yawned. “Go home,” he said. “Come back tomorrow,
though? With grapes.”
Max settled back in the chair. “I’ll wait until you fall asleep, Finn Ryan.” “Don’t have to,” Finn murmured.
“Yeah,” Max replied softly. “Yeah, I do.”
* * * *
Max parked the new truck outside the mayor’s office. He’d gone with Daniel and Kieran to find a new truck for Finn to replace the one that had passed on to ‘old truck heaven’ in the river. He was nervous about today and he wasn’t entirely sure why. Finn had been out of hospital a week and was back on light duties, which played havoc with the amount of time they actually spent together. It had been a month now since the night of the murders and Ellery was still in shock.
Mike Fitzgerald had been mourned as a fixture in the town and the gossip was that Mike was lucky they had even done this. Hell, Mike’s son Luke hadn’t even bothered to attend the funeral. The manner in which Neil had died cast another shadow over Ellery. Everyone in the town knew everything and Max wondered if he would ever get used to it.
“Hey, Max,” Daniel called from the diner across the street. “Good luck.”
He’d need it. Finn was on edge and antsy. He’d given evidence, spent days in hospital, and refused point blank to let Max look after him. The first night Max had driven him home Finn had near shut the door in his face with the excuse of being tired. Since then, six days of meetings and silence and just plain orneriness on Finn’s part and Max was ready to pull him out of the house forcefully. They’d seen each other more when Finn had been in hospital. The truck was his last chance to get inside Finn’s head and make him see what Max wanted for the two of them.
“Thanks,” he called back. Squaring his shoulders, he entered the code to get himself into his workplace and Finn’s. Working alongside each other but in different rooms made for a very odd relationship.
“He’s in with the coffee machine,” Drew said immediately he saw Max.
That was good given they would at least have some privacy. Max stalked into the small anteroom and pulled the door shut with a resounding slam causing Finn to whirl around suddenly.
“Max—” he began.
“No. No talking. Just listen.” Max had had enough of listening to reasons why Finn didn’t want to take what they potentially had any further. They were first responders, they had a responsibility to stay clear-headed, and who the hell had relationships that lasted anyway?
“Max—”
“I’m sorry, okay,” Max blurted.
Their last meeting had been Max trying to push for a reaction by pinning Finn to this very coffee machine. It had ended way past badly and onto horrific. Finn had fought him, and not in the sexy, squirming, not-really-trying-to-escape way but in the freaked-out way. Eyes wide, Finn had told Max to fuck off. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m not a girl, Max.”
“I know that.”
“You didn’t scare me. I just panicked. Look.” Carefully, he placed his mug down on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
Max recognised the defensive posture for what it was. He mimicked the stance and leant back against the door just in case someone wanted to come in that way.
Finn continued, “I’m seeing the doctor at the hospital over all this flashback shit. Can’t that be enough for a while? If I get through to the other side with my job intact, then we could be friends.”
“Friends with benefits, huh?” Max knew he was goading Finn. Could see the sudden flash of pain in the other man’s eyes.
“I guess so,” Finn answered. Doubt coloured his words despite the semi-confident delivery.
“You don’t want that. You want more than that.”
“I’m nearly there. At least I’m not jumping all the time now. Maybe in a while I’ll want more. I don’t know. Fuck, Max, we weren’t any more than casual lovers, we don’t have to build it to be any more than it is.”
“That’s bullshit. Why
though? With grapes.”
Max settled back in the chair. “I’ll wait until you fall asleep, Finn Ryan.” “Don’t have to,” Finn murmured.
“Yeah,” Max replied softly. “Yeah, I do.”
* * * *
Max parked the new truck outside the mayor’s office. He’d gone with Daniel and Kieran to find a new truck for Finn to replace the one that had passed on to ‘old truck heaven’ in the river. He was nervous about today and he wasn’t entirely sure why. Finn had been out of hospital a week and was back on light duties, which played havoc with the amount of time they actually spent together. It had been a month now since the night of the murders and Ellery was still in shock.
Mike Fitzgerald had been mourned as a fixture in the town and the gossip was that Mike was lucky they had even done this. Hell, Mike’s son Luke hadn’t even bothered to attend the funeral. The manner in which Neil had died cast another shadow over Ellery. Everyone in the town knew everything and Max wondered if he would ever get used to it.
“Hey, Max,” Daniel called from the diner across the street. “Good luck.”
He’d need it. Finn was on edge and antsy. He’d given evidence, spent days in hospital, and refused point blank to let Max look after him. The first night Max had driven him home Finn had near shut the door in his face with the excuse of being tired. Since then, six days of meetings and silence and just plain orneriness on Finn’s part and Max was ready to pull him out of the house forcefully. They’d seen each other more when Finn had been in hospital. The truck was his last chance to get inside Finn’s head and make him see what Max wanted for the two of them.
“Thanks,” he called back. Squaring his shoulders, he entered the code to get himself into his workplace and Finn’s. Working alongside each other but in different rooms made for a very odd relationship.
“He’s in with the coffee machine,” Drew said immediately he saw Max.
That was good given they would at least have some privacy. Max stalked into the small anteroom and pulled the door shut with a resounding slam causing Finn to whirl around suddenly.
“Max—” he began.
“No. No talking. Just listen.” Max had had enough of listening to reasons why Finn didn’t want to take what they potentially had any further. They were first responders, they had a responsibility to stay clear-headed, and who the hell had relationships that lasted anyway?
“Max—”
“I’m sorry, okay,” Max blurted.
Their last meeting had been Max trying to push for a reaction by pinning Finn to this very coffee machine. It had ended way past badly and onto horrific. Finn had fought him, and not in the sexy, squirming, not-really-trying-to-escape way but in the freaked-out way. Eyes wide, Finn had told Max to fuck off. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m not a girl, Max.”
“I know that.”
“You didn’t scare me. I just panicked. Look.” Carefully, he placed his mug down on the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
Max recognised the defensive posture for what it was. He mimicked the stance and leant back against the door just in case someone wanted to come in that way.
Finn continued, “I’m seeing the doctor at the hospital over all this flashback shit. Can’t that be enough for a while? If I get through to the other side with my job intact, then we could be friends.”
“Friends with benefits, huh?” Max knew he was goading Finn. Could see the sudden flash of pain in the other man’s eyes.
“I guess so,” Finn answered. Doubt coloured his words despite the semi-confident delivery.
“You don’t want that. You want more than that.”
“I’m nearly there. At least I’m not jumping all the time now. Maybe in a while I’ll want more. I don’t know. Fuck, Max, we weren’t any more than casual lovers, we don’t have to build it to be any more than it is.”
“That’s bullshit. Why
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