Page 9 of Cabin Fever

“Why didn’t you want Dahlia and Theo to get married?”

Finn blinks. “What?”

“She told me. When they came out to Denver. You got all antsy.”

“I didn’t get antsy.”

I give him a look. “You told them they should wait.”

Finn’s lips pull into a straight line. I wait for him to answer, but he doesn’t. Instead, he nods to the laptop. “What were you working on?”

I blow out a breath and lean over the rail. “I made a flower order that missed the boat in Miami. I assumed it was my mistake, so I was going back through my emails and looking at the receipt.”

“Did you find the problem?”

I shake my head. “Someone put in a revision. No idea who.”

He frowns. “Like, all the flowers?”

“No, just the peonies.”

“Dahlia loves peonies.”

I laugh. “How do you know that?”

He raises an eyebrow and taps his temple.

I roll my eyes. “Right. Good listener.”

Finn settles in next to me, leaning over his arms. “Theo and I went to that farmer’s market in Golden last summer⁠—”

“How often do you go back to Maple Glen?”

He shrugs. “Twice a year, maybe? My parents are lonely.”

Twice a year is a lot. He’s activated my daughter guilt, already simmering on low after seeing Dahlia with Mom last night. They’re closer than we are, understandably. She’s been there when I haven’t.

I smile, thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher. “I felt a little sorry for you growing up.”

“What? Why?”

“Because your parents were always so busy with work. Well, kind of jealous, too. You could do whatever you wanted after school.”

Finn drops his eyes, his smile widening. “Yeah. Too bad. We could’ve gotten into a lot more trouble.” He turns his head to look at me, and my cheeks warm.

“See, that? Right there.”

“What?”

I shake my head, the metal rail digging into my ribs. “You’re such a flirt! For no reason!”

“Uh, there’s usually a reason.”

“No, Finn. You flirt with everyone, and it’s kind of mean.”

His smile falters.

“Sorry, no. It doesn’t matter. You were saying? The farmer’s market?”