Chapter 24
MAISIE
The sun peaks through my bedroom window waking me up as I tiredly open my eyes. I have no idea how I got here. The last thing I remember was laying on Henry’s lap on the couch and closing my eyes. I have no recollection of actually falling asleep and getting into bed.
Did he carry me in here? Again?
Did he stay?
Before I get ahead of myself, I slowly turn over to see if he’s sleeping next to me. I feel a sense of relief but also sadness that he’s not there. I shouldn’t be having these feelings toward. I can’t do a summer fling, I’m not a fling type of person.
But if I was, I would want it to be with Henry.
Grabbing my phone from my purse that’s on the floor next to my nightstand, I see an unread message from the man I can’t stop thinking about.
Henry
I had the best day with you. Thank you for letting me intrude.
Also, I stole your house key to lock the door behind me when I left. I know I put it under the door mat last time but that’s a house intrusion waiting to happen.
Let me know when you’re awake so I can drop it off.
So he did in fact carry me to bed… again.
I should be scared of the butterflies in my stomach, the smile inching on my face. Day after day, I am finding myself getting more and more entranced by Henry.
The same Henry who won’t be here for much longer.
The same Henry who agreed to being just friends.
The same Henry I don’t think I want to be just friends with anymore…
Shaking the thoughts away, I text him that I’m awake and will be at my Mom’s house next door if he just wants to leave my key on the porch.
After about thirty minutes of getting ready for the day, I walk across the lawn to my mom’s.
I knock on the door as I turn my key, knowing she’s going to yell at me for knocking in the first place.
Stepping inside I barely make it two steps in before I hear my mom yelling from another room, “this is your house too! You don’t need to knock, darling!”
I slip off my shoes and set down my keys before I make my way to the kitchen. I can already smell the chocolate chip cookies she’s baking for her party coming up.
“It smells good in here, Mom.” I slide onto a barstool and rest my elbows on the island table with my head in my hands.
“When I was going through some old boxes, I found one of Grandma’s cookbooks and thought I’d try out a cookie recipe.”
“She was such a good cook, I miss it… and her.” I sigh.
“Clearly the good cook gene ended with her, cause I sure as hell didn’t inherit it!”
“You’re not wrong.” We laugh together as she mixes together the ingredients in a bowl.
“I heard a truck coming down the driveway last night.” A statement, not a question.
“A friend was dropping off some medicine since I wasn’t feeling good.” I hop out of my seat to go grab a glass of water.
“Does that friend's name happen to rhyme with Benry Hellwood?” I can sense the smirk on her face. She thinks she’s so funny.
I didn’t even think about my mom noticing I had anyone over. I wonder if she knows he was there all day and not just to “drop off some medicine” for me.
“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.” I turn on the water to drown out the noise of whatever she’s gonna say.
“I really do like that boy,” I hear her say into the mixing bowl. “The other Bellwood’s have always been good people when they came to town back in the day. I don’t remember Henry much though but I also didn’t often see Miles running around the diner.”
“If you like him so much, he’s single. Maybe you could date him.” I take a sip of water.
“Make him your new daddy?”
I choke on the water in my mouth. “Can you hand me a fork so I can stab my ear drums?”
“Oh, hush,” she points her whisk at me as I stand with my back against the refrigerator, “I just want to see my little girl get married one day.”
“Don’t get carried away now.” I huff out a laugh. “Just because there’s a new boy in town, doesn’t mean he’s the one. Plus he’s leaving once the Dew Drop Inn is renovated.”
“If anyone can make a man stay in Ruby Lake and have him wrapped around her finger, I know it’s my little Maisie.”
“Your little Maisie who’s never been in a relationship is gonna tie down a man here?” I retort. “Highly doubtful, but I love the enthusiasm.”
“I invited him to my birthday party, you know.”
“You’ve both told me already.” I shoot a glare at her.
“He’s new and has no friends here. I figured he might want to meet people.” She eyes me.
“You and Wren are both insufferable!”
“We just want you happy, Maisie.”
“I am happy.” I take another sip of water, finding myself getting frustrated. “And we are friends but I don’t need a man to make me happy. I watched you, the strongest woman I know, raise me all on your own with no man in sight.”
“Okay, okay. You make valid points. Maybe just keep him around even if just friends, there’s something about him that makes me believe he really is a good person.” The smile of her face is soft as her eyes meet mine. “And I want is to see you two finish that little list of yours.”
“I can’t believe she told you!” An embarrassed sigh leaves my mouth and I throw my hands over my face in hiding. “You and Wren need to stop gossiping about me!”
“What else are a fifty-something and a twenty-something going to talk about if not their favorite person?”
“Can we eat lunch or something and pleeeease talk about literally anything else?”
After rummaging through the kitchen to find something to eat, we decide on sandwiches.
As I spread mustard across the slice of bread in front of me, I hear a knock at the door. Not many people tend to come down this way…
I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s going to be a dimpled smile greeting me on the other side that I need to hide from my mom.
“I wonder who that could be?” my mom questions at the same time I yell, “I got it!”
I drop my knife in a hurry so that my mom doesn’t see who it is—assuming it’s who I think it is.
Taking a deep breath, I turn the handle and crack open the door.
Just as I suspected.
Henry.
Looking jaw dropping as usual.
The more I see him, the more fucked I am. I would climb him like a tree if given the opportunity. Just maybe not on my mother’s front porch.
“Hi,” I whisper in greeting. “You can just… set the keys right there and I’ll grab them when I leave.”
“Hello to you too, Maisie.” He grins, peering down at me probably wondering why I’m not letting him inside. “No need to hide your hot date you got in there.” He winks. “Maybe he’s my type too.”
“Hot date?” I startle at the sound of my mom’s voice behind me. “Oh, Henry! Come on in!” She grabs the door I tried desperately to keep closed and swings it open.
“Ms. Winslow, lovely seeing you again.” He beams in her direction. “And happy early birthday! You’re what… twenty-one now?”
“Oh, please,” she waves her hands at him as she giggles, “get in here and give me a hug!”
“Oh good God.” I roll my eyes and step back to let him inside.
He brushes past me but I don’t miss the small squeeze on my waist as he walks in and gives my mom a hug.
“He’s practically family now, Maisie,” she says over his shoulder.
“I’m not sure this one wants me to be part of the family, Elaine.” He winks at me as he breaks the hug.
“I think she’d rather you be her daddy!”
“MOTHER!” I yell out at the same time Henry lets out a deep laugh but I can still see his shoulder tense at the comment.
“Isn’t that what the kids are calling their men these days?”
“I’ll be whatever Maisie wants.” He looks at me and whispers, “Daddy or not, like the kids say.”
“You two are going to be the death of me.” I storm away mostly to rid the heat rushing up my neck and cheeks.
“Add Wren to the mix and I think this might be her own personal hell,” I hear my mom say, and a chuckle from Henry follows.
She shuts the front door and I look over to them, a smile radiating from Henry as he talks to my mom.
“Are you hungry? We just started to make lunch before we begin decorating for the party tomorrow night. There are also cookies in the oven we have to taste test!”
“Oh, that’s so kind but I don’t want to intrude.”
“Please,” my mom begs and nudges him when she adds, “that’s what friends are for, right?”
“As long as Maisie doesn’t mind, I’ll happily stay for lunch.” He looks at me with what I expected to be a flirty smirk but instead, he has a softness to his face, almost like he’s trying to apologize without saying anything.
“As long as you like sandwiches,” I shyly respond, feeling bad about my internal outburst over him being here.
“I just so happen to love sandwiches,” he reassures.
“Here, Henry, come sit at the table!” My mom ushers him to the dining room. “I’ll grab you a plate and something to drink, what would you like?”
I watch as he pulls out a chair and takes a seat.
“Water is perfect,” he smiles.
“I’ll grab it, Mom, why don’t you go sit?”
“How about you go sit,” she fires back, and I have lost all my will to fight so I do as she says.
“Afraid I’m going to give you cooties?” he teases.
“Something like that,” I answer, knowing that I’m actually scared I’m going to start falling for him the more I see him, the more he gets along with my friends and family, the more he starts to fit like the missing puzzle piece in my life.