Page 72 of The Complication with the Best Man

I sigh. “I think you’re wrong. It’d be just like me to make a bad situation even worse.”

“Hey.” Finn places his hand on my knee and squeezes as we’re stopped at a light.

It’s just my knee, but to my libido, you’d think he’s squeezing my breast. I want to press my thighs together, but he’ll know what’s up if I do.

“Stop thinking of yourself like some screwup. I understand that you may not have been straight as an arrow when you were a teen, but you need to shed that image of yourself. That’s not who you are now. Not even close.” He shifts to make eye contact with me. “You’re a capable, smart, successful woman with a helluva lot of heart. There’s no part of you that should be apologizing for that.”

His words sink in and hit their mark, dead center in my chest. I smile softly. “Thanks, Finn.”

He nods then looks back at the road, pulling through the intersection.

Maybe I do need to let go of how I saw myself growing up and embrace who I am today. Shed it like a second skin. Some of Finn’s confidence seeps in. I just hope it sticks around when the baby comes.

* * *

Two days later,I get a text from Finn while I’m preparing a vision board for a client I’m meeting later this week.

Think you can get away for half an hour? I’m going to check out that place that’s coming up for rent before I catch my flight. Would love your opinion.

There’s that pinching sensation in my chest again. What the hell?

I already woke up grumpy because today is the day Finn flies home. Between packing everything at his place in Vermont, selling what he’s not taking with him, saying goodbye to family and friends, and driving back to Alaska, he’ll likely be gone for three weeks.

The reality of that is setting in, and I don’t like the way it makes me feel—lonely, grumpy, and a little sad. As does the thought of him moving out. Now that Finn spends some nights at the fire station, I realize how much I miss his company when he’s not around.

But I can’t tell him that. We agreed that we’d maintain a friendship and nothing more. Anything else has the potential to be too complicated.

Yeah. Text me the address and I’ll leave now.

He does, and after locking up the office, I head down Main Street where I’m parked. It takes me less than five minutes to get there, and Finn’s car is already parked in the driveway when I do. I park behind him, and he climbs out of the driver’s side when he sees me.

“Hey, sorry to drag you away from work at the last minute,” he says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat.

“It’s no problem.” I glance at the house. “So has your coworker already moved out?”

“Pretty much. He said he just has a few boxes to take with him. Want to take a look?”

I force myself to put on a smile as I walk toward him. “Sure.”

We walk up to the house side-by-side, and Finn knocks on the door. A man who’s probably a decade older than us answers. He has dark brown eyes that complement his russet skin.

“Hey, Shane, thanks for letting me come by and take a look. This is Harper.”

Shane gives me a kind smile and extends his hand. “Good to meet you, Harper. Heard lots about you from this one.” He nods at Finn, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think that Finn’s cheeks look a little red.

“All good, I assume.” I give him a smile, and he laughs.

“Nothing but. Come on in, you guys.” He steps back to let us inside. “I’m going to work on loading these last few boxes while you guys look around. Let me know if you have any questions.”

Both Finn and I thank him, then Shane grabs a box from the pile in the living room in front of us and makes his way outside.

“Shall we?” Finn arches a brow and leads us inside.

The house is small—smaller than mine—but that’s not a big deal. When we go upstairs, I realize there are two bedrooms up here and one small bathroom that’s been remodeled with only a shower.

“What do you think?” Finn asks as I look around the space.

“There’s no bathtub for the baby. It’s not the end of the world.” I shrug. “You could always use those plastic portable ones or something.”

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