AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The rules are simple,” Suzette said. “No dwelling on anything related to work. No talking about problems. No bringing up anything serious or important. We’re seeking escapism in all its frivolous forms.” Suzette nudged him with her shoulder. “Can you handle that?”
Liam gave a solemn nod. “I’ll try to bear it as best I can. In fact, I know just where we can all go.”
Cora’s gaze wandered back to Finn and his mysterious woman. With a jolt, she realized he’d caught her attention and was waving her over to his table. The young blonde woman was smiling at her, too.
“I’ll be right back,” she told Liam and Suzette, who were now arguing about racing cars, of all things. She wove through the packed tables until she was standing before Finn and his date.
Finn seemed genuinely glad to see her. He stood and said, “Cora, I’d like you to meet my little sister, Genevieve. Gen, this is Cora McLeod.”
Cora’s brows shot up in surprise, but she beamed at the young woman as they greeted each other and shook hands.Not a date, then.She vaguely remembered Finn mentioning a sister, but he rarely talked about his personal life, and Cora never asked.
Genevieve appeared to be in her early to midtwenties, though the light sprinkling of freckles across her nose made her seem younger. Now that Cora had a better look at the woman, it was obvious she and Finn were related. Although Finn’s hair had darker streaks of caramel and gold, and Genevieve’s hair was lighter, they both shared the same deep brown eyes with thick black lashes. The biggest difference was their size. Where Finn was well over six feet tall with broad shoulders and an athletic build, his sister was a tiny little thing. She looked delicate and fragile compared to him.
“Sit with us.” Genevieve slid over so Cora could sit beside her. “I’m so glad to finally meet you. Finn’s told me about you. He said you’re the best law-enforcement officer in Providence Falls, and the city is lucky to have you.”
A hot blush seared across Cora’s cheeks as she slid in beside Finn’s sister. “I’m not sure that’s true.”
“It is. You’ll just have to own it.” Finn smiled as he lounged across from them, his long arm slung over the back of the booth. It struck Cora how much more relaxed he appeared now, compared to the last time she saw him when he showed up to the police station. It had been fascinating to watch Finn working as Slice’s attorney, but Cora much preferred this side of him. Here was the easygoing man she’d grown used to over the years.
“I didn’t realize your sister lived in Providence Falls,” Cora said.
“Not for long,” Genevieve sang out. “Soon, I’ll be off to New York City. Just a few more weeks, and my brother will have his house all to himself again. You’re sad to see me go, huh, Finn? You can admit it. It’s okay to cry. It won’t make you any less of a man.”
“I’m sobbing right now on the inside,” he deadpanned. “How will I live without my house gremlins to liven up the place?”
“House gremlins?” Cora asked, glancing between them.
“They’re these invisible little creatures who steal my T-shirts,” Finn explained. “They also leave trails of crumbs in the kitchen and hide the TV remote in the freezer.”
Genevieve gasped. “That wasonetime. And I only did it because I’d been cramming for that exam all night, and I was in zombie mode.” She tossed a balled-up cocktail napkin at him, which he deflected easily.
“My sister was recently offered an internship at a law firm in Manhattan,” Finn told Cora. “Providence Falls will be losing a rising star when she leaves us.”
Now it was Genevieve’s turn to blush. The tips of her ears turned pink. She looked down at her phone, then she sat bolt upright. “Oh, crap! I have to go. I’m celebrating a friend’s birthday across town.” She gave Cora an apologetic smile. “It was so good to meet you. Come over! Finn, let’s have a going away barbecue before I leave. Cora, consider yourself invited.”
“Do the house gremlins really need a going away party, though?” Finn asked with mock puzzlement. “Every day has been such a party with them around.”
Genevieve rolled her eyes. “Call it a housewarming party, then. To celebrate getting your bachelor pad back to yourself again.” Her phone chimed, and she swore under her breath. “Gotta run. See you guys later.”
Cora watched Genevieve hustle out of the bar, dodging tables as fast as she could. She accidentally knocked a pile of napkins off a table as she passed.
“If we end up having a barbecue, I’ll be sure to invite you,” Finn said with a laugh. “Although consider this fair warning about those house gremlins.”
“I had no idea your sister was living with you,” Cora said. There was so much about him she didn’t know. Odd that she’d never thought to ask.
“I invited her to move in a year ago so she could focus on finishing grad school without having to juggle a full-time job.”
“That was nice of you.”
He shrugged. “Family.” He said it like that explained everything, and maybe it did. Cora had never had siblings. Her mother died when she was little, and her father raised her the best he could. Hugh McLeod was now retired and lived a few hours away, but he’d once been a police captain in Providence Falls, and he’d taught Cora about the legal system and loyalty and justice. The two of them made it work, but there was an emptiness in their home that was never filled after her mom died.
“I always wished I had an older brother growing up,” Cora said. “I used to fantasize about how he’d fight off my bullies or help me kick the vending machines at school just right, so free candy would rain down. Or sometimes he’d forge my dad’s signature on an absent slip so we could play hooky from school.”
“This fantasy brother of yours sounds like a bad influence,” Finn teased.
“No, he was perfect for me. My dad was so controlling and overbearing, I needed someone in my corner to help me go a little wild.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Finn said. “I know your father, and I don’t think he’d ever advocate stealing candy or playing hooky.”
