“Cormac smiled at her, but it was Finn who spoke. "Can I ask you a question?""Sure."He leaned forward conspiratorially. "So, if I gave you some catnip would you act all weird and stoned?""I don't know. If I throw a stick, will you fetch?" She smiled sweetly at Cormac's cousin.Burke made a choking noise, covering a laugh with his hand. Finn screwed up his face, as if in disgust. "Dude. I am NOT a dog.""And I’m not a pampered house cat.”

“His jaw locked. "You don't know shit about me."She put her hands at either side of his face and smiled with too much emotion. "You want to know what I think?"For some reason, tension pulled at him. "Probably some idiotic romanticized nonsense." When her confidence didn't falter, he made a sound of disgust. "All right, go ahead and tell me.""I think you're the one who doesn't know shit about you”

“Any chance of getting something sweet to go with my coffee?” [Finn] asked in a hopeful voice.I arched an eyebrow at him. “You mean all those pieces of strawberry pie that you ate for lunch weren't enough?”“I’m a growing boy,” Finn said in a sincere tone. “I need my vitamins.”Bria snorted. “The only thing that’s growing on you, Lane, is your ego.”Finn sidled up to my sister and gave her a dazzling smile. “Well, other things of mine also tend to swell up in your presence, detective.”

“I am not snotty!" I nearly yelped.He leaned back on his elbows, a wicked smile on his face. "Please.The first day I met you,you practically had a layer of permafrost covering you.”

“I adore you, Frannie. You know that. I always have."She gave him the smile that had always warmed him, but it was not that threatened to bring him to his knees. He would kill to keep that smile on her face. But to keep Catherine smiling, he would willingly die."But you love Catherine," Frannie said quietly.”

“What did you call her?" she asks but I don't think it's her real question."Sunshine," I say, and she smiles like she believes it's perfect and she may be the only person other than me who would think so."What is she to you?" she whispers. The real question and I know the answer even if I don't know how to say it.Drew's muffled voice rises up from the floor before I can respond."Family," he says.And he's right.”