Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Maisie stepped off the bus, embracing the Englishwomen and waving to the Sch?fers and Dünsers as they walked away. It was a strange feeling, saying goodbye to people she’d known for only two weeks, as she felt almost sorrowful at the fact that she’d never see them again.
“You be sure to text us, alright?” Joyce said, patting Maisie’s cheeks. “I’ll have my granddaughter respond, as I can’t figure out this texting hubbub.”
The women laughed.
“And we all will be expecting an invitation to your and Finn’s wedding,” Pearl added.
Maisie shook her head in amusement, sending another wave in their direction as she walked back to her hotel once more. She couldn’t deny it. While she’d miss the passengers—most of them, anyway—she was glad to see the last of the trip.
With Finn, it would have continued to be a dream. With Thomas, the last five days had been a struggle to get through. And with Mrs. Waterstone, it had been torturous.
She and the woman had come to an unspoken agreement that they wouldn’t exchange another word with each other, and fortunately, they’d both made good on that promise .
Maisie had tried to see things from the woman’s perspective, knowing Mrs. Waterstone was lonely, bored, and unhappy, but it had hardly helped Maisie’s opinion of the matter.
So frankly, she was glad to leave it all behind and was looking forward to seeing Finn more than she ever had before. She’d hoped he would have messaged her earlier with news of what had happened between him and his boss, but he hadn’t, so she’d tried to wait patiently.
As she made it back to her hotel, she pulled out her phone, finding another message from Daphne about suppliers and how the menu needed a bit more tweaking.
She and Maisie had started texting each other again Monday night, though they’d kept things strictly business-related. It was easier than trying to explain to Daphne what was going on—that Maisie had fallen for the tour guide, broken the rules by kissing him, potentially kicked his family out of their lifelong home, and was now wanting to remain in Northern Ireland instead of returning to Boston to set up a restaurant with her aunt.
Daphne would definitely not understand.
Instead, Maisie gave her an update on the final foods she’d tried in Northern Ireland—none of them holding a candle to Niamh’s stew—then pulled out her luggage to begin packing for the flight tomorrow. She’d done this countless times over the last four months, so it was strange to think it was the last time she’d do it now.
After half an hour, her phone buzzed, and Maisie was delighted to see Finn’s name pop up instead of her aunt’s.
Finn
Fancy a visitor?
Her heart trilled.
Maisie
Depends on who the visitor is …
She smiled, staring at the dots that appeared before he responded.
Finn
Knock, knock.
Maisie tipped her head to the side in confusion, then a tap, tap sounded on the door of her hotel room. Another moment of uncertainty passed before she gasped, dropped her phone, and ran to the door.
She couldn’t rein in her hope as she swung the door open, revealing Finn’s smiling eyes.
“Finn!” she exclaimed.
Without thinking, she launched forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He laughed, embracing her in return and lifting her up. “Ach, I missed you,” he said, holding onto her tightly before her feet touched the ground again.
“I missed you, too,” she said, pulling back.
They stood staring at each other for a minute, a flicker of awkwardness hanging between. It was strange, having him there. Their time before had felt like a perfect dream. To see that it had been reality—that Finn really did exist and that he really did like her—she hardly knew what to do with herself.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Do you want to come in? I thought we were gonna eat somewhere?”
He laughed. “One question at a time, please. I can’t keep up.”
“Sorry, I’m just so excited!” She clasped her hands in front of her, trying to match his calm mood.
But then, why was his mood so calm? Where was that teasing glint in his eye and that cheeky grin of his?
“What’s wrong?” she asked next, trying to hold onto her hope, though it slipped from her fingers like water.
He looked down at her, then tossed his head, motioning over his shoulder. “Let’s go for a dander.”
Maisie grabbed her jacket and umbrella before following Finn out of the hotel, forcing her thoughts to remain in the present instead of straying to all the things that could possibly be wrong—his job, his parents’ home, his feelings for her.
Their silence continued as they wandered down the street, reaching a small park with a bench that overlooked a bridge over a pond and a large statue of some dignitary.
“How was the rest of the tour?” he asked as they lingered near the bridge, watching a few ducks pass by as they floated down the small stream.
“Boring without you,” she replied honestly.
“Is that even a surprise?”
She smiled. “Not really.” How she’d missed his humor. How she’d missed him . But she needed answers. “So…what happened?”
He averted his gaze. “They’re allowin’ me to stay on.”
Relief rushed over her. “I’m so glad! That must be such a relief.”
“It is,” he agreed. “Thanks to you. Your report helped in their decision.”
Maisie smiled. She’d hoped it would. She’d spent hours writing and compiling enough evidence to help Finn’s case. She couldn’t be happier to know she’d helped.
“It was the least I could do,” she said. “I’m just glad your family will be okay now.”
“Aye.”
“And the bonus?” she asked next.
“It’s gone. So’s me flat. I have to be out by the end of next week, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”
She nodded, praying to understand, though not sure if she really wanted to because something was telling her that wasn’t why he was upset either.
“So…what’s wrong, then?” she finally asked.
He drew a deep breath, then looked down at her. “There are some new rules in place at the company. Rules that are going to affect…us.”
And finally, Maisie understood.
Finn could see the recognition in Maisie’s eyes at once. “You’re not allowed to see me at all,” she said softly.
He nodded. “They say it could damage the company image if things ended poorly between us. I tried to protest, but they’re adamant. The only way I stay on with ’em is if I sign a contract sayin’ I won’t have a relationship with anyone who’s ever been on any o’ me tours.”
He could see the thoughts rushing through her mind. How he longed to pry them out, to push them away and fill her mind with thoughts of loveliness instead.
But he had nothing to offer her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, feeling like a wingless bird, trapped and forever bound to the ground. “I wish there was another way. But I can’t have me family lose their home. If I leave this job, and if my da doesn’t get his…”
He trailed off, and she shook her head, looking up at him with a firm look. “No, you don’t need to explain. Seriously, I completely understand. We’ve known each other for, what, twelve days? And half of those were spent apart.” She pulled on a little smile. “Seriously, I would judge you if you did quit. You’ve got to do this for your family. And I totally get that.”
Her understanding just made him feel all the worse. He was really giving this up? He was really giving her up? “I just wish…” he began. “I wish we could have seen where this might’ve gone.”
But Maisie shook her head again. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything else. Sometimes things just don’t work out, you know?” She looked away, rushing on. “Dreams fall through. Wishes remain unfulfilled. It’s life. But it’s okay.”
She smiled again, as if to reassure him she really was fine, but he could see the disappointment in her eyes .
She was right, though. This was life. It was filled with failures and wrong decisions. Finn had been so determined to make the right one this time for his family. So why did he still feel so terrible?
“I should’ve been smarter earlier on,” he said. “I should’ve kept me distance from you ’til today, then we might have been able to…”
“It’s okay,” she repeated, her shaking head preventing him from continuing. “There’s no point in saying what you should’ve done. It is what it is. You’re putting your family first.” She blinked a few times. “Unfortunately, that just makes me like you even more.” She’d said it with a smile, but her voice dipped with emotion, and she quickly looked away as she cleared her throat. “Anyway, I hope everything is smoothed over now. And that you can keep this job. And I’m sorry that I…that I made things more complicated.”
He tried to protest, but she continued, taking another step away from him. He felt like he was watching liquid gold slip through his fingertips.
“Anyway, it’s probably better we found out about this earlier,” she said, nodding a few times, as if to convince herself of her words, though her quivering lower lip gave her away. “Who knows if it would’ve worked out? We’re from two totally different worlds.”
What did that matter? To Finn, it did very little.
She drew another step from him. “Anyway, I…I better go pack.” She stuck a thumb over her shoulder. “Got an early flight to catch.” She stopped, looking at the ground. When her eyes reached his again, their blue depths sparkled as watery as the sea beneath Carrick-a-Rede. “Thanks for everything, Finn. You made this the best trip I’ve ever had.” She blinked away the moisture in her eyes and smiled. “Feel free to message if you ever leave your job and find yourself in Boston, okay? I’ll save a seat for you at the restaurant.”
He gave a half-smile, though his heart splintered in two .
“Bye, Finn.” She waved, turning away from him, but Finn couldn’t bear it.
“Maisie,” he called out.
She turned back to him, her eyebrows raised high. “Yeah?”
“You didn’t make things complicated,” he said, praying she felt the depth in his words. “You made them light.”
A single tear slid down her cheek as she smiled, then she turned on the white heels of her Kiziks and walked away.
Finn stared after her, having so much to say still, though knowing it would only make it harder for the both of them.
Instead, he watched her in silence, the final drop of gold falling from his hands as she disappeared into the crowds.