off her shoes. Screwed the top off the bottle of water.

“I have a towel.” Finn leaned into the trunk, and unzipped a gym bag.

The blare of a car horn was accompanied by hoots and catcalls as a couple of adolescent boys sped past.

Val shrieked and ducked.

“They’re gone.” Finn helped her up. He eased the dress down to cover her lace panties, poured water over her foot, then dried it with a fluffy blue towel. He glanced over toward the hedge. “Your shoes.”

“Are staying right there.” The sting of gravel on the road’s verge was nothing compared to what she’d been though in the last few minutes. “The cow can have them.”

*****

Finn glanced over. “I guess I should take you home to change.” Val had the towel over her knees and was shivering. He turned the heat up full. “Or I could take you to my house. Sorcha left some clothes and sneakers there; I’m sure they will fit.”

“Let’s go to yours. Maggie has an intimate evening for two planned, I don’t want to disturb them.”

“Suits me.” The sky was darkening as late afternoon turned to early evening. Val had called this meeting, and he itched to know what she had to say, but now wasn’t the time to probe. He wasn’t sure he could string two words together anyway. The vision of her with her dress pushed up to reveal acres of leg and black lace panties seemed to have burned itself onto his retinas, reminding his body just how much, how desperately, it craved hers.

When they arrived as his house, she darted barefoot from the car.

“Into the shower.” He walked ahead, grabbing fresh towels from the linen cupboard on the way. “I’ll find you those clothes.”

“Thanks.” She smiled a grateful smile.

Finn left the clothes outside the door for her, and shed his suit in favor of worn jeans and a black turtleneck sweater. Nerves clenched in his stomach. He’d missed her. Wanted her back. His tension was bound to be palpable, and the more he thought about it, the worse it got.

Atmosphere.
They needed good vibes if they were going to do this. He lit a fire, selected a mellow CD, and set it playing, and opened a bottle of red wine.

“I feel a lot more human now.” Val stepped into the room. Sorcha’s jeans were too long, and too big, swamping her tiny frame. She’d rolled the ends up, and had her feet encased in the pair of fluffy socks he’d added to the pile. The hot pink sweatshirt: great on her.

“Come and warm up.” Finn poured two glasses of wine, and held one out to her.

“Thanks.” She joined him.

Silence stretched for long moments as she warmed her legs before the fire.

“How have you been?”

Val turned at his question. Her throat moved as she swallowed. “I…I’ve been missing you.” Vivid blue eyes stared into his. “I’ve missed you a lot.”