Page 17 of The Dangers of Daydreaming

Finn

Theafternoonsunwaslow in the sky when I got back from day two of tours. True to my word, I had gone over Lucy’s emailed list and, after digging up the information for the entire two weeks the Hastings would be here, sent her back which ones we would be going to and when. She'd gotten her rental car the day before, and that meant she hadn’t joined us to go to Island Hill Farms and subsequent goat yoga. It was surprising how much less fun it was to go on a tour without Lucy Sinclair, not just because it would have been a sight to watch her do goat yoga, but because it just felt… like it was overcast despite the sunny day.

I’d been going on excursions without her for years, yet one day of her in the passenger seat with the group, and I was worried I might be broken for future tours.

My phone rang as I pulled back into the farm’s gravel drive and stopped in front of the B&B.

“Hey, Gram, has Pops given in?”

“No, he’s being a child about the whole thing.” From her tone, I could tell she must be standing next to him. And his muffled response in the background confirmed it.

“Tell him I’m going to raze that south quarter acre of trees and put in the pool I’ve been asking for if he doesn’t get the surgery.”

Gram relayed my threat as I turned off the car and propped open the door, resting my feet on the running board in the evening air. I heard Pops’ response loud and clear that time. In none too few words, he reminded me who was in charge. I grinned.

“Do you guys need anything?” I asked. “I stopped by to look at the smoking chimney Stephanie mentioned yesterday. But I have an hour and a half until I have to go get the Hastings from dinner.”

“Thank you, Finn, but no, just checking to see if everything was going okay.”

Half of me was tempted to bring up their possible plans for selling. I both wanted to know what was coming and wanted to pretend it wasn’t even a possibility. I chose the latter. “Outside of the chimney apparently smoking everyone like a Christmas turkey, everything is fine.”

Gram chuckled, and it was a balm to my soul, lifting my lips a little higher. “Perfect. Oh, will you tell Wesley that Pops needs him to call the harvester we used a few years back? We may not be able to get the U-Pick up in time this year.”

My smile fell. Another thing changing. “Sure thing, Gram.”

I tucked my phone and keys into my pocket to go in and check on the fireplace, definitely not with a hidden agenda to check in on a certain someone as well. I’d momentarily been in her black books the day before, but I think she’d forgiven me. Maybe?

Mad or happy, though, my eyes swept the house as if she might appear.

And like magic, she did. She came walking right out the front door when I was just yards from the house. She caught my eye and gave a little wave, something that thirteen-year-old Lucy never would’ve done. Thirteen-year-old Lucy had hated my guts, and honestly, it was probably because I’d been a bit of an idiot towards her, not charming like my teenage self had thought. Who knew girls didn’t like being called a different name each week based on the book she was reading or having their large vocabulary pointed out?

“What are you up to?” I asked.

She glanced down at her phone, typing a few things into it before answering. “I’m not getting great service in the B&B, so I’m gonna go for a walk and see if I can get this call to work.”

“Who are you calling?” Wait—did she have a boyfriend at home?

“Potential client,” she said, eyes skimming once again over her phone, and the little vice that had wrapped itself around my lungs loosened.

“Work on vacation?” I teased.

“Work on a work trip.” She wrinkled her nose at me. Then the phone started ringing, and I motioned her past me. She smiled and answered, holding the phone up to her ear.

I couldn’t help but watch her go. Her voice drifted back to me, and instead of entering the B&B, I took a seat on the porch.

Her connection must have been better because she didn’t pause at all as she launched into the conversation with the people on the other side of the phone.

“I’m so glad you got the information Ellie sent over,” she was saying. “A cruise on the Mexican Riviera sounds like it would be a perfect fit for you and your family. There are so many kid-friendly options on the ship, we can fly you out of California, and I found a great flight where you can all sit together. It’s well within your budget. We can book two cabins side-by-side, one with a balcony, the other with an Ocean view. That way, you and your husband can have time to yourself while having the kids close by.”

She paused, listening to something on the other end.

“Yes, you can check them in and out as you’d like, and on top of the childcare, there are so many family-friendly activities. The evening shows are fantastic, the boat we’re looking at has an entire deck of games and a pool, and there are several included dining options with all-you-can-eat delicious food.”

Another pause.

“Completely and 100% safe,” Lucy said, her free hand waving to emphasize her points. I settled back into my chair, hands folded across my stomach. “We can set up excursions for you ahead of time so that you don’t even need to worry about it. There’s zip-lining, snorkeling, beautiful white sandy beaches, and historic towns, but if you do decide to stay on the boat, that’s always a possibility as well. Whatever you feel more comfortable doing.”

I wasn’t interested in a vacation, and she was even convincing me. Her voice was growing faint as she walked further from the house, removing the distraction I was enjoying, so I turned to my phone and shot a text off to Wes.

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