Page 32 of Capture The Moment

Shoving her hands on her hips, she said, “Some people might accuse you of being chauvinistic.”

“Are you?”

He’d leaned back against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over his bulky chest, and now he waited expectantly for her answer.

“No. But that’s only because I know you.”

He smiled then, a slow curling grin that transformed his face. Without it, he sometimes looked surly and unapproachable, but Harper knew that he was neither of those things. Aside from Blake, he had the softest heart of any man she’d ever known.

They eyed each other in silence for a few beats until Daisy scratched her pant leg. “I think it’s time for bed,” she said, referring to Daisy, but Finn’s eyes suddenly took on a darker hue.

Clearing his throat loudly, he said, “Yeah. I’m going to turn in too.”

It felt extremely odd walking down the hallway to the bedrooms with Finn right behind her. He’d already placed her bags in the room at the farthest end of the hall, which also had an attached bathroom. His bedroom was the first one on the right, and they both paused at the doorway.

“If you need anything during the night, don’t hesitate to wake me up. Also, it takes a while for the water to heat up, so be aware when you take a shower in the morning.”

“Ok. Thanks.”

It seemed like they were both reluctant to separate, or maybe she was just imagining it. Finally, he said, “Sleep well, Harper.”

“You too,” she said, and turning away, she hurried into the guest room. She heard his door close at the same time she closed hers, and she wondered if he’d still been standing there watching her.

She was still on edge as she prepared for bed, her ears perked up to every sound. She told herself it was because she was in a strange place, but that wasn’t the real reason. If she were being honest, it was because she knew that Finn was right across the hall. While she stripped off her clothes, she wondered if he were changing too. Did he wear pajamas? Somehow, she thought not. If he couldn’t be bothered with winter gear, why bother with pajamas? Boxers or briefs, then? Or maybe nothing at all.

Peering into the bathroom mirror, she saw she was blushing, and she turned on the cold water and splashed her face. Stop thinking about Finn naked right now, she scolded. But she was still imagining it when she slipped under the covers a few minutes later. She’d seen Finn in swim trunks on several occasions, which was as close as she’d come to seeing him naked. Even then, with Blake by her side, she’d noticed Finn’s impressive physique. It was impossible not to, and she and Blake had even joked about it. “Now you see what I had to compete with all those years,” Blake had said, but his comment had been entirely without malice. Harper remembered hugging him and saying, “You’re all I see,” which had been true at the time.

And it should still be true, she reminded herself. She tried to replace Finn’s image with one of Will, but try as she might, she couldn’t picture Will in anything but his wool coat and Burberry scarf. And then she went through a list of popular celebrities, from the Hemsworth brothers to Zac Efron to the deceased Paul Newman. She’d always been drawn to a man’s eyes, and thinking about Paul Newman’s dazzling blue orbs brought her right back around to Finn. “Damn it,” she said and then quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

Daisy stirred at her feet, but other than that, she didn’t hear a peep. Finn was probably sound asleep by now, oblivious to the fact that she was thinking about him naked. What would he think if he knew? Would he be appalled, flattered, shocked? All of the above? In all the years she’d known him, he’d never said or done anything to make her believe that he thought of her as anything but Blake’s wife. He might have thrown out a compliment here or there, but he’d never said anything suggestive. To use his own word, he’d been non-threatening.

Respectful. If she had to choose one word to describe him, that would be it. It was disconcerting to know that she was the one thinking inappropriate thoughts about her husband’s best friend. But logically, didn’t it make sense? Finn was the man she’d had the most contact with since Blake’s death. He was the man she knew best next to her husband. Finn was the man she felt most comfortable with, who’d seen her at her best (on her wedding day) and at her worst (at Blake’s funeral). People probably wouldn’t blame her for feeling this attraction toward him. Well, other than Blake’s family and especially Nina. But Harper would and did. Logic aside, her heart didn’t want to accept that she might be falling for her husband’s best friend.