True Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Chapter 23

Finn waded into the sea of people. He hated these events – fancy parties filled with fancy people eating fancy food. Why did a sandwich taste better in miniature form? Under any other circumstances, he would avoid this soiree like the plague. But he had a mission. Find Emily.

Nothing was stopping him.

After Lance relayed Emily had skipped town, Finn felt momentary despair followed by anger rising inside. Again. It was all too familiar. A repeat of eight years ago.

Except it was not a repeat. Unlike last time, she had not run away to the other side of the world. And more importantly, he knew Emily would come back. Her life was in Washington. It was only a matter of time until she returned. He simply had to wait.

Patience was a skill he was working on and he put every trick in the book into practice.

First, he sought out Max. His friend had missed breakfast the next day followed by radio silence with no response to Finn's texts asking him to meet. He knew Max was avoiding him. It took some doing, eventually tracking him down running sprints in between two buildings on the far side of the base.

As the man sank to the ground, gasping for breath due to his efforts, Finn joined him and poured out his story. He told Max everything about his relationship with Emily – how they met, how they fell in love, how she left him, how he never stopped loving her. Everything but the private parts - unlike his one night stands these moments were for him and Emily only. Still, he tried to express, as best as he could, how much Emily meant to him and how their breakup shaped his life.

Max listened to it all, not saying anything until Finn had run out of words. They sat in silence for several long minutes before Max thanked him for explaining it. "I knew she was too amazing to be single," he said, snorting.

Finn resisted the urge to remind his friend she was exactly that. Single. While he was convinced Emily still had feelings for him, it did not mean she was willing to let him back into her life. Or that he deserved her love.

Finding more about Emily's whereabouts and more importantly, when she would be back in Washington was surprisingly easy. After the tribunal, Lance had suggested drinks to celebrate a job well done. Surrounded by sisters, on both his and his wife's side, the man seemed to yearn for male companionship. Finn happily agreed, honestly enjoying the other man's friendship. All it took was one leading question about Emily and Lance nattered away, providing the details Finn needed and more.

His recognizance mission complete, Finn not only knew Emily would be back in town the next night but had garnered an invitation to the retirement party her firm was holding that evening. It was taking place in the lobby of her firm's offices and Lance assured him Emily would be there along with a new lawyer from New York who had just joined the company.

Finn now knew the time and location of his battle. He began planning. Getting his hair cut was easy. Buying a new suit was a bigger issue. He hated shopping and had no idea where to get something last minute. Yet he could not show up in jeans or his camo cargo pants. He considered his military formals but did not want to draw that kind of attention.

Lance came through again, recommending a local tailor who had several off the shelf options and offered same-day alterations. With the aid of this professional who had been in business for over 30 years for a reason, Finn selected a grey suit that fit him like a glove but was also surprisingly comfortable for such formal attire. It reminded him of Emily's eyes. A deep blue tie, a crisp white shirt and soft leather shoes completed the look.

Freshly showered and shaved, Finn donned his suit of armour and set out to find the woman he loved.

Canapes and chit chat surrounded him. The lobby had been transformed with waist-high tables covered in black cloth, low lighting and gold streamers hanging from the ceiling. Near the exit to the elevators a small stage was currently occupied by a three-piece Jazz band, a huge "Happy Retirement" banner hanging over their heads. People milled about in small groups, drinking and laughing.