LOGINShare
41. Homecoming
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Walking was still very painful and Finn needed to avoid the stairs for another few weeks, but he hobbled home, this time in daylight with Lili, Anders, Stacey, Russel and Reese surrounding him to welcome him home.
The doctors removed the wiring on his jaw, but he still had restricted movement and it hurt like hell to talk.
Poor Lili when he tried to talk for the first time in weeks, she wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry at the little squeak that managed to escape from his mouth. It was pure embarassment!
He was elated to be sitting in his own kitchen, with his fiancé and their friends. Holding a cold glass of sweet tea and sipping it was just amazingly plain and simple, but somehow managed to bring overwhelming joy.
Oh - the beauty in the simple things.
The beauty of just being content and not harboring anger.
Yes, in this instant!
Closing his eyes for just a second, he
Cerulean NachtHi Readers! Thanks for coming on this journey with me. I appreciate your votes, comments and reviews! Looking forward to my new book and hopefully many more.
Related chapters
Protecting My Heart 42. A Blank Canvas
Lili gave in to the feeling floating around in her brain; misery, betrayal, hatred and so much more. Mostly, she gave into grief. Grief for the loss of her father and her brother. Grief for the love of a family so lost in power and money. She wondered who she was but then she saw Finn, the man she loved when he was just a simple ranch hand. The man she loved and they needed to set a course to follow for themselves. The future was theirs - a blank canvas. She cried! She swore! She yelled! And through it all, Finn just held her and comforted her with his words and actions. They just might make it through and find their own way. "Lili, we need a fresh start and I think that Madison will be good. Anders and Stacey are thinking of heading back there. You used to live there and still have old friends. For me, Russel and Reese will only be a couple of hours away.
Protecting My Heart 43. Falling Away
Finn heard the incessant knocking at the front door and he hobbled along to answer it. Lili was out in town so he was alone. He froze when he saw Billy's truck sitting out front and he stayed where he was and he pulled out his cell phone and called Drake. "Billy is on my front porch. Why the hell is he here?" Finn asked with concern in his voice. "I will be there as soon as I can. Are you planning on letting him in?" "Hell no!" Finn yelled into the phone. He saw Billy look up and he realized Billy knew that he was home. "Crap! He knows that I am in here." "Try to stall him. I am still fifteen minutes away and you still couldn't win a fight with that old dude in your current condition." Drake said sarcastically. "Screw you, Drake!" Drake laughed and said, "Listen, I will call you right back. Let me see if Anders is closer." While Finn
Protecting My Heart 44. Despondent
Every day Finn grew stronger but his demenor changed towards Lili and everyone around him. He was short with his words and he became very withdrawn. He snapped at Lili about everything, from what to have for dinner to what time to go to bed. By the end of the second week, her nerves were starting to fray and she yelled back at him. "Enough! Enough! Finn, we cannot go on like this. You need to talk with me. This behaviour isn't fair!" He just walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She was faster and she scooted around him and stood in his way. "Stop! You need to tell me what is going on!" "No! I don't. I just want to be alone. What is wrong with that? Huh?" he growled at her as he stood towering over her little frame. His sweet little Lili was a really pissed woman standing there, fighting for her man. Something was wrong and she knew it had to do w
Protecting My Heart 45. Fissures
Slowly she took the ring off of her finger and handed it to Finn. He tried not to take it, begging her to reconsider her actions. He felt like a knife stabbed him in the heart and thought that this was worse than any beating that he had ever experienced. "Lili, please. We can't run away from things when we are hurt. That isn't how relationships work." "I have spent three years in an abusive relationship and I cannot start a new one, especially marrying you, when we are in a relationship based on lies." "I didn't lie to you about that night. It was Drake who saw it. I blacked out from all of the drugs. I didn't know that happended until he said it. How was I supposed to tell you something I couldn't remember?" "I doesn't matter. You are a liar and a manipulator and I should never have gotten in a relationship with you." She was sobbing uncontrollably as she didn't really
Protecting My Heart 46. Under the Willow Tree
Finn bolted up and questioned, "What did you just say?""It's Lili. She went missing and we don't have a clue as to where she is. She isn't answering her phone and her car is at the house, but she's no where to be found." Russ said with urgency in his voice.Finn saw the strain in Russ' face but he felt like he was kicked in the chest. He could hardly breathe.He finally sputtered out, "How long have you been trying to get her?""Several hours. It's freezing out there. We need to find her and soon!" Russ exclaimed.Drake turned to Finn and asked, "Can you think of where she would be?"Finn thought as his mind wandered over all of the places that she could go and a few minutes later he said, "The willow tree. She's under the willow tree."Russ looked at him as if he was a fool, before asking, "What? What willow tree?""The one by the farm house. Check to see if she walked the
Protecting My Heart 47. Center City
Philadelphia at Christmas time is the most magical time of the year. The snow, the lights, City Hall, Reading Terminal, cheesesteaks, ice skating and the food at the Weihnachtsmarkt! Don't forget Macy's at the old Wanamaker building and the The Christmas Carol display.The city is magical!Well, to Finn, the city used to be magical and now as he walked the streets alone, he was one step away from his old man and the magic that he could create inside of himself. How he wanted to numb his pain but so far he had managed not to relapse.He decided to move in with Drake and his wife instead of with his parents. Drake lived in a two bedroom condo over by Eastern State Penitentiary and it was good to be in the city without a car. He stayed away from Kennsigton and the other places that he haunted when he was addicted and he had managed not to call Jyllian.Yet!Everyday it was getting harder.He
Protecting My Heart 48. Wandering
Finn made it through the holidays and he was finally going for an interview tomorrow for the head of security for a new manufacturing site on the outskirts of the city. For today, he planned to wander aimlessly through the city streets and pretend to be a tourist in his own hometown. His heart was still broken and he wanted to run away when he stopped in a coffee shop to grab a latte and he saw a couple sitting in a corner, laughing and joking about life in general. He felt so lonely and missed his Lili. Missing Lili was, well an understatement. He took one step at a time and each sober day was a victory. Over the last couple of weeks, when Drake came home they went to a rehab center for recovery meetings. He was starting to mentor a young kid who was struggling with his own recovery. Jake was just 17 and had lived a crazy life. Jake gave him something to strive fo
Protecting My Heart 49. Mistakes
Wondering if the heartache will ever go away, Lili tried everythig to free her mind of TJ Finnegan, but it wasn't working. She was truly miserable. She was numb to the world around her and she desperately wanted him back but she was just to scared to give it another chance. She felt that she was protecting herself and wasn't willing to risk her safety for her happiness. So life went on and she was slowly dying on the inside. She couldn't concentrate and she was way behind on her next book. The words were just stuck inside of her brain. She would sit down and write, erase and rewrite, never accomplishing anything of value. For the thousandth time, she picked up the phone and put it down. She wanted to call Anders to get Finn's new phone number but she always hung up before she actually called. She knew that she would at least need to reach out to him
Latest chapter
Protecting My Heart 79. Epilogue
"Jordan and Stephen! Give that back to your sister right now!" Lili scolded as they walked through the amusement park. Morgan, who was just three years old, was crying because the boys took her stuffed bear that Finn just won for her at the cheesy boardwalk clown game. Finn scooped her up and calmed her tears as Lili talked to the boys for the fifth time this afternoon. Drake and Claire walked over with Gia and Max who were pinching each other when their parents were not looking. Drake asked, "Has anyone seen Anders and his crew?" "Yeah, they went to the first aid hut to get Leah's hand cleaned. She fell when Justin pushed her." "Well, I think that after three days of this, we just need a little R&R back at the house and maybe some time around the pool," Claire said matter of factly. "Oh, Claire! Yes, that is just what we all need!" Lili sighed at the thought of relaxing
Protecting My Heart 78. Accident or Sabotage
The guests all watched in horror as the crystal chandelier above the grand ballroom started to sway violently. A deafening crack filled the room as wires snapped one by one and sparks flew around the ceiling. Someone yelled, "Look out!" And another screamed, "Get out of the way!" as loud as they could over the music. The band realized what was going on and as calmly as possible told the guests to get off of the dance floor and move to safety. Chaos won the day as the chandelier suddenly fell about a foot closer to the ground. The snapping of the wires contunued until it finally let loose in a freefall crashing to the ground. Guests that had scurried to the sides of the room started to scream in fear as crystals projectiled around the room. The chandelier was one thing, but then they smelled a thick acrid smoke that permeated the room. Many of the guests started to panic an
Protecting My Heart 77. Down the Aisle
Lili rolled over and reached for Finn, but he wasn't there. His side of the bed was cold as she felt the sheets. She felt like a piece of her was missing since he was always there to snuggle in the morning before they started their day. But today was different. She would be in his arms tomorrow morning! After the rehersal dinner, he went to stay at Anders so that they would not see each other before the wedding and Stacy stayed in their guest bedroom. Lili just stayed still and let her mind run through all of the tasks of the day. So much to do before 2 pm. Would she get it all done? Oh the nerves of a bride. Her wedding day! She was so excited and couldn't believe that she was marrying this man, her Finn and then they were taking off to Europe for a few weeks. Praying to herself that this day would be filled with happy memories and no stress from family or foes prete
Protecting My Heart 76. Just One More Day Until Forever
"Come on! We are going to be late." Finn gripped as he stood in the doorway trying to get Lili to walk out the door. He sighed as she slipped past him and he teased, "Are you going to be late to your own wedding tomorrow or is this a plan to ease the tensions when you don't show up?" Lili smacked his arm and walked to the other side of the truck, refusing to answer his brazen foolishness. "Get in!" she yelled as she taunted him with a seductive kiss that she blew in his direction. "Caught it!" he laughed as he hopped in and started the truck. They drove in silence for a few minutes when he asked, "Are you nervous about tomorrow? Any regrets, because now is the time to bail on me when no one is around." "TJ! Are you trying to get rid of me?" she looked at him cross as she folded her arms across her chest. "No, I am serious Lili. I come with my own baggage and I just want to make sure that you
Protecting My Heart 74. Final Preparations
Lili heard the horn blaring and she grabbed her purse and rushed out the door.Stacey was laughing at her friend's frantic pace. She could see the worry all over Lili's sweet little face. Her red hair, flowing in the wind as she raced to the car and jumped into the passenger side.She looked at Stacey with wild eyes as she thought to herself, 'just two more weeks until the wedding and they we are off to the fitting. Always in a hurry these days!'"Calm down. Finn is already totally in love with you and your little one on the way.""Stacey, I know. It's just, well everything. The reading of the will, Claire and Drake, the wedding, my brother, and on and on and on." Lili exhaled as she l
Protecting My Heart 73. The Reading of the Will
All dressed in black. Lili hated wearing black but she was supposed to be in mourning to the rest of the outside world. So, she gave in to customs to pretend that she cared about her father and she was dressed in black from head to toe. Finn on the other hand, loved the dress that she was wearing. The way it showed off her figure and her legs. She had her hair up in a professional looking bun and he noticed her neck. Oh, it drove him insane to know that they were walking out of the house in less than 5 minutes to go the reading of the will and he had other things on his mind, like taking that dress off of her. Did she know what she was doing to him?
Protecting My Heart 72. Free
Waking up at 4 am, Lili got out of bed and crept downstairs and sat at her desk and started to write. The words flowed freely as she poured her heart out. She had just started a new book and she was free from worrying about ... well just about everything. For the first time in her life she was free of the torture that she endured on behalf of her family. She was free! No more demands on who she dated or where she lived. No more legal letters telling her to not write anymore. No more controlling parental guidance. Her father would not be missed and she knew that was an awful thought but her family really was very dysfunctional. Extremely. Lili was so intent on writing that she didn't hear Finn as he walked in and leaned against the doorway. Just watching. His eyes sparkled at he watched his little lilipad typing away as she was lost in her own lit
Protecting My Heart 71. The Art of Letting Go
Anders read the letter and the news shocked Finn. "You're pregnant?" Finn asked again. Lili looked up in to his eyes and softly replied, "Yes, but this isn't how I planned on telling you. I had plans, special plans. Not like this." All of that special nonsense didn't matter to Finn. That wasn't him anyways. Finn forgot Anders was their and kissed her sweet lips and whispered in her ear, "My beautiful little Lili James is going to give me a beautiful lille baby. What's better than that?" Finn felt the magic of the moment and was in his own world with Lili when Anders cleared his throat. Letting Lili go, he looked at Anders and sheepishly said, "Forgot you were here." "Let's grab some coffee in the kitchen and talk through the events of today." Lili looked from Anders to Finn with curiosity. She was so thrilled with Finn's reaction to the baby news that she forgot abo
Protecting My Heart 70. Almost
Two weeks had passed and Finn felt like a piece of him was missing. Drake had always been there, even when he arrested Finn, he supported him when he had been at his lowest. Lili was standing there in the kitchen and knew what was eating him alive and she decided that she needed to do something about it. She put down the dish towel and walked over to him and boldly stated, "I am going to see my father in jail and finish this, for good." "What? You can't do that!" Finn said as he voice cracked. He was not letting her go to see her creepy father. The guy was a miserable man with nothing but hatred flowing through his viens. No wait, even worse than that...vindictiveness ran so deep that he spewed nothing but hate. Lili gave him her puppy dog eyes and walked over to him and said, "Listen, he can't hurt me in jail but he can try to continuously surprise us with one hate filled plot after another and one of them mi
