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Finn moved around the table and held his hand out for Baxter to shake. “So you’re Baxter, huh? I’ve heard so much about you from Isobel, and for some reason, I thought you’d be a lot older. She talks about you like you’re practically a mini adult. It’s cool to finally meet you. I’m Finn, by the way.”
My lips quirked up in a half-assed smile. Finn was off his game and clearly nervous as fuck to meet my boy. I didn’t know who this version of Finn was, because I had never seen it before, but I hoped it wasn’t an act he was putting on. I wanted this version of him to be the real Finn.
With his much smaller hand, Baxter reached out and clasped hands with Finn. They shook, and Baxter dropped Finn’s hand first.
“I’m not a liar, so I don’t know if it’s nice to meet you yet or not because I don’t know much about you.” Baxter eyed up Finn like he wasn’t a child but a man who could beat Finn to a bloody pulp. “If you hurt Izzy or mess with our family in any way, you’ll spend the rest of your life, however long that might be, regretting it.”
Now a full-blown smile crossed my face. That was my fucking boy right there. Not that I could take all the credit with him, he’d had to learn how to take care of his sick mother all on his own while being homeless. It helped shape him into the boy he was today and the incredible man I knew he’d become one day.
This was a proud dad moment for me.
Finn didn’t even flinch. He looked down at Baxter with a seriousness in his eyes that shouldn’t have surprised me at this point but did. “If I hurt her or mess up your family in any way, I give you my permission to do your absolute worst. I’ll deserve it. But I’m telling you right now, that’s never going to happen.”
That sounded a lot like a vow to me, and I took those things seriously.
From the looks on Romero’s and Baxter’s faces, they were in total agreement with me. Isobel had her back to us and was hiding her face and her emotions like a fucking brat.
She didn’t usually hide from me, and I didn’t like it now that she was trying it out on me.
Why the fuck couldn’t she try it out on Romero instead? That SOB could use a healthy dose of her attitude instead of all the love and smiles she always shot in his direction.
Baxter nodded at Finn with respect. “I’ve never had chili before. I stole a can of it before, but I got it for my mom to eat, and I didn’t think it smelled very good. It didn’t smell anything like how it smells in here, and she had to eat it cold out of the can. I hope your chili is good.”
Finn looked down at Baxter in true horror, and I wanted to bash my fist into something so I could destroy it. I didn’t even care what it was, but the urge to tear something apart was riding me hard.
Clearly Isobel had not shared Baxter’s past with her new boyfriend. There was no faking just how genuine his reaction had been.
“You’re going to love my chili,” Finn assured Baxter, and then he glared at me like it was all my fault. “Next time when I make it, I can teach you too.”
Baxter nodded eagerly as Finn ruffled his hair before heading back to the stove. Most people would not have gotten away with touching the kid like that, but he seemed to like Finn immediately.
Personally, I didn’t get what all the fuss was about with him, but I was slowly learning that my initial opinion of Finn just might have been a tad off base.
I studied him carefully the entire night. His mask stayed firmly in place, but there was no denying the fact he’d been a nervous wreck all throughout dinner.
He really wanted all of us to like him, it was obvious that it meant a great deal to him, and since everyone but me seemed to be smitten with him, it was only me who made him nervous. I should have felt bad, but I didn’t. I liked that he was nervous. It meant he cared a great deal, and my family deserved it.
Despite Finn’s bitching about the breadsticks, they turned out great, and his chili tasted fucking awesome. Baxter ate two bowls and six breadsticks. Isobel tried to get him to have some salad first, but after he gave her the stink eye, she quickly gave up and let it go. I had to give her props for trying. It was more than what I did.
The conversation through dinner was easy, light, and thankfully without drama.
After dinner, Romero suggested we move into the living room and watch a movie before the fire while eating ice cream. I thought he was fucking crazy for even thinking about more food, but both Isobel and Baxter had no problem eating their weight in the sweet shit.
Note to self, fill the freezer at home with as much ice cream as possible.
And then convince Romero to buy some more fucking furniture so we didn’t have to lounge around on cushions on the floor. Really, what the fuck was taking him so long to buy the shit?
After Baxter started to yawn, I knew it was time to get him home, but it felt wrong to be driving away from them. Isobel had opted to spend the night with Finn, and I had no right to tell her no and to get her ass home where she belonged.
If there was anyone who knew that home wasn’t a place but was really in the hearts of your loved ones, then it was me. So leaving her with Romero and Finn was like leaving her with part of her home.
The problem was we all belonged together, and it didn’t feel right driving away from them and going home with just Baxter and myself.
I had a feeling it was always going to feel like this until we had a place to call home that put us all together.
But I didn’t see that happening any time soon.
20
