Finn set down his beer, his jaw clenching tight. “Not yet.”
“Season’s started. Hiring’s pretty much wrapping up for the year. The longer you wait, the better chance they’ll find somebody else.”
Roaring cheers erupted on the TV, a heavy metal rift rocked the tinny speakers as the Seahawks made another touchdown. Finn hopped up from his chair, bringing his plate to the sink. “I’ll make some calls in the morning.”
“Keep your options open. Just let me know as soon as you decide.”
“’K.” Finn rinsed the plate, grabbing the nearest dirty dishes to load the dishwasher.
Silence.
Evan cleared his throat and said, “So, Haley. You grew up around here, right?”
Nodding, she was grateful for the subject change. Finn still hadn’t turned around. “I did. Sounds like I moved away right as you guys were moving in.”
“I wonder if we had some of the same friends.” He grinned, chattier than she’d seen him all night. Helping steer the conversation from Finn, she suspected. They were a unit in so many ways. As she and Grady and Ryder had tried to be for each other, until their lives had drifted apart, but she felt they were slowly coming back together.
Turning on his heel, Finn appeared before she could answer and snagged empty plates from the table. “Of course she did. She’s Grady and Ryder Mallory’s little sister.”
Zoe lit up, flipping her hair back and adjusting her posture. “I had such a crush on Ryder. What’s he up to these days?”
Laughing, Haley hadn’t heard that one in a while. Where Grady had the blond hair and blue eyes like he’d grown up surfing in Honolulu, Ryder was pure slick style.
Each had coped with a rough start to life very differently. Patricia wasn’t exactly the world’s best role model. Grady and Ryder’s dad had died young, but the divorce had already been finalized. Haley’s dad was good to his stepsons, but it had been tough on Grady and Ryder to lose him to a brutal divorce as they were on the cusp of adulthood. Husband number three was reasonable, but not very involved. Too little, too late. Grady had fought Patricia’s superior influence, eventually levelling out into the guy he inherently was. Ryder was… working on it.
“He’s busy. He’s living in Arizona and working his way up the ladder at a marketing firm.”
Evan rose from the table, taking his plate to Finn at the sink. “Sounds about right. I heard he and Claire were engaged until she met Grady.”
Haley hadn’t been around for it, but she’d suspected the gossip had run rampant. “Not exactly. Yes, she had been with Ryder, but they’d broken up.”
Biting the edge of her tongue, Zoe nodded. “Still, must have been awkward. Swapping brothers like that. Could have been worse, like if they’d been best friends or something. I mean, brothers will fight it out and move on, but that would have destroyed—”
Finn snatched Zoe’s plate and grabbed her half-consumed beer right from her hand. “I’m sure Grady, Claire, and Ryder would prefer to stay out of gossip circles.”
Haley rose from her chair and brought her plate to Finn. “Grady felt awful, falling for what he thought was his brother’s fiancée.”
Taking her plate, Finn rinsed and added it to the dishwasher. “I would imagine Claire felt terrible, moving on so fast, and not with just anyone, but her nearly-brother-in-law.”
Dishes nearly done thanks to Finn’s efficiency, Zoe and Evan filtered out of the room, and Scott returned to the game.
Grabbing a rag, Haley dampened and rang it out, wiping down the countertops while Finn worked at the sink. “Sore subject for all involved. Which is why you and I have chosen to rebound; no fuss, no muss. Just fun.” She stood on her tiptoes and planted a teasing kiss on Finn’s jaw.
“Yeah,” he said with a half-smile, his jaw muscle ticking from the effort. He’d been off since Scott brought up the interviews. Haley wanted to pick his brain about it, but he shut off so severely, she’d have to find the right moment.
When they were down to the last plate, Zoe popped back in via the slider to the backyard and flagged her down.
Haley set down her rag and crossed the kitchen. “Hey,” she answered.
A mischievous twinkle in her eye, Zoe gestured outside. “Come see if you want starts of these shrubs.”
Following Zoe to the park-like backyard, a veritable maze of fruit trees, winding paths, and eventually opening to a native forest, she mentally took notes on ideas for her own yard.
As they neared a rose garden, Zoe crossed her arms over her chest. Rather than talking gardening as expected, Zoe didn’t beat around the bush, so to speak. “Finn is really happy.” Zoe scowled, her foot tapping against the gravel path.
“That’s great.” Haley nodded, unsure what Zoe was getting at. With how her jaw was clenched tight like Finn’s when he was upset, she didn’t mean that in a good way. The wind was still fierce, blowing her hair across her face. Haley ran her hands through her hair and held her hand on her head to pin her hair in place.
“I like you, Haley. You’re really good for him.”
