Charmer (Havenbrook #1)

Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

WILLOW

At the start of the day, I certainly hadn’t intended to make my feelings for Finn quite so…known. Or make them known quite so loudly or so publicly. Yes, I’d made the decision to stop hiding my relationship with him. It was childish and stupid, and I was done with that. But I’d assumed it’d get around like everything did in Havenbrook: someone would see us together, laughing or talking or walking a little too close for friendly acquaintances, and so-and-so would tell someone else, and pretty soon it’d spread like wildfire.

Hadn’t happened exactly like that.

But, hell, I’d been so damn mad at my daddy, I hadn’t stopped to think. A fact which my sisters hadn’t let me forget since we’d dragged our asses away from the baseball diamond—losers for the first time ever.

My sisters, Gran, and I had escaped to Rory’s house since it was closest to the Square, our momma staying behind to try to calm down Daddy. Like that’d ever happen.

“Tell me somethin’, Will,” Rory said, pouring four glasses of lemonade. “Did you wake up this mornin’ and think, ‘What can I do to royally piss off Daddy?’”

I rolled my eyes as Gran snorted.

“Lay off her, Rory,” Mac said.

“I’m serious. What in heaven’s name coerced you into behavin’ that way?”

Because, of course , my older sister would think I had been the one out of line. While Rory and I had had fun the couple of times we’d gone out since our understanding, our shared secrets tying us together in a way we hadn’t been before, apparently it was too much to ask for an entire personality transplant for my sister.

“He was acting like a spoiled child,” I said, struggling to keep my voice level. “I simply spoke up about it.”

“I wish I’d had my phone with me.” Mac smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Nat would’ve loved to see video of that. She hasn’t responded to my text yet, but I hope you’re prepared for her.”

“As prepared as I’ll ever be,” I mumbled before taking a sip of my drink.

“I just…” Rory shook her head, perfectly manicured nails—despite the afternoon playing softball—tapping the side of her glass. “Don’t you think there were better ways to handle that? Instead of tellin’ Daddy off in front of the whole town, embarrassing him and our whole family, then makin’ a spectacle of yourself with Finn?”

“The only one in the family who needed to be embarrassed was Daddy,” Mac said, her temper showing in the reddening of her cheeks.

“Oh, I see.” I straightened, my shoulders nearly up to my ears at how rigid I stood. “Speaking up when Daddy’s saying disparaging things about our residents—who were standin’ right there —and then kissin’ my—” Well. I’d been about to say boyfriend , but we hadn’t exactly had that conversation. And could someone who was leaving in a few days’ or weeks’ time even be someone’s boyfriend? Forcing that thought away, I swallowed and set down my glass. “Look. It already happened. Can’t do anythin’ to change it, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want to. Daddy had every bit of that talking-to comin’ to him after how he spoke.”

“Well, I don’t know about?—”

“She’s right, Rory,” Gran said, lifting a brow when all of us turned to stare at her, mouths agape. “What? ’Bout time one of you stood up to my jackass son and put him in his place. Was startin’ to think I might not live to see the day, especially after Nat left. And to be honest, I’m a little surprised it came from Will first, but I’m damn glad about it.” She placed her hand over mine on the counter and winked. “Didn’t I tell you gettin’ up to no good would be fun?”

There was a brief bout of silence between all four of us, then Mac raised her glass and tapped it against our grandmother’s. “Amen, Gran.”

For a moment, I stared at my grandmother, mischief sparkling in her eyes. I thought back to all the times Gran had told me things like that, encouraging me to be a little wild. To have a little fun. Let loose just a tiny bit and see what happened. Had she been encouraging it the whole time? Had she also been doing the same thing to my sisters? Of that, I wasn’t sure, but one thing was for certain: I was glad I’d finally listened. Standing up to my Daddy had given me a high I’d never before experienced.

Of course, I knew, sure as I knew the sun would set, that Daddy wouldn’t allow me to have the last word. And that conversation, when it came, would be hell on earth.

After we’d finished our lemonade and impromptu chat, we’d headed back toward the Square since the fireworks would be going off soon.

When we arrived in the center of town, everyone scattered, Gran going off to find our momma, Rory to wrangle her kids, and Mac to get some free beer. I followed my sister’s trail as I strode toward the far side of the Square where Finn, Nola, and Drew had set up a little stand outside.

The inside space wasn’t quite ready for customers yet, but they’d agreed to host this when I had approached them about it. When I’d had the idea, I’d figured it’d be a win-win for them and the town—bringing customers to Finn’s bar while enticing the residents to stay in the Square a little longer, maybe spend some money at neighboring businesses.

I’d been right. The line to their counter stretched halfway across the Square. My heart slowed, warmth sweeping through my body as I stood back and just watched. Finn chatted with a few residents as he served beer, a smile spreading across his face as he nodded to someone. Lord, he was handsome. And kind. And giving. And he was mine.

For as long as he was in town, he was mine.

It wasn’t what I wanted—because what I wanted was everything with him: the white picket fence and two-point-five kids and happily ever after—but it was what I’d been given.

And I was going to take every little bit of it I could.

“See nothing’s changed with you.” Daddy stood next to me, his gaze fixed where mine had just been.

Looked like the fireworks were starting early.

I snapped my spine straight and tightened my jaw. Gave myself a minute to calm down before I did something horrible like tell him to go to hell.

Ignoring the underlying dig Daddy sent my way, I tipped my chin in Finn’s direction. “They got us a good turnout. The parade’s always busy, but once it’s done, half the crowd leaves the Square. We got lucky Finn, Drew, and Nola agreed to open up their business to entice the residents to hang around. I’ve spoken with some of the other business owners, and their sales are up thirty percent from last year. That’s?—”

Daddy tsked, shaking his head. “Just as blind as ever.”

Biting my tongue was getting harder than ever, especially after I’d had a taste of letting loose. “I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean. I haven’t been blind to what they could bring to Havenbrook. You have.”

So much for diplomacy and tact. But, hell , he just got me so damn mad. And I was done. I was finally, finally done. Especially today—a day I worked my ass off on for the majority of the year, not to even get a good damn job from the mayor? I’d had just about enough of that, of giving myself to people and things that didn’t give a damn about me. That just took and took and took?—

“You ever ask him why he ran off so fast in the first place?”

The question was so out of the blue, I could only stare at my father for a moment. It’d crossed my mind, of course. Had been the single most frequent question that’d arisen while Finn had been gone. I’d been close to asking him that night in the tree house, then he’d kissed me, and, well, I’d lost my nerve.

“No,” I said. “I don’t really see how it has any bearing on the present.”

My father chuckled under his breath and shook his head. Even though the residents of Havenbrook surrounded us, no one paid us any mind. We were off to the side, tucked against a building, while everyone else gathered around the center of the Square, the majority of the people clustered over by the bar.

“Well, can’t say I didn’t try to stop this from happening. Tried not to let you get played for a fool, but you just kept goin’ straight for it, didn’t you?”

I blew out an exasperated sigh, wanting desperately for my daddy to just get to the point so I could go over and congratulate Finn on his win—both on the baseball diamond and with their soft opening. “What are you talkin’ about?”

Daddy twisted toward me, his lips turned down like he was concerned. “The money.”

“What money?” Honestly, if he didn’t get to the point, I was going to walk away. Just turn and walk straight over to Finn and ignore my daddy?—

“The money I gave him to leave town. Now, I know it wasn’t my best move, honey, and I’m sorry about that. I truly am. But that boy…well, he wasn’t ever good enough for you. Wasn’t ever good enough to be attached to a Haven. Since you were too blind to see it back then, I had to take matters into my own hands. Had to get that boy out of town before y’all did somethin’ you’d come to regret. And you would regret it. Of that I have no doubt.” He reached out and gripped my shoulder. “I did it for your own good, you see.”

My father’s lips were still moving, words coming out of them, his expression proclaiming concerned parent , but I couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying. My pulse thrummed too loud in my ears, years’ worth of memories flipping through my mind.

The day I’d woken up and Finn had been gone.

Running to the tree house, hoping to find a note, a message, something that’d tell me why he’d had to leave. Why he couldn’t say goodbye.

Falling asleep with my cell phone in my hand, just hoping and praying he’d call me or text me. If not to tell me why he left, then at least to tell me he was okay.

Lying in my bed weeks later, the night I’d finally accepted he wasn’t coming back. That he’d left me, despite our plans, and Havenbrook was no longer his home.

Then months later, withdrawing my admission to Tennessee State University. Because I wasn’t the girl I’d been with Finn. He’d stripped that from me, had taken every ounce of fire I’d had and blown it out as he’d flown from town.

My father squeezed my shoulder again, pulling me from the fog. “Sorry to have to tell you like this, Will. But I couldn’t watch you go down that path again. Just wouldn’t be right for me to sit by and say nothin’.”

I nodded as if I understood. As if everything I’d put back together wasn’t cracking at the foundation.

After my daddy’s show earlier at the baseball diamond, I certainly couldn’t trust what he said as gospel. But the seeds of doubt he’d planted were enough of a push to get me to finally have that conversation with Finn. Much as I’d worried about the answer, it was time to find out once and for all why he left all those years ago.