Page 73 of A Hard Fit

Lainey took an angry sip of her drink.

Finn’s stomach curdled. “I apologize for my language,” he said. “But—”

“It’s okay!” piped up a little voice. Heads snapped over to Minnie. “My dad says that word all the time.”

Finn resisted the urge to laugh. “But Rory said they are happy at Breakpoint. It doesn’t matter what they get paid.”

“Doesn’t matter?” Jackson’s look of derision narrowed every insecurity Finn had ever had into a single needle point stabbing him in the chest. “Of course it matters, Finn.”

Finn imagined punching his smug face, but the needle pinned him to the couch.

Rory cleared their throat. “Where are Dad and Bailey?” they asked Lainey.

Heat flared in Finn’s cheeks. How could Rory let Jackson get away with a statement like that?

“He’s got a ham on the smoker,” Lainey replied, getting up to make her way back to the bar. She added more champagne to her already not-very-orange mimosa. “I told him not to bother, but you know your father. Bailey is helping him, I believe. Either that or she’s finally talked Hadir into letting her cook the whole meal.”

Jackson was still staring at Finn, swirling the beer in his bottle. “And what does a designer do, Finn?”

This fucking—Finn shifted in his seat, deciding how to answer, aside from ‘They design, asshole,’ but Griffin started laughing.

“Jesus, Jackson! What crawled up your butt and died?”

“Griffin!” Lainey barked.

“What? I said ‘butt’!”

A surge of affection for Griffin eased the sharpness in Finn’s chest.

Minnie snickered without pausing her coloring. “Butt.”

Jackon widened his eyes. “I just asked Finn about his job, Griff. I think everyone needs to relax a little.”

Relax?Finn curled his fingers into a fist.

“Well, I think it’s time to eat,” Lainey announced, shooting to her feet moments after she had settled down. “This way, everyone.”

Rory took Finn’s hand, but wouldn’t make eye contact as they followed Lainey wobbling down the hall.

* * * *

“Is Jackson always like that?” Finn asked the second the truck door slammed behind him.

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? He took digs at me and you every chance he got.”

Rory waved a hand. “That’s just how Jackson is.”

“A dick is how he is?”

“He’s not a dick.”

“Rory… He said you were wasting your time at Breakpoint.”

“He’s got tunnel vision about the plant, is all. He gets a little obsessed. I mean, look, he’s got his tech guy texting him on Christmas Eve!”

Finn punched the ignition button. “You don’t have to do that with me, you know.”

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