Searching for Finley (2023)

==Series==
Eagle Point Search & Rescue, Book 5
Publish Date: October 3, 2023
==Official Blurb==
They've finally found someone who accepts them as they are, but it could all go up in flames in an instant.
Finley Norris is a woman with curves to spare, a fact she made peace with long ago…but she can’t say the same for everyone else. Ridiculed for her size her whole life, it’s easy for her to assume her huge crush on a certain sexy mechanic will remain unrequited. But her friends have other plans, and when one of them pushes the pair together, no one is more surprised than Finley when attraction blooms—fast.
Brock Mabrey’s as blue collar as they come, and he’s got the grease-stained fingers to prove it. He’s been judged for his rough edges for years…especially by women. That doesn’t stop him from crushing on a certain delectable baker, and when the opportunity to know Finley better presents itself, he doesn’t waste a second. She and Brock go from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye, their chemistry off the charts. There’s nothing casual about the lust, love, and protection Finley inspires.
And she’ll need plenty of the latter, because Finley’s seen something she shouldn’t. Someone is desperate to discover what she knows…and determined to silence her permanently.
==Characters==
===Main Character(s)===
*Brock Mabrey
*Finley Norris
===All Characters (in order of appearance)===
* Finley Norris
* Caryn Buckner
* Brock Mabrey
* Davis Woolford
* Liam Silva
* Silas
* Otto
* Art
* Rebecca (hiker)
* Talon Ross
* Mike (hiker)
* Ethan Watson
* Drew Koopman
* Jesus (Brock's business partner)
* Khloe Moore
* (Girlfriend in bowling alley)
* (Boyfriend in bowling alley)
* Lilly Ray
* Elsie Calhoun
* Bristol Wingham
* (The supplier)
* "The Boss"
* Pete (the henchman)
* (The hostess at Sunny Side Up)
* Karen (server at Sunny Side Up)
* Beth (server at Sunny Side Up)
* Sandra Hain
* (Ethan and Rocky's mother)
* Mark Ray (Lilly's father)
* Tony Calhoun (assumed)
* Lance Ray (Lilly's brother; assumed)
* Leon Ray (Lilly's brother; assumed)
* Lucas Ray (Lilly's brother; assumed)
* Lincoln Ray (Lilly's brother; assumed)
* Cory (the henchman)
* (The woman in the woods)
* Zeke Calhoun
* "Doc" Robert Snow
* Duke (Raiden's dog)
* Raiden Walker
* Hillary Kendall
* Simon Hill
* Robert Kendall (Hillary's son)
* Oscar (fire department captain)
* Sunset Meadowblossom
===Characters Mentioned (but not appearing)===
* (Brock's mother, deceased)
* (Brock's father, deceased)
* (Liam's sister)
* Harry Grogan
* (Silas's wife, deceased)
* (Finley's mother)
* (Finley's father)
* Dr. Ziegler (veterinarian)
* Clyde Thomas
* Whitney Crawford
* Oscar (former dealer for "The Boss")
* Jimmy (former dealer for "The Boss")
* Andrea (former dealer for "The Boss")
* Heather Brown
* (Hillary's husband)
* Nevaeh Kendall (Hillary's daughter)
* Paul Downs (not by name)
* Lou (not by name)
* Dennis (not by name)
* George (not by name)
* (The paramedic)
* Edna
* Arrow Goodson
* Cypress Goodson
==Synopsis==
In the early morning after spraining her wrist, Finley Norris finds that she can't get baked goods ready for her shop. Frustrated, she calls her friend Caryn. Caryn can't make it, but promises to send a helper to the shop. Finley is shocked when Brock Mabrey, her not-so-secret crush, appears at the door, ready to mix batter and man the oven. Although initially tongue-tied and shy around him, she eventually warms up, and they get baked goods ready for the hungry masses. The next day Brock returns, this time meeting Davis at the door. The local man has experience in the kitchen and heard Finley needed some help, so he offers his talents to the baker, when he feels up to it. After he leaves, Brock expresses his interest in Finley and asks her on a date that afternoon to go hiking.
Before they meet up again, Finley interviews a friend of a friend of Brock's to work in her shop. She hires Liam on the spot, then changes before making her way back to the town square. There she have a chat with Silas, Art, and Otto, who encourage her to see Brock. He overhears her discussing her size, and as they walk away, he reveals that he's attracted to her body. They head to the trailhead to start hiking, but soon come across a woman crying on the trail. Her boyfriend has gone missing. Finley sends Brock away with his satellite phone to find the missing hiker, but not before they share a first kiss. After some time of waiting with the woman, Talon appears, informing them that Brock found the boyfriend and will meet them at the trailhead. Brock apologizes to Finley for the failed first date, but she dismisses the thought, understanding that the boyfriend needed him more than she did. He drives her home, asks her to go bowling for a second date, and kisses her again before leaving, promising to pick her up for work the next morning.
Several days later, Finley, Brock, and Liam have fallen into a routine, occasionally joined by Davis. One morning, Khloe arrives at the bakery, asking Finley to take care of some kittens behind the library as Khloe goes home to take care of something. Khloe stays tight-lipped about the reason for needing to leave, as well as how long she'll be gone, but Finley promises to feed the kittens. The following morning, Finley is taking care of the kittens when she sees a pickup truck pull behind The Cellar, a notorious pool hall located next to the library. The driver meets with a man, and they exchange bags. Finley shrugs off the sight, focusing on her bowling date with Brock that evening.
Their second date doesn't go better than their first. Not only is Knock 'Em Down crowded, causing them to wait for a lane, but other bowlers prove to be moody and rude. After their lane breaks down, they turn to plan their third date when the girl in the lane next to them throws her drink at her boyfriend during a fight, leaving Brock drenched in beer. He drives Finley home, clearly irritated. Finley convinces him to come inside, shower, and relax with Finley as they clean his clothes. After his shower, they settle on the couch to watch a movie with coffee and cookies. When his clothes are dry and he's again dressed, Brock pins Finley to the couch, making out with her before asking her to go with him to Lilly and Ethan's wedding. He makes sure to not call it a date, as he doesn't want their bad luck to affect their friends' wedding.
A few mornings later, Finley is feeding the kittens behind the library when she again notices the suspicious pickup truck. As she stands to head back to her bakery, the truck's brake lights illuminate her in the alley, and she memorizes the license plate before rushing away. Safe inside her bakery, Finley is still jittery when Brock arrives. As they get to work, Finley writes down the plate number and hides it in her recipe box, just in case she needs it later.
That night, Finley rushes to Caryn's house for an impromptu girls' night, as Lilly is worried about her upcoming nuptials. With their friend soothed, they turn to other topics, eventually asking Finley about her relationship with Brock. Elsie lets slip that the girls have a candy bar bet on when Brock and Finley would hook up. Later that night, after Brock picks her up and takes her home, they have a make out session on her couch, and they discuss when they'll have sex, Finley lets him know about the bet. They share another kiss before he leaves. 
Meanwhile, the driver of the truck is angry and worried about Finley witnessing his exchange with one of The Cellar's bartenders that morning. The person on the other line, known only as "The Boss," assures him that they'll hire some men to get Finley, interrogate her, and threaten her into staying quiet. 
A few days later, Brock heads to Finley's shop with candy bars in tow. She asks if they're going to move their relationship forward that evening, and Brock admits that while he'd love to, they'll wait and see how the evening goes and if it's the right time for them. He doubts the timing when, after a crowded meal at Sunny Side Up that evening, Finley ends up with a tray of food dumped in her lap. While Sandra, a server, and a customer rush to remedy the situation, Finley just laughs, agreeing with Brock that they will no longer "date," but just "hang out." Brock, relieved with Finley's attitude, pays for their meal and shuttles Finley back to his house. He admits that he still wants to move their relationship forward, but that he doesn't want to push Finley into it. She responds by inviting him to join in her shower to get rid of the Yeti Spaghetti still in her hair. They continue to enjoy their evening, unaware that across town, "The Boss" and their henchman, Pete, were discussing his progress in getting to Finley.
Over a week later, Finley and Brock deliver the cake to Rocky and Bristol's house for Lilly and Ethan's wedding. She soon gets shuttled into the green room to hang out with her friends as they get ready. Caryn mistakenly announces that Finley's pregnant, causing the baker to shut down the rumor. She admitted, however, that she and Brock aren't using contraception, as they both would be pleased with a surprise baby. This announcement leads Lilly to admit that she is pregnant. Elsie worries that she won't get pregnant again, while Caryn says that she and Drew are happy to be aunt and uncle to their friends' offspring. As Brock and Finley watch their friends sign their marriage certificate, Brock reveals that not only is he ready to get Finley pregnant, but he also wants to marry her. As soon as is socially acceptable, Brock whisks Finley away to show her how much he means what he's said.
Several days later, Finley meets with a client to discuss a cake order before heading to a trailhead to go on a hike with Brock. He arrives first, noticing a distraught woman waiting for her parents. Brock heads out to meet the couple, relieved to find that the wife's lightly sprained ankle was feeling better. He walks with them back toward the trailhead until he sees Finley headed his way, and they depart. They aren't hiking for long when a man grabs Finley, holding a knife to her throat. The man and his accomplice take the couple's belongings before forcing them off the path and into the woods. Brock patiently bides his time and follows instructions, concerned with Finley's safety, as the men, Pete and Cory, start to question Finley. They haven't even been able to ask their first question when a woman, wearing a torn, brown dress, barefoot, with long, red hair, shoots by them, throwing a handful of dirt into Pete's face as she goes. Brock takes the distraction and rushes Finley away from the men, hurrying her to a safe space. They take a moment to regroup from the harrowing incident. Brock tells Finley they'll have to spend the night in the woods, as it's almost dark and he doesn't want to encounter Pete and Cory again. Finley takes this in stride, readily agreeing, which prompts Brock to admit that he loves her. She responds in kind, and they again disavow dating before Brock leads them to a nearby rocky shelter. They talk about the incident, Finley recalls seeing the truck behind The Cellar, and they speculate about the mysterious woman who saved them. Meanwhile, Pete and Cory use Brock's satellite phone to report back to "The Boss" about their failure. "The Boss" orders them to get rid of the evidence and split up, threatening to kill them if they stay in town.
The next morning, Brock's predictions came true, as his team followed their trail and found them. He was also right when he predicted that Davis would realize something was wrong when Finley wasn't at her shop that morning, and quickly informed the police. They head back to the trailhead and meet with more of Brock's team, who had gone after the signal on the satellite phone, finding it in Brock's backpack, buried. They return to town, getting cleaned up, examined by Doc Snow, fed, and rested.
A month later, Finley is upset that Brock continues to hover over her, concerned that Pete and Cory will return. She convinces him to let up before informing him that she's pregnant. He admits that he already knew, and they talk about their future as he asks her to move into his house. She agrees, and he promises that he's going to ask her to marry him soon. Days later, Bristol visits Finley and guesses that she's pregnant. Later, Finley asks Brock if he wants to know the gender of their child, and they decide to keep it a secret until they know if they do or not. Meanwhile, Hillary Kendall, AKA "The Boss," worries about how her life could change if Finley connects her to either the henchman or the supplier, and vows to get revenge on the baker.
The next day, Finley calls Brock and lets him know that she's going to meet with a client to take her an emergency cake. Brock worries about Finley's safety, but she reassures him that the client is Hillary, a PTA mom, and that she'll set stronger standards for custom orders in the future. Even after they hang up, Brock still feels uneasy, and when Finley is late getting home and not answering her phone, he rushes to call Simon Hill, Fallport police chief, and ask for his assistance. While Simon heads toward Brock to help assuage his fears, Brock informs Talon that Finley's missing, and they make plans to meet up. Simon takes Brock to Hillary's house only to find her son there alone. Brock calls Liam, who delivers the address Finley was given.
Earlier, Finley arrived at an abandoned house, questioning the address given to her. Before she could pull away, Hillary ripped open her car door and held a gun to her head, forcing her out of the vehicle and into the house. Hillary led Finley to a chair in the living room and demanded that she attach herself to the chair with zip-ties. Finley can't fit the ties around both her ankles and the legs of the chair, so she fakes it while Hillary rants about her situation. Before Finley can find an opening to rush the other woman, Hillary douses her in gasoline and lights a match. The gas left on Hillary's hands ignites, giving Finley the chance to run through the house, looking for an exit. She kicks out a kitchen window and looks back to see Hillary, engulfed in flames, still heading toward her. Finley leaps out of the window and hunkers down in a far corner of the lawn, unable to find a way out of the fenced area, and yells for Brock.
Brock and Simon arrive at the address to find a burning house. Brock rushes for the door but is stopped by Talon and Raiden, who can see the house is too far gone for him to enter. They watch as the house starts to crumble before Brock hears someone shouting his name and rushes for the backyard. He and his friends pry some rotting boards apart, allowing Brock to squeeze into the yard. He rushes toward Finley, who he sees nearly naked and huddled in the corner. Before he can reach her, she yells at him that she's covered in gas, and not to get near her. He yells at his friends to get a hose before lifting her and tucking her into his arms. While Raiden hunts for water, Talon appears, showing concern over the cuts Finley got from climbing through the broken window. Raiden and Oscar, captain of the fire department, rush toward the couple, warning them before hosing them down. Brock asks Raiden for his shirt to cover Finley before carrying her to a waiting ambulance. Brock wants to take her to the hospital in Roanoke, on account of the baby (news to Raiden and Talon), but Finley wants to wait for Doc Snow's assessment. Brock is further calmed when the paramedic does a quick ultrasound, allowing Brock and Finley to hear their baby's heartbeat. After getting examined by Doc Snow, and questioned by Simon, Brock takes her home.
A week later, Brock is frustrated that he can't seem to give Finley what she needs. She's been reclusive since the incident, refusing to see her friends and barely leaving the bedroom. He's surprised when Khloe arrives and demands to see Finley. Realizing that a friend's caring tough love might be just what Finley needs, he announces he's going to mow the lawn and leaves Khloe with Finley. Khloe marches back to the bedroom and demands that Finley get up and make her a cinnamon roll. They have a standoff, with Finley insisting that she can't face the world after she "let" Hillary do what she did. Khloe reassures her friend that she did the right thing, and that sometimes inaction is the best move in the moment. She lets slip that she's endured tough times, which Finley questions, but Khloe quickly shuts her down and insists that Finley take a shower. When Finley joins her friend in the kitchen, Khloe informs her that Brock has been regifting meals to their neighbors, making Finley feel guilty for not helping take care of Brock in the past week. As she makes cinnamon rolls, she opens up to Khloe about being worried about reopening the bakery, particularly when it comes to deliveries. Khloe insists that Finley can make her own rules for deliveries, including not offering them. Brock enters the house, surprised to see Finley smiling and baking, before heading to take his own shower. When he emerges, Khloe takes her freshly-baked cinnamon roll and leaves. Now alone, Finley thanks Brock for taking care of her while she was being "selfish," and he responds by proposing to her. They make love before deciding to get married that Friday.
Talon hikes through the woods, looking for the mysterious woman, who may or may not be Heather Brown, who went missing as a child and may have been hidden by a local cult called "The Community." Talon can sense her nearby, but doesn't want to scare her. He takes off his backpack and unloads a bag of supplies he brought for her before marching away, determined not to look back and scare her off. Sunset Meadowblossom watches him leave, thinking about the dynamics between men and women. As part of The Community, she was trained to be submissive to men, but this mystery man who left her gifts didn't seem to be as strict as her former leader. She also thinks back to the way the man of the couple she helped a few months earlier had taken care of the woman. Without warning, she rushes forward and snatches the bag off the ground, retreating to her cave. She enjoys opening her gifts before reading the note the man, apparently named Talon, had left in the bag. She goes to sleep contemplating his promise that she can trust him.
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