Page 14 of Cabin Fever With My First Flame

I spread my feet and cross my arms, glaring at the pair of teens. “What are you guys up to? Micah, you’ve never once volunteered to do dishes.”

He shrugs. “Last I checked, I was up to 5′11″ and still growing. Look, Finn. We just want to do something nice for you. Bailey is going to help us bake cookies, and you can help clean up that mess. Let’s just call it even.”

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I do an about-face and head back toward the dining room. When I pass through the open French doors, I halt in my tracks when I notice that Bailey is crying.

She doesn’t look at me although she heard me enter the room. “Finn, I know how much you hate to see a girl cry, so I’m going to spare you the awkwardness. I’m fine, but I just need a few minutes alone.”

Chapter nine

Bailey

Finn stands at theentrance to the dining room even though I told him I need a moment alone. If I turn around and meet his gaze, I’m sure he’ll look like a deer caught in headlights. Finn has never been comfortable with a woman crying, which is why he always went out of his way to ensure that I never did.

“Really, Finn, I’ll be okay,” I tell him, hoping he’ll go back the way he came. “You told me to sit back, relax, and breathe. This iswhy I don’t. If I stop for even a moment, the world feels like it’s crashing in on me.”

Instead of hearing the soft shuffle of Finn’s feet moving away, they come closer. Eventually, he occupies the seat closest to me. I bury my face in my hands and burst into more tears. He gently pulls my arms so that I’m forced to look at him with my puffy red eyes and runny nose. “Bailey, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Life, Finn. That’s all. I’m fine,” I tell him.

Finn chuckles, but not at my expense. “Is ‘fine’ a code word for a woman who broke down on the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm, only to be rescued by the one person she never thought she would see again? In this case, I’m sure that ‘fine’ means ‘I’m about to have a full-on meltdown.’”

“I wish I could say that you’re wrong, but that’s pretty spot on. I’ve had to be strong for the girls, but I haven’t really had a moment alone to process the divorce, the move, or starting all over. I feel like such a failure.”

Finn takes my hand in his and gently rubs tiny circles near the base of my thumb. It used to calm me down, but now it’s just making my heart beat twice as fast. “Can I ask why you and Daniel got a divorce?”

“Do I have to answer?”

Finn shakes his head. “No. I’d never force you to do anything you don’t want to, Bailey. I just feel like you might need someone to talk to. We might not be friends exactly, but we aren’t enemies, are we?”

I don’t answer his question, but I do start spilling my guts. “It’s not all that complicated. Daniel fell out of love with me. Even though we worked together eight hours out of the day running a restaurant, I was the one who took the girls to their sporting events, cheerleading practice, and dance recitals. By the time Daniel got home from work—because he often stayed late to do the books and place the orders—we were both emotionally spentand physically drained. It didn’t leave a whole lot of room for romance, if you know what I mean.”

Finn gently squeezes my hand, and I pull it back. His touch, as much as I want it or need it right now, isn’t going to help my state of mind. His face falls, but then he schools his features and leans back in his seat to put a little distance between us. “I know you wouldn’t give up so easily, Bailey. You’ve always been a fighter.”

“I didn’t. Even after I found out the real reason he was staying late at work, I begged and pleaded to go to counseling or for us to take a vacation with just the two of us and leave the kids with Pops and Nana. Instead of giving me either one of those things, he served me with divorce papers, sold the restaurant, and got engaged to the hostess.”

Finn’s body tenses, and anger courses through his veins. “What? How could he have done that without your signature?”

“He forged it. It would have cost me more in legal fees to take him to court, but in the end, I won that battle without having to lift a finger. Daniel used the money to pay off the mortgage on the house because he planned on keeping it in the divorce. He offered to let me keep the food truck, but it wasn’t ours because my parents paid for it as an investment in the restaurant and in me. Technically, it’s theirs. In the end, the house is being sold, and we have to pay off the credit cards first. After that, we’ll split the profit down the middle, and the girls and I will get our fresh start.”

“A start that is delayed by a snowstorm that isn’t letting up. From the looks of things, it might be another day or two before it’s safe to take you into town,” Finn tells me. “If the second storm hits and is as bad as this one, we might have to dig our way out of here. There’s already five feet of snow on the ground and more coming.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and inhale deeply. “I’m sorry that you got stuck with us. I doubt this was how you planned to spend the holidays.”

Finn smiles at that. “It’s been an adventure so far, and the kids seem to be getting along for the most part.”

“We are, too, for the most part. I’m glad we can keep it cordial.”

Finn’s lips turn upside down, and he’s silent for a minute before he finally speaks. “I’m actually a little surprised by that. I knew that when I packed up the boys and moved them here, there would be a good chance that our paths would cross eventually. Lake George is too small for that not to happen, even if you only came home for a visit. I thought for sure that we would either have a blow-out argument or do everything in our power to steer clear of one another.”

“It’s been 18 years since you left. That’s more than enough time for us to let go of any grudges, perceived or otherwise, Finn. I stopped being angry with you a long time ago. Heck, I’m not even angry at Daniel. Hurt, yes. Angry, no.”

Rapping his fingers on the table, Finn contemplates my words. “Do you still love him?”

“Daniel? Of course, I do. He’s the father of my children and will be a part of their lives as long as they want him to be. But if you’re asking whether or not I’minlove with him, the answer is ‘No.’ When someone cheats on you, it has this uncanny ability to taint the relationship. Love isn’t turned off with a flip of the switch just because someone hurt you, Finn. However, it changes you from the inside out, and in turn, the love changes accordingly. For some people, it turns to hate. For others, they become indifferent. I don’t have the luxury of either because I have three girls who love their father unconditionally, and I need to be their role model. I need to show them that forgiveness is possible no matter how much someone hurts you.”

“That’s easier said than done, especially when someone cheats on you,” Finn says, devoid of emotion.

I reach over and grasp his hand in solidarity, but it’s him who pulls away this time. I fiddle with the hem of my shirt, not knowing what to do with my hands. “I’m sorry that you had to experience that kind of heartache. Whoever she is, she’s an idiot for doing that to you.”

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