AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My throat thickened as I recalled something that always put me on edge. “I know her husband beat her. I remember seeing her with bruises and asking my mom why that was.”
“Her husband,” Lena retorted. “The bastard. And you think he left Finn alone, do you? Just focused his fists on his wife?”
A lump formed in my throat. “Oh.”
“Yes.Oh. And I can tell you, that bastard did more than just hit Finn.” She firmed her chin. “He ran from home, was on the streets. Only the fact that he was friends with my boys saved him. They encouraged him to come home with them, and when I saw the poor wee man, my heart bled for him.”
“He abused him?” I whispered, my eyes welling with tears.
“Aye. He did. And she didn’t stop it, Aoife.” Lena took a deep sip of her coffee. “Are you here for some kind of revenge?”
“Revenge?” I shrieked. “Lena, he dragged me into this world. I was quite happy with my tea room, safe and single and bored. So damn bored,” I admitted. “But he most definitely brought me into his sphere, not the other way around.”
She pursed her lips, and I felt her judging me. With each sweep of her gaze upon my face, it was like she was scanning my words and my expression for the truth. I’d admit to sagging with relief when she informed me, “I liked you when you came to dinner the other day, and it will be a pleasure to have you around my place more often.
“Finn’s needed someone like you for a while. You’re very calming, and he runs himself ragged. I saw how he responded to you, how you eased him, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for him. But I had to make sure that you weren’t out to hurt him.”
I swallowed thickly. “Lena, I would never do—” Because I was at a loss for words, I blew out a shaky breath. “Look, I haven’t raised the topic with him because I didn’t know what to say. The minute he walked into my tea room and introduced himself, I knew who he was, and I couldn’t believe it because Fiona grieved for him, Lena. She was heartsick.”
“I won’t feel sorry for her,” Lena retorted. “I can’t. It’s not in me. It didn’t happen just once, Aoife, and I can’t tell you how hard I worked to drag that fact out of Aidan, and how long it took for him to get Finn to talk. What she allowed to happen . . . a mother would be heartsick.”
My hand came up to cup my throat. “I-I don’t know what to say. I just know that I . . . well, there isn’t anything to talk about with Finn. That’s why I haven’t mentioned it. Fiona died a long time ago, and she’s in the past. I knew her, and I knew Finn when I was two. The little insight I have into him comes from her, and that doesn’t tell me much about the man himself.”
“Will you make my boy happy?”
The quiet question had tears pricking my eyes again. “To the best of my ability. But I’m not perfect. I make mistakes, too. And I’m certain Finn will piss me off and we’ll fight. I promise that I won’t hurt him, not intentionally.”
A smile crested Lena’s lips. “That’s a good, strong answer.”
“It is?” I asked, totally confused.
“It is.” She rubbed her hands together. “He doesn’t need a woman who’ll quiver when he says boo.”
Well, I quivered when he said dirtythings, butboocertainly didn’t get me hot.
“Well, that’s okay then because I’m not afraid of him. The Five Points? I’m afraid of them.”
“That’s wise of you, dearie,” Lena muttered. “I’m not a fan of them myself, but that’s not our place to question.” She tilted her head to the side as she studied me, and in the crowded coffee shop, I suddenly felt hot. It was autumn, not exactly warm, but the way the place was set up, with plush sofas and armchairs, all in warm colors, and under Lena’s spotlight, I felt overheated to the point I could feel sweat gather at the bottom of my spine.
“What is it?” I croaked, aware I was more cautious around her than I was Finn.
“There’ll be women,” she stated, her tone sad. “They’ll come onto him. He won’t be able to help himself.”
My mouth gaped at her. “There’d better not be.”
“I wish I could agree, but I can’t. Just . . . be aware and then you won’t be hurt.”
I heard her resigned tone, and for a second, I couldn’t reconcile the possessive way Aidan held Lena, with the notion that he’d cheated on her.
I couldn’t imagine Finn cheating on me. Not because I was stupid, but because what we had together was so explosive, it surprised even him. Which told me I was the best he’d ever had. And yeah, that made me preen, I wasn’t about to lie.
Still, marriage was for a long time, and we’d only been together a short while. Life got in the way, and things happened that no one could foresee. Though I appreciated her warning, I took it with a grain of salt. I wasn’t about to condemn him before he even left the starting gate.
She patted my hand, maybe sensing my rejection of her words, and asked, “Aidan tells me you’re seeing the priest tomorrow.”
“Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve been to church.”
When she rolled her eyes, I hid a laugh. “I’m not as ardent as Aidan, so I won’t judge. It’s enough for me that you’re Catholic, but not for Aidan. The Church is… Well, we all need a crutch, and his is our Lord and Savior. Doyle will make you pay for not having gone to confession. Just be warned when he doles out the Hail Marys like they’re going out of fashion.”
