Page 109 of When The Rain Falls

“Of course, I’m fucking aware,” I argue as I cross my arms over my chest. It may be ludicrous for a grown man who was just caught hiding a woman in a pantry to sound indignant. And yet, here I am.

“A woman? Oh my God. A real woman!” My mom fans her face with both hands. I groan and cradle my head in my palm.

Jenna looks between the two of us. A mischievous dimple appearing below her right eye.

“Hey,” Tyler whispers to Aimee over Jenna’s shoulder. “Are you ok? Blink twice if you’re here against your will.” Aimee bends at the waist and begins to cackle hysterically.

Goddamn Tyler.

“Finn, I know you haven’t dated in a while, but you don’t keep women in your pantry. I think that might be some kind of felony.” The look Tyler gives me tells me he wants to be popped in the nose.

“Har har,” I grumble through a clenched jaw. “Real funny asshole.” I cut across the room, take Aimee’s hand and walk her into the kitchen. She gives my hand a squeeze and my face a gentle smile. Her eyes are still gilded with laughter.

“Ok, assholes,” I announce. “This is Aimee. Aimee, these are my assholes.”

"For Pete's sake,” Mom declares, thoroughly offended. She’s pointing a wooden spoon in my face and even though I’m forty-two, the wooden spoon sends a spike of fear through my veins. “Finn, I raised you with manners.” She turns two warm eyes to Aimee and turns her voice sticky sweet. “Hello, dear, I'm Missy. This is my daughter, Jenna. That's Tyler. And that's Finn's father, Lars." Mom gestures to the cast of idiots in my kitchen as she speaks. When she gets to Dad, he obediently raises his beer can.Charming.

After introductions, Mom immediately goes in for a vice grip hug. Aimee’s hands flail about as she searches for air.

“Fucking hell, Mom, let the woman breathe,” I mutter, trying to pry Mom’s claws away.

Mom eventually releases Aimee, but keeps both hands on her shoulders, wooden spoon still in hand. She looks at me disapprovingly. "Finn, seriously. Was thatsohard?" She gives me a slight swat across the arm.

"Mom, please don’t ask him about what's hard." Tyler has an elbow propped against the counter. “Considering the particularcircumstances, I don’t want to know the answer.” He leans forward and grabs an apple from my fruit bowl. I wish my eyes could form lasers so I could shoot them right into his face. Mom lets go of Aimee to swat Tyler's knuckles with her wooden spoon.

“Fuck off, Tyler,” I glower at him. Mom turns and unleashes her wooden spoon on me.

“Why does Aimee have sex hair?” Dad asks. “And does it have something to do with Finn being shirtless?” He gets the spoon next. It’s like whack-a-mole for bad manners and Mom can’t keep up.

Aimee turns beet red as she begins to smooth her hair down. “I like your sex hair,” I lean in and whisper assuredly into her ear. Aimee’s face wrinkles in delight and she covertly pinches my ass. Tyler sees, but smartly keeps his mouth shut.

“I’m sure it’s not what you think, Dad,” Jenna explains. “She was probably just organizing his canned goods.”

“And we know how particular he is about people handling his goods," Tyler quips, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Tyler, you watch how you fucking talk about her.” With reflexive brotherly precision, I reach out and smack him on the back of the head.

“Finn, stop being vulgar,” Mom chides.

"Come on, Ma. Like swearing’s his most egregious violation of the gentleman's code today," Tyler says, eyes roaming over my half naked body.

I feel Aimee’s hands on my back. Her smirking face tells me that she’s extremely amused by this entire thing.

"Aimee, will you join us for dinner?" my mom asks sweetly. “I’m making eggplant parmesan.”

I’m about to explain that Aimee’s just leaving when she eagerly answers with, "I'd love to." Wait? She’d love to? They’remyfamily andIdon’t even want to be here right now.

I shoot Aimee a questioning look and she nods. So, I guide her to the bar and pull out a stool. I pull my shirt off the seat and slip it over my head. When she sits, I stand behind her. I place my hands protectively on her shoulder, as if my very touch has the power to deflect whatever havoc my family might dole out next.

But then something possessive and feral comes over me. And I suddenly want everyone in this goddamn room to know that her lips are mine. That her wild laugh, her warm eyes, and her soft heart are allmine. In fact, I kind of want to parade her around the city with her lips swollen from my kisses and my bite marks all over her skin.

Goddamn, Finn, that’s ungentlemanly.

What I don’t want is for my family to scare her away.

I brush a strand of hair out of Aimee’s face. When she looks up at me with her tantalizingly warm, brown eyes, I can’t help but feel that this is so natural. That she looks good with my family. That the hole in my life seems so much smaller now. I roll my fingers through the long waves of her thick hair.

"So," Jenna says, stealing my attention and breaking the gentle pull of Aimee’s eyes. She glances between us. "Last I heard from Mom, you were doomed to be a male spinster forever. I guess now I have to stop calling you Finster the Spinster. How long have you guys been together?” That's Jenna. Going right in for the kill shot.

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