Chapter 4
Chapter Four
T he next few days went by with the typical household chores, a doctor appointment for Sam, her ex calling to cancel his scheduled midweek visit supposedly for work, and more baking and sleepless hours when Mak heard her uncle up in the night due to pain.
She knew Sam didn’t want to be fussed over when it was bad, so sometimes she left him alone. Other times she joined him with a cup of tea or coffee and an excuse about how she couldn’t sleep and wanted to watch television.
Sam knew the truth, of course, but he’d settle in his chair with a blanket and a mug and eventually start to reminisce about his life and adventures. His regrets about the woman who’d gotten away because he wasn’t ready to settle down and she’d gotten tired of waiting on him to grow up.
Mak listened. Because what else could she do? Like Sam, she had regrets about her life. Hers were marrying the wrong man and supporting his dreams only to be betrayed, then staying even longer than she should have, believing his lies and thinking that somehow they could repair the damage for Emi’s sake.
But she also recognized the fact if she hadn’t married her ex, she wouldn’t have Emi. So there was that to wrap her head around as well.
Thankfully, by the time the weekend rolled around, Emi seemed fully recovered from her jaunt with Max and excited to go to the lakeside market.
The weekly event was held every Saturday during the summer months and on scheduled holiday weekends when tourists filled the area to capacity.
Emi practically danced in place as she waited for Mak to finish packing their picnic lunch. Since they’d be so close to the beach and have to fight the weekend traffic anyway, the plan was to take a few hours and enjoy the sunshine, crowded though it would be.
“All done, Mommy?”
Mak placed the ice packs into the cooler bag Sam had found and zipped it up with a nod. “All done. Sam, you ready?”
“Only if my two Itty-Bits are,” Sam said, a smile on his deeply lined face as he stared at them. He’d always called her Itty-Bit, and she mourned the day he would no longer be around to tease her with the nickname. “You think you’re up for a paddleboat ride on the lake?”
“Yes!” Emi squealed, hopping up and down and clapping.
Mak sighed at her daughter’s energy and wished she could bottle a little of it for herself and Sam. Undoubtedly every mama wanted that, though. “Okay, so how do we get to go paddleboating?”
“Be good and stay by Mommy and Uncle Sam.”
She smiled at Emi’s long-suffering tone and nodded. “Exactly. There will be lots of people there, and we don’t want you getting lost. If we’re lucky, maybe we can snag a good spot at the picnic tables once the crowd thins out later.”
“We can’t eat on the beach?”
Mak made a horrified face. “And risk the seagulls attacking us and get sand in our sand wiches? We’ll see.”
Emi giggled and skipped toward the door Sam held open for them. They locked up as Emi marched to the car with her little iridescent pink backpack of necessities. Mak followed, wishing she could slow down time.
Used to be necessities meant a bottle and diapers, but now it meant Emi’s favorite stuffy, bubbles, a notepad she liked to draw on, and the dollar bills Sam had snuck the little girl when he thought Mak wasn’t looking just in case Emi saw something at the market she wanted to buy.
Today was a no-screen day, so Emi had begrudgingly left her iPad mini behind, but Mak had allowed her to bring her camera so she could take digital pictures of the birds on the beach or whatever else caught her eye.
Most of the images would be blurry or have her fingers in them, but playing photographer would keep Emi entertained for hours—or until the charge ran dead.
The traffic leading to the island was already thickening with cars speeding by at too-close range.
Mak fought her impatience and then lucked into a break in the traffic and told everyone to hold on as she floored the pedal to get them into the flow.
Offseason meant the locals were out in force, and given the warm temps and upcoming holiday weekend, it seemed everyone planned a day at the beach.
Sam rode shotgun and showed her the backroad to avoid all the lights down the main strip. That road was busy, too, but moved along nicely.
A few turns later, they crawled along the parking lot near the lake. There was just enough room at the end for her little car, and she breathed a sigh of relief for Sam’s sake if nothing else.
They’d be active enough without having to walk blocks and blocks to get to the market and back later.
Sam had always been a lean man in fairly good shape, all things considered, but over the last year, she’d noticed him losing weight and looking gaunt. She just hadn’t known why at the time.
For the next thirty minutes, they meandered through the crescent shaped village of stalls set up by local vendors that wrapped around one side of the lake. Artists showcased paintings, metal work, books they’d written, wood carvings, clothing and jewelry. Food trucks had lines, and gardeners had set up to sell produce and honey and jams. There was a bit of everything, and Mak loved the variety.
The market was as crowded as Sam said it would be, and people meandered along at a slow pace that definitely qualified as being on “island time.”
“Mommy, look!”
Emi’s hold on Mak’s hand tightened as her daughter pulled Mak toward whatever it was she had been able to see through the throng of people.
Emi’s little legs practically spun in place as she tried to tug Mak along, but they had to slowly wade through the crowd.
Finally the group of people parted a bit, and Mak saw the source of Emi’s excitement—a small cow wearing a flower garland draped over its nubby horns.
People filtered through a spot in front of the animal for photos, and Mak smiled back after Hudson Blackwell caught sight of her and flashed her a cocky grin and a bodacious wave.
They stood in line and waited their turn, and she noted Sam fished a few bills out of his pocket for the tip bucket that was there in lieu of a photo charge.
Once it was their turn, Hudson held out his hand so she could hand over her phone and join Emi in the photo.
“I’m fine right here,” she said with a shake of her head.
“One with you both and one of her alone,” Hudson countered in a cajoling tone. “Come on, Mama, go make some memories.”
Shaking her head at Hudson in exasperation, Mak relented because the highland was that adorable and handed over her phone.
She walked Emi over to stand beside the beautiful animal and couldn’t stop her grin. Freshly bathed and brushed from the look of it, the highland turned her head and waited expectantly for scratches Mak was only too happy to provide.
A cute sign at the side of the area read Harriet the Highland Cow above a QR code that undoubtedly took whomever was curious to a website for Blackwell Farm. “So you’re Max’s girlfriend, eh?”
The cow released a low huff as though in agreement, and Mak laughed. Emi giggled and slowly lifted her hand to scratch as well.
“She’s so soft,” Emi breathed. “And fluffy!”
“She is, isn’t she?” Mak agreed.
“Okay, ladies, look at me and smile.”
Hudson held up her phone, and Mak urged a cow-enchanted Emi to look at the camera.
After giving them a minute or two with Harriet, Hudson walked toward them to return Mak’s phone with yet another flirtatious grin.
“You two are very photogenic. Those are some great pictures. You should send Finn a few to use on the website. I put his number in your contacts. And mine. Just in case,” he said with a grin.
Oh, that boy. The audacity. “Come on, Emi. It’s time for someone else to get a turn.”
“But I wanna stay and pet her.”
“You can pet her any time,” Hudson said. “Just have your mom bring you over to the farm for a visit. You can meet Dash, too. He’s a miniature donkey just about your size.”
“Like me?” Emi blinked up at Hudson with a scrunched-up expression. “ Really ?”
The doubt and suspicion in Emi’s tone left Mak laughing as she gently tugged her daughter out of photo range so the next in line could get situated. “We’ll go see them sometime soon,” she said to Emi.
“The boy’s right. Those were some pretty pictures,” Sam said.
Mak lifted her head and suddenly realized Sam stood next to Finn. The handsome man dominated Sam’s shorter, too-thin frame.
Finn watched her from beneath his cowboy hat, his dark, gorgeous eyes locking on hers and holding with an intensity that left her struggling for her next breath and wondering if he was the type to catch a woman if she swooned like they did in the old movies.
For a man of so few words, Finn had a presence about him. And she felt it all the way down to her flip-flops and Emi-painted toes.
Finn wore faded jeans that molded to his long legs and lean but muscular frame to perfection, as well as a light sage T-shirt that made his eyes look even greener.
His hat was the same linen-colored one from the other day and obviously well loved, but the light color showcased his dark hair and sun-kissed face like an image from a magazine.
A shiver raced down her spine as she walked toward them, and her response took her by surprise. The man had literally said one word to her during their conversation earlier in the week, but right now it was as though they were somehow connected. Something about him just…drew her toward him. “You should’ve joined us for a photo, Sam.”
“Can we do it again?” Emi asked.
“Yeah,” Finn said, the word low and barely audible, more air than sound.
He cleared his throat and looked a bit awkward as he nodded, his gaze shifting from Mak’s to take in Emi.
Her precocious daughter stared up at him and gave him a wide smile. “I like your hat.”
Mak’s heart practically burst out of her chest when Finn’s stern expression softened into a gorgeous grin that brought that spine tingle back with a vengeance.
Finn squatted down to be at Emi’s eye level but still towered over her daughter in the position. He removed his hat to plop it on her head.
“Can I keep it?”
Emi’s excitement made her voice shrill. “Emi, no baby, no,” Mak said quickly. “Finn needs his hat. But you can wear it for a few minutes and give it back, and we’ll try to find one like it for you so it fits properly. How’s that?”
“Okay!”
Mak glanced at Finn and saw the corners of his mouth were still quirked up. He stretched out a large hand and lightly tapped the brim of the much too-large hat. It fell forward over Emi’s face, causing her to giggle like a maniac as she pushed it back up.
Rising with ease, Finn winked at Mak, and she had to force back an audible sigh. Who knew her type was tall, dark and silent?
But realistically, how the man wasn’t married or seeing someone was beyond her. The women in this town had to be crazy—or something was seriously wrong with him.
Which was it?
“Mommy said we can come see Harriet.”
“Sometime,” Mak said, glancing up at Finn. “If that’s okay.”
“Course it’s okay,” Sam said.
Mak felt Finn studying her as though he took in every feature and freckle. She fought the urge to squirm and felt a flush rising into her cheeks. “We shouldn’t keep you. I promised Emi we’d go on the paddleboats before our picnic.”
“You should go with them,” Sam said to Finn, gaining all their attention with his statement. “I’ll stay here with Hud and fill in for you. I’m not going to be much help paddling that boat, and Emi is too short to reach the pedals. I’m not even sure Itty-Bit will be able to.”
Mak gaped at her uncle since this was the first she was hearing of the change of plans, and she shot a glance at Finn.
Poor Finn looked like he’d turned to stone. But why wouldn’t he?
Standing there for a moment with them was one thing but being stuck on the lake with them? “Sam, I’m sure Finn would rather stay with Harriet and keep an eye on things here.”
“What’s going on?” Hudson asked as he joined them between photo sessions.
“Finn’s gonna go on the paddleboats with us,” Emi said in her sweet voice. “Sam doesn’t wanna, but he’s gonna help you.”
Mak watched as Hudson split his attention between her and his brother before clapping a hand on Finn’s shoulder.
“You’re due a break. What are you waiting for? Sam and I’ve got this covered. Go have fun.”
She’d have to be blind not to see and sense Finn’s reluctance. “Only if you want to,” she said. “Right, Emi? We don’t want Finn to feel like he has to come if he has things he needs to do here.”
Emi glanced up at Finn, her bottom lip sticking out more than the norm. “Don’t you wanna come with us?”