Page 96 of Love Bound

I take all of this in.

Chloe starts to stand, and I see everything in detail. Dark, cold coffee in a sweating glass with muted ice cubes. Sunlight streaming in from the open window on her thick, long, brown, wavy hair, her face both tearful and full of love.

And I think I'm prepared.

But I'm not.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Finn

It's late, or early, depending on how you chart three in the morning. Those Russo's have stamina.

When Claire had emerged from the kitchen and everyone clapped, Travis came sliding over in socks and grabbed both his oldest sisters around the waists, trying to dance with them. Conversation erupted, louder and longer, and the afternoon waned into the evening, with people taking turns in the hot tub. Geo, in particular, loved it. He kept dipping in every fifteen minutes for another fifteen minutes. For nearly three hours.

"As I grow old, I love heat," he said, stretching out his legs.

Old my ass. The guy is jacked.

We played charades and word games, and once Cory had fallen asleep on the loveseat in the parlor, Geo cranked up the music on shuffle and we danced to jazz and rocky blues with a hint of '80s rock. There was some moaning from everyone, but they all loved it. Nic danced with Emily, and she was flushed by the time they left. Bryce danced with Chloe, twice, and I gave him a warning look. He never dances. He says his thighs are too thick. Then Nic did karaoke with Molly, and they belted out old Beatles tunes.

And though all this was fun, I won the night, because I got to dance with Claire Russo. I got to feel her press up against me, to see her twirl and bounce and move.

She made my heart beat.

Laurel wrapped up the last two slices of cake for me and Claire.

Chloe bedded down around eleven. She was quiet and reclusive, and hadn’t said much to me the day before when I first met her. But she looked exhausted. And when Claire offered Chloe her old room, Chloe's eyes rimmed with tears and she wiped her nose on her sleeve. She thanked Claire, but explained she had a room here. That she was offered a job at The Inn. As a chef. A real chef.

"Breakfast cook," she explained to Claire.

I had to say "chef" three times before they waved me off. Travis carried Cory home and Devon and Claire had some swift words on the front porch before they embraced. Then, Devon and Laurel walked home with their brother holding the little guy.

What a family.

Claire's in the shower now, with bathroom door open.

I'm on my stomach on the bed, still dressed. "So, surprised?"

She catches the curtain and pulls it back. "You have no idea. No idea," she says, and disappears again behind the plastic.

When she arrives next to me, damp and cool and smelling lovely, she spies the shallow square box in the middle of the bed wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with twine. "There's more?"

"Isn’t it to be expected?" I counter.

"Why so formal?"

"Just open it."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Claire picks up the box and slowly unwraps it. When she lifts the lid to expose the necklace I made her, she just gasps. "Oh, Finn!"

"Do you like it?"

She holds it up and bows her head slightly so I can put it around her neck. "Oh my God, and it’s the green heart sea glass. When did you make this?"

She holds it in her hand and it looks beautiful. I had set the bluestone she found above the rounded green sea glass all in silver on a thin chain.

"When you were in the hospital. I had a lot of time on my hands. Besides," and now my voice catches, even though I try to even it out, "it's because of me you had to go through—"