“You’re spending lots of time with her then?”
“Aye, this weekend was what I imagine life is like for normal people… hanging around at the beach, driving to town for groceries or dinner, making… ehm, lunch together. You know, normal stuff like that.” Fin pressed his hand to his forehead as heat crept into his cheeks. He’d almost saidmaking love. Addie would never have let him live that down.
Addie was quiet, and Fin asked if she was still there.
“You’re falling for her,” she whispered.
“Pardon?” Fin’s mouth gaped open and he stiffened at her declaration. But as he thought back over the last week, he slouched back against the couch. “Ooft, I’m a numpty, Addie.” Fin dragged his hand through his hair and looked toward the bedroom door. “You’re right. I think I’m falling for her. What terrible timing.”
“No, Fin, it’s perfect timing. Don’t you see? I’ve been so worried about you. You’ve been showing classic symptoms of burnout. You’ve been bored, fatigued, and rarely excited about anything new. But this week, you’ve started making moves to take control of your life again. I thought maybe you had finally had enough of Miranda Cole and that was the catalyst, but now I’m thinking it’s because of your Alex. She might be the spark you needed. It’s exactly the right time.”
Fin still felt flabbergasted. “Addie, I have to go. I need to think about this. I’ll call you back tomorrow after I talk to Mac, okay?”
“Absolutely. Hey,” she said before he could hang up.
“Aye?”
“I love you, Fin. I’m here for you. Don’t overthink it. She’s come into your life at exactly the right time. Don’t let her get away without telling her. That’s it. Later.”
She disconnected before he could respond. Fin tossed the phone on the coffee table and stood up. His skin crawled with the need to do something. Anything. He left a note for Alex, letting her know he was going for a run, donned his trainers, pocketed his phone, and headed to the beach.
When Alex foundFin’s note, she grinned and began preparing to leave by tidying up the beach house. She removed the bed sheets and put them in the laundry bin with the bath towels. Gary employed a service to do the heavy cleaning, but he requested his guests do some minimal picking up to help, and she happily did her part.
She was almost finished emptying the refrigerator when Fin returned from his run. She handed him a bottle of water and watched him drink it. He wore only his running shorts, and sweat gleamed on his body. His hair was windblown, the soft curls unruly. Her insides turned gooey all over, and she thought they’d never leave if she got distracted every time he looked good to her.
He drained the water and crushed the bottle before throwing it in the recycle bin. “Did you have a good nap?”
“Yes, I did. I rarely sleep during the day so that was refreshing. How was your run?”
“Hot. I can’t believe it’s still this warm in October. But running along the beach was lovely.” He looked around at the kitchen and into the bedroom. “You are packing up to leave?”
“Yeah, I’d like to be back in Houston earlier rather than later, so I have time to get ready for tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”
“Aye. Let me shower and I’ll help. Back in a sec,” he called as he headed to the bedroom.
They were on the road and on the way back to Houston an hour later. They drove in companionable silence, but Alex got the impression Fin had something on his mind. His body language and tone of voice had been more contemplative than what she typically witnessed in him.
“Something bothering you? You’ve been awfully quiet since your run,” she commented.
He gazed at her, his eyes probing. Startled at the intense look, she focused her attention on the road again. “I talked to Addie before my run. Addie is more than my business partner, she’s my best friend. She’s helped me manage things when I had no clue what I was doing and has been a sounding board for any personal issues.”
He paused long enough that Alex wasn’t sure if he would continue. “Okay?” she prompted.
“She observed something I hadn’t even realized myself, and I’m still processing it. I’m going through a change right now. In my life. And…” He paused a beat before continuing. “I think you’re part of it.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
“I mean, you’ve reminded me what it’s like to be Fin and not Finley McAlister, movie star. I’ve been feeling lost for a while, unsure which direction I wanted to go, but unsatisfied with where I was. Meeting you, hanging out with you this week… I’ve remembered what it feels like to just be me. I feel motivated again. I feel energized and capable of taking on those projects that have been moping around in my head, collecting dust.”
He stopped talking and stared off into the distance for a minute before turning back to her.
“I’m not sure I’m saying this right, but I would like us to talk about the future. This past week has been wonderful, but we’ve been living very much in the present. I like you. I feel like we will be friends going forward regardless, but I want more than that. I believe we have something between us we should explore and allow to grow.”
Alex kept her eyes on the road and let his words wash over her.
“I’m having a hard time getting a read on you, Alex. What are you thinking?”
When she finally spoke, her voice croaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Just to be clear, you are saying you would like to start dating? As in, we would be a couple?” She looked over at him for confirmation.
