Page 14 of Grump of Misty Mountain

Simply thinking about it now increased an ache I hadn’t been able to shake since our first kiss. If I was honest with myself, we’d passed the point of being friends with benefits. And if I tookFinn at his word, that he thought I was the one, although he hadn’t repeated it since that first time. Could I see myself with him long-term? Could what I was feeling be love after such a short time knowing him?

But he hadn’t said those three little words either. Words I wasn’t sure I could trust anymore. So, even if he wanted long-term that didn’t equal love on his end, right?Ugh.

The morning kept getting busier and busier. With the warmer weather, more tourists were visiting for a day hike, which meant Clara and I hadn’t had much time to chat about much else other than work.

I really wanted her opinion, but I also didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“Hey, there gorgeous.” Finn’s husky and sleep deprived voice broke through the low hum of cafe chatter. Instantly, my body went from standby to full alert. Addicted to him didn’t even touch how I felt.

My heart was beginning to convince my brain that we could make it work.

“Hi. What are you up to today?” I placed the lid on the to-go cup and set it on the counter for Clara’s customer.

Finn waited until the woman walked away, then stepped up to the counter. “Thought I’d pick up some dessert for tonight and see if you wanted to join me for dinner. I got some steaks at the General Store and was thinking of grilling?—”

“Sami?”

I heard my name, but it didn’t fully register who’d said it until a man hidden behind Finn’s six-foot-two frame stepped to the side and moved into view.Oh, no. Not here. Not now.

“Uh, John. What…how did you find me?” Except, deep down, I knew. Great Aunt Lani. My mother must have caved and told her sister where I’d relocated. My aunt had set us up and was upset that I hadn’t given him a second chance.

“A friend.” John’s whinny defiance made me cringe.God, how had I ever let him into my life?

“When you stopped returning my texts, or my emails, I had to do something. We need to talk, Sami. You just can’t throw away five years. Tell your boss you’re taking the rest of the day off. I’ve got a rental car outside. We’ll go for a drive or a walk.”

Typical John. Expecting me to follow his demands.

“Yeah, that’s a no. There’s nothing else to discuss. I said everything I wanted to say after I caught?—”

“Not here, Sami.” John growled between gritted teeth.

“You cheated on me, asshole. There is no coming back from that. You need to leave. Now.” Shaking my head, I refused to look at him again, as I greeted a very nervous-looking woman who had the misfortune to walk into the cafe at that moment.

I wanted to see how Finn was handling this, but if I looked in his direction, then I’d have to look at John again and I just couldn’t. If I did, I’d lose it. And there was no way I was going to cause a scene.

“Don’t you ignore me.” From the corner of my eye, I saw John charge the counter, his finger pointing at me.

“Sami asked you to leave. And that’s exactly what you’re going to do,John.” Finn’s tone was controlled yet laced with an underlying threat of-–fuck around and find out—and it was kind of hot. It certainly didn’t scare me. I just prayed John would take the warning and leave.

“Who are you to speak to me like that? This is none of your concern.” My ex didn’t have a clue what he was getting himself into. I may not know much about Finn’s military background, but if I were John, I’d be wetting my pants right about now. Although I was confident Finn wouldn’t get physical. He didn’t need to until he did. And John was a self-proclaimed lover, not a fighter. Well, he’d hadn’t been much of a lover. God, what Iwouldn’t give to let John know just how awful he was compared to Finn.

I lifted a hand to my mouth to cover my laugh. Both men gave me an odd look, and unfortunately, John had an ego the size of the Pacific ocean. John’s face had scrunched up. Oh boy, he was winding himself up to tell Finn off. And even though John was a good five inches shorter, and probably thirty pounds lighter, he puffed out his chest.

“Well, now I would say it is my concern. She’s not interested in talking to you and you’re not going to make her.” Finn turned to me and asked, “You okay, sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart?” John screeched. “Back off. She’s my fiancée.”

“Whoa, so not true.” This was definitely getting out of hand.

“Now, I hear different.” Finn gave me a reassuring nod, then continued, “And this is the last time I’m going to say this. Please leave.” Finn shifted, then angled his body, indicating the door.

Darn it all, John stepped closer to Finn instead of doing the smart thing, but when was the last time he’d done anything smart? Certainly not when he’d decided to cheat.

“I’m not leaving until she agrees to speak with me.” John turned to me. “Sami, please.” His tone had softened, but then he ruined it as he added, “You owe it to me to me hear me out considering how much I’ve spent to get here.”

Owe him?I stomped around the counter until I stood next to Finn, but faced John. “I owe you nothing. Less than nothing. I make my own decisions, and hearing your excuses again is a hard no.” So much for not causing a scene.

My eyes flicked over to Clara, who’d stepped up to the counter, leaned on her elbows and cupped her face in her hands. She didn’t seem too worried, thank goodness.

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