Chapter 15

They had just started on the hike when Emily's cell phone began coughing out a cacophony of dings like it was on cocaine.

"Lots of angels are getting their wings today,' commented Campbell.

Lance laughed at the bad joke. "Reception out here is spotty. It's one of the reasons I like it. It's normally quiet. Emily must have hit a hot spot."

Emily stopped and pulled out her phone, grimacing at the screen. "It's my father." She looked up at the four men ahead of her down the path, landing on Lance. "Three messages. Might be important. You guys go ahead and I'll catch up."

Lance shrugged and started walking again.

Finn knew this was his chance to get Emily alone. "I'll keep her company," he announced to the group.

Max opened his mouth to say something, probably about to offer to stay as well. All day Max had been monopolizing Emily's time and attention. The normally shy and reserved man was a chatterbox around her. Finn could not get a word in edgewise. His heart started to sink.

Campbell came to Finn's rescue. Putting his arm around the other man, he pulled Max down the path murmuring something in his ear. Finn released balled hands  he was not aware he had been clenching. At last, he would have time with Emily. Just Emily.

Turning back to the woman in question, she had her phone pressed to her ear. Finn looked at the ground as he tried to settle the snakes swimming in his stomach. One of her white running shoes was tapping away impatiently on the hard-packed earth.

"Seriously," she whined, pressing something on the phone. Finn looked up. "He's concerned I didn't secure some theatre tickets for him." She rolled her eyes.

Finn suppressed a grin. Seems dear old dad had not changed much over the years. Any other day, Finn would have lamented Philip Montgomery's ego, but not today. Because of his selfishness, Finn was going to get time with Emily. Alone.

Emily raised the phone again and listened to the next message. Her expression melted into deeper annoyance. This time Finn could hear her father as he loudly demanded to know where she was, whining about needing her now.

Shaking her head, the sun bringing out the red in her hair, Emily deleted the message and started listening to the last one. A few more moments and she would be free. Finn practiced his first line. He had written his whole speech out and memorized it over the last few days.

Words were not his friend. Strictly speaking, talking was the problem. Finn knew what he wanted to say. If he had time, could compose his thoughts, particularly on paper, he could make a convincing argument. But in the moment, things got jumbled up in his mind. He had learned early on it was better not to say anything than open his mouth and make a fool of himself.

The military was a relief to him. It felt like he could go days without speaking. Lots of reports to write, but on the battlefield, action spoke louder than words. Most of the time. Somehow in the heat of the moment, when people's lives were on the line, he could get the job done.

Right now, Finn felt like it was his life that was on the line. He was anxious to talk to Emily. It was no time for words to fail him.

The woman in question was listening to her father's message. Finn watched as the colour drained out of Emily's face.

He took a step closer to her, concern spiking. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's my Aunt. She...She's been taken to the emergency room." Emily was madly tapping on the phone.

"Your Aunt E?"

Emily nodded as the phone rang. The family referred to her as Aunt E because Emily was named after her. Said aunt was actually a great aunt, on her mother's side. The sister of Emily's grandmother. Both Emily's grandmother and mother had died far too young and the elder aunt had stepped in to try to fill the role of lead female in the family. With three young daughters, Philip Montgomery had been grateful for the assistance. He also liked her money if Finn remembered correctly. Emily's mother was the source of the family wealth. Aunt E held the purse strings. At least she had the summer Finn was with Emily.

"Hi dad," Her father had picked up. "What's going on?"

Finn watched Emily intently as she got the details. He wanted to reach out to her, comfort her in some way. He felt frozen on the spot.

"Okay, Okay. I'll be there soon." Emily hung up and started dialling another number. It went straight to voicemail. Emily tried again, her hand slightly shaking. It went to voicemail again. She swore under her breath.

"Emily," Finn ventured. "What can I do?"

"I can't get hold of Lance." She looked down the path Lance had disappeared. "He has the car keys. I need to get to the hospital."

"I'll take you." Finn offered.

Emily looked at him directly, as if trying to gauge his authenticity. "Um... What about Campbell? And Max?"

"Lance can give them a ride." Finn started moving in the opposite direction, back towards where the cars were parked. "Please Emily. Let's go."

Emily glanced momentarily back in the direction Lance and the others had gone, then started following.

On the drive, Emily gave Finn directions, left a message for Lance explaining the situation and texted with her sisters who were picking up their father on the way to the hospital. Then she sat quietly in the passenger's seat, staring out the window. If it was not for the sight of her hands gripping the phone in her lap, she seemed perfectly calm. But Finn knew a storm was brewing under that façade. He searched for something to say. Pursing his lips in frustration, he came up blank, as usual.

Now was not the time for the planned conversation he had been rehearsing all week. That was going to have to wait. Still, her silence irked him. Finn needed to know what was going on in Emily's mind.

"What happened?" He asked as a last resort to break the stifling stillness.

"Take a left here," she murmured.

Finn followed her instructions, turning the car onto a two-lane highway. He wished Emily would talk to him. He was on the verge of asking again when she spoke up.

"Her maid found her at the bottom of the stairs." Emily's voice was small but steady. "She must have slipped on them. We've been trying to get her to move for years."

"Did they..." but Finn did not get a chance to finish the sentence as Emily anticipated his question.

"No. The hospital wouldn't give any information on her condition over the phone. They'll only speak to someone in person."

Finn pushed down the gas pedal. Emily needed to get to that hospital. Emily and her aunt had been very close and Finn assumed nothing had changed in the last eight years. It had been Emily Aunt E had called when Beth was acting out, needing her to fly to Japan immediately. Ripping Emily from his life without so much as a goodbye. Just a letter.

The image of perfectly pink manicured nails pushing the single piece of paper across the bar pressed against Finn's brain. He swallowed hard and forced himself to leave the past, focus on the present. Emily was here now and she needed him.

A long white building loomed on the horizon and Emily told Finn to take the next exit. Once parked, Emily jumped out of the car and headed for the hospital entrance. Not hesitating, Finn followed her. He told himself he would be there in case Emily needed anything else, not knowing what they were walking into. At least until her family arrived.

Following the directions given by reception, Emily and Finn took the corridor leading to the private wing. They stepped into the elevator that would take them to the 5th floor where her Aunt had recently been moved from the emergency room.

In the elevator, Finn squeezed Emily's hand.

His heart skipped a beat. He was holding Emily's hand. When had that happened? As the realization hit, Finn started to release her. Emily tightened her fingers, not letting him go.

Seconds ticked by as the elevator hummed. Finn revelled in the simple pleasure of holding Emily's hand. It was warm, soft and delicate. He could feel the tension rolling off of Emily and again wanted to say something comforting. Instead, Finn rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand, trying to show what he could not say.

The elevator bobbed for a moment before the doors slid open. Emily seemed to hesitate and Finn stepped forward, leading the way. She followed. Hands still clasped, Finn stopped at the nurses' station and after getting directions, guided Emily down the hall. He paused outside her Aunt's room.

Emily took a deep breath and relaxing her grip on Finn's hand, she pushed through the door. Finn felt the loss of contact with her and automatically trailed her, closing the door behind him.

The bright spacious room was quiet except for the evenly spaced beeping of the machine sitting beside an unconscious Aunt E. Sunlight flooded the room from a large window flanked by two armchairs upholstered in dark blue silk. Light wooden floors reflected the rays of the sun and if it was not for the clunky hospital bed and the thick white bandage wrapped around the elderly woman's head, one might have thought they had interrupted her Aunt having a nap in a well-appointed hotel room.

Upon seeing her relative, Emily gasped and turned to Finn. She nuzzled against him before wrapping her arms around his waist. He echoed her movements, encasing her small shaking frame with his long limbs.

In combat, Finn had withstood freezing temperatures, a broken arm and two gunshot wounds. The pain of those injuries was nothing to the agony of holding Emily in his arms again. He was half glee at the familiar sensation of her body pressed against his, her head resting over his heart, the soft scent of lavender hanging in the air.

It was a feeling he had dreamt of so often but could never get to stay with him upon waking. If it had been on any other occasion, Finn would want to freeze this moment forever.

And this reason tore at the other half of him, where his heart was breaking at the desolation Emily was feeling over the situation with her aunt. He rubbed her back, trying to provide solace. The tendrils of her unbound hair tickled and teased his bare skin.

Slowly, Emily's shoulders ceased shaking. They stood there, holding each other, breathing in unison. Finn relished the feeling of Emily burrowing into him, her hand clutching at his shirt.

For years Finn had searched for this. At first, he sought it in the arms of other women, but never even came close. With his crew, Finn achieved something strong. Not the sense of family he had always desired, however, it was a brotherhood, a bond, knowing someone else had your back.

But nothing ever managed to bring him this feeling. The moment Emily wrapped her arms around his waist and he finally held her again, Finn felt it.

Home.

Easing her grip on him, Finn braced for the loss of her. What happened instead blew him away.

Emily looked up at him, her grey eyes searching for something. The world receded, the world expanded, the world disappeared. Finn could not tell. All he saw, all he felt, all he knew was Emily. As if drawn to him, she reached up and placed her lips on his. Her soft, sensuous lips tenderly caressed his.

Eagerly, delightedly, Finn kissed her back.

His heart should be pounding, his hands shaking. Instead, Finn felt a rush of warmth roll over him as his heart beat in time with Emily's. They were in this together. Finn felt the greatest sense of certainty as Emily succumbed to his request for more. She angled her head back as he deepened the kiss, giving him increased access to her. His fingers tingled, finding familiar curves calling to him.

Until a sharp voice sliced through the room and burst their bubble.

"What are you doing?"