Untold Read online

  She gave the dog another good scratch before she straightened. As soon as the petting stopped, Frankie went off to the other side of the room and plopped down on her doggie bed.

  Brie’s focus moved to his, something guarded in her eyes that he hadn’t seen before. “I didn’t know Bethelda.” She shook her head. “Not really.”

  “But she left you her cat?”

  “You ask that like it’s odd.” A small sarcastic smile turned up the corner of her mouth.

  Finn’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “Well, I’ve never been bequeathed a cat by someone I’ve never met.”

  “I never said I hadn’t met her. I said I didn’t know her. Two different things.”

  “Yeah, well either way, you left a couple of things out.”

  “So did you, Doctor Shepherd, like a good-bye.” There was something biting in her words, and he felt them sink into his skin with a sharp sting.

  “Look, Brie, I don’t know what you expected from last night, but—”

  “You don’t need to explain yourself.” She waved her hand in the air. “I know exactly what last night was. And don’t worry, once I get the cat I will be out of your hair. I promise you, I won’t darken your doorstep here or at the bar for the rest of the time that I’m in town.”

  “You’re staying in Mirabelle?”

  “By that ever-growing frown on your face, I see how happy that makes you.”

  Except she didn’t really understand why he was frowning. It was because of that damn balloon. She was staying. But for how long?

  He didn’t get the chance to ask. The next few sentences that came out of her mouth completely sidetracked him from asking that particular question.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but as previously stated my unwanted, unpleasant business here isn’t finished.” She took a deep breath, like she was resigned to her fate. “Bethelda was my biological mother.”

  And just like that the balloon in his chest popped with an echoing burst. The sound rang in his ears while the shredded latex snapped across his skin. He had to force himself not to flinch.

  “W-what?” He pushed his hip off of his desk and straightened. “You’re Bethelda’s daughter?” Why wasn’t this fact computing in his brain?

  Out of all of the things he could’ve imagined Brie saying, that was the very last. Bethelda Grimshaw had a daughter? No. No, that couldn’t be right. Maybe because he just couldn’t fathom someone actually sleeping with the woman. Procreation and Bethelda made absolutely no sense. He couldn’t merge Brie with Bethelda. Brie, the beautiful, passionate woman standing in front of him. The woman he’d spent the night with.

  Good Lord, he’d fucked Bethelda Grimshaw’s daughter.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  Brie’s eyes narrowed on his face before she shook her head. “No. I’m not. She gave me up for adoption twenty-eight years ago. I found out yesterday that she left me everything.” She waved her hand in the air as if to indicate everything. “Delores included. So just as soon as I get my cat, I can leave. Are we done here?”

  “Oh, we’re done all right.” The words came out a little harsher than he intended.

  Brie flinched, taking a step back. “I was so beyond wrong about you.” That was all she said before she turned around and walked out the door.

  Well, she wasn’t the only one who’d been totally wrong.

  * * *

  Brie wasn’t sure if it was possible to feel worse when she walked out of Finn’s office. Never in her life had someone looked at her like she was something slimy that had just slithered out from under a rock. Well, until about twenty seconds ago.

  That being said, it wasn’t the first time she’d been unwanted. His rejection hadn’t even compared to what she’d been dealt at the hands of Bethelda ten years ago.

  Not even close. Didn’t mean it hadn’t sucked. But wrong about him or not, she still wasn’t going to play the regret game. She just wasn’t going to do it. What was the point? There was no use dwelling. None. It would get her absolutely nowhere.

  Learn and move on, Brie. Just learn and move on.

  When she walked out into the waiting room, it was a lot less crowded. The lady with the toy poodle was gone, along with both of the people who’d been sitting. The only people left were Janet, the receptionist, and the man with the Lab.

  The man was leaning against the back wall, and his attention immediately moved to her. His gaze was entirely too assessing, and she had to fight not to squirm. Getting analyzed at that moment was the very last thing she needed.

  God, she wanted to get out of there. But she still needed to get the damn cat.

  Brie walked over to the receptionist’s desk, putting space between her and the asshole she’d just left in the office. As she got closer, she noticed the hot pink pet carrier sitting next to the desk. She assumed it was the carrier for Delores, what with the loud color and all.

  Bethelda was about as subtle as a gun.

  The size of it had her coming up short, though. It looked like it would be more appropriate for two cats, not one.

  “What do I need to do?” Brie asked.

  “Just read this and sign.” Janet handed her a pen as she pointed to the piece of paper on the desk.

  Brie read over the paper. It said that Bethelda had left her the cat, that she was now taking full responsibility for the cat, and if for some reason she could no longer care for the cat, she had to bring it back to the shelter.

  She signed on the dotted line before she handed the paper back. “That it?”

  “Well, that and we need to get her down.” Janet pointed to a spot over Brie’s shoulder, and she turned, her eyes slowly moving up the bookcase.

  Her eyes widened in surprise when she got to the top, focusing on the creature that was stretched out in the warm sunlight streaming in through the window.

  It was the biggest, fluffiest feline Brie had ever seen outside of a zoo. It had gray fur covered in black spots and a thick mane around its head that looked almost white. Its long, black tail hung over the side, swinging back and forth like a fuzzy pendulum.

  “Oh. My. God. That’s Delores?” The question came out slightly strangled. “I was told I was left a cat. Not a snow leopard.”

  “Delores is a Maine coon cat. Though she is a little bigger than most females of this breed.”

  “What does she weigh? Twenty pounds?”

  “Nineteen and a half,” a voice answered from behind her.

  Finn.

  Brie tensed and the back of her neck started to prickle, that uncomfortable itchy heat spreading over her skin. She was going to be lucky if she didn’t break out into hives before she left this stupid town.

  “Anything else I should know about her?” She balled her hands up into fists at her sides as she turned to look at him.

  Frankie had followed him out of the office, leaning heavily against his leg. What was it with massive animals and this vet?

  “Well.” Finn frowned as he folded his arms across his chest. “She hates being confined, which is why we let her roam freely around here. She attacks any and all paper bags, sleeps on anything that’s warm, loves to play in water, and won’t eat her food if her dish is on the floor.”

  “Where am I supposed to put it?”

  “We’ve been pushing two chairs together so she can sit on one while her food sits on the other,” Janet answered.

  “So she sits at the table?”

  “Yup.” Finn nodded, still frowning. “And she won’t eat unless you’re sitting at the table with her, too.”

  “Good to know.” She nodded, unclenching her fists before she moved her arm and pointed up to Delores. “Any idea on how to get her down?”

  Finn looked over to the man with the Lab as he dropped his arms. “Bennett, can you take Teddy into the exam room. Delores is skittish around most dogs, and she probably won’t come down.”

  “Yeah, Teddy likes to make a big front with cats, but as soon as he gets a claw in the
face he’s cowering in the corner. Come on,” Bennett said as he gently pulled on Teddy’s leash. “Let’s go.” Man and dog walked across the room, disappearing through a door at the end of the hallway.

  As soon as the door closed, Finn moved to the desk.

  “What about her?” Brie nodded to Frankie.

  “Frankie and Delores have become the best of friends in the last week. It’s the strangest odd couple I’ve ever seen in my life. But to each their own.” He shrugged before he looked to Janet. “Delores didn’t see the carrier, did she?”

  “No.” The woman shook her head.

  “Good.” His hand disappeared into a fuzzy purple bag on the desk. When he pulled it out he held a plastic container. “Another thing to know is that she will do almost anything for a treat. I say almost”—his eyes moved to Brie for just a second before he looked away again, like he couldn’t bring himself to linger on her for too long—“because going back to that whole she hates confined spaces, if she’d seen the carrier she wouldn’t come down.” He shook the container, making the little bits inside rattle around.

  Delores’s head came up, her eyes fixing on Finn. When he shook the container a second time her whole body moved. The bookcases were up against the wall that was connected to the staircase, the rungs of the railing stretching up behind them. She quickly walked across the top until she got to the bars, slipping through them and landing on the stairs. She was down the steps and across the room in a flash. As she passed by Frankie she rubbed her body against the dog’s and then hopped up onto the desk.

  Brie couldn’t stop staring. The cat was even bigger up close. Bigger and beautiful. She had jade-green eyes, eyes that were focused on Finn.

  “Mrowww.” Delores tilted her head to the side, watching and waiting.

  Finn unscrewed the cap, not moving his focus from the cat as he pulled out a little fish-shaped bit. He tossed the treat into the air and Delores moved her head back, opening her mouth and catching it. He repeated the process two more times before screwing the lid back on the container and tossing it back in the bag.

  Reaching forward, Finn started to scratch Delores on the neck. The cat’s eyes closed as a deep purring started to rumble from the animal’s chest. He reached forward, lifting the cat into his arms. He continued to pet her, the cat’s eyes closing in pleasure as the purring intensified.

  It just freaking figured. The stupid jerk had the magic touch with more than just women.

  Finn turned so that Delores was facing the opposite direction of the desk, nodding to Janet while he moved. She picked up the carrier, setting it down on the desk and opening the metal door. Before Delores even knew what had happened, she was in the carrier and the door was shut and locked behind her.

  The purring stopped and a god-awful mewling started up. Not only that, but Frankie started to whine pitifully, circling around Finn’s legs.

  “Delores also does that”—Finn pointed to the carrier—“when she’s pissed off. But she’ll stop as soon as you let her out. She’s actually a pretty good cat considering…” He trailed off.

  “Considering who her owner was?” Brie finished for him.

  “Yeah.” His eyes narrowed on her, the frown on his mouth intensifying. He looked like he wanted to say something else to her, but she didn’t want to hear it. Just because Bethelda was a shitty human being did not mean that Brie was.

  But to Finn, they were one and the same. Whatever. He could have his idiotic wrong opinions.

  She grabbed the fuzzy purple bag, pulling the strap over her shoulder. “Thanks for getting her down for me.”

  They both made a move to grab the carrier, but when their skin touched he pulled back.

  He took a deep steadying breath, a muscle flexing in his jaw. “I can help you carry that outside.”

  “That’s all right”—she shook her head—“I got it.” She grabbed the handle, hefting the carrier and turning around.

  She had to get out of there. Had to get away from him. And as she walked across the room and out the door, Delores kept up her mournful crying while Frankie howled behind her.

  Chapter Seven

  How to Eat Your Feelings

  (Cover Them with Butter and Syrup)

  Finn opened the front door of his parents’ house, Frankie leading as they stepped over the threshold, and walked down the hallway. After a nod from him, she broke off when they got to the living room, heading for Ella who’d fallen asleep while watching Jeopardy! The dog lay down across his grandmother’s feet, warming them.

  He continued on to the kitchen, doing his damnedest to get over the lingering aftereffects of his afternoon. He hadn’t exactly been in the best of moods since Brie had walked out of the office. Though that was putting it lightly. Very lightly. He was actually pretty pissed off and for many reasons.

  One, Brie was Bethelda Grimshaw’s daughter.

  Two, she’d lied to him. And true, it was a lie of omission, but it was still a lie. Also true, he’d left out a few things himself, but the things she’d left out were much, much bigger.

  Three, she wasn’t leaving.

  Four, she was Bethelda’s daughter. Clearly this fact was bugging him.

  He needed to put it all away for now, though. Especially as the evening was going to be spent surrounded by his family. The Shepherds weren’t what anyone could call unobservant. Not a single one of them. Shep was probably the worst as he and Finn were the closest. The guy missed nothing. And really, being around his brother for an extended amount of time was the very last thing Finn wanted at that moment.

  But he didn’t exactly have any other choice because it was his father’s birthday. They were having Nate senior’s favorite meal: roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy. The chicken was already cooking in the oven, the mouthwatering scent of it filling up the house and Finn’s lungs. His mother was famous for this particular meal.

  Someone else who was entirely too observant for her own good was Faye Shepherd. He needed to not show weakness in front of his mother. If he did, she’d pounce.

  He had to give her a lot of credit, though. She’d raised two beyond rowdy sons, and not only had she survived, but she’d thrived. She didn’t back down from anything or anyone and would be the first to say exactly what was on her mind. Which was another Shepherd trait, one that Finn and Shep had gotten from both sides of the family.

  What Faye Shepherd wanted more than anything was for her sons to be happy and settled down with a family. A few years ago, their mother’s focus had been predominately on Shep. But that had been before Hannah had come back to Mirabelle and Finn had still been away at school. Now that Shep was happily married, and had already popped out the first grandkid, she’d moved all of that “settling down” focus to Finn.

  It was exhausting.

  When Finn walked into the kitchen it was to his surprise that he found Hannah was the only person in the room, standing at the stove and adding salt to a pot. Her strawberry-blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail and the sleeves of her deep blue sweater were pushed up to the elbows.

  “You cooking tonight?” Finn joked.

  His sister-in-law was a notoriously terrible cook and baker. There’d been one Christmas where she’d attempted to make Shep a cherry pie. The crust had been burned, the whip cream churned into butter, and the fruit filling had been sweetened with salt instead of sugar.

  Yeah, she had the ability to be a disaster in the kitchen.

  Hannah turned around, her sea glass–green eyes focusing on Finn as she adjusted her black-framed glasses on her nose. “The only way I’d be cooking tonight is if your father’s favorite meal was heartburn with a side of nausea. No, baby Nate decided he wanted to wear his dinner instead of eating it. So your mom is giving him a quick bath while your father supervises. I on the other hand am boiling water”—she pointed to the pot—“for the potatoes. Something I am actually capable of doing.”

  “You sure about that?” He crossed over to her, bringing her int
o a side hug and pressing a kiss to her temple. “I feel like we should get the fire department on standby.”

  “You’re hilarious. Not.” She poked him hard in the side as she turned to look up at him.

  “Hey, I’m just concerned about everyone’s well-being. I had to ask. It’s my responsibility.”

  “Is that so? Your responsibility?” Her eyebrows rose high over her glasses. “Well, in that case, what were you doing at the inn last night?”

  For someone who’d been pretty determined to avoid questions about his current state of affairs, he’d opened the door and walked right on into that one.

  He pulled back and folded his arms across his chest, his frown of the day dropping back into place. “Do you and Shep have anything better to do than talk about me? I already got this little lecture from him last night.”

  His words might’ve come out a tad harsher than he’d intended, but it wasn’t like he and Hannah tiptoed around each other anymore. Not even close. They were family, and thus treated each other as such.

  Hannah’s eyebrows rose higher in surprise and her mouth got tight. “For your information, Finn”—she poked him in the chest—“your brother and I do not discuss you at length. I didn’t even know that he knew you were there.” She moved away from him and walked over to her purse on the counter, her hand disappearing inside for just a moment before she pulled it out. “But I did find the keys to Brie Davis’s room along with these in the key drop box this afternoon.”

  His glasses sat in her hand.

  “Oh.”

  “Oh?” she repeated, looking thoroughly displeased. “That’s all you’ve got?”

  “Sorry.”

  Hannah crossed over to him, handing him the glasses. “I’m allowed to be concerned about you, Finn. I’m also allowed to ask questions, any questions. And I really don’t want to hear any lip about said questions considering the hell you put me through when I first came down here.”