I cut straight to Tyler, since he’s the only one questioning Finley’s integrity. “Her backstory is real. The only thing we faked was the timing—when we told you we started dating after Maybelle got sick last fall.” I hold up my hand to stop Tyler’s imminent protest. “And yes, Maybelle really did have bladder stones.”
Mallory jumps in before anyone else can pile on. “Good. Now that that’s cleared up—what Alex hasn’t said yet is that he’s realized what they have is real. He needs to win her back. And we are going to help him.”
“Say what?” Grant sputters, his eyes wide.
“You heard me. And everyone else saw it, am I right?” She sweeps the table with a pointed glare. “Who liked the Alex we saw with Finley?”
Hands shoot up—everyone except Grant.
He shrugs at the glares. “What? I hardly saw him with her. But…” He makes a face. “I’ll admit, he was pretty defensive of a woman who supposedly isn’t his girlfriend.”
“Exactly.” Mallory grins, triumphant. “We know Finley and her grannies are somewhere in Hollybrook. We just have to find them.”
“And then what?” Tyler asks, skeptical.
Mallory turns to face me. “That part’s up to Alex.”
Tyler and Grant groan, but Mom’s ready to springing into action. When the King family is determined to do something, we make it happen.
Right now, it’s not if we find Finley—it’s when. The terrifying part is what happens if she doesn’t want me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Finley
To my frustration, when I wake, I realize I slept the entire afternoon away.
Mom always told me that when I was little, my defense mechanism for overwhelm was sleep. Some things don’t change. Only now, I don’t feel rested—I feel hollow. I miss Alex, which is stupid. How can you miss someone so much after only three days?
Maybe staying in Hollybrook is a mistake. This is his town and everything will remind me of him. Maybe we should just go home.
When I start down the stairs, I find a pan of kitty litter in front of the door. After I set it in the bathroom, I shut Maybelle inside and go down. The smell of something warm and savory hits me, pulling me toward the kitchen. Mirna and Barb are bustling around in a way I’ve never seen before—working together, no bickering—and it stabs me with a memory of the past two days in the King kitchen.
A lump rises in my throat.
Stop thinking about Alex’s family. They’re not yours.
Mirna glances over and sees me in the doorway. “Well, look who’s up.”
“What are y’all doing?” I ask, even though it’s obvious—they’re cooking dinner. The sky outside is already dimming toward dusk.
“We found an open market to get kitty litter and decided since we were there, we might as well get stuff to make dinner,” she says with a smile. “You can treat us to a meal another night. I trust you found the litter pan?”
“I did, and whatever you’re making smells delicious. Sorry I slept so long.”
“Poppycock.” She waves me off. “You needed it.”
“What’s on the menu?”
“Ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and sweet rolls,” Barb says. “And we even got a chocolate cake for dessert.”
“Can I help?”
The two women exchange a glance before looking back at me.
“We’ve got everything under control,” Mirna says. “You’ve got some free time. What would you like to do? Watch a movie? Read a book?”
“I’ve got several books in my suitcase you might enjoy,” Barb says excitedly. “I can go grab them if you want.”
