Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
One week later, Maisie was beginning to feel a little less raw. Her jetlag had finally subsided, and with her parents still keeping her company from day to day, matters with Daphne had been far less awkward than Maisie had expected.
Still, Maisie wasn’t herself. She could feel it as she moved about her tasks. Part of that, of course, was coming home from a four-month work trip-slash-vacation. But more than anything, she knew it was the disappointment she felt at having to say goodbye to a relationship before it had really even begun.
Her parents had been a total source of comfort, encouraging her to keep moving forward and advising her on how to do just that. Their presence was just what she needed, especially when Daphne was in the throes of restaurant planning.
Still, Maisie was choosing to be patient with herself and with Daphne. She and her aunt would make it through this. And someday, Maisie would feel herself again. Soon, she hoped she would realize her dream of being a wife and a mother. But now, all she needed to do was focus on how to let go of her dream of being Finn’s.
One day, after she and her parents had spent the morning exploring a few historical sites around Boston, Maisie was called into the restaurant by Daphne to give her advice on a few matters with the restaurant.
Daphne
Bring your mom and dad, too. I always appreciate my sister’s opinion.
Together, she and her parents stopped by the building that was officially undergoing construction to become Daphne’s future restaurant. The work was going well in the space, though they were still months out from finishing.
Sheetrock had finally been placed to hide the main room from the kitchens, and ladders were positioned for electricians as they fed wiring through the roof and exposed framing. Towers of tile and other construction material were stacked at one side of the room, and a large push broom was propped up beside a heaving pile of white dust.
“Hope she doesn’t mind my opinion, too,” Dad said with a far-too-innocent grin as he stepped around a dusty, orange Shop-Vac.
“Cal, behave yourself,” Mom warned, then her eyes dropped to her phone.
Maisie had noticed her texting a lot that morning, which Mom hardly ever did, but Maisie brushed it aside. She supposed Mom could have a social life, too.
Soon, Daphne came out from the back kitchens, smiling as she took them around the construction zone, asking their opinions on what shade of green the walls should be and what type of stain the chairs should boast.
As Maisie answered, Mom and Dad were mostly quiet, speaking in hushed whispers behind her, though they smiled innocently whenever Maisie tried to catch what they were speaking about.
Eventually, however, Dad broke off to chat with a nearby worker about the power tool he was using, and Mom lingered next to him before Daphne pulled Maisie to the side .
“Do you have a minute?” she asked in a soft voice.
Maisie’s chest tightened. Were they going to speak about the elephant in the room that had been ignored for weeks now?
“Sure,” she said, following her to the other side of the space where large open windows pulled in the bright Boston sunshine.
Daphne faced her, a slightly strained smile on her lips. “How are you doing?” she asked.
Maisie lowered her defenses, seeing the vulnerability in Daphne’s eyes. Obviously, her aunt was just trying her best with what she’d been given, so Maisie could find the grace Daphne needed.
“I’m alright,” she responded. “And we don’t have to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Talk,” Maisie said simply. “I know you’re busy. You don’t need one more thing to set you off balance.”
To her surprise, Daphne’s features twisted into sorrow. “I am busy. But I’ve been too busy for you, and that’s one thing I promised myself I would never do. So right now, I just want to talk to you. Honestly. About things.”
Maisie glanced at her parents, Dad still engaged in conversation, Mom staring at the doorway before drawing her attention back to Dad. Was she in a hurry to get somewhere? Or was she wanting to give Maisie a minute alone with Daphne?
“Okay,” Maisie said.
She was happy to hear what Daphne had to say, but Maisie didn’t have the heart to speak about Finn. Not yet, anyway.
Daphne drew a deep breath. “I know I can be difficult sometimes to work with. Overbearing and too opinionated. And I know I’m not always supportive of your other dreams. Dreams that threaten my own. But for that, I want to apologize. Your mom has talked to me about what happened between you and the tour guide, and I just…” She broke off, taking Maisie’s hands in her own. “I just want to say sorry for not being there for you when I should have been. I had no idea, and that is because of my own fears and…Anyway. I want you to know that I’m going to try hard er to be there for you, even when your dreams don’t align with mine. Because I love you.” Tears filled her eyes. “You’ve been like the daughter I never had, and I want you to know that I want you to be happy, whether that’s doing things with me or finding your own life to live.”
She ended, settling with a nod and looking away as she cleared her throat. Daphne had never been comfortable sharing emotion in such a way, and that made it all the sweeter for Maisie to witness.
She reached forward, embracing her aunt with a tight hug, which Daphne returned until Maisie pulled back. “I love you too,” she said.
Daphne tipped her head to the side. “Now, about you and Finn…”
Maisie frowned. “What about us?” As if she could even use the word “us” when referencing them both.
“What are you going to do to be with him?”
Maisie hesitated. “Well, there’s nothing I can do, really. Finn is supporting his family. And I’m following this dream.”
“And that makes you feel…” Daphne prompted.
Maisie shrugged. “Fine.”
Daphne gave her a look of disbelief, so Maisie continued, trying to convince herself of her words as much as she was trying to convince Daphne.
“Really, I am fine,” she said hollowly. “I knew the guy for barely two weeks before I left. Anything between us probably would have fizzled out by now anyway.”
“I hope that’s not the truth,” spoke a deep tone from behind.
Maisie gasped, whirling around to face the voice, fearing her ears were playing tricks on her. But as she came face-to-face with Finn standing in her aunt’s soon-to-be restaurant, those happy smile lines stretching out from his twinkling eyes, his signature sleeves pushed halfway up his forearms, her mouth dropped open, and her heart stopped.
“You’re…” she breathed. “You’re here. ”
Finn smiled, his eyes shining as mischievously as ever as he tucked his hands into his pants’ pockets and took a step toward her. “I am. But by the sounds of it, maybe I shouldn’t be?”
Maisie shook her head mutely. What had she been saying about him? That whatever was between them would have fizzled out by now? She wanted to laugh out loud at her stupidity. Now, with him in Boston of all places, she knew the truth.
None of her feelings had faded away—they burned brighter than even before.
Finn’s eyes flicked behind Maisie’s shoulder toward Daphne, then toward Maisie’s parents. Maisie followed his gaze, seeing each of them smiling at Finn, none of them appearing surprised in the slightest.
“What am I missing?” she asked, glancing between them all. “Mom? Dad?”
Mom grinned. “We met him earlier, Maisie. He contacted us through Instagram and asked if we could facilitate a way to surprise you.”
“We had to make sure he wasn’t crazy first,” Dad piped in. “Jury’s still out on that one.”
He gave Finn a look as if to say, “I’m watching you,” to which Finn replied with a somewhat less than confident smile, and Maisie marveled again.
Was this really happening?
She glanced over her shoulder at Daphne, the smile on her lips telling Maisie that she’d been in on the ruse, too.
“Go chase your dream, hon,” she whispered. “We’re all here to support you.”
Maisie couldn’t believe it. They all knew…they all knew Finn had been coming there.
That Finn was here .
She looked back at him, his eyes still on her, and she was only vaguely aware of her parents and aunt leading the construction workers from the room, leaving Finn and Maisie alone.
“So what was that I heard you say?” Finn asked, drawing a few steps toward her, hands still in his pockets as he watched her with narrowed eyes. “Somethin’ ’bout fizzlin’ feelings?”
Maisie didn’t even bother coming up with a quippy response. “Yeah, that wasn’t true.”
He beamed. “Boys a dear, I’m glad to hear that.”
He stopped a few paces in front of her, casting his eyes around the space. “So this is your restaurant, is it? Lovely place.”
She smiled.
“Could do with a wee wall or two, though,” he continued, staring at the exposed framing to the side of them.
“Oh, that’s what we’re missing,” she said, her shock slightly fading away enough for her to tease back.
He smiled, then walked forward, resting his hand on one of the model chairs they had out for color decisions. He wiggled it a little bit, and the chair rocked back and forth before the leg below it collapsed, and the entire chair fell to pieces.
He stared at it in shock. “Maybe spend some quid on creatin’ sturdier chairs, like.”
Maisie laughed. “Finn, what are you doing here? Other than tearing our restaurant apart before it even opens?”
He grinned, sidestepping the pieces of wood. “I’ll fix that later,” he mumbled. Then he faced her again. “Frankly, I’ve come to do somethin’ I should’ve done last week.”
“Which was?” she asked, doing her best to stay calm.
“I’m here…” he began, his eyes fixed on her, “to ask you if you want to go out on a proper date.”
Maisie stared, then laughed. “You know, you could’ve asked me that over the phone.”
“Ach, aye, I could’ve. But this way is far more romantic, isn’t it?”
She couldn’t even begin to describe how much more romantic it was. But there was still something niggling at her conscience. “What about your family? Your job?”
“Me da got another job, and I quit mine. ”
“What?” she breathed. “I’m so happy for your dad, but…your job. You loved it. How could you just quit?”
“I did love it,” he said, “but I couldn’t bear stayin’ on after they told me I couldn’t see you.”
She listened intently as he continued, still not quite believing that this was, in reality, happening.
“Even though we’ve known each other for only a short amount of time,” he said, closing the distance between them and taking her hand in his, “it’s been long enough for me to know that whatever this is between us is worth pursuin’. ’Cause I’ve never known anyone quite like you, Maisie. And I’ve never felt anythin’ for anyone more than I feel for you. So quittin’ me job was worth it. Because you are worth it.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” she began, then another thought occurred. She looked around them at the disheveled construction zone and would-be restaurant. “Do you want a job?”
Finn laughed. “At this point, I’ll take any job I can get if it allows me to date you.” Then he looked around them and lowered his voice. “Although, I have it on good authority that your aunt would never hire me. I get the feelin’ she doesn’t like me.”
Maisie smiled. “She’ll come around. I did.”
He scoffed. “Ach, you liked me the minute you saw me, love.”
She smiled up at him, then released his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. “How could I not, when you sacrificed Bob’s tire by running over a curb to stare at me?”
He chuckled again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. “Ah, I missed you.” He stared into her eyes, his gaze flickering to her lips. “You never answered me question, though.”
“About you working here?”
“Naw, if you want to go on a date with me.”
“Ah, of course,” she said. She stared up at him. “Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, Finn.”
He breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Boys a dear, I’m glad. I was worried this was goin’ to be the most expensive rejection I’d ever received.”
She laughed before he continued.
“Now,” he said, “I hope you won’t find me too forward, as we haven’t officially had our first date yet, but I was wonderin’ if I have to wait to kiss you, ’cause I’ve traveled nearly three thousand miles and waited over three hundred hours, and I don’t want to wait a moment more.”
She shook her head. “Then don’t.”
He drew closer, then paused. “Just do me one favor?” he asked in a whisper, his breath on her lips.
She nodded in silence.
“Will you tell me if I taste like Fifteens and Heaven?”
Laughter bubbled up inside her.
“Because I’ll tell you,” he continued, “I’ve just had some on the flight here for this purpose alone. I’d hate for them to go to waste.”
She smiled in amusement, looking down at his firm lips and wanting nothing more in that moment but for them to be hers again.
“So…” he urged.
“So, what?”
“Will you tell me, then?”
She laughed, knowing he wasn’t going to let it go. “You drive me crazy sometimes, you know that?”
“Aye, I do.”
And as he flashed that charming grin at her again, Maisie couldn’t help herself. She stood on the tips of her toes and pulled Finn toward her until his lips met with hers.
Not a second passed by before Finn responded, taking charge of their kiss and leaning toward her, wrapping his arms around her more securely with a deep sigh.
After a moment, his fingers caressed the back of her arm, and he broke off their kiss to look down at her skin. “Goosebumps?”
She looked down to see them for herself. “I guess so,” she said with a knowing smile.
“Does that mean I passed the test?” he asked, his thumb stroking the bottom of her lower lip as he stared down at it.
“Aye,” she said with a smile. “And you most certainly taste like Fifteens and Heaven.”
Then he leaned in and kissed her again.
Maisie melted into Finn’s embrace, returning his kiss with one of her own that she hoped expressed what she felt for the man who’d left his job, who’d chosen her, who’d flown across an entire ocean just to ask her out, just because she was worth it.
And for the first time in her life, even though she didn’t know what the future held, her hope was bright, and that made all the difference.