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Lifting his eyebrow, he glanced at the smile on her face. “Oh, okay. So I see you’ll be taking their side. Fine. Just remember we have to work together.”
“Maybe if you tell me your most embarrassing story now, they can’t embarrass you later,” she said.
The rain started to fall harder, and he liked the feeling of intimacy it gave them, shuttered away in his smaller coupe, only a few inches apart.
“Nice tactic, but I’m not falling for that one. You’ll have to earn your stripes if you want to know my secrets.”
“Or ask your brothers. It sounds like they’ll be more than happy to fill me in.”
He pulled in front of his parents’ recently repainted white-and-brick house and parked along the street. The rain was not letting up, so he reached into the back seat for an umbrella. The close quarters of the sporty car forced him into her space, and her breath hitched. Handing her the umbrella, he watched as she pressed her perfectly shaped lips together. It was as if an artist had toiled over drawing the outline of each lip only to entice him to trace them with his finger.
“I’ll use my coat. You take the umbrella,” she said before popping open her door and stepping out with her coat over her head. Clutching her bag to her chest, she walked quickly along the brick path that led to several steps up to a large front porch.
Sprinting after her with the umbrella, he shook off some of the rain, just as she pushed the hood back off her head, revealing red cheeks. Before he could say anything, a siren wailed, and the sound of a dog barking went off in speakers hidden on the porch. Her body jumped a foot toward him, and he wrapped his arm around her, protectively pulling close. Finally, she seemed to welcome his nearness and pushed closer into his side.
“Shit, my dad’s security system. Don’t worry—it’s all for show.”
The door whipped open, and his dad stood with a big grin while holding his puffy white dog, Biff.
“Dad, can we turn off the siren for family dinner?”
“No, son, that would defeat the purpose of having the security system. You should know that.” His dad punched in a code in a panel near the door, then opened the storm door for them. “You’re late, but since you’ve brought a guest, you’re forgiven.”
“Hello, Mr. Maguire. I’m Hailey, and I work with Finn. I hope you don’t mind me intruding on your family dinner.”
“Come in, dear. We don’t mind at all. Thank you for knocking some sense into our wayward son. He has missed two dinners in a row. On the third offense, we send out a search party.” His dad ushered Hailey in and gave Finn a stare down over her head.
“I’m sorry, Dad, really.”
“Oh, don’t apologize to me. Tell your mother.”
Hailey paused and began to remove her coat, but Finn quickly grabbed it and hung it on the wall above a narrow bench. His father moved ahead, but she waited for Finn.
“Don’t be nervous. There shouldn’t be any more booby traps inside the house,” he said. His hand itched to soothe her back again, but he didn’t want to overstep her boundaries or make her uncomfortable. “You can leave your bag here if you like.” There were several other purses already lined up along the bench.
She set the bag down, and he caught the glimpse of a blue bag inside with what looked like a medical logo.
“Finn, how’d you convince a woman to hang out with you more than once and trick her into a family dinner?”
He hung his head in defeat at the sound of Conner’s booming voice.
“Here we go.”
To his surprise, a giggle escaped from Hailey.
“I think I made the right decision to join you for dinner,” she said and grabbed him by the elbow to lead him toward the interior of the home.
Chapter Five
Hailey
Her palms weresweating, and her nerves were on end as she bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn’t accustomed to sitting at a family dinner, and Finn’s family was like some made-for-tv version in the old sitcoms. Everyone was smiling and affectionate, there were cakes and treats on the large kitchen island, but the table was the real event. It was a large white-washed table that could easily seat twelve, adorned with platters of food; pasta, meats, salads, sautéed vegetables, and beautiful place settings. All the while, she had her hand looped through his arm, clutching his ripped bicep like a lifeline, and she couldn’t seem to let go.
“This is Sunday dinner?”
Finn shrugged. “Mom’s way of keeping tabs on all of us kids—family dinner once a week, required.”
Nodding, she braced for the onslaught. Law school and four years working at the firm had taught her how to put on a smile and play the game. She could work a crowd when it was required. Granted, it made her skin crawl and she despised it, but being antisocial and standing in a corner was never going to get her a seat at the partner table, and she didn’t have any reason to be intimidated by the people in this house. Finn was warm and professional in every interaction she’d ever had with him.
