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She clung to him and sobbed, and Finn’s own emotions reared and swarmed and flooded through him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again.

“Me too,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Finn.”

He held her until she quieted, saying nothing more. The military side of him had returned, and he’d catalogued everything she’d said, and he’d analyze it later. That was what he’d been trained to do, and he could do it here, with this.

They breathed in together, and then he said, “It could be worse. You could’ve been that other author at today’s event, totally outshined by this amazing woman from Three Rivers who writes about horses.”

Edith met his eye, and it took a couple of beats until she smiled. “It could be better,” she said. “Than me sobbing into your shoulder because of Levi yet again.”

“Nah.” He shook his head and wiped her tears away. “You’re not crying because of Levi, sweetheart. You’re crying because of me, and I promise you, it’ll be the last time.”

She shook her head, her eyes dropping to her lap. “It could be worse,” she whispered. “You could’ve not been standing at the window when I left Courage Reins that day.”

A smile slipped through the regret and pure humiliation inside Finn. “It could be better,” he whispered back. “If you’d forgive me and kiss me to let me know we’re okay.”

Edith looked up, and Finn’s eyes filled with tears. “I know you loved him,” he said. “I’m sorry for acting like a fool and jumping to this conclusion that loving him meant you could never love me.”

“Come here, cowboy.” Out of all the nicknames Edith used for him, Finn liked that one the best. She slid her hands along his jaw and pulled him close. “I’ll only forgive you if you forgive me.”

“Okay,” he said, leaning in.

“And.” She pulled back. “Take me to lunch like we planned. And.”

Finn started to smile, because he knew she wouldn’t kiss him until she’d said all she needed to say.

“Take me to that farm you wanted to see.”

“Okay,” he said again.

Her eyes searched his, a new vibrancy in them he hadn’t seen until now. “Okay.” She kissed him, and oh, Finn liked that. He liked the way Edith felt things deeply, and he liked that that included her feelings for him.

Now, he had to figure out a way not to snuff her out. He had to find a place for her star to shine, because it wasn’t in his daddy’s basement. It might not be at the farm they’d stop by and see after lunch.

But it might be.

She could be his shining star if he didn’t mess up too badly again.

“We’re okay?” he whispered.

“Yes.” She nodded slightly, her forehead pressed to his. “We’re okay.”

“Okay.” He took a big breath and stepped out of the passenger doorway. “Then let’s get to lunch and then Thompson Wash.”

“That’s the name of the place?” Edith shook her hair out and looked out the windshield. “I don’t like the name of it, but I’ll withhold judgment until I see it.”

Finn chuckled, his emotions up and down and all around in the past couple of hours. Withhold judgment rang in his ears as he closed the door. Perhaps that was what he should’ve done when he’d heard Edith talking so reverently and lovingly about Levi. Still, as he got behind the wheel and looked over to Edith, he felt closer to her than ever.

“Did you know you’re incredible at events like that?” he asked.

“I’m okay,” she said.

“Mm, nope. You’re incredible.” He reached over and took her hand. “So…do I get to know the names of our children?”

Edith blinked at him for a moment and then she started to laugh. That was so much better than crying, and the last of Finn’s embarrassment for causing a scene faded with the sound of her voice.

Chapter Nineteen

Edith said nothing as Finn turned left off the highway and rumbled down a dirt road, the sign for Thompson Wash on her side of the truck. She really didn’t understand the name. Did the owner know what a wash was?