Love By Delivery (The Harringtons Book 2)

by MacKenzie Shaw

  “Willow?” Finn nudged her to get her attention.

  “What? Sorry,” she replied, shaking her head, trying to remember what he’d asked her. The last twenty-four hours had taken a toll on her. She was worried about her mom and how she was going to manage the deliveries and day-to-day running of the business, especially after today. How does she do it all and make it seem so easy?

  He grinned at her, “I just said you don’t need to worry about the eggs. Where did you go?”

  She pushed out a long breath, “It’s been a long day. I don’t know how my mom does it, and now she’s broken her arm I don’t know how she is going to manage on her own. I’m only supposed to be here for a few days before I have to go back to Boston. How can I leave her? She’s got nobody to help her. I keep nagging her to get an assistant but she’s too stubborn and insists she likes to give all her clients the personal touch, which she couldn’t give if she had an assistant.” The words spilled out of her mouth like projectile verbal vomit that she couldn’t have stopped, even if she’d wanted to. She had no idea why she was offloading all her inner most worries that had suddenly accumulated over the past twenty-four hours to him. She’d met him less than five minutes ago, making she was sure, a great first impression … not.

  He moved towards her as if placating a nervous animal and lifted his hands towards her face, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. When had she started crying?

  “Come, sit down,” he said as he led her towards a large sectional sofa that took up half his living space. “Do you have any more deliveries to do?”

  She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

  “Do you need to get home for your mom?”

  Again, she shook her head. What she really wanted to do was to curl up on this sofa that had sunk around her as she’d flopped down, and go to sleep, hoping that when she woke up this whole day had been just a nightmare.

  Even although her mom had told her she had everything under control and not to worry, worry was Willow’s middle name. She was a fixer and wanted to fix her mom’s problems. She couldn’t help it. She also didn’t want to leave her new found safety blanket that Finn unwittingly was providing to her, because if she left, she knew she’d need to come up with answers she didn’t have, especially as her life was now in Boston.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Finn was definitely out of his depth. He wasn’t used to being around emotional women after being brought up in a household with four brothers. However, he found he didn’t want to be anywhere else. She’d sounded like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and he wanted to take that weight from her. He’d gotten to know Liz quite well over the past three years so he knew she’d hate knowing her daughter got into such a state over this situation. He also knew that Liz would deal with whatever a broken arm entailed and do it with a smile. That was one of the main things he’d liked about Liz. When faced with a problem she managed to pull a solution out of thin air and act as if it was nothing. Luck surrounded Liz and he had to believe that, even with her broken arm, some good would come out of it. It certainly had for him, he smiled looking down at a now softly snoring Willow.

  He went into his spare room and pulled a blanket from the wardrobe to put over Willow. He’d let her sleep for a while and then drive her home. He could pick her up in the morning and bring her back to get the van.

  At nine o’clock he gently nudged her, not wanting her to wake up suddenly in case she was disorientated and not sure where she was. “Willow. Willow, it’s time to wake up,” he gently whispered in her ear. Nudging her again, he saw her eyelids fluttering and then she gave a full stretch on the couch, letting the blanket that was covering her slip on to the floor.

  “Hey sleepy head, I thought it best to wake you and take you home in case your mom got worried about you.”

  Willow looked up at him, still with sleep in her eyes, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you. What time is it?”

  “It’s just after nine. It’s probably best I drive you home and then I can come pick you up in the morning to get your van.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to be any trouble.” Giving another little stretch she added, “I feel much better after that. I guess everything just hit me all at once.”

  “Willow, I know it’s none of my business but I’ve known Liz for a few years now and I’m sure she’d hate to know you were getting all stressed out about this. She’ll come up with a plan, she always does.”

  Sitting up straight on the couch, she took a while to reply. It looked like she was looking for the right words, either that she was trying not to cry again. “You’re right. This is more about me than my mom breaking her arm and whether or not she’ll be able to manage her business.” She sighed then looked up at him. “Have you ever thought you really wanted something so badly and then when you achieved it, you realized it wasn’t what you really wanted?” she asked.

  Had he ever. “You could say that,” he replied.

  “Can you please sit down, I feel rather awkward cranking my neck up to talk to you,” she asked with a shy smile. At least she was getting more comfortable around him.

  “Sure,” he said, sitting down beside her on the couch, but leaving a gap so she didn’t feel uncomfortable, although it was tempting to sit closer.

  “I used to love helping my mom in the kitchen, helping her while I was in high school and then during vacations when I came back home from college. We worked really well together, a real team and I loved it and I know she did too.”

  She paused, deep in thought. “But,” he prompted.

  “Of course there’s a but,” she replied letting out a laugh that was anything but humorous. “But,” she emphasized with an eye roll, “I always had it in my head that working with my mom was like we were playing all the time. We were always having so much fun that it didn’t seem like a real career choice, for me anyway.” She let out a long sigh, “So when it came time for me to choose what to do after high school, I felt I should choose something … professional. A real career then start the career ladder like everyone else. All my friends were really excited about going away to school and they just assumed I would be too, and I got swept up in that. I know my mom wanted me to join her business and it was a shock to her that I wanted to go away to college but she supported me every step of the way and didn’t say a word about what she wanted for me. She let me make my own decisions and I feel I made the wrong one.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Willow felt all the years of pent up guilt flood out of her. She hadn’t realized how miserable she was. It was only by spilling all this to Finn that she had to face the ugly truth. She’d been living in denial, probably another reason she’d left it so long to come back and visit her mom.

  “I miss my mom,” she whispered, letting out a sob.

  Finn moved closer and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug. She loved being in his arms, she felt so safe and protected, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. For some reason she trusted him and that may have been because her mom obviously trusted him, but she believed it was more than that.

  “Oh Willow, I know your mom misses you too. I think she adopted me as your surrogate,” he replied with a chuckle. “And knowing your mom, she’s probably taken a few more people under her wing too.”

  “But I live in Boston. My life is in Boston. I have a job, my apartment, everything is in Boston.”

  “Your mom’s not,” he told her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Everything else can easily be taken care off. You just need to make a decision … if that’s what you want to do.”

  Finn then let her out of his arms and jumped to his feet. Holding out his hand to her, he told her, “You don’t need to make any decisions right now. Have a good night’s sleep and see how you feel in the morning. I’m here if you want an ear to listen.”

  She accepted his hand and he pulled her up, a bit too fast and she ended up bumping into his firm chest. She looked u
p, to see him looking down at her with a strange look on his face. “Thanks Finn … for everything,” she told him. “You’re right, I’d better get home.”

  He grinned at her, “Say that again. I think I could get used to hearing that,” he teased.

  “What? That I need to get home?” she replied, with an equally wide grin.

  “Oh no, not that,” he said. “That I’m right. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard it said so many times in such a short space of time. It makes me feel all Yoda like. Maybe that’s my calling and I need to change careers.”

  She laughed and it felt so good after the emotional rollercoaster she’d been on. Although emotionally drained, she almost let herself feel hopeful about the future but too many ‘yeah buts’ were still floating around her head.

  “Right you, let’s get you home,” he said, moving to grab his jacket off the back of a chair.

  “I’ll be okay to drive, you don’t need to take me.”

  “Nah it’s fine. It gives me an excuse to see you again when I pick you up in the morning.”

  Her heart melted. She liked Finn … more than liked, but he was just being nice because of his relationship with her mom. It couldn’t be anything more, could it?

  They chatted about everything and anything on the twenty minute drive to her mom’s house. She couldn’t believe he’d built a career around playing video games and a hugely successful one at that. It proved that you could do something that you loved and turn it into a successful opportunity. Although he sounded proud of everything he’d achieved, she noticed the sparkle didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was something missing. She decided there and then that she would help him with whatever was troubling him. It was the least she could do after he’d helped her with her dilemma, which before today she hadn’t even realized had been one.

  When she got inside her childhood home, all the memories of the fun times she’d had with her mom, the majority of which were when they were cooking or baking in the kitchen came flooding back. She smiled at each and every memory. How could she have been so stupid to ignore all the signs that had been all around her?

  Her mom wasn’t home but she decided she was going to discuss things with her in the morning. To sound her out about moving back home and joining the family business … if she’d have her. They could discuss it while cooking the meals for the day. Finn was bringing the truck back around ten, and then she’d drop him back home while she was doing her deliveries.

  She wasn’t sure what she was more excited about, sharing her idea with her mom or seeing Finn again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Finn slumped down on his sofa when he got back from dropping Willow off. Who’d have thought he’d meet someone, outside his gaming circle, who might understand his dilemma; now he’d finally admitted he had one and that he needed to solve it once and for all? The difference was, he’d followed his passion and built a career around it and now it no longer satisfied him. Willow hadn’t followed her passion and was miserable and wanted another chance to work with her mom again.

  Other than gaming, Finn didn’t have an idea what else he wanted to do so had allowed others to make decisions for him. From the outside it looked like he had the perfect life. He had been told countless times that he was the envy of every teenager and young adult on the planet. It was the lifestyle he dreamed of too and now he’d achieved it he wanted something … more.

  He thought back to his conversation with Willow and how honest she’d been with him. He felt guilty that he’d not been as honest with her. It wasn’t only about not admitting how restless and unsatisfied he’d been feeling, it was more about not telling her about the gaming trip he’d been forced into that niggled him the most. He’d made it sound so easy for Willow to get out of the life she hated in order to get the one she really wanted. He knew that life never ran that smoothly … well at least in his experience, but he hadn’t wanted to burst her bubble. He knew if there was anything he could do to help her achieve the changes she so desperately wanted, he’d help her so she could stay here. Even if he wasn’t going to be around.

  The next morning when he’d got to Willow’s he was invited in for coffee and fresh pastries. They were almost finished packing the last of the meals, ready for delivery. He sat back and watch the easy dynamic between mother and daughter as a pang of jealousy rose up in his chest. He missed being around other people, bouncing ideas of each other and just having fun in an easy, relaxed environment. Sure, he had friends he’d game with but it felt more superficial than what was in front of him.

  He used to have that closeness with his brothers. When they were kids, being the middle child he always had someone there to hang out with but as they grew older, Marcus and Alex started working in the family business, then Noah started his band and was never around. Even Adam stopped coming out of his bedroom, too busy building his mobile apps to hang out with his older brother. He winced at the memory that he too was a nightmare for not coming out of his bedroom, often gaming until the small hours of the morning and then sleeping until mid-afternoon. That was one of the reasons he’d bought his own place so he could do it without the comments from his family and now, even he was fed up with that lifestyle.

  Willow came up and nudged him on his side, pulling him out of his nostalgia. “Hey, you were miles away. We’re ready to pack up. You ready to leave?” she asked him.

  He smiled at her, “Sure.” Although he didn’t want to go home, so before he could stop himself he added, “Do you want an assistant for the day?”

  Willow almost dropped the crate she was carrying. “What did you just say?” she asked.

  The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. “I asked if you wanted an assistant today. I’m at a bit of a loose end and I’d like to help out if I can.” He flexed his muscles, grinning at her. “Lend you my muscles for the day.”

  Before Willow could say anything, Liz piped up, “We’d love to take you up on your offer, thanks Finn. Right Willow off you two go, meals won’t deliver themselves. Finn, can you please take this to the van.” She pointed to 3 large crates of food bags and gave a huge grin as if she knew what his ulterior motive was. At least her mom approved, that must be a good sign.

  In the van he was dying to find out whether Willow had spoken to her mom about what they’d discussed the previous night. The way they were acting this morning, and the fact Willow looked much happier and lighter than she had yesterday, made him think they had and it had been a positive discussion. If only his life was as easy to solve.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Willow insisted on driving. It would save her from making a fool of herself, drooling over Finn when she had to focus on the road. She turned to watch him buckle up his seatbelt and place the list of customer addresses on his knee.

  “My mom has put the addresses in order of delivery already so we just need to find them in the GPS. Can you pull the first one up? I kinda know where it is so I can drive while you do that.”

  “Sure, and then you can tell me all about your conversation with your mom. I can already tell you’ve had ‘the talk’ and it went well,” he said, with a smug look on his face.

  She grinned, the talk with her mom had gone better than she’d expected and couldn’t wait to share the news with him. “I did and thank you so much for last night. I was a blubbering idiot and I can assure you I’m not usually like that, well not all the time,” she told him, laughing at the memory.

  “She was out when I got back so didn’t get a chance to talk to her until this morning. You were right, things were better after being slept on -”

  “I told you, I’ve missed my calling. I’m giving Buddha a run for his money these days,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

  She ignored his comment and continued, “Anyways, I told her that I wasn’t overly happy living in Boston and after her breaking her arm it brought home to me how much I wanted to be here, with her, and if she’d have me, I’d love to be her assistant.”

/>   “And …” he prompted.

  “And …,” she continued, “she was delighted. Asked me what had taken me so long to ask her. She’d love to have me join her in her business and get this … she doesn’t want me as her assistant. She wants me as her business partner. I’m so excited. We even talked about doing more catering gigs and expanding the business. I can use my marketing experience to help promote the business.” Her stomach dropped at the prospect of calling her boss to give her notice.

  “What happened? What’s that face for?” he asked, looking concerned.

  “I still need to call my boss and see how much notice I need to work before I can leave. My mom really needs me now, but I may have to work a month’s notice and then I need to pack up my apartment, not that there’s much to bring back as I rented it furnished.”

  “Maybe due to the circumstances he will let you out of your notice period. You’ll never know until you call and explain the situation with your mom. I can help you move if you want.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that. Aren’t you busy with your own stuff?”

  “Remember last night I told you I knew what you were going through? I wasn’t lying. I’m needing a change of scene too but just don’t know what I want to be doing instead. Maybe helping you and your mom out will spark something.”

  “Well, remember I’m the partner and you are the lowly assistant,” she joked with him. She was glad they were able to spend the day together and she fully intended on learning all she could about Finn Harrington and helping him, like he’d helped her. She believed there was so much more to him than the Google search she’d done on him last night, which was impressive enough.