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His brother was right—he didn’t have to marry her. Yet some part of him knew already that living together wouldn’t be enough, not when he was a man who when he committed to something he committed fully.
That’s how it had happened with Sheri. They’d been inseparable since they were kids, making huts in the bush and pretending they were Robinson Crusoe. Fighting dragons together, then fishing for eels in the creeks, terrifying each other with stories of thetaniwha, the sacred Maori monster that lived in the waterways.
Then came the day of the school dance, when they were both fifteen, and she’d worn a dress for the first time since he could remember.
He’d known in that moment, with a bone-deep certainty, that he was going to marry her one day. Just like he knew now, with that same bone-deep certainty, that he’d be there for his child. And he’d be there for Beth too.
It wasn’t love. How could it be when they didn’t know much about each other? No, it was about the fear in her eyes and the grief when she’d told him about the loss of her first baby. About her postnatal depression.
She was a strong woman, a woman used to dealing with things on her own, he could already tell that. Itmade him want to know why she’d felt that way and who had left her. Who had hurt her.
It made him want to fix it because that’s the kind of guy he was. He was a fixer, a protector. He took care of the people who were important to him, and whether she liked it or not, she was now important to him.
Sure, his feelings about marriage were complicated ones but the choice itself was simple. He did want to marry her, give both her and their kid some legal protection. Also she was alone here. She had no one. Sure, she had Indigo and Izzy, and they were hugely supportive. But Izzy had Chase and Gus now, and Indigo…well, she was currently being very distracted by Levi.
Beth needed someone in her corner, and shit, while he didn’t love her—love was something he’d been hoping to avoid for possibly the rest of his life—he’d definitely be that someone.
“No,” Finn murmured, “I know I don’t have to marry her. But yes, it’s something I want.” He finally looked up from his bottle and met his brother’s gaze. “She needs someone to support her out here.”
Chase stared back. “Do you love her?”
“No. But that’s not the point. She’s on her own. I know she’s got Izzy and Indigo, but I’m the father of her child. There’s a connection there and I think she needs it.”
His brother was quiet for a long time, gazing at him meditatively. “You’re wrong, you know. Loveiskind of the point.”
Naturally Chase would say that. He hadn’t been a great believer in love a few months ago, not after his first wife had left. However, all of that had changed after he’d met Isabella Montgomery and fallen for her like a ton of bricks.
Finn could see where his brother was coming from, but it wasn’t in the cards for him. Not again.
“Not for me it isn’t. Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt.”
“Keep an open mind, that’s all I’m saying. Anyway, what about her? She’s not in love with you, is she?”
Finn gave a short laugh. “Hell no. She’s pissed at me for being so insistent. She wants to take care of all of this herself. Not because she doesn’t want me involved per se, I don’t think. I suppose she’s used to handling things on her own and doesn’t want anyone getting in the way.”
“Sounds familiar.” Chase looked amused.
Finn scowled. “I accept help when I need it, come on.”
“Sure you do. And Elvis is alive and well and living just across the lake.”
Finn debated rising to the bait, then decided not to. He had enough on his plate without arguing with his brother. “Your point being?”
“No point. It’s just going to be fun watching you two butt heads.”
“Thanks for the support.” He kept his tone dry as dust. “Don’t suppose you have any other special brotherly advice?”
“Would you take it even if I did?”
“Depends on what it is and whether I agree with it or not.”
Chase grinned. “Well, okay, my advice would be to go carefully. I live with an extremely stubborn woman and having a degree in stubborn myself, we do have some battles. But compromise works, as does being up front and honest about what you want and why.”
It wasn’t anything Finn didn’t know already, since Sheri had been pretty stubborn herself. Yet they’d figured out how to live with each other in a way that made their own brand of stubborn work well for them, so perhaps he could do the same with Beth.
Of course, that was all going to depend on whether or not she wanted to, and right now that was up for debate. Either way he was going to have to go carefully.
“Compromise sounds annoying,” he observed, taking a last sip of his beer.
