Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CATLIN

Finn slips his belt back into the loops on his pants and playfully pulls me into him. I wrap my arms around his waist, and his beautiful blue eyes bore into mine as he smooths my slightly disheveled hair, tucking a lock behind my ear.

“Catlin, what is going on in he—” Uncle Sean’s words are cut short as the lights flick on in the nave. Abruptly turning to his voice, I find him standing on the narthex’s threshold with Finn’s spilled candelabra in his hand.

Oh, crap…

It falls from his grip, and the thud of it hitting the floor echoes around the church as he races down the center aisle. His face reddens, and his eyes become more rage-filled with every step he takes toward us.

Slipping from Finn’s embrace, I try to calm him. “Uncle Sea?—”

“Catlin, go!” he demands—misinterpreting Finn’s hands on me—as he takes his final strides in our direction. Pulling the clerical collar from his shirt and tossing it to the ground, he shouts, “Call the police!”

Uncle Sean’s slam against Finn’s chest, and he shoves him away from me with such force that he falters backward into the altar. With anger I’ve never seen in him before, he fists the front of Finn’s shirt as he regains his balance. “Lord forgive me…” Uncle Sean snarls as he shoves him back into the altar

Finn’s jaw clenches so hard it must hurt as his hands ball into fists by his sides. He is struggling to stand down from this altercation. Uncle Sean swings a punch, and Finn allows it to crash against his jaw. I’m rooted to the spot and unable to do anything to stop them but plead, “Don’t! Please. Stop!”

Uncle Sean continues to rush toward Finn, who keeps shoving him away. Refusing to raise a hand to him, Finn takes another slug and insists, “I’m not going to fight you, old man.”

“Catlin, go!” Uncle Sean instructs again, grabbing a heavy candlestick from the altar to use as a weapon.

“Uncle Sean! Stop!” My usually timid voice booms over their scuffle. “It isn’t what you think. I love him!”

Stepping back from Finn, he shakes his head in disbelief. “You don’t love him.”

“I do.” I tentatively make my way to stand between the two of them. Taking my place beside Finn, I slip my hand into his large one and intertwine our fingers. “I love him.”

“I told you to stay away from him. And his family.” His tone shows his displeasure as he shakes his head.

“They’re not bad people, Uncle Sean,” I softly inform him as I squeeze Finn’s hand. “Finn is an amazingly good guy who occasionally does bad things to protect the people he loves.”

“You don’t know who they really are,” Uncle Sean argues. “The good girl I raised wouldn’t be stupid enough to let people deceive her.”

“Raised?” I huff. “You didn’t raise me. You shipped me halfway around the world and shoved me into a boarding school. I was raised by nuns and Máthair Dhríonna!”

“Is that what this is?” he snips. “You have daddy issues because I couldn’t raise you after my brother died? So, you open your whorish legs for the first man that pays you the slightest bit of attentio?—”

“Don’t,” Finn warns, stepping chest-to-chest with Uncle Sean. Tears well in my eyes from his hateful words. “I know how you feel about me and my family. I’ll let you speak ill of us to feel better about yourself in your home. But if you so much as think about disrespecting her again, you will be lucky only to find yourself on your ass.”

“Finn,” I sob, squeezing his hand. He steps back from Uncle Sean and turns to find tears streaming down my face.

“ Piscín ,” he whispers, swiping his hand across my cheek to gather my salty droplets. His eyes soften, clearly hating to see me in pain, and he tenderly pulls me against him to comfort me.

“This isn’t like you. You’re a good girl, Catlin,” Uncle Sean insists as he watches the two of us. “You listen and do as you’re told.”

A lifetime of doing everything that has been asked of me, with one solitary decision made for myself. Following the word of the church to a T, I only learned in the past few weeks that love and acceptance have limitations. For them.

It’s not what I want. At least not anymore.

“Maybe I’m not your good girl anymore,” I snark, noting the smug smile Finn is trying to fight from spreading across his face.

“I won’t condone this,” Uncle Sean gruffs. Digging in his heels, he threatens, “You aren’t welcome in my church if you are going to choose him and this life of corruption and sin he is going to bestow upon your soul.”

Frozen in place, I stare back at Uncle Sean in disbelief as I try to determine whether his words are an idle threat or if he’ll truly toss away the only family he has over his deep-rooted hatred of the man I am in love with.

As though he can read my thoughts, Finn pulses my hand, reassuring me. “Don’t do this to her. Don’t make her choose between the two of us.”

Unwavering in his stance, Uncle Sean glares at me and Finn as he awaits my decision. A satisfied smile pulls at Uncle Sean’s lips as I slip my hand from Finn’s and step away from him.

Glancing over my shoulder at Finn, I cross the altar toward my uncle.“I’m sorry.” I hold back a sob as I press onto my toes and place a chaste kiss against his cheek.