All the Way (Romancing Manhattan #1)(26)

“Something tells me you don’t need me to stroke your ego, Finn Cavanaugh,” she replies, watching me over the rim of her mug. “And you know what else is awesome?”

“What?”

“I can sit with my knees up. Finally. Without it killing my leg.”

“You’re healing, London. That’s amazing.”

“I didn’t know if I ever would, and I don’t just mean my leg, you know. But I’m feeling better. Like there might be hope at the end of this long road.”

“What else is at the end of it?”

“Normalcy. Work, if I’m lucky.”

“And?”

“Well, it’s convenient that we live in the same city, because I’d like to continue to have you in my life after we leave here.”

“We’re on the same page there.”

“Good.” She smiles and takes a bite of her bagel. “Let’s go look for cool shit on the beach, as soon as I finish eating this.”

“Sounds like an excellent plan.”





Chapter Seven

~London~


“So, let me get this straight,” Sasha says several hours later, after I’ve gone home to shower and freshen up. “You’re having an affair with your dad’s estate attorney?”

“That makes it sound . . . shady,” I reply, and wrinkle my nose. I pour myself some iced tea and sit on the sun porch. “I mean, yeah, he handled the estate, but he’s also the neighbor.”

“Okay, and he’s hot?”

“So hot,” I confirm. “And he’s so nice.”

“Run. Nice guys don’t really exist. They pretend to be nice until they get you hooked, and then the real guy comes out and it’s all bullshit.”

“I don’t know, I think this might be the unicorn guy. He’s not late when he says he’s going to be somewhere, he has a work ethic, loves his family. Oh, and last night when I was freaking out about the storm, he totally calmed me down and we had super-sexy sex to get my mind off of it.”

“So he comforted you.”

“Yeah. And it was nice.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “I want to meet him before I make any judgments. Because you could just be infatuated with his niceness and big dick, and maybe I’ll see that not only does he have a big dick, but he is a big dick.”

“You make me laugh so hard,” I reply, chuckling. “Of course you’ll get to meet him. We went for a walk on the beach this morning to see what the storm brought in and it was so cool. We found some garbage, of course, and a couple of animal carcasses.”

“Super romantic,” she says, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“But we also found a piece of a boat. It looked really old, and I think it was part of a shipwreck, and just got washed up.”

“Maybe it was a pirate ship. Did you see Captain Jack Sparrow?”

“You’re in a bitchy mood this morning,” I reply, and sip my drink, then notice the door to the playhouse open. “Who peed in your Cheerios today?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just jealous. You’re frolicking on the beach with a sexy dude and I’m working my ass off in the city. The weather has been shit, especially for summer, and the director of this new play is determined to kill me. I’m tired and bitchy, and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. The first few weeks of a new show are always the worst,” I remind her. I remember all too well, and it’s one of the things that I don’t miss.

“I know. It’ll get better once I memorize all of the lines and the marks.”

“So, not to change the subject, but you’re going with me out to the playhouse in my backyard.”

“You have a playhouse?”

“Yeah, my dad had it built for me when I was a little girl. The door is open, and I need to check it out.”

“What if there’s a madman waiting for you in there?”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll need you to hang up and call 911.” I poke my head inside. “Hello?”

“I’m here.”

“No, I was calling out into the playhouse.” I laugh and step inside. “The storm must have blown the door in. Finn’s niece was out here the other night, and I must not have shut the door firmly when we left.” I glance around and sigh. “Damn, the wind did a number on this place.”

“Is it ruined?”

“No, but stuff is blown over, messed up. I think I’ll just shut the door behind me and pretend like it isn’t here for now.”

I do just that and walk back to the house.

“Maybe I’ll come to that house with you sometime,” Sasha says with a sigh. “It sounds so nice to get out of the city and relax for a while.”

“When you get a break from the show, we’ll definitely come here. And if I’m not available, you’re always welcome to use it without me.”

“Thanks,” she says. “When are you coming home?”

“Soon,” I reply, and sit back in my favorite chair on the porch. “I don’t know exactly when yet, but I’m feeling better and better every day. Recovery is finally happening more rapidly, and although I do love it here, I miss you and the city. But I’m enjoying Finn, so I’m not in a huge hurry.”