Choosing His Family Read online

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  Ivy’s food grew cold as the talk around Finn bounced from one topic to another. Ryker left the table and returned a minute later with an extra piece of bread for Charlie. For a second, Finn had wondered if he was leaving to grab a ring and coming back in to propose. He and Charlie had certainly talked about marriage plenty. They were obviously heading in that direction. Finn was starting to wonder what Ryker was waiting for, especially since the man’s feelings for Charlie were as obvious as the tattoo scrawled across his forearm.

  “Is Ivy still on the phone?” Charlie quietly checked with Ryker, who nodded.

  “Pretty sure it was her mom who called.” Finn was sitting close enough to Ryker and Charlie that he could join their conversation without raising curiosity. “I saw the screen when she checked it.”

  His sister’s brow wrinkled. “I hope everything is okay.”

  He did, too. When Finn had spoken to Ivy while getting food, it had felt comfortable and easy. Like old friends catching up. It had once again laid his rescuing fears to rest. Especially when Ivy had shared how much she was enjoying working with Charlie. But when she’d cringed at her mom’s call and then answered anyway, his protective instincts had flared.

  Was she okay? Was something wrong? Should he check on her or stay out of it?

  Door number two, Brightwood. Definitely door number two. Stick to your original plan.

  “I’m going to grab seconds. Anyone need anything?” After a chorus of noes, he walked through the living room on his way back to the kitchen.

  Ivy was in the chair in the corner of the room, her head held in her hands, the phone pressed against her ear.

  Finn’s feet betrayed him and came to a screeching halt. The temptation to stride over to her, rip the phone from her grip and end the call—or toss it out the window—was staggering.

  “Mom, the girls are doing well. Staying here for a short amount of time isn’t going to harm them.”

  If anything, it might be good for the girls. Having someone like Lina care for them certainly had its pluses.

  “I’m sorry you thought I’d change my mind, but that’s not the case. And I’m certainly not leaving Charlie in the lurch like that.” A pause ensued before Ivy continued. “Mom, I’ve told you this numerous times. Charlie is the woman who owns the café I’m helping open.”

  Finn forced his boots to move. Enough eavesdropping. Ivy would be fine.

  She glanced up and saw him just as he neared the large opening that led back to the kitchen. Her free hand waved and signaled for him to stop. He’d just been listening to her conversation like a buffoon. She was probably going to yank on his ear and tell him to mind his own business.

  “Mom—Mom, listen! Someone is here and needs me. I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon, okay? Try not to worry.”

  She hung up, an agitated breath seeping from her.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overhear or interrupt.”

  She stood and pocketed the phone. “I’m glad you walked through right then. You were just the excuse I needed to hang up. I don’t know how many times I can say the same thing. I know she’s just concerned about the girls and me, but man, she makes it hard.”

  “It’s a mom thing. If I don’t call mine often enough, I start getting texts asking if I’m alive.” Finn’s mouth quirked. He did love his mother. And compared to Ivy’s mom, she was incredibly easy. “Was she like this when you were married?”

  “No. Not really. Because then I had my life together. Or so they thought. Lee made good money before he made mistakes. I think my parents checked off a box after I married him. My dad may not have agreed or liked Lee in the first place, but at least I was on my own and functioning. They weren’t having to take care of me like some of their friends were with their grown children.” Ivy’s lids momentarily closed as if she was in pain. “And now, here I am in that same boat. Is it any wonder I’m not in a rush to go home? I felt like a failure when Lee stole. When Lee took his life and left the girls. And now going back to live with my parents is like the cherry on top of a terrible, messed-up sundae.”

  “Everyone is allowed a few mistakes in life, Ivy. So you thought you chose well in marriage but it didn’t turn out that way. That happens to a lot of people. Not just you.”

  “Feels like it’s just me.”

  Tell her. Tell her about Chrissa so that she doesn’t think she’s the only one who thought they knew what they were doing but found out they were dead wrong.

  “Listen—” Footsteps sounded behind Finn. He glanced back to see one of the women from church walking toward the kitchen. He waited for her to pass, and his original words fled. “You’re going to be okay. You’re doing a good job with what you’ve been handed.” The encouragement was a pale substitution.

  “Thanks.” Her sigh was as long as a summer day. “The last time I stood up to them, I married Lee. I don’t think anyone trusts my judgment anymore, including myself.” She attempted a laugh, to bring humor into something that was obviously hurtful to her. It didn’t work. “Has anyone sung happy birthday to Charlie yet?”

  “No. At least I don’t think so. But we can make that happen if you need to go.” Finn warred between regret over not opening up to Ivy and relief that his own failures and hurts were still buried deep.

  Her mom’s phone call had only served to remind him—and Ivy, he would guess—of the mess she was running from. And to, it seemed. She had a lot to work through and three girls who needed her to do it well.

  All things he should stay out of.

  “It’s not that. I’m not leaving yet. The girls would throw fits if I tried to remove them early from the world’s best playdate. I could just really use a piece of cake.”

  Finn’s cheeks creased, and he ignored the way his heart kicked and jumped over the revelation that she wasn’t running.

  “We can definitely make that happen.”

  “What flavor is it anyway?”

  “I’m guessing chocolate. That’s Charlie’s favorite.”

  Ivy’s smile was warm and pretty and unable to completely mask her distress. “God bless Charlie.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ivy waited for her fourth interview of the day to walk into the café, nerves souring her stomach as if she’d downed a cup of vinegar. Talking to people didn’t bother her. Finding out who they were, what interested them, what drove them...that was all part of getting to know someone.

  But being in charge of hiring for the café was so much more than that. Ivy might like an applicant and think they were a fit, but what if they turned out not to be? What if they didn’t show up on time, or their declared customer service skills were sorely lacking?

  Since Ivy would be moving to California shortly after the opening, Charlie should really be handling these interviews. She was the one who’d have to work closely with the staff and new manager. But Charlie didn’t have the time...and on this next interview, she wanted to stay as uninvolved as possible.

  The door opened, and an attractive young woman entered the café. She wore a striped suit that was a size too large, and her hand shook when she ran it through her curly dark-roast hair.

  Kaia. Ryker’s sister.

  Ivy could definitely see the resemblance between her and her daughter, Honor.

  Even in their short greeting, brokenness poured from Kaia. Charlie had filled Ivy in on Kaia’s background. She’d been through a lot, fighting a drug addiction that had caused her to lose Honor for a period. Despite her brave, shaky smile, the wounds from her past showed.

  “I’m nervous.” Kaia wiped her palms down the front of her pants as they sat at one of the round tables that would soon be used for patrons. “Asking for an interview was hard because I didn’t want to bug Charlie for another favor. She’s already done so much for Honor. She was Honor’s foster parent—I assume she told you?”

 
“She did.”

  “I don’t want to take advantage of our relationship or the fact that she’s dating my brother, but the thought of working here—” her eyes bounced around the café with interest and light and something close to hope “—was more than I could pass up. I’m glad my interview is with you. That way we can be brutally honest with each other.”

  Did they have to?

  Ivy understood that Charlie had taken herself out of the equation because she was too emotionally invested in Honor and Ryker and even Kaia, but it was stressful to think she was somehow responsible for deciding if Kaia was a fit for the job or not.

  “So what do you do for work right now, Kaia?”

  “I clean businesses and houses. It’s good work, and I’m thankful for it. Especially after...everything. They gave me a second chance. Seems like I’ve been needing a lot of those lately.”

  Haven’t we all? “I’ve heard really great things about you from Charlie and your brother.”

  “Both of them have been so supportive of Honor and me. That’s why asking for an interview to work at the café was so hard. I know I’m not qualified to work here. I’m not really qualified to do anything but clean. That’s all I’ve ever done. But I want to push myself, if not for me, then for my daughter. I’d do anything for her.”

  “I have three girls, so I completely understand that sentiment.” And I get the unqualified feeling, big-time.

  “Tell me more about you,” Ivy said.

  “After battling an addiction to meth, I’ve basically only focused on work and Honor and staying on the straight and narrow. A guy really messed with me.” Kaia held up a palm. “Not that I’m making excuses for my actions. It was still my choice to do what I did. But I got off track and getting back on took every last ounce of me.”

  Everything Kaia was saying resonated with Ivy. Their stories might have different pieces filling in the puzzle, but they had plenty of similarities.

  “What do you like and dislike about your current job?”

  “It’s great in that it pays the bills, and the work is consistent. But it’s just not my passion.”

  “What is your passion?”

  “Would it be bad to admit that I’m not sure yet? I’m twenty-four and feel like I’m still figuring that out. But the café appeals to me because I’d love to work directly with people. When I’m cleaning, I’m usually on my own or with one other person. We don’t have much interaction with the customer, and I think I’d really like that.”

  She’d definitely get that at the café. “What about hours? Charlie is planning to be open until four, but there might be some evening hours, too.” Ivy had pitched Charlie an idea she’d had about allowing local groups and committees to use the café space after hours for meetings. It would require a staff member to take a later shift, but the event side could be a nice addition to the bottom line. Charlie had agreed that Ivy should follow up on the idea when she had time.

  “I can make that work. Maybe not every day, but if I know my schedule, my brother is usually willing to help out with Honor.”

  That had been another one of Ivy’s questions—whether Kaia had childcare when Honor wasn’t in school.

  They went on to discuss what Kaia’s strengths and weaknesses were. She was far too hard on herself, quickly mentioning the areas in which she struggled and then scrounging to find good things to say. Ivy related to that, too. Kaia was a younger version of Ivy except she’d grown up with less money and less help.

  It made Ivy want to give the woman a chance. Maybe too much.

  They wrapped up the interview with Ivy promising to let Kaia know either way.

  Ivy grabbed the girls from Lina’s, and they began bickering over something pointless in the back seat before she’d even made it out of the driveway. Normally she would put a stop to it, but her brain was fried from the day and the endless processing of the four candidates. She didn’t have enough energy to referee.

  What she wouldn’t give to release some of the stress from today in a kitchen...only she didn’t have one of those.

  Finn did, though.

  He’d offered her his kitchen and laundry facilities before. If he hadn’t meant it, he shouldn’t have said it.

  Ivy pulled into the lot for Len’s Grocery, freed the girls from their car seats and managed to grab the ingredients for chicken scampi with angel-hair pasta—a favorite meal of hers—without completely losing her mind.

  Unsure of her plan, she drove home. Should she text Finn and ask? Or just show up at his door with groceries in hand?

  Ivy wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Charlie had paved the way for their stay in the bunkhouse and that Finn’s secondary agreement had been reluctant. He’d never complained outright about them being there, though she often wondered what he was thinking or the basis behind his quiet concern.

  At the birthday party, he’d been kind and supportive after her phone call with her mom, but that didn’t mean he was letting her into his life in any way. Finn Brightwood definitely had some walls up. What Ivy wouldn’t give to know the secrets that were propping them in place.

  She pulled into the ranch drive. Finn’s truck was gone, and no lights were on in his house. How great was that? She’d shoot him a text about using the laundry and kitchen, but maybe she and the girls would be out of his space before he returned home. He’d told her he kept a key under the flowerpot on the front step.

  “We’re going to go over to Finn’s house tonight to cook dinner and do laundry.” They were majorly overdue on clean clothes.

  “Will Mista Finn be home?”

  “No,” she answered Lola.

  “But what will we do there?” Reese’s inquiry was an eight on the whining scale.

  “You girls could watch a movie while I make dinner.” Ms. Lina was great about allowing them very little electronic time during the day. Letting the girls watch something would allow Ivy to relax while cooking.

  All three cheered, then began arguing over what to watch. Ivy rolled her eyes and laughed.

  She wouldn’t make it one day without her babies. But she wouldn’t mind five minutes to unwind from her day...in peace.

  * * *

  Finn’s headlights beamed through the first signs of dusk as he left the Blairs’ house in town and drove home.

  Jacob Blair attended the same early-morning men’s Bible study as Finn, and his son had a rare disease—autoimmune encephalitis. The family was so taxed that Jacob didn’t have time to tackle any projects around the house, so a group of men from study—Finn, Ryker, Evan, Evan’s brother, Jace, and Jace’s brothers-in-law, Luc Wilder and Gage Frasier—had decided to spend the evening checking off items and fixing things that needed repair.

  The six of them had fixed the washer, adjusted a broken front step and installed shelving in the garage so that the Blairs could organize and make room for parking both of their vehicles. It had been equal parts enjoyable—Finn liked everyone who’d pitched in—and equal parts painful.

  Because witnessing Ryan Blair reeling from his last treatment had leveled Finn.

  He didn’t know how Jacob and Jenny handled seeing their son in pain day after day. He didn’t know how any parent handled witnessing their child’s suffering. Certainly, it was because there was no other choice but to handle it. With God.

  Somehow.

  When he pulled into the ranch drive, his house was lit up like Westbend’s favorite ice-cream shop after a big game. Through the windows, he could see the TV was on, and he caught a glimpse of Ivy in the kitchen.

  He would imagine she’d texted him, but he hadn’t checked his phone while at the Blairs’ or before leaving.

  He would also have imagined that returning home to find his house taken over by four Darlings would overwhelm or upset him.

  But he only felt relief.

  The scene when he opened the
front door was something out of another man’s life.

  The triplets were sprawled in various places in the living room, watching something on the TV, and the stove held a dish that simmered and smelled amazing.

  Ivy came down the hall with a basket of laundry. She set it on the floor next to the island, straightened and noticed him.

  “Oh.” Her eyes widened, and her palm slapped to her sternum as if he’d shocked her.

  Finn removed his jacket, hanging it in the hall closet. “You really have to stop breaking and entering.”

  Ivy laughed. “I’m working on it. Did you get my text?”

  “No, I didn’t see it.” His theory that she would have notified him was spot-on. Ivy wasn’t the kind to barge in without announcing herself. She wasn’t the kind to barge in at all. She’d been very careful to give him space, which he appreciated. Tonight, he appreciated the opposite.

  Nothing could take his mind off the tough scene at the Blairs’ better than these four.

  The girls flocked in his direction with cries of Mista Finn. Sage catapulted herself over the back of the couch instead of going around like her sisters, which earned a squeak of indignation from Ivy.

  “Sage Renee Darling. You know better than that. Don’t treat Finn’s house that way again. You owe him an apology.”

  Sage was the first to hug Finn since she’d taken a shortcut, and her mischievous eyes twinkled as he knelt, and she crashed into him.

  “Sorry, Mista Finn.” She spoke around the fingers that had sneaked into her mouth.

  “It’s okay. I forgive you.” His vision met Ivy’s over the girl’s shoulder. “Besides, it’s just furniture.”

  “Mista Finn! Mista Finn!” Lola and Reese whapped into him at the same time, sandwiching their sister in the process.

  Finn fought back the emotion today had created, focusing instead on the triple hug. He wanted to tell them they could call him Finn, but he wasn’t sure if Ivy would approve of that. Besides, the mista amused and entertained him.