“Ooh,” Hazel exclaimed. “I just found out there’s a holiday mixer for Operation Love participants. Maggie’s been invited even though she hasn’t officially signed up yet for the program. There’s still a female shortage in this town, so nobody minds bending the rules and allowing her to attend.” Hazel jabbed Jasper in the side. “Something tells me the men of Love will be vying for Maggie. She’s a good-looking woman.”
“Sure is,” Jasper said with enthusiasm. “I don’t want to be indiscreet, but a few men have already asked about her.” Jasper wiggled his eyebrows. “That holiday mixer would be great for Maggie to meet some eligible men.” He rubbed his hands together. “Another Operation Love success story in the making.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Hazel said, her lips pursed.
“What are you talking about?” Jasper asked. He puffed his chest out. “I’m an expert on the program and matchmaking in general. You should know that Maggie Richards will be the perfect partner for some fella in this town.”
Finn felt himself grinding his teeth. He counted to ten slowly in his head. All this talk of Maggie and Operation Love was irritating. Finn didn’t like the way Hazel was eyeballing him either. She was studying him like he was a biology exam.
“Let’s leave these young ’uns alone so they can look at the menu. Come help me in the kitchen,” Hazel said to Jasper in a blustery voice as she pulled her husband away from the table.
Finn felt himself tensing up. The idea of men fighting over Maggie wasn’t a pleasant one. And even though Jasper wasn’t giving up any names, Finn wanted to know who was asking about Maggie. There were a few men in Love who shouldn’t even think about approaching Maggie. He could think of at least five off the top of his head.
Humph! They didn’t even know her. Her likes and dislikes. Her favorite color. How she liked to spend her downtime. Did they even know she had a son?
“What’s wrong? You look bent out of shape.”
“Nothing. I just don’t like the idea of some of these guys swarming over Maggie like bees to honey,” he muttered.
Declan looked at Finn from over his menu. “Why not? If she finds the man of her dreams, won’t it be a good thing?”
Finn clenched his jaw. A good thing? Yes. Maggie deserved to find happiness, but he couldn’t deny the unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. She was a single mother and a widow who had lived through tragedy. She put on a brave front, but she was vulnerable in many ways. If Finn had anything to say about it, he wasn’t going to let Maggie pair up with just anybody. The guy needed to be as solid as a rock.
Sophie appeared with two glasses of ice water and placed them down on the table. “I’ll be back in a jiffy to take your order.”
Finn looked down at the menu, studiously avoiding his brother’s gaze. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked across at Declan, who was still staring at him. Finn let out an exaggerated sigh. “Just say it. I know you want to tell me something, hence the Darth Vader stare.”
Declan’s lips twitched at the Star Wars mention. “I know you’re into Maggie. You can’t fool me, Finn.” The look on Declan’s face spoke volumes. Sometimes his brother could be like a dog with a bone. He wasn’t going to back down on this topic.
“Of course I like her. She’s beautiful. And super sweet. You should see her with Oliver.” He shook his head. “She’s wonderful. But honestly, I’m not looking to romance her. I don’t do serious. And I’m certainly not looking for a ready-made family.” He let out a harsh laugh. “Seriously? Can you see me with a wife and a kid?”
Declan wasn’t laughing. He narrowed his gaze and studied Finn. “Honestly, I can easily picture it, Finn. You’re a good, honest man. You’ve made some missteps in the past, but who hasn’t? You’ve really stepped up in the last year and come into your own. I think it’s time you stopped beating yourself up about it.”
Finn felt a huge lump in his throat. Declan’s vote of confidence meant the world to him. But there were things his younger brother didn’t know. He had no clue about Finn’s role in their mother’s death and the gradual dissolution of their family unit. Finn’s worst fear was Declan finding out and casting Finn out of his life for good. Without Declan and Annie, Finn wouldn’t have a family. He would be completely alone.
As Sophie came back to the table to take their order, Finn could barely concentrate on ordering his meal. Fear had grabbed hold of him.
All of these years he’d managed to keep his guilty secret from Declan. A shudder went down his back at the prospect of Declan finding out the truth about him being responsible for the accident that had killed their mother and the brutal aftermath—his father leaving the family and Killian’s death some years later. Finn had lost most of the people in his life he held dear. He didn’t think he would able to bear it if he lost Declan too.
Chapter Seven
As Maggie peered around the thick brown paper still covering the storefront window she saw the gently falling snow. It looked so beautiful and serene. It truly resembled one of those idyllic images from a calendar. From this vantage point she could see the Moose Café, as well as other
