The Outliers
Page 42

“Oh, it’s like a real surprise,” I said, following him along. We left the library and much to my surprise we past his Bronco in the street and kept on walking.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see, it’s not far. Are you okay to walk?” Finn asked.
“Yes,” I said. The baby had gotten bigger, but I was feeling great.
We walked hand-in-hand in enjoyable silence. The warmth from his skin pressed firmly against mine as it should be. Although I was much heavier with a big round belly full of baby my steps were still lighter than they’d ever been.
Finn broke the silence. “Did you know that Critter threatened me again?”
“He did not,” I said, clapping my hand over my mouth and trying not to laugh.
Finn nodded. “He sure did. He told me that now that I’m dating his daughter, and because I’d knocked her up without marrying her first, that we aren’t to be friends anymore.”
“What? But he wasn’t serious…was he?”
Finn smiled and the dimple made an appearance. “He said he’s moved me up the list and has made me ‘enemy number one’ in his eyes. If I wasn’t the father of his grandchild he’d have disposed of me properly a long time ago.” Finn quoted the air on the word ‘enemy’. “And if I hurt you, he’s going to, and I’m quoting him directly now, ‘rip out all my vital organs and leave a trail of them on the highway from here to Tuscan’.”
“Points for being creative,” I remarked. “What else did he say?”
Finn swayed his head from side to side. “Well, after making me promise to never hurt you he told me he was going to hold me to that promise.”
“That’s not so bad.”
“At gunpoint.”
I laughed. “That sounds more like him.” Easily picturing Critter saying those exact words. I loved all his threats. They made me feel special and in a way, I don’t think Finn really minded them either.
“So, have you given any more thought into changing your last name?” Finn asked as we turned down a street I’d never been on before.
“Critter and my mom suggested it since she’s legally changed her last name that I should think about doing it too. I think it’s a good idea. A fresh start.” I admired the large oak trees lining the street. There was also what appeared to be a newly poured sidewalk, the first I’d seen in Outskirts. “I never felt like a Dixon anyway.”
Finn bumped my shoulder with his. “That’s because you were never a true Dixon, you were a…Critter.” Finn said, making a face by pushing out his bottom lip to show his teeth and tucking in his chin.
I bumped him back with my hip. “Ha. Ha. I know it’s a ridiculous name, but it’s my dad’s ridiculous name. Which makes it pretty great.”
We walked along in comfortable silence again until we stopped at a house at the end of the street. A brand-new house from what I could tell. It was white with black shutters and a red front door. “Wow, it’s like a two-story version of my little house.”
“I know it’s not like the three-story Victorian you liked so much but I decided to turn that into a home for women and children.”
My shock almost outweighed the extreme happiness that just washed over me like someone had poured a bucket of water on my head. “You own that?”
Finn looked down to the keys in his hand. “Yes,” he said, like he was reluctant to admit it. “That’s where Jackie and I lived. That was our house.”
I reached out and brushed my knuckles along the stubble coating his jaw. “It was a beautiful house, but now it’s going to be even more beautiful because of your plans for it.”
Finn turned and kissed the palm of my hand before spinning me back around to face the house. “Do like it?” he asked, swinging open the little picket fence and pulling me inside. The flower beds on each side of the door were filled with tall sunflowers that reached halfway up the windows.
“I love it,” I said. “Even more than the Victorian.” It was the truth. There was something about this house that felt homier. More real. “Is this what you’ve been working on?” I asked, unable to tear my eyes away from it.
Finn had started taking on some smaller construction projects, but I had no idea he was building houses like this one. “Who is the client??” I was envious of whoever got to live in such a house, but proud of Finn for having created something so beautiful. Before he could answer I added, “Can I see the inside?”
I felt like I needed to at least see it once before it the house changed and became someone’s home.
Finn smiled that smile that made gave me chills and threaded his fingers with mine. He lead me up the front steps opened the door, guiding me through first and following behind.
My mouth fell open. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe. It was the most amazing sight I’d ever laid eyes on. “Is this even real?” I whispered.
My state of shock wasn’t because of the beautiful grey hardwood floors running from a large living space into a vast and open white kitchen. It wasn’t because of the detailed moldings around the windows or the curved iron staircase. It wasn’t even because of the big dining room with a huge dark wood table running down the center that could easily fit ten people around it.
No, I was reacting to the thousands of tings covering the entire living room ceiling. They flapped around until Finn closed the door. Although the ceilings were high the strings were long. As I stepped further into the room they dangled only an inch or two above my head. “What is all this?” I asked moving further into the hanging tings until they surrounded me on all sides.
Finn didn’t answer, but that was only because the tings answered for him. Every single one of them had the same handwritten message scrawled on them
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
-FINN
I spun around so fast that if I were any taller I’d be tangled in tings.
Finn was on one knee before me holding out a diamond ring shaped like a sunflower. Light and happiness and promise filled his already handsome bright blue eyes. “So…” he said, making me feel like I was about to burst out of my own skin. “about that last name change?”
Unable to speak real words because joy apparently drains your brain of real coherent thoughts, I joined Finn on the floor, kneeling to face him. When I realized he was still waiting for an answer I nodded so hard I think I should my words loose. “Yes!” I finally managed to blurt out.