Riley listened to Lukas list the possible causes for the fire. But Finn was to blame in his mind, not faulty wiring. Surely, they could all see that. And Finn was responsible for the widening rift between Riley and Sassie. And Finn had the nerve to hit on Audrey, who was still vulnerable from losing Dylan.
How was he going to convince everyone that this guy was trouble?
Chapter 21
Sassie smoothed the black hair from Finn’s face. “Just look at you, in the wars again.” She shook her head and closed her eyes, sinking down onto the chair. When she opened them again, he was looking down at his hands. “What is it, Finn?”
“I think you should tell him. It is not fair to keep stringing him along like this.” A frown wrinkled his brow.
“That’s cute coming from you. I thought the last thing you would do was push me into someone else’s arms.” She leaned back on the old armchair in her bedroom and watched the small smile curve the edges of his swollen lips as he lay on top of the bed. “Tell me what’s going through that thick head of yours.”
“I’ll come clean with you, girl. I knew deep down before I came that you didn’t love me like I want you to. But it was worth a try anyway. My luck could have changed, and, well, I’d be more than happy, I can tell you. But you don’t, so I have to deal with it.”
“And did you think you have something to help you get over me then? Is that the reason you’re not having a nervous breakdown over all this?” She lifted up one leg and wrapped her arms around her knee.
“Aye. Little Audrey, she’s a nice little filly. I think she likes me.”
Sassie roared with laughter, relieved that she was no longer on his radar and more than amused he’d picked Riley’s sister after being punched by him twice. It might be wiser for Finn to stay away from the family for a while.
“Well, she is. Forgetting about her stubborn brother, we seem to like the same things. She’s cute, and there’s a spark between us. What more do I need to go on, for goodness’ sake?”
“Finn, you might want to wait to see if the fire was your fault before you go getting too excited over it. What will you do if they want to press charges?” She bit her lip. “Do you have the money to pay for a new set of stables?”
“Not really. Not unless I sell the house back in Ireland. But I don’t think it was me. I stuck the butt in the ashtray of the truck before I headed down the driveway. You can look for yourself.”
“Are you sure about that?” She sat forward in her chair, relief taking away the tension in her muscles.
“’Course I’m sure. I got rid of it and popped a couple of mints, just in case she was keen for a bit of a kiss like.” A smile twitched at the corners of his lips.
“Finn, Finn. You’ll never change, my friend. Thank goodness for that though; I love you the way you are.”
“Be that as it may, Sassie my girl, what are you going to do about Riley?” He raised his eyebrows, and she realized the game she was playing might not end the way she hoped. Was it time to put her cards down and show her hand?
“I don’t know what to do. He said he wasn’t interested in long term.”
“Well now, neither were you and look what’s going on in your heart. He may well feel the same way. Why on earth would he react the way he did if he didn’t have some feelings for you?”
“Because the sex was great, and if he thought you and I were involved, that would stop?”
He shook his head and gave a dramatic sigh. “Stubborn is what you are. Always were. If it didn’t make sense to you, it wasn’t possible. Well, guess what, love? There’s a pretty fair chance you have it all wrong, and you won’t know that unless you talk to the man.”
“And if I’m not wrong?” She lifted a hand and bit the edge of her fingernail, a nervous habit she had all but left behind. The quick slap Finn targeted at her hand made her growl. “I suck at relationships, Finn. Look how badly I did with my brothers. I overcompensate, shall we say, for losing my mam and smother everyone. Eventually, they leave or end up hurting me in other ways. I’m not built for a proper relationship. I’d have thought that was pretty obvious.”
“What if you are?”
“Stop being so damned practical. I like it better when you agree with me.” She flicked back her hair and stared at him. “If you were him, would you accept an apology from me after everything that’s happened?”
He sat up and swung his legs over the bed, concentrating on her. “Girl, I would be offended if you didn’t at least try. What have you got to lose? Really, it can’t get much worse than it is already.” He touched his face, his fingers testing out the puffiness around his jaw. “He’ll either tell you to feck off or forgive you for trying to make him jealous, which was all for a good reason, by my way of thinking. You were trying to make him see how much he needs you. It just kind of backfired a little.”
“A little? And the rest.” She tried to laugh, but it came out as a strangled sob more than anything. “I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t feel the same way about me that I feel about him.”
A knock on the back door startled Sassie. Hopefully, Riley stood at her door. But it was Grady who
