Finn's Christmas Dilemma (Holiday Hunks Book 3) Read online

  “Thank you. Actually, I was going to tell you afterward—because I don’t like my focus to get distracted during a show—but I might as well say it now. I spoke to my friend Nolan about hiring you for a summer tour he is doing with a theater dance revue. He needs dancers who can also sing, and I told him you were excellent on both counts.”

  “Y-you did? Nolan Harkness?” Her eyes lit up.

  “Yes. I have his card in the dressing room. I’ll give it to you later.”

  “Finn, that is so great.” She blinked at tears forming in her eyes.

  “Careful. Don’t mess up your stage makeup.”

  They both laughed.

  Dave poked his head in the door. “Maya! Finn! Places.”

  Finn gave Maya a quick hug and said, “Okay, let’s knock their socks off.”

  This was the final dance on the program, and Finn knew it meant a lot to Casey, so he did not want to mess up. One wrong beat, one slip or false step on a turn or leap, a missed hand or faulty placement on a lift could shatter a dance in one fell swoop.

  Finn and Maya waited in the dark and as the lights and music came on the dance burst out of the gate. Speed and timing and Maya’s extreme flexibility and Finn’s soaring jumps made it exciting. The audience was clearly with them, and when the dance shifted to the slow, sensuous middle section, Finn hoped Trinity didn’t have a bird watching the sexy, languid moves portraying a romantic theme. The dance picked up the pace again, and when a driving beat entered the music, the intensity of the choreography spiraled to a peak, the ending an abrupt blackout.

  The audience cheered even louder than for his solo when he and Maya took their bows. Finn swept his arm out and beckoned to Casey, calling for her to come onstage. Members of the audience started in calling for her too and she finally complied. When they quieted down, Casey thanked everyone and invited them to join them in the reception room.

  As a guest performer, Finn was obligated to go as well, but the truth was, he hated being swarmed by people and not being able to hang with the ones he loved. Although, one reward was seeing the pride on his mother’s face and watching her as folks in the town who knew his family congratulated her on her son’s success.

  For Finn himself, it was bittersweet to go from being the boy with cooties that no one wanted to be around, to being the celebrity everyone wanted to know and touch. But he was too tired to get philosophical tonight, so he just smiled and nodded and let people take selfies all the while trading sexy gazes across the room with Trinity.

  Chapter 11

  The following Tuesday evening, Finn parked his car a few feet from the rear door to the kitchen of his parents’ house. As always he found the door unlocked. A pleasant testimonial to life in a small town where some things never changed—for better and for worse.

  Inside, he found his mother, Kate, stooped over, emptying the dishwasher. She rose, rubbed her back, and greeted her son with a hug.

  He set a pie box down on the table and walked over to the dishwasher. “Let me do this for you.”

  “You don’t need to…”

  “I can see your back hurts. Sit down.”

  She lifted the lid of the box. “Ooh. Pumpkin pie.”

  “A really good one. It’s from that bakery Trinity uses for the cafe.”

  “You two are doing good?” she asked with a sweet twinkle in her eye.

  Finn started taking the silverware, plates, and glasses from the washer and putting them into their respective places among the drawers and cabinets. “We’re doing good. Thanks for pushing me to visit her.”

  “Cheryl and I kind of cooked that up together. You two kids were always stuck like glue to each other. When Trinity was in rehab, and Cheryl was so worried about her, I kept thinking, if only she could see Finn. That would set her straight.”

  “You’re too much, Mom.” He sniffed the air. “Smells great.”

  “I hope you’re hungry. I’ve got a chicken roasting and some baked potatoes and you like spinach, I know.”

  “Wow. Can’t wait. Dad’s at his poker night?”

  She nodded. Finn finished off the dishwasher and ended with a playful pirouette into a kneeling bow to her with his arms spread wide.

  “You make it all look so easy.” Kate laughed and shook her head. “So, which is it that has you grinning and twirling—the good performance last weekend or Trinity?”

  The sound of heavy footsteps on the back porch made them both turn their heads. Eddie Brogan walked in the door and all three of them went silent.

  “What’s he doing here?” Eddie grumbled out the side of his mouth.

  “Ed, please,” Kate said. “Let’s not start.”

  Eddie shrugged. “Simple question.”

  “I thought it would be a good time to have dinner with my son because you usually have pizza with the boys at your poker night.”

  Finn hated how meek she sounded when she spoke to his dad.

  “Well, Jerry has the flu, so it’s a good thing you cooked something,” Eddie said, then jutted his thumb at Finn. “Even if I have to eat next to this fairy.”

  “Ed…”

  He turned to Finn. “Yeah, I saw you on that talk show with those fems. And a month ago I saw your picture in a newspaper doing some memorial for that other one, that Wayne whatever. He’s the one who turned you, isn’t he?”

  Now he’d hit sacred ground. Wayne was the Broadway choreographer and director who had chosen Finn for the role that won him a Tony. He’d become a mentor and friend. “I’m not gay, Dad, and if I were, that would be my choice. As to Wayne, yes, he was gay, and he was also a Purple Heart Vietnam vet, a Yale graduate, and one of the most interesting, most talented and most courageous human beings I’ve known.”

  The oven timer beeped and Kate turned to check the chicken. Finn noticed her hands shaking. He had never seen his father hit her. Was it just the fear of an argument erupting between him and his dad? “Mom, I can leave if it makes things more comfortable for you.”

  “No!” She turned to his father. “I have a right spend time with my son. He’ll be going back to California soon and I won’t be able to see him at all.”

  “Back to California.” Ed made a raspberry sound. “To parade around on TV like a girl.” He fixed a hard eye on Finn. “Let me ask you something. Haven’t you ever given any thought as to how things looked for the rest of us?”

  “Looked?”

  His mother heaved a sigh, but his father went on, saying, “Ben Waller’s boy drives a tractor-trailer. John Belik’s kid is a cop over in Glen Cove. Your two brothers are both working construction. Men doing what men do.”

  “I’m impressed.” Finn’s tone was dry.

  “You don’t get it. Tradition has to do with respect. The Brogans worked their way here from Ireland with nothing in their pockets.”

  “You never saw male Irish dancers? And they even wear skirts.”

  “Don’t get smart with me. We built our family with blood, sweat and tears. Father to son, father to son… But look at you. What kind of son did I raise?”

  “You didn’t raise me, Dad. Mom did. You hated me since the day I was born. You’d have sent me back to the vendor if it weren’t a crime.”

  Kate touched his shoulder. “Don’t say that, Finn. It’s not true.”

  “Sure, it is. Some kids are born to be artists. But ‘artist’ is a dirty word in this household.”

  Eddie snorted. “That’s what you call it, huh? Well, I call it an embarrassment. People go by what they see. And watching a grown man twirling about up on his toes… well, let’s just say it ain’t natural.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Finn said. “Plenty of UFC fighters go up on their toes when delivering a spinning roundhouse kick to the temple. Not to mention the wide receiver who makes a leap and half-turn in order to snare a bullet for the QB.”

  “I only wish you were a wide receiver. Then you’d be making millions.”

  Finn smirked and said, “I do make millions. You ha
ven’t noticed because you don’t give a damn about me, but guess what? You’ve got a son who is rich and famous. And that happens to be me.” He flashed his father a cocky grin, then walked to the door. “Mom, if you need anything at all, just call me.”

  “She doesn’t need anything from you!” Eddie yelled out the back door as Finn ambled across the yard to his car.

  He got in and pulled out of the driveway and sped down the road. His mind reeling, Finn could hardly think straight. He always pretended that his father’s cruel words didn’t hurt him, but they did. They cut him to the core. Year after year he’d forgiven him and tried again. And every time his dad made it clear Finn would always be the unwanted, unloved son of the family.

  Finn told himself once again that he did not need his father’s approval or his love. But it was damn hard to make that sink in.

  Lost in his thoughts and sorrow, Finn’s attention wandered. Suddenly his car was slammed by an SUV and Finn went flying.

  And as he was hurled to what he thought would surely be his death, his only regret was that he never got a chance to marry Trinity.

  * * *

  Trinity was lying on her bed reading next to Nellie, stroking her old cat’s shiny black fur, when the call came in. She guessed it would not be Finn since he’d told her he was spending the evening visiting with his mother.

  She glanced at her phone. “Brina? What’s up?”

  “I’m on shift at North Cove General tonight and…Finn was just brought into the ER. I thought you’d want to know.”

  “Finn? No! How bad is he?” She got up and pulled on her jeans, shoes, and a sweatshirt.

  “Not sure yet.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “One more thing,” Brina said. “He was unconscious when they brought him in and all his IDs are for California, so can you contact his parents?”

  “He’s that bad?”

  “Don’t know yet. He was thrown from his Audi when an SUV rammed into him.”

  Her heart in her throat, prayers on her lips, Trinity raced out of her room.

  “What’s going on?” Caroline asked.

  “It’s Finn. He’s had a car accident. That was Brina calling from the hospital.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I’m coming, so shut up.” Caroline was dressed in minutes and stomping down the stairs behind Trinity. “Let me drive. You’re upset.”

  On the way, Trinity tried calling Finn’s mother, but no one was answering. “We’re going to have to stop at his parents’ house. I can’t get through to them and his mother would never forgive me if I didn’t let her know.”

  She gave Caroline directions to the Brogan house. When they got there, Trinity hurried to the door.

  Kate Brogan opened it and her surprise turned to something she could not read. Sadness? “Hi, Trinity. Finn left already.”

  “I know. He’s had a car accident. My friend at the hospital called me. I thought you’d want to know.”

  “He didn’t ask them to call me?”

  “He was unconscious. I’m not sure how bad it is yet. They took him into surgery.”

  Kate burst into tears and turned to her husband who was sitting on a recliner watching TV. “This is all your fault! You upset him.”

  “I’m on my way there now and can take you with me,” Trinity said.

  “Thank you,” Kate said, quietly sobbing. “I’ll just go grab my purse and get out of this apron.” As she passed Eddie Brogan, she murmured, “If I lose him I will never forgive you. Ever.”

  Ed tilted his head, looking tired. Trinity had no idea what might have happened here earlier. She thought Finn’s father was supposed to be out tonight, and that Finn and his mom would be having dinner right about now.

  Trinity usually held her tongue in situations like this, but before she could stop herself, she said, “Don’t you want to come with us to the hospital, Mr. Brogan?”

  “And do what?” he said.

  “Support your son. Pray for him if need be. It may be minor, or it may be that he is fighting for his life. I’m not sure, but wouldn’t you want to know and be there either way? Don’t you care what happens to him?”

  “I don’t have to answer to you,” he said, and Trinity could almost hear “a former drug addict” on the tip of his tongue.

  “No, but you do have to answer to her.” Trinity nodded toward Finn’s mother.

  In her knee-length woolen coat, purse in hand, Kate Brogan stood in the archway to the living room, glaring at her husband. “I want you to answer Trinity’s question.”

  Eddie waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, of course I want him to be okay. But his life and mine, well, they’re two separate things.”

  “No, they’re not,” Kate said. “How do you think we paid for the roof repairs when you were out of work?”

  “You told me it was from a savings account you had.”

  “Yes. A savings account that Finn set up for me when Terry’s son needed surgery.”

  Trinity kept her face neutral, but she had to suppress a smirk at the dumbfounded look on Eddie’s face.

  Kate walked up to Eddie’s chair. “Finn has been helping us for several years. You think your disability covered our household bills when you were laid up for six weeks with pneumonia?”

  “But…

  “Terry and Ed Jr. have their own children to care for and they don’t make the kind of money Finn does, so he’s helped them too when they needed it. Paid for little Jimmy’s tuition at the special program. And don’t say he’s trying to buy us, because the rest of us know how much he cares and we love him back.”

  “Are you trying to say—”

  “That week your pneumonia put you in the hospital Finn was going to fly in from California just to see you. But I told him not to. Because I couldn’t bear to see the way his heart breaks every time you turn away from him. You know what he said to me on the phone that day? He said ‘I know Dad doesn’t want me around, but I still remember when he used to give me piggy back rides and taught me the right way to hold a hammer so I’m gonna love him whether he loves me back or not.’”

  Fighting back tears, Trinity said, “That’s all he wants, Mr. Brogan. For you to love him as your son and you can’t even give him that.”

  Ed wiped his hands over his face and stood up. “Something else I taught him when he was a kid. That you have to be man enough to admit when you’re wrong.” He went to the coat rack in the corner near the door, put on his jacket, and nodded to Trinity. “Let’s go. We wanna be there when he gets out of surgery.”

  * * *

  Trinity and Caroline stood behind Finn’s parents as they listened to the doctor’s report.

  “We had to do an exploratory surgery in case of internal bleeding, but what we found was minor. Looks like he’s going to come out of this with nothing more than some bruised ribs and a broken arm.”

  Kate turned and grabbed Trinity’s hand, both women finally releasing the tension of their worst fears.

  Dr. Forensk shook his head. “Amazing, considering the report of what happened. But he’s in terrific shape and that counts for a lot.” He smiled at the Brogans. “Obviously great genes, right? And he’s got the body of a pro athlete. Is he a boxer?”

  There was a beat of hesitation, and Trinity nearly fell over when Ed Brogan said, “He’s a dancer.”

  “Aha.” The doctor nodded. “Similar physiques. Long muscles. Shape of the legs. Both in my opinion are the best conditioned athletes in the world.”

  Trinity spoke up. “Well, Edward Villella, that famous ballet dancer, had been a boxer.”

  “Don’t forget Jean Claude Van Damme,” Caroline added. “He studied ballet to enhance his martial art skills.”

  Ed glanced at the two women. “You don’t have to defend his chosen profession. Finn doesn’t have the makeup to be a fighter. Nor does he have to prove it to anyone. He’s an artist.”

  Kate’s eyes went wide a
nd Trinity nearly fell over.

  As they followed the doctor to the recovery room, she heard Eddie telling the doctor that Finn was a star on Dance Time, but Dr. Forensk said he had no time to watch TV.

  He left them all hovering around Finn’s bed. Kate held one of his hands and Trinity stood on the other side of his bed holding the other.

  Finn was awake but groggy. “So, I’m alive,” he said in a hoarse voice. He smiled up at Trinity, then his mom. Then he squinted. “Dad? You’re here?”

  “Of course I’m here. You’re my son and I love you.”

  * * *

  Christmas carols playing, turkey roasting in the oven, lights and ornaments on the tree sparkling, his nephews laughing and running through the house, the atmosphere couldn’t be more festive. Finn even got his wish for snow on Christmas Day, something he hadn’t seen in the five years he had been living in LA and not invited home for the holiday.

  But today it wasn’t only him who joined his parents and brothers and their wives and kids. Today Trinity and her widowed mom were here for Christmas dinner. His mother had suggested it. She knew him so well and guessed what he might be up to.

  Finn had told his mother about the discussions he and Trinity were having. About the possibility of her living a part of the year in LA, and the two of them coming east when Finn’s season ended. And the weeks he went on tour he knew she would want to be here in the North Fork.

  Caroline and Brina were excited about the idea of Trinity opening up a West Coast branch of Three Girls Roasting Company, an idea Finn had proposed and would help to fund. Both women had assured Trinity they would be fine running the East Coast branch while she was away, especially since they could easily coordinate business operations online.

  Christmas dinner was one of the best ever, the food great, the conversation fun, with good cheer around the whole table. Finn was not sure how it happened, how or why his father decided to accept him, whether it was the accident or something more, but he wasn’t about to question it. Instead he just enjoyed the way his dad smiled at him and patted his back and looked at him with the loving eyes of a father.