Free Her Summer with the Marine: A Donovan Brothers Novel (Entangled Bliss) by Susan Meier Page B

their faces.
    Ellie licked her lips. “He’s fine.”
    Sandy brightened. “Maybe we can go see him?”
    She almost told them no, then wondered what right she had. She might have carried a grudge toward these old biddies for fifteen years, but her kindhearted dad had forgiven them. They were “his people.”
    “I guess.” She paused. A weird feeling slithered through her. It was one thing to communicate with Finn. There’d always been anger, competition, and a dose of lust between them. Honesty came easily. Words bubbled to the surface dying for release.
    But these women? The secret society who’d sacrificed her mom on the altar of cheap entertainment? What the hell did she say to them?
    She cleared her throat, reached into her dress pocket, and pulled out the check. “Here’s the money for the food with the donation to the group added in.”
    Sandy looked down at the check. “Thanks.” Catching Ellie’s gaze, she smiled. “It’s nice to have you home.”
    She worked up a smile in response, proud of herself for dealing with this like a mature adult, but, as she turned to leave, a piece of Donovan’s Funeral Home letterhead caught her eye.
    Prepaid Funeral Estimate.
    Karen O’Riley sauntered over and slid it off the counter with a smile of apology to Ellie. Charlene Simmons slid a similar piece of paper from the counter near her, folded it, and shoved it into her apron pocket.
    Ellie’s eyes narrowed. Prepaid funeral estimate?
    Prepaid funeral estimate?
    Had Finn been at the biggest gathering of townspeople in weeks to sell prepaid funeral packages?
    Oh, God. Of course that was why he’d been here. He did nothing without a reason. And he never stopped competing.
    “That ass.”
    Sandy said, “What?”
    With twelve women watching her every move, Ellie drew back and outwardly calmed herself. So he was providing prepaid funerals, huh? Probably setting up installment plans. Her dad had talked about doing that, but he’d never quite been able to discuss dying with people who weren’t even sick. But Finn had had no trouble. And neither would she. In fact, it seemed like the common sense way to keep a business like a funeral home afloat. And a much better way to make money than waiting for people to die.
    She smiled. He’d just given her the help she needed to keep her dad in Harmony Hills Hideaway. But that didn’t change the fact that he’d horned in on her funeral to do his business.
    Or the fact that she was standing in a group of women who’d love for her to make a scene.
    What she said now could be all over town in two minutes.
    She smiled graciously. “You ladies did a fantastic job on the lunch.”
    A short gasp of appreciation rippled through the gathered Dinner Belles.
    Try to make her look like an idiot? Huh. She’d show him. “The food was delicious. Thank you very much.”
    Sandy said, “You’re welcome.” She caught her hand. “And we will visit your dad. We love him, you know?”
    She didn’t know. She knew her dad loved them. But people who loved him wouldn’t have gossiped about the love of his life in his darkest moment.
    Still, she nodded, turned, and walked out of the kitchen, out of the hall, and over to Finn’s Range Rover. When he came out a few minutes later, she was leaning on the front fender, waiting for him.
    “You insufferable lout.”
    “Lout? Now there’s a word you don’t hear every day.”
    “You should hear it every day. Because you are a lout.”
    “I’m not even really sure I know what lout means.”
    “It’s a jerk. Somebody who has no class.”
    He smoothed his hand down his slim black tie. “I have lots of class.”
    “You used my funeral to hawk your prepaid funeral services!”
    To her horror, he burst out laughing. “I know! Stroke of genius, wasn’t it? There’s no better time to sell services than when you’ve got a crowd of people seeing just how much it costs to have a funeral.”
    “You don’t even have the decency to deny it?”
    He