For Your Love (Hidden Hearts #2) Read online

  For Your Love

  Hidden Hearts Series #2

  Copyright © 2021 by Kate McBrien

  All rights reserved

  This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Editing: Evident Ink

  Cover: Sara Eirew, Designer and Photographer

  Cover Photograph: Anna Nass/Shutterstock.com

  Interior Book Design: Bob Houston eBook Formatting

  ISBN: 978-1-7332464-3-9 (paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-7332464-4-6 (eBook)

  www.katemcbrien.com

  DEDICATION

  For my father

  PROLOGUE

  Ten years ago

  Colleen leaned her head against the pillow of the pool float and ran her hand through the cool water, making lazy circles. She should get out soon. She’d promised to help her mom get dinner ready, but she wasn’t motivated to move. It had been a scorching hot day. The kind of heat that bakes the concrete and seeps through the rubber soles of your flip flops. It was late afternoon now, and at last, a breeze had picked up and the temperature had dropped.

  Opening one eye, she looked around. She had the backyard all to herself. Finn must be inside with the rest of them. Finn O’Connor. For years, the O’Connor family visited Los Angeles every summer. But Finn and his mother didn’t come last year. And Mr. O’Connor hadn’t been here for several years. Maybe it was because she hadn’t seen him for a year, but something had changed during this year’s trip. For the past two weeks, Finn and Colleen engaged in playful flirting and secretive glances.

  Earlier this afternoon, she’d been helping with lunch, arranging a platter of watermelon slices, and singing along to her favorite song.

  Finn walked in and came to an abrupt halt. He didn’t say a word, he just stared at her.

  She had on a new bikini, but she’d worn bikinis around him before, so this was nothing new. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, glancing up at him.

  “Absolutely nothing,” he answered, leaning against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. His leisurely gaze traveled up her legs to her eyes. “You look like a Sports Illustrated model.”

  “What’s that old saying? Take a picture, it lasts longer,” she said with a toss of her head, doing her best to appear casual.

  Finn’s lips lifted into a languid smile. “Believe me. If I had a camera, I would definitely take a picture.”

  Colleen averted her eyes, her face flushed with heat. She’d never noticed a boy look at her with such obvious appreciation, and her body stirred with awareness that she was the one who had this effect on him.

  “Who wants their picture taken?” Sean rushed into the kitchen holding their dad’s camera.

  “Not me, I’m busy,” Colleen said, picking up the platter. She took a peek at Finn, who remained quiet with a calm expression.

  “C’mon, Coll. This is Finn and his mom’s last day here. Dad asked me to take some pictures.”

  “Here, let me,” Finn said, taking the camera from Sean and holding it up to his eye.

  Knowing Finn looked at her through the camera’s viewfinder, adjusting the lens, increased her self-consciousness.

  “Smile, Colleen,” Finn said, glancing up. “Just for me.”

  Maybe it was the spontaneity of the moment, but the thought of pleasing Finn made Colleen break out in a huge grin.

  That was hours ago. Settling back on the float, she adjusted her bikini top and took a deep breath, her thoughts drifting back to Finn’s sexy smile and perfect body. God, she had to stop this fixation with him. Either way, it didn’t matter because by this time tomorrow he would be back home in New York.

  The sliding patio door opened and closed. So much for solitude.

  A huge splash sprayed her with water.

  “Hey,” she cried, sitting up, expecting to see one of her brothers. Instead, Finn’s face hovered nearby.

  “Oh,” she said.

  “Hi.” He casually ran a hand through his wet hair. “I like your swan float. It suits you.” He gave her a killer smile.

  That smile should be illegal because it was a major distraction. Pulling herself together, she leaned up on her elbows, said, “Lucy gave it to me for—”

  The patio door slammed open. Her brothers poured out of the house, shouting and jumping into the pool.

  Not again, she thought with annoyance. It was impossible to have any kind of privacy around here.

  “Can we talk later?” Finn asked while treading water.

  “We’re talking now.” She splashed him with a handful of water.

  “I mean later.” Finn tugged the swan closer to him, saying in a low voice, “Just you and me. After dinner.” Finn’s face was so close to hers; she could see the tiny drops of water clinging to his eyelashes.

  She’d known him for years, and yet she’d never noticed the small freckle on his lower lip. Colleen wanted to reach out and touch it, run her finger across his lip. She wanted to kiss it. Her heart beat faster thinking what it would be like to be kissed by Finn. Rousing herself, she could only articulate a one-word reply. “Okay.”

  “I can’t wait.” He brushed his hand against hers, gave her another dazzling smile, and swam away.

  Colleen watched as he joined the others, tossing a water polo ball around. Her skin tingled from where he touched her hand. That was no accident. As subtle as it was, Finn wanted her to know his touch was intentional. She leaned back with a soft sigh, full of expectation about being with him later.

  “I’ll be right back, Dad,” Colleen said, catching Finn’s eye as she walked past the living room into the kitchen. They’d finished dinner and Finn had joined her brothers and father to watch TV.

  “I’m going to straighten out the patio,” she said, entering the kitchen.

  “You don’t have to do that. Sean said he’d take care of it,” her mom said, wrapping up leftovers with Mrs. O’Connor.

  “It won’t take long.” Colleen stepped out onto the patio. There were piles of abandoned beach towels and various pool toys scattered all around. Gathering up the towels and placing them in a laundry hamper, she smiled as her white swan pool float glided by her brothers’ bright neon swim tubes with majestic indifference.

  The sliding door opened and closed behind her. This time, she knew who was joining her and her pulse sped up in anticipation.

  She turned around to see Finn standing with his hands in the pockets of his shorts. “Hi.” He no longer had his usual confident expression. Was he nervous about something?

  “Well, here we are. What’d you want to talk about?”

  “I have a question for you,” Finn said, his eyes searching hers with keen interest. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. “I was wondering if maybe—” Finn stopped talking and rubbed his chin. He was nervous. She’d never seen him like this before.

  “Wondering what?” She picked up an armload of diving toys and tossed them in a nearby basket. It wasn’t like Finn to hesitate talking about anything.

  “Colleen?” Colleen’s father called from the patio door. “The movie’s about to start.”

  Colleen took a look over her shoulder. Her father stood at the door, still wearing his Super Dad BBQ apron, gesturing for her to come inside. She turned back to Finn, uncertain what to say. If he wanted t
o go back inside, there probably wouldn’t be another chance to be alone together.

  “Let’s take a walk,” Finn said.

  “Colleen? Finn?” her father called out again. “Are you coming?”

  Colleen grimaced. She was eighteen years old now. Watching the latest Disney movie with her family was the last thing she wanted to do. She wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity to be with Finn. “We’re going to Scoops,” she answered on impulse.

  Finn leaned in close. “Ice cream. Genius idea.” He grinned his approval.

  Her heart pounded like a drum. He wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.

  “All right. Don’t forget, it’s your turn to do the dishes,” her father said with a wave.

  “Okay.” Colleen peeked up at Finn and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  Colleen’s younger brother, Ryan, came running outside, followed closely by Sean.

  “Scoops?” Ryan shouted.

  “Hey, little brother,” Sean said, running after Ryan and restraining him in a wrestling hold. Ryan was in middle school, but he was already stronger and taller than most of his classmates.

  “I want some ice cream!” Ryan cried, struggling out of Sean’s arms.

  Colleen stared at the patio door in frustration. What if her father insisted that she take her little brother for ice cream?

  “Me, too.” Aidan, Ryan’s smaller, more patient fraternal twin joined them outside. Great, now she’d have to figure out a way to ditch both of them. She looked to Sean, silently pleading for his help.

  Sean grabbed Aidan by the arm. “We have plenty of ice cream in the freezer.”

  “Then why do Colleen and Finn get to go to Scoops?” Ryan whined.

  “Here.” Sean tossed his car keys to Finn.

  “Thanks, Sean,” Colleen said, relieved.

  “Don’t be gone too long, princess,” he said, guiding Ryan and Aidan back inside.

  Colleen glared after Sean. She hated the nickname her brothers had given her. They made fun of her for wanting to have clothes from expensive boutiques, not from the sales rack of discount stores.

  Turning away from her brothers, she led the way to the back gate. She reached for the latch, but Finn placed his hand on the latch and opened the gate. “After you, my lady,” he said with a gallant bow.

  “Is that some kind of snarky reference to my stupid nickname?” she asked in a huff, passing through.

  “What?” His brows drew together in confusion. “I wouldn’t do that. I’m just trying to be a gentleman.” There was no trace of sarcasm in his voice, only sincerity. It was so different from how her brothers teased her without mercy. She could get used to this sort of attention.

  She glanced over at Finn. No longer a gangly teenager, he was tall and muscular, but lean and firm like an Olympic swimmer. She’d overheard Finn and Sean gossiping about girls and wasn’t surprised to learn Finn had lots of girlfriends back in New York City. Even before he started college, he’d acquired a reputation as a partier and a player, but Colleen had never seen that side of him.

  Sean’s car was only parked a block away, but Colleen wanted this short walk to take much longer. Now that they were alone, her stomach fluttered with excitement, wondering what would happen next.

  Finn took Colleen’s hand and wrapped his warm, firm fingers around hers. It was not like before, when they casually touched hands. The way their fingers interlocked calmed her nerves. It was the most natural and comfortable thing to do; she felt like she’d known his touch for years.

  “So, you’re going to major in art history?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Yeah. Lucy and I took an AP art history class together and we both loved it.”

  “It’s not very—”

  “Practical?” She kicked a small rock on the sidewalk. “You sound like my mother. She’s worried I’ll become an over-educated, unemployed art expert. She thinks art history is a degree for rich girls, like Lucy, who don’t have to worry about getting a job.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I mean how can old works of art be relevant today? And don’t tell me it’s because you like looking at beautiful paintings.”

  “It’s so much more than that. Studying a work of art means climbing into the historical era itself. It doesn’t matter if it’s a portrait of a powerful king or a painting showing a scene from everyday life, it captures what mattered to people from the past.” She took a quick glance at Finn, self-conscious about going on a rant. “Sorry. I got carried away.”

  “No, I totally get it,” Finn said with a nod. “I feel the same way about history.” He smiled at her. “You know, I’ve never talked about any of this stuff with a girl before.”

  “Well, now you have to tell me.” She was dying to know something he’d never shared with any of his girlfriends.

  “Never mind,” he said, giving her hand a small squeeze. He didn’t say anything for a few moments.

  “I promise I won’t tell anyone. I wouldn’t want to ruin your party boy reputation.”

  Finn laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. “That’s just—well—it’s not me,” he said, his mouth set in a hard line.

  This shift in mood was puzzling because Finn was always easygoing, ready with a joke or a charming smile. She’d never seen this side of him before. “Tell me. I really do want to know,” she said in a quiet voice, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze in return.

  He stopped and turned to her, his face much more relaxed. “Okay, here goes.” He took a deep breath before saying, “To me, history isn’t just a chain of events that happened in the distant past; there are lessons to be learned that are relevant to the present day.” He stopped abruptly, turning to her. “Listen to me. I’m a total history nerd. No wonder none of my business major friends get why studying history matters in a world that only cares about science and technology.”

  “You’re absolutely right.” Buzzing with excitement, she pointed a finger at him. It was fun to share ideas with Finn. Most of the boys she knew only wanted to talk about sports or rap music. She’d never let anyone besides Lucy and her father know how much education meant to her. Many of her friends accused her of being an overachiever, and maybe she was, but maintaining her GPA and staying on the top of the Dean’s List was necessary to achieve her educational dream. “That’s why I want to get a Ph.D. I worked my ass off to get a full scholarship to UCLA. When I get my degree, I’ll become a professor at a university and inspire students that learning about art is important for everyone. It’s what makes us human.”

  “You’re going to be an awesome professor,” he said with a wide smile.

  “Thanks.” She bloomed inside from his encouragement.

  As they approached her brother’s old Camry, Colleen said, “I’ll drive. You and Sean have been sneaking my Dad’s beer all afternoon.”

  “I’m only a little buzzed.” He reached into his pocket and took out the car keys.

  Colleen stood at the car waiting for Finn to open the passenger door.

  He leaned down to catch her eye. “Do you want ice cream, or would you rather talk?”

  “Ice cream sounds good.”

  “I was hoping you’d want to talk,” he said with a relaxed laugh.

  “Oh. That’s okay, too.” How lame she sounded. The few times Colleen had been in a car with a boy, she learned they always wanted more, so she avoided it whenever she could.

  This was it. She would have to put her insecurities aside to be with him. She wanted him to kiss her, but she hesitated. He was two years older but more sophisticated than the boys she dated.

  Finn twirled the keys around his fingers a few times while keeping a close eye on Colleen. He slipped the keys back inside his pocket. “Come with me,” he said with a warm smile, pulling her hand and running across the street.

  Relief coursed through her as she ran with him. She had no idea what changed his mind, but she was thankful
that she avoided an awkward situation. Once across the street, Finn guided her into a small, neighborhood park.

  There were only a few groups of people left in the park. One family was taking down birthday party decorations, a group of teenagers tossed a frisbee around, and a middle-aged couple were eating a picnic dinner while listening to oldies music on a portable device.

  “It’s been a long time since I was here,” Colleen said, as they walked down a path.

  The last hint of a pink and violet sunset lit up the horizon, providing a magical background, and the air was warm and balmy. It was enjoyable with none of her family around. No pesky brothers, no hovering parents. She’d been alone with boys before, but this was not the same. With Finn, she could be herself.

  He guided her to a wooden bench by the empty playground. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs for a few moments, deep in thought.

  It was a little awkward all of a sudden. They’d been having a great conversation and now things had shifted into a somber mood. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

  He sat up and looked at her closely. “Would you like to come to New York with me for a week?”

  Colleen’s mind swirled with a million questions. She’d always wanted to go to New York, but she didn’t have the right kind of clothes to go to the places Finn was used to. “I—I don’t know Finn. I don’t think my parents—”

  Finn took both of her hands in his. “I’ll ask them when we get back to the house. You won’t need a hotel because my parents’ penthouse is huge, and I’m going to show you the real New York, so you won’t need any fancy clothes. I’ll even buy your ticket.”

  She was reassured by his insistence she wouldn’t need nice outfits, but something he said about buying her ticket caught her attention. “I thought you traveled in your father’s jet?”

  “Not this time,” he said with a shake of his head, his eyes earnest. “Will you come with me?”

  Colleen glanced away. She couldn’t think clearly when he scrutinized her so intently. She went through a quick calculation of what she would need to do to be away for a week. She could ask one of her friends to cover her babysitting jobs. But she had a ton of reading to do before the semester started. “I’ve got a lot to do to get ready for school.”