“So you’re smiling again, and the first thing you do is get in a fistfight?” Denny questioned.
“That was to have an excuse to see the girl,” Finn said.
“You couldn’t come up with a better plan?” Denny pushed.
“One of my brothers said the exact same thing. But it seemed perfectly reasonable to me,” Finn told him.
“It was idiotic,” Denny said. Before Finn could defend himself again, he held up a hand. “Tell me what has you smiling again.”
Finn’s smile grew. “I don’t trust Joseph. I’m not saying he’s a monster, but why in the hell would he be pushing so hard to be around us? It makes no sense. But I do have to say, it’s nice we have family. We’ve been on our own for so long I haven’t imagined life any differently. Joseph might be a man pushing to get into our lives, and I’m certainly leery, but the rest of the Anderson clan doesn’t seem too bad. That certainly isn’t terrible,” Finn told him.
“So you like having cousins?” Denny asked.
“I don’t know them real well yet, but my brothers and I agreed to meet them at Joseph’s place. There was a big family barbecue. What was nice is no one was pushy. My brothers and I have been on our own for a long time. You know that, and at first we weren’t going to go, but in the end we don’t run from anything, so we accepted the invite.”
“How did it go?” Denny asked.
“We stayed about eight hours. At first it was a bit like boot camp with everyone sizing everyone else up, but I have to admit, my cousins have married well, because the wives told us all, including their husbands, to quit posturing and maybe try to get to know each other.”
“That would certainly break the ice,” Denny said with a chuckle.
“Well, they made us feel slightly foolish, where we could laugh at ourselves. And man, there are a ton of miniature Andersons running all over the place, and it’s impossible to remain aloof when a blue-eyed, curly-haired little girl crawls into your lap and demands you tell her a story,” Finn said with a smile.
“Hope you didn’t tell her any war stories,” Denny said.
“I have more class than that,” Finn said. “I didn’t know any fairy tales, so I just talked until she fell asleep in my lap.”
“You’re looking a little dreamy there,” Denny told him with another chuckle.
“Don’t think I’m going soft,” Finn growled. “But I do have to admit, I wouldn’t mind one of my own sitting where my niece was.”
“Well, if you’re calling her your niece . . . ,” Denny said with a big grin.
“I guess technically she’s my cousin or something, but the kids just automatically started saying Uncle Finn. I was a goner,” he admitted.
“So why then don’t you give Joseph the same chance you’re giving the rest of the family?” Denny asked.
Finn stiffened the slightest bit. Then he forced himself to relax and take in a few calming breaths.
“You know I had a crappy excuse for a father. Joseph was his nephew. I just don’t know that I can trust him.”
“Trust has always been hard for you,” Denny told him. “And I can see where you’d have reservations about the guy, but I’ve only heard good things about him.”
“Which is a red flag for me. Everyone has something to hide. Everyone!” Finn insisted.
“Not a person who opens his doors for the world to step inside.”
Finn thought about that for a moment. Then he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to let that man ruin how I’m feeling now.”
“And how is that?” Denny asked.
Finn’s smile grew. “I never believed in love at first sight. And then I met Brooke. And man, when she took me down to the ground with that cocky attitude and sweet-ass smile, I fell instantly in love, and all the anger I’d been feeling drained away. I’ve got to know this girl.”
Denny smiled. “Why don’t you just ask her out?”
“She has a wall the size of China around her. I have to be smart about it,” Finn said.
“How do you know that?”
“Well, she keeps walking away from me, for one, but this is also a small town, and people like to gossip. She lost her brother a few months ago, and they were tight. She has a deadbeat father who walked out on her when she was little and a mother so high she doesn’t know what day of the week it is. I have to be smart here.”
“Is she worth it if it’s this much work?” Denny asked.
“Hell yes, she’s worth it. But I promise not to take any more knocks in the head. You didn’t have to drive all the way here to check on me.”
“When Crew called, I knew someone had to talk to you. Yes, I’ve been your doctor a long time, but I’m also your friend, and I know you rush in when you should be running out.”
“I have a hero complex,” Finn said with a shrug. “I’m the oldest of five kids, with my own stories of a deadbeat dad. I like rushing in.”
“And you don’t often take time to think about the consequences. You were injured badly, Finn. This isn’t just a bullet wound or a broken bone. Your head was messed with,” Denny said.
“I know. Trust me; I know. I was in a fog for six weeks. I can’t remember much from the explosion that took some of my men’s lives, and I’ll carry the guilt of it for the rest of my life. I should’ve listened to my instincts. I knew something was wrong; I still did nothing.”
Finn didn’t want to think about that day, didn’t want to think of the men who’d died under his command. The world was seriously messed up when one man could kill himself to kill so many others.
“It wasn’t your fault. You know that. And yes, men died. But many are still alive, and the fighting will continue until hatred isn’t so easily accepted.”
“In a perfect world, we’d all appreciate each other and our differences and realize that’s what makes us unique. But I fear it will be a long time before that happens.”
“Yeah, I hate to agree with you, but you’re right,” Denny told him. Then he got into doctor mode again. “Now take off your shirt. I want to look at your chest.”
“I’d rather Brooke examine me,” Finn said with a laugh.
“Well, you’re stuck with me, so don’t be a pain in my ass.”
Finn rolled his eyes as he removed his shirt. Yes, he had many scars on his body. He’d already had a few bullet holes in him and more than a few stitches, but the bomb that had ended his career had sent shrapnel all over his chest and side. But it could’ve been so much worse. He didn’t care about the marks on his skin.
He wasn’t worried Brooke would find fault in his battle scars. She didn’t seem the type of girl to judge another for imperfections. Besides, Finn was a confident man. He kept himself in great shape, and he knew he was good looking and charismatic. The many numbers slipped into his pocket at bars had been happening his entire life.
One-night stands had always been enough for him. Maybe it was the fact that he was now thirty-five, or maybe it was just that his career was over. Maybe it was all the changes in his life. He didn’t know what the reasoning was; he just knew that he hadn’t so much as glanced at another female since the night he’d set eyes on Brooke Garrison.