An Alaskan Christmas. Belle Calhoune

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СКАЧАТЬ but in Finn’s humble estimation, Maggie Richards was the most stunning woman who had ever stepped foot in Love, Alaska.

      He shrugged off thoughts of Maggie. She was way out of his league and he needed to keep his eye on the prize and not get distracted by thoughts of sweet-faced, green-eyed women. It had been a long time since he’d been romantically involved with anyone. Way too long according to Declan.

      So far Finn himself had rejected the idea of being paired up with anyone. Although he didn’t disapprove of Jasper’s matchmaking program, Finn had learned a long time ago that he wasn’t the home-and-hearth type. His fractured childhood was proof enough for him.

      “Hey, Finn!” Hazel called out to him, waving him over toward her table. “Come over and join us.”

      Finn walked over to the table, greeting Sophie along the way as she gracefully carried a tray full of food and drinks. “I’ll be right over to take your order, Finn,” Sophie said with a nod.

      “Just bring me a bowl of the soup of the day and a coffee,” Finn said.

      The only available seat at the table was right next to Maggie. Finn tried not to stare at her as he sat down. It was a near-impossible task. The light scent of her perfume rose to his nostrils. It smelled like vanilla and roses. He couldn’t think of the last time a woman had sparked such a response in him. For so long now he’d just been going through the motions and avoiding getting close to anyone. Even his family.

      Maggie leaned a bit toward him. Her voice flowed over him like a warm breeze. “I forgot my manners earlier, Finn. Thank you for getting us safely to Love on your seaplane. You’re an amazing pilot.”

      He locked gazes with her, marveling at the deep green color of her eyes. “You’re quite welcome. It was my pleasure. I think it’s safe to say flying is in my DNA.”

      She grinned at him, showcasing dimples on either side of her mouth. “Your parents must be very proud, as well as your grandfather. Back when we were kids he really fawned over you and Declan. Killian thought the two of you had hung the moon.”

      Finn felt his face fall. Maggie had no idea about his mother’s death or the circumstances surrounding it. He felt a little ache at the prospect of dredging up painful memories. There was no point in dodging it. Sooner or later, someone would tell Maggie about it and she would wonder why he hadn’t mentioned it.

      “My mother passed away quite a while ago. Actually, it was shortly after the last time you visited Love.” He looked down at the table and began fiddling with his fingers. He might as well tell her everything. “My father left Love years ago. He pretty much fell apart after my mother died. And my grandfather passed on when we were in our late teens.”

      She let out a sharp gasp. “Oh, Finn. I’m so sorry to hear that. You’ve lost a lot over the years.”

      The sympathetic tone of her voice made him cringe. He didn’t want to be the object of anyone’s pity, especially not Maggie’s.

      “I had no idea,” she continued. “My mother and Uncle Tobias had a falling-out not long after we left Alaska, so for many years there was an estrangement. I only got back in touch with him a few years ago. We were able to pick up right where we left off.”

      “He mentioned something about the falling-out. Tobias was really thrilled when you reached out to him. Your uncle and I became good friends over the years.”

      Maggie twisted her mouth. “I wish that I could have made it back to Love a long time ago.” She let out a little sigh. “I’ll always regret it.”

      “Tobias always dreamed of you coming back,” Finn acknowledged, “but he understood you had your own life to live in Boston.”

      Oliver walked up to the table and stood close by his mother’s chair.

      Maggie nudged him in the side. “Sweetie, don’t you have something to say to Mr. O’Rourke?” She shook her head. “I mean, Finn.”

      Oliver slowly moved closer to Finn. For a second it seemed as if he was having trouble looking Finn in the eye. When he did look up, his hazel eyes were full of wonder.

      “Thanks for bringing us here.” He chewed his lip for a moment. “I think one day I wanna be a pilot just like you.”

      “That’s fantastic, buddy,” Finn said, reaching out and tousling Oliver’s hair. “One of these days I can take you up in one of the planes if your mom says it’s all right. I can show you the local area.”

      Oliver’s mouth hung open. Everyone at the table laughed. The sound of Maggie’s tinkling laughter warmed Finn’s insides. Much like the woman herself, it was charming.

      “Can I go, Mom? Can I?” The pleading tone of Oliver’s voice was endearing.

      “It sounds like a fun excursion,” Maggie conceded. “I think we can make it happen.” Maggie sent Finn a grateful smile. Oliver let out a celebratory hoot as if he’d won a battle. His enthusiasm made Finn feel ten feet tall. He wasn’t used to being viewed as important. That’s how the kid made him feel. It was a nice change from thinking of himself as useless.

      He stared blankly at the menu, trying to shake off the desire to look over in Maggie’s direction. There was no sense in him denying it. He felt a pull in her direction. And what man wouldn’t? he asked himself. She seemed like the whole package. Looks. Brains. And he knew from their past she had a lot of heart. But Finn had determined a long time ago he wasn’t suited for romance. And it was clear from where he was sitting that a woman like Maggie was the sort you brought home to Sunday dinner with the folks. She wasn’t one to be trifled with.

      Just then Sophie appeared at the table with a tray of food. Thankfully it gave Finn something to focus on other than the woman seated to his right. She placed a bowl of soup down in front of him, along with a hearty-looking sandwich with kale chips on the side. Finn shot her a look of gratitude. Sophie winked at him. As his friend, she knew his financial situation was dodgy. This was her way of helping him out.

      Finn took a huge bite of his sandwich, then sampled the lobster bisque, one of Cameron’s specialties. He flashed Sophie a thumbs-up sign.

      Instead of heading back to the kitchen, Sophie stood at the table with a concerned look etched on her pretty features.

      “What’s wrong, Sophie?” Jasper asked. “You look like you burned something in the kitchen,” he teased.

      Sophie’s eyes darted over to Maggie. She bit her lip. “Agnes Muller just called. She knows it’s Jasper’s tradition to bring folks over to the Moose to welcome them to town, so she figured you might be here. She said she’s been trying to reach Maggie since this morning.”

      Maggie looked down at her phone and let out a sound of frustration. “Oh, I had my ringer off. She’s going to be Oliver’s babysitter when he starts kindergarten in a few days. It’ll only be for a few hours in the afternoon since he’ll be in school till the early afternoon, but since I want to get the store up and running quickly, she’ll be a big help.” Maggie stood up. “Let me go call her back in case it’s something important.”

      Finn’s gaze trailed after Maggie as she walked over to a private area of the café to make her phone call. Even from a distance of twenty feet, Finn could tell something was wrong. Maggie’s face crumpled. The look of distress stamped on her face was evident.

      He СКАЧАТЬ