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We walked hand in hand up to the canoe rental while Rory told me about her day.
She stopped walking and turned to me. “A picnic and a canoe ride?” Rory asked with excitement in her voice.
“I told you we weren’t just going on a picnic. I had another surprise.”
Her smile made my knees wobble. “I love your surprises!”
After getting the canoe and helping Rory in, I handed her the basket, pushed off, and jumped in.
I started rowing, and noticed how relaxed she was. Her head dropped back as the evening sun hit her face. “That feels so good.”
“Are you cold?” I asked.
Focusing her gaze on mine, she slowly shook her head. “No. Not at all.”
I picked up the pace some. Even though Rory had left work a bit early, the sun would still be going down on us quick. I’d made arrangements with Chuck, the owner of the canoe rental, to pick us and the canoe up.
“Finn, this is so beautiful. It’s not often I get to experience such peace.”
“I’m glad it was a nice surprise for you.”
She pulled her legs in and rested her chin on her knees. “So, do you read romance books or something?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “No! Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know. You’re so…romantic. I’ve never had a guy do the things you do for me.”
“That’s because you hadn’t met the right guy.”
Her brow lifted. “Are you the right guy?”
The corners of my mouth lifted. “I hope so, Éan.”
Her eyes lit up, and she was about to say something when her phone rang. Reaching for it, she sighed. “It’s my mother.”
“Hello?”
I managed to turn the canoe and head over to the area Chuck told me he would pick us up at, a small park tucked along the side of the Charles River.
“Sorry, Mom. I can’t do dinner tonight. I’ve made other plans.”
She frowned and pushed out a exasperated breath. “No, everything is fine. Listen, I have to run, I’m late. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Not saying a word, she put her phone on Silent and replaced it in her purse. Looking up, she gasped.
“Finn!” she said, pointing. “Is this where we’re eating?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I smiled. “Yep.”
It was perfect. Picnic tables were randomly placed throughout the park, but there wasn’t a single other person there. I hit the shore and jumped out, pulling the canoe up. Rory grabbed the basket and I helped her out.
Sweeping my hand wide, I said, “Pick.”
With a chuckle, Rory walked over to a table. “This one. It’s perfect.”
We opened the basket and laid out the tablecloth. After I removed the fruit, wine, and cheese, I pulled out a single pink rose and handed it to her.
Gasping, she took it and buried her nose in the flower, inhaling a deep breath.
“Finn, this is amazing.”
“Happy one-month anniversary…ish.”
“Ish?”
“I honestly can’t remember what day we went to the museum on our first date,” I admitted as I poured us each a glass of wine.
Giggling, she replied, “Neither can I!”
We lifted our glasses. “To one month.”
She winked, “To one month-ish.”
Chapter 23
Finn
The Sox, Irish pubs, and my parents
I stood at the mirror and took a good look at myself. “Looking damn good, Ward,” I mumbled. Flash sat next to me and let out a bark. Glancing down, I asked, “Do you disagree?”
He barked again. I looked back into the mirror. “What? I bathed, put cologne on, shaved yesterday so I’d have a bit of stubble today. The girls like that look.”
The damn dog barked again, this time jumping up on me. “Get the hell off me, you damn mutt. I already took your ass for a four-mile run. You should be knocked out, sleeping on the sofa.”
Jumping and twisting in circles, he barked, then ran out of the room and down the hall. He barked from the kitchen, then ran back to me. I was stunned my neighbors hadn’t complained about him yet. Of course, it probably helped I’d slept with the Regina who lived to the right of me, as well as Casey on the other side. Both of them currently had boyfriends, but I must have made some kind of impression for them to ignore the constant barking of this mutt.
Flash jumped and barked again. “Yeah. Yeah. I hear you, Flash.” This dog lived for two things: eating and making my life as difficult as possible.
The second I headed into the kitchen, he made a beeline to his dish. In a bad attempt to hide my smile, I shook my head and decided to treat Flash to some canned food tonight.
My doorbell rang as I spooned the last of the food out and tossed the can in the trash. Jogging to the door, I opened it, and nearly had my knees buckle.
“Dear God. It’s an angel from up above.”
Rory rolled her eyes and pushed past me. “Don’t tease me. I take my Sox very seriously. This is their last home game of the regular season—precautions had to be made.”
