Finding Home With You

Sneak Peek of the First Chapters

©2026 Andrea Finnelly

Prologue

It was time to tell her family the truth. Her husband, Bill, had passed away years ago and their children had children of their own now. Her grandchildren were adults, leading their own lives. One of them had even given her a great-grandson.

She didn’t want them to live their lives having any of their own regrets. Katia Bressett had plenty of them herself. Maybe telling them the truth would show them it was not good to keep it all inside. 

She was especially worried about a couple of her grandchildren.

Rowan was thirty years old and a divorced father with full custody of his son, Finn. He too often kept to himself, only leaving his home for Finn, who was twelve. It didn’t help that he worked from home. He was an author who wrote these wonderfully colorful fantasy novels. But he was still reeling from his divorce and used his son and work as excuses to not socialize with other people.

Her granddaughter, Stella, was twenty-seven and a marine biologist. She was so intelligent and dedicated to ocean conservation. The loss of her fiancé in a diving accident, right after suddenly losing her father to a heart attack two years ago, had her closing herself in as much as Rowan had.

Katia was worried about the others, too, but those two had been through more than they should before the age of thirty. Along with Rowan and Stella, her other grandchildren—Taryn, Lana, Ethan, and Archer—ranged from twenty to thirty-two years old.

She and her husband, Bill, had two children of their own, Jasper and Yvette. It was a miracle they had them at all. She had some health issues right after they met, which made it harder to conceive. They had tried for more, but were unable to become pregnant again.

The last thing she wanted to do was try fertility treatments. Katia was a twin and didn’t want to push her luck and be one of those women who ended up with four or more babies at once. No thank you. She quickly learned to be happy with what she and Bill had in their lives. Her children were her one joy, her grandchildren and great-grandson yet another.

That she found and had all those years with her husband was a blessing she just couldn’t describe to anyone. She wished he was still with her to see her finally face her own regrets. 

Her husband knew the truth. She’d told him before he passed away. He was too sick to badger her to fix it, but he did get the last word in. Told her she should make it right before it was too late. It took her a few years, but now she was ready. She wasn’t getting any younger and she was sure her brother and his wife weren’t either. She and her brother, John, were eighty-six years old now. His wife, Marinda, a year younger. Now wasn’t the time to let things go. Otherwise, it would be too late.

She’d called her family earlier that morning and asked them to stop by for dinner, saying she had something important to tell them. It was after dinner now and they were all sitting around her in the living room waiting for her to begin.

Katia looked out at each of their faces as she tried to collect her thoughts.

Her oldest, Yvette, who just lost her husband, Charles, a couple of years ago, was holding up well. She grieved and moved on with her life. Not that she had forgotten her husband, but he wouldn’t want her to stop living her life, so she lived it for the both of them.

Her son, Jasper, sat with his wife, Lily, his rugged good looks were only enhanced by the deep tan he had from working out in his fields. As an organic farmer, he spent a lot of time outdoors, while his wife, as a yoga instructor, was as lean and youthful as the first day Katia had met her. Lily was good for him and that made her happy as a mother.

Charles and Yvette’s children, Rowan, Stella, and Taryn, all sat on one side of the long sectional she had in her home—she needed space for when her whole family came to visit. Finn sat between his father and his aunt Stella.

Jasper and Lily’s children, Archer, and twins, Lana and Ethan, sat on the other side of the sectional.

“So, Grannie, what’s this all about?”

“Rowan,” Yvette admonished her son. “Your grandmother will get to it when she’s ready.”

“It’s all right, Yvette. I’ve been putting this off for too long,” Katia told her daughter, knowing her grandson was right to ask why she asked them all to visit. Though he was a tad impatient.

“What’s going on? Are you doing okay?” Jasper asked.

“I’m fine. Healthy, and I’m sure there are plenty more years left in me,” she reassured him. “But I have a story to tell you that I’ve kept to myself all these years. It’s time to let it out. Your father told me it was time before he passed, though I may have needed a little more time than he wanted me to take,” she told them with a small, sad smile. “Back when I was a little girl, I had a twin. His name was John, and he was my best friend.”

Katia continued to tell them her story. No one stopped her to ask questions, and for that she was thankful. She didn’t know if she could get it all out otherwise. When she was done, they all looked at her with various looks of surprise. She couldn’t blame them. It was quite a story of love and loss.

“Wow, Mom!” Jasper announced, which prompted the others in the room to breathe again and ask questions all at the same time.

“What the hell!” Rowan muttered.

“You have a brother?” her daughter asked.

“You’re a twin!” the twins, Ethan and Lana, said together.

“Hold on now. I’m a bit worn out after all that talking. Give me a few days to answer all your questions. In the meantime, how would a couple of you like to go down to the last location where I found my brother and his wife?” she asked, looking at her grandchildren.

“Depends. Where are they?” Stella asked, suspicion heavy in her voice. Katia was pleased she was the first one to ask and seemed interested in going. She was hoping that was the case.

“Florida… in a small tourist town called Cypress Bay. It’s on a large lake. I read they have lots of wildlife and creatures around and under the water,” she said, trying to entice her granddaughter.

“Well, it sounds promising. And I do have some time off coming to me. Sure, I’ll go,” she said.

“I’ll go, too,” Lana said. Everyone looked at her with the exclamation. “What? I like warm weather and a lake as much as Stella does. Not in the same way. I’d prefer to be on a boat or on the beach instead of diving under the water. Besides, I want to meet this twin,” she said with a smile, looking over at her own twin. He gave her a small nod.

“Sounds good enough for me,” her mother, Lily, said. “Not that you need our permission to go.”

“You are technically my boss,” she teased her mother.

“True,” she said, tapping her finger on her chin as she studied her daughter. “But there’s nothing coming up that would prevent you from taking the trip.”

“Perfect! It’s been years since I found their location, but they own and run a resort—Cypress Bay Manor Resort—so they most likely haven’t left the area. Ask for Marinda Kerrigan. She’s my brother’s wife. We were great friends when we were growing up. Knowing her she’ll be in the thick of it, talking to all the guests. She did love to mingle and talk to people. My brother, John, is probably hiding out in the back somewhere doing paperwork,” she explained wryly.

“I’ll make the reservations for you both at the resort. Let me know if you need anything else while you’re in Cypress Bay. And call me when you talk to Marinda. I’m sure it will come as a shock to hear from me after all these years…”

Chapter 1

Marinda Kerrigan hit the button on her smartwatch when the alarm went off, telling her it was time to get up for the day, and jumped out of bed. She wasn’t the type of person to hit the snooze button a million times before dragging herself out of bed, only to then need to rush through the morning so she wouldn’t be late for work. No, she liked everything done on a schedule.

Miranda thrived on systems and processes, and that included her own habits and routines.

Making her way into the bathroom, she took an exactly twenty-minute shower, dried and styled her hair, dressed in the outfit she picked out the night before, brushed her teeth, slathered on sunscreen, then subtly applied her makeup. Giving herself a last look in the mirror, she looked down at her watch and nodded in approval at the time.

She walked out of the bathroom and back into her bedroom, quickly making her bed, then grabbed her purse on the way out the door, into the main area of the house.

The home, originally belonging to siblings Sean and Emma Cooper, boasted two master bedroom suites and a half bath conveniently located off the main living area, which served as a welcoming space for guests. The living area was an open concept, seamlessly blending the kitchen, living room, and dining room.

The kitchen, spanning an entire wall, was equipped with ample cabinets, a refrigerator, two wall ovens, and a microwave. A coffee station and a combination toaster oven/air fryer were cleverly concealed behind some of the cabinets. A long island provided a sink, dishwasher, and stovetop, accompanied by a spacious countertop for meal preparation.

On the other side of the island, seating was available for a more relaxed dining experience. This island also separated the kitchen from the dining table, which led into the living room.

The living room featured a sectional couch and, of course, a large television. The entire open space was adorned with a harmonious blend of taupe, blue, and cream colors, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

In the back of the house, a sunroom stood out as Sean’s cherished painting studio, thanks to its abundant natural light.

Emma married Marinda’s cousin Noah Kerrigan, and they recently welcomed their son Cooper Paul Kerrigan to the family. With Emma moving out and Marinda in need of a place to stay, Sean agreed to let her rent the second master bedroom.

She was thankful it had become available when it did. The apartment building’s landlord had been a jerk, raising the rent three times in one year, causing her to quickly find a new location to live. She no longer worried about rent increases or slimy landlords. The only worry now was her roommate, Sean.

Sean Cooper wasn’t a bad man or anything. He was neat and tidy… well other than his studio, which appeared to be unorganized and messy every time she peeked in. He never complained or made loud noises at all hours of the day. He bought his own food and contributed on time every month to the household account for any food or expenses they shared.

No, those were not what she worried about with him. She didn’t care that he had crazy hours with no routine or time frame whatsoever. It didn’t affect her in any way. He could live his life however he wanted to live it. Even if she did think having a schedule would help him stay on track when he was painting or preparing for a gallery event for his work.

What worried her the most was how her heart raced whenever he was around. As Marinda made her standard breakfast of fruit and oatmeal with a cup of tea, she wondered how she continued to pretend her whole body didn’t clench with need whenever Sean was near. It was inconvenient and didn’t follow the schedule and plan for her life.

She had already achieved some of what she wanted to accomplish by working her way up to the customer-relations manager at the Kerrigan family-owned resort, Cypress Bay Manor Resort. Marinda was also the staff coordinator, ensuring the schedules lined up for staff and they had enough to cover shifts on any given day.

The only area where she wasn’t involved with the resort staff was those who worked in the restaurants. Her cousin, Oliver, handled them as the head chef and restaurant manager. As much as she loved her job, her ultimate goal was to work closer with Simon on running the resort. While it was owned by all of the cousins, nothing was ever handed to them on a silver platter. They each had to earn their positions—at least those who wanted to work at the resort.

Oliver worked in every area of the restaurants growing up, starting by washing dishes as a teen and finally working his way up to the positions he had today.

Simon was the CEO now, but he worked in every job in the resort other than the restaurants, including working in the laundry room and maintenance.

Her sister, Ryleigh, was not a full-time worker at the resort, but she came in to help with maintenance and repair issues on occasion, which she also helped out with as a teenager.

Her other cousins—Luke, Noah, and Hailee—along with her other sister, Katia, all shared ownership of Cypress Bay Manor Resort, though they had their own jobs and businesses. They weren’t interested in actually working at the resort other than attending quarterly business meetings as active board members.

Marinda often helped out at the front desk and seemed to always solve the issues with staffing even before entering high school, but she wanted more. In her free time, she had been shadowing some of the other positions, helping out and asking questions about their jobs to understand as much as possible.

Now that Simon and his wife, Aylin, had a little girl, she expected his time was more limited than ever. She was getting closer to asking him for a meeting about taking on some of his tasks.

The last thing she needed right now was some playboy artist in her life. Especially once she gained more responsibility at work. Besides, there were other factors to consider. Sean woke up late in the morning because he spent most of his nights out cavorting—yes, that was a good word for what he did with who knew how many women.

He had a tendency to date someone for short periods of time, then walk away to the next woman. And somehow he stayed friends with all those women. There was maybe only one or two she could think of that were unhappy he had moved on. Why couldn’t a few more of them hate his guts so he would think twice about skipping from one woman to another so often?

The thing was, Marinda didn’t hate him. She was afraid she was getting too close to falling for him. And her sisters were already picking up on her feelings.

They were fraternal triplets, all born at the same time… well, she was born first, then Katia, and finally Ryleigh. Being the oldest, Marinda was the one often in charge. Ryleigh was the adventurous tomboy, and Katia was the mediator who kept Marinda from losing her cool when Ryleigh got on her nerves, or when Ryleigh became incensed with Marinda’s over-scheduling tendencies.

The three of them were often on the same wavelength… most of the time. That included being able to read each other and at times complete each other’s sentences. They didn’t always do it, but it drove their cousins crazy so they saved it just to mess with them.

Ever since her cousin Hailee’s biological family from Seattle came out to visit a few months ago, her sisters had been on her case about Sean. So what if she couldn’t keep her eyes off him for most of the day! It didn’t mean she felt anything more for him than as a roommate. And if she got a little weepy at seeing him holding his nephew, Cooper? Big deal. Marinda didn’t need them to point it out or make it a thing.

It wasn’t a thing.

But it could be.

That little voice in her head was getting more insistent as the months passed.

Shaking her head, she ignored the optimistic voice and put her breakfast dishes into the dishwasher. She didn’t have time for this. She needed to go to work. She was on a schedule after all. Hitting the timer on the coffee maker for Sean, Marinda grabbed her purse and keys before walking out the front door.

Want more? Finding Home With You is available for preorder and will be released on October 5, 2026.