Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“I know,” Finley assured me. “It’s all just…a lot. Maybe you should pee on me again.” A grin teased his lips, making me laugh. He was so damn special.
“You think you’re funny, do you?”
“I make you laugh and smile—more than anyone, according to David.”
“David who?” I joked, but the truth was, we all knew he was right. Even the way I was teasing at the moment showed it.
“I still think it was hot, FYI. I hope you do it again.”
“Maybe let’s not talk about that for now.”
Finley crossed his arms. “Yes, Sir.”
We were quiet the rest of the drive to their Houston suburb. They lived down a long gravel driveway, and I pulled over on the side of the road before going down it. “Are you okay?”
Finley was fingering his collar, as if it soothed him. “Yes, Sir. I want to get that out of my system now. Sir, Sir, Sir, Sir.”
“Christ, I love you.” This precious boy had come into my life and blown it all apart. I would never be the same, and I was glad for it. He’d transformed me, made me better, and I would forever be changed because of his strength, bravery, love, and submission.
“I love you too. That’s why…that’s why this is okay. No matter what happens, I still have you.”
I nodded once before pulling the car down the driveway. As soon as the large ranch-style house came into view, I noticed a blond woman walking back and forth along the porch. Her eyes darted up and locked on our car.
“I…wow…Aidan, she looks just like my mom,” he said softly. I reached over and placed a hand on his thigh before parking and turning off the car.
“You want to leave at any time, you just look at me and I’ll know. And if you want to stay all damn night, we’ll do that too.”
“I know. Thank you.” He took a deep breath and got out of the car. His aunt was jogging over, and then Finley was running toward her as I stepped out of the vehicle. They hugged each other and cried. I could see her face and not Finley’s, but I knew he was crying as well.
I waited, leaning against the car, giving them time alone.
“I can’t believe you’re here. You look just like your mom,” Jennifer said, still hugging him.
“You look like her too. I guess that means we look like each other?” Finley replied, and damned if I didn’t smile.
“Jeff and the girls waited inside. They wanted to give us a moment. I just…Amanda’s son. Let me look at you.” She pulled away, and that was when her eyes landed on me for the first time. I saw the initial shock, the widening of her eyes, the crease between her brows, but then Finley was pulling away and they were looking at each other.
She touched his face, his hair, studied him, and I could already see the love there. She wanted a relationship with her nephew, and she hated that they hadn’t known about each other.
“Do you go by Fin? Or Finley?”
“Either one.”
Then her eyes darted to me again.
“This is Aidan.” Finley called me over, and I went. “My partner.” He grinned, telling me he’d used that word knowing I preferred it to boyfriend. “It’s because of him that I’m even here. I never would have had the courage to look for any family without him.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Aidan. I can’t… There are no words to thank you for everything you’ve done for Finley.”
I shook her hand. “You’re welcome, but you don’t need to thank me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”
She shifted a bit uncomfortably but then smiled.
“Mommy! Can we come now?” A small head peeked out the door. Jennifer looked at Finley, who was nearly bursting with excitement.
“Please,” he said. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
“Come and meet your cousin!” she said, and two little girls ran out of the house, followed by a man. His eyes found me first, and again, I saw the surprise, the discomfort, at nothing more than our noticeable age difference, I was sure.
Introductions were made between all of us before they herded us into the house. There were balloons and decorations—flowers and a banner that said “Welcome Home, Finley!”
He wasn’t home unless he decided he wanted that to be home. Seeing it made white-hot anger stab at me. But then Finley was laughing and so clearly thrilled about it that I shoved my feelings aside. This was for him, and they were his family.
We spent hours there, talking, eating, and getting to know them. The girls loved Finley, and he was great with them. Jennifer was very interested in our relationship—the fact that I was a doctor, and when Finley told them how we met. His aunt had asked, and he’d just blurted out, “I was a waiter, and he came in with his friend. I was sick, and Aidan brought me home with him, and I just…never left.”