“Conflict of interest?” Dick shouted. “I’ll tell you what a conflict of interest is. It’s him”—he shoved a meaty finger in Finn’s direction—“playin’ this game like he’s part of Havenbrook. He’s not even a real member of this community. What’s he done anyway? You forget about the half-dozen times he egged your place, Vern? Or when he took out all those mailboxes on Main Street? Or when he got hauled in for spray-paintin’ the road signs?”
The ump shrugged. “Don’t really see how that’s got anything to do with baseball. Besides, he was just a kid then. You need to let the past lie. Lighten up, Richard.”
That settled it. Vern was getting a year’s worth of beer on Finn’s dime.
Vern’s casual dismissal of the mayor only seemed to enrage Dick more. His face reddened even further—which, to be honest, Finn hadn’t thought possible. His fists were clenched at his sides, and he kept darting his gaze to the bystanders, all of whom were now gawking at their mayor.
He gestured wildly in Finn’s direction, his voice a barked command. “He’s not even a real member of this community. He might be bringin’ a business to the square, but y’all’d do well to remember exactly what that business is. There’ll be drinkin’ and partyin’ goin’ on till all hours of the night, all thanks to him. Exactly what we fought for years to keep out of our quiet little town. Shouldn’t be a surprise, though, given where he came from. Where they all came from.” He glared at Finn and his team, who now stood behind him, supportive even in their silence. Dick looked him up and down, a sneer marring his face. “Just ’cause you were born here doesn’t mean you belong.”
Willow gasped, drawing Finn’s attention to her. In the time her daddy’d been throwing his tantrum, she’d walked closer and now stood just on the other side of her father. “Daddy!” she snapped. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I don’t have time for this nonsense from you, Will.”
Willow’s eyes narrowed the smallest bit. It was a tiny tell, really. One only Finn probably noticed, but he knew what it meant. He’d been on the receiving end of it enough times to know she’d reached her breaking point, and her daddy’d just shoved her over it.
She squared her shoulders and stepped up to her father, something Finn hadn’t ever see her do before. “Considering you’re the one who interrupted the game for this nonsense, I believe you do have the time.”
Dick’s eyebrows shot up, his mouth dropping open. “Excuse me, young lady? I’ll not have you talkin’ to me—”
“And I’m not gonna stand by and listen to you disparage one of our own. Finn grew up here, same as me. Same as you.”
“He’s nothin’ like us! He’s—”
“Opening a business that’ll help Havenbrook thrive. A business you might not be fond of, but one this town desperately needs. We are bleeding residents, and any new businesses that’ll help prevent that are a benefit to Havenbrook. He has as much right to be here as any one of us.” Willow crossed her arms and stared at her father. “Stop being such a sore loser about it all.”
Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd as a hurricane of emotions flooded Finn. His chest swelled with pride over Willow finally standing up to her father. And doing so for him? Well, he didn’t want to pour gasoline on an already raging fire, but he desperately wanted to stride over to her, take her in his arms, and kiss the living daylights out of her. Right there, in front of everyone.
Except it turned out he didn’t need to walk to her at all. Instead, she took cautious steps toward him, her eyes full of a thousand questions. He hoped he answered them all as he watched her step up to him. She hooked her finger through his, her lips quirking up at the side a moment before she pressed up on tiptoes to brush her lips across his.
As the whole town watched on.
A few gasps went off, but he stopped hearing them after a moment. How could he pay attention to anything else when Willow’s mouth was on his? He reached up and wrapped his fingers around her nape, bringing them closer. She might’ve started this kiss, but he sure as hell was going to finish it.
With his friends at his back, Willow in his arms, and the entire town paying witness to her very public declaration, Dick’s check burned a hole in his pocket. Where earlier Finn had been dead set on shoveling a heaping pile of humility into the mayor’s lap, now he just wanted to be with Willow. And as much as he loved this bit of PDA, what he really wanted to do to her wasn’t fit for public consumption. He wanted to spend an hour kissing every freckle and birthmark on her body. Wanted to spend all night between her thighs, showing her over and over again how much he loved her. Wanted to tell her everything so they could finally start the rest of their lives together.
Tonight couldn’t get here fast enough.
23
At the start of the day, Willow certainly hadn’t intended to make her feelings for Finn quite so…known. Or make them known quite so loudly or so publicly. Yes, she’d made the decision to stop hiding her relationship with Finn. It was childish and stupid, and she was done with that. But she’d assumed it’d get around like everything did in Havenbrook: someone would see them 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, she’d been so damn mad at her daddy, she hadn’t stopped to think. A fact which her sisters hadn’t let her forget since they’d dragged their asses away from the baseball diamond—losers for the first time ever.
Willow, her sisters, and their gran had escaped to Rory’s house since it was closest to the square, their momma staying behind to try to calm down their father. 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?’”
Willow rolled her 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, her older sister would think Willow had been the one out of line. While she and Rory had had fun the couple of times they’d gone out since their understanding, their shared secrets tying them together in a way they hadn’t been before, apparently it was too much to ask for an entire personality transplant for her sister.
“He was acting like a spoiled child,” Willow said, struggling to keep her 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,” Willow mumbled before taking a sip of her 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.” Willow straightened, her shoulders nearly up to her ears at how rigid she stood. “Speaking up when Daddy’s saying disparaging things about our residents—who were standin’ right there—and then kissin’ my—” Well. She’d been about to say boyfriend, but they 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, she swallowed and set down her 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 three girls 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 Willow’s 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 the four women, then Mac raised her glass and tapped it against their grandmother’s. “Amen, Gran.”
For a moment, Willow stared at her grandmother, mischief sparkling in her eyes. She thought back to all the times her gran had told her things like that, encouraging her 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 Willow’s sisters? Of that, she wasn’t sure, but one thing was for certain: she was glad she’d finally listened. Standing up to her Daddy had given her a high she’d never before experienced.
Of course, she knew, sure as she knew the sun would set, that her daddy wouldn’t allow her to have the last word. And that conversation, when it came, would be hell on earth.
After Willow, her sisters, and Gran had finished their lemonade and impromptu chat, they’d headed back toward the square since the fireworks would be going off soon.
When they arrived in the center of town, everyone scattered, Gran going off to find their momma, Rory to wrangle her kids, and Mac to get some free beer. Willow followed her sister’s trail as she 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 Willow had approached them about it. When she’d had the idea, she’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.
She’d been right. The line to their counter stretched halfway across the square. Her heart slowed, warmth sweeping through her body as she 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 hers. For as long as he was in town, he was hers. It wasn’t what she wanted—because what she wanted was everything with him: the white picket fence and two-point-five kids and happily ever after—but it was what she’d been given.
And she was going to take every little bit of it she could.
“See nothing’s changed with you.” Her daddy stood next to her, his gaze fixed where hers had just been.
Looked like the fireworks were starting early.
Willow snapped her spine straight and tightened her jaw. Gave herself a minute to calm down before she did something horrible like tell her daddy to go to hell.
Ignoring the underlying dig her daddy sent her way, she tipped her 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—”
Her daddy tsked, shaking his head. “Just as blind as ever.”
Biting her tongue was getting harder than ever, especially after she’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 her so damn mad. And she was done. She was finally, finally done. Especially today—a day she worked her ass off on for the majority of the year, not to even get a good damn job from the mayor? She’d had just about enough of that, of giving herself to people and things that didn’t give a damn about her. 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, Willow could only stare at her father for a moment. It’d crossed her mind, of course. Had been the single most frequent question that’d arisen while Finn had been gone. She’d been close to asking him that night in the tree house, then he’d kissed her, and, well, she’d lost her nerve.
“No,” she said. “I don’t really see how it has any bearing on the present.”
Her father chuckled under his breath and shook his head. Even though the residents of Havenbrook surrounded them, no one paid them any mind. They 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 Finn’s 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?”
She blew out an exasperated sigh, wanting desperately for her daddy to just get to the point so she could go over and congratulate Finn on his win—both on the baseball diamond and with their soft opening. “What are you talkin’ about?”
Her daddy twisted toward her, his lips turned down like he was concerned. “The money.”
“What money?” Honestly, if he didn’t get to the point, she was going to walk away. Just turn and walk straight over to Finn and ignore her 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 her shoulder. “I did it for your own good, you see.”
Her father’s lips were still moving, words coming out of them, his expression proclaiming concerned parent, but she couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying. Her pulse thrummed too loud in her ears, years’ worth of memories flipping through her mind.
The day she’d woken up and Finn had been gone.
Running to the tree house, hoping to find a note, a message, something that’d tell her why he’d had to leave. Why he couldn’t say goodbye.
Falling asleep with her cell phone in her hand, just hoping and praying he’d call her or text her. If not to tell her why he left, then at least to tell her he was okay.
Lying in her bed weeks later, the night she’d finally accepted he wasn’t coming back. That he’d left her, despite their plans, and Havenbrook was no longer his home.
Then months later, withdrawing her admission to Tennessee State University. Because she wasn’t the girl she’d been with Finn. He’d stripped that from her, had taken every ounce of fire she’d had and blown it out as he’d flown from town.
Her father squeezed her shoulder again, pulling her 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’.”
She nodded as if she understood. As if everything she’d put back together wasn’t cracking at the foundation. After her daddy’s show earlier at the baseball diamond, she certainly couldn’t trust what he said as gospel. But the seeds of doubt he’d planted were enough of a push to get her to finally have that conversation with Finn. Much as she’d worried about the answer, it was time to find out once and for all why he left all those years ago.
24
Finn wasn’t sure it’d have been possible to have a better day than today. By the time he, Drew, and Nola had finished up serving in the square and closing up, they’d been sure of one thing: this business of theirs was actually going to succeed.
And wasn’t that a fine revelation to come to when on
ly hours before the town’s mayor had disparaged them in front of everyone, claiming they weren’t worth the dirt beneath his feet?
Just went to show Dick didn’t know shit. Not about Finn, and not about Havenbrook. And he certainly hadn’t had the majority of his town’s interests at heart when he’d thrown up all the roadblocks for them to start the business. Havenbrook was thirsty—pun intended—for a gathering space. Somewhere they could kick back with friends and hang out without having to drive thirty minutes to do so.
Finn was damn glad they were the ones providing that to the people who’d once looked down upon him and his brother, but now saw them as equals.
His main focus all day had been finding Dick and taking care of the little matter of that cashier’s check still in his pocket, but by the time they’d gotten cleaned up long after the last firework had gone off, the square had been empty. Besides, he didn’t want to waste his time with Dick right then.
He wanted to see Willow.
While they hadn’t made plans, Finn figured her show on the baseball diamond was invitation enough for him to knock on her door. Even if it was after midnight.
He pulled up to her and Mac’s place, thankful to see lights still burning behind the drapes. Maybe, if he were lucky, she’d make his fantasies come true and let him stay the night. Wake up with her in his arms. He didn’t figure Mac would mind too much. When it came to Willow’s younger sister, she didn’t seem to mind too much at all.
At his knock, the door flew open, doesn’t-mind-much-Mac’s face as red as a fire hydrant, her glare aimed directly at him. “What the fuck do you want?”
“I—what?” Finn furrowed his brow as he scratched his jaw and looked over Mac’s head, trying to puzzle out why she’d answer like that. A joke?
“I said, what the fuck do you want, Griffin?” She crossed her arms, foot tapping on the hardwood floor.
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