First Kiss at Christmas by Lee Tobin McClain
CHAPTER THREE
“YOUWEREKINDof rude to him,” Meg said to her daughter. After they’d left the school, all three of them, Finn had headed back to the duplex. Meg and Kayla were strolling by the bay.
The sun was setting, casting a golden light. Clouds dotted the horizon, gray lined with silver, and all of the beauty was mirrored in the bay. Fishing boats, dark shapes now, poked their masts into the sky, and a squat Chesapeake Bay lighthouse stood like a friendly sentinel over the town.
Meg inhaled the salty bay air. The lonely, haunting cry of a loon echoed, and she huddled into her sweater, more for the comfort than the warmth.
She was concerned about her daughter, who’d never seen Meg in even a slightly romantic situation before. That was because she hadn’t been in one, but clearly it was long overdue. She’d really wanted Finn to kiss her. Her skin still felt hot, her heart rate elevated, her stomach full of butterflies. Who knew she had it in her to feel this way, after so long, and at her age?
But her daughter was her priority. She glanced over at Kayla. Good. The bay was working its magic on her, calming her down, mitigating what Meg thought she’d seen.
Then Kayla’s eyes met hers and Meg realized they were as stormy as the bay was calm. “Maybe I was rude, and I’m sorry for that,” she said, “but you were kissing him!”
“Not quite.” Meg didn’t want to get into the intricacies of what she had and hadn’t done. The truth was, she and Finn had been about to kiss. Meg had wanted to, and surprisingly enough, Finn had seemed to share the feeling. The desire in his eyes had been a balm for the part of her that still hurt, so many years after Randy’s death.
“He was helping me with my thesis,” she explained. “You know how blocked I’ve been, and he’s such an experienced writer.”
Kayla narrowed her eyes. “C’mon, Mom. You expect me to believe that?”
Meg blew out a sigh as they continued to walk along the bike path. No bikes were out this late, but a few couples strolled ahead of them. They were nearing the tiny downtown of Pleasant Shores. Up ahead, the door of the Gusty Gull opened, light and noise and laughter spilling out as a happy, tipsy group emerged.
This was the trouble with grown children: they thought they knew how their parents should act and live. Plus, for all these years, it had been just her and Kayla. No wonder Kayla was upset at the thought that her mother might get involved with someone she didn’t like.
Meg studied her daughter. Her long blond hair blew in the bay breeze. She wore casual shorts and her usual loose T-shirt, almost as if she were trying to hide her pretty figure. She was uncomfortable around men and shied away from relationships. Part of it had to do with her scoliosis, which had put a crimp into her experience of high school, when most girls started to date. But was part of it from something negative she’d sensed from Meg and Randy’s marriage?
“There were a few sparks between us—you’re right,” she said. “Nothing that’ll amount to anything, but I’ll admit, it felt nice.”
“I don’t trust him. He’s a lawyer.”
“And a novelist,” Meg said, “and very successful at both.” In an effort to soothe the awkwardness, she’d gotten permission from Finn to tell Kayla about his pen name.
Kayla hadn’t been impressed. “He was hiding something about Dad,” Kayla said now.
That startled Meg. “What do you mean?” There was a lot Kayla didn’t know about her father, or at least, Meg hoped she didn’t know it.
Kayla waved a hand and looked away. “Just a sense I had. Anyway, doesn’t he date all kinds of women, younger women? You’ve shown me a couple of pictures over the years of him at charity functions, and he was always with a different woman.” Her voice was troubled.
Her daughter’s words hammered at the pleasure Meg had felt being close to Finn, sensing his interest and desire. Had it all been for show, a practiced routine? “He had a coldhearted family, honey,” she said. “Maybe that’s why he never committed to one woman. Which is sad, but it’s really not for us to judge. He’s here for two weeks, to finish a book, and that’s all.”
They turned and headed through downtown, past Goody’s ice cream shop, doing a brisk business. The toy store and the bookstore, Lighthouse Lit, were both still open at this hour, the proprietors catching the last few weeks of summer business.
“Oh, Mom,” Kayla said, taking her arm and drawing close as they walked. “I want you to be happy. I really do. If you want to date, date! I’d never stand in your way unless I thought you’d get hurt. I just don’t think he’s the right man.”
Meg hugged her daughter. “I appreciate your taking care of me. I really do,” she said gently. “And this little flirtation with Finn isn’t important. But you know I have to make my own decisions and live my own life.”
Kayla pulled away. “I still feel like he’s hiding something,” she said.
Meg lifted both hands, palms up. “You’re welcome to ask him any questions you like while he’s here. In fact, maybe you should, for your own peace of mind. But as for me, I’m just grateful he got me unblocked on my thesis, and I’m going to spend the next two weeks writing it.”
And trying not to think about the handsome man on the other side of the wall, clacking away at his noisy typewriter. The man who’d almost kissed her.
THEDAYAFTERhe’d nearly kissed Meg, Finn found himself in the passenger seat of her car.
It wasn’t what he intended. He shouldn’t be here.
But he’d had to check on her this morning, hadn’t he, to make sure she and her daughter weren’t at odds after Kayla had burst in on them—fortunately or unfortunately, Finn kept alternating.
She’d waved off his worries and introduced him to her round sausage of a dog, Oscar. Of course he’d had to sit down and get to know the chubby fellow—he liked dogs—and they’d ended up talking about her book a little more. He was pleased that she was finding inspiration in the work they’d done last night.
He’d started to leave, explaining that he wanted to get out into the country and gather some impressions for his novel. He planned to set up shop and write for a couple of hours at a nearby nature reserve. “Good inspiration,” he’d said.
“That’s interesting.” She’d looked thoughtful. “I should do that sometime, too, since I’m setting my story around here.”
What could he do except invite her to go along? She’d hemmed and hawed, saying she needed to walk the dog, but she’d finally agreed. And then insisted on driving, saying that she saw the sights and sounds here every day while he was less familiar.
So here they were, cruising along the narrow highway that ran up the coast. Overhead, the sky was a variable gray, light peeking through in spots, clouds moving rapidly from east to west. The bay, when he glimpsed it through the trees, was gray and choppy.
A rusty pickup passed them, its engine loud, a refrigerator unit on the back suggesting a haul of fish.
“Lots of traffic today,” she remarked.
He looked back, then forward. The truck that had passed was disappearing in the distance, and there were a couple more cars behind them. Nothing coming the other way. “This is traffic?”
She smiled. “Okay, city boy. It’s a lot of traffic for us, for a weekday.”
They rode in comfortable silence for a couple of miles, but something was bothering him.
“You’re sure Kayla wasn’t too upset?” he asked.
Meg smiled wryly. “I talked her down. Felt like she was the mom and I was the guilty teenager.”
“That’s how I felt, too.” They both laughed, but his own laughter was nervous, and hers sounded that way, as well.
Talking over Kayla’s reaction was one thing. Talking about how close they’d come to kissing each other...that was what they were skirting.
He knew that bringing it up could evoke more of the same feelings, and he couldn’t do that. He’d never been especially wise about women, but even he knew it would be a mistake to actually kiss her.
He couldn’t get close to her when he knew something so awful about her late husband, something he had to conceal. And anyway, Meg was different. She wasn’t a flavor-of-the-week date. She was the kind of woman you stuck with, only Finn couldn’t stick.
“Here we are,” she said, turning off the highway to a dirt road and driving back through a stand of pines. She parked by a rustic pavilion that held several tables. “This okay?”
“Perfect. Thank you for driving.”
When he got out, the soft, humid salt air seemed to wrap around him. Birds chirped steadily, interspersed with the occasional loud caw-caw-caw. Interesting, he thought, taking a quick video with his phone to capture the sights and sounds. He’d have to find out what types of birds nested here, their habits. A breeze rustled through the leaves and long-needled pines, cooling the sweat that had instantly formed on his skin.
It didn’t feel like home, no. He’d only visited this part of the shore now and then. But it did feel welcoming, hearkening back to a simpler time before his world had filled with clients and cases and deadlines. He’d been raised for responsibility—“to whom much is given, much will be required” was his father’s favorite explanation of his own hard work despite the family wealth—but the weight of Finn’s work had grown heavier on his shoulders. Especially his legal work.
And especially since the fiasco of Randy’s unusual orders just prior to his death.
They settled down quickly, Finn at a picnic table, Meg in a folding chair she’d pulled out of her trunk.
Finn swatted at a fly, then winced as another one bit him.
“Uh-oh. I have bug spray somewhere.” She opened her trunk again, rummaged around and pulled out a spray bottle. “You do me and I’ll do you.” Her cheeks went pink as she handed him the bottle.
He laughed. “You’d better be glad I’m an old friend. Some guys might take that the wrong way.” He sprayed her shorts-clad legs, back and front, her arms. “You’d better do your own face,” he said. “Hold out your hands.”
She did, and he sprayed some repellent into them. As she ran her hands lightly over her face, he lifted her long hair and squirted a little on the back of her neck.
She could have done that herself, too, of course. But he wanted to see the pretty, vulnerable back of her neck. Wanted to touch her soft, wavy hair that always smelled like flowers.
Her face was still flushed as she took the bottle and did a much more businesslike job on him.
They settled again, with laptops, and Meg got right to work. She typed steadily, smiling sometimes, occasionally consulting a small notebook or looking off into the woods.
Finn tried to focus on his own book in progress, but his concentration was spotty. Something about Meg reawakened his desire for love and a family, something he couldn’t even consider with her because of the dark secret he knew and had to keep. He took a couple of deep breaths and then refocused on his screen.
Much later, she stood and stretched, and the sight of her brought him out of his reverie and back, with a bang, into the present moment. Wow. Meg was simply lovely, glowing with joy.
“I’m going to take a stroll through the woods,” she said. “Want to come?”
Of course he did. They locked their things in the car and then headed down one of the paths.
It was actually a great way to get more of a feel for the area’s natural beauty and wildlife. He looked up at the sky, hoping to spot one of the bald eagles that nested in the area. Instead, he saw a heron, headed toward the marsh, its awk-awk-awk distinctive over the chorus of crickets and frogs and smaller birds. A squirrel scrabbled up and around a tree trunk, chased by its friend or mate. Small pools of standing, brackish water alternated with marsh grass growing in clumps. A couple of turtles plopped lazily into the water at their approach.
Meg chatted happily about her project, and he smiled at her enthusiasm.
She laughed up at him. “I’m going on and on, aren’t I? I’m just excited to finally have the ideas flowing. Thank you so much for helping me.” She reached out and touched his arm.
He reached for her hand, clasped it and didn’t let go. They walked a few more steps and paused, and then she turned to him, her face confused. And concerned. And interested.
He shouldn’t have done it, but he couldn’t resist those full, beautiful lips. He pulled her close and kissed her.