Page 31 of Three Bossy Boyfriends
I make myself focus on the conversation with her family on the porch as we say goodbye. This is not the time to get distracted by thoughts of…
“Still wish you’d given me a heads up,” Greg tells Finley as he pulls her into a hug.
“It’s not like you talk to Mary Grace every day,” Finley says, hugging him back.
“What if she’d called me before you told me you were dating Evan?” Greg asks.
She pulls back. “You would have thought quickly on your feet and had my back.” She kisses his cheek. “You’re a lawyer. You know how to give a very convincing non-answer.”
He rolls his eyes, and I realize exactly where Finley gets that from. She looks just like him in that moment.
“Why do you always make everything more difficult than it has to be?” he asks. He looks at me. “Not that you two dating is a problem exactly. And I’m happy to go along with the story that you’ve been dating for a year and we thought everyone knew. It’s fine. I probably won’t even run into Charles or Mary Grace before July, when Finley’s done with the job. But you could have waited to ask her out. Or kept it under wraps.”
I really like Greg. I respect him. I enjoyed working with him before he retired. But I don’t like the way he makes it sound like Finley is so difficult.
“Well, I askedhimout,” Finley says.
A lie, of course.
She slips an arm around my waist. “So, it’s not his fault. And I might be leaving South Carolina in July after I pass the bar. We wouldn’t have time to be together at all if we’d waited.”
Greg sighs. “Okay. You’re right. Just…don’t flaunt it.”
“Don’t worry, I already told Mary Grace I don’t like having sex on desks. It looks sexy in movies and stuff, but it’s very uncomfortable.”
I have to literally bite my tongue to keep from laughing.
Greg rolls his eyes again, then looks at me. “She’s a handful. I hope you’re up for this.”
The thing is, Finley is so not my type. Yet, I’m having a hell of a good time, and I think I’mveryup for this.
“I appreciate your concern,” I tell him with a grin. I hold out my hand to shake his. “It was good to see you.”
He takes my hand. “You too. You’re welcome back anytime.”
“Thank you.”
I escort Finley to my car. She apparently caught a ride to her brother’s house with the hope that I’d take her home.
“Can we go somewhere?” She asks as I pull out of Harrison’s ridiculously long driveway.
“Sure. Like where?” I ask, looking over.
She looks tired.
“Anywhere. I don’t want to go to my sisters’ place right now. I’m kind of peopled out.”
“I’m people,” I say with a grin.
She smiles. “You’re people I want to be with.”
I fucking like that. It’s such a small, almost toss-away comment, but it makes me feel good.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. I’ve just been away for so long that I feel like I’m not in the groove with them. They’re not used to having me around. And I’m not used to being around. I’m not in the flow with everyone. I’m not in on the little jokes, the routine. I feel likethe odd man out, and it’s…weird. I’ve always been different from my sisters. I’ve definitely given my parents more headaches than Frannie or Fi ever did. Now, with moving back and the bar and my dad having to get me a job…” She sighs heavily. “It just feels heavier right now.”
“Do you want to get a drink? We can just talk. Relax.”
