CHAPTER 13

DAY 22

Monday

FINN POV

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Those reviews show me you appreciate my hard work and make me want to write more and faster. If you haven't left a review I'd love to hear from you.

Today marked the beginning of the fourth week of Stephanie's training. Like every Monday, I administered the physical fitness test. Stephanie was doing much better than expected, but I was most pleased with her weapons skills. I'd graduated FBI cadets who didn't do as well as her. Next week, I'll get the rifle out to see how she shoots long-range.

The only thing she complained about, at least to my face, was ruck marching, and everyone complained about that portion of training. The purpose was not to torture her but to help her learn endurance. Anything could happen in the field. I've had agents stranded miles from civilization, so you needed to be prepared for anything.

After her panic attack during Saturday's training, I was a little hesitant about going forward. I shouldn't have pinned her down without explaining, but I'd forgotten about her recent traumatic experience. In the FBI report, Stephanie stated that Durant hadn't raped her, so I wasn't prepared for her to freak out on me like that. But she rallied and came back, determined to learn. I admired that about her. She was embarrassed by her reaction, but it was my fault. I behaved like a man who didn't understand the vulnerabilities of being a woman. To accommodate her, I changed the way I usually taught self-defense. I played the victim while she played the attacker. It accomplished the same goal and made her trust me easier. Today, I needed her to switch back and play the victim.

I'd been sitting in the sunroom, staring at my laptop for half an hour. Enough time had passed for our lunch to digest, and I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time to spar. I found Stephanie reading a book in the living area. That was another thing I hadn't expected. She was systematically reading every behavioral analysis book in my library.

Looking at her stretched out on the couch, I was struck by how small she was. I was reminded of a thought I had during this morning's weapons training. "Do you have personal body armor?" I asked.

She startled and jerked her head around. "Uhhh. You mean like a bullet-proof vest?"

"Yes. Do you own one?"

"No. I borrow one when I work at Rangeman, and the bonds office has one in the closet I can use, but I never think of it ahead of time. Besides, they're too cumbersome."

"You need one made for a woman. There's a tape measure in my desk drawer. If you get me your chest and waist measurements, I'll order you one and pick it up when I'm in town. I'll meet you in the basement," I said on my way outside.

I had just finished laying out the sparring mats when she handed me a piece of paper. "Here you go."

"I'll place the order this evening." I laid the paper with her measurements on the bar and hoped she'd gotten over her nervousness. "Let's see what you remember from Saturday."

She lifted each shoulder as she jumped back and forth on the balls of her feet. "Are you ready for me to kick your ass, old man?"

"Just how old do you think I am?" I couldn't keep from smirking. She was coming at me head-on, and I had to respect that.

"I don't know." She shrugged and smiled brightly. "Fifty?"

My smirk slipped a little, even though I knew she was baiting me. Curious to see her reaction, I confided my age. "I'm Forty-three."

"Forty-three is too young to be retired."

There were many questions in her eyes, and I was tempted to answer a few, but we had work to do, and I didn't want to encourage a friendship any more than I already had. I pointed to the mats. "On your back, Plum."

While she got into position, I put on my padded vest to protect my torso and groin from kicks. As an added measure, I also wore a cup, but she didn't need to know that. To protect my head, I slipped on the sparring helmet I use when Oz visits. Except for my eyes and nose, this old body was well protected.

I kept up a constant dialogue to keep her out of her head and focused as I knelt between her legs. "Hit me with all your strength. Pretend your life depends on getting away." Her eyes widened. It was cute that she worried about hurting me, but her mindset needed to change. "I'm well protected, so do your worst."

"Oh boy," she said. "It's like you're tempting fate or something. How far away is the hospital?" I gave her a level look.

The first time she hit me, she was stressed and fearful. By the third time, she was socking me pretty damn hard and shrimping out of my hold like she was coated in butter.

I grunted when she nailed me in the eye. "Uh oh." She looked stricken. "Do you have Medicare?"

I fell over on my back, laughing and wondering if she had a point. How much was my deductible? Seeing that I was taking my beat down in stride, she laughed. I thought about turning up the pressure and putting her in a hold she couldn't get out of, but I didn't want to break her spirit. "That's it for the day. Hit the shower."

"Aye, aye, Captain." She saluted me on her way out, and I rolled my eyes. She'd turned a corner today. There was pride and confidence that hadn't been there before.

After she left, I ripped my helmet off and shook my head, sending droplets of sweat flying. I laughed when I realized that was something Maggie would do. Miserably hot, I wasted no time pulling the Velcro closures to release my vest. My shirt was soaked in sweat and stuck to my skin. I needed a shower bad. I kept a few sets of clothes down here for that purpose. Getting into the shower, I quickly washed the sweat off and wrapped a towel around my waist as I got out. Used to being on my own, I hadn't bothered closing the bathroom door. I heard a gasp and turned around.

"I… I…" Stephanie's eyes were like saucers, and she was staring openmouthed. It was probably only a literal moment, but it seemed to last a hell of a lot longer. She managed to get her mouth to work. "I came back for one of your popsicles." She slapped her hand over her mouth, and her eyes got even bigger, if that were possible. She rapidly shook her head as she pointed to what my towel was covering. "Not that kind of popsicle." She swung her hand to the bar area, pointing at the fridge. "I was hot and sweaty and thought one of your popsicles would hit the spot. Shit!" she groaned. "That's not what I meant either. Your smooth popsicle… I mean smoothieeee popsicles." She threw her hands up and spun around. "Just… never mind. Sorry." She ran out of the basement. I listened for her footsteps going up the deck stairs, but she must have gone into the woods.

"Dammit." I shook my head and blew out a breath. We'd made real headway this afternoon, and now things would be weird. Then I recalled her comically large eyes and how she sputtered about my popsicle. I almost fell over laughing.

STEPH POV

I made it to my thinking rock and sat down. Damn, that was embarrassing. No wonder Ranger called me his comic relief.

In my defense, I didn't think I would barge in on Finn practically naked only minutes after we'd finished sparring. I'd gone upstairs intending to take a shower, but I really wanted one of those chocolate smoothie popsicles.

Seeing him in the bathroom doorway with his towel hanging low on his hips had been like hitting a brick wall. I literally stopped in my tracks and took in everything while staring at him like an idiot. I smacked my forehead. Did I really stand there ogling him? Yup! That's exactly what I did, and who wouldn't? A girl should be warned before getting an eyeful of all that manliness.

As if my eyes had a mind of their own, they continued downward, noting his eight-pack and deep V-cut Abs that enticingly pointed the pathway to his groin. I fanned myself. I mean, I knew he had muscles, but holy cow was he cut. And his chest? It was dotted with enough hair to run your fingers through. Where Morelli was hairy, Ranger was smooth, and Finn was somewhere between. Ranger and Morelli were also heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and they used their looks to their advantage. Finn was taller and broader, and he might not be traditionally gorgeous, but he was ruggedly handsome. He also seemed unaware of his appeal. That was sexy as hell.

I couldn't stop the images of Finn's perfect body running through my mind. Shit! He was my teacher. My libido had died after Durant abducted me, and this was an inconvenient time for it to come back to life. I stared out at the lake, blasting my lousy timing and thinking of how to face him when I returned.

A couple of hours passed, and I couldn't put it off any longer. I made my way back to the cabin. I slowed down when I got close so I could canvass the property in case Finn was outside. The basement doors were closed, so he probably wasn't in there. I went up the deck stairs, bracing myself as I went inside. No Finn or Maggie. The smell coming from the kitchen told me he'd made dinner and vanished.

I heard sounds coming from the garage while gathering clothes for my shower. I walked closer to the window and listened. Was that an air compressor or an electric sander? What was he doing out there? The garage and his bedroom were the only places I hadn't been.

Great! I sighed. Now I was thinking about his bedroom… and his bed.

I needed a shower… a cold one.

After showering and dressing, I fixed a plate of grilled chicken topped with avocado mango salsa and parmesan zucchini fries while he was still in the garage. Lucky for me, he'd cleaned up the kitchen even though that was my job. I felt bad about that.

DAY 24

Wednesday

Two days had passed since, The Incident, which is how I've come to think of it, and we were still ignoring the fact that I walked in on Finn practically naked. The first morning, I was hesitant to show my face in the kitchen, but he simply looked up from a pan of bacon frying on the stove and said, "I think waffles with fresh blueberries will be good this morning."

I nodded, relieved that he didn't want to talk about what had happened the day before. It was a little uncomfortable, but we worked together to make breakfast. Then he took his plate into the sunroom while I sat on the deck, enjoying the early morning sun. At times during training, I was reminded that I'd seen him almost naked, and I'd get a little uncomfortable. Since he wasn't behaving differently, I didn't think he was suffering from the same problem. Even though I struggled to meet his eyes, I focused on working hard and doing everything he instructed. The more time passed, the more it seemed no big deal. I mean, it wasn't like he'd been fully naked. The towel had covered all his important bits. Really, it hadn't been any more revealing than if he'd been wearing a pair of board shorts out on the lake without his shirt on. I was making a big deal of nothing and starting to feel silly.

Training was over for today, and Finn had disappeared into the garage like usual. I was sitting on the deck reading. My mind kept circling back to what Finn was doing in the garage. My curiosity was driving me crazy. Finally, I closed my book and got up. It wasn't a good idea to sneak up on him, so I made a point to be noisy in my approach. Turns out it wasn't necessary because he had the air compressor running and didn't hear me when I knocked on the side door. I called out to him and knocked harder when he didn't respond.

"What!"

I straightened and pulled my hand away, rethinking my plan to invade his space. His tone wasn't exactly inviting. I was in the process of turning around to go back inside when the door cracked open.

"Is everything okay?" he asked with an expression of concern on his face.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Everything's fine. I just… I was just wondering what you do in here." I shrugged like it was no big deal, but my feelings would be hurt if he slammed the door in my face or told me to mind my own business. The minute seemed to drag on as he came to a decision. Opening the door all the way, he stepped aside. There was a black muscle car with a black vinyl top that looked powerful and sexy. "Wow! This is gorgeous." I reached out to touch the shiny metal and pulled back at the last minute. It was probably too valuable for me to get my fingerprints on.

"It's okay. You can touch it." He paled when he realized what he'd said, and I could feel my face flaming at the unintended innuendo. He rolled his eyes, and the tension was gone.

"What kind of car is this?"

"1969 Dodge Charger R/T 440."

"If it were orange, it could be the iconic General Lee."

"It's the same make and model. There are not that many left. That show alone destroyed over three hundred of these cars."

"Wow. I had no idea. You must be an avid fan of the show."

He rubbed his hand affectionately down the side of the driver's door. "This was my dad's car. He worked at the Saint Louis Plant and bought it right off the assembly line in '69 for $3,500. It was his pride and joy. He sold this car a year after I was born so my parents could have enough money for a down payment on a house in a better neighborhood." He spoke lovingly about his family.

"That's incredibly selfless of your dad."

Finn shrugged. "He was just doing what was best for his family."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I was an only child."

"Was?"

"My parents died a few years ago."

"I'm sorry." Conversation stalled, and then I recalled something he had said. "How'd you get this car back after your father sold it?"

"I found the bill of sale when I was going through his things. When I explained my connection to the car, Mr. Harding was willing to sell it to me for a fair price. He'd kept it in his garage and rarely drove it."

"I'm guessing it cost a lot more than $3,500 to buy it back." I looked up at him as I reached for the passenger door handle. "May I?"

"Go ahead." He seemed pleased that I was taking an interest. I reverently slid into the black bucket seat while he slid into the driver's seat. "Everything is original. Luckily, there wasn't much rust. Mr. Harding took great care of it."

"Oh my gosh! Is that an 8-track player? Do you have any tapes?"

He pointed to some boxes under the workbench. "They're full of tapes. I have no idea which bands. I bought the full boxes from someone on Craigslist."

"Can I look through them?"

"Help yourself."

I felt his eyes on me as I rummaged through the 8-tracks. "Cool! You've got The Partridge Family and The Village People." I squealed. "Ohh… and Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, and The Bee Gees. There're so many good ones." I held a tape in each hand. "Who are the Osmonds and KC & The Sunshine Band? I've never heard of these."

"Bring 'em over, and we'll listen."

I climbed back in the passenger seat and put in KC & The Sunshine Band. A song called That's the Way I Like It came on. My body moved in time with the 70's disco song. "What were you doing before I interrupted?"

"Waxing and buffing." He pointed to the tool lying on the floor.

"Could I help?"

"Yeah." He got out and picked up a rag, pouring leather conditioner on it before handing it to me. "You can rub the upholstery down. It'll crack if you don't keep it conditioned." I took the rag and made sure to get in all the crevices. I sang a little offbeat, getting only half the words right as I worked. Finn didn't want to drown out the music by using the electric buffer, so he picked up a polishing pad and began rubbing by hand instead. When the tape switched to a song about shake shake shaking your booty, I had difficulty sitting still. We worked comfortably for a while, me on the interior while he buffed and waxed the exterior. It was nice.