Page 89 of One Last Job

He nods, jaw ticking slightly.

“But I’m fine now,” I say. And I am. His touch has pulled me out of the cloud of anxiety, nerves and worry that was rapidly beginning to suffocate me. His gaze slides over to me for a brief second, just long enough to catch the truth in my eyes.

He nods again and, this time, it comes with a smile.

By the time we arrive at his parents’ home, I’m feeling more at ease. The house is a huge, blindingly white colonial style mansion with a sweeping lawn and a queue of fancy cars in the driveway.

“You grew up here?” I ask incredulously. Finn’s loft style apartment in the city is nice, but this is a hell of a lot nicer. I’m suddenly wondering if I’m underdressed. The knee length floral dress I’m wearing is definitely ‘meet the parents’ appropriate but, from the size of their house, I’m wondering if I should be in a gown. The cute bouquet of flowers I’d picked up on the way as an impromptu gift also seem silly now.

“We didn’t move here until we were teenagers,” Nel says as she unstraps Maya from her seat. “But we didn’t grow up far from here.”

“You’re rich,” I say, the realisation hitting me unexpectedly hard. “Like. Really rich.” Bailey was wrong. This isn’t millionaire money – it’s definitely a whole lot more.

Finn laughs. “You just realised?”

“And I’ve been calling you cheap this whole time.”

“Love that,” Nel cackles. “Keep him humble.”

“Our grandfather founded a pharmaceutical company years ago,” Finn explains as we walk up the driveway. Maya’s in his arms, still half asleep. “It’s always done well, but not as well as it’s been doing since Dad took over as CEO.”

“You didn’t want to work with him?” I ask with a frown. It’s clear Finn makes good money at The August Room, but I can’t imagine it holds a torch to what he could make with his father. Though I suppose he’s already set for life. He must have access to a trust fund or some kind of bank account with an obscene number of zeroes.

He shakes his head. “Wanted to get out from under my dad’s shadow.”

“And he stepped right into good ol’ Uncle Ernie’s one,” Nel says, sarcasm lacing every word.

Finn’s smile tightens and now it’s my turn to give his hand a squeeze. He shoots me a grateful smile but doesn’t have time to say anything else before the front door swings open.

“Cornelia!” a woman coos as she launches herself out of doorway and into Nel’s arms. “We were just wondering where you’d all gotten to.”

“Hey, Mom,” says Nel. “Happy Anniversary.”

“AndPhineas!” their mother cries, turning to Finn. His cheeks immediately turn pink and my laugh gets so choked in my throat, it comes out as a strangled cough. She pulls him into a backbreaking hug which is quite impressive for someone of her size. She maybe just about clears five foot, and part of that is definitely helped by the sweeping bun of brown-blonde hair atop her head.

“Mom,” Finn groans as she takes a step back, her eyes shining with happy tears.

What it must be like to have a mother who’s genuinely happy to see you.

She good-naturedly ignores him and instead scoops Maya into her arms, peppering her now fully awake and giggling granddaughter with kisses.

While she’s distracted with Maya, I raise a brow at Finn and Nel. “CorneliaandPhineas, huh?”

They both pull an identical pained face.

“Don’t start,” Finn mumbles.

“She’s the only one who calls us that,” Nel says. “Even Dad just goes with Nel and Finn these days.”

“You were named after my grandmother and Henry’s great grandfather,” their mother chimes in, a look of faux sternness etched onto her soft features. “Two beautiful names. I’ve never understood what the problem is.”

“Cornelia’s not bad,” says Finn. “ButPhineas, Mom?Phineas?”

She shrugs, like this is a conversation they’ve had thousands of times before, and then her gaze lands on me. For a second, I stop breathing. She’s got Finn’s dark-green eyes and they zero in on me with a strange intensity. But then her face splits into a smile as wide as the one she gave to Finn and Nel and, before I know it, she’s hugging me like this isn’t the first time we’ve met.

“You must be Amber! It’s so,so, lovely to meet you.” She pulls back a little, her hands still squeezing my shoulders. “Phineas has told us so much about you—”

“Mom.”

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