Page 4 of Cabin Fever With My First Flame

Bailey covers her daughter’s mouth. “Ava, we don’t call people ‘hoochie-mama.’ It’s not very nice.”

“But that’s what you said to Nana,” Ava replies, outing her mother. I doubt that Bailey had intended that particular conversation to be overheard, especially by tiny ears.

Bailey hugs her daughter apologetically. “I shouldn’t have, Sweetie. That was wrong of me. Delaney is, um, a very nice woman who will make your father very happy.”

The rest of the ride is ridden in silence as I think about the fact that Bailey is now single. I was the one who was supposed to make her happy, but I wasn’t gone even three months before I found out she chose my best friend over me. Bailey promised she’d wait for me, but it didn’t take long before she changed her mind.

As we pull up to the cabin, I force back the scowl that’s threatening to emerge. The colorful Christmas lights twinkle brightly and mock me, reminding me that this is the season for forgiveness and letting go of old hurts. I forgave Daniel and Bailey a long time ago, but seeing her again is like opening up a fresh wound.

“We should get inside,” I choke out as Micah and Jonah help their two passengers through the deep snow and onto the front porch. The stairs are barely discernable and are nearly covered under a blanket of white powder.

When Bailey and I make it to the front door, she sets down Ava and ushers her inside, leaving the two of us alone. She turns to me. “Thank you for rescuing us and providing a warm placefor us to take shelter, Finn. We’ll try to stay out of your way as much as we can, but we’ll also do our part. We don’t want to be a burden, so put us to work. We have no problem earning our keep.”

I want to reach up and wipe the sadness from her eyes, but it hasn’t been my place to do so in 18 years. “It’s not a problem, and I’m glad we could help. As far as earning your keep, I don’t suppose you know how to cook now. I remember that you used to burn nearly everything.”

She giggles, the same tinkling sound that I remember. “Finn, I own a food truck and had a restaurant until a few months ago. I certainly hope that cooking is a skill I possess. If not, then I’ve disappointed more than half of Myrtle Beach and thousands of tourists.”

I smile wanly and place my hand on the small of her back, guiding her inside. If Bailey has ever disappointed anyone, it was me when she broke my heart. I look up toward the heavens and wonder if God is playing a joke on me or if this is Him giving us the gift of a second chance.

Chapter three

Bailey

The touch of Finn’shand on my back sends shivers down my spine and awakens the long-dormant butterflies in my stomach. I haven’t felt them flutter around in years and don’t know what to make of the sensation. I take a step away from Finn and help Ava get her boots off, placing them by the front door so that melted snow doesn’t drip everywhere.

“This is a lovely home, Finn,” I tell him, taking in the rustic charm of the cabin. The floors are made of polished wood, and the walls are a warm cream color. There aren’t any pictures, and the place is devoid of any holiday decorations. “Your family always went all out during the holidays. I guess I’m a little surprised there isn’t a single Christmas ornament on the tree or figurines lining the mantle.”

Finn points to a stack of boxes in the corner. “We were planning on decorating tonight. It’s been a tough season for the boys since their mom passed away, but they’re ready to get into the holiday spirit. As far as my parent’s home is concerned, you remember that it was my sister who always made the house festive with her love of all things Christmas. Would you and your girls like to help us? We’re a bunch of guys without a creative bone in our bodies.”

I smile broadly because Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and I could rival Finn’s older sister, Jenny, in the decorating department. Every winter, when she would come home from college, her first order of business was to turn the Hollister home into a winter wonderland.

“We’d love to! Christmas is my jam!” I point in the direction of Ella, who is thoroughly enraptured in a video game with a boy who looks just like Finn did at that age. “That’s Ella. She’s my oldest at 14 and wants to major in interior design. She’ll jump on the opportunity to help. You’ve already met Ava, who is my youngest and is willing to do anything that can create a mess. Then there’s Mia, who is the ten-year-old on the couch, sulking.”

Finn mouths the names over and over to commit them to memory. He’s a firm believer in the “rule of ten,” which is when you say or read something ten times, you’ll remember it forever. He points to the three boys gathered around the television. “The oldest is Micah, and he turned 16 last week. He’s following in my footsteps and is a junior firefighter in town. The other two arethe twins, Isaac and Jonah. Isaac is the one with short, cropped hair, while Jonah has the curly mop.”

“All Biblical names,” I say, stating the obvious. “I didn’t peg you to go that route. I thought when we, um, I mean, you had kids, you’d name them after famous football players.”

Finn chuckles. “I didn’t get much of a say. I wasn’t the one who birthed them after all.”

I wave my hand in the direction of the kids. “Surely your opinion counted for something.”

“Nope. I suggested names but was quickly overruled,” he jokes. “I offered up Jerry for Jerry Rice and Tom for Tom Brady. There was no way she was going to have her twins be called Tom and Jerry.”

I chuckle. “No, I guess not. I can’t really blame her for putting the kibosh on something like that.” I give him a feeble smile that barely covers the hurt. If Micah is 16, that means that Finn left me for another woman or that he met her shortly after arriving in California. Not wanting to travel down that rabbit hole, I change the subject. “Where do you want us to sleep tonight? I’m willing to take the couch.”

Finn picks up my backpack and slings it over his shoulder before grabbing the girls’ belongings. “I’m not having you sleep on the couch, Bailey. Follow me, and I’ll show you to the guest room. Micah can bunk up with his brothers so that you can have his room, or he can take the sofa. His bed is large enough to fit you and one of your girls. The guest room has two twin beds, which you can divvy up how you see fit.”

Before heading up the stairs, I glance over at Micah, who is laughing with Ella as they both shout at the television screen. “I don’t want to displace Micah and relegate him to the couch. We’re intruders in your home.”

“Don’t worry, Bailey; Micah won’t have any problem staying on the couch. He falls asleep there half the time because he playshis games until the wee hours of the morning.” Finn deposits my bag in Micah’s room and then holds up the other three, silently asking me which one he should leave. I point to Ava’s pink bag bedazzled in rhinestones.

Finn shows me to the other room and sets a backpack down on each bed. “The sheets in this room are clean since it has been unoccupied. I’ll replace the sheets on Micah’s bed with fresh linens for you. Just give me five minutes.”

“Thank you. You’ve done so much for us already, but I need to ask one more small favor. May I use your phone to call my parents? They’re probably getting pretty worried about now.”

“Of course. There’s a landline in the kitchen,” he says, tilting his head in that direction.

While Finn takes care of changing the bedding, I head back downstairs. No longer sulking on the couch, my little bookworm, Mia, is cuddled up with a novel. I walk over and peek at the cover. “Ah.A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens. That’s not exactly light reading,” I tease.

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