Finn had never heard his parents argue so loudly. His dad had won.
“This all looks fantastic, Mrs. Dorsey,” Liv said, gazing at all the food.
“Oh, thank—”
“Barb.” A booming voice came from the hallway. “Where the hell is my golf bag? You better not have—”
At the sound of his father’s voice, the tightening of Finn’s mom’s lips was barely perceptible, but Liv’s sharp intake of breath wasn’t. Finn reached out and grabbed Liv’s hand just as his father stepped into the kitchen, his sentence cutting off at the sight of them.
His mom’s smile was forced. “Look, Carl, Finn’s here.”
His father straightened, his expression as dark as the hair on his head. “So I see.”
“Hi, Dad.”
His father headed over to them. He gave Liv a brief, confused glance and then turned back to Finn. He stuck out his hand. “Son.”
The handshake was firm, almost painful, and Finn tried not to notice how much his father had aged in the years since he’d last seen him. The lines in his face had deepened, and he’d lost weight. Somehow the towering, intimidating man of his youth seemed tired and small. But the hard glint in his eyes was the same.
“Carl, this is Finn’s friend, Liv Arias. Her father used to do the landscaping. You remember Santos?”
His dad frowned and turned to Liv. “Can’t say that I do. We’ve had a lot of lawn guys. They all blend together. Names all sound the same.”
Liv’s grip tightened on Finn’s hand
as she offered a brittle smile. “He worked for you for five years. And you once caught me and your son kissing. Maybe that will jog your memory. Unless Finn was kissing more landscapers’ daughters than I was aware of. Maybe we blend together, too.”
Liv said it with a light tone, but the dig was obvious.
His mom’s lips parted in surprise, and Finn couldn’t help but grin. “No, I only kissed one daughter. That should narrow it down for you, Dad.”
His father’s face reddened a bit. “Yes, now I recall.”
The tension was subtle but growing like a cancer. His mother stepped in, lifting a plate. “Bacon-wrapped thing?”
Liv bit her lip and took one with thanks.
“So, dear, how is your father?” his mom asked, making the men take an appetizer, too. “Is he still making yards beautiful? You should see the rose garden he planted out back all those years ago. It’s thriving and the envy of all my friends in the neighborhood.”
Liv gave his mother a gracious smile. “Yes, ma’am. But he doesn’t do the frontline work anymore. He expanded the company and is now in charge of a number of crews throughout the Austin area.”
“That’s wonderful,” Finn’s mother said, her drawl coming out in full force. “Running your own business is such a challenge. I’m opening up a little wine bar in town this fall, and I tell you, it’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I’ve also never had so much fun.”
His father grunted.
Finn paused, devil on horseback halting halfway to his mouth. “Wait, what? You’re opening up a bar?”
His mother beamed. “I am. That’s one of the things I wanted to get you out here for. I wanted to tell you in person.”
“That’s amazing, Mom.” He gave her another quick hug. “I know you’ve always wanted to do something like that.”
“I have, and I’m not getting any younger. Nothing makes me prouder than knowing I raised three wonderful children, but sometimes you just need something for yourself. Even if it’s an utter failure, at least I can say I gave it a shot, right?” She laughed.
“Of course,” Liv said. “You’ve got to take a risk sometimes.”
Finn gave Liv’s hand a squeeze and smiled her way.
But before Finn could say anything, his dad tossed his appetizer in the trash and left the room without a word. His mom glanced over her shoulder and then rolled her eyes.