Fin set his jaw and stated, “I’ll find another place to stay for the night and make arrangements to move tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you come home with me?” Alex blurted out. She froze, unable to believe she’d suggested it.
Fin’s gaze snapped to her eyes. “What?”
Fin staredat Alex waiting for her to confirm he heard her correctly.
“I mean, you could ride home with me and we could figure out what to do from there. The apartment above Eddie’s garage is empty and sometimes friends spend the night when they’ve had too much to drink. We can ask Eddie if you can stay there tonight. Would that help?”
“Aye, that would help, but…” Fin narrowed his eyes at her. Memories flashed through his head of the funeral, the full-size casket and the smaller one next to it. He gasped and lowered his head to stave off the panic creeping up his spine.
“But what? Are you okay? What are you thinking?” Alex asked.
“A lot of things are going through my head. I’m worried about dragging you into the spotlight. I’m concerned about keeping you safe. And I don’t want to be invasive.”
“Invasive?” Alex snorted. “I think that ship has sailed.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
“Alex.” Fin reached out and covered her hand with his.
“What?” She looked up at him, eyebrows raised.
“Are you okay with me staying somewhere that close to you?” Fin’s first reaction was he shouldn’t because he would endanger her. But the vultures knew about her already, and they’d find her eventually. Perhaps if he was closer to her, he could protect her.
“Yeah, sure. Just let me text Eddie real quick and make sure no one’s using it before I commit to something I can’t deliver.” Alex patted his hand and sent the message to Eddie.
“Yo, guys… HELLOOOOOO… anyone there?” Andy called from down the table.
Fin looked up to see all eyes on them and Alex responded, “Pardon me?”
“We were asking if you two wanted to play. There’s a court open.”
Alex’s phone dinged and she showed him Eddie’s response. The apartment was empty, and Eddie was thrilled to have him stay there. One night wouldn’t hurt, would it?
Fin spoke up before Alex could answer, “Actually, something’s come up and we have to leave. Rain check?” Now that he’d made the decision, he wanted to get away from the crowd. He raised his eyebrows at Alex, silently asking if she was ready to go.
“Yeah, sure, man. Everything okay?” Andy asked.
Alex nodded her agreement.
“Yes, nae bother.” Fin stood and picked up his things. “Thanks again for letting me hang out with you lot.”
Alex collected her stuff and preceded Fin to the car.
Chapter11
Thursday Night
The drive home was quiet.Not an uncomfortable silence, but an anticipatory one. They discussed how much more visible the stars were on a clear night like tonight and how you couldn’t see as many as you could back home. For her that was West Texas, and for Fin, Scotland. It gave them a safe topic to discuss while their minds pondered deeper matters.
Before Alex knew it, and perhaps before she was ready, they arrived at her duplex. The lights were on in the garage apartment and Eddie walked toward them from the stairs at the end of the carport.
“Hello, Finley! Let me show you to the guest house,” Eddie greeted them as they pulled their gym bags from her car.
Fin looked at Alex. When she shrugged and followed Eddie, he fell into step beside her, trailing Eddie around the side and up the stairs.
Alex had seen the garage apartment before, but Eddie had redecorated several times since she’d last peeked inside. The entrance led into an open living/kitchen combo area. The cabinetry was white with seafoam green-colored walls as a backdrop. The furniture was all casual chic with airy greens and blues, giving it a beach cottage feel. Alex spotted a few accessories with an oceanic theme and congratulated herself on getting better at identifying a specific style. Eddie had been trying to educate her for years in the aesthetics of design. Her habit of picking things she liked regardless of how they blended with a color scheme horrified him.
“The unit is an efficiency apartment. Living area, kitchen, utility closet.” Eddie pointed around as he talked. “The door on the right is the bathroom and through here is the bedroom.”
