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Liam pretended to examine the lawnmower because anything was better than having to look at Finn. “You’re out of luck, man. She’s not here.”
Finn came to a stop beside him. “Is it broken?”
“Why?” Liam asked. “Can you fix it?”
Finn bent to examine the underside of the lawnmower. “I know a thing or two about these. I used to have a pretty lucrative business mowing lawns when I was a kid.” He looked at Liam and chuckled like they shared a funny joke. “Mind if I give it a try...?”
Liam gave a careless shrug. “Have at it.”
Forehead creased in concentration, Finn began tinkering with the machine. The way he handled it with such familiar ease grated on Liam’s nerves for an entire five minutes before Finn set the thing upright again.
“Okay, let’s give it a whirl.” Finn pulled the cord. The engine sputtered, then rolled into a smooth, loud rumble. He shut the engine off and slapped his hands together, smiling. “That ought to do it.”
A curt nod of thanks was the best Liam could do.
Finn went to the trunk of his car where he withdrew a towel to wipe off his hands. Then he walked back to Liam, looking nervous all over again. “So, uh, any idea when Cora will be back?”
“She’ll be gone a long time.” Liam gave him a cool, assessing look. “Why are you here?”
“Uh...” Finn’s gaze darted around, then he pulled something from his pocket. “It’s just that I came to give her this.”
A gold chain dangled from his fingertips, sparkling in the sunlight. There was a carved rose pendant hanging from it. Liam’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. Cora’s necklace.
He wanted to rip it from Finn’s hand. He hated the idea that Finn was holding something so dear to Cora’s heart. “Where did you find it? We went back to the bar and asked around, but nobody had turned it in.”
Finn rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I found it that same night, but the clasp was broken. I got it fixed for her.”
Liam clenched his jaw, liking the man less and less. It was a genius move on Finn’s part. Cora would be grateful to him. “What do you mean, you found it that night?”
“When she lost it,” Finn said. “I found it against the wall behind one of the booths after you all left. Someone must’ve accidentally kicked it across the floor. But since it was broken, I just thought I’d have it fixed to surprise her.”
Jealousy gripped Liam hard, he struggled to keep it from overtaking his good sense, but he failed. Try as he might, he couldn’t get the image of Finn and Cora together out of his head. This man was her future, and Liam hated him for it. “Let me see if I understand you correctly. You found her necklace, but didn’t tell her right away?”
“Yes, but I wanted to—”
“And you let her worry all this time?” Liam interrupted. “Just so you could have the pleasure of surprising her?”
The sudden look of alarm on Finn’s face was almost comical. Liam decided to run with it. He shook his head and kept his expression grave. “Man, I’m afraid she’s not going to be happy knowing you lied to her.”
“I didn’t lie,” Finn said in a rush. “I didn’t even find it until after she left.”
“But you could’ve called her right away, since you knew how upset she was,” Liam said. “And you didn’t, did you?”
Finn stared around the yard, wide-eyed, as if looking for absolution. “No, I guess I didn’t.”
Liam gave an exaggerated sigh. “It’s been eating away at her for days. I’m not sure it’s going to sit well with her knowing you kept something so important from her.”
Finn looked utterly dejected. “I didn’t think about it that way. I never meant to upset her. Just... Take it, will you?” He thrust the necklace out and accidently dropped it in the grass.
Liam bent to pick it up and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Can you do me a favor and just tell her you found it?” Finn asked. Was that sweat forming on his brow? His voice shook with nervousness. “I’d hate for her to be mad at me.”
Liam let him stew for a few moments, enjoying the show. Finally, he nodded.
“I’m going to get going,” Finn said quickly. “Thanks.”
Liam absently fingered the necklace in his pocket as Finn drove away. “No, thank you.” The man wasn’t all that smart, for an attorney. For the hundred-thousandth time, Liam wondered why the angels had chosen Finn Walsh for his beloved Cora. They were as different as night and day. Finn had no redeeming qualities to recommend himself to someone as perfect as her. So what if he could fix a lawn-mowing machine? Any idiot in this century could probably figure it out. He walked over to the lawnmower and gave the cord a yank, just to see how it worked. Nothing happened. Frowning, he tried again. Nothing. He growled with frustration. How had Finn done it?
