FULL NOVELXO Finn Rhodes Forever: Chapter 7
AVERY SWUNG the front door open with a big grin. “Hello, sunshine. You’re the first one here.”
I held the wine bottle up. “I hope you have your own because I’m drinking this whole thing. Your husband is evil and I hate him.”
She laughed and stepped back to let me in. Emmett popped his head out of the kitchen and waved.
“Hi, Olivia.”
I shook my head at him. “No. Don’t talk to me.”
Emmett’s face fell. “Are you actually mad?”
Avery and I walked down the hall into the large, open kitchen, where he stirred pasta sauce on the stove. Sliding glass doors led to the outdoor deck, and their property backed onto the forest. Early evening light spilled into the kitchen from the windows and skylights.
“Yes.” I slipped onto a barstool. “I’m going to cut all your boxers into thongs tonight. And you’re not allowed to drink in my bar until you’ve apologized for sticking me with your brother all summer.”
Avery took the stool beside me, grinning. “Oooh. Bummer, Emmett. Guess you can wait outside if I go in for a drink.”
He turned from the stove and gave her an incredulous look. “You’re supposed to support me in sickness and in health.”
She put her hands up. “I’m with Olivia on this one.”
He lifted his eyebrows at her, an amused grin quirking on his mouth, so similar to his youngest brother, before he narrowed his eyes at me. “I heard a rumour you two were back together, but I didn’t believe it.”
Avery snorted. “Yeah, why is Finn telling half the town you two are soulmates?”
I fought an eye roll. Jeez, that guy worked fast. I let a breath out of my nose before I nodded at them, jaw tight.
“We are,” I told them lightly.
Avery studied me with a small grin, like she was trying to read my thoughts. I stared back at her in challenge.
“Really?” Emmett asked, setting the wooden spoon down.
“Yep.”
Avery rolled her lips to hide her smile.
Emmett turned slowly, frowning. “But you hate each other.”
Irritation sizzled down my spine and I glared at him.
“Emmett, get your gossip from somewhere else,” Avery told him. “Olivia is our guest.”
I shot her a grateful look. I had always liked Avery. She owned The Arbutus, a restaurant in town, and she and Emmett had been married three years. I vaguely remembered her hating him, him having a massive crush on her, and suddenly they were trying to convince the town they were madly in love, despite their engagement being fake.
But we weren’t supposed to talk about that. It became real in the end.
Avery shot me a look that said you’ll spill once he’s gone.
“You’re not actually upset, right?” Emmett turned back to the stove and sent me a concerned glance over his shoulder. “I know you can fend for yourself. You’re the most experienced hiker in this town, but I couldn’t forgive myself if you got hurt.”
I let out a long breath. “No, I see it from your perspective.” The low-boiling fury in my gut was because the universe had shoved Finn in my face.
This would just be more motivation to find the flower as fast as possible.
Emmett turned the stove off and covered the pasta sauce as we heard a knock on the door.
“It’s open,” Avery called.
The door opened. “Is it safe?” Sadie called.
Avery rolled her eyes, laughing. “I said it’s open. That means it’s safe.”
Moments later, Sadie and Hannah walked into the kitchen carrying bags of snacks and drinks.
“Hello.” Sadie wrapped me in a hug from behind. “Uh, cannot wait to get into the latest town gossip tonight.” She shook her head, long brown hair swinging in her usual high ponytail. “Holden won’t tell me anything, it’s so annoying.” She squeezed me tighter, binding my arms at my sides.
“You can let go of me now,” I told her.
“Not yet.”
I huffed a laugh. Sadie and I were complete opposites—she was bubbly, friendly, cheerful, and spontaneous, whereas I was more like Holden—quiet, a little cranky, antisocial, and didn’t love surprises.
Hannah gave me a wave and a smile. “Hey, Olivia.”
“Hey, Hannah. How’s Cora?”
Hannah owned Pemberley Books, a romance bookstore in town. Growing up, I had known Hannah as shy and quiet, but a couple years ago, she blackmailed laid-back Wyatt into helping her find a boyfriend. They were married now with an adorable baby girl, Cora.
She smiled wider and tucked a lock of pale blonde hair behind her ear. “She’s great. She’s with Elizabeth and Sam tonight so I’m sure they’re spoiling her rotten. She loves your parents’ dog.”
I smiled. My parents still lived next door to Elizabeth and Sam Rhodes in the same house I’d grown up in. They’d gotten Evelyn, a chocolate Lab, when they returned from traveling last year. She was big, goofy, and incredibly sweet. “Evelyn loves kids.”
Hannah’s expression melted. “It’s so cute. Cora can’t say her name so she calls her Ellen.”
“It’s the cutest,” Sadie said before turning a chiding but amused look to Emmett and Avery. “Nice to see you two with clothes on this time.”
Avery buried her face in her hands. “I’m going to pass away now.”
Hannah winced. “We love you two but…”
“You don’t want to see us hooking up again?” Emmett provided, smirking.
“Oh my god.” Avery’s face was going red. “I already apologized for that. We don’t usually—” She cut herself off. “—on the back patio.”
Emmett glanced outside while he filled a pot with water. “I don’t know. Weather’s warming up.”
She shot him a hard look. “Emmett.”
His eyes danced with amusement as he set the pot on the stove. He picked up the bag of fresh pasta. “Three minutes in boiling water. Sauce is ready to go.” He made his way around the island and wrapped his arms around Avery. She leaned back into his chest with a blissed-out smile on her face. “If you all want to have a few drinks,” he told us, “I can drive you home. Just send me a text.”
“Thanks, baby,” Avery said, tilting her face up.
“I love you,” he told her, dropping his mouth to hers for a quick kiss.
“Love you, too,” she murmured.
My heart squeezed. That looked nice, what they had.
He winked at her, pressed another kiss to her cheek.
“Oh.” He straightened up. “The Thompsons cornered me again.”
Avery groaned. “They’re relentless. What did you say this time?”
“That I’m training for a marathon and have to go to bed at seven thirty every night.” To the rest of us, he explained, “They’ve been hounding us to go on a double date.”
Shannon and Jackson Thompson were a couple in their late thirties. They didn’t come into the bar much because they frequented the more upscale places in the Queen’s Cove hotels, and when I saw them, I usually avoided them. In public, they were either dry humping each other or at each other’s throats, threatening divorce.
Avery leaned toward us with a hard look. “The Thompsons are the reason I have a firm no-double-dating rule. They’re the worst.”
“I’m well aware,” Sadie said in a dry tone before shuddering. “Never again.” She laughed and cringed. “Holden’s face, oh my god. He was so irritated.”
Hannah chuckled. “I use Cora as an excuse.” She shrugged. “I don’t think they like kids, so we’re home free.”
“Smart.” Emmett tilted his chin at Sadie. “Use your pregnancy as an excuse next time.”
“I’ll do that,” Sadie told us, and we all laughed.
Emmett said a quick goodbye and the second the front door closed, Sadie whirled on me with bright eyes.
“Okay, what the actual fuck is going on?” she demanded. “Rule three of working at the bar is that Finn Rhodes is evil and we never, ever let him inside, and now you two are back together?”
I nodded, blowing a long breath out. “I can explain.”