Page 40 of Moore to Love

“As long as you’re okay with the plan, yes,” he confirmed with a nod.

“Don’t worry, boss. This is not the expression of an upset woman.” Meghan gestured at my face with her hand. “It’s stunned surprise because you just earned all the boyfriend brownie points. And some husband points for Roger. Plus, the undying gratitude of her children since I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to play with puppies tonight.”

Finn peered down at me with narrowed eyes. “Is she right?”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded, gulping down the sudden lump of emotion in my throat. “I’m getting used to how thoughtful you are, but this is just…amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever really had a proper girls’ night out since I was barely twenty-one when I got pregnant with Benjamin.”

“You’ve spent the past couple of years making sure your children are okay. Pushed yourself to get your degree. Took a job with me. All so you can take care of them. You deserve some time to heal yourself, too. A girls night out is as good a start as any.”

His reasoning blew me away almost as much as the gesture. I was in awe of how he saw me. But I also wanted to make sure he understood his impact on my life. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to tonight, but it isn’t the start of me healing myself.”

His brows drew together as he tilted his head to the side. “It’s not?”

“Nope.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I already took that first step when you held me in your arms as I cried. And after.”

My cheeks heated as I darted a look at Meghan. She pressed her hands against her ears and whispered, “Earmuffs. I can’t hear a thing.”

I knew darn well that sound could still get through, but that didn’t stop me from continuing since I knew she was fully on board with Finn and I being together. “I’ve healed more in the past month than I did in the almost two years since my marriage ended. Tonight will be fun but being with you—introducing you to my children as more than just my boss—are huge steps that I’ve already taken.”

“You’re absolutely right, baby.” He brushed his lips against mine in a chaste kiss. “And I’m so fucking proud of you.”

I couldn’t remember another time when a man other than my father had said those words to me. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you.” He untangled my arms and stepped back. “But you’d better get going or else the rest of the women will get a head start on you two.”

“Who else is joining us?”

Meghan beat me to the question I was about to ask, proving that I’d been right about how much she could hear.

“I mentioned what I was going to do to Ryland, and about ten minutes later, I got texts from Skylar, Vienna, and Waverly letting me know they booked a table at Sip & Swirl.”

“Sounds like a fun group to me.” Dropping her hands to her sides, she flashed me a sheepish smile. “Let’s go drink some wine and have lots of fun.”

“You’re sure you’re okay with bringing the kids back to my place and hanging out with them until I get home?” My gaze darted toward the employee break room, where I’d set them up with coloring books and crayons since Finn had asked if I could stop by right before the clinic closed. “They haven’t had dinner.”

“No worries, I’ll order a couple of pizzas.”

I had to remind myself that taking some time to have fun didn’t make me a bad mom. And that my children adored Finn…and the puppies. “Okay, I’ll go fill the kids in on the plan, and then I’ll head out for wine and gossip.”

“Just be sure to say good things about me,” he requested with a grin as he nudged me toward the break room.

I wasn’t the least bit surprised that Benjamin and Madison were excited to ride back to our house in Finn’s SUV, especially when they learned about their pit stop to pick up the puppies. And pizza for dinner.

I was able to head out the door without any fuss, leaving my car in the parking lot per Finn’s request. Meghan practically bounced in her seat with excitement as she drove us to the wine bar. Before we walked inside, she stopped me at the doorway. “Thank you so much for dating Finn.”

“Um…you’re welcome?” I appreciated her uniqueness but thanking me for going out with Finn was a little odd, even for her.

“You’re not the only one who’s benefited from his thoughtfulness,” she pointed out. “So far, I’ve gotten a gift card to my favorite barbecue place and a girls’ night out that I didn’t have to plan. I’m happy for you two, but I also selfishly hope you stay together forever because I wouldn’t mind if the perks keep coming my way.”

Her explanation was hilarious but also strangely sweet. “Get inside so we can enjoy tonight’s perk.”

“Yes, ma'am.” She yanked the door open, and we headed to the high-top table in the back where Skylar, Waverly, and Vienna were already seated.

After a quick round of introductions—I’d never met Vienna in person but had seen her speed skate on television—we ordered a couple of bottles of wine and a charcuterie board that ended up being almost as big as our table. Which was a good thing because we would’ve been even more drunk by the end of the night if we hadn’t tried to demolish all the snacks.

After the server poured our glasses—a sweet white for Skylar and Vienna and a rich red for Waverly, Meghan, and me—my lawyer’s wife leaned close and demanded, “We need details. Spill the tea.”

Meghan laughed as she raised her glass. “Just not the wine.”

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