Page 109 of Falling for Her

I follow her around as she starts to pack, suggesting she rest instead. She doesn’t listen, only stopping twice to text a friend. I make sure she isn’t out of my sight.

Twenty-five minutes later, she turns to me. “Are you ready?”

“For?”

“We’re leaving.” She takes a deep inhale.

“What are you talking about?” The ding of the elevator has my head whipping to the side, and she must see my face get hard. “That’s the driver,” she explains softly and walks out of the bedroom. She enters a code on the security panel, and a minute later, the doors slide open, and a uniformed driver greets her.

“There are the suitcases in the closet.” She points down the hallway, then looks to me. “Can you get your bag so he can take it to the car?”

“Baby?” I ask her as the man walks past me, toward her bedroom. “What is going on?”

“What is going on is I’ve been home for two weeks, and I’ve been miserable. I want to go home home. I want to hug Asa. I want to have coffee on the deck. I want to go to the bakery and see people who know me. I want to go riding. I just want to go home.” She puts her hands on my T-shirt and grips it tightly. “Take me home, Lincoln.”

“I’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” I tell her.

An hour later, we are on a private plane that she somehow organized from her hospital bed.

We touch down, and Theo is there waiting for us.

“Welcome home.” He outstretches his arms to Finley, who smiles, but I can tell she’s tired. “I brought you a surprise.” He opens the back door of his truck, and Asa jumps down, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Lincoln.” She turns to me with fear in her eyes. “I didn’t want him to see me like this.” Her hand goes self-consciously to her face, trying to cover the bruising. We FaceTimed him a couple of times while she was in the hospital, but she made sure she was never fully in the screen for him to see. We told him she got into a car accident.

“It’s okay, baby.” I kiss her forehead before turning to Asa, who is walking toward us. “Be gentle, okay?” He nods at me.

“Hi,” Asa says, and I can see the tears in his eyes. “I got you these so you can feel better.” He holds the flowers out to her, and she reaches for them.

“These are the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever gotten,” she replies as she bends down and opens her arms.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says, and she wipes the tear running down his face.

“You could never hurt me,” she assures him. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He walks into her arms and wraps his own around her as she cuddles him close. “So much.”

Theo and I share a look. “Let’s get her home, yeah?” I say.

The whole drive, I hold her hand while Asa talks her ear off with all the stories that she missed since she has been gone.

As soon as she gets to the house and steps inside, she turns to Asa.

“Hey buddy, can you put my flowers in water for me? Just find a big glass in the kitchen or something.” He nods, taking the bouquet from her. She walks straight to the stairs. “I need a nap.” She doesn’t bother looking at me.

“I’ll be back down when she’s settled,” I tell Asa and follow her upstairs.

I find Finley in the bedroom, her shoulders shaking.

“Hey, hey.” I take her in my arms. “What’s with the tears?”

“I’ve never felt like I had a home,” she shares between sniffles, “and then the minute I set foot in this house, I feel like I do.” She looks around. “It’s home. You and Asa, it’s like I’m home.”

“Baby . . .” I kiss the top of her head.

“You don’t have to say anything. That’s the beauty of this.” She kisses my chest. “It just is.”

“I have to step out for a bit,” I tell her. “Theo is going to stay with you and then I’ll be back.” I kiss her. “Then I’m off for another two weeks.”