Cabin Fever With My First Flame (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

20. Finn

Chapter twenty

Finn

We head over the hill toward the lakeside highway, and my eyes widen when I notice that the roads have been cleared. We do a quick pass by Bailey’s food truck and see that it’s gone. “The road crews must have been working non-stop for the past day and a half,” I say, thinking out loud.

“Where’s my truck?” Bailey asks, panicking.

I press the button on my walkie-talkie and connect with Zimmerman. “Chief, the roads are clear, and Bailey’s food truck is gone. Any idea where it might be?”

Zimmerman gives us the down low. “It’s at Mike’s garage. A few of the town folk helped dig it out so that Mike could tow it. It’s standard policy for abandoned vehicles, but Mike isn’t charging for the tow. He says Merry Christmas, by the way!”

Bailey visibly relaxes and snatches the radio from me. “Merry Christmas, Chief! Tell Mike we say ‘Hi!’ and will see him at the service this evening!”

I snatch the radio out of her hands and give her a stern look. “The radio is for official use only.”

“I was officially saying ‘Merry Christmas,’” she retorts. I shake my head and chuckle.

It takes us about half an hour to get into town, and we park in front of the McNamara home. It’s a beautiful bed and breakfast with eight rooms and a large front porch. As we head up the salted walkway, I ask, “Are you sure that Barb and Henry will be all right with four extra mouths to feed? Six, if you take into consideration how much a teenage boy can eat.”

“You’ve had Christmas Eve dinner with us before, Finn. My mom doesn’t know how to cook for less than a dozen people during the holidays. If you guys don’t join us, then we’ll be eating ham and cornbread pudding for a month!”

Bailey is right, and her mother, Barbara, invites us to stay before we even have a chance to take our coats off. Bailey’s parents hug their daughter and granddaughters first, but they welcome us with open arms and with equal affection. When Barb hugs me, she whispers, “Thank you for taking care of my babies, Finn. Once we learned that they were with you, we knew that they were in good hands.”

I hug her back. “The pleasure was ours, Barb. It gave Bailey and me the opportunity we needed to clear the air and discover the truth. I don’t know if we would have ever had the kind of heart-to-heart we had if we hadn’t been stuck together.”

Barb releases her hold on me and steps back. “God does work in mysterious ways. What was this truth that you discovered?”

I glance over at Bailey, who is hanging up the coats. “I’ll leave that one for Bailey to tell you.”

Barb quickly puts me to work in the kitchen before disappearing upstairs, dragging Bailey behind her. I assume it’s because she can’t wait to get the inside scoop, and I’m right. Ten minutes later, she returns with tears glistening in her eyes. “I guess the silver lining is that you have a second chance with Bailey, although she assures me the two of you are just friends.”

“Yep. What Bailey wants, Bailey gets,” I say, listening to everyone laugh at something on the television.

“But what do you want, Finn?” Barb asks.

“I want Bailey to be happy. I don’t want to rush her into a relationship, and if friends are all we’ll ever be, then I can live with that.”

She turns off the burners and takes the foil off the ham that’s been resting. “That’s the thing, Finn. She is happier than I’ve seen her in a long time, and it’s only been an hour. I don’t think you’ll have to wait long for her to realize what we all see in the time you’ve been here. Despite Daniel’s lies, I do believe he truly loved Bailey, and I know Bailey loved him. A part of her always will, just as a part of her has always loved you. Yet, there was always something missing in their relationship. Maybe it was the spark that keeps the fire going. You know, the one that never really goes out, but with a soft breath, it can reignite a passion and turn into an inferno of everlasting love. You and Bailey have that spark. You always have.”

I go over to the sink and begin washing the pots and pans that have slowly piled up. “Barb, how come you never spoke to Bailey about me or warned her that I moved back to Lake George with my nephews?”

“I didn’t think it was wise while Bailey and Daniel were married. You and Bailey had both moved on. It was out of respect for their marriage that I kept my mouth shut. As to why I didn’t warn her about your return, that’s a no-brainer. I was afraid she would choose to make her fresh start somewhere else just to avoid you.”

“I guess I was surprised that no one in this town said a word—to her or to me. It almost feels like it’s a conspiracy,” I tease.

Barb barks out a laugh, then winks. “I will neither confirm nor deny. What I will say is that everyone is rooting for the two of you.”

Dinner was amazing, and so was the Christmas Eve church service. The recounting of Christ’s birth never gets old and brings me to tears every time I hear it. To know that our Father sent His Son in human form to be a sacrifice to atone for our sins is the greatest gift we could receive.

Bailey nudges me as we amble from the church to the house, which is two blocks away. “Because of the weather, there is room at the inn,” she jokes. “You and the boys should stay in the guest rooms and then spend Christmas morning with us. It’s dark outside, and it isn’t safe to travel at night.”

I open my mouth, but she keeps on rambling. “You can’t use the excuse of another storm coming because it’s moving south now and isn’t going to hit us. Plus, your parents texted and said they’d be landing in Albany in the morning and should be home by noon. It would be a waste of gas for you to ride the ATVs back to your place only to have to come right back.”

Reaching out for Bailey’s hand to stop her verbal spewing, I spin her around to face me. In doing so, she loses her footing on the ice, with me barely catching her before her butt hits the ground. She scrambles to get her feet under her, but she can’t find purchase on the slick sidewalk. I drag Bailey over to her neighbor’s yard, both of us falling in the snow.

Yanking my glove off with my teeth, I caress her rosy cheeks with my fingers. “Why do you want us to spend Christmas with you, Bailey? Is it because you feel pity for us?”

She glances at the six kids having a snowball fight in the front yard having a blast, then back at me. “Pity is the last thing I feel for you, Finn.”

I wrap my hand around her waist, and her hands grip my biceps. I smirk and flex underneath to tempt and tantalize her. “What do you feel for me, Bailey Bug?”

Before she can answer, Ava screams with excitement and draws our attention. “Daddy! You came to see us!”

Bailey removes her hands quickly as if she’s been burned and gets up to march over in her daughter’s direction to find out what’s going on. I catch up to her and stop in my tracks when I watch Daniel pick Ava up and swing her around. He gives each of his daughters a hug and then embraces Bailey, who does not hug him back. “What are you doing here, Daniel?” she asks curtly. “Aren’t you supposed to be getting married tomorrow?”

Daniel notices that he has an audience. “May we speak in private?” he asks. Without waiting for an answer, he turns around and walks 20 yards away.

Bailey turns to the girls, “Go ahead and go inside. I’ll just be a few minutes.” Barb and Henry usher the girls into the house, leaving the boys and me outside feeling awkward. She gently places her hand on my arm. “My offer still stands. You’re welcome to stay and spend Christmas with us. I just need a minute to figure things out and find out why he’s here.”

I gently press my lips against hers and leave it up to Bailey to determine if it’s a kiss goodbye. “I’ll take the boys to my parents’ house since I have a key. We’ll spend Christmas there. The girls should spend the holiday with their father, not someone they just met four days ago. You know where to find me when you get things ‘figured out.”’

Bailey lowers her gaze and mumbles, “So, you’re just going to walk away?”

I lift her chin with my gloved hand. “I’m not walking away from you. Not this time. I’m going to respect and trust you by giving you the space to make your decision without any pressure or expectations. You know how I feel about you and what I want. The next move is yours. Until then, Merry Christmas.”

I wave the boys over, and we climb into the ATVs and drive the six blocks to the other end of town where my parents live.

Micah gets out of the ATV and slams the door. “Are you really just going to let her go, Finn? Aren’t you going to fight for her?”

“Bailey doesn’t need me to fight her battles, Micah, and our staying would only make the situation awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. She needs someone who is patient and understanding and who can trust and support her. I’m that guy, but Bailey has to come to that realization on her own.”